Pokemon: A New Path

Chapter 405: Rainbow Feather

Chapter 405: Rainbow FeatherNikar and Nemona stayed at the ranch until evening.

Nikar had originally intended to leave after discussing the future development plans for the Rotom Phones with Naoki, but Nemona was having too much fun. 

The energetic girl spent the entire afternoon battling Pokémon at the ranch. She only stopped when all her Pokémon were too exhausted to continue, leaving them thoroughly satisfied.

"Pokémon battles are the best!" Nemona said with excitement, her eyes sparkling.

Naoki could only respond with a wry smile. He glanced at Nemona's Pokémon, noticing how much experience both she and her team had gained during the day.

Seeing his daughter’s enthusiasm, Nikar sighed helplessly and said, "Nemona acts more like a boy sometimes."

Naoki chuckled. "She just loves Pokémon battles."

Nikar nodded with a soft smile. "Yes, she’s told me that her dream is to become a great Pokémon trainer someday."

"She’ll definitely achieve it," Naoki said thoughtfully, recalling Nemona's accomplishments in the games. His voice carried a note of admiration and certainty.

"Well, as long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters," Nikar said, exhaling deeply. "As her father, I’ll support her no matter what path she chooses."

Nikar then glanced at the time and said, "It’s getting late. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Naoki. We should head back now. Once I return, I’ll have the Rotom Phones you ordered sent over immediately."

"Thank you, Mr. Nikar," Naoki replied with a nod.

Nikar smiled warmly, then turned toward Nemona, who was busy tending to her Pokémon. "Nemona, it’s time to go!" he called out.

Nemona’s face fell with reluctance. She didn’t want to leave, but she knew they had already stayed for quite some time.

With a heavy sigh, she returned her Pokémon to their Poké Balls and turned to wave at Naoki. Her expression quickly brightened with determination. "I’ll come back to visit you again, Mr. Naoki!"

"You’re always welcome here," Naoki replied with a warm smile.

As Nemona climbed into the car, she waved enthusiastically through the window. "Pawmot, let’s battle again next time!" she shouted.

Pawmot, who had endured a whole afternoon of intense battles at Nemona’s insistence, could only reply weakly, "...Pamo."

Naoki chuckled, patting Pawmot’s head as they watched the car drive off.

It wasn’t long after Nemona and her father left that Zack arrived at the ranch in a large truck. Together, he and Naoki loaded crates of vegetables and milk onto the truck.

As they finished up, Zack wiped the sweat off his brow with a towel and grinned. "Don’t forget, the day after tomorrow is the Harvest Festival! Bring your Pokémon and join in the fun!"

The Harvest Festival, originally a celebration of the harvest in Kosaji Town, had been transformed into an event honoring the Calyrex. This change was made to show gratitude for Calyrex’s role in restoring the fertility of the land after saving the nearby mountains.

In previous years, the festival was held in Unity Square, but this year, with the establishment of the Harvest Shrine, Mayor Thomas moved the venue to the mountain behind the town.

Though the festival was still two days away, the townspeople were already hard at work decorating the event site. From the ranch, Naoki could see the illuminated mountain path leading to the Harvest Shrine each night, with lights adorning both sides of the trail.

"We’ll definitely be there," Naoki said with a smile, already looking forward to the festival.

Zack looked thrilled. "It’s going to be so lively, right? I heard that lots of tourists are coming to Kosaji Town just for this! And apparently, there will even be TV stations recording the event!"

"Of course," Naoki said softly. "I think Calyrex will be delighted to see the town bustling like that."

“It’s going to be amazing!” Zack exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. Just imagining the scene filled him with energy and pride. It was heartwarming to see the town he had grown up in flourishing more and more.

After leaving with a cheerful goodbye, Zack headed off, brimming with enthusiasm.

Naoki, meanwhile, continued his work on the ranch. He packed boxes of Poffins and blocks, handing them over to the Dragonites. After a long day, the Dragonites left the ranch carrying their deliveries, their spirits high and their loads full.

As soon as the Dragonites flew off, the ranch suddenly felt quieter and emptier.

Naoki’s thoughts drifted back to his earlier conversation with Nikar. Curious, he pulled the Rotom Phone out of his pocket and decided to test more of its features.

He opened the camera app and aimed it at a Gogoat lounging peacefully on the grass. With a tap of the shutter, the screen captured the serene Pokémon in perfect clarity.

'Not bad,' he thought, examining the photo. The quality was excellent. This would make it easy to save Pokémon photos in a digital album going forward.

Satisfied with the camera function, Naoki switched to testing the messaging and calling features. That’s when he noticed something fascinating: the Rotom Phone didn’t require a SIM card. Instead, it seemed to have its own built-in communication system. By checking the settings, users could find their unique phone number.

This meant that as long as someone had another person’s number, they could communicate without the usual network requirements.

Next, Naoki opened the map feature. The phone automatically pinpointed his location: the outskirts of Kosaji Town. The map allowed zooming in and out, and its design was similar to the in-game version. However, it lacked certain features, such as displaying the types and details of Pokémon inhabiting specific areas.

The Rotom Pokédex was the following app he revisited. As he already knew, it provided detailed entries on Pokémon found in the Paldea region.

Finally, Naoki explored the app store and web browsing features. 

The app store was still in its infancy, as the phone hadn’t been officially released yet. Only a few basic applications were available for download. The web browsing feature, however, was equipped with a special

Sensing Teddiursa’s unease, Mew prepared to teleport them away, while Zapdos shifted its stance, ready to take flight. But before they could act, the elderly woman called out urgently.

“Wait! Please don’t leave—I mean you no harm!”

The trio hesitated, turning their attention back to her. Her tone was earnest, her posture non-threatening.

“That feather,” she began gently, “is Ho-Oh’s Rainbow Wing. The fact that it is with you means that Ho-Oh has chosen you.”

Mew tilted its head in curiosity. “Mew?” (Chosen us?)

The woman continued, her voice laced with reverence. “According to legend, those guided by the Rainbow Wing are destined to meet Ho-Oh and become the Rainbow Hero.”

At the mention of “Rainbow Hero,” Teddiursa and Mew exchanged intrigued glances. Their ears perked up, and even Zapdos’s sharp gaze softened with interest.

The woman, however, couldn’t completely hide her disappointment. She had hoped that Ho-Oh would return to humanity, bestowing the honor of Rainbow Hero upon a deserving human. Yet, here it was—three Pokémon carrying the sacred feather, chosen instead.

She sighed quietly, her eyes lingering on the feather. “Ho-Oh no longer entrusts humans with the Rainbow Wing… It seems the sacred phoenix has chosen a new path.”

It seemed Lord Ho-Oh was still deeply affected by the tragedy that occurred centuries ago.

Back then, Lord Ho-Oh and Lord Lugia resided in the Bell Tower and Brass Tower, bringing balance and harmony to Ecruteak City. However, a war among humans eventually reached the towers, and the Brass Tower was set ablaze. The fire claimed countless lives, including nearby Pokémon, devastating both Legendary Pokémon.

Heartbroken and disillusioned by humanity’s actions, Lord Ho-Oh and Lord Lugia departed from Ecruteak City, vowing never to return.

Although Lord Ho-Oh had not yet forgiven humanity, the monks remained steadfast in their faith. Now, seeing that Lord Ho-Oh had entrusted its sacred Rainbow Feather to three Pokémon, they believed it was a sign to follow its will.

The elderly woman turned to the trio and spoke solemnly. “We must go to Azure Mountain! If Lord Ho-Oh will not return to the Bell Tower, then it must be waiting on Azure Mountain.”

“Follow the guidance of the Rainbow Feather to Azure Mountain! If you can pass Lord Ho-Oh’s test, you will be recognized as the Rainbow Hero, and Lord Ho-Oh will grant your wish,” she continued, her words steeped in the ancient wisdom recorded in sacred texts.

...

The next evening, the fifty Rotom phones that Naoki had preordered were delivered to the ranch. The delivery was made by a sharply dressed office worker who arrived in a Squawkabilly Flying Taxi.

Clearly, the man was an employee of Rotom Technology Corporation, visiting the ranch as part of his official duties. After Naoki signed for the package, the office worker promptly left, boarding the Squawkabilly Flying Taxi for his return journey.

Naoki carried the large box of phones to his living room, eagerly opening it to inspect the devices. He carefully unboxed each phone, running initial diagnostics to ensure everything was in perfect working condition.

Satisfied that all the phones were functional, Naoki leaned back and thought to himself, '

For now, however, he decided to hold off distributing the phones. Without the full range of apps, there wasn’t much for the Pokémon to do with them just yet.

After neatly storing the phones, Naoki turned his attention to preparing for the Harvest Festival, which was set to take place the next day.

The Harvest Festival marked the end of autumn, a celebration of nature’s bounty and a time of gratitude. For Naoki, it also symbolized how quickly the year had passed. Reflecting on the changes, he felt a surge of warmth as he thought about all the new Pokémon that had joined the ranch. This year’s New Year’s celebration would undoubtedly be lively, with so many companions by his side.

Still, his thoughts strayed to Teddiursa, Mew, and Zapdos. It had been nearly two months since he’d last heard from the Hero Expedition Team. He couldn’t help but wonder what adventures they were undertaking or where their journey had taken them.