A/N: Before we begin with this chapter, I would like to offer a quick explanation as to why I chose Yancy to be one of Ash and Serena's children, which I know is a bit of an out-of-left-field choice for a character. First off, I understand that Yancy may not look like either of them, judging by her official artwork, but I've actually Googled fanart of her and I saw some images where her hairstyle was more strikingly similar to that of short-haired Serena. Google it if you don't believe me.
Secondly, I've always believed TransceiverShipping (Nate/Yancy) to be quite reminiscent of AmourShipping after reading transcripts of her conversations with the male player character in the "Pokémon Black and White 2" games. As a result, I've always thought it would be perfect as the AmourShipping of the next generation of anime protagonists, if the anime ever comes down to that.
As for Yancy having pink hair in spite of no one in Ash's or Serena's sides of the family having that same trait, well...that's actually a bit important later on, so I won't spoil anything just yet. ;)
Okay, enough rambling! Onward with the chapter! ENJOY!
P.S.: After doing some thinking about it, the story will be 26 chapters long, judging by what I intend to do with it. This is just an estimate, though, and is subject to change.
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"How about we ask that man over there?" Selene asked, pointing further down one of the hallways. "Maybe he knows the way back!"
"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked, nodding her head in agreement.
Evelyn followed the direction of Selene's index finger and immediately saw the person she was talking about. It was a man who had a muscular build; sharp, beady eyes; and blond hair cut in a buzz-cut. He was also wearing military-style clothing consisting of a tight-fitting, white tank-top; a light, jungle-camouflage jacket; jungle-camouflage pants with a thick brown belt; dark-brown combat boots; and dark sunglasses that were on top of his head at the moment. This man was several yards away, out of earshot, but Evelyn could clearly see the large, conspicuous steel cage in his hand.
"H-H-Him...?" Evelyn asked, sounding suspicious and unsure about the idea.
"Yeah, him!" Selene exclaimed in response. "Come on, Evelyn!"
The little girl took the Performer's hand, and both girls ran down the hallway. But before Selene could call out to the stranger, he had already opened a door and gone inside. The duo ran up to the door before it could close all the way, and Selene caught its knob.
"I r-r-really don't know a-about this, S-Se-Selene..." the blue-haired Performer stuttered apprehensively, before Selene could open the door for the both of them.
"Aw, come on, Evelyn!" Selene replied cheerfully, looking up at her older friend and smiling from ear to ear. "Lighten up and have a lil' adventure!"
"Pichu pichu-pi, pichu-pichu!" added Pichu.
"B-B-But S-Selene-"
"Come on, we're just asking for directions! It can't be that hard to do!"
And with that, Selene opened the door, which led into a small hallway with another door, made of glass, at the other end. Both girls ventured down the hallway, with Evelyn fearfully looking back at the door as it closed on them. Once they approached the other door, Selene opened it, but she stopped after it was ajar for an inch when she saw something through the glass.
At the other end of the door was a small outside garden, and there was a group of people standing there. She couldn't make out their physical descriptions since the glass was too opaque, but she could definitely hear their voices.
"I thought there were supposed to be eight of you," one voice said; the speaker was most likely an older, refined woman.
"There are," replied another voice, that of a younger woman. "But we always leave at least one person back at the base just in case."
"What? You do not trust me?"
"We at the EHS are the most-wanted criminals out there. We've had clients who were undercover cops; we make sure we account for every possible scenario."
Selene and Evelyn both held back gasps of shock. The EHS, or the Eight-Headed Seviper, was a group of eight Pokémon Poachers wanted all across the world by every law enforcement agency in the book. Each member was a highly skilled Poacher in his or her own right, with a certain set of skills; together, they were responsible for capturing hundreds of Pokémon, common and rare alike, and selling them to private clients or in black-market auctions for high prices. To call them bad news was a bit of an understatement.
"T-T-Th-The E-E-EHS is here?" Evelyn whispered. "I-In the B-B-Battle Maison?"
"Wh-What do we do?" asked Selene.
"Pichu pichu..." Pichu whispered, her small body trembling with fear.
"W-W-We gotta go warn Nate! Come on!"
"Sounds understandable," the first voice suddenly said. "So, where's my prize?"
"Right here, Ms. Diable-" another voice replied; this time, the speaker was a man with a stern, powerful voice.
"Countess Diable..."
"Right. Countess Diable..."
Selene and Evelyn saw a shadow approaching the door, but to their relief, the man didn't open it. Instead, Selene saw him pick up the steel cage she saw earlier, which had been lying close by the doorway; to her surprise, she saw that it contained an immobile Zigzagoon.
"Here it is, ma'am," the man said.
"Oh, do not play games with me," replied the older woman viciously. "I specifically asked for-"
"With all due respect, ma'am, it's not everyday you get to walk past a security checkpoint with a Celebi-" Selene and Evelyn's eyes widened at this revelation. "-in hand, let alone one in a cage. So I disguised it."
"Really...?"
"Yes. Here's proof."
Selene and Evelyn heard a Poké Ball unleashing something, followed by a vicious growl and then a softer voice fearfully moaning, "Biiiii..." Evelyn covered her mouth in horror, while Selene suddenly became angry. So there WAS a Celebi in that cage!
"Well..." Diable replied with disappointment, "I did not anticipate having to take this ridiculous costume off of it, but I suppose it'll have to do. Right, then. You've done well. So, tell me, what was your price again?"
"Ten million Poké Dollars," the younger woman replied unflinchingly.
"I thought it was five million..."
"It was until that little critter made it extra-difficult for us to capture it."
"It was a real pain in the butt," yet another voice said; this time, the speaker was a woman with a high-pitched, giggly voice.
"No, no deal," the first voice said. "I was promised five million, Kay, and I'm only paying five million."
"Well," the second voice, very likely Kay, replied, "I warned you that deals can always change, Countess. Be lucky we didn't triple or quadruple the original price, because we spent nearly half of a year trying to track that thing down and pinning it where we want to pin it. Now, just give us the ten million, and you can have your Celebi."
"Madam Diable," said the voice of an older gentleman, "I advise you to do what they request of you. They worked hard and very long to fulfill your request. Do it and they shall be on their way."
"Well, it sounds like someone is actually speaking some sense here," the stern man said gruffly.
Selene and Evelyn heard Diable huff angrily and reply, "Oh, very well. You may have your ten million, Kay. Just give me that Celebi!"
Selene couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking it over, she burst out of the hallway and hollered furiously, "LEAVE CELEBI ALONE!"
"PICHU PICHU-PI!" Pichu squealed; the Tiny Mouse Pokémon was just as outraged as her unofficial owner.
...
"S-S-Selene!" Evelyn whispered desperately through clenched teeth. She was also exposed to the criminals, but she couldn't budge a muscle out of fear for her own safety and that of Selene.
"Well, well, well," said one of the poachers. He was a copper-haired man with an Australian accent, wearing tan explorer clothes, complete with a hat with a mesh face-mask meant to protect him from Bug-type Pokémon. "What in the world do we have here, Matt?"
"Oh, I dunno, Hector," replied another poacher, a hulking, muscular, brown-haired man with dark skin and wearing a torn blue wet-suit. "Uhhhhh...whaddaya think, Inezia?"
"It looks like a girl," said a third poacher. She was a woman so petite one would mistake her for a young girl, with curly, messy blonde hair bearing a gray stripe vaguely shaped like a lightning bolt; she was also wearing an overlarge white lab-coat and a pair of circular glasses that reminded Selene of her Uncle Clemont's, though the lenses had squiggly marks on them. "Seven years and three months old, four feet and two inches-"
"Yes, yes, we know it's a girl, Inezia," interrupted a fourth poacher, a woman with blue eyes and bushy red-and-black-striped hair tied into a ponytail; she was wearing all-black clothing and also had deep-red eyeliner. Selene recognized her as the woman with the high-pitched, giggly voice.
At that moment, a fifth poacher stepped forward. He was bald and had sky-blue eyes, and he was also wearing a simple pinkish-red kimono. "Why, hello there, young lady," he said with a voice so calm and kind that it actually placated both Selene and Evelyn. "Are you lost?"
"Y-Yeah-" began Selene, before she remembered why she was here in the first place. "I-I mean, leave Celebi alone!"
"Ouch," the black-haired poacher said, sneering malevolently. "Your smooth tongue couldn't charm this little girl, Delos. Looks like you're losing your touch."
"Alright, enough of this nonsense," Kay said sternly, stepping forward. She was around Selene's parents' age, with chin-length green hair and eyes just as green, and she was wearing a futuristic green trench-coat with all-orange clothing underneath. "Seize this girl." She then glared at Evelyn. "And that girl too, make sure she doesn't get away!"
"Yes, Kay," replied the man with the stern voice.
Selene watched as the same man from further down the hallway stepped forward, flanked by a Trevenant. The Trevenant grabbed her and restrained her with one large arm. As for Evelyn, she struggled to make a decision, giving Delos enough time to send out a Medicham that held the blue-haired Performer in place with a tight Psychic.
"EEK!" Selene squealed. "P-Pi-Pichu, use Thunder Shock!"
The unrestrained Pichu hopped off Selene and prepared to use Thunder Shock on Parker and Trevenant. However, before she could, Delos's Medicham used its spare hand to restrain the Tiny Mouse Pokémon with another Psychic.
"PIIIII!" Pichu squeaked helplessly as she was lifted high into the air. Selene could only watch with horror as Medicham used Psychic to slam Pichu into the nearby wall, knocking her out.
"NO, PICHU!" screamed Selene, staring at her best friend as she fell to the ground. She then glared angrily at Kay. "YOU LET US GO RIGHT NOW! AND CELEBI TOO!"
Countess Diable chuckled heartily and stepped forward, revealing herself to Selene and Evelyn. Indeed, she was older, reminding Selene a little of her Auntie Aria's old teacher Palermo. She had cold gray eyes and strange hair: the right side was black with one white stripe, while the left side was white with one black stripe. She was also wearing a sleek, massive, whitish-golden fur-coat that looked like it was taken directly from a Ninetales's fur. This appearance reminded Selene of the main villain of one of her favorite cartoon movies, A Long Hundred and One Lillipup.
"Why, I'm afraid not, my dear," Diable replied. "You see, you witnessed what some might call an illegal transaction, and I cannot let you or your friend meddle in this affair."
Selene narrowed her blue eyes at the older woman. "But Celebi is a rare and-and a, uh, a protected Pokémon! You're not supposed to own one, you old lady!"
Diable's eye twitched menacingly at the insult, but she managed to hold in her outrage. "Unfortunately, little one, I don't care. Celebi is a very important item in my quest and I intend to see it through to the very end." She turned to the older gentleman, an elderly man wearing a dark-blue suit. "Chalmers, take Celebi for me."
"Yes, ma'am," the gentleman replied. Flanked by four other men wearing black suits and dark sunglasses, he picked up the steel cage containing the disguised Celebi from the ground.
"NO!" screamed Selene. "YOU LET CELEBI GO NOW!"
"Hush up," the poacher named Parker snarled, just as Trevenant tightened its grip on Selene.
"Selene..." Evelyn moaned fearfully. The blue-haired teenage Performer desperately tried to move, but Medicham's Psychic grip on her was too strong. She inched her head towards Selene's Pichu, but was dismayed to find it still unconscious.
There was no one around to help them.
In contrast to Evelyn, however, Selene continued to angrily resist despite her predicament.
"You let Celebi go now," she repeated, "or you'll be sorry!"
"Ohhhhh, how very scary!" replied the black-haired poacher, pretending to sound frightened at the little girl's threat.
"I'm serious! My daddy's a Frontier Brain and he's very, very strong! When he finds out what's happened, he's gonna kick your sorry butts!"
"Your father's a Frontier Brain, huh...?" Kay said, now looking very interested. She approached Selene and leaned very close to her face. "Perhaps you'll actually be useful..."
"What're you saying, boss?" the black-haired poacher asked. She didn't seem too pleased by this sudden development... Then again, Selene noted that she didn't look too pleased about anything.
Kay ignored her colleague and shot a look at Parker. "Parker, put this girl to sleep. We'll be taking her with us. It looks like we're gonna be getting some extra money for today, ladies and gentlemen."
"What about this other girl, boss?" Delos asked, gesturing to Evelyn.
"Dispose of her."
"S-S-SELENE!" Evelyn screamed fearfully.
"EVELYN!" Selene screamed back as Parker procured a wet brown rag. She struggled even harder, but she was simply too young and little to break free from Trevenant. But before Parker could make a move with the rag...
"EMBOAR, USE FLAMETHROWER!" a familiar voice commanded courageously.
A stream of fire flew out from the hallway Selene and Evelyn came from, and it hit the ground beneath Chalmers, knocking him down and out for the count. The cage containing Celebi clattered to the ground, and Selene could've sworn she heard something metallic breaking, but the others didn't mind it, fortunately.
"Where'd that came from?!" exclaimed Matt.
"SAMUROTT, ICE BEAM!" another familiar voice ordered harshly.
A light-blue beam struck Delos's Medicham and froze it in its tracks, allowing Evelyn to be released from its Psychic grip. She then watched as several people rushed into the garden: Yancy, Nate, Rosa, Hugh, Finn, Constance, Lane, and (to her surprise) her sisters Morgan, Dana, and Nita. They were all accompanied by their Pokémon: Yancy's White Flower Florges, Nate's Emboar, Rosa's Serperior, Hugh's Samurott, Finn's Lucario, Constance's Swellow, Lane's Linoone, Morgan's Sawsbuck (which was currently in its Summer Form), Dana's Whimsicott, and Nita's Wigglytuff.
"BIG SIS YANCY!" Selene cried happily.
"Oh, no!" Kay snarled in annoyance. "Not you kids again!"
"FLORGES, USE MOONBLAST!" Yancy commanded loudly.
Florges started gathering power from the faraway Moon; then, after a couple of seconds, a pink sphere of energy formed from its mouth, and the Garden Pokémon fired it at Parker and Trevenant's direction. The Pokémon Poacher and the Elder Tree Pokémon both managed to dodge the pink sphere, but the latter accidentally let go of Selene in the process. This allowed the young girl to run away from his reach.
Immediately, Diable, all seven poachers, and her four bodyguards sent out their Pokémon, and a fierce battle ensued in the garden. Yancy and Florges battled Inezia and her Electivire, Nate and Emboar battled Kay and her Shiny Salamence, Rosa and Serperior battled the black-haired poacher and her Zoroark, Hugh and Samurott battled Matt and his Feraligatr, Finn and Lucario battled Hector and his Pinsir, Morgan and Sawsbuck battled Diable and her two Furfrou (one of which was sporting a Matron Trim and the other a La Reine Trim), and Lane and Linoone battled Delos and his Medicham and Solrock. As for Evelyn, Constance, Dana, Nita, and their Pokémon, they all battled Diable's four bodyguards and their Mightyena and Houndoom. Selene had never seen such intense battling in person before.
But now that the villains were all distracted, Selene started to move towards the cage containing Celebi. But before she could even get close, she heard a voice whisper, "Selene! Over here!"
Looking behind her, Selene saw Elio, Allie, Maddie, and Dedenne at the doorway. They were all signaling her to come to them, but she shook her head and pointed towards Celebi's cage. They shook their heads back at her and continued signaling at her to come to them, but Selene refused and continued walking towards the cage.
"Don't you worry, Celebi!" she called. "I'm coming!"
Upon approaching the cage, Selene noticed that its top had been broken after being dropped. Kneeling down, the seven-year-old struggled to fully yank it open, but didn't have much luck. As she continued to struggle, inside the cage, the Zigzagoon disguise finally fell off of Celebi, and the Time Travel Pokémon opened its eyes to look at its savior. Upon seeing how hard Selene was trying to free it, Celebi's eyes glowed light-blue, and the metal top suddenly became easier for the girl to yank open. Once she managed to force it open all the way, Selene picked up the Time Travel Pokémon.
"There you go," Selene said, giving Celebi an optimistic smile. "I've got you!"
"Biiiii..." Celebi moaned, trembling slightly.
"SELENE!" Elio screamed, fear present in his voice.
A large shadow suddenly enveloped Selene; the girl looked behind her, and her eyes widened in terror as Parker towered over her, flanked by Trevenant and a Chesnaught. She quickly realized that they were the only ones who were not locked in battle with someone.
"You should've learned by now that it's bad to take things that don't belong to you," Parker snarled; the poacher was cracking his knuckles.
"Celebi doesn't belong to anyone!" Selene snapped loudly and defiantly.
"No, it belongs to Countess Diable. She bought it, she earned it."
"Not like that!"
Trevenant and Chesnaught stepped forward, just as Parker growled with irritation, "Don't give me an excuse to hurt you, little girl..."
"Nenenenene..." a familiar voice squeaked angrily. "Nene...NEEEEEEE!"
Dedenne jumped out of nowhere, its cheeks crackling with electricity. Before Trevenant could react, the tiny Antenna Pokémon rubbed its electric cheeks against Trevenant's own, electrifying it. Also, because it was in very close proximity to Trevenant, Chesnaught wound up being shocked by Dedenne's Nuzzle attack as well. Both Pokémon yowled in pain as the yellow electricity coursed through their bodies.
"YAY, DEDENNE!" Selene cheered.
However, to her horror, once the electricity subsided, Chesnaught and Trevenant did not look affected in the slightest. Growling with annoyance, both Grass-type Pokémon shook off the electricity and stared down at Dedenne, which sweat-dropped nervously at its epic failure.
"Take care of that stinking rodent at once, Trevenant," Parker ordered nonchalantly. The Elder Tree Pokémon promptly kicked Dedenne, sending it into the nearby wall.
"NEEE!" Dedenne squealed in pain as it fell to the ground.
"DEDENNE!" Selene, Elio, Allie, and Maddie all screamed in concern. The twins both ran up to the Antenna Pokémon's fallen body so they could check on it, while Elio ran up to Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant with a look of utmost fury.
"YOU ARE A BAD MAN!" Elio cried. "IT'S TIME TO TEACH YOU A LESSON!"
To Selene's surprise, the boy pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it, unleashing a Venusaur; Selene recognized it as her Auntie Shauna's. It let out a bellow of a roar, prompting both Chesnaught and Trevenant to take a couple of steps backward in apprehension.
"Do not back down!" Parker chided. "Chesnaught, use Needle Arm! Trevenant, use Wood Hammer!"
Thorn-like spikes emerged from Chesnaught's left arm, and the Spiny Armor Pokémon charged towards Venusaur. As for Trevenant, its right claw became surrounded with a green aura that took the shape of a stump, and it also charged for Venusaur.
"Venusaur, use Solar Beam!" Elio ordered.
The inside of the flower on Venusaur's back started glowing white as it gathered light from the Sun overhead. Then, the entire back-based flower glowed white, and Venusaur promptly fired a white beam from it, directing it towards the incoming Chesnaught and Trevenant. The Solar Beam struck both Pokémon, its force also knocking Parker down to the ground. With the poacher and his Pokémon all incapacitated for the moment, Elio turned towards Selene with a look of urgency in his eye.
"RUN, SELENE!" he cried. "RUN FOR IT!"
Selene didn't waste any time arguing with him. She first ran for her fallen Pichu, picked her up, and then hopped over the small iron fence. As she landed on the ground after a short drop, she heard Parker shouting, "SHE'S GETTING AWAY WITH THE TARGET!"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Diable screeched furiously. "GET MY CELEBI BACK TO ME!"
"Whatever you say, old lady," the black-haired poacher replied.
Diable finally lost her patience. "I'M NOT AN OLD LADY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING AN OLD LADY?! I'M PAYING YOU AN UNJUSTIFIABLY LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS, YOU KNOW?!"
"I gotta hide..." Selene said to herself. She looked around, but couldn't find another door back into the Battle Maison. So, without a second thought, she started sprinting towards Kiloude Forest, which was several yards away.
She only ran a couple of yards when she heard a vicious roar. Looking behind her, the girl saw Kay and Salamence in hot pursuit from the air; Delos and Medicham were riding with Kay. On the ground, Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant were running after her, followed closely by the as-of-yet unnamed black-haired poacher and her Zoroark. Selene gasped and started running faster.
"SALAMENCE, USE HYPER BEAM!" Kay ordered from above. Salamence roared before firing a beam of raw power towards Selene. It missed, but it was close enough to nearly knock the seven-year-old to the ground.
"SOMEONE HELP ME!" Selene called desperately as she managed to make it into the forest.
As she continued running, Selene heard several forest Pokémon scurrying away from her. Eventually, she stopped and hid behind one of the many tree trunks within sight. After catching her breath, she took a peek from her shelter and saw Parker, the black-haired poacher, and their Pokémon advancing through the forest, hot on her trail.
"Fan out," Parker ordered. "She couldn't have gotten far. Not with those stubby legs of hers."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the other poacher replied nonchalantly. "I got it, Dad."
Selene heard Parker sighed with irritation. "Need I remind you that we have a ten million Poké Dollar check at stake here, Zora? Not to mention the heightening possibility of six months' work being flushed down the drain?!"
"Alright, alright, I got it, Parker! Yeesh!"
Selene withdrew her head and looked down at Celebi and Pichu to check on their statuses. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon was still injured and unconscious, while Celebi was holding on tight to her shirt. Selene's gaze softened, and in that moment, she started to feel a lot like her mother whenever she was comforting her.
"It's okay, Celebi, it's okay," she whispered softly to the Time Travel Pokémon. "Everything's gonna be okay. I'll keep you safe."
"Biiiii..." Celebi moaned, looking up hopefully at the seven-year-old girl.
A second later, Salamence's roar pierced the air. Selene looked up and saw the Dragon Pokémon flying directly over the treetops. Kay, Delos, and Medicham were looking over its side and down into the forest, searching for any signs of her or Celebi. Fortunately, they didn't appear to have seen her, and when they flew out of sight, Selene laid low in the many ferns and started sneaking away.
"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaaare!" Zora called out in a sadistic singsong voice. Selene shivered a little at the black-haired poacher's tone.
"She's not going to answer, you know..." Parker sighed out.
"Well, I might as well get her insides pumpin'! That way she'll give herself away in her fear!"
"There are more efficient ways to accomplish that."
"Like what?"
Parker was deathly silent for a moment; then, he replied, "She's definitely not far from us, and she's no longer running. Someone as small and weak as her couldn't run a marathon. She's most likely hiding somewhere in the growth within a ten-yard radius."
Selene gulped. She had no inkling of math whatsoever, but that did sound close.
"Whaddaya suggest we do about it, then?" Zora asked.
"We flush her out like this. Chesnaught, Trevenant, attack everything in sight!"
In response, Chesnaught and Trevenant started attacking the surrounding trees and plants with a multitude of attacks. Dirt, leaves, and splinters of wood flew everywhere, and any remaining forest Pokémon fled in fear.
"Ah, now this I like!" exclaimed Zora gleefully. "Zoroark, you too! And you as well, Sableye!"
The Illusion Fox Pokémon quickly joined its colleague Pokémon in the wanton destruction. Selene also heard a Poké Ball unleashing another Pokémon, the familiar cry of a Sableye, and then even more attacks. She struggled to hold in a fearful whimper as she heard the roars and explosions getting closer and closer; her heart was hammering even more strongly against her ribcage, threatening to burst through it. However, she refused to let it impede her progress, and the girl continued to sneak away using the brush as cover. As for Celebi, it started to squirm in the girl's arms, whimpering softly in despair at the destruction of a beloved forest.
"Shhhhh, Celebi," Selene whispered. "We have to be quiet if we wanna get away-"
Salamence's roar cut her off, and the seven-year-old girl saw the Dragon Pokémon soaring above her position again. She stopped moving, fearful that Kay and Delos might see her obscure movements from above. Unfortunately, while she was distracted, Chesnaught attacked the tree she had been hiding behind with a Seed Bomb attack. Parts of the tree violently exploded, showering Selene with splinters of wood and causing her to let out a scream of terror.
"THERE YOU ARE, YA LITTLE RUNT!" Zora cried.
Selene squealed fearfully as she was pinned down by Zoroark. In the process, she let go of both Celebi and Pichu, and both Pokémon tumbled a couple of feet away from her.
"NO!" the little girl cried. Then, she could only watch helplessly as Chesnaught approached the fallen Time Travel Pokémon; it picked it up with a vine that stretched itself out of the Spiny Armor Pokémon's shield.
"You thought you could get away with this?" Parker asked savagely as he knelt beside Selene and looked at her in the eyes. "I'm not sure if you watch the news, kid, but know this: we are the Eight-Headed Seviper..."
"And we always get what we want," Zora completed, licking her lips. "So you shouldn't try to mess with us."
At that same moment, Kay's Salamence landed nearby. Kay, Delos, and Medicham dismounted the Dragon Pokémon and quickly approached the others.
"Do you have the target?" Kay asked sternly.
"Yes, Kay ma'am," Parker replied professionally, with Chesnaught holding Celebi out for Kay to see as proof.
"Are you sure?"
"What does it look like to you?" Zora asked, the Pokémon Poacher rolling her eyes bitterly. However, she was silenced when her superior shot her an irritated look.
"Well, it's good to make sure of it this time."
Kay began to approach Celebi when Selene shouted, "LEAVE CELEBI ALONE, YOU MEANIES!"
"Zora," Kay snarled between clenched teeth, without even looking, "for the love of Arceus, SHUT THIS KID UP!"
"Yes, ma'am," Zora replied with a slightly annoyed tone. "Zoroark!"
Selene's eyes widened with absolute fear and panic as she watched Zoroark's blue eyes glow brightly.
"Use-"
"USE LAND'S WRATH!"
The ground underneath everyone except for Selene and Zoroark started to glow green. Before the Pokémon Poachers could react, the ground broke apart and shifted and exploded violently. Kay, Parker, Delos, Zora, and their Pokémon all screamed as they were tossed and thrown around like rag dolls. Once the ground stopped shaking and shifting, Zoroark got off of Selene and growled angrily, hoping to find the attacker.
"Luxray, use Wild Charge!" another voice commanded.
Selene watched as Luxray sprinted onto the scene, shrouded in yellow electricity. He slammed himself into Zoroark, electrocuting the Illusion Fox Pokémon and knocking it back into a tree with so much brute force that the tree trunk broke and fell over. Selene sat up with a smile.
"UNCLE CLEMONT!" she cried. "AUNTIE BONNIE!"
Clemont and Bonnie stood in the middle of a clearing with Luxray, Diggersby, and Squishy, the latter of whom was in its 10% Forme. Then, four others, and their Pokémon, ran past the two adults and towards Selene: Yancy, Nate, Finn, and Evelyn.
"Selene!" Yancy squeaked breathlessly, her voice cracking. "Selene, oh my goodness! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"
"Yeah," the girl replied. "But what about Celebi?!"
At the same time, Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant were all standing back up, with Chesnaught still holding Celebi in its clutches.
"You people just won't stop interfering, would you?!" Parker snarled furiously. "Trevenant, use Will-O-Wisp!"
Trevenant raised it arms, and multiple spheres of blue flames materialized around its body, revolving around it like a solar system model. Then, the spheres all gravitated to the Elder Tree Pokémon's arms, whereupon it fired them all at Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon.
"Counter with Mud-Slap, Diggersby!" Clemont ordered.
The Digging Pokémon promptly slammed its two massive ears/arms into the ground and used them to hurl mud and dirt at the Will-O-Wisp attack. Within seconds, all of the blue, fiery spheres were extinguished by the earth, creating a large, billowing cloud of smoke in the process.
"CURSES!" Parker snapped as the smoke started to envelop him, Chesnaught, and Trevenant.
"EMBOAR, USE BLAST BURN!" Nate commanded.
The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon roared loudly as its body became engulfed in flames colored in multiple shades of red, orange, and yellow. It then punched a fist into the ground, triggering a wave of fiery energy into the earth, which then moved underneath Parker and his Pokémon as they were distracted by the smoke. The energy then exploded upwards in a gigantic, fiery explosion, sending them all flying in the air. In the process, Chesnaught released Celebi in the midst of its pain.
"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed.
"I've got you, Celebi!" Selene cried. She ran forward and managed to catch the Time Travel Pokémon, while Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant all landed painfully on the ground. "There you go! I got you!"
"Not for long!" Kay snarled. She emerged through the cloud of smoke, riding her Salamence again.
"Florges, use Moonblast!" Yancy ordered.
"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" commanded Finn.
"W-W-Wigglytuff, u-u-use D-D-Double S-Slap!" stuttered Evelyn.
Salamence flew up in the air to avoid Florges and Wigglytuff's attacks, but Lucario made sure to aim its Aura Sphere accurately. The Dragon Pokémon was struck head-on, knocking Kay off of it.
The green-haired poacher landed expertly on the ground. Then, she glared at the Trainers with an expression of hatred.
"When will you kids learn to stop meddling with our business?!" she snapped. "You're always in the way! ALWAYS!"
"We'll stop when you stop poaching Pokémon!" Nate replied defiantly.
"Tough luck then, kid."
Kay then made a swiping movement with her arms, activating peculiar devices mounted there. She then aimed her right arm's device at Lucario, who was preparing to continue its attack on Salamence. The device emitted a powerful sound-wave in the form of a beam, which hit both Finn and Lucario; they fell to the ground, screaming and covering their ears. Having been saved from another attack, Salamence then fired a Hyper Beam at Nate, Yancy, Evelyn, and their Pokémon, injuring them and knocking them back.
"NOOOOO!" Selene screamed as she watched her sister and friends fall. "BIG SIS YANCY!"
Kay then turned towards Selene and fired a red dart from her left arm's device. But Celebi, having seen and anticipated this, used Psychic to the best of its ability, redirecting the dart away from Selene's neck just in the nick of time. Kay gritted her teeth and advanced towards the girl.
"GIVE. ME. THE. CELEBI!" the poacher screamed, her eyelid twitching angrily.
"NO!" Selene screeched at the top of her lungs. "NO, NO, NO! CELEBI IS NOT YOURS!"
And with that, she kicked a large rock at Kay, which hit her in the leg.
"GAH!" Kay keeled over, clutching her knee. She then glared daggers at Selene, causing the girl to regret her latest action of defiance. "You. Little. BRAT! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" She pointed a trembling finger at Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, and their Pokémon, who were still lying on the ground. "SALAMENCE, USE FLAMETHROWER ON THEM! DON'T HOLD BACK!"
Selene gasped in horror. She looked towards Clemont and Bonnie's direction, hoping they would intervene. However, she was dismayed to see they were all now a few yards away, preoccupied with Delos, Zora, and their Pokémon. Salamence was prepared to fire the attack...
"PIIIII-CHHHHHUUUUUUUUUU!"
Everyone had forgotten about Selene's Pichu; now fully conscious, it hopped onto a log and released its most powerful Thunder Shock yet, electrocuting Salamence.
"SALAMENCE!" roared Kay furiously.
Celebi took advantage of this distraction to use Psychic. All of a sudden, massive vines emerged from under the earth and ensnared Kay before she could react. Salamence managed to dodge one vine and burn it away with Flamethrower, but it was ambushed by another vine, which wrapped around its body and held on with a vice-like grip.
"What in blazes is this?!" Kay snarled as she struggled against her binds.
"Whoa, Celebi!" Selene exclaimed, looking down at the Time Travel Pokémon in amazement as it continued controlling the vines. "You could do that...?"
"Biiiiiiiiii..." Celebi whispered. It closed its eyes as it continued to whisper, its voice getting louder and louder every second.
Selene suddenly felt a rush of cool air blowing across her shoulders and over her head. Then, she, Pichu, Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, and their Pokémon watched as a portal started to open up behind Kay and Salamence. Green light shone from within the portal, illuminating the entire area.
"Is that...?" began Yancy.
"A time portal!" Nate exclaimed in wonder.
"So the legends are true..." Kay breathed out, unable to contain her amazement.
Once the time portal had grown considerably, Celebi opened its eyes, and the glow was at its strongest.
"BI!"
Without further ado, Celebi's vines tossed Kay and Salamence into the time portal as if they were balls being thrown through a hoop. Selene could hear Kay's scream of outrage and even terror as she and her Pokémon faded into nothingness, but she felt nothing for the horrible Pokémon Poacher. Instead, she ran up to Yancy as the pink-haired girl started to stand up.
"Are you okay, big sis Yancy?" she asked.
"Y-Ye-Yeah, I-I'm f-fi-fine," Yancy replied, her voice shaking. Then, she embraced Selene in a tight hug, without warning, and started to cry. "I w-was s-s-so w-wo-worried a-about y-y-you!"
"I'm fine, Yancy. Don't worry about me." She then looked down at Celebi. "How about you, Celebi? Are you okay?"
"Bi!" Celebi replied happily, nodding its head. Selene promptly smiled down at it.
"Good! I'm very glad!"
"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked as she hopped back onto Selene's shoulder.
"Come on!" Evelyn cried as she stood up. "We still have to get out of here!"
Meanwhile, Parker, who was now fully recovered from Emboar's Blast Burn, had just noticed the apparent demise of Kay. He looked into the time portal, which was beginning to close, and then at Selene, Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn, who all didn't notice his recovery. His expression of horror at the sudden loss turned into one of rage that he thought he would never exhibit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another Poké Ball.
"GO!" he roared.
He threw the Poké Ball, which unleashed a Shiny Sceptile with a red right eye and a yellow left eye; a scar was running down its left eye and cheek. The Sceptile cried out, attracting the attention of Selene and the Trainers.
"Parker!" Nate exclaimed with surprise.
"GIVE 'EM EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Parker hollered, sounding like a particularly irritated drill sergeant.
Sceptile used Leaf Storm, Chesnaught used Seed Bomb, and Trevenant used Phantom Force. The attacks hit Florges, Wigglytuff, and Emboar, respectively. But once all three Pokémon fell, Parker was still not done with them.
"SCEPTILE, USE FRENZY PLANT! WE'RE FINISHING THIS THING ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
Sceptile stuck its hands into the ground, triggering multiple brown roots to burst out from the ground. Unlike Celebi's vines, these plants were thicker and adorned with red thorns. Selene tried to run, but one of the vines slapped her down to the ground. It was a good thing she wasn't stabbed or cut by any of the thorns.
However, she accidentally let go of Celebi as she fell. The Time Travel Pokémon tried to run, but another vine slapped it violently into a tree. Selene could've sworn she heard something pop sickeningly.
"Celebi!" the girl cried.
"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed loudly in pain and agony. As if in response, the time portal stopped closing and began to reopen.
But something was different. The green light turned purple, and the rush of air was getting stronger by the minute, reaching uncontrollable levels. A horrible howling noise was filling the air. Then, Selene watched as the portal started to absorb leaves, then twigs, then rocks, then the log Pichu had been standing on...
"AGH!"
Selene felt an unknown force pulling her towards the portal. She quickly held on to a large rock that was jutting out of the ground, but the force was getting stronger.
"HOLD ON, PICHU!" Selene screamed over the blowing wind.
"PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Pichu groaned as she held on to the girl's shoulder.
Selene then looked at Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn. They were all holding onto something, but this unknown force had a tight grip on them as well. She didn't know what happened to Finn, Clemont, Bonnie, or even the other poachers.
"RETURN!" the three Trainers all cried, recalling their Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.
"CHESNAUGHT, USE VINE WHIP!" Parker commanded.
Having just recalled his Sceptile and Trevenant, Parker was now holding onto Chesnaught while the Spiny Armor Pokémon wrapped his vines around a stable tree. But they were the closest to the portal out of everyone else, so they were no longer touching the ground. Instead, they were flailing around wildly in the air, gravitating near the portal.
"BIIIIIIIIII!"
Selene watched as Celebi also got caught up in the rushing wind. It tumbled through the air towards its own time portal, unable to do anything to stop it from growing out of control.
"CELEBI!" she cried as the girl caught the Time Travel Pokémon with one hand. "I'VE GOT YOU, CELEBI!"
"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
"EEK!"
Selene looked away from Celebi and gasped when Evelyn lost her grip on the tree root she was clinging onto and started to tumble towards the time portal. Nate tried to catch her with one hand, but missed. Yancy then managed to grab Evelyn's hand with her own, but her grip was already slipping.
"EVELYN!" Yancy screamed.
"YANCYYYYYYYYYY!" Evelyn shrieked as the Performers already lost their grips on each other. Selene screamed in terror as the blue-haired Performer disappeared into the portal, perhaps never to be seen again.
"NO!" shouted Yancy as she started to hit the tree root she was latched onto with despair. "NO, NO, NO!"
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Nate hollered as he lost his own grip on a tree trunk.
Yancy immediately noticed this and held out her hand. "NATE!"
Nate grabbed onto his pink-haired friend's hand, and this time, their grip was more stable. However, the brown-haired Trainer's weight was causing Yancy to slowly lose her grip on the tree root. If this kept up, both of them would be sucked into the portal. Nate was the first to notice this.
"YANCY!" he cried over the wind. "YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO!"
"NO!" Yancy replied, shaking her head. "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU!"
"WELL, BETTER ME THAN THE BOTH OF US! YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO!"
"I CAN'T LET YOU GO! I...I LOVE YOU, NATE!"
Yancy wasn't sure if Nate heard her because of the howling air, but the Trainer smiled and yelled, "I'M SO GLAD I HAD YOU AS A FRIEND, YANCY! DON'T FORGET THAT!"
"NATE, DON'T YOU DARE LET GO! DON'T DO IT!"
Nate then said something else, but Yancy couldn't hear it over the wind. Then, her heart stopped the moment he let go. Her hand alone was not enough to hold on to him, so the brown-haired Trainer immediately slipped out of her reach and unflinchingly flew into the portal.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" screeched Yancy.
"NATEYYYYY!" Selene called in horror.
Suddenly, Yancy's tree root snapped from all of the strain it had just been through. The pink-haired teenager tumbled across the ground and held out her hand for anything stable to grab. Indeed, she grabbed the rock Selene was holding onto, but her grip wasn't as stable; she was already starting to let go. Selene wanted to grab her older sister, but she had one arm wrapped around Celebi and the other hand holding onto the rock.
"BIG SIS YANCY!" Selene screamed, tears falling out of her eyes and flying into the portal. First Evelyn, then Nate, and now Yancy...
"SELEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENE!"
Selene looked away, but quickly regretted that decision. So, she looked back at the portal, but it was too late: Yancy was already gone.
"YANCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
The girl started to cry. She wasn't sure what to do anymore. Her sister and two of her good friends were gone, and the time portal showed no signs of closing. There was no one else left to help her, save her...
"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed, just as Selene felt a vine wrap itself around the Time Travel Pokémon.
"NO!" the girl roared with a mixture of anger and grief, as she tightened her grip on Celebi. Parker's Chesnaught was now using one of its vines to grab Celebi, leaving the Spiny Armor Pokémon with only one other vine to use to hold on to the tree.
"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Parker roared as he held onto Chesnaught's shell. "ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I'M GETTING THAT CELEBI, AND I'M GETTING PAID!"
Selene didn't bother to respond, instead devoting herself to a literal tug-of-war with Chesnaught's vine. It didn't matter if she lost Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn. She was NOT going to lose Celebi too!
"PICHU, USE THUNDER SHOCK, QUICK!" she ordered.
"PIIIIIIIIII-CHUUUUUUUUUU!"
The electricity coursed through Selene and Celebi's bodies, but the former refused to let go. The electricity also traveled across the vine and to Parker and Chesnaught, electrocuting both as well.
"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" Parker roared.
Then, predictably, Chesnaught lost its grip on the tree as a result of the attack, and both it and Parker flew into the time portal. Selene gasped, however, when she realized Chesnaught's vine was still wrapped tightly around Celebi's body.
"NO, CELEBI!" she cried.
Not wanting Celebi to be yanked out of her hands and left to an unknown fate while she was safe, Selene was left with no other choice. So, she let go of the rock and held onto Celebi with both arms.
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" she screamed as she flew into the portal. Within split-seconds, her entire world became a vortex of purple lights, and the two groups tumbled around violently in the incomprehensible space.
"PIIIIIIIIIICHUUUUUUUUUU!" Pichu squealed.
"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Celebi called.
Suddenly, Selene felt Chesnaught tug at the vine wrapped around Celebi again. It was still not giving up?!
Pichu did not need ordering; as soon as she noticed, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon used Thunder Shock again. Everyone else was subsequently electrocuted, and finally, Chesnaught's vine let go of Celebi. Selene watched as Parker and Chesnaught flew farther away from her, Celebi, and Pichu.
"CHESNAUGHT, USE SEED BOMB!" Parker cried desperately, much to Selene's own distress.
The Spiny Armor Pokémon opened its mouth and fired multiple glowing, green seeds towards Selene. Defiantly, Pichu hopped off her unofficial owner's shoulder and fired another Thunder Shock, which hit most of the seeds. However, one managed to get past the Electric attack and hit the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.
"PIIIII!" Pichu squealed in pain.
"NO, PICHU!" Selene cried as she caught her beloved Pokémon, which now sported a number of injuries and was close to losing consciousness.
"WE'RE NOT GIVING UP, LITTLE GIRL!" Parker hollered, spit flying out of his mouth as he spoke. "WE'RE GETTING THAT ACCURSED CELEBI WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! CHESNAUGHT, USE SEED BOMB AGAIN!"
Chesnaught fired more Seed Bombs, but Selene, Celebi, and Pichu were now out of reach, and the seeds exploded harmlessly.
"AGAIN!" shouted Parker.
Chesnaught fired again, but the two were met with the same results.
"AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN!"
After a couple of minutes of shouting and harmless explosions, Parker and Chesnaught were now out of earshot, too far away to land a decent attack. Only soft, endless popping noises indicated their presence. This left just Selene, Celebi, and Pichu, who were tumbling towards an unknown destination. Holding the two Pokémon close to her chest, Selene assumed a fetal position and closed her eyes, hoping this would all end soon, and peacefully.
As she started to lose consciousness, Selene uttered one last word.
"Mommy..."
Upon hearing that word, Celebi's eyes started to glow blue again. But Selene didn't get to see what the Time Travel Pokémon was doing, for she finally lost consciousness...
The present day...
The local Pokémon Center
Kiloude City
"And that's what happened," Selene said. "I woke up, met Mr. Yuu and Mrs. Ami, they called you, Mommy, you came, and you took me here. And here we are!"
"Oh, you poor thing..." Miette replied sympathetically.
"Whoa..." Ash remarked, astounded by the story he just heard.
"Pika..." added Pikachu.
"Well, that explains a lot," Summer said, a finger on her chin. "Celebi was injured in that battle, and since it's called the Keeper of Time, then its power over time must've been disrupted as a result."
"Ah, I see!" Clemont exclaimed, his glasses glinting brightly. "This could be why there's been all those explosions in Kiloude Forest. They're space-time anomalies!"
"Space-time anamo..." Bonnie tried to repeat. "Space-time amano... Space-time... What?"
"Space-time anomalies! They're irregularities, mistakes in the space-time continuum, which is pretty much science's name for all of reality."
"All of reality?" repeated Shauna.
"Yep! So since Celebi was injured, and Celebi is the Keeper of Time, then this could be the space-time continuum's way of reacting to those injuries!"
"I'm not really getting this science mumbo-jumbo, but okay," Tierno replied.
"But Celebi's being treated right now, right?" Trevor said. "So that means once it's feeling all better, those explosions will stop, isn't that right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Nurse Joy replied, nodding.
"Well, that's a relief," Ash remarked. "We won't be getting into trouble with those things anymore."
"Pika pika," Pikachu added in agreement.
"Wait a minute," Summer said, catching everyone's attention. She looked at Selene with a serious expression. "You said Celebi was being hunted by Pokémon Poachers?"
"Mm-hm," replied Selene.
"And you said that two of those poachers went into the time portal with you?"
"Uh-huh."
Summer's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "So, those poachers, you're saying they're here too?"
Selene's eyes widened with fear, as did everyone else's. At Selene's bedside, Serena's hand, which had been on Selene's the entire time, wrapped itself around said hand and held it tightly and protectively.
"That doesn't sound good," remarked Tierno.
"Oh, what about Selene's sister and friends?!" Shauna exclaimed. "They must be here too if that's the case!"
"Oh yeah, that's right!" Ash replied.
"That's true!" cried Selene, the little girl shooting up on her bed. "You gotta find them, please! I need to know if they're alright!"
"We will, we will," Summer replied. She pulled out a notepad and a blue pen from her pocket. "Do you think you can describe your friends, please?"
As Selene divulged all relevant descriptions to the Pokémon Ranger, Serena became lost in her own thoughts. Apparently another one of her so-called future children was in the present day as well. And judging by Selene's story, this girl was also a Pokémon Performer. Serena couldn't help but squirm happily inside; she'd love to talk to this girl and learn a lot about herself in the future...
"You know, a few hours ago, I saw a girl who looked a lot like you, but with pink hair-"
"Could this be what Willy was talking about yesterday...?" the honey-blonde Performer thought.
Elsewhere in Kiloude City, a quartet of Pokémon Performers walked down the sidewalk. Three of them were in the lead; they were Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. Walking beside them were Blanche's female Meowstic, Kazalie's Lilligant, and Shulin's Accelgor.
"Wow!" Blanche cried, spinning around in amazement at her surroundings. "So this is Kiloude City, huh?!"
"If it isn't, then I'm definitely getting myself a new map!" Kazalie exclaimed, the green-haired Performer completely fixated on the faraway Laurier Maison. "Scratch that, I'm gonna write a petition to have this place renamed to Kiloude City! It's way too beautiful not to be!"
"It figures that this place is the hometown of the Kalos Queen," replied Shulin.
"Makes me wonder why she's never mentioned it, like, at all. If there's a reason why she isn't boasting about it, I'm not seeing it."
"Yeah, I wonder that too, cuz." Then, Shulin turned around to look at her newest companion, who was lagging behind as she too absorbed the sights and sounds of Kiloude City. "Hey, hurry up there, Pinkie! Don't make us wait for you!"
"Shulin, be nice," Blanche said, frowning at her fellow Performer. Then, she turned towards this Performer as well. "Come on! We're gonna go to this new ice-cream parlor; I heard they serve the best ice cream in Kalos!"
"Yeah, I've, uh...I-I've heard of it," the Performer replied. "I...actually tried that ice cream already. It's honestly not something to clamor about..."
"Wow, what a killjoy," Shulin remarked, only to be elbowed lightly in the shoulder by a disapproving Kazalie.
"Oh, I doubt it!" Blanche continued positively. "The reviews for that place are absolutely glowing!" Then, she scratched her head. "Yancy, right?"
"Yeah," replied the Performer. "Th-That's me."
"How come you know about that parlor when you said you've never been to Kiloude City before?"
Yancy's crystal-blue eyes widened in horror, and the White Flower Florges beside her tensed up a little. She had been caught in a lie!
"Oh, f-"