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The forest air was fresh and quiet too quiet. Sunlight filtered gently through the canopy, glinting off the water of a nearby river.
Kai sat cross-legged on a fallen tree trunk, quietly eating from a steaming cup of instant noodles.
It wasn't exactly fine dining, but he didn't seem to care.
"Can't believe I'm back in time and still living off convenience food," Kai muttered, swirling his chopsticks. "Guess some things never change."
Beside him, Dragonite dozed lazily, while Gengar floated upside-down above the river, humming tunelessly.
Kai glanced toward the forest. "Celebi's been gone for a while now…"
He sighed. "Figures. The minute you turn your back, it runs off like a mischievous Pichu."
Just then, a faint chime echoed from the trees.
"Celebi?" Kai looked up.
A flash of green zipped past, leaving a trail of sparkling light. Before he could react, Celebi darted straight at him, clutching something shiny an Oran Berry, half-eaten.
Kai smirked. "Back already? Let me guess you got lost again?"
Celebi pouted and crossed its tiny arms, hovering indignantly.
Gengar snickered. "He's teasing you again, little one."
"Shh," Kai said, waving his chopsticks. "Don't ruin my fun."
Celebi made an angry chirp and snatched the cup from Kai's hands, sniffing the noodles curiously.
"Hey—careful! That's hot!"
Before Kai could stop it, Celebi dipped its fingers into the soup and yelped, flapping its wings in panic. It shook its tiny hand rapidly, glaring at him as if it were his fault.
Gengar burst out laughing, spinning in the air.
Kai sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I told you it's hot. Now you've learned the hard way."
Celebi sulked, floating with its back turned. Kai reached into his bag and pulled out a small tin of Poké Beans. He opened it and offered one in his palm.
"Here. This one's safe."
Celebi hesitated, then slowly floated back. After a moment's sniff, it chirped softly and took the bean.
"See? No scalding involved this time."
For a few quiet minutes, Kai simply watched it eat, the forest at peace around them.
Then Celebi suddenly stiffened, its antennae twitching.
Kai noticed immediately. "Something's wrong?"
Celebi looked toward the east, eyes glowing faintly green. It let out a low, warning cry.
Dragonite instantly raised its head, and Gengar stopped laughing. The forest air had shifted the sound of rustling leaves and snapping branches grew louder.
From the shadows emerged several Pokémon Beedrill, Ariados, and Scyther—all moving aggressively, their eyes unnaturally dim.
Kai narrowed his eyes. "They're not wild… someone's controlling them."
He stood up, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt. "Figures. Trouble finds me even in the past."
Gengar grinned. "Want me to handle this one?"
"Not yet," Kai said. "Let's see who's behind them first."
A sharp whistle cut through the air. The bug-types halted instantly. From the mist stepped a tall man in a hunter's coat, carrying a net launcher and several empty Dark Balls clipped to his belt.
Kai frowned. "You've got to be kidding me. Don't tell me the Iron-Masked Marauder wasn't the only one experimenting with those."
The hunter smirked. "Hand over the Celebi, kid. That little creature's worth more than you can imagine."
Kai sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Why do they always start with the same line?"
He turned to Gengar. "You know what to do."
Gengar's grin widened to something terrifying. "Gladly."
In a blur of motion, the bug Pokémon lunged but before they could reach Kai, Gengar's eyes flashed crimson. A wave of shadow energy swept out, swallowing the attackers whole.
When the darkness cleared, the Pokémon lay unconscious, their corruption fading.
The hunter stepped back, eyes wide. "What the—?! You—"
"Yeah, yeah," Kai interrupted, tossing his empty noodle cup aside. "You came to capture Celebi, right? So tell me who sent you? Team Rocket?"
The man didn't answer. He just reached for his launcher.
"Wrong move."
Dragonite's roar shook the forest as it unleashed a burst of Hyper Beam that blasted the weapon clean out of the hunter's hands. The man dropped to his knees, trembling.
Celebi floated beside Kai, glaring at the man with surprising anger.
"Go," Kai said quietly to Celebi. "Show him what happens when you mess with the forest."
Celebi's eyes glowed green. A whirlwind of leaves spiraled around the hunter, lifting him into the air before flinging him harmlessly into a pile of moss behind a tree.
"Guess that's what I get for letting Celebi handle things," Kai said with a grin. "A little rougher than I expected."
Celebi spun in the air, chirping proudly.
Gengar chuckled. "Looks like someone's learning from you."
Kai smirked. "Then maybe I'm a bad influence."
He glanced down at the empty cup near his feet. "But hey, lesson learned—never steal my lunch."
Dragonite snorted in amusement, and the tension eased.
Kai turned back to Celebi. "Let's head back to the lake. We'll regroup with Sammy and figure out how to get home."
Celebi chirped in agreement and floated onto Kai's shoulder, resting there like a small guardian.
As they walked through the forest, sunlight broke through the trees again—gentle, peaceful, timeless.
For now, the danger had passed.
But Kai knew this era held more secrets yet to uncover.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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