Shiny Celebi

Dinner was congee hot pot with assorted vegetables and sashimi.

To make it different from yesterday's milk congee hot pot, Tong Hua had deliberately left out the Moomoo Milk today.

The finished dish, however, had nearly the same effects as yesterday's.

Tong Hua and the Pokémon sat around the outdoor dining table as steam curled up from the hot pot. He gently stirred the milky-white congee base with long chopsticks, sending the aroma of rice wafting through the warm air.

Turtwig and Minccino eyed the sliced fish before them, quietly gearing up for another contest. Miltank and Bounsweet guarded the vegetables nearby, their eyes equally full of longing.

Tong Hua had prepared a separate pot of congee broth just for the Bibarel family. The crowd of Pokémon split between two tables, merrily scrambling for food.

"Feels like the ranch suddenly got a lot livelier.

Not bad!"

Counting everything, this was only Tong Hua's third day since arriving in this world, and the ranch was already getting on track.

The first batch of crops in the fields had almost all sprouted, and they were growing well.

With Miltank providing a steady income, feeding this entire family of Pokémon would not be a problem, at least for the foreseeable future.

While everyone happily gathered around the two hot pots, the two Pokémon hiding in the air finally found the delicious aroma too much to resist...

"Labi!"

Both Pokémon appeared at once and fought over the same slice of potato, snatching it right out from under Tong Hua's chopsticks!

Tong Hua: "?"

"What just flew past?"

His chopsticks still hung in midair, but the slice of potato they had been holding was gone. He froze for a moment, then looked up.

Two tiny Pokémon hovered above the hot pot. They looked almost identical, except that one was green and the other pink.

"Th-they're Celebi!"

Tong Hua practically slapped the table and jumped to his feet. Those were two Mythical Pokémon! And they had appeared right in front of him without any warning!

"Labi!"

One Celebi smugly held the potato slice in its mouth, while the other beat its wings in displeasure.

The sudden appearance of these two little creatures brought every Pokémon present to a standstill.

Turtwig and Minccino froze in the middle of their quarrel, all four eyes going wide. They were clearly stunned by the unexpected sight.

Miltank even forgot to chew the vegetable leaf in her mouth, while Bounsweet tilted its little head up curiously, turning this way and that as it followed the Celebi.

"Labi-!"

The pink Celebi angrily lunged at the green one, trying to steal the potato slice.

The two Mythical Pokémon chased each other through the air like a pair of mischievous balls of light, stirring even the hot pot's steam into swirling eddies.

Tong Hua finally recovered and hurriedly picked up a few more slices of potato and fish, waving them at the pair. "No fighting, no fighting! There's more right here!"

Both Celebi immediately stopped chasing each other and turned toward the food in his hand, their eyes sparkling.

"Labi~"

Suddenly, the pink Celebi seemed to remember something. She drew close and nuzzled Tong Hua's cheek, forgetting all about the delicious food and focusing entirely on cuddling up to him.

That played right into the green Celebi's hands. It hugged the hot pot ingredients and munched away all by itself, satisfaction written all over its face.

What is going on? Overjoyed by the pink Celebi's affectionate touch, Tong Hua could not help feeling puzzled as well.

What exactly happened?

Let us turn back time a little...

The Wind-Circling Forest was still shrouded in a thin morning mist. Dewdrops clung to the tips of leaves, poised to fall.

A pink Celebi drifted through the woods in bewilderment. She could not remember where she had come from, nor could she tell where she should go.

She had only a vague sense that she carried an important mission, that something important... was calling to her.

She wandered aimlessly until an open ranch came into view.

In the fields enclosed by wooden fences, tender green seedlings stood in neat rows. On the distant pasture, Miltank leisurely grazed on fresh grass.

But what truly made her heart race was that faint, warm presence.

It's here...

Instinctively, she concealed herself and quietly drifted toward the wooden house by the ranch entrance. But the moment she drew near...

"Labi?"

Another emerald-green figure poked its head out from beneath the eaves, tilting its head as it studied her.

The two Celebi stared at each other.

The pink Celebi blinked, and the other blinked too. She reached out to poke its cheek, and it poked her back in confusion.

How strange...

Why... does this feel so familiar?

They flew a circle around each other, as though looking into a mirror, yet there was a subtle difference.

The green one's eyes were lively and mischievous, while something deeper lay hidden in the pink one's gaze.

Human footsteps sounded in the distance. Both Celebi startled and, in perfect unison, vanished into thin air.

They silently watched the young man named Tong Hua leave the ranch with his Pokémon, then watched him work in the forest and by the stream.

The sun sank westward, and cooking smoke curled into the air. When the hot pot's aroma spread, the green Celebi could no longer contain itself, but the pink Celebi stared blankly at Tong Hua's profile.

This person... have I ever...

Fragments of memory flashed past like shooting stars. She unconsciously touched her chest. It felt empty, yet somehow filled with something.

Only when the green Celebi snatched the potato did she abruptly snap out of her daze.

I remember! Something like this happened before! But back then, I was the one who got it!

She angrily lunged over to fight for it, only for her heart to suddenly skip a beat as she drew close to Tong Hua.

His warmth, his presence, even the way he offered her food with a helpless smile...

Ah, so that's it.

The pink Celebi suddenly abandoned the fight and gently nuzzled Tong Hua's cheek instead.

Although her memories had not fully returned, she was certain that the person before her was the most important partner she had once spent every day with.

This time... I definitely won't forget again.

Unfortunately, Celebi could neither speak nor use Telepathy, so she had no way to tell Tong Hua this winding tale.

Tong Hua only remembered that, in the Pokémon Ranger game's story, the Wind-Circling Forest did seem to have a green

Celebi living there.

That was the final mission, which only became available after completing every other mission in the game.

"I think catching Celebi lets you restore the forest that burned down to how it used to be? It's been so long since I played that I can't quite remember...

But even so, where did this Shiny Celebi come from?"

Tong Hua gently supported the pink Celebi with his hand. She did not resist and simply stood on his palm.

"Labi~"

The pink Celebi danced on Tong Hua's palm, her tiny wings fluttering and the two little antennae on her head swaying in the breeze.

She tilted her little face up, her eyes curving into crescents. Though she could not convey it in words, her affection reached Tong Hua in full.

"Could it be that you want to be friends with me? I'm happy to meet you too."

Tong Hua could not resist gently touching the pink Celebi's little head with a fingertip. She happily hugged his finger, as though she had found a treasured possession once lost.

Meanwhile, the green Celebi had completely let loose. It hovered above the hot pot with half a cabbage in its arms, lowering its head for a bite now and then, rice grains covering its face.

It even remembered to give the pink Celebi a smug flutter of its wings, as though showing off its spoils.

Turtwig and Minccino finally recovered from their shock. They exchanged a look and silently agreed to a temporary truce.

With a formidable enemy before them, they had to present a united front!

"Tur!" "Min!"

They sat down obediently and gazed pleadingly at Tong Hua, hoping their Pokémon Trainer would not forget his old companions in favor of the new arrivals.

Miltank was far more easygoing. Seeing that neither Celebi was hostile, she resumed slowly chewing her vegetables.

Bounsweet bounced over to Tong Hua's side and curiously sniffed the pink Celebi.

The mischievous Celebi flicked its forehead, leaving it dizzy. It spun around twice and plopped onto the ground, making everyone burst into laughter.

Watching this chaotic yet heartwarming scene, Tong Hua could not help smiling. "All right, since you're both here, let's eat together!"

He simply fetched another small bowl, filled it with steaming congee broth, added a few slices of tender fish and some vegetables, and set it before the two Celebi.

"Here. No more fighting. There's enough for everyone."