#GuardianoftheSkiesHoOh

[askthepokemutants]

King: When I visited our island after what happened recently... I began hearing her voice, I’ve never heard it before while there, not like that...

She mentioned her... “Cycle”... “Ending”. Until now, I thought she merely faded out of existence, because I essentially replaced her... but she was alive still-likely watching over me... watching my mistakes... Ho-Oh...

Ho-Oh: ...

Entei: Maybe consider your wo-

King: I’m not talking to you.

Entei: Really now?

King: Ho-Oh. She was alive, she existed, she experienced something, helped someone and died during the attempt... Would that have something to do with you?

Ho-Oh: ...

<To Be Continued...>

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[askthepokemutants]

Ho-Oh: She believed in you, and you failed her.

King: ... Who did she help?

Ho-Oh: Why should I tell you such a thing? So you can use that knowledge for whatever foolish antics you plan with those “Strident Knights” of yours?

King: ... I don’t intend to-

Ho-Oh: There are things you have to come to understand yourself. The Original Mew learned that she could not view certain things the way she did any longer, and she died protecting that, in this world that was out of balance, even she knew and understood that-there are lives who thrive, who live in some semblance of peace in this world-and our conflicts are just making them worse, harder for those individuals to live, we’re pushing them towards insanity, and you of all are doing the most damage. Understand it, learn it, learn what she learned-yourself.

King: And how do I do that?! I don’t have her memories, I’m not a reincarnation of her-

Ho-Oh: But you were able to access her memories-do it again-find out for yourself. It’s not my job to tell you.

King: So you’re just going to-

Ho-Oh: As I said: telling you-as you are now-as you wish to continue your goals as a “Strident Knight,” you’d misuse the knowledge. The day you stop being a “Strident Knight” is the day you’ll likely understand what she understood.

King: I-

Entei: Discussion’s over.

King: I’m not-

Entei: It’s Over.

King: ... At least, tell me who kill-

Ho-Oh & Entei: Team Machine.

<A Fractured Story>

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[askthepokemutants]

Articuno: We’re at the point of no return; we have to do this... we have to purge Johto; it was an option, it needs to be done!

Moltres: And without Lugia, we’re not tethered to their silly plans with Mewtwo.

Articuno: Move, Ho-Oh! You will not block our path! You will die like Lugia if need be!!

Moltres: You are wounded, Ho-Oh! Your own guardians do nothing but stand there! Move aside!

Ho-Oh: It’s because they know better...

Articuno: What-

Moltres / Articuno: ?!

Entei: Raikou, let us go. Soon this area will be engulfed in hellfire...

Raikou: Ah... right.

Ho-Oh: This is what you feel? This is Malice...? My flames are tainted by your sins as puppets now... I can’t stand it...

Ho-Oh: I’ve listened to your complaints-all of you-for long enough... I understand now, why Lugia distanced themselves from us... what was the point in fearing and worrying for them? Their Malice has made their life better-ignoring us and our pettiness has done more for them than it has us... Seeing you foolishly act-you’re among the elder legends for Father’s sake! This is how you act? You disgust me! Stand again! I dare you! Where you stand, will be nothing but ash-no one will remember “Articuno” nor “Moltres” when I’m through with your foolishness!!

Raikou: Ho-Oh, please do not act on such a harsh punishment!

Entei: ...

Raikou: You understand our position? The situation we’re in all because of Mew... please-killing our fellow Legends at a time like this would be pointless! We’d doom ourselves faster than any of the Gods could!!

Ho-Oh: ...

Entei: I understand you’ve silently dealt with our pain and fears... yet you’ve never spoken once of your own, have you, Ho-Oh?

Ho-Oh: Why would I waste it on the likes of you? Any of you?!

Raikou: Ho-Oh...

Entei: How does it feel? To possess this “Malice” as you call it? You’re drawing closer towards it every second. I won’t ask, I’ll tell: Calm down, Ho-Oh!

Ho-Oh: ...

Entei: Among us, you are the sane thread, the tie that keeps us all together, do not allow yourself to fall to what Lugia fell to-to what I have, Zapdos, Articuno, Moltres... be like Raikou and Suicune, and move past your “Malice”! Do not let it consume you!

Ho-Oh: ...

Entei: Ho-Oh!

Ho-Oh: Until the end, one way or another, we will stay here.

Raikou: What...?

Ho-Oh: Until Giratina’s latest stunt is stopped... we will stay on this mountain-no one may enter Johto-human, Pokemon, I do not care, Raikou, Entei, barricade the path to Johto.

Raikou: You mean... block off TohJo Falls...? But-

Entei: Understood.

Raikou: But we can’t!

Entei: Why not? The world is falling apart... it’s time Johto cut itself off, temporarily or not, let it be cut off...

Ho-Oh: If you choose to do nothing, then leave like Suicune or lay here like Articuno or Moltres-there is no third option!

Raikou: ... Understood...

>No one can access Johto... Within mere moments... the TohJo Falls were electrified-innocents nearby were shocked to death: Pokemon and Human alike... >Fires burn inextinguishable along back roads, no attempts to fight them would succeed... >And the skies light with a golden flame whenever someone dares cross to fight those flames... >Soon... Johto was blocked from all sides by a golden blaze originating from Mt. Silver...

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[askthepokemutants]

Lele: Basically what they’re going to say is Arceus is threatening to basically kill us all to start fresh. We Legends didn't care before this was the plan, because our respective territories were only impacted if things went to a disastrous level-we were safe. Arceus tried calling the legends together for a meeting. Not a lot of us came and then learned of this “give up" plan and Mew’s obsession with what Arceus described as “abominations”.

Koko: And then Giratina made the suggestion…

>Some time ago...<

Arceus: You understand the consequences of that decision… not even you would be exempt if I made this act true.

Giratina: Why would I care?

Shaymin: I-Is Giratina seriously suggesting that…?

Victini: Hmm…

Celebi: …

Mewtwo: And I thought I was sadistic…

Genesect: Clean as in… erasure?

Mewtwo: Feels that’s the case, doesn’t it...?

Suicune: T-this is insane…

Raikou: I agree…

Entei: There is some truth to Giratina’s beliefs… while I do not find ‘resetting’ as the answer, I couldn’t say I would be opposed to something similar...

Lugia: There’s always culling the population a bit…

Ho-Oh: Lugia… your malice…

Lugia: So what?

Ho-Oh: ...;

Xerneas: Life is not something that should be so easily removed…

Yveltal: As much as I hate to agree with you, Xerneas, I do… if ‘father’ felt the need to wipe away some problems, why not call me?

Zygarde: We should not participate in such an idea.

Yveltal: Whatever...

Koko: I… I’ll break that snake...!

Bulu: Calm… Koko… not now, not here.

Koko: Hrrgh…!!

Lele: They’re serious…?

Fini: We’d all be nothing, Alola, everything we’ve come to know would be ‘reset’... if that is what our gracious ‘gods’ are implying…

Lele: No way-

???: Staying silent is not a thing I’ll do here...!

Dialga: Giratina! This is madness!!!

Giratina: Is it, really?

Palka: …

Giratina: You can see every possible future, right, “brother”…? What happens? Tell us, all of us, why don’t you? Does Mew succeed in their obsession, or do we all suffer because of it? Will Jirachi or Deoxys return one day soon? What happens? Tell me.

Dialga: You know exactly why I cannot…

Giratina: Then this version of you is useless-

Celebi: Haven't we been through enough?!

Giratina: No-

Celebi: Silence!! Father… you sit there, wondering why the new Mew refuses their duties? I know I'm not alone when I say this can be fixed without genocide!

Arceus: …

Legends: …?

Arceus: Celebi… Celebi… you fail to understand my and Giratina’s interpretation of a ‘reset’...

Arceus: ‘Genocide’ implies ‘pain’… no… What I imagine… if acted upon… no one-not even you-any of you-will feel a thing… it will be instant, painless...

Celebi: …

Suicune: W-wha…?

Shaymin: No…

Koko: I’ll… kill them… both of them...

********************

Koko: Things… turned into a wave of emotions ranging from fear, anger to disbelief-Celebi landed another good hit on Giratina, so that was nice to see...

But that aside... The legends there chose their sides and Arceus entertained it all… it was clear that this was an attempt to motivate or demotivate us, and it worked in so many ways...

The news spread to the ones who didn’t go and they all had their own plans and they’re likely putting them all into motion as we speak... but our plan is to either force Mew-aka the “Strident King" into their duties, which is what sparked all of this in the first place or we will fight Arceus.

And when it comes to a battle plan, facing Arceus on their turf is wise-the space was made for Legends.

Lele: What Koko means by that, is that the space has an aura that resonates with our respective auras. It strengthens us all just being there.

Koko: But utilizing that newfound strength without understanding the intricacies of control over your auras, mind, body and spirit, you will easily exhaust yourself, even us Tapu could fall to that. If a battle of attrition ensued, we'd strategically exhaust Arceus’ stamina, which for all we know could be infinite. We do also have the power of Alola behind us if need be as well…

Lele: Koko’s the best at our Z-Move, so if pressed we have that. And… well…

Koko: NEVER… consider that… Anyway… are you-

Lele: Yep, all ready to go~

Koko: Finally… let’s star-

Lele: Lyle~!

Koko: ...

>The Tapu are busy...

[askthepokemutants]

Ho-Oh

“Guardian of the Skies”

Ho-Oh had always been protective of Johto and briefly shed their light over Orre in times of crisis revolving around both its charges-the three beasts and Lugia and its three birds in the past; having lived a fairly lengthy life in its current state, Ho-Oh is very aware of, and concerned for, the state of the world at current, but wishes to at least make Johto peaceful. While they hold no ill will against humanity for atrocities in the past, they do often voice their wishes for the world to change, for Pokémon and humans to have some sort of relationship that doesn't lead to abuse or manipulation of any kind. They've often viewed places like Alola or the regions where Pokémon Rangers reside as the ideal reality it wants for a place like Johto, but they're doubtful they could enact such change without a human proxy of incredible worth. Carrying this frustration and regret with them, they rely on the three beasts to do what they can around the region and occasionally the world, often tasking them with relaying messages or making sure things are safe within Kanto and Johto, though they often spread their influence farther without Ho-Oh's blessings.

After the Orre incident however, Ho-Oh began to take on the role of a supportive friend, often listening to the pains and fears of their allies, often silently hiding their own fears and pain. With the previous Suicune needing to be reincarnated, the new form young, naïve yet with a pure heart that Ho-Oh finds endearing, they had lost the only other voice of support for them, Raikou often stuck to 'work' and kept their opinions quiet with Ho-Oh and still does from time to time. While Ho-Oh doesn't mind the choices the new Suicune's made, they're often complained to by Entei, the old dog never being quiet about how 'the child needs to learn' or some other complaint of that caliber. Even the legendary birds of Kanto come to Ho-Oh, often speaking of Lugia and their foul changes, the "Malice" that was given to them by the humans of Cipher. Ho-Oh carries that fear… one day, Lugia's feathers will be stained black with corruption again, and the region will suffer for it.

Carrying the burdens of their fellow Kanto/Johto Legends more than they'd like, Ho-Oh tends to rest often, and rarely appears… happy… often finding solace in the silence of Ilex Forest thanks to Celebi-the only one who keeps their complaints silent-being able to hide them while they rest.