Chapter 342: What Magician? He’s Clearly a Legendary Pokémon Summoner!

The video continued playing.

The chaos finally subsided, and the grand opening ceremony moved on to the main event.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Next comes the highlight of today’s opening ceremony!"

"Please welcome the world-famous magician—Mr. Asher!"

The instant the host finished announcing him, deafening screams erupted throughout the audience.

"It’s Asher! A real, live Asher!"

"Isn’t he that world-class magician who only performs at international magic festivals?! He actually came!"

"I heard tickets to his shows get scalped for astronomical prices! And we get to watch him for free today?!"

Steven squeezed his way into the front row while clutching the life-sized Diancie standee.

Then, with complete seriousness, he put a pair of sunglasses on himself and another pair on the standee.

"Here we go, here we go."

"Brother Asher’s magic shows always feel different no matter how many times I watch them."

Selene pulled two glow sticks straight out of her bag.

Then she shoved another two into Aurelia’s hands.

"Big Sis, later we do it like this!"

"When Dad appears, wave the one on the left."

"When Mom appears, wave the one on the right."

"If they appear together, cross them and wave both!"

Aurelia fell silent for two seconds.

Then she accepted the glow sticks anyway.

All the lights in the venue suddenly went dark.

A silver-white pillar of light descended from the sky—landing precisely at the center of the stage.

Asher stood alone beneath the spotlight.

He wore a white suit and a half-black, half-white mask.

His hands were completely empty.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

Asher raised one finger and lightly placed it against his lips.

"Please remember this."

"No matter what happens next..."

"Do not panic."

Several children in the audience innocently shouted:

"Why?!"

"Because..."

Asher smiled faintly at them.

"What I’m about to perform..."

"Is nothing short of a miracle."

He raised his right hand and gently swept it through the air.

A golden rift suddenly tore open above the stage.

"Ho-oh—!"

A clear, resonant cry rang through the sky.

A gigantic bird wreathed in golden flames flew out of the rift.

Ho-Oh folded its wings and plunged downward.

Golden fire streamed behind it, forming a river of light that stretched across the heavens.

While the audience was still completely immersed in the overwhelming spectacle—

Asher slowly raised his index finger to his lips again.

"Don’t blink."

"The star of the show hasn’t even appeared yet."

Only when Ho-Oh swept directly over the stage did everyone finally see—Sabrina was sitting on its back.

Her black hair whipped wildly in the golden firelight.

She slowly leaned down and extended a hand toward Asher on the stage.

A smile curved across Asher’s lips.

He reached up, took Sabrina’s hand and jumped onto Ho-Oh’s back.

The two settled into place, one in front of the other.

Sabrina wrapped both arms around Asher’s waist from behind and rested her chin against his shoulder.

Ho-Oh let out another clear cry.

Then it beat its wings sending another magnificent trail of golden flames sweeping across the sky.

The entire venue once again erupted into thunderous screams.

Selene screamed louder than anyone.

"DAD! MOM!"

"YOU TWO ARE THE MOST PERFECT COUPLE IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE!"

Aurelia’s head tilted slightly from the sheer volume of Selene’s voice.

But the two glow sticks in her hands still began waving in perfect rhythm.

At that moment—

Sabrina slowly raised one hand.

Invisible psychic power spread outward from her fingertips instantly enveloping the entire venue.

Every member of the audience suddenly felt a gentle force surrounding their body.

It was as though an invisible hand was steadily supporting them.

Or as though they were deep beneath the ocean, looking up to see moonlight pouring down from above.

Then—

Everyone slowly began rising into the air.

"Mom! I’m flying! Look at me!"

"Mom’s flying too! Stop pulling on my skirt!"

"Wow..."

Steven closed his eyes with an intoxicated expression while still hugging the Diancie standee for dear life.

"This feeling..."

"It’s almost like being embraced by Diancie."

"Meta..."

Metagross couldn’t even bear to look at him.

Beside Selene, Latias revealed her true form and excitedly flew in circles.

"Selene! Selene!"

"I want to fly up there too!"

Selene immediately flipped onto Latias’s back.

Then she turned toward Aurelia and shouted:

"Big Sis, what are you waiting for?!"

"Let’s go too!"

"We can’t let Mom and Dad steal all the spotlight!"

Latias gave a joyful cry.

Her sleek, red, aircraft-like body drew an arc through the air—

Then shot straight toward Ho-Oh.

Latios sighed.

"She’s still as troublesome as ever."

Standing beside him, Aurelia gently patted the side of his neck.

"They may like fooling around..."

"But as family, sometimes there’s nothing wrong with indulging them a little."

Latios turned his head and looked at her.

He said nothing.

Instead—

He simply lowered his body slightly.

Aurelia didn’t hesitate either.

She braced herself with one hand and smoothly swung onto his back.

Latios immediately took off, carrying her after them.

Selene rode Latias behind Ho-Oh while furiously taking photo after photo on her phone.

"Dad! Mom!"

"Look over here!"

"Look at the camera!"

"Smile!"

"I’m turning every single one of these photos into covers for the Sun-Moon Group’s Lifetime Membership Cards!"

On Ho-Oh’s back Asher glanced over his shoulder at his two daughters chasing after them.

Then he raised one hand and gently stroked the side of Ho-Oh’s neck.

Ho-Oh immediately turned around.

It swept directly over the sisters’ heads.

Golden flames transformed into a shower of light enveloping both girls at once.

When the rain of light faded—

Two golden feathers slowly drifted down from the sky.

One landed in Selene’s open palm.

The other settled gently onto Aurelia’s shoulder.

Ho-Oh cried out once more.

With a mighty beat of its wings It broke through the clouds and vanished beyond the horizon.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: Huh... I feel like I’ve seen that Pokémon before, but I can’t remember where.

[Eusine]: ??? THAT’S HO-OH?!

[Morty]: According to the records... Ho-Oh stopped willingly appearing before humans a long time ago. Could that have been some kind of holographic projection?

[Koga]: Those two golden feathers Ho-Oh left behind were physical objects. Do you seriously think a hologram can drop loot?

[Lt. Surge]: Asher calls this magic?! What doesn’t he call magic?! Next time is he going to ride out on Arceus and say, "Actually, it’s just a hologram"?

[Bruno]: I finally understand. "Magician" is just Asher’s excuse for casually summoning Legendary Pokémon whenever he feels like it, isn’t it?

[Shauntal]: AAAAAH! THE INSPIRATION WON’T STOP COMING! The Psychic Queen acting all sweet and cuddly like that—how is anyone supposed to survive this scene?!

[Diantha]:@Asher, my, my~ How romantic. Flying through the sky together on Ho-Oh like a pair of lovebirds... May I ask why I’ve never received treatment like that?

[Elesa]: Exactly, exactly. Hubby, you’ve never taken me riding on a Legendary Pokémon either.

[Misty]:@Asher, ahem. I’m absolutely not jealous... So you know what to do!

[Asher]: Ahem... I just remembered that I haven’t watered the flowers in the yard yet.

[Elaria]:@Diantha, um, Mom... If you really want to ride a Legendary Pokémon, I can let you borrow Xerneas.

[Diantha]: No need, Elaria. Mommy doesn’t need Xerneas. Daddy can just let Mommy do the riding instead. Go play outside for a while, sweetheart.

[Asher]: Wait. Weren’t you all talking about riding Legendary Pokémon?! Why are you dragging me into this?!

[Diantha]: It’s all right, Hubby~ Take your time making it up to us. We’re not greedy. We’ll line up and take turns. No need to rush. Tonight is going to be very long.

[Sabrina]: ...