Ilex Forest
A few hours had passed since Jackson fought Cypher and lent his Ledian to Bugsy to train. Now that his Eevee and Weavile had fully recovered in the Pokemon Center, they were ready to take on the next part of their journey. However, they went here to do one task, while they were here.
Jackson and Eevee had just entered into the Ilex forest, and pulled out a picture of a Pokémon that looked like a dug with a stalk in hand. "According to this, a charcoal maker had lost one of his Pokémon known as Farfetch'd." Jackson started, pulling out his Pokédex and analyzing the Pokémon. "Farfetch'd. The Wild Duck Pokémon. Farfetch'd is always seen with a stalk from a plant of some sort. Apparently, there are good stalks and bad stalks. This Pokémon has been known to fight with others over stalks."
"His Farfetch'd are known for their experience in chopping down woods to make charcoal out of." Jackson noted, "Unfortunately, one ran off in the woods, and has been missing."
"And remind me why are we going after this Farfetch'd?" Eevee asked, hopping onto his shoulder, looking at the picture of the Pokémon.
"Aparently, I wasn't aware of this, but there are certain items out there that can effect Pokémon in certain ways." Jackson explained, "He said that if we find his Farfetch'd, he'll give us a charcoal, which is said to boost the effects of Fire-type moves." He pulled out one of his Pokéballs, and threw it to call out Cyndaquil to the field, "And that is perfect for Cyndaquil, don't you think?"
"True." Eevee agreed.
"D-Did you need me for something, Jackson?" Cyndaquil asked.
"Actually, I was thinking if you could be out of your Pokéball with me and Eevee." Jackson asked, "We haven't gotten into any battles since I caught you, and I don't know your potential just yet."
"Plus, you do need to understand Jackson a bit more." Eevee stated, hopping off his shoulder next to Cyndaquil, "So let's get to understand each other."
"O-Okay." Cyndaquil replied, "Fair warning, though. I don't remember a lot of my past. When I woke, I was at that old man's home. Then I got kidnapped by those guys in black."
"Well, that's okay." Jackson assured him, "Let's get know one another as we search for this Farfetch'd!" With that, he led Eevee and Cyndaquil through the forest on the hunt for the missing Pokémon.
(Insert 'Never Give Up' By Sonar Pocket)
Instrumental Opening
(Jackson stands at the top of a cliff, looking out into the vast landscape of the Johto region. He turns to the camera with surprise, grins, then draws his sword and swipes it across the screen, transitioning to white with the logo appearing.)
What tough heart! Once I decided that I'd keep up the fight
My road has never stopped unraveling
(Camera circles around Jackson as he runs along an open-plain path with his Eevee, who after a couple seconds, leaps onto his shoulder as he activates his Extreme Gear and shoots even faster onto the path.)
Carrying a small bit of pride
With my fists clenched
(The screen shows a brief image of Professor Elm, dropping papers from his clipboard, and smiling as he rubbed the back of his head. It shifts to a visual of Kris, Ethan, and their starters, with Ethan punching his fist forward, while Kris spun around with her arms out wide.)
I aim for the goal again step by step
Racing towards it with all my might!
(The screen shifts to Sonic & Tails, the former giving a thumbs up, while the latter waved his hands above eagerly. The screen shifts to Cypher, who glared at the screen with a Pokéball held close to his face.)
Sometimes it'll be a bad day
Where nothing goes the way I want it to
But even if the sky blurs through my tears
(Jackson is sitting by a campfire, his expression full of emotional pain as shadows of his past with red eyes creeped all around him. He curled himself into a ball as the shadow of his father appeared over his head.)
I'm sure my smiles will come back tomorrow
So it's okay!
(Shadows started getting blown away one large piece at a time, until light broke out around Jackson, who looked up to see his Pokémon all standing there, protecting him from his trauma.)
There's nothing out there to fear
I'll keep believing that 'I'm strong'
And get going!
(Silhouettes of the Gym Leaders appeared as the screen scrolled upwards through a gold, silver, and crystal colors behind them. It shifts to the emblem of Team Rocket, with darkened faces of grunts, with the four admins in front, holding their Pokéballs. Jackson readies his blade, as he tosses a Pokéball forward, which opens up and blinds the screen in a white light.)
'With you around, there's nothing to worry about now'
I felt as if the sky was saying that to me with a laugh
(Eevee leapt forward, unleashing a Swift attack from her tail, with Ledian flying next to her, using Flash to blind the scene. Dewott and Weavile shoot through the Swift attack, unleash double Night Slash, slicing the stars, before dismissing their blades, and Dewott angrily looking at the calm and collected Weavile.)
With the sweat and tears I build up
I'm sure I'll come out dazzling
(Cyndaquil turns to face the Team Rocket logo, before unleashing his Flamethrower. Cyndaquil sighed in relief as Scyther flew over him, before slashing with his mantis claws like a swordsman.)
Even if I end up feeling anxious after it all
As long as I believe I can do it
(An Aeroblast and Sacred Fire came from the sky, shooting down at Jackson's team, but Jackson stepped in and unleashed several sword beams, countering the attacks and making them explode. He and his team endured the shockwaves and smoke from the explosion, before looking up into the distance, and saw the silhouettes of the Tower Duo flying over the two towers that represented each.)
These footsteps have taught me to
Always
Never Give Up!
(Jackson's Pokémon come to his side as he looked to them, before grinning eagerly, and the group leapt up into the air, taking on the new threat and the new adventure. The screen goes white before showing Jackson standing with his sword stabbed into the ground, his Pokémon companions surrounding him.)
The trio went deeper into the forest, seeing the Pokémon that resided in there. There were familiar ones, like Zubat, Caterpie, Metapod, and such. However, there were new ones to Jackson, such as orange bugs with pincers and mushrooms on their backs called Paras, blue-bodied creatures with leaves on their heads called Oddish, pinecone creatures called Pineco, yellow ducks named Psyduck, and all other sorts.
"Quite a new variety of Pokémon around here." Jackson noted, before pulling out his Pokédex, examining Cyndaquil, "Lets see here, according to this, your moves are Flame Wheel, Quick Attack, Flamethrower, and Swift. You can use two of the moves Eevee can use."
"Yeah. I would love to see you use those moves." Eevee noted, "I'm especially impress that you learned Flamethrower. That is a powerful Fire-type move. Clair's Dragonair had that move, too."
"Oh, right." Jackson recalled, thinking back, once again, to his battle against Clair, when her Dragonair unleashed the Flamethrower against his then Ledyba, "We really look too much back at that battle."
"It did help you and I learn to understand one another." Eevee argued.
Just then, a bunch of forest Pokémon appeared on the path ahead of them, and they stopped to see them. They looked pretty frantic and were talking to each other. Based on their expressions, they clearly were worried. "What's going on here?" Jackson asked.
"They seem worried about something." Cyndaquil assumed, "Should we ask?"
"I don't know. Wild Pokémon might get nervous around people." Eevee stated, "Especially trainers."
"Why don't you go ahead and ask them." Jackson suggested to Eevee, "Cyndaquil and I will hold back."
"Roger that, Jackson." Eevee replied, bounding forward to the group of Pokemon, while the other two held back. For a while, Jackson and Cyndaquil watched Eevee approach the group, wondering what was going on. They seemed hesitant at first, but eventually, they warmed up to her, and explained what was happening. After a while, Eevee ran off from them, approaching Jackson and Cyndaquil's position.
"So, what's the deal?" Jackson asked.
"You are not gonna like this." Eevee answered, "It seems like a small group of guys with black attire and 'R's on their shirts were scavenging the Ilex Forest, searching for something."
"Team Rocket." Jackson growled, "So it looks like not all of them were in Azalea Town." Cyndaquil looked very scared at this point.
"Not only that, they were trapping Pokemon in the woods, as well." Eevee explained, "I even learned that the Pokémon we were looking for was also trapped by them."
"Guess we found out the reason why Farfetch'd went missing." Jackson understood.
"D-Do we have to go to fight them?" Cyndaquil asked in a scared tone.
Jackson and Eevee looked to the poor fire mouse Pokémon. He had been traumatized a bit by Team Rocket before, and it had only been a short time since that incident happened. Of course he would still be scared.
"Do not worry. This time, you are not a trapped Pokémon." Eevee assured him, "Besides, you have us by your side. You will be safe, and you will be able to fight back."
"Here, why don't I have Weavile out to help you, as well?" Jackson asked, pulling out Weavile's Pokéball, opening it up so Weavile could join them.
"What do you need me to do?" Weavile asked Jackson.
"Try to help Cyndaquil out with confidence and bravery, okay?" Jackson asked.
"Sure thing." Weavile answered.
Just then, Jackson's final Pokéball opened up on itself, and out came Dewott, who immediately called out, "Hold on! Why are you calling out HIM instead of ME to do that?! I am brimming with confidence, AND I am fearless!"
"Dewott, how did you...!" Jackson asked, wondering how he got out of his ball. He then decided to ignore this crazy fact as he replied, "Listen, you are all those things, Dewott. But you are far too aggressive for Cyndaquil. I chose Weavile because of his calmer demeanor."
"Tch! Whatever!" Dewott argued, "Listen, I can help this little guy become as confident as me, more confident than Weavile! So leave me here to aid you!"
"O-Okay..." Cyndaquil answered.
Jackson sighed at Dewott's personality, before saying, "Alright. Let's all go in together. Eevee, tell us which direction Team Rocket is at."
"Right this way." Eevee answered, running through the trees, with Jackson and the team right behind her.
Moment's later, the team arrived at where the source of the conflict was, which was an open area. There, Jackson stopped within a shrubbery, with his Pokémon at his side. For safety measures, Jackson pressed on top of Dewott's head, preventing him from making noise or jumping into the battle. The five looked to see that four Team Rocket members were together, with an armored truck nearby, opened up to reveal the cages of Pokémon within. There was also a small shrine at the opposite end of where the team hid, and based on appearances, it was very old, but also well-taken care of. There was also another girl that was bound by her arms and legs. Jackson saw how she tied her hair and her attire, especially the lilac kimono with yellow swirls on it, and assumed her to be the shrine maiden or a geisha, both of which he knew back in the Japan world. She was apparently calm, despite her situation.
"There they are..." Eevee growled. Cyndaquil looked very afraid at the sight of the men and woman in black.
"And there's our target, too." Jackson noted, pointing to the truck, where in one of the cages closest to the doors was the a Farfetch'd, looking sad and worn out, "But it looks like we have more than him to take care of."
"Then, what are we waiting for?!" Dewott questioned, struggling to break free from Jackson's grip.
"Listen, they're speaking." Weavile pointed out, hearing them talk. They quieted down to listen in on them.
"Are you sure the target is suppose to be here?" the female asked the other guys.
"We came here with the fact that there was rumored sightings of the mythical Pokémon being here." one of the male grunts responded, "If we want to make it to the level of admin in Team Rocket, we have to do this!"
"Yeah, well, we still have a good haul." the second male stated, looking to the truck, then to the young, bound-up woman, "We even found this woman here! Bet she knows something about our prey!"
"Yeah, well, she's not willing to talk with us." the woman stated, walking over to the girl with a snarl, as the calm woman looked up at her, "So, why don't you give us answers before we answer with something you will not like!"
"I already told you. I was lost in the woods when I stumbled upon the sacred shrine." the kimono girl replied.
"Don't lie!" the Team Rocket girl snapped, pulling out a rope with metal collar on it, and with a whip of it, she snapped the collar around the girl's neck, causing her to choke. She forced her head upwards as the grunt continued, "Maybe you don't realize this, but we're bad guys. We won't play nice, not even to a girl like you. So I'm going to ask you this only once; where is Celebi?!" The restrained girl was gasping for air, wincing with one eye open to the girl.
"Okay, that's enough!" Jackson shouted, stepping out of the bushes to confront the members of Team Rocket. They spun themselves over to him, the woman loosening the grip on the kimono girl, who coughed as she found air to breath.
"Who the heck are you, brat?!" one of the men demanded.
"Someone who despises anyone, man or woman, for harming innocent girls and Pokémon!" Jackson snapped, with Eevee, Dewott, and Weavile stepping in front, and Cyndaquil cowering behind Jackson's legs.
"These guys would stoop so low?!" Eevee demanded.
"Oh, they're asking for it!" Dewott growled, cracking his knuckles.
"And they will get it." Weavile answered, brandishing his claws.
The kimono girl looked to Jackson and his team, wondering who it was that was standing before them. She didn't know him, but for some reason, there was something special about this boy.
"Try to act like a hero, while you can!" the one male grunt who hadn't spoken till now said, "We will show you what happens when you mess with Team Rocket! Carnivine, out!" He tossed out a Pokéball, and out came a plant-like monster that looked like a large Venus flytrap with eyes. The other three tossed out Pokéballs themselves, calling out a Zubat, an Ekans, and a Rattata.
Jackson pulled out his Pokédex, examining the new Pokémon before his eyes. "Carnivine. The Bug Catcher Pokémon. It binds itself to trees in marshes. It attracts prey with its sweet-smelling saliva, then chomps down. It takes a whole day to eat prey."
"It's thanks to this guy that we were able to fool so many Pokémon into being captured!" snickered Carnivine's owner.
"I only wished I had a few of those wiggly bugs!" Carnivine slurped.
"I get it. It attracted Pokémon with that saliva before being captured." Jackson understood, "Well, I'm gonna erase that smell! Weavile, take on Zubat! Dewott, go after Rattata!"
"Understood." "I'll beat my opponent faster!" Weavile and Dewott replied, respectively, charging at the two targets.
Jackson looked to Cyndaquil, who was still afraid, and said, "Listen, Cyndaquil. We're gonna need your help in this endeavor. You want revenge against the ones who captured you? Now's your chance!"
Cyndaquil looked afraid, but saw Jackson's expression of confidence, followed by Eevee standing in front, facing both Ekans and Carnivine. The reason he wanted to join Jackson's team was to gain the courage to face on opponents like this. Finding the heart and confidence, he came around and joined Eevee's side.
"Ha! What a cowardly Pokémon!" Carnivine's owner mocked, as Ekan's owner, the woman, joined his side, "Let's take it out first! Carnivine, Bite!"
"Ekans, Acid!" the woman ordered. Carnivine flew in with his gaping mouth at Cyndaquil, while Ekans unleashed green liquid from his mouth.
"Eevee, counter with Swift!" Jackson shouted, "Cyndaquil, parry with Flame Wheel!" Eevee leapt up and unleash a storm of stars, countering the Acid attack. Cyndaquil curled up and spun into a flaming wheel, shooting towards Carnivine, and causing an explosion that made the Bug Catcher Pokémon fly backwards. This caused the two grunts to grimace in frustration.
The kimono girl watched as Jackson's two Pokemon came to his side. Meanwhile, Weavile was unleashing Icy Wind to counter Zubat's Air Cutter, while Dewott unleashed Razor Shell against Rattata's Crunch, the two canceling each other out. She was pretty impressed they could fend off the opponents without trainer commands.
"Carnivine, Wrap!" "Use Wrap, too, Ekans!" the two Team Rocket member's Pokémon went after Eevee and Cyndaquil.
"Eevee, Cyndaquil! Double Quick Attack!" Jackson called out. Both Pokémon went into high speeds as they evaded being bound by the two opponents, dancing about them until they slammed them in the heads to knock them back.
At the same time, Dewott prepared his Night Slash to the weakened Rattata, while Weavile did his Night Slash at Zubat. Both Pokemon unleashed their attacks, slashing right through them with energy blades, and stopped right behind them, as both Pokémon went unconscious.
"My attack was stronger!" Dewott shouted to Weavile.
"But you were not as swift." Weavile retorted, irritating Dewott.
"How could they beat us?!" Zubat's owner demanded.
"This can't be right!" Rattata's owner grimaced.
"Weavile, you're nearest to the woman. Free her!" Jackson called out to Weavile.
"Understood." he replied, running to the bound kimono girl. Using Metal Claw, he slashed her bindings and shattered the collar.
She got herself to her feet, saying, "I thank you for your assistance, young man. You as well, Weavile." The Sharp Claw Pokemon furled his arms, taking the compliment without boasting.
"Dewott, go break free all those Pokemon!" Jackson called to the Discipline Pokémon.
"Ha! I'll free more from restraints than Weavile!" Dewott called out, racing to the truck.
"No you don't! Ekans, Acid!" the woman grunt called out.
Ekans went and was about to expel his attack from his mouth when Jackson called out, "Eevee, Swift on Ekans!" Eevee's stars hit the snake before it could do anything, and got caught in the damage as a dust cloud formed from the dirt. When it cleared, Ekans was down for the count.
"Why you little...!" Ekans' owner growled.
"Don't think we will go down easily!" Carnivine's owner called out, "You may not know this, but Team Rocket has actually taken over Azalea Town! You will find we have tons of reinforcements just waiting for you and your Pokémon!"
"Yeah... you must be out of the loop." Jackson stated, looking amused at this attempted threat, "My friends and I already trounced those guys."
"WHAT?!" he gasped, with other Rocket grunts shocked as well, "You're lying! Proton was there! You wouldn't have stood a chance!"
"Yeah, he and his Koffing were easily dealt with by my Eevee." Jackson stated, with Eevee confidently saying, "They were down for the count!"
"Grrr... No more tricks!" the grunt roared, "Carnivine, Leaf Tornado!"
"Slicey dicey!" Carnivine stated as he summoned a cyclone of leaves around him, before firing them at Cyndaquil.
"Okay, let's see how well you can unleash this." Jackson told Cyndaquil, "Flamethrower!" Cyndaquil inhaled as he expelled flames from his back, before firing off a torrent of flames from his mouth. Not only did it counter the Leaf Tornado, but destroyed it and consumed Carnivine in the flames. The attack shot into the sky, only singing a branch on a tree nearby, turning it to charcoal. At this point, Dewott had just freed Farfetch'd, when he witnessed the condition of the branch, and was surprised. As for Carnivine, he was covered in soot as he fell to the ground, utterly defeated.
"No way!" gasped the grunt, pulling back his Pokémon to his Pokéball, along with everyone else. "We are so not done!" he growled, taking out a pistol like device with a net at the muzzle. The others took out what looked like a taser, whip, and another collar attached to a rope. Suddenly, they stopped as their bodies became encased in a blue glow. They were lifted into the air, unable to move.
Jackson wondered who it was that was doing this, when he suddenly turned to see the kimono-cladded woman with a Pokemon right next to her that reminded Jackson a bit of Eevee. It had lilac-colored fur, like the woman's kimono, with long ears and tufts underneath, a red jewel on its forehead, mystic-looking eyes that glowed blue, a slender body, and a thin tail that forked halfway.
"Well done, Espeon." the kimono girl stated, walking over to the Team Rocket grunts, glaring at the four, "You will pay for all of your actions in this forest. For the Pokémon, myself, and especially this act in front of this shrine." Her partner, Espeon, suddenly caused the whip and rope to bind itself around the four, before they were dropped to the ground hard, causing them pain. They dropped the taser and net gun, the latter of which Jackson took and fired it at the grunts, adding more to their bindings.
Jackson gathered up the taser with the gun, tossed them up, then dug into his bag very quickly to pull out a screwdriver and pliers. As they fell, Jackson rushed with a flurry of hands, and disassembled the weapons, gathering the material, and finding a spot in his bag to place them in for safekeeping. 'I can find better uses for parts like these.' Jackson noted.
Once everything was taken care of, and Jackson called the police force to their position, he and his Pokemon stepped away from the scene as they, the kimono girl, her Espeon and the Farfetch'd they were looking for banded together a good ways away. "I thank you for stopping Team Rocket and their antics." she thanked the young trainer, "My name is Naoko. I am the youngest of my sisters at the Ecruteak City Dance Hall. This is my partner, Espeon."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young one." Espeon greeted Eevee.
"Amazing. I actually meet one of my evolutions." Eevee answered.
"So this is another one of Eevee's evolutions." Jackson noted, pulling out his Pokédex. "Espeon. The Sun Pokémon, and the evolved form of Eevee. Espeon is extremely loyal to any Trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said that this Pokémon developed its precognitive powers to protect its Trainer from harm."
"You and your Pokemon put on an incredible performance, demonstrating your skills and trust in one another." Naoko stated, "I can see you have bright potential."
"Thanks." Jackson thanked her for the compliment, "But now that Team Rocket is done with, I was curious; who is this Celebi they were searching for?"
"Celebi is a mythical Pokémon with the ability to travel through time." Naoko explained, looking to the shrine, as the police was near that spot, arresting the grunts, "Occasionally, it will come back to this shrine that was made for it, as this forest is its home. However, as to when and where, we never know."
"A Pokémon that can travel through time?" Jackson echoed, amazed, "That would be a really amazing gift to have. I can't imagine how useful that could be. I would change so many mistakes I made in my past." He looked downcasted as he pondered on the said mistakes, which were the reasons he left his home world.
"Celebi's powers are not designed to change the past. We have no right to do that in the same way we have no right to prevent the sun from rising or setting." Naoko told Jackson, "Our past is what make us who we are in the present. Whether we like them or not, we must deal with the choices we have made, and create the future that we believe is right."
"Yeah..." Jackson understood, looking sad. His future was something he wanted to be right. A future where he was the hero like he was before he let his rage consume him. But changing the past would also mean he wouldn't have met Eevee and the rest of his new allies in this world, both Pokemon and people.
"Would you like to know what your future looks like?" asked a kid's voice from behind Jackson. He looked around, and was met with a pair of big blue eyes. Jackson was startled and nearly fell backwards. He never even sensed it coming, but here was a Pokémon that was a couple feet tall, and looking very much like a fairy. It was mixtures of green, with black eyeliner around his blue eyes, and small clear wings on its back.
"Wha-?!" Jackson gasped.
"Oh, my!" Naoko gasped, "You're Celebi!"
"That is correct~!" sung the new little Pokémon.
"That's Celebi?!" Jackson gasped, pulling out his dex again. "Celebi. The Time Travel Pokémon. This Pokémon came from the future by crossing over time. It is thought that so long as Celebi appears, a bright and shining future awaits us."
"So Team Rocket WAS correct!" Eevee gasped, "You were here!"
"Of course. But I wasn't planning to reveal myself to those meanies." Celebi noted, "But I saw your good deeds near my little rest zone, so I came over to thank you so much for what you and your Pokémon did."
"It was nothing." Jackson replied, "I just did what anyone should've done in that situation. Plus..." He looked to his Cyndaquil, adding, "...I felt like it was a good confidence booster for my partner, after getting trapped by them before. You doing better?"
"Yeah..." Cyndaquil replied, looking a bit nervous, "I know now that I have the strength to fight them now. Besides, they are not as tough when I have a trainer like you around." Jackson smiled happily at him.
"You have such a special bond with Pokémon, and not just because you can talk to them." Celebi stated, looking to Naoko, "Though, I don't know if she can understand us."
"No. She doesn't have a translator like I do." Jackson replied.
"Translator?" Naoko echoed.
"Yeah. I made it myself." Jackson replied, tapping the ear he had it in, "I can understand Pokémon with it."
"That's even more incredible!" Naoko gasped.
"So you can even understand me." Espeon understood.
"He can understand ALL of us." Weavile added.
"So for all that you have done, I've decided to let you glimpse your future with my powers." Celebi told Jackson, "I won't take you to the actual time, but I can use my powers and the move Future Sight to let you glimpse what your future looks like. Although, I can only go so far into the future, so give or take a couple years."
Jackson paused, thinking. Was it taboo to really see what his future was like? Well, if he only had a glimpse, it wouldn't hurt him too much, right? Besides, he was wondering if he was gonna be a better person in the coming years. If he did, that meant he would have something to strive towards. If not, he would have to figure out a way to become better.
"If it's not too much trouble, and as long as I don't get spoiled too much, I wouldn't mind seeing a brief glimpse of what is to come." Jackson replied.
"Then sit tight and let me show you your future!" Celebi told Jackson, spinning giddily before flying close to the trainer and placing its hands on his forehead. Celebi then closed her eyes, before snapping them open as its body glowed bright and its eyes glowed blue. Jackson's body also glowed the same white hue as Jackson felt something surge into his mind.
Jackson opened his eyes, with Celebi still at his forehead. However, they were completely alone in the darkness, with dark smoke surrounding the scene. Celebi let go of Jackson as they looked around, the latter asking, "What is this? Are we in the transition of seeing my future or something?"
"No..." Celebi answered, "This...this is part of your future. But..."
Jackson looked around, completely confused. All this dark smoke was part of his future? What did this mean? Not two seconds after he though this than a huge gust suddenly blew. Jackson braced himself, only to realize he wasn't affected. He was only glimpsing the future, not part of it. However, when the smoke vanished, he saw it; a scene of insane proportions.
It was on the portside of a town, a massive purple crystal far off in the distance. He could see thirteen figures standing in front of him; eleven people and two Pokémon. One Pokémon looked like it had a leafy tail, while the other one looked like it had a sword-like tail and scythe-like piece attached to its head. The eleven characters all looked to be of different appearances, but were around the same middle to late teen years. The one near the center, standing near a redheaded girl with long hair and the quadruped Pokémon with a leafy tail, had the appearance that Jackson instantly recognized.
"Is that...me?" Jackson asked, looking at the young man. He couldn't see his expression, but he did look a bit taller and wore different clothing, but his hair and the sword on his back told him who it was.
He saw that all of them were looking upwards to the sky, and Jackson looked up, and gasped in horror. He could see five different characters in the sky, all five of them exuding and aura of pure villainy from them. The first was a huge humanoid monster with six disembodied hands around it. The second was a human adult-sized Pokémon with three-fingered hands and a thick tail. The third looked like it had no feet, but instead was a cloaked body with a thin waist. The fourth was very draconic-looking, but had the essence of a demon. The final figure looked human, but with a cloak covering his body, and had red demonic eyes. His aura was even more villainous than the other four, or it was probably his power.
"Wha-!" Jackson gasped, shaking in fear. Never had he felt such fear or evil in his life. He could barely breath. It was almost to the point of being sick. No other villain made him feel this way. Just where did such a person come from? And how did he encounter it? He could see the floating man speak, but couldn't hear his words.
He witnessed himself, the red-haired girl, a raven-haired girl, and the grassy-tailed Pokémon running at the man, who summoned up a humongous tornado that was clearly not normal. He saw himself draw out a sword, clicking it to see it go from wooden to metal, and unleash a Wind Blade technique that dissipated it. He was amazed by how fearless he was.
However, this was soon diminished as the man raised a glowing blue hand, catching Jackson like Espeon caught the Team Rocket members, and sent him flying backward towards Jackson. He barely caught a glimpse of the two girls spin to watch him fly, only to see their yellow eyes, before getting a face-full of his own body.
Jackson gasped, falling backwards, and landing on his back. He was back in the Ilex Forest, with everyone around him looking in shock at what happened. "Jackson!" Eevee cried out, running next to him.
"What happened?!" Weavile asked, so shocked by his trainer's expression, he lost his cool demeanor.
Jackson couldn't answer. He was gasping for air, sweat pouring from his brow. What he had just witnessed was far beyond what he had expected. He turned to his side, coughing as he was struggling to pull himself together.
Naoko was just stunned at the condition Jackson was in, looking at Celebi, demanding, "What did you do?! Did your powers do this, or was it his future?!"
"I...I didn't know." Celebi looked apologetic, not even expecting what his future was.
"What did he see?" Eevee demanded, as Dewott and Cyndaquil tried to help out Jackson.
"A future. One that I could never go beyond." Celebi answered, "It is the darkest moment in the Pokémon world, and one he was a part of."
"The darkest moment?" Eevee echoed, turning to Jackson as Weavile joined in with the other two, and helped him to a sitting position, "That sounds like..."
"The prophecy we found in the Ruins of Alph." Jackson answered, "The great evil that was going to take place. The one...I was supposedly fighting against. Was that it?"
"I'm sorry. Great evil?" Naoko asked.
"I don't know what that is..." The Farfetch'd spoke up, "I don't know what you had witnessed, but I bet you will need some strength. Hey, little Fire-type. Here." He gave Cyndaquil a nicely-chopped piece of the branch that Cyndaquil burnt before with his Flamethrower, "I can guarantee you, you created fine charcoal with your attack. Come back with us, and we can make it so it can empower you."
"Thank you." Cyndaquil thanked him, taking the charcoal in his hands.
Jackson rose to his feet as Naoko asked, "Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine." Jackson answered, "I never felt any sort of evil like that before. However..." He curled his fists as he glared, "If such an evil can exist, and I found the courage then to stand up to it, then I need to blade up my game to reach that fearlessness and strength to beat whatever the hell that evil is."
Celebi looked surprised at Jackson's suddenly take from the future he was given. She looked down sadly as she told him, "Listen, young boy. I am unable to travel to that future to know what will happen. Not even the great Pokémon of Time, Dialga, could see the results of that future. But if you hold onto that resolve strong, then that will improve our chances of surviving. It is a very small amount, though."
"That's better than no chance at all." Jackson replied, looking to Celebi, then to his four Pokémon, "Let's get stronger and stronger, both physically and mentally. We'll take on the gyms and other challenges ahead, and become the best."
The four looked to Jackson, before giving confident expressions back, Dewott declaring, "Heck yeah, we'll be the best! After all, you have me, the future best Night Slash user out there, in your team!"
"We will crush any dark future that comes our way." Weavile stated.
"If there is something more evil than Team Rocket, I have to gain the confidence for it." Cyndaquil noted.
Eevee bounded onto Jackson's shoulder, stating, "We're all here for you, Jackson. So count on us when you need it."
"Thanks everyone." Jackson told his team.
"I do not know exactly what is happening, but it seems like you are ready for what comes your way." Naoko told Jackson, "I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks for that." Jackson thanked her, "What are you gonna do, now? I plan to bring Farfetch'd here back to his owner."
"Oh, I can figure out my way out of here." she told Jackson, "However, I do have some information that might interest you and your Eevee."
"Oh, really?" Jackson asked as he and Eevee looked to each other, "What is it?"
"I discovered a hidden area in the Ilex Forest, and discovered a Moss Rock. With it, you can evolve your Eevee."
Jackson looked to Eevee, who was interested by that thought. "A Moss Rock, huh?" Jackson asked, "Well, what do you wanna do?"
Eevee paused, before looking to Jackson, replying, "I believe we should find it. I want to gain the strength to fight off the evil in the future."
"Then it's settled." Jackson replied, looking back to Naoko as she crouched down to her Espeon, "Where do we find this Moss Rock?"