Chapter Twelve: The Time Traveller
In a gloomy, desolate field, filled with the withering skeletons of trees and the gaunt, sunken blades of tall grass that hunched over, shaking lifelessly in the wind, there was a large circle of dusty emptiness. The circle was about 3 metres across, and nothing grew in that anomalous circle of dirt. However, in the centre of the ring lay scattered footprints and a spray of lifeless, shrivelled flowers, strewn across messily. Those flowers supplied the only colour –dull and insipid as it may be- to this grey atmosphere.
In this depressing ring, every few years or so, something remarkable happens. For a few moments, a tiny sparkle appears in this bleak district, glittering with dappled specks of the rainbow. That minute glint then takes the form of a petite fairy-like thing. It always does the same thing when it first appears: look around the grey area with a melancholic look plastered over its face. It is always thinking of what a shame it is that this once beautiful meadow is constantly tainted by the iron hand of Weavile, an evil dictator that had taken control of the once peaceful, and once lustrous pasture. And one night, it did something that would change the Pokémon world completely.
The wisps of drooping grass that surrounded the dirt circle started brightening into a verdant emerald hue, and straightening upright. Tiny wildflowers of an assortment of colours pushed their vibrant heads through the loose soil. Soon, the colour had begun to spread throughout the field, and even the wasted frames of the dead trees started producing thick, abundant bunches of leaves. The smell of honey-suckle and orchids -and many other flora- wafted through the air on a pleasant breeze.
The green fairy flitted its tiny, transparent wings nervously. It knew that Weavile's scouts would have noticed the flourished rebirth of the meadow, and, knowing their speed and loyalty to their malevolent leader, Weavile would know of Celebi's return by now. The fairy knew that it had only moments to act before being ambushed by the dark Pokémon and his criminal minions.
Celebi moved its diminutive wings with ferocious speed, and sped towards an ancient, colossal oak tree, which was the only thing that still had not been affected by the power of the fairy. Its large branches stretched out several feet in each direction, and were emaciated with the evilness that surrounded it. Large slashes were embedded into the body of the tree, and syrupy, yellow amber oozed out of the deep, tender gashes.
Bright blue eyes were filled with tears that twinkled under the half-moon that hung right above the meadow. It placed a delicate, three-fingered hand upon the course trunk and closed its eyes, spilling the tears from them. Those tears slid down the Pokémon's pale green face, and splattered softly on the dusty ground below. The knobbly roots that were peeking out from the ground slithered towards the source of moisture. When the tips of the twisted roots touched the fallen tears, they distorted into a glowing silver colour, as if turning to a dazzling metal. The steel coating spread further up the length of the roots, and up the abrasive body of the gigantic tree. The silver finally stopped at the very end of the extended lengths of the interweaving branches. Small buds appeared over the span of the boughs, and they unfurled into wide leaves that shrouded the haggardly twisted limbs, scattering away the idea that this tree was once a visual burden to the environment. The ancient tree stood proudly in the field of lush green.
The tiny green fairy didn't notice the wisps of mists billowing across the ground, slowly thickening and engulfing the entire meadow, until the mist became thick, white smog. Within seconds, a dense fog had engulfed the atmosphere, so heavy that the Celebi could not even see the coarse texture of the tree that was right in front of it. Quick rushing movements resonated as countless invisible creatures dashed through the tall grass. The sound of clinking claws rung out. The enemy had the fairy surrounded.
Celebi was expecting this ambush, and it closed its eyes in concentration. A translucent shield surrounded it, creating a Safeguard that would repel the physical attacks of Weavile's minions. The fairy could see the black shapes of the swift Sneasels as they rushed through the grass. Quickly, they formed a circle around the steel-like tree, and clicked their razor sharp claws menacingly. Even though the pale green creature was outnumbered by over a dozen to one, its confidence was brimming. Focusing, it whipped up a storm of leaves, which blew in the direction of its enemies, blinding them for a few moments, as Celebi flittered its tiny wings to get away.
But the thin, black creatures penetrated through this tactical defensive move with their sharp claws, slicing through the airborne foliage. They were soon on the tail of the invading Pokémon, when it suddenly stopped, at the appearance of a slender, black beast with a deep red crown cut cleanly atop its cat-like head. It cackled threateningly, warning its foe with a snap of its talons. Weavile.
It was the only Weavile in the group. He had this privilege because he had obtained a mystical item that allowed him to evolve into a more terrifying creature than Sneasel. The item was a row of knuckles, with whetted claws that peaked into a piercing point, called a Razor Claw. No Sneasel dared to question the ways of Weavile, not when they knew that he could not be beaten.
"Oh, hello Celebi," Weavile guffawed, followed by a chorus of laughter from its army of Sneasels. "What brings you here, to my field of all places?"
Celebi shifted nervously, surrounded by hundreds of shining blades. "You know why I'm here. I want to claim this land back. I want what is mine." Its voice quivered slightly at first, and the bottle green forest sentinel hunched over, but began to regain its posture as the intimidation of those claws wore off. "This meadow is mine. The Pokémon that live here are mine to care for."
"Oh... Really?" Weavile laughed, stepping towards the Pokémon standing before it. "And why would I want to give you my home and my land?"
"Because the ancient edict states that this is mine. As long as the tree continues to live, this is my property."
"But the tree is dead. Don't you see all the dead limbs, so empty and lifeless without its leaves?" Weavile, while still glaring at the fairy, moved its hand off to the side, indicating to the gigantic, silver tree behind it that was voluptuous and flourishing with dazzling leaves. The Sneasels that had seen the tree shifted uneasily.
"What? You mean that tree over there with the leaves?" Celebi said with a smirk. That tree was the only thing that proved Celebi's heritage and property. As long as it was still alive, Celebi could maintain control over all vegetation.
Weavile turned, and then roared angrily, pouncing onto the Celebi, waving its talons at the tiny, fragile-looking creature. "Damn you!" Wildly and blindly, it clumsily scratched at the fairy Pokémon, who easily dodged these sloppy, exasperated attempts.
The Celebi's bright eyes shone magnificently, as it summoned the powers of the thriving nature from all around it. Vines snaked upwards, flailing about, latching onto enemies, twisting around their limbs; strangling. One particularly thick vine stealthily meandered its way up the malevolent Weavile's clawed leg, unnoticed by the creature that was attempting to hack through the thick barrier of Celebi's Safeguard. The vine crept slowly, along the smooth contours of the dark Pokémon's muscles, sliding so gently. The liana grasped Weavile's limbs, tugging firmly. Only then did he realise that he was being held by the vine.
Weavile gasped in surprise as he saw himself restrained. "No..." he whispered. "How... How could this be?"
"This is MY territory!" Celebi bellowed. All the struggling Sneasels flinched at the sharp tone of its voice. "And I'll make sure this conflict never happens again."
The fairy conjured up a wind and dozens of razor sharp leaves, performing its Razor Leaf attack. The leaves were controlled by accurate precision, and a haunting thump sounded as Weavile's head plummeted to the ground, smearing thick, purple blood across the blades of emerald grass. The headless body was still held by the vines, as if it were a puppet. Violet blood oozed from the gaping hole of its throat, dripping into the black fur, sticking the down together into dirty chunks.
Celebi turned and drifted back to the dirt circle. The dead Weavile's minions stared in shock horror at the gruesome scene, and watched as the fairy disappeared in a flash, leaving falling sparkles in its place. The sparkles fell to the ground and transformed into a vibrant spray of flowers.
The moment Celebi disappeared, the vines loosened on the minions of the fallen Weavile. They ran.
The meadow was Celebi's, and it would fight anyone who dared to take it away from it.