◉◉◉◉◉
After escaping the battlefield, Kai and his companions veered away from their intended path back to the village. Instead, they plunged deeper into the forest.
They ran for what felt like miles before finally stopping near a tranquil lakeside, realizing they had completely lost their sense of direction.
All around them stretched a dense sea of trees lush, towering, and endless. No matter which way they looked, the forest appeared the same.
"Uh… we're not lost, are we?" Ash asked, scratching his head.
"It's fine," Brock reassured. "We've been running without a clear path. Even if the Iron-Masked Marauder tries to track us, it'll take him a while to find this place."
The sun was already sinking below the treeline, casting long shadows across the clearing. Seeing how exhausted everyone looked, Kai finally said, "We've run far enough. The Marauder shouldn't catch up anytime soon. Let's make camp here tonight."
No one objected. In fact, the moment they heard "rest," Misty dropped onto a nearby rock, gasping for breath. Her hair clung to her forehead with sweat, and her clothes were soaked through.
After everything that had happened, running back and forth between the forest and the village, and that brutal fight, everyone was completely drained and starving.
Under Brock's direction, the Pokémon began gathering branches and berries while he started preparing dinner.
Meanwhile, Kai released Jolteon and Eevee, positioning them at two concealed spots around the camp as lookouts, just in case the Iron-Masked Marauder made a surprise attack.
Within minutes, a small but sturdy campsite was set up: campfire, tents, sleeping bags all ready.
Outside Kai and Erika's tent, Celebi lay quietly after Erika's emergency treatment. Its breathing had steadied, and it finally looked peaceful again.
"How's it doing?" Kai asked, sitting beside her.
"Nothing serious," Erika said softly. "It should wake up soon." Then, glancing at him, she added teasingly, "You really want to catch it, don't you?"
Kai blinked. "Huh? You could tell?"
Erika giggled. "You've been sneaking glances at Celebi for hours. You're not exactly subtle."
Kai could only laugh. He had to admit, traveling this long together made them so attuned to each other that even his smallest expressions gave him away.
"What about you?" he asked. "It's a Grass and Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon your specialty."
"Me?" Erika smiled, gently stroking Celebi's head. "Of course I like it. But liking something doesn't mean I need to own it. Besides… between the two of us, you're the one who truly wants to catch it. I wouldn't dream of competing."
Her words warmed Kai's heart. If they weren't surrounded by others, he would have kissed her right there.
"Hah," he chuckled, pulling her close. "Doesn't really matter who catches it, does it? What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine."
Their soft laughter carried through the camp and didn't escape Misty's ears. She wasn't jealous, just amused. Hearing their exchange up close, she couldn't help shaking her head and smiling wryly.
She knew their relationship well enough by now. She was younger, still growing, and couldn't compete in that sense at least, not yet.
Glancing down at her chest, she sighed quietly.
Guess I'll have to wait until I'm older if I ever plan on stealing Kai's heart.
Still, she couldn't help but admire him. When Kai had held the mysterious GS Ball the night before, she hadn't understood why but seeing Celebi today, it all made sense.
She knew Kai would try to catch it. And like Erika, she didn't mind. Whatever he chose to do, she'd support him wholeheartedly.
After all, to Misty, no one was more deserving of such a mythical Pokémon.
---
By the time Brock's dinner was ready, the air was filled with the smell of rich, savory food. The moment he called, everyone came running.
Wearing his trusty apron like the perfect "Pokémon caretaker," Brock ladled portions into bowls for everyone. But before he could set the pot back on the fire, a soft fluttering sound drew his attention.
"Huh? Celebi!? You're awake already?"
Everyone turned to see Celebi hovering at the table, sniffing the plates with its tiny nose, clearly drawn by the delicious aroma.
"It must be starving," Misty laughed. "Guess Brock's cooking was just too good to resist."
"You've got quite the appetite, huh?" Ash teased.
And honestly, who could blame it? After living its whole life in the forest eating nothing but berries, human food was irresistible.
Brock quickly set a small plate before it. Celebi dove in without hesitation, happily devouring every bite.
Seeing it eat so eagerly made everyone else laugh and hungrier. Soon the whole camp was filled with the clinking of forks and plates, no one saying a word, just eating with pure satisfaction.
When Celebi finished its meal, it licked its lips and turned expectantly to Brock again.
"Still hungry?" Brock chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, one more helping."
After that second serving, Celebi's belly was adorably round. It flitted happily around the group, clearly much more relaxed. Whatever fear or distrust it once had toward humans was gone.
As the others started yawning and heading to bed, Celebi and Eevee kept playing together near the campfire. Before long, even they grew tired, and Celebi was left hovering alone under the moonlight.
The camp was silent except for the gentle crackle of the fire and the still surface of the lake reflecting the stars.
Celebi looked up at the sky. In just a short time, these humans had changed their world completely, battles, companionship, and food, unlike anything they had ever known.
Then it heard light footsteps.
Jolteon emerged from the shadows, tail flicking as it scanned the perimeter. It didn't spare Celebi a glance just continued its silent patrol.
Curious, Celebi fluttered after it. From Jolteon's scent, it could be told that this Pokémon belonged to Kai. Celebi had never really interacted with a Trainer's Pokémon before, and it wanted to understand the difference between them and wild ones.
Jolteon leaped over a creek, padding toward the other side of the camp where Eevee was supposed to be on watch.
But when Jolteon arrived, Eevee was… fast asleep.
With a sigh, Jolteon padded over and nudged it. No response. It tried again. Still nothing.
Finally, Jolteon's eyes flashed—and a quick spark of electricity shot from its body.
Zap!
"Eevee!!"
Eevee yelped, springing up in panic. Thinking it was under attack, it braced to counter—until it realized who had zapped it. Its fur drooped instantly, eyes wide with guilt.
From above, Celebi covered its mouth, giggling. It didn't understand the words, but it could tell Eevee had messed up badly.
Jolteon glared, clearly unimpressed. So much for relying on you.
With a flick of its tail, Jolteon turned and resumed its patrol, leaving Eevee behind.
Eevee pouted but quickly brightened when it noticed Celebi still hovering nearby. Chirping cheerfully, it began chatting with the Mythical Pokémon, and before long, they were playing together like old friends.
From Eevee's innocent chatter, Celebi learned a lot about the lives of Pokémon who lived with humans.
According to Eevee, life with Trainers was way better three full meals a day, warm baths, comfy beds, training to get stronger, and no need to worry about finding food or fighting off predators.
Celebi listened wide-eyed, drooling slightly at the thought of human cooking again. Compared to berries, it was no contest.
---
That night passed peacefully.
Morning sunlight poured over the lake, scattering golden ripples across the surface. As Kai stepped out of his tent, he froze.
Right there in the middle of camp, Eevee and Celebi were chasing each other around playfully.
He blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. Same scene.
"…Huh? Since when did they become best friends?"
Erika emerged behind him, curious. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing serious," Kai sighed. "Just that my Eevee apparently ignored its guard duty last night. Guess Jolteon had to handle the night watch alone."
He shook his head, half exasperated, half amused. "That one still needs a lot more discipline."
Little did he know, Eevee had spent the night teaching Celebi all about the joys of living with humans.
When Brock began preparing breakfast, Celebi floated over again, watching with eager anticipation.
"Hungry already?" he smiled. "Don't worry it'll be ready soon."
Sure enough, when breakfast was served, Celebi devoured it just as enthusiastically as last night, leaving everyone laughing again.
Even Misty couldn't help sighing. "Who would've thought such a cute little thing could be such a glutton?"
After breakfast, the group packed up camp and prepared to move out.
They agreed to head back to Fruitvale Village first. There, surrounded by people, they'd be safer from another ambush. Even the Iron-Masked Marauder or Team Rocket would hesitate to attack openly.
To find their bearings, Ash released his Noctowl, who soared above the treetops and pointed them in the right direction.
Everyone moved cautiously but with determination. They knew the Marauder could strike again at any moment.
And sure enough, just as they neared the village—
Whirrr!
Two mechanical arms suddenly shot out from behind the trees, reaching straight for Celebi!
"Watch out!"
Pikachu leaped high into the air, its tail gleaming like polished steel. With a swift spin, it slashed through one of the metal claws in a burst of sparks.
The ambush had begun again.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!