FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

not mine i am uploading this with the permission of XD385

copyright shit

lucario and pokemon (c)game freak

other car. (c) xd385

i do not care if your 18 or not because even if i say dont read this you probly still will.

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The sun began to rise over Oreburgh City as Ashton gazed out from his hotel window. He sighed in disappointment and despair. He and his companions had searched every source of information in the city, with Chiara even going so far as to search online for the data they needed. Aurora's return did nothing to aid in their search. Even after four weeks since they began seeking out Ho-Oh, Ash's resurrection was still beyond their reach. The phoenix was proving to be just as elusive as Ashton had claimed.

Zandria woke up and glanced around, seeing Ashton staring out the window at the city. "Ashton..." The viscount turned to face her, "It has been nearly a month since that night. And we are still no closer to finding Ho-Oh than we were when the search began." He then slowly started to get dressed, "Gather your gear. We aren't going to find what we're looking for if we remain in Oreburgh City." Zandria nodded, "Where should I tell the others to gather?" Ashton replied, "The lobby..... No, wait... The rooftop plaza." The Zangoose nodded before leaving the hotel room to spread the word. After dressing himself in his traveling attire, Ashton sighed, "Five days left....."

Ten minutes passed as Ashton waited on the hotel's roof with Ash's corpse by his side. His eyes scanned past the tall fence that barred access to the very edge of the roof. He saw the Oreburgh Gate to the west, now seeming much taller than he recalled. When he looked to the east, Ashton could see in the distance what seemed to be a long mountain range that spanned from north to south. He muttered, "Strange... What could that be...?" Moments later, he turned to the stairs as all of his companions emerged, excluding Lucash and Sapphire.

Ruby's eyes glanced over at her lover's corpse longingly before turning her attention to Ashton. "You called for us?" He solemnly nodded, "Yes... Please, make yourselves comfortable." Everyone took a seat around the various tables that were provided on the rooftop. Chiara then asked, "Now then, what is it you need to discuss with us?" Ashton then looked at Ash's body, "We have been searching Oreburgh City for information for a good four weeks. And even after all that time, we have found no leads that may point us towards Ho-Oh. Even Aurora's search of the entire region proved fruitless." He then began to pace back and forth, "Oreburgh City is a dead-end. We will be wasting our time if we remain here." He then stopped and turned to face everyone. "If anyone has an idea of where we should search next, now is the time to say it. Any suggestions?"

Lucy raised a hand, "Um... I may have an idea." Ashton then pointed towards her, "Very well, Lucy. Where do you suggest we search?" The Lucario maiden explained, "To the northwest... There are a pair of islands that are mostly uninhabited. They are known as Fullmoon Island and Newmoon Island. Humans very rarely visit them, so I believe Ho-Oh may view them as ideal spots to rest at." This suggestion made Ashton bring a hand to his chin, "Uninhabited..... Yes... Secluded locations. If anyone knows of locations that are difficult for humans to reach, speak them out." Chiara spoke next, "Stark Mountain may suit a phoenix well. It is a volcanic mountain that few ever approach. It is located to the northeast. We will have to travel by sea to reach it though." Ashton nodded, "Thank you, Chiara. Are there any other suggestions?" Just then, Kazeerah nearly punched herself in the beak, "Aw man, how'd I ferget about that?!"

Everyone's eyes fell upon Kazeerah at her sudden outburst. Rukaria asked, "Forget? About what?" The Blaziken replied, "It's so obvious! I should've mentioned it when y'all started lookin' fer Ho-Oh in the first place!" Ashton asked, "And what is it that you just remembered?" Kazeerah stood up, "Pretty dumb of me ta ferget, really. There's one place in Sinnoh that no human has evah been able ta reach, as far as I know." Ashton's eyes went wide in fascination, "And what is this location?" Kazeerah grinned, "The summit of the infamous Mt. Coronet." Chiara smiled, "Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant!" Pearl then asked, "And where is this Mt. Coronet located?" The Blaziken then pointed to the east, "Y'all can see it from here."

Ashton gazed out at the distant mountain range. Kazeerah then explained, "That whole mountain range is part of Mt. Coronet. The summit is right in the middle of it. The summit is also the absolute highest place in the Sinnoh region. I once tried ta climb it fer kicks, but it got really tough somewhere and I had ta turn back." She then turned to face Ashton with an expression that was completely serious. "It's not a place fer the casual explorer. Ta be honest, I don't recommend tryin' ta get up there." Ashton paused for a moment before nodding, "If it is indeed as difficult to reach as you claim it is, then the summit of Mt. Coronet is our next destination." He then gave everyone a reassuring smile, "It feels as if this is a solid lead to me... Gather your belongings and other gear and we will meet in the lobby." After Ashton left the rooftop plaza, Kazeerah chuckled, "Man, I don't know what ta think of that guy anymore. Either he's really devoted to bringin' Ash back ta life, or he got kicked in the head by a Rapidash earlier."

After locating Lucash and Sapphire, everyone headed north out of Oreburgh City with Kazeerah leading the way. However, over the course of four weeks, Ash's children had begun to suspect that there was something wrong with their father that the others were not telling them. After walking for several hours, Kazeerah stopped at a sign where the road split into two paths. One led north while the other led east. Shadow approached the sign and looked it over. "North is to...Eterna City?" Kazeerah nodded, "Yeah. Y'all have ta take a lower route if ya go on foot. There's a bike path that takes the high road, so y'all need ta take the long way instead. Mt. Coronet is what we're lookin' fer, right?" Ashton nodded, "You said it was to the east." Kazeerah then looked down the path to their right, "Then east it is."

A few hours passed before everyone decided to set up camp for the night. Zandria started on dinner while everyone chatted to pass the time. "Anything else we should know about Eterna City?" Shadow asked with interest. Kazeerah nodded, "Well... There's a Gym there." Shadow crossed his arms, "OK. Any idea what types of Pokémon the Gym Leader uses?" Kazeerah shrugged, "Don't remembah. The Leader's name is Gardenia, if memory serves." Rukaria giggled, "Gardenia? As in 'garden'? Gardens have flowers, which are plants. And plants point to Grass type Pokémon." Shadow smirked, "Yeah, I guess that is pretty obvious."

The smell of baked goods filled the air. Zandria put on a cheerful grin as she set out a large tray of meat-filled pastries. "Meat buns are tonight's main dish!" Kazeerah chuckled, "We sure have been seein' a lot of Chinese stuff lately. Is that all ya evah cook these days?" Zandria shrugged her shoulders, "Let's just say I was hooked on Asian cuisine during our visit to the Far East 600 years ago." The Blaziken smiled, "Is that so? Not like I'm complainin'. Everythin' ya whip up is ovah the top in flavah." Everyone began to enjoy the meat buns. But once again, Lucash noticed that his father was sitting nearby without taking part in the mealtime activities. "Daddy, you gotta try this! These meat buns are amazing!" Thinking fast, Ashton concealed his hands from Ash's children while he moved his fingers. In response, Ash's corpse shrugged his shoulders as if to say he was not interested. By then, Lucash was not as willing to let his father turn him down. He stood up and carried a meat bun over to Ash. "Come on, Daddy. You never eat with us anymore! Try it!"

Chiara spoke up as Lucash neared his father, "Lucash, I already told you that your father is ill and needs to eat a special diet. I will feed him later." But the Lucario child grumbled, "He's been like this for almost a whole month! How can he really be sick for so long?!" The Lugia replied, "Some illnesses can take months to recover from. Others may even take years. But your father is almost healed. Just a few more days." Lucash frowned, "You mean it?" Ashton then spoke up, "Have faith in Chiara's knowledge. If she says that Ash is almost healed, then he IS almost healed." Lucash looked back at his father, who gave a reassuring nod. With a sigh, the Lucario child sat down next to Ash and started to eat his meat bun. Ruby called out, "Lucash, shouldn't you be over here?" But the boy replied, "I wanna stay with Daddy right now, Mommy." He then leaned against his father. Trying to avoid having Ash look suspicious, Ashton made Ash's corpse put an arm around Lucash's shoulder.

That night, everyone was sound asleep in his or her sleeping bags while the campfire steadily smoldered. However, Ashton was wide-awake as he silently watched everyone else. As he carefully listened to everyone's snoring, he walked over to Ruby's sleeping bag and nudged her with his foot. The Lucario mumbled something in her sleep before Ashton gently stepped on her tail. "Ergh.... Huh? What's happening...?" Ruby glanced upwards lazily at the viscount. Ashton frowned, "Get up. We need to have a chat." But Ruby yawned, "Can't it wait until morning?" But before she had the chance to nod off again, Ashton grabbed Ruby by the ear, "No, it can't. We won't be long. And besides, it's about Ash." Ruby perked up somewhat at the mention of her lover, "Ash...? All right..." She slowly climbed out of her sleeping bag and staggered to her feet. Taking Ruby by her hand so as to prevent her from walking into a tree, Ashton led her into the forest around the campsite.

After no more than a minute of walking, Ashton released his grip on Ruby's hand and leaned against a tree. "Are you awake now?" Ruby yawned, "Kind of..." Ashton then held up a hand as it was engulfed in flames, illuminating the area. "Ruby, do you remember what I said 25 days ago?" Ruby nodded, "I do... You would revive Ash yourself if we did not find Ho-Oh in thirty days. Even though it would kill you..." Ashton frowned, "That I did. And I was going to wait for you to decide if I should or wait out our search." Ruby sighed, "Ashton... I miss him more than ever now. But I never said I was willing to trade your life for..." However, Ashton spoke up, "I'm afraid I can't wait for you to decide. Ash will live again in five days. One way or another."

Ruby's eyes went wide at Ashton's ultimatum, "You... What?! I never decided on that!" Ashton frowned, "I know. I have chosen to do this on my own. You've seen your children. They are starting to see through this charade. They know there is something wrong with their father that we are hiding from them. I do not wish to see them when they find out that their father is no more." He then stood up away from the tree he had been leaning against, "In five days, Ash will live again. If we are unable to find Ho-Oh by then....." At this, Ruby pleaded, "Ashton, don't go through with this! It was my fault that Ash died! Mine! Not yours! It's true that I want him to live again. But not if it means crushing the love of three other women who have not seen you for 500 years!" However, Ashton shook his head, "Please... Do not tell them of my fate when the time comes..." Without another word, Ashton walked past Ruby and headed back to the campsite. But just before he could completely pass her, Ruby spun around and reached into Ashton's ninja tool pouch on the back of his hip. "What the...?!" By the time Ashton turned around to face her, Ruby was holding a kunai to her throat. "You listen to me right now, Ashton Redford Crimson...."

Ashton gulped, "You used my full name..... This is serious..." Ruby nodded in confirmation, as she seemed prepared to slice her own neck open. She spoke, "It was my mistake that ended Ash's life. It should be I who should have to pay the price for it. Not you!" Ashton only looked on in silence as he listened to Ruby's words. "You will stay alive and make your lovers happy. If anyone has to die in order for Ash to live, it will be me!" Tears were beginning to trickle down Ruby's face, "Either you promise to not give yourself up for him, or I will send myself to him right now!"

Having been threatened with suicide, Ashton remained still. But after a moment, he took a step forward. Seeing this, Ruby screamed, "Not another step! I'll do it!" Ashton retreated a step at Ruby's threat. But after a moment longer, he started to approach her. Ruby shouted, "I'm warning you! I'll do it! I swear I will!" But even as Ashton stood before her, Ruby did not make the killing strike. While trembling with tears cascading down her face, Ruby did nothing as the viscount removed the kunai from her hand and returned it to the pouch on his hip. He shook his head, "Your confidence has been abysmal since that night. I knew you did not have the willpower to go through with it."

Overwhelmed with shame, Ruby dropped to her knees while weeping pathetically before collapsing to the ground. "You're right...... I'm weak without him.... Without the sun, I'm nothing..." Ashton could only stare down at the young mother in silence, unable to bring himself to say anything to her. "My god..... I want to see him again so badly... I want to hear him say my name... I want to be myself again..." Ashton sighed as he dragged Ruby back to the campsite, "You will. Just give us five more days, and he will be in your arms again."

The next morning, Ashton spoke to Kazeerah. "A moment, please?" The Blaziken nodded, "Sure, what's on yer mind?" The viscount then asked, "About Mt. Coronet... Where exactly is the summit located?" Kazeerah replied, "Smack dab in the middle of the whole mountain range. Pretty easy ta spot." The viscount brought a hand to his chin for a few seconds before adding, "And where is the center of the mountain?" Kazeerah glanced to the east, "Lemme check." The Blaziken then jumped straight up into the air, shooting above the canopy. While airborne, she quickly scanned the horizon before falling back down to her companions. Before anyone could ask, she pointed to the northeast, "Right ovah there. But why'd ya wanna know in the first place?" Ashton smiled, "Thanks. As to why I wanted to know....." He then faced everyone else, "Why bother taking the main route when we can go as the crow flies?"

Chiara nodded at Ashton's preposition, "True... Following the main path will take us to the southern tip of the mountain range. If we started there, we would have to trek north as well. Not an appealing approach..." Kazeerah smirked, "So basically, if we start at the spot just undah the summit, all we'd hafta do is go straight up! I like the way ya think, Ashton!" However, Rukaria spoke up, "But won't it take longer? If we follow the main path, it will only take two days to reach it. If we head straight for the center of the mountain, we will have to trek through the forests around it. That will probably slow us down a bit." But Ashton grumbled, "If that's the case, then we had best get started now." He then gathered up his gear and headed through the trees to the northeast, Ash's corpse following close behind him. Lucy muttered, "He didn't even wait for our input on the matter..." Zandria nodded, "If Ashton just up and takes off without waiting for anyone to agree with him, it means he's dead-set on going through with his idea. I rarely see him this devoted." Not wanting to be left behind, everyone quickly cleaned up the campsite and ran after the viscount.

Over the course of five days, the group forged ahead through the forests that stood between them and the center of Mt. Coronet. Ashton gazed upward through the trees. (This makes thirty days since that night. If we do not find Ho-Oh before midnight.....) After a short while longer, Shadow pointed ahead, "Hey, I see something rocky up ahead." Everyone slightly increased his or her walking speed at Shadow's alert. Soon, everyone was standing at the base of a vast mountain, a craggy wall of rock spanning north and south as far as the eye could see. Sapphire gasped, "It's......so big! I can't even see the top!" Kazeerah nodded, "It's no wondah. Mt. Coronet has the highest elevation in all of Sinnoh." However, Ashton had begun to tremble strangely for no apparent reason. Pearl noticed the viscount's trembling and asked, "Something wrong, Ashton? I know it's an intimidating sight, but you're the one who said we have to climb this mountain." But Ashton replied, "This presence....." Ruby glanced over at Ashton, "What?" He then raised his voice, "There's no mistake... I can feel it. She's here! Ho-Oh is here! At the summit!!!"

Everyone turned to face the viscount as he shouted his claim. Lucy asked, "Are you serious?! You can tell?!" Ashton nodded, "I don't know how. I can.....feel her presence up there somewhere..." He then reached out and grabbed Ash's corpse before carrying him in his arms, "We need to hurry! If we lose Ho-Oh now, we may never find her again!" At those words, the Z-shaped scars under Ashton's eyes became bolder while his eyes became a fiery red. A pair of wings composed of rainbow flames emerged from his back, "I'll go on ahead!" At those words, the Angel of the Eternal Flame took to the air and flew towards the summit of Mt. Coronet.

As Ashton rose above them, Lucash shouted, "Hey! Where are you taking Daddy?!" Kazeerah replied, "He's got a point. I'm goin' on ahead!" The Blaziken then made a massive leap up the side of the mountain before landing and leaping again, ascending several stories with each bound. Pearl whistled, "Whoa... Are all Blaziken capable of jumping that high?" Chiara nodded, "Actually, yes." But Shadow growled, "I can't take this! I need to make sure they make it up there!" The Lucario warrior then started bounding up the mountainside as quickly as he could with the use of Extremespeed. Ruby called out, "Wait for us!" Ruby and her sister quickly followed Shadow as well. Chiara nodded, "I too shall accompany them." But as she began to levitate, Lucy climbed onto the Lugia's back. "Please, Chiara. Take me too." The Lugia scholar smiled at her passenger before turning to Zandria and Rukaria, "Please watch over the children until we return." Zandria gave a confident smirk while Rukaria nodded, "Will do." Chiara then flapped her wings for momentum as she flew towards the summit. Sapphire then asked, "But...why does Grandpa need Daddy to see Ho-Oh?" Zandria replied, "No real reason... They'll be back before long."

Ashton flapped his wings as quickly as he could while never taking his eyes off the mountain above him. After several minutes of flight, snow began to fall around him as the air became chilled. "Elevation must be getting quite high now..." Ashton muttered to himself as the mountainside before him became coated in a layer of snow. But after a few more minutes of flight, a burst of gale-force wind very nearly blew Ashton into the side of Mt. Coronet! "Whoa! What the devil?!" Ashton soon found himself in a bitter struggle to remain in control of his altitude as a blizzard howled all around him. A moment later, a voice shouted over the wind, "Ashton, looks like I was right about ya! Yer nuts!" Ashton looked down and saw Kazeerah standing a short distance below him trying to keep a grip on the icy rock wall. "This is why I couldn't get ta the summit in the first place! It's freezin', the wind is really bad, and it's hard ta keep a grip with yer feet! I can't even jump without runnin' the risk of bein' blown clear off the whole mountain!" Just then, Ashton noticed three Lucario approaching from below as well as Chiara struggling to fly through the harsh frigid wind. Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, "What is this?! I've never seen weather this bad!" Chiara replied, "I understand why no human has ever reached the summit! The combination of frigid cold, gale-force winds, and steep slippery terrain makes scaling the uppermost section of Mt. Coronet nearly impossible!"

After a moment more of trying to make some headway against the storm, Ashton was slammed against the side of Mt. Coronet with Ash still in his arms. "Guh! That wasn't pleasant..." The snow helped cushion the impact, so Ashton was only mildly stunned. Lucy screamed as she tightly held onto Chiara, "This is crazy! We're all gonna die!" Shadow then shouted, "Ashton, do something! We're gonna get blown off the mountain at this rate!" Ashton quickly began to think. After a few seconds, he called back down to his companions, "Wait right here! I'll be back down to get you shortly!" He then made a hand sign to focus his Chakra into his feet, anchoring his feet to the side of the mountain. He then closed his eyes and muttered, "The condition for use.... To protect the life of someone precious..." He then shouted, "The first gate.... Gate of Opening..... OPEN!!!" At that instant, Ashton dashed up the side of the mountain with dizzying speed and out of sight. Chiara gasped, "He seldom uses that technique... Please, be swift, Ashton."

It took less than thirty seconds for Ashton to ascend above the clouds, placing him above the terrible blizzard that constantly ravaged the upper sections of Mt. Coronet. The air was still chilled and was harder to breathe. Before Ashton even knew what had happened, he ran right up over the very edge of the summit, sending him high into the air. Realizing where he now was, Ashton looked down as gravity started to catch up to him. Spanning the entire top of the mountain was a layer of not rock, but manmade stone tiles. Jutting up from the summit were numerous pillars that had all broken in two at some point in time. But Ashton quickly glanced around in a panic as he dropped back to the ground. Ho-Oh was nowhere to be seen.

"No... Lady Ho-Oh, where are you?! Please, answer me!" Ashton called out as he dropped Ash's corpse to the ground. "Her presence... It's faint. Where..." As he glanced about, Ashton noticed something out of the corner of his eye. To the east of the summit was a bird flying away. Ashton's eyes went wide as he dashed over to the very edge of the summit. He screamed, "WAAAIIITTT!!!!!!!!" At that instant, a massive rope of fire shot out from Ashton's arm and extended rapidly towards the distant avian. A few seconds later, Ashton felt the flames latch onto something. The instant the rope of fire grabbed the distant bird; it turned in mid-flight to face the viscount. Its eyes went wide at the sight of Ashton's wings of rainbow flames. It could also see the look of sheer desperation on his face, as if he was begging her to come to him.

Back below the summit, Pearl groaned, "I don't think I can hold on like this for much longer!!! Where's Ashton already?!" Shadow growled, "He said he'd be right back down! What's going on up there?!" As the others complained over their dire predicament, Chiara had a revelation. "Of course. Why did I not think of this sooner?" At that moment, Chiara's eyes glowed a bright blue as her psychic power radiated over the entire side of the mountain. A moment later, the blizzard subsided. The wind died away while snow gently floated down through the air. Lucy muttered, "It just...stopped?" Kazeerah looked up at Chiara, "Was that you?" The Lugia nodded, "Indeed. I thought to myself about a Lugia's power." She explained, "If a Lugia can create a 40 day storm, surely we can calm storms as well. And I was right. But we had best be going. I have no way of knowing just how long this calm will last." Ruby smiled, "Point taken! Let's hurry!" Taking advantage of Chiara's intervention, the group quickly ascended Mt. Coronet.

After little more than a minute, Kazeerah reached the summit with a mighty leap and landed at the edge of the layer of stone that coated the rocky ground. "Phew..... First Blaziken in the world ta evah reach the summit of Mt. Coronet! I just made history!" She quickly pulled her journal out of her sling bag and jotted down a note reminding her of the event. The rest of the group arrived at the summit just as Kazeerah returned her journal to her bag. Shadow wheezed, "The air is pretty thin up here... I'm beat." Pearl panted, "You took the words out of all of our mouths, I'm sure." As Lucy hopped off of Chiara's back, she looked towards the northern end of the summit. "Is that...?" Ashton was standing before a beautiful bird that stood over twice his height. It had a bushy mass of golden tail feathers and a white underside. The feathers covering its body, head, and upper wings were a fiery red. Green feathers also covered the lower half of the wings. When Ashton turned around to face them, everyone saw that his fiery red eyes were identical to those of the bird before them. The viscount spoke in a solemn tone, "Everyone... Allow me to introduce you to the phoenix... Mother Ho-Oh."

Everyone slowly approached Ashton and the bird that stood behind him. As his eyes returned to normal and his wings of flames dissipated, Ashton spoke, "I apologize for not returning to aid you. Ho-Oh was very nearly out of sight by the time I got here, so I had to direct my attention to getting her to notice me." But Chiara shook her head, "No, your aid would've been unnecessary. I was able to calm the storm." Ashton then turned to Ho-Oh, "My lady..." He then dropped to his knees, "Do you remember me?" The phoenix stared down at him, almost as if she was trying to understand what she was seeing. At last, she spoke, "Can it truly be? Are you...the same child I healed within the Dead Forest over six centuries ago? My Angel of the Eternal Flame?" Ashton smiled at her, "Yes, my lady. It is I. Ashton. The Angel of the Eternal Flame. Due to the Eternal Flame's power, I was reborn 500 years after death. I returned to this world in the form I was in during my prime. That is how I still live after so long has passed." Ho-Oh sighed, "My word... Such a power I bestowed upon you, even without knowing the full effects. But I can see that you still use them for honor and not selfish desire." Ashton smiled, "I am truly honored to be in your presence, my lady."

Ho-Oh glanced around at Ashton's companions, "So many in one place. Child, tell me. Why have you sought me out? I find it impossible to believe that you climbed this forsaken mountain just to see me in person." Ashton grimly nodded, "Your hunch is correct. I am here to speak to you of a grave matter." He then walked over to a fallen pillar and picked something up that was concealed behind it. When Ashton stepped back out into the open, Ho-Oh gasped at the sight of what the viscount was carrying in his arms. "He... That boy is..." Ashton frowned, "Yes... This boy is dead." Ashton then laid Ash's corpse before Ho-Oh as everyone else looked on silently. The phoenix whispered, "The same child..." Ashton asked, "You know him?" Ho-Oh replied, "I revealed myself to him... Three years ago. To think that he is..." Ashton sighed, "He was murdered. Died in the arms of his lover." He then looked over at Ruby, who slowly stepped forward. She spoke while holding back tears, "He... He was the love of my life. And it was my mistake that truly killed him..... Please... You must revive him..."

The gaze of Ho-Oh turned from Ruby to Ashton, "What is this boy to you? You appeared to be very distraught when you saw me." Ashton looked down at Ash's body, "He...is my descendant. My son." Ho-Oh glanced at the viscount, "You are certain?" He then pointed, "Look at his face. Does it not look familiar?" The phoenix glanced down at Ash before looking at Ashton. She nodded, "I see. You do indeed share some characteristics. But if he is your descendant, then surely he..." Ashton nodded, "Yes. He too is a host of the Eternal Flame." The viscount stared down at Ash's body, "He is the ruthless, yet honorable, Devil of the Eternal Flame. Descended from my son, Atlas. He has Zangoose blood flowing through his veins." He then turned to Ho-Oh, "You know why we are here." Ashton then stared Ho-Oh in the eye, "Please... Let my son live again!"

Ho-Oh slowly looked down at the corpse before her. Ashton pleaded, "He left behind far too much! Friends. Dreams. Even a family!" Ho-Oh glanced at Ashton as he continued, "He has two children waiting for him at the base of Mt. Coronet! Even after a month, they still do not know that their father is no longer alive. They need him!" Ruby stepped forward, "They are my son and daughter! They adore their father, and I speak the truth when I say he has done a splendid job of watching over them! It would break their hearts if they learned that he is gone!" Ashton then bowed before the phoenix, "Please... Will you save him?" After a moment of silence, and of examining the eyes of Ashton's companions, Ho-Oh spoke her decision. "I shall."

As soon as Ho-Oh claimed she would revive Ash, everyone's eyes lit up with hope. Ruby could only barely speak, "Thank you..." Ashton stood up and took a step back. Ho-Oh then draped Ash's body with her wing, which was then engulfed in flames. Everyone silently watched with bated breath as the phoenix breathed new life into Ash's body. After a moment, Ho-Oh removed her wing from Ash, revealing that despite being engulfed in flames, he looked no different than before. "The Eternal Flame within him has been rekindled to full strength." Ho-Oh took a step back as Ruby slowly approached them. As she stood over Ash, the young mother dropped to her knees. She could see a little more color in his face. When she laid a hand on his forehead, she found that he was warm to the touch. She could also hear faint snoring coming from him. Overcome with emotion, Ruby sobbed, "I can hardly believe it..... He's...alive... He's alive!"

As Ruby rejoiced, everyone present rushed over to see if Ash was indeed no longer deceased. But Ho-Oh spoke out, "Not yet. Let him rest for now. He has been dead for some time, I see. It will take a short while for his body to adjust." Everyone halted their advance and watched from a safe distance. But at that moment, Ho-Oh looked towards Ashton. "Hmm... Child, the Eternal Flame within you is at half strength. Did something befall you?" Ashton glanced over at her in surprise, "You can tell? Well...yes. I was slain recently. And I was hoping you could..." But the phoenix smiled, "A small favor. Be still, child." Ho-Oh reached out to Ashton and draped him with her wing. A second later, flames engulfed him. He muttered, "I feel...something..." After a brief moment, Ho-Oh removed her wing, "There. The Eternal Flame within you has been rekindled to full strength. Be warned, it will save you from death only once. I cannot increase its potency to anymore than that." The viscount graciously bowed, "You have my thanks, Lady Ho-Oh."

After a moment of the phoenix answering a few questions asked by Ashton's companions, the viscount snapped his fingers, "Thank God, I only just remembered!" Ho-Oh glanced over at him in surprise, "Remembered? What?' Ashton then kneeled before the phoenix, "My lady... I have one last request of you. It is a very grave matter." Ho-Oh nodded, "And what is this request?" Ashton explained, "One of my sons... Like you, his kind are unaffected by the flow of time. However, a year before I returned to this world..... He perished..." He then gazed up into the phoenix's eyes, "Latios. My son's soul remains in Altomare, but his life is gone. I... I want to see him again. To live again." Ho-Oh smiled with compassion, "Say no more, my child. I will gladly aid you." But as Ashton rose to his feet with an expression of gratitude, Ho-Oh added, "However, I cannot risk venturing to Altomare in person. Instead, you shall act as the vessel for my power. Come closer, child." Curious, Ashton stood before the phoenix. She then smiled, "Be still." She then folded her wings over him in a warm embrace as flames radiated from them.

Kazeerah smirked as Ho-Oh bathed Ashton in flames, "Ya know, I like it when she does that. Really heats up the chilly air around here." Lucy shivered, "It does... Feels like I'm at the beach now." Moments later, the flames engulfing Ho-Oh's wings faded. As she released Ashton from her embrace, the phoenix spoke, "You now hold the power of life in your hands, child." Ashton raised his hands before him, "I feel.....some sort of power within just my hands..." Ho-Oh nodded, "Within each hand lies my power. You can use this power once for each hand. As I did for your descendant, using it on a host of the Eternal Flame will not only restore them to life, but also rekindle the Eternal Flame within them to maximum strength. However, using it on someone who has never been a host to the Eternal Flame will merely return that individual to life. Remember this." Ashton closed his hands into fists as tears trickled down his face, "Latios...... Wait for me..." He then bowed, "Thank you, my lady... I will never forget your generosity."

Seeing that Ashton had acquired what he had been seeking, Kazeerah stepped forward. "Hey, Ho-Oh. Gotta ask ya somethin'." The phoenix glanced at the Blaziken, "Yes?" She then cracked her knuckles, "If yer one of the biggest legends out there, ya must be pretty tough too! C'mon! Bring it on!" But at this, Ashton shouted, "Not on your life!" An instant later, Kazeerah found the Flamberge's mighty blade just inches from her beak. The viscount growled, "I will not allow anyone to harm Mother Ho-Oh." But Kazeerah chuckled, "Whoa, ya got the wrong idea. I just wanna scrap with 'er, not kill 'er!" However, Ashton still glared at her, "Ho-Oh must remain unharmed. If she is wounded, she will have greater difficulty remaining undetected during her travels. She is the only one of her kind. Please... Reconsider this." Kazeerah was taken aback by Ashton's stalwart devotion to Ho-Oh and calmly smiled, "Ashton... Yer pretty cool ta stand up fer a lady like this. All right." She then turned her gaze to Ho-Oh, "Ferget what I said. We don't have ta brawl. I'll go lookin' fer tough fighters elsewhere." The phoenix smiled, "Apology accepted."

Ho-Oh spread her wings as she let out a yawn, "I really must be going now, children." Shadow stepped forward and bowed, "We are grateful for your assistance. Truly, we were out of options when we came here." The phoenix smiled, "It was a pleasure." But before she could leave, Pearl spoke up, "Wait! What if we ever need to find you again?! Isn't there a pattern we can follow?" However, Ho-Oh sadly shook her head, "No. I merely soar wherever I wish. I have no real destination in mind. However, Mt. Coronet is the only place in Sinnoh that is remote enough for me to rest at without fear of detection by humans." Chiara nodded, "Very well. We will tell no one we saw you. Please take care during your travels, Lady Ho-Oh." But before the phoenix could fly away, Ashton jumped in front of her. "Um... One last favor, my lady?" He then whispered something to her. "Mmmm... Oh, I see... Well, that certainly is clever! Yes, I would be glad to. It is really no trouble at all."