Cynthia's achievements

After walking for several dozen minutes, the two arrived at the village.

Celebi was now in Cynthia's arms, still unconscious.

Cynthia called out to a woman near the village entrance.

"Excuse me!"

"Oh, my, an unfamiliar face. What's the matter?"

"Celebi was injured in the woods. Could you lend me some tools and somewhere to treat her?"

"Good heavens, come to my house!"

The woman led them to one of the tree houses.

Cynthia began treating Celebi with tools unique to the village. Since I had already given her first aid, there wasn't much left to do, but I gave Celebi more thorough treatment than before.

"Phew. That should do for now."

Shirona stopped working, a light sheen of sweat on her brow.

Celebi had yet to wake, but her breathing was steadier than before.

"Thank you so much."

"It's all right, don't worry. We help one another with things like this."

"Thank you for your kindness."

"Oh dear, I'm late introducing myself. I'm Towa. And you?"

"I'm Cynthia, a Pokémon Trainer. This is my assistant, Kaim."

"I'm Kaim."

"It's lovely to meet you. Are you tired after treating her? I'll make you some tea."

"Oh, that would be wonderful."

After drinking the tea she brought, I rested for a little while and began assessing the situation.

First, when I explained how the two of us had arrived, Towa breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see."

"No wonder I thought your clothes looked strange," Towa said with a laugh.

"Does this happen often around here?"

"No, not often. Well, here in Hateno Forest, we sometimes hear something called the 'Voice of the Forest.' They say it's the sound Celebi makes when traveling through time."

"The Voice of the Forest?"

"Yes. Something similar happened a few years ago."

"Can we go back?"

"At least, I don't know of any cases where they stayed here. Even the children who once went missing came back in the end."

In any case, their only way back to their own time was to wait for Celebi to wake.

"Where are you two from?"

"We're from the Sinnoh Region."

"The Sinnoh Region! You came from somewhere cold."

"It isn't so bad once you get used to it, is it?"

"Yes."

Kaim was originally from the Hoenn Region, too. The Sinnoh Region was colder than the Hoenn Region, so it had been a little difficult before I adjusted. Still, people were remarkably adaptable, and I had gotten used to it before I knew it.

"Hehe. Looking at you two reminds me of a child who traveled through time."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. That child was from Kanto, but had a very similar air about them. Especially that quality Pokémon all seem to like."

"Then that sounds more like Kaim."

At Cynthia's words, Kaim merely shrugged.

After a laugh, Towa grew serious.

"Well, let's get back to the matter at hand. About that Celebi."

"Yes. There are signs that someone deliberately hurt her."

"It must have been someone cruel. You have people like that in your time, too."

"The dark side of humanity never goes away."

Perhaps Celebi had been killed by someone from the underworld.

"Was it a hunter?"

"Probably. That hunter hasn't come to this time, so you should be able to focus on treating this little one."

"That's true."

In fact, only Cynthia, Kaim, and Lucario had traveled through time. I judged that the presence I had sensed behind me at the moment of the time shift had probably been Celebi, and ruled out the possibility that the hunter had come to this era.

"Celebi is a very rare Pokémon with a special ability, but she doesn't have much fighting power. Perhaps that's why she's so often targeted."

"It's all right."

"Yes."

"Were you praised?"

"Yes."

At Cynthia's words, Kaim lowered his gaze.

"In any case, they can't go anywhere until Celebi wakes up."

"Yes. There's nothing we can do about that."

"For today, you two can stay at my house."

"Are you sure?"

In fact, there was little the two of them could do now. Both had traveled as Trainers and had experience sleeping outdoors, so that in itself posed no particular problem, but they had too little equipment at the moment. They could sleep outside, but if there was somewhere they could spend their time safely, that was the better choice. Still, some people would be unwilling to provide such a place without anything in return.

"Yes. We have plenty of room, and everyone in the village helps one another. Having two more people here won't change that."

"Thank you for being so considerate."

"At least let us help you with something."

"Really? Then could you help me prepare dinner?"

"I'll do that, then. I'm good at cooking."

"What about me?"

"Stay with Celebi. Besides, Kuroko seems restless with nothing to do, so I'd like him to keep you company."

As he spoke, Kaim brought Umbreon out of the ball. I stroked the little black Pokémon's head, hugged her, and then handed her to Cynthia.

"Got it."

"I'm counting on you."

Kaim put on the apron he was given and followed Towa.

"Do you two travel?"

Towa asked Kaim as they cooked.

He paused for a moment, but immediately set his hands moving again.

"No, not exactly. I often go out to do research, but that's all."

"Research? Are you scholars or something?"

"Cynthia is an archaeologist. I'm her assistant."

"Oh! Miss Cynthia is an archaeologist! So that's what you meant by assistant."

"I don't know which one counts as my main occupation."

Cynthia's achievements seemed so impressive. As a Trainer, she had not only won the championship but defended it, and she had also made a name for herself as an archaeologist. Perhaps both were her main occupations.

"No, that's incredible. I can hardly believe someone like that exists."

"Not at all."

"So you're her assistant?"

"I don't know whether to call him my assistant or my apprentice."

"What are you talking about, Miss Cynthia? Haven't you only made it this far because I'm here?"

"If left to her own devices, her diet would be terrible. And she can't do housework, either."

"Oh dear, you look so perfect. But I like people like that better."

Towa happily continued cooking, glancing over to see Cynthia playing with Kaim's little black Pokémon. Although the Pokémon belonged to Kaim, she was very close to Cynthia, too.

"Um..."

"Yes?"

"Does Celebi show up here often?"

"Not very often. I'd say even once a year would be a lot. I don't know whether it's the same individual."

"The same individual?"

"Celebi are rare to begin with, but there isn't necessarily only one at any given time or place, is there? So there might be Celebi from other eras, rather than the Celebi from today."

"I agree."

"Since she was attacked, she might disappear as soon as she wakes up."

"That's an awful thought."

"Perhaps, for people who want to return to their original time."

"No, that's not what I meant."

Kaim continued frying the chopped vegetables in order.

"I don't mind if, in the worst case, we can't get back. If Celebi wants to run away, I think that's fine. After someone tried to kill her, it's only natural for her to be wary."

"Hehe, you're so kind."

"Pokémon are living creatures, too."

Kaim's eyes filled with anger toward those who had hurt Celebi.

"There's no doubt about that. Really, if everyone were as kind as you, the world would be at peace."

"Everyone would be good?"

"Yes?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Oh, you're quite a good cook."

"You get better if you do it often."

"It's not as though I do it because I like it," Kaim added with a wry smile as he spooned the stir-fried vegetables into a bowl.

"You're not being honest."

Towa laughed, her voice so quiet that Kaim could barely hear her.

Night fell.

After dinner and a brief exchange of greetings with the villagers, Shirona gazed outside from Towa's bedroom.

"So this is where you were."

The door opened, and Towa approached Cynthia with two cups.

"Would you like some herbal tea?"

"Thank you. I'd love some."

Cynthia accepted the cup and drank the herbal tea. Its refreshing flavor spread through her mouth, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Delicious. What a soothing flavor."

"Isn't it lovely? Drink some before bed, and you'll sleep well."

"Thank you for everything. I'm truly grateful."

"It's all right. I just wanted to help."

"Hehe, you sound like Kaim."

Cynthia smiled as she watched Kaim chatting outside with the men of the village. After all, Pokémon from the Sinnoh and Hoenn Regions were rare in the Johto Region, and the children had gathered around Kaim's Pokémon.

"I chatted with him a little while we were cooking. He seems very considerate."

"Yes."

"Oh my. You two are close."

At Towa's laughter, Cynthia's words grew a little hesitant.

"Yes. We'll be together for a long time."

"That's good. Children like him are rare, aren't they? Take good care of him."

"I treasure him. Without Kaim, I wouldn't be who I am today."

"You have a wonderful bond of trust."

Cynthia smiled as she watched Kaim. He looked exasperated by their fascination with the Pokémon, but he patiently dealt with them all the same.

"Kaim's cooking was delicious."

"Yes. He cooks three meals almost every day."

"He's very hardworking."

Kaim said, "You should eat proper food every day instead of damaging your health with an unbalanced diet. It's foolish to ruin your body that way." I think that was what he meant.

"He's not being honest."

"Huh?"

Thinking those words had been directed at her, I asked again without thinking, but Towa added that she hadn't meant Cynthia, then turned her gaze toward Kaim.

"Perhaps that isn't what he really feels? Of course he thinks that, too, but making three meals almost every day must be hard. I think it's less that he likes cooking, and more that he likes seeing his 'special someone' enjoy the food he makes."

"...You're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Hahaha! I'll only have you here for one night."

"Please forgive me for that much."

Shirona glared at the happily laughing Towa, then turned her gaze toward Kaim.

Kaim was clumsy.

People often thought I was capable because I tried to be orderly and precise, but whenever I tried to do one thing or another, I often failed. When I first met him, especially in battle, all his attributes were fairly even, but that also meant he excelled at nothing and took a halfhearted approach to every tactic. That was surprising, since my personal life was going well.

I was smart, but I did not know how to use my brain. So when Cynthia taught Kaim how to use his brain, his battle skills improved enough that he could introduce him to a gymnastics coach.

Kaim was clumsy and uncooperative, but he said he liked what he liked and disliked what he disliked. He even conveyed that to people who fell into neither category. His way of communicating was not direct, but even so, he basically never lied.

Kaim said he disliked cooking. Of course, I should not have disliked it, but disliking it meant there was a "reason" for me to keep doing something I disliked.

I remembered someone telling me something similar at the Sacred Ruins a few days earlier.

"I do it because I like it."

Those words and that expression were unforgettable.

I wished I could hear them again, but Kaim would not say them.

"Miss Cynthia, you look so cute right now."

"H-huh?! Are you lying?!"

"Mm, cute."

Cynthia drank her herbal tea with a flushed face.

A man from the village put a hand on his shoulder and watched Kaim with a wry smile, but Kaim did not notice.

"A girl like that is surprisingly popular, isn't she?"

"Do you really think so?"

"Yeah! Someone who's clumsy but can express their feelings properly is very attractive to women. I'm sure Pokémon feel the same way."

"Yeah, I'm sure they do."

"Have you ever dated anyone, Kaim?"

"According to him, apparently not."

"Even so, I feel like I've gotten used to women, thanks to Miss Cynthia."

"Maybe. But I haven't felt awkward around women since the first time I met her."

"Oh, then I wonder if you have any sisters."

"Yes."

Kaim did not talk much about himself, but when someone had asked about his family before, he had said he had an older sister. I had not heard much about what she was like, but she seemed to be a free spirit.

"So, are you two actually dating?"

"Did you hear that?"

"I'm curious. Ah, but if you don't want to say, you don't have to tell me now."

Cynthia did not seem particularly upset by Towa's question and answered with an elegant smile.

"Kaim is my assistant and partner."

Towa's eyes widened for a moment, but then he laughed.

Kaim watched the two from below as they chatted like good friends.

I was dreaming.

A very frightening dream.

A human chasing me with a vulgar expression.

Ferocious Pokémon hurting me with powerful moves.

They hurt me and chased me everywhere to capture me.

Run.

Run.

Run.

When I reached my destination, I traveled through time.

The dream ended there.

"Ah!"

Kaim opened his eyes.

His breathing was rapid, and his whole body was drenched in sweat. A cool breeze blew, but perhaps because I was sweating, it felt cold enough to make me shiver.

Kuroki, who had been sleeping beside him, approached Kaim with a worried look. Seeing that, I felt a little embarrassed to have put him to such trouble and stroked his head.

"That dream..."

A dream of being chased by something. It was almost certainly Celebi's dream.

I did not know why Kaim had dreamed of Celebi, but it was hardly surprising that Celebi would have been traumatized by humans after such a terrifying experience.

The dream he had seen left an indescribable fear swirling in Kaim's heart.

"Kaim?"

Perhaps awakened by Kaim's voice, Cynthia, who had been sleeping beside him, looked at his face with concern.

"Shiro... na."

"Are you all right? You're pale."

Kaim's heart was filled with inexplicable fear. When he saw Cynthia's face, he gently embraced her, with Kuroki held between them.

"Kaim?"

Cynthia was surprised by the sudden gesture, but when she noticed Kaim's ragged breathing and trembling hands, she silently hugged him back.

"Sorry. Just let me do this for now."

"Of course. It's all right."

Kaim could only shelter himself in Shirona's warmth.

"Celebi's dream?"

"Probably."

After calming down, Kaim told Cynthia about his dream.

"I know about its power to travel through time, but this is the first I've heard of dreams. Still, quite a few Pokémon can use Telepathy, so it shouldn't be too strange."

"...Really."

"You were being chased by humans, after all."

Cynthia's words were filled with anger.

She loved Pokémon from the bottom of her heart, so she probably could not forgive people who treated them as tools.

"Sorry. I got upset."

"It's all right. If our positions were reversed, I'd probably do the same."

Black sat on Kaim's lap and licked his face. Kaim felt sorry for worrying Kuroko.

"Celebi might wake up soon."

"Why?"

"That's just how I feel."

As Kaim spoke, he looked away. For some reason, a hint of sadness colored his face.

"Cynthia."

"What is it?"

"Humans can be so cruel."

Kaim was not someone who preached that human nature was inherently good. Even so, I still believed people had a good side. That was why, seen through Celebi's eyes, that person had seemed truly terrifying.

"For better or worse, people are fickle. If a bad person can do something good on a whim, a saint can do something bad on a whim, too."

"Diversity."

"Think about the difference between your own sense of justice and other people's actions. That's one of your strengths."

"Justice, justice. I'm someone who rejects justice."

"Oh, are you?"

"There's no such thing as justice in the first place."

"Convenience, isn't it? That's a strange way to put it."

People's actions were neither good nor bad in themselves. Good and bad could only be distinguished from an individual's perspective. They were not something shared by all humanity.

Kaim called all of it "convenience," and Cynthia agreed.

Looking outside, dawn had begun to break. It was a little early to get up, but I did not want to sleep.

"It's still early."

"Sorry for waking you."

"Then could you stay with us until everyone wakes up?"

Seeing Cynthia smile and tilt her head, Kaim felt relieved, though his expression did not change.

I'll stay by your side. Kaim was grateful for that sense of security.

"Yeah."

Kaim answered briefly, then looked up at the sky.

Celebi awoke amid faint sounds and a pleasant smell.

I did not know where I was, but I was lying somewhere soft. My whole body hurt, yet there were signs that my injuries had been treated.

Celebi realized that it was alone, but also realized that this place was made by humans and looked around. It was clean and tidy. But as long as this was a human place, I did not know what might happen to me if I stayed. Just as Celebi prepared to flee, the door opened.

"Oh, you're awake."

A man came in. His black hair was neatly arranged, giving him a clean appearance. He was expressionless, but he did not look vulgar like the people who had chased it.

Still, Celebi was afraid of humans themselves, and fear drove away even the thought of escaping.

The man handed the tray he was carrying to Blaziken nearby, then raised both hands.

"I won't do anything. I know you're afraid of humans, so run if you want. I won't stop you. But eat your food first. Once you've eaten all this, do whatever you want. I've opened that window over there, so you can escape anytime."

With that, the man left. Blaziken, who remained behind, and Kuroki at his feet approached Celebi and set the plate in front of it. Kuroki deftly used his feet to pour water into a glass.

Blaziken set down the tray and closed his eyes. Kuroki sat beside him.

Celebi looked at the food in front of it. Steam rose from the hot soup, and it smelled delicious. Having been chased by humans, it had not eaten anything decent and was hungry. Yet it hesitated because the food had been made by humans.

Blaziken did not move. He appeared to be doing nothing, but I could sense his determination not to let the matter drop. Kuroki did not seem particularly frightening, but he stared at Celebi as though asking, Aren't you going to eat? It's good, you know.

Yielding to the pressure from the two of them, mostly Blaziken, Celebi took a mouthful of soup. Its eyes widened as the gentle flavor spread through its mouth. I had never eaten anything so delicious before.

After that, I ate all the food I had been given. Seeing this, Blaziken nodded in satisfaction and left the room with the empty dishes. The remaining Black Bean smiled as though saying, That was good, wasn't it? Then he followed Blaziken.

Left in the empty room, Celebi tried to escape through the open window.

"If you want to run, run. I won't stop you. But eat first."

The earlier words flashed through my mind. Humans were frightening. But I had sensed no malice from that man, and once he knew I feared humans, he had taken care not to frighten me unnecessarily.

Besides, that soup had been delicious. Leaving just like that did not feel right. With that thought, Celebi opened the door.

"Fault."

After we had eaten and rested for a while, Celebi woke up and looked at me timidly. Cynthia and the others did not seem particularly surprised, since they had heard from Kaim that it had awakened.

"You're awake. That's good."

Cynthia greeted Celebi with a gentle smile.

Realizing there was no hostility in her words, Celebi approached Shirona. Cynthia stroked its head, allowing Celebi to lower its guard.

"It must have been hard. You did well."

Cynthia stroked Celebi affectionately, and Celebi squirmed bashfully.

Then Kaim returned.

"You ate."

Seeing the dishes that had been set down and Celebi being petted by Shirona, Kaim spoke. Celebi approached him fearfully.

Kaim wondered what it wanted, but somehow guessed what had happened from Celebi's expression.

"Is that a thank-you? Was the food good?"

Celebi nodded.

"It's all right. I already told you: if you're afraid of humans, hurry and run away. I have something I need from you, but honestly, I don't want to frighten you into doing it."

Kaim said this without expression, then began washing the dishes that had been set down.

Since Kaim's expression never changed, Celebi had no way of understanding what was going on inside his mind.