Even without asking, they could guess something was hidden in that hollow.
Perhaps Celebi was inside!
The group exchanged glances and hurried towards the giant logs. The wild Pokémon nearby didn't stop them, merely turning to watch them with curious eyes.
They reached the base of the lower log, but the path was blocked. Fortunately, a long vine hung down from above. Ash, without thinking, leaped, grabbed the vine, and began to climb.
Since there was only one vine and it was swinging, the others had to wait for Ash to reach the top before they could follow.
Watching Ash's agile movements, climbing halfway up in just a few moves, Misty couldn't help but say with a smile, "He climbs so fast. I bet even a Mankey would have to admit defeat."
This made the others laugh. Indeed, his practiced and nimble climbing skills were better than most primate Pokémon who lived in forests.
"Of course they'd admit defeat," Natsui said. "You think being a human-form Pokémon is a joke? I bet if you put Ash on a battlefield, most ordinary Pokémon couldn't beat him!"
After Ash climbed up, it was Sammy's, Misty's, and Brock's turn.
Natsui took a shortcut. He didn't bother climbing, instead sending out Dragonite, which flew him and Erika up onto the log.
When Natsui jumped off Dragonite, he felt the surface was slippery.
The log was wide but covered in moss, making every step treacherous.
The Pokémon in front of the hollow moved aside as they approached. When Natsui and the others looked inside, they saw a small, round-headed, light-green Pokémon lying weakly.
"That's Celebi?"
Ash and Misty both gasped, but quickly realized their volume and quieted down.
Sammy nodded. He knelt on the log and extended his hand to Celebi. "Come out..."
However, Sammy clearly underestimated Celebi's wariness. Although Celebi had brought him to this time, it was an accidental act in a moment of crisis; it didn't actually know him.
Seeing the arm approach, despite Sammy's warm smile and gentle tone, Celebi trembled and instantly released a powerful shockwave.
The shockwave blasted everyone nearby. Ash and Sammy, being closest, were hit the hardest and sent flying several meters back.
The others were hit less forcefully. Erika and Brock, standing to the side, took the least of the impact.
As for Natsui and Misty, Misty was the lightest and was blown back, but Natsui was behind her. She fell straight into his arms, and they both staggered back a few steps, hitting Dragonite's soft belly before stopping.
Dragonite tilted its head and steadied its trainer and Misty.
Ash was knocked to the edge of the log and almost fell off. He desperately grabbed the vine, saving himself from the fall.
He scrambled back up and went to the hollow, calling out angrily at Celebi, "That was dangerous! We're not bad guys!"
But perhaps his tone was too scary. Celebi used its power again. Nearby vines grew wildly, lashing out at Ash, whipping him repeatedly and driving him away.
"You two, calm down," Natsui said with a sigh. "This Celebi is weak and helpless right now, and it's very wary of humans. You can't just approach it like that."
"Oh, I see..."
Ash realized he had been too hasty. With a smile, he approached Celebi again.
"Sorry, I scared you just now," he said. "My bad. We're good people, we're here to help you!"
But no matter how nicely he spoke, the vines inside the hollow kept swatting at his face.
"Let me try."
Seeing this, Erika walked toward the hollow. Perhaps it was her natural aura, or her gentle appearance, but Celebi actually lowered its guard slightly.
The vines' movements slowed, and as Erika slowly extended her hands and lifted Celebi, they stopped completely.
Natsui was speechless watching this.
If he didn't know Celebi was genderless, he'd swear it was a little pervert.
Why else would it calm down just because it was Erika?
Is this a woman's advantage?
As Erika gently lifted Celebi out, the group finally got a clear look at it.
Celebi was mostly green, with a light-green upper body and a grass-green lower body. It had a large, round, doll-like head, a pair of wings on its back, and green antennae with blue tips on its forehead. It was very cute.
The moment it came out, the others gathered around, instantly charmed by it. Celebi, in turn, blinked its large eyes, looking over the group.
However, it was badly injured. After a moment of seeing that these humans meant it no harm, it could no longer hold on, closed its eyes, and fell fast asleep.
Honestly, this was a golden opportunity to catch it.
The rarer a Pokémon, the harder it is to find, especially a mythical one like Celebi. And in its current weak state, it seemed a single Poké Ball would be enough to capture it easily.
But Natsui couldn't do that.
Setting aside the fact that Sammy would surely object, Ash and Brock would likely oppose it too. Most importantly, Natsui himself didn't want to take advantage of the situation.
Forget it. I'll find a chance to catch it alone after this is all over...
Back in the present, although the group had potions, they were only for emergencies. For safety, Sammy and the others decided to take Celebi back to Arborville for proper treatment.
Natsui initially offered to fly Celebi back with Erika on Dragonite, but Sammy argued that if someone was hunting Celebi, the air might not be any safer. It was better for everyone to stick together. It would be slower, but with strength in numbers, the hunter might not dare to attack.
Natsui was about to promise that he would repel any hunter that showed up.
But on second thought, if he split up from Sammy and the others, he would probably miss the rest of the plot. And without triggering the plot, the situation wouldn't be resolved.
And if the situation wasn't resolved, Sammy wouldn't return to his own time, and Natsui wouldn't be able to catch Celebi.
With that in mind, he stopped insisting and walked with Ash and the others off the giant log, heading back towards Arborville.
On the way, everyone except Natsui was anxious, praying for no interruptions.
But, as fate would have it, what you fear most is what happens.
Halfway back, just as they reached a stream, several smoke bombs exploded at their feet.
Poof! Poof!
Dense smoke instantly erupted, enveloping the group.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Ash's eyes watered from the smoke. As he ran out of the cloud, he yelled, "Who's there!?"
The moment he spoke, as if triggering a passive ability, two familiar voices reached their ears.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's rig9ht!"
Needless to say, the only ones who could recite that motto so naturally and confidently were the thick-skinned and ever-persistent Team Rocket trio.
The two of them, plus Meowth and Wobbuffet, were standing on a tree branch not far away, looking down on them.
Natsui actually hadn't heard their motto in a long time.
Or rather, they hadn't dared to show their faces in front of him for a long time. When they did cross paths, they would just hide until Natsui left, let alone cause trouble for him.
Although they constantly pestered Ash, appearing so brazenly in front of him today... something was very wrong.
"Team Rocket!" Misty yelled at them. "Don't bother us, we're busy right now!"
"Ahahaha!" Jessie said, "Cut the chatter and hand over that Celebi!"
They really are after Celebi.
This just happened, yet they already know. Someone must be pulling their strings.
At that moment, as the smoke was about to clear, and while everyone's attention was fixed on the trio, two 'swoosh' sounds were heard. Two long, massive mechanical claws shot out, aiming at Erika!
Or more precisely, at the Celebi in her arms!
No one reacted to the sudden attack—except Natsui, who had been on guard. The moment he saw the claws, he pulled Erika into his arms.
Hearing the sound of something cutting through the air behind them, Ash and the others turned in shock.
"What!?"
With the first attack having missed, the true mastermind revealed himself.
A giant, black, pillar-shaped robot slowly emerged from behind a large tree. In its cockpit sat a man wearing a yellow mask and a red vest.
The familiar outfit allowed Natsui to recognize him instantly: the high-ranking Team Rocket executive, the Pokémon Hunter Vicious!
What a shame.
He knew Vicious was the key figure in the Celebi plot, but he was surprised to see him. After the Dragon's Holy Land incident in Blackthorn City, he was being hunted by Dragon trainers everywhere. It was impressive he had managed to evade Clair.
"Impressive that you dodged that," Vicious said, his eyes fixed on Natsui. In fact, he had been here for a while. He had recognized Natsui from afar and, remembering how tough he was, had hesitated to show himself.
Normally, he would have slipped away unnoticed. But Celebi was a Pokémon he had dreamed of capturing. If he missed this chance, who knew when he'd see it again? How could he leave?
While wondering how to break the stalemate, he had run into the skulking Team Rocket trio. After a discussion, he learned they were also Team Rocket and they hatched a simple plan.
But now, it was clear the diversion tactic hadn't worked.
"Vicious, you're here for Celebi, right?" Natsui asked, knowing the answer. "You were lucky to escape last time, but you won't be so lucky now that you've delivered yourself to my doorstep."
Seeing Natsui confront him, Ash and the others frowned. "Natsui, you know this guy?" Ash asked.
Natsui nodded and said gravely, "He's a high-ranking executive in Team Rocket and a Pokémon Hunter. He invaded the Dragon's Holy Land in Blackthorn City to try and capture the Dragon Pokémon there, but Lance, Clair, and I stopped him."
From his attire, it was clear he was Team Rocket. Hearing Natsui's confirmation, Ash and the others became extra cautious.
Brock turned to Sammy and asked softly, "Was he the hunter you saw before?"
Sammy shook his head. "No, it was a different hunter."
But although the hunter was different, their goal was the same. Ash and the others certainly wouldn't let him succeed.
At that moment, the Team Rocket trio jumped down from the tree, standing with Vicious, surrounding Natsui's group.
They clearly hadn't grasped the situation, naively thinking that by teaming up with a high-ranking executive, they could defeat Natsui.
But either way, this was a chance to turn their lives around. If they won, they would not only redeem themselves but also capture the mythical Pokémon Celebi. Their status within Team Rocket would change overnight.
And if they lost? So what?
It would just be like the hundreds of times before—they'd get blasted off again. They were used to it.
Although their fear of Natsui was still present, it was a "risk-it-all-for-the-big-win" situation. Either way, they had nothing to lose. Why not try?
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