Ash was finally starting to grasp the difference between A-rank and S-rank.
An S-rank didn't just transmit all of a Pokémon's stats to him—it also explained in detail what every Ability meant.
But with an A-rank, things fell short. For example, when he read Pikachu's Ability, he could tell it was Static—that much was clear—but it didn't tell him what Static actually did.
Ash vaguely remembered Professor Oak once lecturing that every Pokémon had its own Ability, and knowing how to make the most of those Abilities was often the key to winning battles.
But since Abilities came in all shapes and forms—and sometimes even the same species could have different ones—the whole thing was far too complicated. Ash had basically tuned out after hearing it back then.
If he had another chance now, he swore he'd actually pay attention in class!
Aside from Abilities, this Eye of Insight also had shortcomings when it came to moves.
The two moves he could see were just the ones Pikachu had actually used before. Pikachu, of course, knew other moves as well, but since he hadn't used them yet, they didn't show up in the readout.
That was the limit of the incomplete Eye of Insight. If it were the complete version, then with just a glance he could see every single move a Pokémon could potentially learn—that was exactly what Breeder Ash had said.
From this alone, the gap between A-rank and S-rank was massive—no, it was a whole different world.
Beyond moves and Abilities, there was also Pikachu's strength.
As a Beginner Pokémon, Pikachu already possessed strength equivalent to Normal (High). Among Beginner Pokémon, that was already outstanding.
According to Champion Ash, most starter Pokémon trainers received were only around Beginner-tier. It was extremely rare for one to already reach Normal-tier. But his Pikachu not only had A-rank stat caps across the board—his tier had already reached Normal (High). Among Beginner Pokémon, Pikachu had to be top tier.
"No wonder I chose you as my first partner!" Ash's face broke into a self-satisfied grin. Pikachu turned at the sound of Ash's mutterings, blinking in confusion.
What's he saying now? Talking to himself again? Don't tell me he's possessed or something…
The clouds overhead slowly dispersed, and the afterglow of dusk painted the grasslands gold, like an endless sea of sunlight. The scene looked like it belonged in an oil painting.
The golden glow brushed against Misty's face, making her delicate brows twitch as she stirred from her near-sleep. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"Mmm… is it morning already?"
"It's not morning—it just cleared up! Misty, look over there, a rainbow!" Ash stretched his arms with a big yawn and looked into the distance. Sure enough, across the red-gold sky shimmered the faint arc of a rainbow.
Misty's drowsiness vanished in an instant. Her eyes widened as she followed Ash's pointing finger. "Where, where… oh wow, you're right! What a beautiful rainbow!"
The sunset, the golden light, the rainbow arching across the clouds—it was all so gentle and serene. Just looking at it could lift someone's spirits for the entire day.
But as the three of them soaked in the view, Ash's sharp eyes caught something strange. There was a silhouette moving within the rainbow itself.
"Misty, is there something inside that rainbow? Wait—don't tell me… is the rainbow moving?!"
"Huh? That's impossible, rainbows don't move—wait, it really is moving!" Misty had been about to shoot him down, but when her gaze locked back onto the rainbow, she realized it was shifting just as Ash said.
Colorful light shimmered across the sky, like a flowing brushstroke painting the heavens.
"That's… that's a Pokémon! A Pokémon carrying a rainbow with it!" Ash cried out.
What had first been a rainbow obscured by dusk now revealed itself—a Pokémon cloaked in prismatic radiance.
Its form resembled a great bird. Its wings glowed crimson beneath the rainbow light, while the crest atop its head and the long tail feathers trailing behind shone gold. It looked every bit the phoenix from a myth.
As Ash focused, the Eye of Insight displayed its information.
[Name: Ho-Oh]
[Gender: Female]
[Tier: Godly Domain Peak]
[Ability: Regenerator]
[Divinity: XXXXX]
[Moves: XXXXX]
[Six Stats: Attack S (S) / Sp. Atk S (S) / Defense S (S) / Sp. Def S (S) / HP S (S) / Speed S (S)]
"Ho…-Oh?" Ash whispered the name that appeared before him. Ho-Oh!
Its tier was at the very peak of the Godly Domain!
According to Breeder Ash's classification, Godly Domain surpassed Champion Level. It was a realm reserved for the absolute peak of the world!
He hadn't explained exactly how vast the gulf between Champion and Godly Domain was, but just knowing it was the tier beyond Champion was enough. Words weren't necessary to understand how terrifying this level was—just look at the Ho-Oh hovering before them.
Not only was it Godly Domain Peak, but all of its stats were S—the absolute highest.
Level, stats—those were just what the Eye of Insight showed. What truly hammered the point home was the Aura Ash felt radiating from Ho-Oh.
If Pikachu's Aura was like a small basin of water, then Ho-Oh's Aura was an endless ocean!
It was even stronger—many times stronger—than the Aura Ash had inherited from the Aura Guardian Ash of legend!
And there was even some unknown "Divinity" he couldn't read… This had to be the Legendary Pokémon the group chat's big shots always talked about, right?
"Ho-Oh? No way… but it really does look like Ho-Oh! Don't tell me… I actually got to see the legendary Ho-Oh with my own eyes?! Oh my gosh!" Misty covered her lips with a trembling hand, her pretty face full of shock.
The legend of Ho-Oh had been passed down through both Kanto and Johto. While its likeness appeared in ancient paintings, few had ever seen it in person.
Because centuries ago, in some forgotten incident, Ho-Oh lost all faith in humanity and vanished from their world, never to appear before humans again. Hundreds of years had passed since.
The myth said that those who witnessed Ho-Oh would be blessed with eternal happiness. Though unproven, it hadn't stopped countless people from dedicating their lives to chasing after even a glimpse of it.
And now Misty, who'd only just left home, was seeing it with her own eyes. To her, it felt like a dream.
"…" Ash watched her tremble with excitement, biting back the words on the tip of his tongue. He really wanted to ask just one thing—what exactly was a Ho-Oh…?