Pokémon: Above the Top

Chants calm the mind. Even the most anxious and restless individuals can find a moment of peace and serenity under their recitation.

Sato remained alert toward the sudden arrival of the three Beastmasters, but his attention involuntarily shifted to the Ho-Oh statue.

He was seated in the best viewing spot on the eighth floor, which allowed him to see the statue's general outline.

Because of that, Sato clearly noticed that as the chants echoed, the Ho-Oh statue began to emit a faint platinum glow. He vaguely heard gasps from below, and many of the visitors participating in the ritual began whispering among themselves. Clearly, Sato wasn't the only one who had seen the glow.

"…Making a big deal out of nothing..."

A mutter sounded beside Sato. Normally, it would be hard to catch, but thanks to the enhancements from the Dark Energy, his senses were heightened, allowing him to clearly hear the Beastmaster's sneer.

'…Could it be that every ritual at the Bell Tower causes the Ho-Oh statue to glow?'

Sato speculated in his heart, but outwardly remained expressionless, continuing to observe the entire ritual.

As for sincere prayer… heh, your daddy has met Ho-Oh in person, what's this level of prayer worth?

'Ho-Oh, oh Ho-Oh, what exactly is this so-called trial of yours? Give me a hint!' Sato pressed his palms together, closed his eyes, and "silently" recited.

Bzzz~

Suddenly, the glow of the Ho-Oh statue flared intensely. The abrupt change almost disrupted the rhythm of the sages chanting the scriptures.

"Ho-Oh has appeared! Ho-Oh has appeared!"

"It's Ho-Oh! Ho-Oh! Have you heard my plea? Please save my child…"

"I want money! I want money! I want lots and lots of money! Hahaha…"

"…"

The dazzling light instantly caused a huge commotion. The people participating in the ritual could no longer stay seated; they all stood up, craning their necks to witness this never-before-seen miracle.

"Get out of the way!"

A commotion suddenly erupted next to Sato. He turned his head and quickly understood the cause.

Because of Ho-Oh's "miracle", even the visitors on the eighth floor couldn't remain calm. They all stood up, wanting to get a closer look at the entire scene.

But the best spots had already been taken by Sato and the three other Beastmasters. In the commotion, one of the visitors accidentally stepped on the Beastmaster seated to Sato's right.

Seeing that the visitor was almost about to be bitten to death by the Beastmaster's Flareon, several sages stationed on this floor quickly ran over, urging the Beastmaster to release him.

"Get lost."

The Flareon's Beastmaster never even looked at the commoners, exuding extreme arrogance.

Since no one had died, the sages didn't pursue the matter further.

After all, it had been the commoner who provoked the Beastmaster. Not being killed was already the greatest protection the Bell Tower could offer him.

Sato watched the whole incident in silence. Without saying a word, he gained a deeper understanding of the disparity between Beastmasters and civilians in this era.

After the incident, the eighth floor became quiet once more. Compared to witnessing Ho-Oh's miracle, their own lives were clearly more important.

No one dared to step forward again. The civilians nearby even quietly shuffled their cushions backward, trying to inch farther away.

And the others behind them didn't object; on the contrary, they moved in unison, huddling together for safety.

"The Ho-Oh statue is shining even brighter!" Exclamations continued to ring out. Except for Sato's floor, which had just experienced a disruption, the other floors had never calmed down.

Sato squinted as he gazed at the Ho-Oh statue on the ninth floor. Seeing that familiar platinum glow, he felt a tremor in his heart.

In the next moment, all the light from the statue began to converge, forming a glowing sphere that churned restlessly.

Amid the stunned expressions of the crowd, it gradually transformed into a single feather.

Rainbow Feather!

"A divine gift! It's a divine gift!"

An old man in his sixties suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud. Staring at the Rainbow Feather formed by the golden light, he bowed repeatedly.

Thud… Thud… Thud… Thud…

One after another, the civilians began to kneel. Even the three Beastmasters beside Sato shifted from sitting cross-legged to kneeling. Though they didn't kowtow, their expressions were countless times more devout than before.

In the blink of an eye, aside from the sages who didn't kneel, only Sato remained sitting cross-legged in place, stunned as he watched the madness unfold before him.

The feudalism and superstition of this era clashed again and again with Sato's worldview.

Just when he thought he had updated his understanding of this world, new experiences would overturn everything once more.

"…Ho-Oh, the trial… I think I'm starting to understand."

Sato murmured to himself and stood up alone, looking like a complete outlier, staring straight at the Rainbow Feather.

Then, the Rainbow Feather moved!

Under everyone's astonished gaze, it slowly drifted toward Sato, finally resting quietly in the palm of his hand.

Sato held the feather, still warm to the touch, and glanced at the stunned crowd with a faint smile.

"Ho-Oh told me that I've become his messenger among humans. This Rainbow Feather is the proof. From now on, any Beastmaster with the right fate may, through various encounters, obtain this Rainbow Feather.

Every Beastmaster who obtains it will have a chance to take Ho-Oh's trial. If they pass, they will become Ho-Oh's messenger. And with that… comes even greater strength."

In the next moment, the Rainbow Feather in Sato's hand burst into a blinding light, then transformed into a flaming Ho-Oh that soared into the sky, sweeping away every single cloud above Ecruteak City.

The flaming Ho-Oh then turned back into the feather and returned to Sato's hand. Everyone in the Bell Tower who witnessed the miracle now completely believed Sato's words.

This was Ho-Oh responding to Sato's declaration, telling them: He's my messenger. Whatever he says… is what I, Ho-Oh, say.

But why… can only Beastmasters gain access to such power?

'How amazing would it be if I could become a Beastmaster?'

At that moment, countless people in Ecruteak City had that very thought in their hearts.

"Strive to become a Beastmaster. Ho-Oh's messenger is no weakling!" In the next moment, Sato's voice echoed throughout Ecruteak again.

"The Divine Messenger has disappeared!"

Suddenly, a shocked cry rang through the Bell Tower. Everyone looked toward where Sato had been standing, only to find he was already gone.

Even the three Beastmasters who had been beside him had no idea how he vanished.

The appearance of the Rainbow Feather, the declaration of Ho-Oh's messenger, the terrifying power of the flaming Ho-Oh… and that sentence, "Strive to become a Beastmaster," had practically taken root in the heart of every civilian in Ecruteak.

Even by late night, crowds of civilians still refused to leave the Bell Tower.

All hoping to witness another miracle or to find Ho-Oh's messenger.

---

At that moment, Sato and his three Pokémon were floating above the Bell Tower, quietly watching the crowd below.

"If I set this blaze in motion… then who knows what might happen," Sato took a deep breath and smiled at Zoroark.

"Zoro~" Zoroark still wasn't used to floating in the air, but tried its best to respond to Sato.

"Rainbow Feather… so you can lend me part of your power for now. As for whether you approve of what I'm about to do, Ho-Oh… that's for you to decide."

Staring at the feather in his hand, Sato finished speaking and tossed it downward. The Rainbow Feather fluttered down softly.

Watching the Rainbow Feather land atop the Bell Tower, Sato spoke softly:

"…Sacred Fire."

From that moment on, there was no longer a Bell Tower.

Only the Burned Tower!