By the time I was working with this chapter, I learned that Pokémon are shutting down Pokémon TV, which is a massive disappointment. It was the best place to watch the anime and special series like "Path to the Peak". It is quite sad, but I have links saved to different websites where I can watch anime for free, so I can continue working on the fanfic series until it comes to an end.

Pokémon 4Ever is one of the greatest movies in the franchise, hands down. And it's not just because of the nostalgic factor. The animation and backgrounds were very well colored, especially the opening scene with Celebi being chased by the hunter's Pokémon.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 29: Celebi the Voice of the Forest – Part 1

We stayed one night in the small town and stocked up on items before it was time to continue the journey. Brock had booked tickets for the ferry we were going to take in the morning and right now we were by the small port ready to leave, but… Ash and Pikachu had left the Pokémon Center straight after breakfast and we had no idea where they could be. I even tried calling Ash with the PokéGear, but he never answered which worried me.

Misty, Brock and I were standing on the pier with the ferry right behind us. Passengers, humans and Pokémon alike, were loading in so we had very little time left before the ferry had to leave on schedule.

"C'mon, Ash… Answer already…", I muttered as I tried calling him another time, only hearing the beeping noise.

"If Ash and Pikachu don't show up soon, we're going to miss the ferry", Misty said concernedly.

"Togiprii."

Brock exhaled a deep sigh before he threw a Poké Ball in the air. "Crobat, go and get Ash and Pikachu!"

"Croobat!" Crobat hissed before he flew off to find my brother.

I sighed in defeat and pocketed my PokéGear. Another whistle from the ferry indicated that it was going to leave soon. I was getting a little anxious at this point. Ash knew we had to catch this ferry or else we would have to wait another week for the next one. Maybe he found another Trainer and was having a battle with them.

"Ash can be quite the battle maniac sometimes…", I commented softly.

"Yeah, but that's part of his charm…", Misty mumbled before she blushed brightly and covered her mouth.

"Huh?" I said out loud before I got a little curious over something that I had started paying attention to lately. "Misty, do you like my brother?"

"Of course I like him, Ashley", Misty replied, the blush still on her cheeks. "He may have his faults, but he's a great friend."

"No, I mean like…really like him?" I wondered.

"Well, umm…", Misty stuttered before she turned away with a pout. "I'm not dignifying that with a response."

"Huh?" I said again, getting even more confused now.

Brock chuckled softly and patted my shoulder. "It looks like you're starting to be aware of romance, Ashley."

"No, I just thought that Misty might like Ash because she's been giving him kisses lately", I responded frankly, not thinking too much about the consequences. Misty's face lit up again, but it was more of a hot red color. "Mom said only people who are in love with each other or family gives each other kisses."

"Stop it!" Misty shrieked out loud that made me wince because she had cried out right in my ear. "You're embarrassing me!"

"S-Sorry!" I exclaimed as I felt awful, thinking I said something terrible.

"Misty, don't blame Ashley", Brock said calmly. "She can be quite straightforward, but she means no harm."

"I know…", Misty covered her face with a hand, muffling her voice. "But her naivety is going to give me a heart attack someday…"

I was aware that last part was just a figure of speech, but it still made me feel a little bad for making Misty feel awkward, so I shut my mouth for now.

"Hey, that's Crobat!" Brock suddenly exclaimed.

I snapped my head up and spotted Crobat flying toward us with Ash and Pikachu running down the stairs that led to the harbor. Ash waved his arm frantically as he hurried toward us, shouting to us to get onboard the ferry. We got the signal and ran onboard just as the staff member was about to pull away the gangway. We excused us while running onboard, getting onto the ferry just as it slowly started sailing away from the harbor.

I leaned over the railing to see where Ash and Pikachu were while Brock recalled Crobat. A cargo car had blocked his path, so he was running as fast as he could toward a pier at the front. Pikachu had jumped onto Ash's shoulders and held on tight.

"Ash!" the three of us yelled as we rushed to the front of the ferry, running past a man who we didn't pay attention to.

"Ash, grab my hand!" Brock yelled as he reached his hand out.

"Here we GOOO!" Ash screamed and took a huge leap from the pier.

In that moment, it felt like time went in slow motion, only hearing my own heartbeat. I watched with wide eyes as Ash flew toward the moving ferry, reaching his hand out as far as he could to grab Brock's. They missed each other with just one centimeter apart. My heart almost leapt out of my chest when Ash disappeared from my sight. The man we had run past before jumped in and caught Ash's jacket before my brother and his Pokémon fell into the water.

"Ash!" Brock shouted and helped the man to bring Ash onboard before he could slip out of the man's grip.

Misty and I watched as the men worked together to lift Ash over the railing and place him down on the deck. Ash sighed deeply in relief before he hugged Pikachu. "W-We did it…", he gasped softly.

"Ash!" I exclaimed and fell down on my knees to give my twin brother a big hug. "I thought you wouldn't make it…!"

"We're fine, Ashley", Ash chuckled and rubbed my back while Pikachu climbed out of my brother's other arm. "Thanks for the help, sir."

"No problem, but make sure to be right on time for the ferry next time", the man chuckled heartedly.

"Yeah, Ash, where in the world were you?" Misty asked him with a stern voice. "You didn't answer your PokéGear and you left the Pokémon Center without a word!"

"Sorry about that…", Ash laughed sheepishly as we both stood up and straightened our clothes. "I met someone who claimed he was the best Trainer in town, so I challenged him to a battle. I guess I lost track of time."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded as he started grooming his fur.

The man who had helped us chuckled amusingly. "Sounds like you're really interested in Pokémon", he commented.

"We sure are!" Ash smiled widely. "We're on a journey to catch many different Pokémon and challenge the Johto League, Mr.…"

"White. My name is White", the man introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. White", Ash nodded softly. "My name's Ash and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu waved his right paw with a big smile.

"I'm Ashley; Ash's twin sister", I introduced myself and bowed lightly. "Thank you for saving my brother."

"My name's Misty and this is Togepi", Misty cradled the baby Pokémon and gave her a gentle hug. "My specialty is water-type Pokémon."

"Togitogiprii!"

"And I'm Brock, a Pokémon Breeder", Brock was the last to introduce himself to Mr. White.

"If you're looking for some rare Pokémon, then I might know the best spot", Mr. White said. "I live in a town down this river and there's a big forest nearby that hosts many rare and unusual Pokémon."

"That sounds awesome!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "I'd love to check it out!"

"Well, we still have lots of time before the Johto League, so we can do a pit stop", Brock spoke up.

"I don't mind that", I said as I inhaled the fresh air from the nature around us as the ferry moved down the river. "Maybe I can find some unusual Pokémon that are part of the dragon egg group."

"I've got my boat docked in the port town coming up. I can give you a ride to my hometown and show you the way", Mr. White suggested.

"That's nice of you! Thanks a lot!" Ash smiled widely.

"A forest, huh…", Misty cold sweated a little. "There's gonna be lots of bug-type Pokémon…"

"Just stay close to us and don't run away in a panic, Misty", Brock told her.

I giggled softly in response before I suddenly felt eyes on me. I looked across the river toward the woods and noticed two figures blending in with the fresh green colors. One of them was brown with white or grey mane that flowed like clouds. The other stuck out with its blue body and purple mane that flowed like water. I held back a gasp as I recognized the Pokémon.

"Ash…", I whispered and nudged him with my elbow.

"What?" Ash said and turned to me.

I silently pointed at Entei and Suicune who watched us before they ran off, vanishing into the forest.

"Entei… Suicune…", Ash mumbled quietly.

"Ash, Ashley, what's wrong?" Misty asked, snapping us out of the trance.

"Oh… It's nothing, Misty", my brother responded as he turned back to the group.

I threw another glance at the forest where the two Legendary Beasts stood, wondering if they were the same Suicune and Entei Ash and I met before in the Burned Tower. Raikou had been missing, so perhaps these were different Legendary Beasts?

But…what if they were those Pokémon from Ecruteak City? If so, why were Suicune and Entei secretly following us? I knew I had felt a weird connection with Suicune, but there was no way a Legendary Pokémon would deem me worthy of being its Trainer. Right?

XXXXXXXXXX

Mr. White's boat turned out to be both a boat and an air balloon. He activated the air balloon mode when we had to get up a waterfall, so we flew the rest of the way to his hometown called Arborville that consisted of treetop houses. After docking his aerial and water craft, Mr. White showed us the way to a big forest close to the town.

It didn't take long before we found the entrance to the forest. It was actually a very long and giant fallen log that had been made into a tunnel that led into the woods. The entrance was decorated with some rope and even some boulders next to the path so it felt a bit holy.

"Stay right where you are!" a sudden voice yelled at us out of nowhere.

We stopped in our tracks and looked up to find the source of the voice. There was another treehouse on top of a large tree next to us with a small balcony. An elderly woman dressed in a white dress stood there with a strict look in her eyes while holding a cane.

"I assume you four are heading into the forest to look for some Pokémon?" the woman asked us, but her expression didn't soften up.

"Yes, ma'am…?" Ash replied hesitantly. "Are we not allowed in the forest?"

A soft giggle erupted behind us as a woman in her early adult years walked to us with a small basket. She was almost the splitting image of the elderly lady on the treehouse with her green hair shaped in the same way. "Yes, you are, but my grandmother just wants to give you a quick warning", the girl explained.

Brock got enhanced by her beauty and immediately started flirting with her. "Oh, if it's a warning about being respectful to the beauty of the nature and yourself, then I'll gladly hold myself back for you! But you're as lovely as a forest fairy!"

Ash, Misty and I sighed tiredly at our friend's attempt to woo the girl. "Here we go again…", Misty mumbled.

"My name's Brock and these are my friends Ash, Ashley and Misty!" Brock introduced us to the girl. "If I may ask, what's your name?"

"I'm Diana", the girl introduced herself before nodding toward the elderly woman. "And this is my grandmother Towa. She's been living here in this forest ever since she was a little girl. It's our family duty to guard the entrance to the forest."

"Listen for the voice of the forest, and if you hear it, you must stay still or else you won't get away!" Towa informed us.

"The voice of the forest?" Misty repeated confusedly.

That sounded troublesome and already gave me some goosebumps.

"It's an old village legend", Diana explained.

"Yes, and it's a true one!" Towa insisted. "If you hear the voice, stop right where you are and don't move!"

"Umm… Is this perhaps about a ghost?" I asked as I felt myself shaking a little in fear.

"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with a ghost", Diana explained.

"Oh…", I sighed in relief, calming down rapidly. "Thank Arceus…"

"Thanks for the warning, ma'am, but we've gotta go!" Ash waved to Towa before he and Pikachu ran ahead to the tunnel.

"Wait for us, Ash!" I shouted before I quickly bowed to Towa and ran after my twin brother.

Misty and Brock followed us as soon as the redhead pulled the love-struck boy away from Diana when he tried flirting with her again. The forest was a huge place and full of life, both nature and Pokémon. The air was so clean it felt like I was in another world. It was of untouched land and had a different quality compared to the Ilex Forest.

"Anyone else wondering what Diana's grandmother meant by the voice of the forest?" Misty spoke up after some time of silence.

"Togi?"

"I have no idea what that could mean", I shook my head. "I've never heard of this phrase before."

"She might've meant the sound of the wind or the trees or the water or even the voices of the Pokémon", Brock hummed as a small flock of Butterfrees flew past us.

"Isn't this what people call a trick question?" I asked. "If so, I want to learn how I can understand it better."

"What if the voice of the forest is actually about a Legendary Pokémon?" Ash wondered.

"A Legendary?" I repeated.

"Yeah, I think only Legendary Pokémon have these weird names" Ash shrugged.

"That's a possibility, but what kind of Legendary Pokémon would it be?" Brock asked.

"Definitely not Entei or Suicune", I replied quickly, remembering those two Pokémon. "Their types are fire and water, so they couldn't be associated with the voice of the forest."

Misty was about to open her mouth when we suddenly heard a weird noise coming from the forest. A mysterious aura swept across the top of the trees that came in our direction. The aura didn't hit us and continued sweeping across the trees.

"What's this?" Ash asked as we stopped in our tracks.

"Maybe this is the voice of the forest…?" Misty mumbled concernedly.

"Let's go check it out!" Ash exclaimed and ran ahead to find the source of this mysterious phenomenon.

"Ash, we're supposed to stay still!" I yelled after him, recalling Towa's warning.

My brother didn't hear me, so we ran after him. We spotted a brighter light ahead and hurried toward it when it suddenly died down along with the aura on the trees. We jumped through some bushes and found ourselves in front of a stone shrine covered in moss, and right in front of it laid an unconscious boy. He appeared to be in my age, but he could be a little older.

"Hey, it's a kid!" Ash exclaimed and immediately crouched down to check the boy.

"Is he breathing?" Misty asked.

"Yeah", Ash nodded as the boy's chest moved up and down by breathing.

"It couldn't have been him who made all that magic just now…", I mumbled.

"Well, whatever that was, we need to bring the kid to Diana's place and get some help!" Brock suggested.

"Yeah, let's do so", Ash agreed. He removed his and the boy's backpacks and left them in my and Brock's care while he picked up the brown-haired boy on his back. "Good thing we're not that far away from the entrance."

"Yeah, the faster we get help for the boy the better", Misty nodded.

I looked at the shrine as Ash and the others ran ahead to get to Diana's treehouse. The shrine looked normal, so that couldn't be the culprit of the light. I was ready to run after my brother and friends when I saw something tiny moving in the corner of my eye. I swiftly turned around and saw something green disappear into the deeper part of the woods. I was tempted to follow it and see what it was, but getting help for the unknown boy had to come first.

I rushed back to the entrance where Ash and our friends were, waiting for Diana and Towa to climb down to the ground to assist us. Ash had just pulled the boy down after he had regained consciousness, but things escalated from there. The boy pushed my brother away and weakly forced himself onto his feet. "What did you do to Celebi?!" he shouted.

Ash didn't appreciate the boy shoving him, so he grabbed him by the collar with a growl. "Hey! I was just trying to help you!"

"Ash!" I shouted and came in between the boys before my brother could accidently do something to the disoriented boy. "Stop! Calm down!"

I turned my eyes at the brown-haired boy and felt a gasp get stuck in my throat. His eyes…looked so familiar that I knew I had seen them before, but how was that possible? I've never met this person before, and yet he had this aura that I knew I had sensed before from somebody very close to me.

The boy had calmed down and looked around while trying to rub the drowsiness out of his eyes. "W-Where am I? How'd I get here…?"

"I carried you on my back, that's how!" Ash shouted at the boy, still angry that he got shoved.

"What's going on?" Diana asked as soon as she had climbed down the tree.

"We found this boy unconscious in the forest", Misty explained.

Towa gasped loudly and rushed to the boy with tears in her eyes. "I-It cannot be! It's really you! You've come back!"

"H-Huh?" the mysterious boy looked very confused before he got hugged by Towa, like she had missed him for a long time.

"Grandma, do you know this boy?" Diana asked, sounding very confused herself.

Towa moved back and wiped the tears off her eyelids. "I've told you the tale before, Diana. I met a boy a long time ago when I was your age before he disappeared from the forest."

"What?" Ash, Misty, Brock and I gasped in surprise, including Diana.

"You can't mean this boy, do you?" she asked her grandmother in shock.

"I do mean it, Diana", Towa snuffled.

The boy gasped when he realized something. "Were you the lady who gave me a loaf of bread?"

"Yes…", Towa nodded, getting teary-eyed again after the boy recognized her.

"S-Sorry, but we're really confused here", Brock stuttered. "What exactly is going on here?"

Towa wiped her eyes again and gave us a big warm smile. "I'll explain everything once we're inside the house."

We climbed up to the treehouse and settled down in the living room. The interior was simple, but it felt very cozy like an actual cabin. The boy hadn't given us his name yet, so I had no idea how to address him.

Towa walked back to the couch with something wrapped in a cloth, holding it out to the boy. "Here. I saved it all this time to one day return it to you."

The boy took the item and removed the wrapping, revealing an old sketchbook. The corner of the paper sheets had turned yellow, so it must be very old. There was once a name written on the cover, but the black lead had faded away. The only thing I could read was Sam. "It's my sketchbook", the boy mumbled in surprise, presumably called Sam. "I dropped it before…"

"You've been away on a forty year long journey, young man", Towa said with a serious glance.

"Forty years?" Misty said confusedly.

I was just as confused as her. "How does this work…?"

"What do you mean by a forty year journey, ma'am?" Ash asked.

"The legend says that the voice of the forest can catch somebody and bring them along on a trip through time", Diana explained.

"Through time?!" the rest of us exclaimed in pure shock, not expecting this development.

I rubbed my forehead as I tried remembering some Legendary Pokémon I once read about. I remembered reading about Dialga who had the power of time, but it's a huge dragon Pokémon, so it couldn't have possibly brought Sam on this time traveling. It's said to be dragon and steel type, so no way did it have any connections with forest. There was another Pokémon that I once saw in a book and said out loud its head looked like an onion. Its name was…

"Celebi!" Sam exclaimed. "What happened to Celebi?!"

"Celebi?" Ash repeated the name.

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head, resting on top of my brother's head.

"Did you see a Pokémon with me?" Sam asked us, fear and concern gleaming in his eyes.

"We didn't see one with you", Misty shook her head.

"Togi tog."

I quickly remembered the little creature I saw before in the forest. "Is Celebi a small green Pokémon that has wings, arms and legs?"

"Yes! That's Celebi!" Sam nodded frantically. "Did you see it?"

"I think I saw it, but it flew away before I could get a clear look at it", I explained.

"Celebi is the voice of the forest", Towa revealed. "It's the spirit that protects it."

"They say Celebi can travel through time", Diana explained. "You two must've been in danger and Celebi used its time traveling power to bring you to safety."

"Yes, a Pokémon hunter was chasing after Celebi, so I tried rescuing it", Sam said.

"Then that means you two escaped to the future, to our time!" Brock snapped his fingers in realization.

"The future… I'm in the future…?" Sam mumbled to himself.

So if I got this right, Sam came from the past forty years ago, meaning that if his future self was still alive in our time, then that means he would be an old man by now. Was it possible I knew Sam's future self? Is that why I thought he felt familiar? But who was it? The only person who I knew their name starts with Sam was…

I stopped my thoughts before I could say them out loud. If my theory was correct, then… Oh my goodness, this discovery was frying my brain cells.

"It's possible Celebi flew away after it brought you two here", Towa spoke as I turned my attention back to the conversation. "There's a place deep in the forest where Celebi says to live. It's by the Lake of Life. I assume it's there right now to rest after it had used its power."

"I need to go back and look for Celebi!" Sam exclaimed determinedly before he got up from his seat. "It was very weak in my arms, so I want to make it's safe after what that hunter did to it!"

"I'm going with you!" Ash called out as he stood up from the stump chair.

"Pika!"

"Me too!" Brock nodded.

"So will I!" Misty smiled.

"I'm going too", I nodded.

"Thanks, guys", Sam smiled in relief. "My name's Sam. Sorry for the late introduction. Thank you for helping me."

"No problem, Sam", Brock smiled. "My name's Brock and I'm a Pokémon Breeder."

"I'm Misty, a water-type specialist", Misty giggled. "And this is my baby Togepi."

"Togitogiprii!"

"My name's Ash and my dream is to become a Pokémon Master!" Ash grinned widely with his teeth exposed. "And this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pikachuu!"

"I'm Ashley; Ash's twin sister", I introduced myself. "My dream is to become one of the greatest dragon tamers."

"Nice to meet all of you", Sam smiled before he got serious. "C'mon, we've gotta go and find Celebi quickly!"

"Yeah!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Towa showed us a map of the forest and pointed out where Celebi was rumored to have its home. It was close to the largest lake of the forest, Lake of Life, so we decided to start looking around by the lake that was a few hours away by foot. I thought it could be easier to locate Celebi with some help, so I called out Lily hoping she could sense Celebi with her psychic power. Towa told us Celebi was rumored to be a grass and psychic-type Pokémon and psychic Pokémon could communicate with each other through their psychic powers.

We were in the forest for an hour before Pikachu and Lily sensed something and rushed ahead. We soon found ourselves standing in front of two enormous fallen logs that were probably more than hundred years old. Wild Pokémon had gathered around and had their eyes on a small opening at the log resting on top of the first one.

"Espeon oon!" Lily barked, her little gem glowing in the sunlight.

"Is Celebi up there, Lily?" I asked her.

"On!" Lily nodded.

"Let's go and check it out!" Ash called out before he ran to the log. There was a long vine that reached all the way up to the top, so he started climbing with it while Pikachu climbed onto his shoulders.

"I'm coming too!" Sam called and followed my brother.

I decided to stay behind with Misty and Brock. Celebi was probably scared and it would feel overwhelmed if it saw lots of humans in its weakened condition. None of the wild Pokémon tried stopping the boys from approaching the little nest, but they remained cautious.

Ash almost got thrown off the log when he accidently frightened Celebi, but he recovered from it and things calmed down. I waited anxiously with Misty and Brock until my brother and Sam climbed down with a small bundle in his arms. We carefully glanced at Celebi who rested in Sam's arms. I could now confirm it was the Pokémon I saw by the shrine, and its head really looked like an onion.

"How's Celebi?" Misty asked concernedly.

"It's weak. It needs to get treated fast", Sam answered as he adjusted his hold on Celebi, making sure it was comfortable for the little fairy Pokémon.

"We've gotta hurry back to Arborville and its Pokémon Center!" Ash said.

"Right", I nodded and grabbed Lily's Poké Ball. "Thank you for your help, Lily."

"Eon!" Lily barked before she returned to her Poké Ball.

We immediately started running back to Diana's place. We were like an hour away from the entrance, so we needed to run all the way back to get treatment for Celebi. Wild Pokémon peeked through the vegetation as we ran through the forest, eyeing us to make sure Celebi was safe. We ignored them as we ran as fast as we could. After some time, we soon spotted Arborville's landmark which was a mountain shaped like a spear, so we were nearly there when the worst thing happened.

A large machine walking with four legs appeared out of nowhere and blocked our path. A man dressed in a black outfit with a familiar red R symbol and a strange iron mask sat in the cockpit, grinning maliciously at us. "I've been looking for that Celebi! Hand it over to me now!" he demanded.

"Who are you?!" Ash yelled at him.

"A Pokémon lover", the evil man replied amusingly.

"Leave us alone! We need to get Celebi to the Pokémon Center!" Ash shouted.

"Well, if you refuse to kindly give Celebi to me…", the man chuckled as he reached for a weird black Poké Ball that was strapped onto his chest plate. "I shall take it by force!" He threw that Poké Ball and released a huge Tyranitar.

"GRAAAAAH!" Tyranitar screeched ear-splittingly.

I shrieked by the sight of the Pokémon, but I immediately noticed something was very wrong with it. Its eyes looked hollow and it emitted an aura of darkness and evil. The aura itself felt unnatural like it was under some sort of spell.

"Tyranitar, use Hyper Beam!" the Team Rocket man commanded.

Tyranitar opened its mouth as it collected energy. That was our cue to run. We dodged the first Hyper Beam behind us, but Tyranitar had recharged quickly and fired a new one right in front of our path, just barely missing us. Misty shrieked as she slipped and fell down to the ground. "Oww…", she hissed, trying to push herself up.

"We need to run now!" I yelled out as Tyranitar stomped toward us.

"Let's go!" Ash shouted and helped Misty up onto her feet before we ran back to the forest, having no other choice even though we were close to the town.

The adrenaline helped me run faster as I feared for my life. Tyranitar could be a nasty Pokémon when aggressive. I didn't even glance over my shoulder when I noticed it got quiet behind us.

"I think we lost them!" Brock yelled out after we had run for some time, being in a slight dark part of the woods.

"We still need to get away from that man and his Tyranitar!" Ash called. "He's from Team Rocket!"

"Team Rocket?" Sam said confusedly, cradling Celebi who took soft gaps every once in a while.

"They're an organization from Kanto that steal Pokémon from Trainers for world domination", I explained as I jogged next to him. "We often get attacked by a trio from Team Rocket, but we always defeat them."

"Ow!" Misty yelped out, which made me stop running. I turned back and saw she had collapsed on her knees, holding one of them in her hands.

"You okay, Misty?" Brock asked and crouched down to her.

"Ash!" Sam called for my brother who had run ahead without looking back.

"What?" Ash shouted and ran back, seeing Misty's condition. He gasped in shock and crouched down in front of her. "Misty, what's wrong?"

"I… I twisted my knee", Misty bit her bottom lip as she held back a soft grunt.

"That must've happened back when Tyranitar attacked us", I said, remembering Misty slipping and falling.

"Brock, do you think you can carry Misty?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, but you've got to carry my backpack", Brock nodded as he began removing said thing from his back.

"Sure", Ash nodded. He was about to grab the backpack when Pikachu began growling.

"Pikaaa…!" he hissed with his cheeks sparkling. It could only mean one thing.

"Something's coming!" I alerted everyone.

A Scizor and a Sneasel jumped out from bushes and landed meters away from us. They had the same kind of eyes like that Tyranitar, so they were obviously sent ahead to catch up with us by that Team Rocket man with the iron mask.

"A Scizor and a Sneasel!" I exclaimed while Ash and Pikachu ran ahead to cover Misty and Brock.

"What are they doing here?" Misty yelled worriedly.

"They must've been sent by that man in the robot craft", Brock said.

"I'll take care of them!" Ash shouted as he grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt. "Pikachu, you stay with Misty and Brock and protect them!"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded and ran to the duo.

Sam glared at the two evil Pokémon and turned to me while holding out Celebi. "Ashley, hold Celebi for me, please."

"Sure", I said confusedly. I was about to go and help my brother, but Sam stopped me. I gently took Celebi from him and watched as he removed his backpack and grabbed something from it before he ran to Ash.

"I'll help you, Ash!" Sam called before he held up what appeared to be an old model of the Poké Ball. Sam twisted something on top of the Poké Ball before it opened and released a Charmeleon. I nearly shrieked in delight by seeing the dragon Pokémon, but I held myself back and remained cautious. I may be holding Celebi, but I wouldn't hesitate to jump in and assist the boys with my Pokémon.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash and Sam won the tag battle with Bayleef and Charmeleon. At one point, it looked like they had the disadvantage, but they managed to pull it through. Brock suggested we should tie up Scizor and Sneasel with some rope so they couldn't chase us after they recover their strength, so we tied the Pokémon to some boulders before we hurried off, not knowing if that iron mask man was close or far away from us.

Brock carried Misty on his back while Ash held his backpack. I had returned Celebi to Sam's arms and cradled Togepi instead so she didn't have to get tucked into Misty's duffle bag. The big issue right now was we had lost our way in the forest. I tried using the map of my PokéGear to try finding the way back to Arborville. We were far deep inside the forest and it was all because of the evil person who wanted Celebi.

"Are you sure we're walking in the right direction, Ashley?" Ash asked as he walked in the front with Pikachu next to him.

"I think so…", I nodded hesitantly as I tried utilizing the map single-handed. It wasn't easy when you had a Pokémon in your arms.

The next thing we knew, a thick fog engulfed the forest and made everything hazy. It also got dark because the sun got hidden by clouds that appeared out of nowhere. I could barely see what was in front of me.

"This is not good", Brock muttered, concerned about the circumstances.

"Prii…", Togepi got scared and cradled closer to my chest. I pocketed my PokéGear so I could hug and comfort her.

"How's Togepi, Ashley?" Misty asked.

"She's scared, but safe", I informed her.

"Bii… Bii…", Celebi panted heavily, its condition getting worse, so we were losing time.

"We need to keep going", Ash said. "If we stay now, we might be too late."

"Yeah", Sam nodded as he gently caressed the back of Celebi's head.

"Pika!" Pikachu shrieked out in alert.

A large silhouette walked through the fog toward us, each step almost echoing around us. Thankfully, it didn't sound mechanical, so it wasn't the bad guy. Instead, it was something else that could be dangerous if you ever encounter it in the wild.

"An Ursaring!" Sam exclaimed at the sight of the large brown bear Pokémon.

I immediately reached for Cedric's Pokémon, ready to battle and protect everyone, but I held back when a Teddiursa also showed up next to Ursaring. The adult Pokémon was unusually calm and instead of raising one of its paws to attack us, it nodded its head and walked away with its child.

"What are they doing…?" Misty wondered.

"I think they want us to follow them", Brock replied.

"Pika…!" Pikachu nodded to confirm the guess.

"Should we do it?" Ash asked the rest of us.

"Maybe it's best for now", I nodded.

"Yeah… Perhaps they can help us", Sam agreed.

We ended up following the wild Pokémon through the thick fog, walking in a safe distance so we could see them but also not being a threat to them. The little family led us to a clearing where they switched the escort duty to a Stantler. We followed the wild Stantler until it reached a part of the forest that was thick of tall grass. A Furret took over as the guide and led us to a large lake before it ran away. The water in the lake was so clean you could see the bottom of it.

"What's this lake…?" Misty wondered as Brock helped her get off his back. She had to support herself against him, so her hands weren't still free.

"This could be the Lake of Life", I mumbled softly as I kept Togepi in my arms.

Sam got a determined look and silently stepped into the water. Ash wanted to go after him, but he stayed on the dry land while the brunet waded to a deep part of the lake. He kneeled down a little so the water touched Celebi.

I suddenly felt the chill that we were being watched. I glanced up and felt a soft gasp escape my lips. "Look…", I whispered to the others.

The fog cleared up and revealed a massive group of wild Pokémon of all kinds. They had gathered by the lake and had their attention on Celebi, like they were waiting for their leader to wake up.

Sam released a soft gasp, but I couldn't see what happened since he had his back turned to us. Before we knew it, a green bright light emitted from the lake before Celebi's glowing body swam around Sam like a fish.

"What just happened?" I asked.

"I think Celebi got healed up by the water of this lake", Ash sighed in relief.

"Pika!" Pikachu smiled.

"So that's why the lake is called the Lake of Life!" Brock snapped his fingers as he figured it out. "Maybe it's because the water is so clean and it gives not just the forest life but also Celebi too."

Sam wadded back to us while Celebi kept swimming in the water, going faster for each passing second. Without any warning, it flew out of the water and swirled around making the water look like pixie particles. "Celebiii!"

"Celebi!" Sam called out in relief.

"You're good again!" Ash cheered happily.

Celebi, now healthy and happy, flew to each and every one of us to express its gratitude for helping it. It even healed Misty's hurt knee and got a little playful with Ash and Sam. It used its psychic powers to levitate the boys and took them on a flight above the lake. The wild Pokémon screeched in celebration for seeing Celebi recovered and full of life. The sight made me smile widely the whole time. Seeing Pokémon so happy made me happy.

But little did we know this was just the calm before a heart-breaking storm…

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Ashley's party:

Cedric the Larvitar (male)

Hikaru the Flaaffy (male)

Mystic the Togetic (male)

Victor the Houndoom (male)

Axel the Scyther (male)

Lily the Espeon (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:

Trica the Furret (female)

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Ash's party:

Pikachu (male)

Bayleef (female)

Cyndaquil (male)

Croconaw (male)

Shiny Noctowl (male)

Dunsparce (male)

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Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Heracross (male)

Wartortle (male)

Tauros (male)

Ivysaur (male)

Snorlax (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Poliwhirl (male)

Chinchou (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Crobat (male)

Pineco (male)