SSS-Rank Ingredient – Sacred Feather of Zapdos: A feather ford from Zapdos's energy, imbued with electric power.
Lin Feng's mouth fell open as he held the feather in his hand.
This was a feather from Zapdos, and judging by its quality, it belonged to one of the strongest Zapdos in existence.
The difference in quality between Legendary Bird feathers made this obvious.
For example, the Ho-Oh feather granted as a system reward was SSS rank, while the feather w had plucked from Champion Feng Yang's Ho-Oh was only S rank.
"Yomiao~" owth giggled, then sohow produced two more feathers.
One glimred like ice crystal, radiating an intense chill.
The other glowed deep red, faintly flickering like fire.
SSS-Rank Ingredient – Sacred Feather of Articuno: Ford from Articuno's energy, this icy feather contains powerful Ice-type energy. It can be worn or ground into powder for cooking.
SSS-Rank Ingredient – Sacred Feather of Ho-Oh: Ford from Ho-Oh's energy, this flaming feather contains Fire-type energy. It can be worn or ground into powder for culinary use.
And it wasn't just two. w produced two more feathers from Zapdos.
"Jirachi~" the little star poked in. "That's right, the Legendary Birds started fighting, and then they were captured."
"Fallen during battle?" Lin Feng was stunned, then realized that w and Jirachi hadn't returned ho for the past two days. They must have gone sowhere.
"Yomiao~" w confird.
It rummaged through its body and produced a silver feather.
"w…" it said. "This is the feather I asked from Lugia. Don't you want to use these feathers for cooking?"
The feather was slightly broken.
He had promised it that next ti they t, he would bring sothing delicious, and it had agreed.
SSS Rank Ingredient – Incomplete Silver Wing: A unique feather from the Legendary Ocean Guardian Lugia, containing abundant Flying- and Psychic-type energy. Can be worn or ground into powder for cooking.
Seeing the broken silver feather, Lin Feng realized the truth. w must have taken Jirachi to the distant sea over the past few days, then to the ho of the Legendary Birds.
By chance, they had encountered the events surrounding Lugia's birth.
They had participated in it, conveniently obtaining the feathers, and even requested the silver wing from Lugia.
The details might differ slightly, but this was the general picture.
Seeing Lin Feng silent for so long, owth worried he thought it had stolen the feathers.
"Yomiao~!" it protested. "I didn't take them secretly! I asked for them myself!"
Lin Feng shook his head with a smile. "No, I'm not saying you took them secretly."
"But are you sure you want to give these?"
After all, these belonged to Legendary Pokémon. Even if he didn't know whether they were useful to w, their market value was incalculable.
Such items were either for collection or for Pokémon to absorb their energy.
They practically never circulated in markets.
"ow~" owth tilted its head, puzzled. "Aren't you going to use these for cooking? They're all for you~"
Lin Feng nodded. "Alright then."
It seed letting w go out to play often was a good choice.
At least, when it explored the world, it rembered that soone far away cooked als for it every day.
Even w's eyelashes had once been made into a dish, which had inspired Lin Feng.
If w's eyelashes could be used for cooking, then the feathers of other Legendary Pokémon could surely be transford into dishes as well.
And except for Zapdos's feathers, his Pokémon already matched the elental traits of the other Legendary Bird feathers.
So, what should he make with these feathers?
Lin Feng fell into thought.
After delivering the feathers, owth flew to its mint-flavored little cake. It sniffed, then wore a blissful expression.
"(*︾▽︾) Yomiao~" it purred. "Mint… my mint, hehe…"
Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh.
Little cat, little cat, you'll always be addicted to mint in this life.
He stored the Legendary Bird feathers and finally sat down beside Jirachi.
Watching Jirachi happily eat, he sent a gentle pulse of his aura towards it and asked again, "Jirachi, is it delicious?"
"Delicious, absolutely delicious. This little cake is so sweet…"
Jirachi stuffed the cakes into its mouth, swallowing them almost without chewing.
First, it had spent the whole day playing outside, so it was genuinely hungry.
Second, this was the fifth night.
In two nights, it would fall asleep and never taste these cakes again.
Thinking of this, Jirachi felt a pang of lancholy.
Ti passed too quickly.
It had seen too few places. Lin Feng had ntioned countless Legendary Pokémon, but it had only t a handful.
Rayquaza didn't even rember events from a thousand years ago.
If w could live like , would it still exist a thousand years later?
If it did… would it rember ?
Lugia… would it rember ?
Jirachi feared being forgotten.
Friends it had t disappeared one by one. Every return to the human world ant seven new days, which might be filled with cruel humans and uncooperative Pokémon.
Just like in the first millennium, when Pokémon were fierce and survival was their only concern.
They wouldn't think about friendship; they would just want to eat you.
After each thousand-year slumber, it had always hoped to wake to good people and happy things.
But… not all hopes ca true.
Too fast… too fast, I haven't even spent ti properly with Qin Shu…
With only two days left, it couldn't explore the world with w anymore.
Yet it still longed to experience everything.
Seeing Lin Feng approach, its face lit up. The charm on its head glimred.
"Lin Feng, do you want to make a wish?"
Lin Feng took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes… but before wishing, I want to ask Jirachi a few questions."
"Jirachi?"
Jirachi paused mid-bite, looking puzzled. "Lin Feng, what is it?"
Lin Feng sat down and took a small cake for himself. "Sa question as before, Jirachi. After seeing Rayquaza, is there anything else you want to achieve?"
"Jira?"
Jirachi tilted its head curiously, unsure why Lin Feng would ask.
Lin Feng said, "How do I put this? Life without goals loses aning. You must have things you want too."
"The things I want?"
Jirachi pondered for a mont, then smiled.
"I want to eat the als you make every day. I want to visit more and more places."
It looked at Lin Feng with bright, eager eyes.
Lin Feng was stunned. "Nothing else?"
"Yes, isn't that enough?"
Jirachi grabbed another cake. "Oh, and I want to et more friends. If they still rember a thousand years later, that would be wonderful."
"Then I wouldn't need to look for new friends every ti. After all, not every encounter is the right one…"
Jirachi sighed, thinking of sothing.
"Yo, ow?"
owth, now recovering from the catnip, tilted its head in confusion.
Why couldn't it understand Lin Feng?
It hadn't been present when Lin Feng told Jirachi's story.
Then, how about finding new friends? And what about mories?
It didn't fully understand, so it flew to Jirachi and reached out with its paw. "Yomiao~" it said. "We're partners. I will always rember you~"
Jirachi was touched. It clasped w's paw firmly and nodded.
In these past days, the two Pokémon had ford a deep bond.
Lin Feng was moved as well.
If Jirachi wanted companions who wouldn't forget it, a mythical Pokémon as cute as w was the perfect choice.
Most Mythical Pokémon lived long but weren't very intelligent.
So whether a thousand or two thousand years passed, they could eventually gather.
Unfortunately, w didn't realize this. After shaking Jirachi's paw, it returned to its mint cake.
Jirachi flew to Lin Feng's side.
Finally, Lin Feng asked, "Have you ever thought… of breaking free from the thousand-year slumber, living a normal Pokémon life, rising and sleeping with the sun?"
"Jira?"
Jirachi froze, stunned by the question.
Nearby Pokémon, who had overheard, gathered around.
The joyous days had made them forget that Jirachi only existed for seven short days.
The attentive Pokémon soon realized it was already the fifth night.
So, less aware, didn't know the day of the week, but still sensed most of the ti had passed.
Salance rubbed its neck, frustrated. "Ah… so short, so short… why does ti pass so quickly?"
As a Dragon-type, ti felt especially elusive to it, like grains of sand slipping away.
"Sweet…"
Steenee, close to Lin Feng, looked at Jirachi with a hint of reluctance, thinking of the doll still left at its ho.
The doll had an Everstone, representing its chance to evolve.
Without that doll, it wouldn't know how to align its evolution with Lin Feng.
Jirachi looked at Lin Feng, hesitated, and its eyes flickered with reluctant farewell. Then it shook its head. "Lin Feng… I can't…"
It gazed at the deep, dark night sky.
Lin Feng followed its gaze.
It was late autumn, nearly winter.
Few stars dotted the sky, but each shone brightly.
This suggested that tomorrow might be a rare clear day.
It whispered, "The stars are so bright… Feng once said I exist like a star, giving hope to everyone who sees ."
"Back then, the night was dark. Even glowing at night, everyone was happy to see , thinking I was hope itself."
"But he couldn't have foreseen that a thousand years later, every ho would have electric lights. No one would fear the dark."
"So the stars at night no longer mattered. People no longer look at them, no longer need their light."
Jirachi soared into the sky, smiling at Lin Feng. "But teors are different."
"Bright teors streak across the sky, and people unexpectedly make wishes upon them. When I woke, I saw the teor that had awakened , carrying so much hope."
"I collected it."
"So I thought, this ti, I want to beco a teor, carrying everyone's wishes."
Jirachi paused, its eyes shining at Lin Feng.
What it didn't ntion was that in two nights, its own cot would streak across the sky.
Then, its third eye would awaken, absorbing the cot's energy. After its slumber, this energy would nourish the Earth.
This happened once every thousand years.
It had experienced it many tis.
Lin Feng looked at Jirachi, then asked, "Will that make you happy?"
Jirachi swooped down, grinning. "Yes… Lin Feng said, 'Purple Flying… Fish? What's fun about it?' Oh, I forgot."
"You're not a fish, so how could you know a fish's happiness," Lin Feng repeated.
Jirachi seed troubled. "Too hard… forget it, forget it…"
"Lin Feng, tell your wish. I'm getting impatient."
Seeing Jirachi's expression, Lin Feng picked it up, withdrawing his aura. "You want to et more companions who will rember you, right?"
"Huh?"
Lin Feng held a small round cake. "Then make a wish: that you may et a Pokémon who will still recognize you a thousand years from now. Its na is Victini…"
At the mont of wishing, a faintly glowing passage appeared in front of him and Jirachi.
At this very mont, in Ein Dock Town of the Unova region…
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