Afterward, Ash and Misty tested the rainbow feather several more times and finally confirmed the truth: it only recognized Ash and his Pokémon.
Whenever Ash or Pikachu held it, the feather shone brilliantly. But the instant Misty touched it, its radiant glow dulled.
There could only be two explanations. The first was that the rainbow feather somehow rejected Misty. But she immediately dismissed the idea with an indignant huff.
"No way! I'm a kind-hearted, super invincible girl! Why would it repel me? Impossible!"
That left only the second explanation: the rainbow feather acknowledged Ash and his Pokémon alone. Anyone else who touched it would dim its light.
Misty thought about testing with her own Pokémon but quickly realized none of them had hands. Ash only had Pikachu, so the idea had to be set aside.
Regardless, the conclusion was clear, the rainbow feather had chosen Ash. That thought made Misty recall a certain legend.
"The Legend of the Rainbow Hero…" she murmured.
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head curiously.
Misty nodded with unusual seriousness. "That's right. According to the story, Ho-Oh chooses a Trainer of pure heart and great potential as the Rainbow Hero. She gives them a token, like this feather. When that Trainer has grown strong enough, Ho-Oh uses the token to find and challenge them. If they can defeat her, Ho-Oh willingly becomes their partner. That's the legend."
Ash and Pikachu's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"So once we get stronger, this feather will guide us to Ho-Oh, and we'll be able to challenge her?" Ash asked eagerly.
"I don't know," Misty said, then frowned. "And hey, why are you calling Ho-Oh 'her'? Ho-Oh's a legendary Pokémon, basically a deity! Don't call it 'her'. Just say Ho-Oh, okay?"
"Fine, I get it," Ash replied after a pause, giving in with a helpless smile.
In truth, he already knew Ho-Oh was female, Insight Eye couldn't possibly be wrong about that. But there was no way he could explain it to Misty, so he simply played along.
"Alright, then! Let's head for Viridian City!" Ash declared, punching the air with enthusiasm. "Today's been amazing. We've met new friends, seen Ho-Oh, and now I've got the rainbow feather. It's a sure sign I'll become a Pokémon Master, don't you think, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu~…" Pikachu gave a long-suffering sigh, as if to say, Whatever you say. Then he tugged on Ash's hair, reminding him with a small grumble that it was hungry.
"Hungry? I've got some snacks here, want a few?" Ash asked, rummaging in his bag.
""Don't like eating it. You want tomato-flavored ones? You're way too picky!"
"Pika…" Pikachu just stared at him flatly.
Ash and Pikachu bickered as they walked ahead, their voices rising and falling like playful siblings. Behind them, Misty watched quietly, her emerald eyes filled with thought.
Though they had only known each other for less than a day, Ash had already shown her things that defied ordinary human limits.
He had fought off a whole flock of Spearow bare-handed, run as fast as a speeding car, and now, with the Rainbow feather in his hands, might even be chosen as the legendary Rainbow Hero.
Yes, Ash sometimes acted clueless and childish, but none of that diminished the sheer potential she could see in him. From her perspective as a rookie Gym Leader, Misty was certain that Ash would carve out a place for himself among the strongest Trainers in the world.
Perhaps… even reaching the level of Leon himself wasn't out of the question.
After all, when Leon first set out on his journey, he certainly hadn't encountered a Legendary Pokémon, let alone Ho-Oh, a being seen once in centuries.
Misty let out a small sigh and smiled to herself. "Well… no matter what, I've already gained so much just by meeting him. Without him, I might never have seen Ho-Oh in my lifetime. Traveling with him might be the smartest choice I've ever made."
With that, she quickened her pace to catch up.
By the time the clock struck two in the morning, the two of them finally reached Viridian City. At that hour, the streets were dark and quiet, with only scattered streetlamps casting pale pools of light along the road.
They should have rested earlier, but Ash was far too excited to stop, pushing them to travel through the night.
Soon, they arrived at the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy was asleep, and only a Chansey was on night duty behind the front desk.
Normally, a Pokémon Center had only one Nurse Joy, so the night shift often fell to the Pokémon staff; otherwise, even the most tireless Nurse Joy could never endure the workload.
The drowsy Chansey perked up immediately at the sound of footsteps. Recognizing travelers, she hurried forward, bowing politely and greeting them with a gentle, "Chaaan-sey!"
"Hi, are there any empty rooms? I'm a new Trainer, and here's my Trainer ID." Ash handed over his Pokédex.
A Pokédex wasn't just a digital encyclopedia; it carried Trainer identification, recorded the date a journey began, and doubled as official ID. Carrying one meant no other papers were needed when traveling, a privilege granted only to a small number of new Trainers.
What's more, the League had a rule: Trainers in their first year of travel could stay in Pokémon Centers for free, with meals and lodging included. It was the League's way of encouraging young people to set out on their journeys.
Though it cost the League heavily, the steady emergence of new talented Trainers each year proved the investment worthwhile.
"Chansey~!" The Pokémon inspected Ash's Pokédex carefully, then smiled and motioned with her arms, signaling that there were still rooms available.
"Oh, and this is my friend, Misty. She's traveling with me," Ash added, pointing at her. "Would she qualify for free lodging too?"
"Chansey, Chansey~" The pink Pokémon wagged her fingers, trying to explain something.
Most people would have been stumped, but Ash didn't even blink, thanks to his Aura, he could understand Pokémon as clearly as human speech.
"I see… as long as we share the same room, it's fine. Two bunk beds. Got it, thanks, Chansey!" Ash said cheerfully, waving.
It had to be said, the Insight Eye ability was incredibly useful. Without it, he'd probably be fumbling with his Pokédex just to confirm Chansey's name.
Instead, with a glance and a thought, the world's details unfolded naturally before him.