Pokemon: Becoming A Pokemon Master

Chapter 20: The Principal's Entrustment — Ghost Is a Pokémon

Sundae threw her Poké Ball. "Go Rapidash!"

With a burst of light, a majestic white horse with blazing flames running along its mane and tail emerged. Its hooves struck sparks as it reared.

"Pidgeot, you're up!" Alex called out.

"Pidgeot!" The large bird Pokémon let out a cry, circled overhead, and descended gracefully onto the battlefield.

"Rapidash, let's show him what Verdant Academy's best can do! Use Flamethrower!" Sundae yelled.

Alex pointed calmly. "Pidgeot, use Air Slash to cut through it."

Rapidash released a stream of fire, but Pidgeot's razor-sharp Air Slashes sliced through the flames with precision. The wind-based attack neutralized the fire mid-air and struck Rapidash directly, sending it skidding back, braying in pain.

Despite being bred and trained at a prestigious academy, Rapidash was clearly no match for Alex's seasoned Pidgeot, who had already fought against foes like Koga's Crobat back in Celadon.

Alex sighed. "It's tough being this strong sometimes," he murmured half-jokingly, covering his face dramatically.

Sundae was stunned. She was the top student and self-proclaimed prodigy of Verdant Academy, yet she had never experienced such a resounding defeat. Her pride crumbled in an instant.

Red-faced and angry, she shouted behind her, "Everyone! Come out! Teach him a lesson!"

Within moments, a dozen uniformed students flooded out of the academy buildings clearly Sundae's loyal entourage.

"Stop!" boomed a voice from across the courtyard.

Everyone turned as a stern-looking middle-aged man walked in, leaning on a dragon-headed cane. His presence silenced the rowdy crowd instantly.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Wait… wasn't he the same man who handed me a 10 million PokéYen check during the Rocket incident in Saffron?" he thought. "What's he doing here?"

The man approached and glared at Sundae. "What are you doing, child? This man is your savior—the one I told you about."

Sundae blinked in disbelief. "Dad?! He saved you?"

Alex tilted his head. "Hold onnyou're her father?"

"Yes," the man said, finally softening his tone. "I'm Shinji Yuto, Principal of Verdant Pokémon Academy. This," he gestured toward his daughter, "is my daughter and aspiring actress Fuji Sundae."

Turning to Sundae with a deep frown, he said, "Apologize. Now."

Sundae's arrogant façade crumbled. She walked over, awkwardly avoiding eye contact.

"I'm… sorry," she mumbled under her breath.

Misty folded her arms. "Didn't hear that."

"I'm sorry!" Sundae said louder, blushing furiously.

Alex smiled gently. "Alright. I can barely forgive you. Let's not make a big deal of it."

"By the way," he added, "Principal Yuto… what brings you here, besides stopping your daughter?"

"I'm… actually the head of this entire facility," Yuto said, chuckling awkwardly. "Verdant Academy is a privately run institution that trains gifted students, usually from well-off families."

"No wonder you were carrying around 10 million PokéYen," Brock muttered.

After firmly scolding Sundae and sending her off for disciplinary review, Yuto invited Alex and the others into the academy building.

Once inside his expansive office, decorated with ancient Johto masks and research books, Yuto bowed slightly. "I must apologize again for the disturbance. I owe all of you a deeper explanation."

Alex tilted his head. "Something tells me this isn't just about your daughter's attitude."

Yuto paused for a moment, his face suddenly serious. "You're right."

He stepped toward a large Ho-Oh statue near the office wall. With a twist of the statue's wing, a hidden panel clicked open, revealing a secret entrance.

He turned back. "Alex, come with me. The rest can wait here."

"They can be trusted," Alex replied. "We've faced danger together more than once."

"…Very well. Then come."

They followed Yuto into a dimly lit, climate-controlled room roughly 40 square meters in size. In the center, protected by reinforced glass and radiant heat lamps, was a single Pokémon egg. It glowed faintly red and emitted waves of intense warmth.

Alex stared. "Is that…?"

Yuto nodded. "Yes. This egg has baffled researchers and Breeders alike."

Ash stepped closer. "It's… warm. Really warm. And the energy… it feels alive."

"This egg," Yuto said solemnly, "is believed to be that of Ho-Oh."

The room fell silent.

"That's impossible," Brock said finally. "Ho-Oh is a unique Legendary Pokémon only one has ever been seen in recorded history. How could it possibly lay an egg?"

"Believe me," Yuto replied, "I thought the same. But both the Zifuqi and Yuto families discovered it together deep within a sealed cavern in Ecruteak City. The site was struck by a strange explosion of red flames Sacred Fire, we believe. When the flames subsided, this egg remained."

Ash recalled seeing Ho-Oh back in Pallet Town's skies during the earliest part of his journey. "But Ho-Oh never stays in one place… how could it…"

"We consulted ancient records some as old as the Bell Tower inscriptions. There's a theory mentioned only once in those scrolls: that once every thousand years, Ho-Oh undergoes a rebirth through nirvana, reducing itself to an egg state to purify and renew."

Alex looked at the egg. The power radiating from it was undeniable.

"Still," he said, "can we truly confirm it's a Ho-Oh egg? Could it not be another Fire-type with similar energy?"

Yuto adjusted his glasses. "That was our question as well. But this egg's aura has already influenced nearby Pokémon causing spontaneous evolution and even temporary burn immunity in Grass-types near the lab. Only one Pokémon has ever demonstrated such a divine effect."

Everyone remained in awe, unsure of what to say.

Ash finally broke the silence. "What are you going to do with it?"

"That," Yuto said with a heavy tone, "is why I brought you all here."

As for the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City, there have been legends passed down for centuries. They state that whenever Ho-Oh is reborn through nirvana, if its egg is not hatched in time, the entire Kanto and Johto Regions will suffer an unspeakable calamity.

"A disaster?" Alex asked, his voice steady. "What kind of disaster are we talking about?"

Principal Yuto shook his head solemnly. "We don't know exactly. The texts are vague. They only mention 'a cataclysm that shall consume both land and sky'… but no one has ever recorded what specifically occurs."

"Then what do you need me for?" Alex asked, puzzled. "If we don't know what's coming, how do we stop it?"

"Listen closely," Yuto began. "In the history of Ecruteak's Tower, it is said that whenever such a threat looms, a boy born with the power of the waveguide what you might call Aura—will arrive, guided by fate and accompanied by Pokémon of extraordinary strength. That child is the only one capable of calming Ho-Oh and preventing disaster."

"The waveguide?" Alex blinked. "You mean… me? But I don't have anything like that."

"No, Alex you do," Yuto said with certainty, his voice unwavering. "Look at Ho-Oh's egg. Ever since you entered the room, the temperature it emits has fluctuated, growing steadily. It's reacting to you. Your presence stirs it. And the Pokémon you've raised your Gengar, your Lucario, your Charizard each of them is exceptional in both strength and loyalty. That's no coincidence. I truly believe you are the one spoken of in the legend."

Alex looked down at his hands, his brows furrowed. The power of the waveguide? Me? But why haven't I noticed anything? He thought briefly of Ash—how in the anime, he and Greninja had achieved the mysterious Bond Phenomenon, a link that mimicked aura fusion. Was it possible he had something similar inside him?

Ding!

[System notification: A large reservoir of hidden energy has been detected in the host's body. Estimated waveguide strength: 100 (Class: Strong).]

Alex's eyes widened slightly. Wait if I have this power, how do I activate it?

Ding!

[Answer: The fusion of the host's soul with the original body's soul has caused dormant waveguide abilities to stabilize. To awaken it, the host must consume the Omnipotent Awakening Potion.]

"Omnipotent Awakening Potion?" Alex muttered. "That sounds… insane."

[To obtain the item, the host must complete a specified mission, which will grant one guaranteed-item lottery ticket.]

"…You never mentioned this before."

[Host did not inquire.]

"…Fair enough," Alex replied dryly.

Now more composed, Alex turned back to Yuto. "If you believe in me, Principal, then I won't let you down. I'll do everything I can."

"Good. Very good." Yuto smiled and gently patted the glass case containing the Ho-Oh egg. "Then I'll entrust it to you. Please help it hatch safely and prevent the coming disaster."

"I swear I will," Alex said, voice firm.

Yuto's tone turned grave again. "But you must be cautious. Ho-Oh is unlike any ordinary Pokémon. Its divine nature will attract attention from both scholars and dangerous factions. Don't let others know what you carry—not even trusted allies outside this room."

"We understand," Misty said, nodding. Brock and Ash agreed.

"We'll keep it completely confidential," added Alex.

Yuto gave a deep bow. "Then, if there's nothing more, we'll be on our way." Alex turned to leave with his friends.

"Wait," Yuto suddenly said, raising his hand. "There is… one more thing I must ask of you."

Alex turned. "Something else?"

Yuto hesitated, then sighed. "Yes. In the forest surrounding this academy… lives a powerful Ghost-type Pokémon. It's not dangerous, but it has a habit of scaring students—leaping out at night, creating illusions, vanishing at will. Several younger trainees have been so shaken they've withdrawn from classes entirely. The school's reputation is suffering."

"Ghost-type Pokémon?!" Ash's eyes lit up. "Where? I've been wanting to catch one since Lavender Town!"

Yuto chuckled softly. "I thought you might be interested. I'd be grateful if you could find a way to either calm it… or catch it."

Alex nodded. "Leave it to us. We'll track it down."

Ash clenched his fist in excitement. "If it's a Ghost-type, it might be a Gengar or even a Mismagius! I have to catch it!"

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