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In Liam's memories, the man standing before him—Pryce—existed in two versions.
The first version was the one from the anime: the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town, a strict and unyielding teacher in the harsh winter.
The other…
Well, on top of that role, he carried a hidden identity—one known as the Masked Man.
If the Pryce before him was just the first version, then there was nothing to fear. Liam could even consider befriending him.
But if Pryce also had that other identity, then Liam had to be cautious, for Pryce's other identity was extremely dangerous!
"Cough, cough… Hm, yes. As a Gym Leader, it is indeed strange that I'm not at my Gym, but so far from it. Of course, I have my reasons. However, forgive me—I'm not obliged to tell you what they are."
Pryce gave Liam a deep look before smiling faintly. Clearly, he had no intention of answering Liam's question.
"Heh, forgive my rudeness. It's just that, suddenly meeting the famed Pryce—the strict teacher of winter's harshness—caught me off guard. I was a little excited. I hope you won't take offense."
Seeing Pryce dodge his question, Liam didn't press further. Instead, his usual smile returned as he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Hahaha, you exaggerate. Legendary, you say? I'm still alive and well. How did I suddenly become a legend? Hah, cough, cough… By the way, young man, you seem to know me, but I don't know you. May I ask who you are?"
Pryce, seeing Liam let go of the matter, shifted the topic and turned the question back to him.
"Uh… heh, I'm just a nobody. My name is Liam, a Pokémon Trainer. This is my fiancée, Delia, also a Trainer for now. We're traveling around, challenging Gyms along the way. If everything goes as planned, we might challenge your Gym sometime soon. I hope you'll grant us the honor of battling you."
Liam's reply was deliberately vague, nothing more than a formal answer.
"Liam? Hm… I feel like I've heard that somewhere before… Hahaha, memory really fails you when you're old. So, you're both Trainers, eh? That's excellent! I can tell just by looking that you're both quite strong. If you really do come to challenge my Gym, I won't be going easy on you."
At the mention of Liam's name, Pryce froze for a moment. His expression stiffened, but he quickly covered it up with hearty laughter, his face breaking into a wide, friendly smile as he spoke casually to Liam and Delia.
"Heh, we'll do our best."
Liam nodded and smiled back.
…
After that, silence fell inside the hollow tree. The three of them simply sat quietly, each in their place, without saying another word.
"Hmm? The fog is starting to clear already? Cough, cough… Hahaha, well then, I suppose it's time for me to go. It was a pleasure meeting you both. I'll be heading back to Mahogany Town now, and I'll wait there for your challenge. Until fate brings us together again—farewell."
The heavy fog that had rolled in earlier faded just as quickly as it came, dispersing into nothing. Seeing this, Pryce stood up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and, after bidding farewell, turned and disappeared into the mist.
"…Tch. Old fox…"
Watching Pryce vanish into the fog, Liam muttered under his breath, a flicker of wariness flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, not far away in the forest, Pryce glanced back in the direction of Liam and Delia, his gaze shadowed. His voice turned cold as he muttered to himself:
"Liam… the new Champion of Kanto? Can there really be such a coincidence? Hmph. Nosy brat…. You'd better not get in my way… or else…"
His words were laced with menace. He slammed the tip of his cane into the ground, piercing a thick tree root with ease—proof that his strength was anything but ordinary.
"Hmph… I've been here for several days already. I really can't linger any longer. Best to return, before anyone grows suspicious…"
He pulled his cane free, his expression cold, and slowly walked toward the outskirts of the Ilex Forest.
…
"Waaah~ The fog's finally gone! Haha~ Mmm~ The air feels so fresh, so cool! This is amazing~"
Not long after, the mist cleared completely. Delia rushed out of the hollow tree, spinning happily in the open, breathing in the crisp, refreshing air.
"Delia, stop spinning around. It's already getting late. We'd better make our way out of this forest."
Liam looked up through the canopy, checking the sky. Judging the time, he realized that if they moved too slowly, they might have to spend the night in the forest. And that was not a pleasant prospect.
"Oh, fine! Coming~"
Delia responded quickly, skipping toward him with a playful bounce in her step.
…
The two pressed on. After the fog, the forest was damp. The Bug-type Pokémon that were usually so active had all hidden away, and the forest was eerily silent.
"Hm? What's this…"
As they walked, Liam noticed a small symbol appear on his navigation map. Curious, he adjusted course, leading Delia toward a tiny structure deep in the forest.
"Wow~ it's beautiful here~"
Pushing through dense trees, they found themselves in a grassy clearing surrounded by greenery. Unlike the forest, no trees grew here—only flowers and grass. Buds were about to bloom, vibrant with life.
At the center of the field stood a small shrine-like structure, like an altar nestled in the grass. A sacred place, perhaps dedicated to some deity.
The sight stirred Liam's memory. This place… it should be tied to the mythical Pokémon, the Guardian of the Forest—Celebi. Most likely, this shrine was devoted to Celebi itself.
With that realization, Liam also understood why Pryce had been here. After all, Pryce's goal… was the legendary Celebi, the being that could traverse time and space.
"Delia, we should get going. If we don't, we'll end up spending the night here…"
Knowing what this place was, Liam didn't intend to linger. He called out to Delia, who was happily playing in the flower field with Riolu.
"Ehh? Nooo! I just thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to camp here? It'd be perfect!"
Delia clearly didn't want to leave, answering half-pleadingly.
"Oh really? But you do know this forest is full of Bug Pokémon, right? Imagine… while someone is asleep… a big, fuzzy Bug Pokémon crawling across their face~ What do you think of that? Hehehe…"
"Wahhh! Don't say that! Let's go, let's go! Hurry up, we're leaving right now!"
Before Liam could finish, Delia's face darkened. She rushed over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him quickly toward the forest.
But just as Liam was about to step back into the woods, a system notification chimed in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Emergency Mission Isuued!]
[The Forest Guardian Who Traverses Time and Space!]
[Mission Objective: Deep within the vast forest, the God of Time and Life approaches. The power of time and life is about to awaken here. Discover its true form. Obtain reference material related to the Lord of Fire—blood, fur, or scales will suffice.]
[Mission Reward: 1000 Exchange Points, one Mystery Grand Pack.]
[Note: This mission carries no penalty. The host may ignore it without consequence.]
At the moment the message sounded, Liam snapped his head back. In that instant, he caught only a fleeting glimpse of a small green figure before it vanished.
And then… the flower buds in the clearing bloomed all at once, bursting into vivid blossoms. They swayed in the gentle breeze, releasing endless fragrance into the air.