Pokemon: Trait Master

Currently Known Information: 

The higher a Pokémon's level, the higher the tier of traits it drops. 

- Beginner, Normal: Guaranteed White-tier trait. 

- Advanced: Guaranteed Blue-tier trait. 

- Elite, Professional: Guaranteed Purple-tier trait. 

- Gym Level: Guaranteed Orange-tier trait. 

- Elite Four: Guaranteed Red-tier trait. 

- Champion: Guaranteed Gold-tier trait. 

- Divine: Guaranteed Rainbow-tier trait. 

The rarity and quality of traits depend on the species and rarity of the defeated Pokémon. 

Pokémon that are fully evolved, pseudo-legendary, Mythical, or Legendary have a higher chance of dropping rare traits. 

--- 

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, dusk settled in. 

The distance between Pallet Town and Viridian City wasn't exactly far, but it wasn't close either. 

If one traveled on foot, it would typically take an entire day. 

If Ash and Serena pushed on through the night, they might reach their destination before midnight. 

But this was a journey—there was no need to rush. 

Ash wanted to take it easy while also training Froakie, letting him battle more beginner-level Pokémon along the way. 

One reason was to help level him up, 

The other was to farm traits. 

While trait drops were random, over the years, Ash had noticed a pattern— 

The higher a Pokémon's level, the better the chances of obtaining a high-tier trait. 

For example, Advanced-level Pokémon mostly dropped Blue-tier traits, 

While Elite-level Pokémon consistently dropped Purple-tier traits. 

Ash hadn't battled many Elite-level Pokémon, but whenever he did, he had never received a trait below Purple-tier. 

That was the guaranteed drop rate. 

After defeating countless Pokémon, Ash had only received two Red-tier traits. 

Most of the time, he only got Blue-tier traits. 

As for Orange-tier traits, he had only gotten one… 

It wasn't that Ash had bad luck— 

It was just that low-level Pokémon had an abysmal chance of dropping high-tier traits! 

Not only that, but most of the traits he got were utter garbage. 

Many Blue-tier traits were things like [Jump Enhancement] or [Arm Strength Boost], 

Some even had negative effects. 

After all this time, Ash had yet to see a single trait that was better than Pikachu's innate trait set. 

Maybe it also had something to do with the rarity of the Pokémon he defeated. 

--- 

As evening fell, a light drizzle began to descend. 

Fortunately, Ash and Serena had already set up camp, so they avoided getting drenched. 

Luckily, the rain didn't last long. 

Even with a tent, if it had rained too hard, their clothes would've still ended up wet. 

Once the rain stopped, Serena crawled out of the tent and stretched lazily. 

"Ahhh~~! The sky looks so beautiful after the rain! Look, Ash—there's a rainbow!" 

She pointed excitedly at the vibrant arc of colors in the distance. 

Ash followed her gaze and was momentarily awestruck by the breathtaking view. 

But soon, his attention shifted to something else entirely. 

"Serena, look over there!" 

Following Ash's finger, Serena spotted a massive bird soaring through the sky, its feathers shimmering with a rainbow glow as it followed the arc of the rainbow. 

"That's… a Fearow?" 

Ash: ??? 

Excuse me?! You think that's a Fearow?! 

When I put a question mark here, it's not me who has the problem—it's you! 

"Look again, would you?" 

"Uhh… a Shiny Fearow?" 

"Ha… ha-ha…" 

Ash didn't even know how to respond. 

Instead, he released Froakie, letting him and Pikachu witness the so-called 'Shiny Fearow' with their own eyes. 

"Pikachu, Froakie, do you see that? That's our future goal!" 

"Pika!" 

"Kie-no!" 

Even though neither of them had seen that 'Shiny Fearow' before, 

Even from this distance, they could feel the overwhelming pressure it exuded! 

Especially Pikachu, who had been through countless battles— 

He could instantly tell that this 'Shiny Fearow' was in an entirely different league. 

This wasn't just a gap in levels— 

It was an insurmountable difference in existence itself! 

Ash's gaze remained locked on the majestic figure as it soared farther away. 

Suddenly, a data window appeared before him. 

--- 

[Pokémon: Ho-Oh] 

[Gender: Female] 

[Trainer: None] 

[Type: Fire / Flying] 

[Level: Divine Peak] 

[Ability: Pressure] 

[Moves: Sacred Fire, Sky Attack, Fire Blast, Overheat, Future Sight…] 

[Talent: Divine] 

[Special Move: Light of Life] 

[Traits: God of Life (Rainbow), Sky Lord (Gold), Fire Phoenix (Gold), Divine Oppression (Gold), Divine Blessing (Gold), Divine Inheritance (Gold), Power of Worship (Gold), Instinct for Battle (Gold), Unparalleled Talent (Gold)] 

--- 

The moment Ash saw Ho-Oh's trait list, his pupils shrank violently! 

What kind of insanely luxurious trait set was this?! 

Nine traits, and the weakest one was Gold-tier! 

And at the very top—a Rainbow-tier trait: [God of Life]! 

According to the system's rules— 

Even among Legendary Pokémon, not all of them possessed Rainbow-tier traits. 

Only the absolute strongest Legendaries could have them. 

And Ho-Oh was undoubtedly one of them! 

Ash had dreamed of obtaining a Rainbow-tier trait— 

But this wasn't just a single Rainbow-tier trait. 

It was an entire lineup of Gold-tier traits stacked on top of it! 

For reference, Pokémon below Elite Four level could only have five traits. 

But Divine-level Pokémon could have up to nine. 

This… this was one of the strongest Pokémon in the world! 

As Ash observed Ho-Oh, 

Ho-Oh subtly glanced back at him— 

That single gaze carried countless meanings. 

And then— 

A brilliant, rainbow-colored feather detached from its body, drifting down from the sky. 

Before Ash or Serena could even react, 

The feather seemed to teleport instantly, landing right in front of Ash! 

Instinctively, Ash reached out and caught it. 

A warm energy surged through his body. 

This… 

This was the Rainbow Wing!