[Rainbow Feather: A dazzling feather infused with mysterious power. A special item that can only be used at specific locations.]
[Legend has it that those guided by the Rainbow Feather and who see Ho-Oh will become the Rainbow Hero.]
Ash glanced at the feather in his hand, radiating a sacred aura.
Its texture was soft.
It pulsed faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat.
"The power of a legendary Pokémon…"
Then he looked up toward the sky, where Ho-Oh had vanished.
This was the exact spot.
The place where, in the original story, Ash first encountered a legendary Pokémon.
It seemed everything was still unfolding along the correct timeline.
[Ding! Host's trait "Legendary Magnet (Gold)" has been activated!]
As Ho-Oh's silhouette faded into the sky, leaving only a brilliant afterimage, the system's notification echoed in Ash's mind.
The trait that had previously been marked "Inactive"—[Legendary Magnet (Gold)]—was now active.
[Legendary Magnet: When a legendary Pokémon exists on the current map, it will be drawn toward the host.]
[Legendary Pokémon have a natural affinity for the host. Capture rate increased.]
"From Ho-Oh onward, Ash encountered legendary Pokémon in every region."
"It was all because of this trait—[Legendary Magnet]."
"I wonder how many of them I'll actually be able to capture…"
He thought of how the original Ash had formed deep bonds with countless legendary and mythical Pokémon.
And yet, he never caught a single one.
But this Ash didn't intend to leave behind that kind of regret.
If there was a chance to capture a legendary Pokémon, he'd never let it slip by.
"…Wh-What kind of Pokémon was that??"
Unlike Ash's calmness, Leaf was completely stunned.
Seeing the visible shock in her eyes, Ash couldn't resist cracking a joke.
"A shiny Fearow."
"Huh??"
Leaf blinked in confusion.
But she quickly caught on.
Ash was teasing her.
No matter how you looked at it, that was clearly not a Fearow!
She wasn't that dumb!!
—In this world of Pokémon, legendary Pokémon were called Shinjuu (Divine Beasts).
Mythical Pokémon were known as Phantom Beasts.
Both kinds were incredibly rare.
Each one possessed powers bordering on the miraculous.
Some were said to be capable of world-shattering destruction with a flick of their wings.
Their legends spread far and wide across the internet.
To witness one with your own eyes was a one-in-a-million event.
It was the mark of someone destined to stand at the top.
Every person who had ever seen a legendary Pokémon was a figure of importance in the Pokémon world.
"…Well, I'm heading home."
Ash put the Rainbow Feather away.
This time, he didn't linger.
He turned toward home.
Leaving behind Leaf, still dazed and standing there.
"Just now…"
"Did Ash… get something from that Pokémon?"
She remembered the way he carefully stashed away the feather.
A sudden thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
Damn it!!
He got ahead of me again!!
She stomped the ground, frustrated, and pulled out her phone.
She started searching for information about that mysterious Pokémon.
And the moment she saw it—Ho-Oh, one of the legendary Pokémon—
Her hands started trembling.
Just now…
Did Ash receive a blessing from Ho-Oh?
"We haven't even officially started our journey yet!!"
She sucked in a sharp breath.
Her eyes went wide.
Ash, that guy…
It was one thing to have natural talent.
But now even a legendary Pokémon favored him?
"What kind of ridiculous luck is that??"
…
Night fell gently over Pallet Town.
After enjoying a simple dinner with his mother, Delia, Ash returned to his room.
"System, open Leaf's trait panel."
Sitting on his bed, he calmed himself and gave the system a command.
After today's interaction, he had built up enough contact with Leaf.
He could now access her trait data.
[Ding! Opening 'Leaf' Trait Panel—]
[Name: Leaf]
[Traits: Champion's Ambition (Gold), Intelligence Gathering (Purple), Resource Insight (Purple), Tactical Ingenuity (Blue), ??? (Inactive)]
[Champion's Ambition (Gold)]: Possesses unwavering resolve and burning desire to reach the top of the Pokémon League. Converts ambition into powerful mental resilience and accelerated growth. Increased chance to unlock potential during adversity. Passive training efficiency bonus.
[Intelligence Gathering (Purple)]: Exceptionally perceptive toward target intel (opponents, locations, legends). Skilled at forming information networks and performing efficient analysis.
[Resource Insight (Purple)]: Has a knack for discovering, acquiring, and efficiently utilizing rare resources (items, rare Pokémon clues, special locations). Particularly effective when resources are scarce.
[Tactical Ingenuity (Blue)]: Highly adaptable thinker. Skilled at improvisation and executing unexpected strategy combinations. Increases chances of defeating stronger opponents with weaker teams.
[??? (Inactive)]: A dormant energy signature resides within, ancient and subtly resonating with the natural world. Nature unknown. Activation conditions currently unavailable.
…
Judging by the panel, Leaf's current traits were already on par with Gary's.
Though [Family Resources] gave Gary an early-game advantage back at school, once the journey began, Leaf would slowly start to catch up.
What's more, she possessed a level of strategic thinking that male Trainers often lacked.
She never charged into anything blind.
She would gather the data she needed first.
That alone was often the deciding factor between victory and defeat.
"I wonder if that hidden trait of Leaf's is the Power of Viridian…"
"If it is, maybe I can wait for her to activate it before stealing it."
Ash stared at her panel and analyzed.
They would be leaving for Viridian City tomorrow to begin their journey.
If the Power of Viridian chose him as well—
Then there'd be no need to take it from her.
After all, Leaf was his friend.
Stealing from Gary? That was fine.
That was just punishing arrogance.
But stealing from someone walking the same path…
He couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it.
"If only there were a way to have it both ways…"
Ash thought silently to himself.
[Ding! System Notification: Host exhibits moral hesitation conflicting with latent plunder intent.]
[Unlocking hidden module of the Plunderer System—]
…
[End of Chapter]