Chapter 135: Mewtwo Joins the Team!

The legendary Pokémon Celebi has appeared in Viridian Forest!

This explosive news rapidly dominated the headlines of all major media outlets, accompanied by a variety of photos from the scene. Although the clarity varied significantly, these photos, captured from different angles, felt all the more authentic for it. With television crews broadcasting the event live, there were plenty of witnesses both on-site and watching from afar. In other words, the appearance of Celebi at the Viridian Festival was no mere publicity stunt cooked up by Viridian City—it was the real deal.

Yellow watched as the older boys and girls around her frantically tapped away at their phones, as if they wanted to spark flames against their touchscreens.

"Woo." Lapras nudged Yellow’s cheek. *Rest assured, we’re used to this; it’s nothing to worry about.*

Milcery nodded, rubbed a dollop of cream together, and offered it to Yellow. "Milcery." *Come on, little sister, have some cream to calm your nerves.*

Doduo’s beak dripped with drool. "Duo-duo."

"Milcery." *There’s enough for everyone, don’t worry!*

After stuffing two dollops of cream into Doduo’s beaks, Milcery flew onto Lapras’s head and conjured a larger portion to feed her. "Milcery!" *Big sister, this one is for you.*

Lapras swallowed the cream in one gulp and squinted her eyes. As the rich, sweet flavor spread from her mouth throughout her entire body, she felt as if she were being bathed in a warm soup of cream.

"You lot are certainly relaxed." Zhu Suihan glanced at Lapras.

"Woo." *I know who caused this massive commotion, but I’m not telling.*

Milcery nodded. "Milcery." *I know too, but I’m not saying either.*

Doduo tilted both heads in the same direction. "Duo, duo?" *I don’t know, but... I’m not telling either?*

Zhu Suihan: ?

"Fine, I admit this deviated slightly from what I expected, but only by a little bit." Zhu Suihan gestured with his fingers. "I originally thought that making the forest more lush and improving the natural environment was the limit."

How was he supposed to know Celebi would show up! If he had known, he would have masked his identity, spread the news himself, and wiped out Team Rocket to make a profit. The white-haired youth could swear to Arceus that he truly hadn’t expected Celebi to appear so suddenly.

While other Pokémon at least had their own territories—such as the lakes inhabited by the Lake Guardians or the Snowpoint Temple of Regigigas—Celebi, even with its territory in Ilex Forest, was generally a wanderer. If that weren’t the case, the villainous Bishop wouldn’t have spent so long chasing it like a desperate sycophant in the original timeline.

"And you, don't be so reserved. Everyone here is a good person." Zhu Suihan spoke suddenly. "Don't be shy. Why don't you come out and meet everyone?"

The others looked on, bewildered, but Lapras and Milcery both turned their gaze toward the corner of the room. The latter held up her cream dollop and called out.

"Milcery." *There’s delicious cream over here.*

"Woo." *Come on out, little one~*

[The electromagnetic waves here are complex. I am helping you clear the signal path while preventing anyone from eavesdropping on your conversation.] Mewtwo materialized, arms crossed. [How were you able to see me?]

Lapras and Milcery looked at each other as if it were the most natural thing in the world: our Trainer can see you, so naturally, we can too.

[Incomprehensible.]

"If it's hard to understand, then don't bother. It's that simple." Zhu Suihan set his phone on the table. "Since things have reached this point, let's order some food."

"Mewtwo, what would you like to eat?"

Mewtwo pondered for a moment. [Anything.]

Zhu Suihan’s expression twisted instantly. For someone who cooks and chooses tourist attractions, the most dreaded word in the world is "anything." If he were back in his previous life, anyone saying that to him would likely be on the receiving end of a backpack to the face from a friend.

"Pick something else."

[But I observed the humans and Pokémon in this area, and they all consider this a very convenient response.]

Zhu Suihan swallowed the urge to tell him that was nonsense and cleared his throat to collect his thoughts. "They are them, and you are you. Think about what you want to eat; ask your own heart. If you don't know exactly what dish you want, you can start with the flavor. Sweet, salty, bitter—anything is fine."

Mewtwo rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. [Very well. I would like to try both sweet and salty.]

"Alright. No major business today; time to fire up the furnace."

Lance: ?

"You call this 'no major business'?!"

"Otherwise? It’s just Celebi showing up. Is there really anything to be so concerned about?"

Lance’s brow twitched. "Nonsense, this is a huge deal! My clan sent word that every hunter tavern is packed to the brim right now with people looking for intel and forming teams. Do you have any idea?"

Zhu Suihan yawned and glanced toward Sabrina. "It sounds as if they’re forming dozens of raid groups to storm the place, as if Giovanni couldn't handle them with one hand tied behind his back." Someone wanted to test the mysteries of the Earth? That would be fantastic; Giovanni would be thrilled to turn them in for the bounty. The more people there were, the higher the value.

"Celebi, the Forest Guardian who travels through time—with something that big happening in Viridian Forest, it would be strange if it didn't show up. Is there anything worth discussing?" Zhu Suihan picked up his incense burner. "What can I say? Should I tell you that you’ve read too few books and are completely unprepared for such events?"

Lance was speechless, feeling that it made sense, yet somehow, it also didn't.

"Forget it. You stay here for two days; leave only after the matter has concluded."

Zhu Suihan paused. "You can speak for the League?"

Lance chuckled. "Thanks to you, I've been hired early. I am now a trainee investigator for the League, and the League has given me a direct order to guard you personally."

As for Mewtwo? That was secondary. The current problem was the appearance of Celebi, along with the need to consider what exactly was wrong with that student from the Pokémon Center Academy. The Shell Bell incident could be called a coincidence—just caught in a bug net. The Burned Tower incident in Ecruteak City could also be a coincidence—after all, the director himself had suggested he go there to clear his head. But if the Viridian Forest incident happened and people still thought it was a coincidence, they might as well retire.

To be precise, one had to consider the connection this student had with these legendary Pokémon! Was it that the Pokémon successfully brought back through fossil technology recognized him? If they recognized him, then so be it; it would just be another report to file.

Zhu Suihan thought for a moment. "The kind of 'guarding' where you stand at the door while I take a bath?"

"If you don't think it's a problem, I can stand inside the bathroom too!"

Zhu Suihan walked out. "Don't get excited, don't get excited. Let's eat first. You don't have any dietary restrictions, right?"

As he opened the door, Giovanni—who had been about to knock—froze. Silver, standing beside him, looked at the troublemaker. *Hmm, strange guy.*

"Suihan, I’ll call you that for now." Giovanni’s expression was weary. "Where are you going?"

"To cook. The room is too cramped." Zhu Suihan looked at the three companions following him. "Everyone is hungry; let's get something to fill our bellies."

"Oh, almost forgot. I didn't give you this." Giovanni took out a transparent glass box. Inside, resting on premium padding, was a Poké Ball that was purple on the top half and featured gem-like protrusions on both sides, reminiscent of a Tentacruel. In the center of the top half, a large letter "M" marked its identity.

"This is a Master Ball. Originally, it was meant to be given to whoever gained the Pokémon's recognition after the festival." Giovanni handed the box to Zhu Suihan. "In principle, it can catch even a Champion-level Pokémon instantly, provided you make direct contact with it. This ball was specifically prepared for that brand-new Pokémon."

Zhu Suihan accepted the box. "Thank you for the help, and thank you for going to such lengths to create this opportunity for him."

Giovanni smiled. "I wouldn't call it going to such lengths." His own birth had been laden with too many agendas; if he had to have such agendas when choosing a Trainer, Giovanni truly didn't know what the future would become.

"Do you want to stay for dinner? I was just about to make a pot."

Giovanni glanced at Silver, then at the others in the room, and nodded. "I’ll take you up on that."

[Why did you name me Mewtwo?]

"It's simple. Your genetic makeup is primarily composed of Mew's genes. 'Mewtwo' is your name, and it is also my expectation for you." Zhu Suihan smiled. "Do you like it? If not, we can change it. Whatever you prefer."

[No, this name is fine.] Mewtwo looked at Lapras and Milcery and followed their example, sitting on the grass. [There seem to be professional chefs in the camp.]

"Woo." Lapras shook her head decisively. How could the skills of those chefs compare to a Trainer’s? There was no comparison.

Milcery floated over to the tip of Mewtwo's tail and bounced up and down, proving that his tail was quite elastic. "Milcery!" *Big sister is right!*

[The flavor...] Mewtwo watched Zhu Suihan, who was busy at the makeshift cooking station, and a feeling he couldn't name welled up in his heart. [I will help you.]

"No need, just sit. You’ve just awakened—or rather, been reborn. If you want to help, you can do so later." Zhu Suihan tapped the incense burner, and spherical energy cubes fell onto the tray. He was now so skilled he could multitask.

Mewtwo: ? [Energy cubes... are spheres?]

"Woo." "Milcery!" Lapras and Milcery shook their heads simultaneously, looking like they knew more than him. *You don’t understand, these are medicinal pills!*

Mewtwo felt his knowledge base expand. *I see. Spherical energy cubes are called medicinal pills. Noted.*

"Woo!" *Trainer, do that thing, the thing!*

"Milcery!" *Do it, Trainer!*

Zhu Suihan looked at the two little ones. "You two, if you're bored, go wash the berries. You're going to make Mewtwo shy."

"Woo!" "Milcery!" Lapras and Milcery were unusually insistent. Zhu Suihan couldn't help but laugh, then skillfully gathered a pile of firewood and fuel for a campfire.

Lapras looked at Mewtwo. "Woo." *This is our team’s initiation ceremony.*

"Milcery." *It’s a lot of fun!*

Mewtwo watched Zhu Suihan pull out a lighter, not quite understanding the procedure.

"Woo!" "Milcery!" *Trainer, use Flamethrower!* (x2)

Zhu Suihan looked at Mewtwo. "Do you understand now?"

[I understand, yet I don't understand why, and it feels quite embarrassing.] Mewtwo nodded slowly. [However, I will learn.] *Becoming partners, becoming family...* Mewtwo's lips twitched slightly, but he returned to a calm state.

Zhu Suihan flicked the lighter. "Then, come."

"Woo!" "Milcery!" Both the large and small Pokémon looked at Mewtwo, who nodded solemnly, signaling he understood.

*Trainer, use Flamethrower!* (x3)

*Click.*

The flame rose, and the dancing light reflected in the eyes of the four of them.

Mewtwo has joined the team!