Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 337: Pokémon the Movie: 4Ever - 2

A few minutes later, the gang arrived back at the village. Diana and Towa came down from the treehouse just as Diana's grandmother laid eyes on the boy. She recognized him instantly, this was the same boy who had mysteriously disappeared into the forest 40 years ago.

She quickly ushered them inside as they carefully placed the unconscious boy on a bed. Moments later, he suddenly shot up, his eyes wide with panic, and screamed, "I won't hand over Celebi!"

The gang jolted at his outburst. His breathing was heavy, and his fists clenched as he scanned the unfamiliar room.

"Whoa, easy there!" Ash stepped forward, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Relax, no one's going to hurt you. Just breathe."

The boy blinked rapidly, as if truly seeing his surroundings for the first time. His gaze landed on Towa, and for a moment, he simply stared.

"Where... am I?" His voice wavered. "How did I get here?"

Towa hesitated, still struggling to believe her eyes. But this confirmed it. "I can't believe it... It's really you. You've come back! Oh, thank goodness!"

The others exchanged confused looks as Towa began to explain. She told them about the boy who had once visited their village 40 years ago, only to vanish without a trace. All she had left of him was his notebook.

Slowly, the boy took the weathered notebook from her hands. It was old, barely holding together, but there was no doubt, it was his. His fingers trembled as he whispered, "I... I can't believe it... I'm really in the future..."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his head snapped up. His eyes darted around frantically. "Where's Celebi? What happened to Celebi?"

Brock crossed his arms. "What do you mean, 'Where's Celebi'?"

"Was there a Pokémon with me in the forest?" the boy asked urgently.

Misty shook her head. "We didn't see any Pokémon, much less a Celebi."

The boy's expression darkened. Diana rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "We know Celebi as the Voice of the Forest, the spirit that protects it. Based on how you woke up, you and Celebi must've been in danger... It probably took the fastest way out."

Brock smacked a fist into his palm. "Then it must've escaped to the future and brought you with it!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Nooooo, what was your first guess?" he said sarcastically.

Towa looked toward the forest. "Celebi lives deep in the woods, at a place we call the Lake of Life. If it escaped, that's likely where it went, maybe to heal."

Hearing that, the boy threw off the covers and tried to stand, but his legs wobbled. "If Celebi's hurt, I have to find it!"

"Dude, you're still too weak. We found you unconscious in the middle of the forest," Ash said as he caught him before he could fall.

"But I have to go... Celebi is in danger..." The boy's voice wavered with desperation.

Ash smirked. "I never said you couldn't go."

The boy looked up in surprise.

"I'm just not letting you go alone," Ash added.

The boy hesitated. "But... I don't even know you."

Ash grinned. "Name's Ash. The yellow one over there is Pikachu, the angry girl is Misty, and that's Brock." Without turning, he casually put a finger on Misty's mouth to stop her from protesting.

The boy let out a small chuckle. "Right. Well, my name is Samuel, but everyone calls me Sam." He nodded at them.

With that, they quickly left the treehouse and rushed into the forest. Ash scanned the area with his Aura, searching for a familiar presence. He found a faint, weakened Aura near the lake—a good sign. But there was something else. Another Aura had entered the forest... and Ash had a sinking feeling he knew who it was.

Taking the lead, he guided the group toward the Aura's source. When they arrived, they found a group of Pokémon gathered in front of a hollowed-out section of a massive fallen tree...

"Looks like they're protecting something," Misty mumbled.

"I bet I know what they're protecting!" Sam said as he ran ahead, grabbing a vine and starting to climb.

Ash quickly took off his bag and grabbed another vine. "I'm coming with you," he said before turning to the others. "Guys, stay here. We'll be back soon."

With that, he started climbing, quickly catching up to Sam. Reaching the top was easy, but what they found there made them pause, a group of Pokémon stood protectively in front of something.

However, as soon as they felt Ash's natural Aura, they visibly relaxed and stepped aside. That's when Ash and Sam saw it, a small hollow carved into the fallen tree. Inside, Celebi lay curled up, its tiny body rising and falling with labored breaths. It was exhausted from traveling through time, something it clearly wasn't experienced at doing.

Moving carefully so as not to startle the weakened Pokémon, Ash and Sam approached.

Sam's eyes widened with concern as he knelt beside it. "Celebi..." he whispered, reaching out, only to hesitate just before touching it. "It must've used up all its energy bringing me here."

"Looks like it," Ash mumbled, "And it looks like whatever happened before is keeping Celebi on edge."

Ash slowly reached a hand toward Celebi, but before he could get too close, a Vine Whip lashed out and slapped his hand away. He didn't flinch.

Sam, however, did. He watched in shock as Celebi lashed out again and again, trying to push Ash away with its vines and even a few weak bursts of psychic energy. But Ash didn't move.

"Celebi, please," Sam pleaded. "It's me. We're not here to hurt you. Let us help you."

"Come on, there's no need to be scared," Ash said gently. He coated his hand in Aura, letting its warmth radiate out as he reached in deeper. Even as Celebi continued to weakly resist, Ash remained still, patient.

Finally, when his hand was close enough, he lightly patted Celebi on the head. "There, there. It's okay. You don't have to be scared."

At his touch, Celebi slowly started to calm down. Its breathing evened out, and its vines lowered. Within moments, it went completely still, asleep in Ash's arms.

Ash glanced at Sam, and they quickly made their way back down. Sam climbed carefully, while Ash simply jumped down, landing smoothly.

"We got Celebi," Ash announced as he cradled the tiny, sleeping Pokémon.

"Aww, it's so cute," Misty said, barely resisting the urge to pinch its cheeks.

Yellow immediately turned to Ash with a look, silently asking for permission since Sam was here, Ash just nodded, after all no point in keeping the secret right now

Holding her hands out, Yellow's palms began to glow as she tried to heal Celebi. Sam watched, surprised, but said nothing.

As Yellow continued, her expression grew more and more worried. Panic flickered in her eyes. "It's not working... Celebi's not waking up..." she mumbled, her voice shaking. She looked like she was about to cry.

Ash gently reached up and closed her hands around his. "Then it's probably not an injury," he said calmly. "Celebi must just be exhausted. If that's the case, healing won't work, we need another solution."

"How about the Lake of Life?" Brock suggested, flipping open his book. "i think Diana and Towa said something about it having restorative properties. Maybe that could help."

"Yeah... that could work!" Sam said excitedly, but then his enthusiasm faltered. "But... we don't know where it is."

Almost as if on cue, a low growl caught their attention. They turned to see a group of Pokémon, led by an Ursaring. The large bear-like Pokémon nudged its head forward, clearly gesturing for them to follow.

Exchanging glances, the group nodded and took off after their new guides.

As they ran, Ash suddenly tensed. His Aura picked up something, someone, approaching fast. His expression darkened. Without missing a beat, he handed Celebi over to Sam.

"Here," he said. "I think Celebi wants you to hold onto it." he lied, as he got ready for the worst case scenario

As they ran, the ground trembled violently. Without warning, trees were ripped from their roots as a massive robotic leg slammed into the earth, sending dirt and debris flying. The group skidded to a stop, eyes widening as they followed the massive limb upward.

Towering over them was a giant mechanical spider-like robot, its metal plating gleaming under the sunlight. Standing atop the machine was a muscular man, his face hidden behind a cold, metallic mask.

He looked down at them, locking eyes with Sam before smirking. "Good. Hey, kid, let's make this easy—hand over Celebi, and I'll spare your lives."

Sam instinctively clutched Celebi tighter against his chest. "Who the heck are you?! And what do you want with Celebi?"

The man chuckled darkly. "Heh. Most people know me as the Iron Mask Marauder. And what I want... is Celebi. So, you can either hand it over, or we can do things the fun way."

"No," Sam said firmly, taking a step back.

"Y-yeah! We'll never give Celebi to you!" Yellow chimed in, though her voice wavered slightly.

Ash stepped in front of them, eyes narrowing. "Pikachu, you know what to do!"

With a sharp nod, Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder, unleashing a [Thunderbolt] at the Marauder.

But the masked man only smirked as he pressed a button on his wrist. A glowing forcefield activated around him, absorbing the electricity. "Hah! How pathetic, kid. You think you can beat me like—"

His words cut off abruptly as the lightning dissipated, revealing Pikachu, now right in front of his face.

"Wha—?!"

In a flash, Pikachu spun mid-air, his tail glowing silver before slamming into the control pad with [Iron Tail]. Sparks flew as the console shattered.

"Y-you little brat!" the Marauder roared.

Before he could regain control, Brock sprang into action. "Kabutops, go! Use [Slash]!"

With a sharp screech, Kabutops dashed forward, its sickle-like claws glowing as it slashed clean through one of the robot's legs. The metal limb gave way with a screech, causing the entire machine to shudder and tilt dangerously.

The Marauder stumbled, struggling to keep his balance as his machine faltered. He growled, his eyes locking onto Pikachu, who stood on the wreckage with a smug look. Snarling, he lunged, trying to grab the tiny Pokémon.

But Pikachu backflipped effortlessly, launching a crackling [Electroweb] that wrapped around the Marauder's face.

As Pikachu landed back in Ash's arms, the mechanical beast finally lost stability. The gang wasted no time—they turned and bolted, following the Pokémon leading them toward safety.

Behind them, the massive metal body of the robot crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact, sending a shockwave through the forest. Dust and debris filled the air as the Marauder was buried under the wreckage.

For a moment, everything was silent

Then... laughter.

A low, eerie chuckle echoed from beneath the debris. "Hahaha... Guess I underestimated those brats. It won't happen again."

With a grin hidden beneath his metal mask, the Marauder reached for his belt and pulled out three ominous black PokéBalls.

—

The gang raced through the dense forest, their breath coming in quick gasps. The Pokémon guiding them didn't slow down, weaving expertly through the trees.

Ash knew they could probably take down the Marauder if they had to—but that wasn't the point. Celebi's safety came first. The Marauder wouldn't hesitate to play dirty, and any battle risked putting Celebi in danger. Their priority was reaching the Lake of Life and restoring Celebi's strength.

"I think we're close!" Brock called out, catching a glimpse of shimmering blue light flickering through the trees ahead.

Just as Brock finished speaking, a sudden blur of movement sliced through the air.

A Sneasel, cloaked in a dark, ominous aura, flashed beside them, claws glowing with malevolent energy. In an instant, it slashed at Misty's leg.

"Ahh!" Misty cried out as she crumpled to the ground, her ankle twisting painfully against the jagged rocks. Blood stained her knee as she clenched her teeth in pain.

"Misty!" Yellow gasped, immediately reaching out, her hands glowing as wanted to heal her, but before she could act, a Scizor, its exoskeleton gleaming with the same eerie darkness lunged toward her, its pincers snapping with lethal force.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Ash leaped between them in a blur, raising his forearm, which flared with a protective blue Aura Barrier just in time to absorb the blow. Sparks flew as Scizor's attack clashed against the energy shield.

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As Ash gritted his teeth, he whistled, a sharp, quick sound that Pikachu recognized instantly.

Pikachu sprang into action, dashing up Ash's arm, flipping over the barrier, and launching a point-blank [Electro Ball] straight into Scizor's face. The attack sent the bug-type skidding back next to Sneasel, smoke rising from the impact.

Misty clutched her injured leg, wincing. "Gah... I'm fine. Just—just get Celebi to the lake!"

"Not happening, idiot," Ash said firmly, hoisting her onto his back in one swift motion. "Hold on. Things are about to get shaky."

Misty let out a small yelp as she was lifted, but she quickly wrapped her arms around Ash's neck to steady herself.

"Brock, cover us! Yellow, stay with Sam and keep Celebi safe!" Ash barked as he adjusted Misty's weight.

"But—" Sam hesitated, glancing between Ash and the two looming dark Pokémon.

Yellow's hands curled into fists, torn between staying and fighting. "A-Ash, we can't just leave you and Misty!"

"No buts!" Ash shot back. "Celebi needs you! I'll catch up!"

Brock's jaw tightened, but he grabbed Sam by the shoulder. "Come on. I'm staying too, so go!"

Yellow hesitated for only a moment longer before finally nodding. She cast one last worried glance at Ash before turning and sprinting after Sam, following the shimmering blue glow of the distant lake.

The second they disappeared into the trees, the dark-aura Pokémon attacked again.

Scizor blurred forward, pincers gleaming, while Sneasel zigzagged unpredictably across the ground, closing in.

Ash bent his knees, shifting Misty's weight to keep his balance. "Pikachu [Quick Attack] into [Iron Tail]!"

Pikachu shot forward like lightning, dashing up Scizor's extended claw. With a graceful flip, its tail hardened into steel before slamming down with tremendous force. CRACK! Scizor crashed into a tree, a sharp cry escaping its mandibles.

At the same time, Sneasel darted in from the side, claws aiming for Ash's ribs.

Misty reacted fast. She grabbed a Poké Ball from her belt and threw it forward. "Wooper [Water Gun!]"

In a flash of light, Wooper materialized midair and blasted a powerful jet of water straight into Sneasel's face.

"Sneeze!" The dark-type screeched as it skidded backward, shaking off the water with an irritated hiss.

Ash adjusted Misty's grip on his back. "Nice one."

Misty huffed. "You think I'm just gonna sit here and do nothing?"

"No, but you are gonna hold on tight!"

Before Misty could respond, Ash pushed off the ground, Aura surging through his legs, and vaulted over a wild swipe from Scizor. He landed on Scizor's face for half a second before springing off again.

"Brock, now!"

Brock gave a sharp nod and hurled a PokéBall into the air. "Steelix, [Iron Tail]!"

With a metallic roar, Steelix erupted from the Poké Ball, its massive steel body towering over the battlefield. It swung its tail like a wrecking ball, slamming into both Sneasel and Scizor and launching them into a nearby rock.

Ash landed in a roll, already issuing his next command. "Pikachu, [Electroweb!"

Pikachu leaped up, its tail glowing as it spun midair, releasing a crackling web of electricity. The net wrapped around the two dark Pokémon, pinning them against the rock and shocking them into submission.

Ash sprinted toward Misty's Wooper, which quickly scrambled into her arms. Brock recalled Steelix in one swift motion.

"Come on! We'll deal with them later!"

Misty tightened her grip around Ash's neck as Brock nodded, and they took off running, racing through the trees, chasing to catch up with Sam and Yellow

—-

It didn't take long for Yellow and Sam to reach the Lake of Life. The sight was mesmerizing—the water shimmered under the soft glow of the surrounding trees, casting rippling reflections across the surface. But neither of them spoke. Their thoughts were elsewhere.

They had left their friends behind.

Sam clenched his jaw and nodded at Yellow before stepping forward. Without hesitation, he waded into the lake, ignoring the cold water soaking his pants. Holding Celebi carefully in his hands, he gently lowered the small, lifeless creature into the water.

"Celebi... please wake up."

The Time Travel Pokémon sank beneath the surface, its small form disappearing into the lake's depths.

Sam and Yellow held their breath, anxiety gripping them. Yellow hugged Chuchu tightly, burying her face in the soft, warm fur.

For a long moment, nothing happened.

Then—a soft glow began to emanate from below.

The dark circles under Celebi's eyes vanished, and a gentle, melodic chirp echoed through the air. Energy pulsed outward in soothing waves, sending ripples across the water's surface and filling the entire clearing with a comforting warmth.

Sam's eyes widened as he stumbled back, barely whispering, "Celebi..." before falling to his knees, overwhelmed with relief.

Yellow let out a trembling breath, her eyes welling with tears. "It worked... Celebi's okay!"

Just as Celebi rose gracefully from the lake, the sound of footsteps came crashing through the trees.

Ash, Brock, and Misty burst into the clearing, panting.

"Hey, you guys did it!" Ash grinned as he ran up to them. "You got Celebi back to normal!"

Misty, still leaning on Ash for support, smiled. "Yeah... we knew you could do it."

As Celebi hovered above them, its gaze landed on Misty's injured leg. Tilting its head in curiosity, it floated closer and lightly booped the wound with its tiny hand.

Time rewound.

Before Misty's eyes, the deep cut vanished, the pain instantly fading away as if it had never existed.

Her breath hitched. "W-whoa... that's incredible!" She flexed her leg, completely healed.

Ash smirked. "Well, since you're all better, do you want me to let you down~?" he teased.

Misty froze, suddenly realizing she was still on his back. Face flushing red, she pushed off him immediately. "H-hey! I didn't ask you to carry me, idiot!"

Ash chuckled. "Sure, sure, whatever you say." But before he could tease her more, his body tensed, on instinct, his hand shot out.

Everyone watched, confused, until they saw a Dark Ball, speeding toward Celebi, but Ash's reflexes boosted with Aura was faster. He caught the ball midair, fingers tightening around it.

From the shadows of the trees, the Iron Mask Marauder stepped into view, smirking.

"Heh. Kid, thanks for healing Celebi for me." His voice was smug, dripping with arrogance. "Now, if you don't mind, give me that PokéBall back. Maybe I'll even forgive what you just did."

A dangerous silence fell over the clearing.

Ash's expression darkened. His grip around the Dark Ball tightened until his knuckles turned white.

His voice came out low and cold, "You know..." He raised his gaze, as his eyes began glowing blue, "I've had just about enough of you." Then, without breaking eye contact—

*CRACK*

He crushed the Dark Ball in his hand, making the Marauder's smile fall into one of shock and anger

Ash dropped the fragments onto the ground and looked at him directly in the eyes, "Now i'm gonna make you regret everything you've ever done in your miserable little life,"