Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

Through studying ancient texts, Kodai discovered that whenever Celebi traveled through time, it left behind an energy known as Temporal Ripples.

 This energy would linger at the location where Celebi traveled through time for a period before dissipating.

Ten years ago, Kodai gained the ability to occasionally glimpse fragments of the future by absorbing the energy of these Temporal Ripples.

 However, this power was not eternal and gradually weakened with time.

 To sustain his ability to foresee the future, Kodai relentlessly used his influence and power to search for traces of Celebi, aiming to once again absorb the Temporal Ripple energy.

...

Upon learning that Kodai's target was Celebi, Stephen finally remembered who this character was—the villain from the animated movie The Master of Illusions: Zoroark.

 It's not that Stephen was forgetful, but to borrow a line from Dracule Mihawk: "I don't bother remembering the names of nobodies."

While Kodai was technically a boss-level character, his strength was so underwhelming that he left no lasting impression on Stephen.

 In fact, in that movie, he barely felt like the true boss. It was the Zoroark he manipulated that stood out—transforming into the legendary beast and fooling an entire city single-handedly.

Once Zoroark realized its child was safe and no longer under Kodai's control, this white-haired idiot—sporting a hairstyle eerily similar to Garchomp's head—was promptly defeated.

 Utterly pathetic.

As such, Stephen had no fondness for him. The power Kodai gained from Celebi to foresee the future was indeed troublesome, but he had to die!

Just as Joker ordered Umbreon to take action, something completely unexpected happened—several sharp ice spikes suddenly flew from an unknown direction.

 With a shh-shh, they pierced Kodai's throat and heart.

The sudden turn of events left Stephen and his companions, Lance and Lorelei, as well as Elena and Kodai's underling Goone, all stunned.

As Kodai collapsed with wide eyes, blood spewing from his mouth, everyone instinctively turned toward the direction from which the ice spikes had come.

Who was it?!

"Could it be one of Joker's new allies?" Lance speculated upon seeing the figure.

About 100 meters away, a Delibird was flapping its small wings innocently, looking toward them.

 Sitting cross-legged on its back was a mysterious figure clad in a black cloak, with long gray hair and an icy mask.

This resemblance to Joker's style—the mask—was why Lance instinctively assumed they were allies.

"Hmph... not even worth my time," Masked Man figure scoffed disdainfully.

"Who is that?" Karen and Will exchanged confused glances.

 They had no idea who this person was.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who had been standing on the battlefield's outskirts, turned pale. He might not have remembered Kodai, the pathetic villain, but this individual? Completely the opposite.

"So... I forgot about this! Pryce is always lurking in Ilex Forest, considering it's the shrine of Celebi... Damn it, how could I forget this timing?!"

Stephen's brain worked at lightning speed, trying to devise a strategy.

What should I do? What's his goal? Is it Celebi? Or Karen and Will, who were supposed to become his subordinates?

"Laapi~"

Amid his frantic thinking, a soft, fairy-like voice echoed, as if from a storybook.

 A small, purplish-pink Pokémon with an appearance akin to a fairy emerged from the depths of the forest.

Celebi!

 And not just any Celebi—it was a shiny Celebi!

"Laapi~"

The shiny Celebi looked upon the forest, which had been ravaged by Kodai and his minions, with sorrow. It stretched out its tiny arms, and energy began radiating outward from its small body, spreading across the sky.

Whoosh!

Torrential rain began to pour, extinguishing the fiery inferno that had consumed the forest in mere seconds.

But Celebi's actions did not stop there.

 In the moment after the flames were extinguished, the shiny Celebi crossed its tiny fingers.

 The shattered trees, charred grass, and burned flowers all began to regenerate.

New branches sprouted from the stumps of towering trees, fresh grass emerged from the scorched ground, and vibrant flowers bloomed once more.

 Everything was restored to its original state, perhaps even more beautiful than before.

This was the power of the Forest Guardian!

"It appeared! The Forest Guardian, Celebi!" Elena exclaimed in shock.

 That bastard Kodai hadn't been lying after all.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's capture it!" shouted Napus pointing at the shiny Celebi.

 "Go! Use Fire Punch!"

In Stephen's view, Napus's Typhlosion, much like Elena's Gardevoir, was surrounded by an unsettling dark aura.

"Stop!"

Before Typhlosion could take another step, a Dragonite came barreling in from the side, knocking Typhlosion away with a brutal Dragon Rush.

It was none other than Lance's Dragonite!

"Don't even think about laying a finger on Celebi, you scum!" Lance called out, releasing two Dragonair to form a triangular formation with Dragonite, shielding the shiny Celebi.

Stephen watched this unfold and thought to himself:

Celebi has appeared, which should mean Masked Man will focus his attention on it. This might be our chance to escape.

He signaled Karen and Will from afar, motioning for them to look for an opportunity to flee.

 The two nodded subtly in acknowledgment.

But just as Stephen believed Masked Man would focus entirely on Celebi, he suddenly felt an overwhelming chill.

Turning his head, he realized that Masked Man's gaze was flickering between him and Joker.

A terrible sense of foreboding welled up inside him.

 What was that old lunatic planning?!

"Hmm..."

Masked Man seemed lost in thought before finally fixing his gaze entirely on Joker.

 With a swift motion, he pulled out another Poké Ball and tossed it into the air, pointing directly at Joker.

When the Poké Ball opened and revealed the Pokémon inside, everyone on the battlefield—including the shiny Celebi—looked on in shock.

The orange-red feathers that symbolized life, the massive wings that seemed to blot out the sky...

Even without knowing its name, everyone could feel its overwhelming presence.

"Has he already captured it?" Stephen thought to himself, his heart sinking.

Ho-Oh!

 "Go... capture him."

Masked Man raised his right hand slightly, pointing his index finger directly at Joker, while muttering to himself:

 "Considering their current achievements, Joker is the more capable one. Besides, capturing Dr. Stephen would be riskier."

Hearing the command, Ho-Oh hesitated, its expression conflicted.

Masked Man noticed this and emphasized his tone, barking:

 "Didn't you hear me? Obey my orders!"

Under the trainer's second command, Ho-Oh, though visibly reluctant, had no choice but to charge toward Joker.

"Umbreeeee!"

 Umbreon's expression shifted dramatically, her fur standing on end like sharp needles as it unleashed a burst of electricity.

Thunderbolt!

Even if you're a legendary deity, as long as you harm my trainer, you'll receive no mercy.

However, against the super-effective Thunderbolt, Ho-Oh simply extended its sharp talons and pushed through the electric assault, relentlessly closing in on Umbreon and the Joker behind it.

[Zorua! Dispel the transformation!]

 Stephen's voice echoed in Zorua's mind.

Zorua hesitated briefly but ultimately chose not to revert the transformation. Zorua understood that if it revealed its true form, its trainer would be in serious trouble.

In the end, without using any special moves, Ho-Oh struck Umbreon with its sharp talons, sending it flying. With its other claw, it tightly gripped Joker in its grasp.

"Joker's been captured!?"

Lorelei's face changed dramatically.

 It seemed they weren't allies.

But who was that long-haired masked man? Why was he capturing Joker? Did they have a grudge?

At the same time, Masked Man's Delibird wasn't idle. Carrying its trainer, it approached the Shiny Celebi.

"Hmm!?"

 Lance, who had been focusing on the massive bird he'd never seen before, turned toward the masked man and scoffed:

 "Another thief coveting a legendary Pokémon, huh?"

Although he didn't know the masked man's true identity, due to Joker's involvement, Lance had no goodwill toward anyone wearing a mask.

Masked Man ignored Lance's taunts and calmly commanded:

 "Blizzard."

Hearing this, Lance smirked disdainfully:

 "Ice moves are no threat to my dragon army!"

Two Dragonairs unleashed Flamethrowers, while Dragonite flapped its small wings to summon a Hurricane for support.

Here it came—a super inferno akin to Madara's Great Fire Annihilation.

However, Delibird opened its small beak.

A fierce, icy blizzard swept through the skies, singlehandedly countering the combined assault of the three dragons.

Lance's expression slightly shifted.

Just one Pokémon was enough to…

But soon, Lance's expression evolved from surprised to shocked.

In less than two seconds of confrontation, Blizzard had completely overpowered the inferno!

The three dragons quickly ascended, narrowly avoiding the terrifying blizzard.

"How is this possible!?"

Lance's brows furrowed tightly.

The ultimate flames of his three-dragon tactic had been so easily…

Lance even felt that this Delibird might be stronger than the giant, unnamed bird nearby!

"Celebi~"

The Shiny Celebi, previously shielded by the three dragons, watched the storm of snow and ice approaching. It spread its tiny arms, creating a large, spherical Protect barrier to block the incoming blizzard.

"Continue."

Against what appeared to be an impenetrable defense, Masked Man only issued a simple command.

As the Protect barrier held firm, snowflakes intermingled with the storm began to condense and form into a flock of Articuno replicas—completely white, forged from ice.

The next moment, these fake Articunos spread their wings and launched themselves like kamikaze bombers, crashing violently against the surface of Celebi's massive barrier.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed continuously.

Crack—!

 Finally, a crack appeared on the right side of the barrier.

Masked Man's pupils contracted sharply behind his mask.

"There."

Upon his command, the Delibird beneath him unleashed its full power.

From its beak, a curved beam of icy light shot forth.

Ice Beam!

Crackle!

 The Ice Beam struck the crack in the barrier, relentlessly attacking until the Protect shield was completely shattered.

"Celebi!?"

The Shiny Celebi's face paled. This human… was terrifyingly strong.

"Cele—biii—!"

In the next instant, Celebi's cry turned into a scream.

The Ice Beam, having broken through its defense, struck it directly on the side of its face.

Super effective!

"Stop!"

Seeing the masked man pull out an Ultra Ball, Lance roared, commanding his three dragons to launch simultaneous Flamethrowers.

Masked Man didn't even glance at the incoming attack, continuing to throw the ball.

He had absolute confidence in his partner.

As expected, the moment the Ultra Ball was thrown, Delibird lifted its head and unleashed another Blizzard.

Whoosh—!

The freezing wind completely suppressed the fiery assault.

"Ughhh—!"

The cries of Lance and his Pokémon echoed throughout the forest.

Watching his old colleague and his main team get obliterated, Lorelei stood frozen, unable to recover for a long time.

Too… too terrifying.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Click!

On the ground, the Ultra Ball containing the Shiny Celebi shook three times before emitting the success confirmation sound.

"Damn it! That was supposed to be our target!"

Napus gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Shut up!"

Elena waved her hand, signaling everyone to retreat.

Before leaving, she couldn't resist glancing back one last time at the masked man.

Lance turned into an ice statue, Joker caught by that big bird, and Kodai skewered like a kebab… How terrifying.

 Where did these monsters come from!?

Stephen kept signaling to Karen and Will with his eyes.

 The two hesitated, but under Stephen's persistent glance, they finally turned and ran in the opposite direction.

Masked Man, who had stepped off the Delibird, glanced at the two escaping figures without taking further action. Instead, he bent down and picked up the Ultra Ball that had been used to capture Celebi.

However, in the very next second, Masked Man disdainfully tossed the Ultra Ball into the nearby bushes.

This left Lorelei completely dumbfounded.

 What was that person doing?

 After going through all that trouble to capture the legendary Pokémon Celebi, now he doesn't want it anymore?

"Let's go."

Masked Man climbed back onto the Delibird and spoke to Ho-Oh.

 Ho-Oh, reluctantly holding onto Joker, followed the masked man and the Delibird, quickly disappearing into the horizon.

"W-What just happened? What… is going on!?"

Lorelei was utterly at a loss over the current situation.

 She had been one of the Elite Four for two years but had never encountered anything like this before.

"Bewear."

At that moment, Stephen sent out Bewear, who swiftly knocked out the group of lackeys under Kodai, led by Goone.

It was only then that Lorelei snapped back to reality.

Stephen shouted to Lorelei, "Lorelei, don't think about anything else for now! Call for reinforcements and get these people arrested. Also, Lance needs medical attention."

Stephen's voice was like a calming anchor, helping Lorelei regain her composure.

 She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. With determination, she nodded.

How could it be that, in this situation, she—a member of the Elite Four—was less composed than Stephen?

While Lorelei was making the call, Stephen quietly recalled his Umbreon and discreetly sent a message.

Things were escalating beyond his expectations.

…

Not long after, Azalea Town's Gym Leader Kurt arrived with a large team of police officers for reinforcements.

"M-My goodness! Is that… Mr. Lance!?"

When they saw the frozen Lance encased in ice, Kurt and the officers were stunned.

"Be careful while moving him. If he breaks, it'll be a disaster," Lorelei reminded them.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lorelei noticed Stephen walking toward the bush and retrieving the Ultra Ball that had been thrown there.

She suddenly remembered that the masked man had used this very ball to capture the shiny Celebi, but for some reason, he had discarded it.

"Stephen, is it…?"

Lorelei quickly walked over, wanting to check on the shiny Celebi inside.

However, when she saw that the Ultra Ball was empty, she was so shocked that she nearly stumbled.

Stephen reached out to steady Lorelei, paying no mind to the astonishing softness he felt against his arm.

"T-This…"

Lorelei didn't notice the awkwardness of their proximity. She stared at the empty Ultra Ball in disbelief.

"I guess that the moment it was captured, Celebi used its time-traveling ability to escape," Stephen speculated.

Hearing this, Lorelei sighed deeply and gave a bitter smile.

 "Well, at least that's some good news."

No matter how you looked at it, at least Celebi didn't end up in the hands of that terrifying masked man, right?

"Lorelei, take these people back to the station," Stephen said, pointing at the handcuffed Goone and his group. "They probably know quite a bit of inside information, and it needs to be reported to Chairman Goodshow as soon as possible."

"What about you? Aren't you coming with us?" Lorelei asked with concern.

"This whole situation is too bizarre. I need some quiet time to sort out the sequence of events. I'll contact you when I have results," Stephen explained with a reasonable excuse.

Lorelei hesitated but nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I'll leave it to you. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will," Stephen assured her.

About ten minutes later, Lorelei and her group departed, escorting Goone and the lackeys back to Azalea Town, along with the frozen Lance.

As soon as they left, Karen and Will emerged from behind a tree.

"Stephen, what about Zorua…?" Karen asked with concern.

"I know," Stephen said, clenching his fists.

 After all this time avoiding him, he never expected to meet him again!

"Even after being caught, Celebi can escape using its time-traveling powers. It's not good at combat, but its abilities are truly godlike. No wonder it's a legendary Pokémon," Will remarked.

"Stephen, do you have any leads on the masked man?" Karen asked as she walked up to him.

Stephen opened the Ultra Ball left behind by Masked Man. Karen and Will leaned in and saw that there were tiny remnants of ice shards inside.

They must have been left behind by the Ice Beam that hit the shining Celebi during the battle.

When Celebi used its time-traveling ability to escape, it left these ice shards behind.

Stephen took out a pair of tweezers and carefully picked something out from among the shards.

"What's this?" Will asked curiously.

Stephen held up a pale purple, slightly pink strand of hair.

 "One of Celebi's eyelashes."