At that moment, a charming voice sounded in Ash's ear. "Ash..."
The tingling, ticklish feeling made the hair on Ash's arms stand up. He turned around, and there was Lorelei's seductive face right in front of him. "Uh... Master Lorelei, is there something you need?"
To avoid revealing his identity, he pretended not to recognize her.
Lorelei pouted slightly. She had been staring at the lipstick mark on the side of Ash's face for a long time... It was the one she had left on the battlefield.
"Mmm... Are you planning to challenge the Kanto League?"
"Yes! I want to become the strongest Pokémon Master in the world!" Ash's eyes shimmered with starlight.
"Is that so? Then I'll be waiting for you at the Elite Four challenge. Ash, do you like the coldness of ice or the warmth of fire?" Lorelei slowly leaned in, her huge chest almost burying Ash's face.
"Cough, cough... What do you mean?" Ash's face instantly turned red. He felt that Lorelei's intentions weren't pure.
"I mean a battle, of course~ What else?" Lorelei winked. To Ash's surprise, she pressed him against her chest.
Instantly, a feeling of suffocation came over him, along with a barely audible whisper. "Silver Dragon Boy~"
Then, she let him go.
"Whew..." Ash gasped for air. He saw that everyone was still engrossed in Green's video and felt relieved. He looked at Lorelei with a bitter expression. "I didn't expect you to find me out, sister... I thought I was hiding it so well..."
"Next time, remember to wipe your face clean~" Lorelei leaned in and looked at him, a smile on her lips.
"Huh?" Ash was stunned for a moment before he realized what she meant. He wiped the side of his face...
Sure enough, it was red lipstick.
"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret." Lorelei winked. "This way, the Silver Dragon Boy is all mine, hehe~"
Then her red lips pressed against his.
"Smooch..." It was a quick peck.
Seeing Ash's dazed expression, Lorelei smiled sweetly. "Thank you for today. See you later~"
She then jumped onto the League's helicopter and headed for the Indigo Plateau. She still needed to report on the mission.
Ash watched the sky until the helicopter became a tiny dot and then completely disappeared.
A smile appeared on his face. He muttered to himself, "I've gained a big-chested older sister..."
His tone was one of joy, anticipation, and excitement.
Yellow's Viridian Power received high praise from the medical director, Wicke, who specifically invited her to join the Aether Foundation.
At first, Yellow was hesitant, but after hearing that the Aether Foundation's mission was to protect injured wild Pokémon and maintain Pokémon diversity, she agreed to give it a try.
So the little girl returned to Professor Oak's lab with everyone else.
That's right, since Guzzlord was being housed there, Burnet and Oak would be conducting research together, and Wicke's logistical work would also be carried out there.
At the same time, Green and Daisy also planned to take this opportunity to go back and give their friend a big surprise. Ash also happened to be going back to see Delia. Everyone hit it off, and Misty was also forced to go back with them.
However, the girl seemed very nervous... especially after hearing she would be meeting Ash's mom...
Daisy kept teasing her that she was a little wife meeting her mother-in-law, making the brawny tomboy Misty blush and repeatedly deny it.
Everyone boarded the helicopter one by one, with Ash following close behind.
"Celebi—~!"
At that moment, Celebi, having completed its task of reviving the forest, flew over and finally stopped in front of Ash.
"Are you leaving, Ash?" The voice that came through telepathy was filled with a deep sense of reluctance.
Ash rubbed its head and smiled faintly. "Yes..."
He was very fond of Celebi. Although he wished he could keep this little guy with its excellent oral skills, as the Guardian of the Viridian Forest, it probably had its own duties to fulfill.
"Come with me~" Celebi pulled Ash without a word, intending to leave.
Seeing this, Ash apologized to everyone and told them to go ahead, and that he would return later.
He then followed Celebi to the center of the forest.
It was a giant tree that reached the sky. Its trunk was so thick that it would take dozens of people to hug it, and its shade stretched for hundreds of meters, astonishing Ash.
"Little C, why did you bring me here?"
Celebi stopped at the base of the tree, its big eyes shimmering with affection. "Little C doesn't want to be the Guardian of the Forest anymore. Little C wants to be with Ash forever!"
"Huh?" Before Ash could feel confused, Celebi slowly split in a burst of dazzling green light.
It was a Miracle Seed, but this time, it was surrounded by a strong life aura.
Then, a bizarre scene unfolded before Ash's eyes!
Celebi's aura began to weaken drastically, gradually dropping from Champion to Elite, then to Gym-level, and finally stopping at the Advanced level. The seed, meanwhile, sprouted and grew... and eventually became a new onion-headed creature!
But this new Celebi was only a shell. Its aura was strong, but its eyes were empty, lacking the most crucial soul.
"Grandpa Tree, please gather the will of the forest and give birth to a new Guardian of the Forest!"
The weakened Little C knelt beside the tree root, praying with its eyes closed.
"Buzz..." The giant tree glowed faintly.
A moment later, it glowed again, and then the frequency of the glows began to increase. With each green flash, sparkling specks of light flew out from the forest and gathered on the newborn Celebi.
Gradually, like a blooming flower, Celebi slowly opened its eyes.
And as the cicada-like wings on its back fluttered, the forest seemed to sway with it.
Ash's mouth fell open. He knew that a new Guardian of the Forest had been born!
The newborn Celebi nodded at Little C, turned into a streak of light, and flew up toward the giant tree, disappearing in an instant.
"Celebi~—" The next moment, Little C buried its head in Ash's arms.
"Now Little C can go with Ash~" Its voice was cheerful, but it was filled with deep weakness.
Celebi Lv30 (Advanced)
Ability: Natural Cure (Can cure itself of status conditions over time.)
Friendship: 220/255
Held Item: None
Talent: 550 (Max 600)
Known Moves: Confusion, Healing Bell, Magical Leaf, Baton Pass, Ancient Power.
Special: Time Travel (Can only be used once per year.)
Description: A Celebi that gave up its position as the Guardian of the Forest, causing its strength to regress. It waited for its beloved trainer for 40 years and has finally gotten what it wished for. It has forgotten most of its skills, retaining only the moves in its bloodline. The dark power in its body has caused its talent to be damaged, but it still retains the possibility of breaking through to the Legendary level.
"Little C, you..." When Ash saw the description, his heart was shaken.
He didn't know what had happened to make Little C wait here for 40 years. He also didn't know what he had done to deserve such affection from her.
He reached out and held the weak little guy in his arms, gently stroking its face. "Was it worth it...?"
"Yes! Ash is worth it!" The words were light, but the vibrant look in its eyes hit Ash's heart hard.
"Mmm..." Ash responded, his heart filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.