Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

Like a full moon shining down, all the audience members seemed to be transported back to that night many years ago...

The spotlight on the stage subtly shifted, illuminating the youngest dancer, Sakura.

She gracefully walked to the center, released her Jolteon, and together with several Magneton on the sidelines, created a dazzling burst of lightning!

"Lugia's peaceful days have been ruthlessly stolen!" As she spoke, all the lightning gathered on the Bell Tower, and the tower was instantly engulfed in flames!

Just then, May, the eldest sister, also rose onto the stage from below with her fire spirit.

"A raging fire burned, and Lugia soared upwards, stirring up gusts of wind... but the fire did not go out; instead, it grew even fiercer!"

With the help of the hot winds spread by the fire spirits, the entire dance floor was instantly engulfed in a wave of heat.

Just as the three sisters were performing the scene of the Bell Tower fire, the Light Chaser had already arrived at the side of the stage, with the second sister, Momo, gracefully walking in wearing a light blue kimono.

She sent out her water sprite, which sprayed a jet of water into the arena.

"Lugia summoned a torrential rain in the skies above Enoki City, where water and fire clashed fiercely until everything vanished..."

The water sprite's water column collided with the fire sprite's flames, instantly creating a billowing smoke that seemed to engulf the helpless Bell Tower in the fire. May herself slumped onto the stage amidst the smoke... Her pitiful appearance immediately stirred up a flood of sympathy from the entire audience.

For a moment, the hall was completely silent, everyone anticipating what would happen next, shrouded in darkness.

Then, the stage lights came on.

It was the rising sun, accompanied by the graceful dance of the four girls, Xiaomei.

Her sun spirit forehead shone with a bright light, like the sun rising from ruins.

"The terrible night passed, the sun rose again, and a new day began. But Lugia, devastated by the loss of its ties with people, flew away... It still lies deep in the sea, quietly waiting for the arrival of those with pure souls."

The stage went from bright to dark, and then back to full brightness. People saw Lugia lying dormant in the sea, and finally returned to the peaceful and prosperous reality!

All five sisters made their appearance, dancing gracefully with their Eevee evolutions, as if they were making a pilgrimage to the gods.

Finally, they lined up on the stage, each holding up a special bell.

"In order to prevent people from forgetting what has been lost, and to prevent people from repeating the same mistakes, the Bell Tower has been preserved."

hum~

The crisp ringing of the bell seemed to pierce the souls of all the audience members... The whole audience erupted in applause!

Chapter 535 May, A Late-Night Visit

Without a doubt, the five Zhu sisters were all exceptionally beautiful.

Even the youngest, Sakura, has a sweet voice and a beautiful face; she's definitely a beauty in the making.

Naturally, their graceful figures and elegant dance moves captivated a large audience in an instant, and even after the dance performance ended, many people remained deeply enthralled.

Xiao Zhi even saw someone clapping and crying at the same time.

However, for Ash and his friends who had traveled with Lugia and her son, the things presented in the five sisters' performance were not really that thought-provoking.

They even almost laughed at the part where Lugia was putting out the fire.

"I never expected Lugia to have such a dark history." On the way back to the Pokémon Center, Xiao Lan kept covering her mouth and teasing, "Hasn't it heard of wind fanning the flames? Why is the first thing it thinks of is wind?"

"Because Lugia can't put out fires." Ash's face also showed a smile.

Lugia, written as the god of the sea and possessing super-flying abilities, is actually more adept at creating fierce winds than showering down gentle rains…

After all, its exclusive skill is also Flying-type.

Ash guessed that when it sparred with its best friend Ho-Oh, it was probably Aerial Blast vs. Sacred Fire, and it never thought of switching to Hydro Pump, let alone Ancient Power.

The idea that fires should be extinguished immediately with water was not present in Lugia at the time. It only thought of rain when blowing wind had the opposite effect.

That said, the people of Edo City should be grateful that they didn't imitate Master Roshi's method of extinguishing the fire and instead destroyed the Bell Tower with a single Ki Blast.

"What I find strange is why the rest of the story wasn't shown," Xiaoxia asked, puzzled. "Didn't they say that three Pokémon were burned to death inside the tower and then revived by Ho-Oh as the three legendary beasts?"

“Because that doesn’t suit the audience’s taste.” Ash shook his head and said, “Lugia’s departure already felt absurd. If we were to show the reasons for Ho-Oh and the three legendary beasts’ departure, many people would think it was pretentious and that they didn’t have the grandeur of a god.”

Lugia was awakened by lightning while dreaming. Staring at the raging fire of the Bell Tower, she was at a loss and instinctively did not know how to put it out. Because of her large size, she could not see what was happening inside the tower.

Its resentment towards humanity stems from their inaction... From the fire caused by lightning striking the tower to Lugia summoning torrential rain, not a single person took the initiative to help put out the fire.

Everyone in Enoki City just stared blankly...

But this is actually quite normal. With a top-tier deity flying in the sky, a mere fire is nothing to us commoners.

To Lugia at the time, this reaction might have simply been seen as human selfishness.

So when the fire was extinguished, the place where it had been burned away, and Lugia naturally left.

As for why the three legendary beasts left after their resurrection, it was because the Enumerals developed a fear of Ho-Oh's power to manipulate life. This fear spread to the three legendary beasts, leading people to want to suppress them with violence, which is why the three legendary beasts left in disappointment.

Ho-Oh was determined to find a true hero with a pure heart because he saw through this fear!

This is the part that the five sisters didn't perform... But if you think about it carefully, were the Yuanzhu people at that time wrong?

People of that era, limited by their level of understanding, were naturally afraid of things like the dead coming back to life; that was perfectly normal.

Driven by this emotion, it is only natural for them to want to address the source of their fear.

The Ecruteak people are now very devout because they have a basic understanding of the power of Ho-Oh and Lugia, and they are no longer afraid of the unknown. Of course, they should be crying and shouting for the return of glory.

Ultimately, the five sisters only rely on their looks; their performances don't really provoke any thought.

Once this wave of hype dies down, the Komatsu family's history will still be more popular with the public... because their story has villains.

If the villains coveted Ho-Oh's power, and then the legend says that a great god descended in anger and burned down the old Bell Tower, that would be perfectly reasonable.

People need villains like this because villains are always in the minority, and most people will consciously distance themselves from villains... and incidentally shift all the blame onto them.

But the truth is that there are no villains, and the story does not reveal good and evil, but rather pure human nature.

Then the situation becomes deadlocked, because there is no wrong party, and people cannot therefore admit all the weaknesses in human nature, including fear.

Especially those tribes that constantly profess piety, whether it's Komatsu or the Five Sisters, they would never admit that while they are making offerings to the gods, they not only have ulterior motives, but also secretly fear their power!

Of course, Xiao Zhi felt that a story without villains was more realistic.

There's no one to blame but ourselves. It's a simple regret that neither humans nor Pokémon are at fault, but they just can't understand each other.

Such regrets are commonplace in this world, and the charred tower is just one of them.

Some people are still holding onto this issue, but Xiao Zhi just hopes they can let it go...

"Let's leave Ecruteak City first thing tomorrow morning. There's no need to stay any longer." Ash made his decision in his room at the Pokémon Center before going to bed.

Having watched the performance and considering Ma Xiu's previous attitude, Xiao Zhi had a rough idea of ​​what the five sisters were thinking.

Ho-Oh or Lugia, they at least want one of them to return to Ecruteak City... and they must be involved in the process of their return!

However, regardless of what benefits they might be seeking, or whether they simply wanted to fulfill a long-held wish, Ash no longer wanted to concern himself with it…

To his surprise, someone came to his door on the night before he decided to leave!

"Miss May, it's so late, why are you looking for me?"

"Because Mr. Xiaozhi is leaving tomorrow morning, I can only come here late at night." May seemed very confident, and she did indeed have a good grasp of Xiaozhi's schedule.

"The reserved seats we prepared for us at the dance hall have been empty... I am very upset. Have we sisters neglected Mr. Xiaozhi?"

Her tone was humble, yet her gentle voice carried a hint of aggrieved sobs, which undoubtedly made it easy for people to reflect on themselves... Uncle Gang, standing to the side, was pounding his chest and stamping his feet, secretly regretting that he had failed the beauty's good intentions.

Watching her speak so eloquently, and seeing her kimono and the familiar self-designation she used, Ash couldn't help but think of Rika, who was far away at the Celadon Gym.

But he knew very well that the woman in front of him was no match for even a fraction of the young lady's skill!

“Miss May, I don’t like this kind of unwarranted goodwill,” Xiao Zhi said bluntly. “I’ve said this since our first meeting… If you have something to say, just say it. What exactly do you sisters want from me?”

"This..." May probably really didn't expect Ash to be so straightforward.

Her gaze swept across the people in the room, but Xiao Zhi interrupted her before she could finish speaking: "Whatever you want to talk to me about, you don't need to hide it from my companions!"

Honestly, it's getting a bit pointless to still be playing tricks on people now, even in May.

In the dead of night, after sending their companions away, a man and a woman alone in a room together?

Xiao Zhi won't give her that chance~

Seemingly aware that she had to be open and honest, May finally earnestly made her request.

"Mr. Ash, if you are truly the hero chosen by Ho-Oh and Lugia... we beg you, you must bring back the gods we worship!"

Chapter 536 Man and God, May They Be Well?

Welcome back Ho-Oh or Lugia so that the people of Ecruteak City can continue to worship the gods... May's request brought no surprises.

It wasn't just her; every family with any standing in Edo City, including Komatsu, was probably thinking about these things.

They and Komatsu were just the two most powerful families, which is why they were able to seize the opportunity to ask Satoshi for help.

However, welcoming them back is never a simple action; it also means a series of subsequent problems.

"So it really is this. So... what should we do after we bring it back?" Ash asked calmly.

"Of course we will continue to fulfill our duty of offering sacrifices. My family are dancers who serve the gods, and we have passed down the tradition of offering the Legacy Dance to Legendary Pokémon for generations!" May explained eagerly. "Moreover, after the gods return, Ecruteak City will be able to regain its former prosperity..."

"You said it yourself, that's just your duty... Whether you can fulfill it or not, what does it have to do with Ho-Oh and Lugia?"