Mt. Silver.
Caleb pushed through a flock of Fearow and climbed to the summit of Mt. Silver with the Rainbow Wing in hand.
Just then, rays of rainbow light cascaded from the sky, and a majestic bird Pokémon surrounded by a divine glow descended before Caleb, trailing a magnificent arc of colors behind it.
Its golden crown gleamed atop its head, and its feathers shimmered with iridescent brilliance in the sunlight.
It was the legendary bird Pokémon—Ho-Oh!
"Human." A gentle, slightly androgynous voice echoed telepathically in Caleb's mind. "I acknowledge your heart as pure as the sky itself. From this day forward, you are the Rainbow Hero. In my absence, you shall watch over the sacred beasts."
"Hahaha! I knew I had the makings of a Rainbow Hero!"
Caleb grinned, flashing white teeth in the sunlight.
"So, human, as my chosen Rainbow Hero, what is it you desire from me?"
Ho-Oh's voice rang out again, calm and soft.
"What do I want? Heh, well obviously, I want…"
"BOOM!"
A sudden explosion jolted Caleb awake.
What the—just a dream?
He was sorely disappointed.
Wait… explosion?
Oh no!
He snatched the tablet by his bedside and checked the backyard cameras.
Lawn: secure.
Fruit trees: secure.
Lamp posts: secure.
Pond: secure.
All good. Apart from those two usual troublemakers being MIA, the backyard looked almost… idyllic.
So peaceful it made Caleb think he was still dreaming.
But that explosion just now…
Crap! It's gotta be the ones inside the house!
…
Downstairs.
A cat, a ghost, and a squirrel—three Pokémon had each claimed their turf in the living room.
They glared at each other like rival factions.
In the middle sat a pink Chansey, doing its best to mediate and calm the tension.
"Chipa!"
Cartoons!
"Meow~!"
Mob movies!
"Gua~sī!"
Kalos dramas!
Each one insisted on their pick, refusing to back down.
Caleb came downstairs to this scene and immediately groaned, rubbing his temples.
Not again!
Rewind to ten minutes earlier—
Pachirisu had actually gotten up early and was lazily sprawled on the couch watching TV.
A Mago Berry in its mouth, remote in hand, it had switched to the latest airing of Lapras's Adventure on Eagle Cartoon.
The show followed a brave Lapras and a crew of Water-types on a treasure-hunting quest to find the twelve Pirate Kings' lost riches and save the ocean.
The art style was childish, but the plot? Surprisingly deep.
Pachirisu was a loyal fan, never missing an episode.
Meanwhile, Litten had also gotten up early. A DVD clutched in its mouth, it trotted straight toward Pachirisu.
Clearly coming to challenge for TV rights.
No one knew where Litten had dug up that old disc from—these days, it wouldn't even sleep without it.
Off went the TV, on went the DVD player, and the screen flickered to life with a low hum.
A powerful Pyroar appeared on screen, unleashing a deafening roar as the movie began.
It was The Godfather, a classic crime film starring the famous Hollywood actor Don Mabark.
Even after four or five decades, it remained a timeless masterpiece.
Litten watched intently, amber eyes wide and unblinking, practically pressing its entire face against the screen.
"Chipa!"
Don't you know how queues work? I wasn't done yet!
"Meow~!"
I waited over an hour! You didn't even budge! It's my turn!
Just as the two were about to brawl, Haunter floated over—tongue curled around a DVD of his own.
The latest horror flick: No One Dies.
It followed a group of friends whose car breaks down on a camping trip, forcing them to stay at a mysterious mansion in the middle of nowhere.
The plot was cliché, but a surprise cameo from Kalos idol Diantha made it a box-office hit.
Haunter loved horror films. Even more, he loved Diantha.
No way he was missing this one.
Let's see who dares stop me today!
…
Seeing Caleb come downstairs, the three Pokémon toned it down a bit—but just a bit.
Guess it was time to buy more TVs.
Usually no one cared to watch. But the moment someone did want to, it was all-out war.
"Sigh... well, the fastest delivery would be this afternoon. How about a compromise for now?" Caleb suggested.
"Chipa!"
"Meow~!"
"Gua~sī!"
So stubborn, every last one of them. No idea who they take after.
Pachirisu wanted Lapras's Adventure, Litten wanted The Godfather, and Haunter wanted No One Dies.
Pachirisu was the easy one—just hand over a phone. Eagle Cartoon's whole catalog was on the app.
The problem was Litten and Haunter—one wanted an old film, the other a brand-new release, and both were only on DVD.
"Hey, how about we let Chansey have the TV today?" Caleb proposed. "It works so hard for this family—don't you think it deserves a break?"
"Meow~"
"Guasī"
The two glanced at each other, then remembered the daily hustle of that round pink helper. Guilt crept in.
Right. A good kid should act like a good kid.
"Good job."
With the crisis defused, Caleb finally had time to pour himself a glass of water.
"Chansey, what do you want to watch?"
"Lucky~"
Action movies.
Chansey answered shyly, blushing.
"Action mov—pfft!!"
Action movies?!
Caleb nearly sprayed water everywhere, coughing and thumping his chest.
"No way! There's no way we have anything like that in this house!"
"Lucky~"
We don't? But I remember finding some while cleaning…
Chansey tilted its head, puzzled.
"Lies! Slander! I don't know where you heard that nonsense!"
"Even if I did have any—hypothetically speaking—they're not for little ones! Litten's barely a month old!"
"Lucky~"
True… they are pretty violent. Not good for kids.
Chansey nodded thoughtfully. Trainer always knows best.
Wait—you're into violent action flicks?!
Caleb felt like his heart had been stabbed.
It was like his sweet little girl had suddenly turned into a grizzled old veteran.
Chansey, you weren't like this before... sob…
"Gua~sī?"
Haunter scratched his head, confused by their conversation.
Wait, action movies are dangerous?
But I've got a ton inside me—what if they're poisonous?!
He reached into his mouth and started pulling DVDs out of his belly.
Pyro Ball Ace vs. Lucario
Leek Knight vs. Snorlax
Mega Machamp vs. Gardevoir
...
Caleb: "..."
Oh. Real action movies.
Standing there in the living room, Caleb suddenly felt like he didn't belong in his own home.
"So uh... Litten, Haunter, how about we go out for a bit and let Chansey enjoy the TV, yeah?"