With Hunter J gone, Sam was finally free to deal with the remaining poachers.
Once he joined the fight, there was no longer any suspense. In a short time, all the poachers were captured.
"Ash, Brock, Misty—stay here and wait for Officer Jenny to arrive," Sam said. "I'll go after the ones who escaped."
After handing things over, he didn't hesitate. Mounting Charizard, he immediately chased in the direction Hunter J had fled.
⸻
At the same time, deep within Cerulean Cave, Mewtwo sensed a familiar presence entering the cave.
It stared ahead coldly, silently waiting.
After some time, a figure finally appeared.
Looking at Giovanni, Mewtwo spoke in a cold voice.
"Giovanni… what are you doing here?"
"That's no way to greet an old friend, Mewtwo."
Giovanni's voice was unusually weak.
Mewtwo frowned. This was the first time it had ever seen Giovanni in such a state. The man it remembered had always been imposing, full of overwhelming presence.
But that wasn't its concern.
All it wanted was for this man to disappear.
Its aura began to rise. It was ready to fight.
Seeing this, Giovanni simply smiled faintly.
⸻
Meanwhile, Sam's pursuit ended in frustration.
Salamence was simply too fast. By the time he caught up, Hunter J had already vanished into the sky.
After searching the surrounding area with no results, he had no choice but to give up.
Still, the mission was a success.
Most of the poachers had been captured, and Suicune had been rescued. Even if Hunter J escaped, the objective was essentially complete.
Sam called Lance and gave a brief report.
After hearing it, Lance sounded satisfied.
"Well done, Sam. But there's one more thing."
Sam sighed inwardly. He had just finished a mission and wanted a break—but clearly, that wasn't happening.
"Someone has spotted Celebi in Viridian Forest," Lance continued. "I need you to confirm it."
That got Sam's attention immediately.
Celebi wasn't just any Pokémon. A mythical being capable of traveling through time—its appearance would inevitably attract dangerous people.
According to official records, Celebi hadn't appeared in years.
"I understand," Sam replied seriously. "I'll head to Viridian Forest right away."
Without even saying goodbye to Ash and the others, he set off immediately.
⸻
After a full day of nonstop travel, Sam finally reached the outskirts of Viridian Forest.
The moment he arrived, he felt it—
Something was wrong.
He was very familiar with this forest. He had been here many times.
But this time… it felt different.
A chilling aura drifted out from within. Not just physical cold—but something deeper, something unsettling.
The moment he stepped inside, the hairs on his body stood on end.
That alone told him—
Something serious had happened here.
Without hesitation, he moved deeper into the forest, searching for any trace of Celebi.
⸻
Today's Viridian Forest was eerily silent.
There were no sounds.
No wild Pokémon.
No movement.
Normally, even in quiet areas, some Pokémon would still appear—but now, everything was gone.
Completely gone.
On some trees, he even noticed traces of frost.
Taking a slow breath, Sam looked deeper into the forest.
For a moment, it felt like he was staring into the open jaws of some ancient beast… waiting to swallow him whole.
If this had been the Sam from when he first entered this world, he would have turned around immediately.
But not anymore.
Time had changed him.
Like many Trainers, he had developed a dangerous trait—
Confidence mixed with risk… and a hint of greed.
Even knowing the danger ahead, he didn't stop.
In fact—
He felt excited.
The rush of adrenaline, the edge of danger… the thrill of standing on the line between life and death—
It pulled him forward.
And he didn't resist it.
---------------Author---------------
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