"Please, young friend, wear the Rainbow Feather on your person!" Mingguang stood up, bending forward as he solemnly presehe Rainbow Feather with both hands.

  Sato also stood up, but instead of reag out to take the Rainbow Feather, he grabbed Mingguang's hands and forcibly straightened him up.

  "You still haven't told me why I o wear the Rainbow Feather."

  "Ahem, I was being too hasty." Reverend Mingguang sighed helplessly. Normally, when people heard about the Rainbow Feather, they would accept it with joy. After all, it was an item reted to a Legendary Pokémon—who would question it this much?

  Unfortunately, Sato had been wary of him ever siheir st enter. Even though he did not deny his i in the Rainbow Feather, he was still extremely cautious.

  "For the past hundred years, we have been trag Ho-Oh's whereabouts, and the Rainbow Feather has shown a hint ress."

  Reverend Mingguang sat back down, still holding the Rainbow Feather in his hands as he tinued.

  "Every three or four decades, a Trainer carrying the Rainbow Feather has been able to see Ho-Oh. Then, the Rainbow Feather inexplicably returns to Bell Tower."

  "After much deliberation, we believe that Ho-Oh is seleg a representative while also showing that it has not fotten our Bell Tower lineage!"

  At this point, Reverend Mingguang became visibly excited, resembling a fanatic devotee.

  However, he quickly calmed himself and turo look at Sato with a serious yet hopeful expression.

  Sato withdrew his Dark Energy, slightly furrowing his brow.

  Perhaps because Reverend Mingguang also possessed some kind of special ability, Sato could not sense aional fluctuations from him. Thus, he could not determine whether he was telling the truth.

  "Fine, I'll keep it with me. But if it decides to leave on its own, I won't be able to stop it."

  "Rest assured, the Rainbow Feather will not be lost."

  Sato ook the wooden box, closed it, and then decisively bid farewell.

  ----------

  Leaviower, Sato headed straight back to the Pokémoer. He had stayed ieak City long enough—it was time to tinue his journey.

  After saying goodbye to Nurse Joy, whom he had spent over half a month with, Sato packed his belongings a off toward the western outskirts of Ecruteak City.

  Carvanha's aerial training had hit a bottleneck. After researg Johto's rivers, Sato discovered that the Whirl Isnds near Oliviy would be ideal for training Carvanha's trol over energy.

  Since he had no fixed destination, Sato quickly decided—Oliviy it was!

  Once deep in the forest, he habitually released Spinarak and Larvitar. The two had been cooped up for too long. Now, whehey entered a Pokémon, no matter the strength, they would charge in for a fight.

  Oddish, Hoothoot, Raticate, Beedrill… oer another, Pokémon were defeated.

  Wait, Beedrill?

  Sato suddenly stopped and turned his head—aire swarm of Beedrill was now charging toward them!

  Sato g the two troublemakers, Larvitar and Spinarak, who were now hiding behind him. He sighed—he really o rein them in. It seemed like they felt itchy if they didn't stir up some chaos for a day.

  "Zoroark, Fmethrengar, Thunderbolt!"

  He tossed two Poké Balls into the air. With their leader and sed-in-and on the field, fmes and lightning surged through the swarm. A rge portion of the Beedrill was wiped out, but the remaining ones were relentless in their assault.

  "One more time! Larvitar, Spinarak, you two help finish them off!"

  Thunderbolt and Fmethrower swept across from both sides. Meanwhile, Larvitar trolled flying rocks, striking down the Beedrill that dodged the initial attack.

  Spinarak wasn't about to be left behind. Its web-shooting skills were now hoo perfe, intercepting any Beedrill that slipped through and delivering them straight into Larvitar's oning rock barrage.

  In no time, dozens of Beedrill y defeated. Sato casually tossed a Poké Ball, capturing oh Elite-level Bug-type potential.

  Even the smallest mosquito was still meat, especially now that Gengar—after evolving—had actually started eating. Keeping it fed was being quite the challenge.

  After this little episode, Sato sternly warhe two that they shouldn't go pig fights with entire swarms. They et lone Pokémon ihat way, there would be no sequences.

  Both Spinarak and Larvitar nodded seriously, aowledging their mistake...

  And then, just moments ter, the two ran off and came ba trouble again.

  "Awooo!"

  A pack of bck, menag e Pokémon leaped out, swiftly surrounding Sato and his team.

  Dark and Fire-type Pokémon well-known throughout Johto—Houndour!

  By now, Larvitar and Spinarak had more or less burned off their excess energy. As they realized what they had dohey looked up at Sato like two guilty children, tugging at his sleeve and trying to act cute.

  "Good job! Zengar—looks like we've got more work to do!"

  The two were pletely dumbfouhey exged gnces.

  "Did we hear that right?" Larvitar asked quietly.

  Spinarak wiggled its legs. "I don't think so…"

  What they didn't know was that, sio had agreed to participate in the Youe Tour, he was eager tthen his team.

  And the fastest way to do that? Capture more Pokémon—especially Dark-types, which he favored. And in this very pack, there was one Houndour with Pseudo-Elite Four potential!

  "Awooo!"

  At their leader's and, four Houndour leaped from different dires, exeg a coorditack.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the pack began rotating positions rapidly, trying to throw Sato's team into disarray.

  "Night Daze! Shadow Ball! Larvitar, Screech! Spinarak, Scary Face!"

  Explosive energy surged into the ground as Night Daze erupted, skillfully avoiding Sato and his allies while nding a devastating hit on the Houndour.

  Shadow Balls followed in rapid succession, blooming like fireworks iermath of the first attack, b the pack from every angle.

  Not to be outdone, Larvitar and Spinarak pyed their roles perfectly—an ear-pierg Screech mixed with the fearsome gre of Scary Face sent the younger Houndour into disarray. They whimpered anxiously, their formation breaking apart.

  "Awooo!!"

  A powerful wolf-like howl shattered the cacophony, instantly rallying the pack. The fusion dissipated as their leader reasserted trol, their fighting spirit reigniting for a sed wave of attack!

  "Awoo! Awoo!"

  One particurly bold Houndour lunged first, its fangs glowing ominously as it attempted a Bite oro-looking oppo—Zoroark.

  The sed, it was effortlessly swatted away, but another Houndour immediately took its pce, seamlessly tinuing the harassment.

  At the same time, the rest of Sato's Pokémon were also engaged, eae entangled with an oppo.

  The pack's coordirategy was w—they were f a split battle. To avoid friendly fire, Zoroark had to restrain itself from using rge-scale attacks.

  Sato sidestepped a leaping Houndour and turned his gaze toward the one orchestrating the battle from the sidelihe pack leader.

  He smirked. The more I watch you, the more I like you.

  Bending his knees, he sprang into a, dodging another lunging Houndour and breaking through the pack's encirclement. As he nded, his hand flung a Poké Ball straight at the Houndour leader!

  With a burst of light, Carvanha shot out, maintaining its Aqua Jet momentum as it smmed into the unsuspeg pack leader! A direct, devastating hit!

  Carvanha and Houndour shared one major trait—they were both high-offense gss ons. In this kind of battle, whoever he first strike had the advantage.

  With their leader suddenly under siege, the pack's carefully coordiactics crumbled once more.

  Sato didn't hesitate. He watched the Houndour struggle desperately to get back up.

  He wouldn't give it another ce.

  Poké Ball—throw!