First encounter

Ayan wouldn't be so helpful to others if it didn't help him in the future. Neil, though was a friend in this life, and didn't have any connections with him previously. But in his memories, he had seen Neil to be his great friend since along time and had his back always. In fact, Ayan didn't belong to the same community as Neil and even though the Alliance had always preached about unity and cohabitation, it didn't mean that the racial differences would just vanish without a word. 

Even now, after so many years, a gym leader of the city would always belong to the local majority community. Until and unless one person became way too powerful to suppress the voice of everyone and make everyone worship him, it was very difficult to be a gym leader belonging to a different community.

And Ayan's ancestral community wasn't local, and when some of the bullies of school wanted to do some subtle racism, it was Neil who first stood up. That was where both of their friendship started. Thus, Ayan wanted to help him a bit and make a name for himself. 

Ayan always knew that he would stand at the top by the end. Even if he only had access to Johto and Kanto regions, it would only be a matter of time before he had legendary Pokémon, thus he was destined to be on top. Given he didn't die before as this world was dangerous. 

Having friends would always help him. 

As they began making their way back, the forest seemed quieter than before. The wind had dulled. The rustling leaves no longer danced in their usual rhythm, and even the ambient chirps and hums of Pokémon grew faint, like the whole ecosystem had paused for breath.

The sudden change was palpable.

"Why did it suddenly get so quiet?" Elicia murmured, scanning the canopy.

"Is it getting darker?"

"No..." Ayan muttered. His steps slowed.

Something was wrong.

Not threatening—but wrong in a way only someone like Ayan, someone not entirely from this world, could understand. It felt like the edges of reality had softened. The air shimmered with a faint green hue that danced like sunlight through water.

And then it appeared. With no warning and no sound, a glowing sphere of light descended just ahead of them, hovering low in the air. It pulsed softly, rhythmically, like a heartbeat. Then the light peeled away in gentle spirals—and from it, a small, green, fairy-like Pokémon emerged.

Ayan froze.

Its delicate wings fluttered without a sound. Its round head tilted slightly, eyes shimmering with both innocence and an age-old knowing. The time-traveling Pokémon. The forest guardian. The myth, the paradox.

Celebi.

Neil and Elicia stared in wonder.

"What… is that?" Neil asked, his voice hushed.

"Is it a bug-type?" Elicia added.

But Ayan didn't answer. His breath had caught in his throat.

He knew about Celebi. It had never been included in the Alliance's standard Pokémon list , nor shown in public records of legendary Pokémon. Nobody had seen it and even if they did, the general books about Pokémon never spoke of it. And he knew what it could do. 

A Pokémon with the power to travel across time. A Pokémon that could warp reality as easily as it breathed. One careless moment, one glance too long, and it might whisk him away —backward, forward, sideways into an unknown world or age. And unlike his transmigration to this one, he might not get so lucky next time.

Celebi hovered forward, just inches from Ayan's face. Its gaze was steady, almost searching. Ayan didn't move. His heart pounded in his chest, the air too thick, his mind screaming Please don't. Please just leave.

Then, gently, Celebi leaned forward—and sniffed him. For a moment, it simply hovered there, eyes locked onto his, reading something deeper than flesh and thought, and then looked at a distance. It's eyes seemed to see beyond but then after a second it looked back at Ayan, and then... It smiled. 

With a melodic chirp, it spiraled upward once more. A single swirl of green light burst around it, sending a gentle breeze rippling through the trees—and then it was gone. Just like that. As if it had never been. Silence lingered for a few seconds longer before the forest gradually returned to life—the wind, the call of his Pidgey, the rustle of leaves. The moment was over.

"Pi.. Pi" (I.. I couldn't move.. What was this Pokemon.) 

"Bree.." (I don't know. It must be very powerful)

"What… what just happened?" Neil turned to Ayan. "What kind of Pokémon was that?!"

"I—I don't know," Ayan lied, forcing calm into his voice. "Maybe some rare grass type. Never seen it before. We'll probably hear more about it in class later. Come on, let's get back before it gets too late." 

As the group resumed walking, the canopy above fluttered violently for a moment, sending a sharp wind down the path. A deep whoosh tore through the silence—and before they could react, two massive avian shadows swept down from the sky.

Fwoosh!

A Pidgeot landed gracefully in front of them, sending leaves scattering in its wake. Its sharp eyes scanned the trio without blinking. A split second later, a Fearow landed beside it with far less grace, its wings ruffling irritably as it let out a shrill caw.

Seated atop the Pokémon were two figures in black-and-green ranger uniforms, each bearing a distinct badge on their chest shaped like a stylized Poké Ball surrounded by a leafy emblem.

"Whoa—what the hell!" Neil stumbled back instinctively.

"Rangers," Elicia whispered. The ranger on Pidgeot, a stern woman with cropped hair and mirrored shades, gave them a quick nod.

"You three. We need a moment."

"We're tracking something. A powerful Pokémon passed through this area not long ago. Did any of you see it?"

"Yeah! We did! It was like this floating small Pokémon. It had big eyes and small wings on its back." Neil replied.