[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]AN EXPERT'S OPINION[break][break]
"Just a moment!" [break][break]

The Historian opens the door and greets Kyle with a warm smile. "Come in, come in," he implores, closing the door behind him as he welcomes his guest into his humble abode. His living room seems more like a library than anything else, well maintained and without a speck of dust. The books are neatly organized on each shelf and several lay sprawled out on his coffee table. [break][break]

"The Curator from Lilycove told me about you. Oh! And the bells! There are plenty of stories about the Bell and Burnt Towers. So many in fact that it's hard to tell what's really history and what's made up for the sake of storytelling." The Historian flips through the topmost book and searches for a certain passage somewhere in the middle of the book. "Every mention of the bell revolves around one concept: they were used to welcome Ho-oh back to its roost. Fascinating, isn't it? Well, here comes the interesting part — most scholars, myself included, believe that the bell's sound was used to beckon the Pokemon home. The total opposite of what the stories suggest!" [break][break]

The Historian laughs and closes the book, sinking back into his sofa and staring off into his window. The sight of both towers, one burnt into ruins while the stand proud and tall, take up the most of his view. [break][break]

"There are still some bells from the Burnt Tower. Most of them are collected as artifacts but there have been those daring enough to try and ring them to bring back Ho-oh. Nothing happens, of course, but they blame it on the damage due to the fire. Some of the more cynical owners believe that the bells are nothing special and just regular bells used for ceremonies. As for me... I like to believe they're just damaged, it adds to the mystery." [break][break]

The Historian lets out a quiet sigh, one filled with a child-like wonder laced with an optimism he imparts onto Kyle. "When you have a chance you should visit the towers and give it a ring. I'd love to go with you but I speculate the less people the better. Since Ho-oh has never reappeared I doubt it'll come back to a bunch of people. Maybe if it hears the bell it won't notice you and come back. Who knows? I do wonder..." [break][break]

---

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[attr="class","ihead"]

[attr="class","ipad"]RING DING DONG[break][break]
The bell rings three times: [break][break]


The first time it rings the sun shines bright and Kyle can feel the northern winds blow past him. [break][break]


The second time it rings the chime of metal on metal clinks fantastically. The currents shift and it blows from the east. [break][break]


The third time it rings the sound echoes with an elasticity reverses the flow to blow from the west. [break][break]


It rings three times and Kyle can feel his mind reach a level of enlightenment unreachable by man. His head feels light and his body pure, cleansed by the burdens of earthly thoughts. He blinks, staring up into the sun until his vision is eclipsed by a blinding light. When it returns he's no longer alone. [break][break][break]


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The three legendary beasts of Johto stand before him, watching Kyle expectantly as if he beckoned them. They stand there silent, still, waiting for a moment before also peering at the sun. There's no sign of Ho-oh. They continue to stand dutifully, waiting for the sound of the phoenix's cry before coming to the realization that the chime comes from the bell in Kyle's hand. They've been summoned by a mere human. [break][break]

Raikou is the first of the three to react, barking loudly with the ferocity of booming THUNDER. It stomps in place before disappearing in an instant. Like lightning, the Pokemon reappears before him in a FLASH, sniffing at his chest before growling in disapproval. It DISCHARGES a fraction of its power and electrocutes Kyle. The attack brings him to his knees, chest thumping wildly as he enters cardiac arrest. [break][break]

Entei is the second of the three to react, snorting as it looks down at the fallen man. It recognizes him from his garden and places a paw on the back of his head, igniting him with SACRED FIRE. The purity of the flames will cleanse his body of sin and weakness, cooking him alive as his body spasms from his blood boiling him alive. The Entei HOWLS, inhaling the oxygen around Kyle until he suffocates on the flames. [break][break]

Suicune is the third of the three to react, glaring at the collapsed, dying man. It LICKS him several times, coating him in a saliva that crystallizes into true ice. It continues to mend his wounds until Kyle is entombed in SHEER COLD. His sense of feeling returns and it feels like he's basking in a lake. The water is soft to the touch, keeping him afloat despite the troubles of the land. He can feel Suicune's snout nudge his side before the Pokemon runs off towards the north. [break][break]

When the ice melts Kyle is alive and renewed with purpose. His body has been purified by the Suicune, cleansed of dirt, devoid of scars and old battle wounds. His skin is perfect, his body is strong, and his soul feels a sense of resolve unmatched. Without Ho-oh, the process of reincarnation is laced with hardship and pain but the legendary beast carry out their duty. This is the closest they've been toward someone capable of summoning Ho-oh and Kyle can feel their faith in him. [break][break]

When Kyle comes to he finds a yellow silk pouch wrapped around his neck. Inside is a parting gift from the legendary beasts should he need their help. Despite never being told about the SACRED ASH, he somehow knows what it's for. [break][break]

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