The air by the lakeside cracked with the sounds of intense training.
"Gyarados, Iron Tail! Onix, you too!" Red commanded.
The two titans moved in concert, their massive tails glowing with a metallic sheen as they slammed into designated boulders, competing to see whose strike was more destructive. Red knew that for power-focused Pokémon like these, a direct contest of strength was the most effective way to hone their raw abilities.
Nearby, a different kind of training was underway.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower to box it in! Pidgey, keep using Quick Attack to find an opening!"
The golden raptor became a blur of motion, weaving through the jets of fire that Charmander expertly shot to corral it. Red occasionally flicked a small stone into their path, a simple but effective method for training their reaction speed under pressure.
Only Beedrill trained alone, its movements a silent, deadly dance it had perfected over three years. It didn't need commands; it knew what was required.
The focused, almost addictive energy of the training session consumed them all. They were so immersed in their work that they failed to notice the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.
But Red felt it. A distant turmoil, a signature of frantic, desperate energy that he recognized instantly. His brother's.
A unique trial, one that belonged to Ash alone, was unfolding.
(You have to get through this, Ash,) Red thought, a flicker of concern in his heart. He knew this was the crucible that would forge Ash and Pikachu's unbreakable bond. He would not interfere.
A long while later, the scent of ozone hung heavy in the air. A brilliant flash of lightning had finally silenced the furious shrieks of the Spearow flock.
Ash, meanwhile, lay collapsed on the rain-slicked ground, his consciousness fading.
With a soft whoosh, Red appeared in a shimmer of blue light, drawn by the residual electrical energy.
"Thankfully," he murmured, surveying the scene, "it was just a trial."
The storm clouds were already breaking apart, and warm sunlight began to pour through, bathing the earth in a golden glow. Red walked over to his unconscious brother and the equally exhausted Pikachu, taking out a full restore spray to treat them both. He knew this experience, as brutal as it was, had created a bond between them that could never be broken.
Ash's eyes fluttered open. He saw his brother kneeling over him, and the fear and anxiety that had gripped him finally receded. A weak, proud smile touched his lips.
"Big bro... I didn't let you down, did I?"
"How could you?" Red replied, a genuine warmth in his own smile. "You've always been a brother I can be proud of."
A few of the hardier Spearow began to stir, their eyes full of malice as they prepared to attack again. But Ash and Pikachu had already proven their courage. Red had no reason to let the flock continue its arrogant assault.
"Charmander, deal with them."
He tossed a Poké Ball. The moment Charmander appeared, its fiery aura radiating power, the Spearow froze. They recognized a predator far beyond their league. They turned to flee, but it was too late. A single, controlled Flamethrower swept over them, and they dropped from the sky, utterly defeated.
"Whoa... that Charmander is so strong..." Ash breathed, stunned that the Pokémon that had tormented him and Pikachu so relentlessly had been dispatched with such ease. "As expected of my brother's Pokémon!"
As the last of the storm clouds dissipated, a breathtaking, seven-colored rainbow arched across the sky. From behind it, a figure emerged, bathed in a sacred, golden light. Countless wild Pokémon peeked out from the trees, captivated by the sight.
It was a magnificent, bird-like Pokémon, its plumage the color of the dawn, its presence ancient and profound.
"Is that... a Pokémon?" Ash asked, his voice filled with awe. His Pokédex whirred uselessly. "No data available. There are still many Pokémon in this world that have yet to be discovered."
Red, however, knew exactly what he was seeing. He raised his own custom Pokédex, capturing a clear image of the legendary creature as it soared across the sky.
"That's Ho-Oh," he explained, his voice hushed with reverence. "A Legendary Pokémon from the Johto region. It's said that it only appears before pure-hearted trainers and that it holds the miraculous power to revive the fallen. Legend says that those who see Ho-Oh will be granted eternal happiness."
Ash nodded, still trying to process the scale of what he was witnessing.
Just as Ho-Oh was about to disappear into the clouds, two single, iridescent feathers detached from its magnificent tail. They shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow as they floated down from the sky, drifting gently until one landed softly in Red's outstretched hand and the other in Ash's.
"The Rainbow Wing..." Red said, his fingers closing around the warm, vibrant feather. He looked at his brother, who was staring at his own feather with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
"Ash," Red said, a rare, bright happiness in his voice. "It seems we've both been acknowledged by Ho-Oh."
He looked up, and for a fleeting instant, he thought he could see the silhouette of the great phoenix turning back, giving them a final, silent nod of approval before vanishing completely.
***********
✨ 300 gems = 1 bonus chapter
✨ 500 gems = another bonus chapter
Get access to advanced chapters at my P@treon.
p@treon.com/meowthtl