Celebi and Tangrowth

At noon, the skies cleared after the rain.

Sure enough, a rainbow appeared in the clear sky.

Everyone stood at the best lookout on Gale Hill, gazing down over all of Windring Town.

A gentle breeze carried the fresh, rain-washed air to their noses. Tong Hua took a deep breath, catching the faint scent of wildflowers mingled with the fragrance of earth and grass.

Mu Mu and Meimei were delighted, each taking up a brush and drawing board to paint the view.

Tong Hua stood nearby and watched for quite a while. He had to admit that although his senior apprentice Mu Mu was only so-so at making things, he was quite good at painting.

Meimei's parents also seemed happy to see her absorbed in creating art. They stood quietly to one side, pleased smiles on their faces.

Meimei's father adjusted his glasses and said softly to his wife, "It's been a long time since I've seen Meimei this focused."

Meimei's mother nodded, watching the two children with gentle eyes. "Mu Mu may be a little unusual, but he's surprisingly good at looking after others."

Hearing this, Tong Hua couldn't help giving Mu Mu another look.

Mu Mu was patiently showing Meimei how to mix colors. Those hands that always fumbled with wood now held a brush deftly, tracing smooth lines across the paper.

His paintings weren't particularly masterful or realistic, but a single glance was enough to convey the feelings he had painted them with.

He truly had a remarkable gift.

Meanwhile, Rangers Chuang Yi and Hitomi were contacting the base through their communicators.

Captain Palmer and the two senior Rangers were still on their way back. The assignment had been successfully completed, and Palmer lavished them with so much praise that Chuang Yi and Hitomi felt a little embarrassed.

"But..." Palmer's stern voice came through the communicator. "Are there only support staff left at the base right now? If a resident comes in with a request, we'll end up keeping them waiting."

Chuang Yi straightened. "Understood! We'll head back to the base right away!"

After ending the call, Chuang Yi hurried over to the group, who were still painting.

"Sorry, everyone, but the two of us have to leave first. The Ranger Base is short-handed, so we need to get back to work."

"Of course, of course." Meimei's father nodded repeatedly. "We'll be sure to visit another day to thank you properly."

Chuang Yi and Hitomi turned and left. A little later, it was time for Meimei's family to leave as well.

"I'm hungry..." Meimei rubbed her little belly, set her brush on her drawing board, and looked up at her parents.

"It is almost lunchtime." Meimei's mother smiled and stroked her head. "Shall we go home to eat? I made your favorite curry rice today."

Meimei's eyes lit up, but then she looked hesitantly at Mu Mu. "What about Mu Mu? Would you like to come to our house for lunch?"

Mu Mu blinked, seemingly surprised. He looked down at his paint-covered hands, then up at Meimei's parents.

"Is that really all right?"

Meimei's father nodded kindly. "Of course, Mu Mu. Come along. We'd like to thank you properly, too."

The corners of Mu Mu's mouth lifted slightly. His expression remained calm, but a glimmer of happiness shone in his eyes.

He nodded gently. "...Okay."

"Great!" Meimei cheered and immediately began packing up her brushes and drawing board. "Mu Mu, my mom's curry is su-per delicious!"

Mu Mu carefully helped her pack away her painting supplies, his movements lighter than usual.

Watching them, Tong Hua felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction.

They hadn't known each other long, but he was genuinely happy that his young senior apprentice had made a friend.

"Not bad."

After everyone left, Tangrowth returned to the treehouse alone.

The two Celebi, who had remained hidden all this time, finally revealed themselves, floating lightly in the air.

"Bi!"

"Tang?"

Tangrowth paused in surprise, then quickly recognized the green Celebi.

They were old friends, and much of the credit for building this treehouse belonged to Celebi.

There was even a little room reserved for Celebi at the very top of the giant tree.

"Tang!"

Tangrowth extended a vine and gently touched the green Celebi's little hand in greeting.

Meanwhile, the pink Celebi circled the treehouse for quite some time, her eyes filled with nostalgia.

"Tang?" Tangrowth was asking who she was.

"Bi." I don't know. She seems to be... my future self?

Celebi hesitated, then rephrased her explanation.

"Bi." Time isn't linear. Sometimes, when you travel through time and space, you might end up in another world, so I don't know whether I can call her my future self.

"Tang?"

That explanation only left Tangrowth more confused. Fortunately, he knew the green Celebi well, and the two Pokémon began chatting about their experiences over the past few days.

"Bi."

It was more of a monologue than a conversation. Celebi did most of the talking, while Tangrowth simply listened and occasionally responded.

Celebi began with how she had happened to notice activity at the abandoned ranch to the south. She explained that after observing Tong Hua for several days, she had been so tempted by his cooking that she couldn't resist revealing herself.

By now, she had settled into staying with Tong Hua for meals. Of course, she helped out, so she wasn't eating for free.

"Bi."

As for this treehouse, she probably wouldn't be coming back very often.

"Tang..." Tangrowth said nothing, simply respecting Celebi's choice.

The pink Celebi drifted over just then and gently stroked the treehouse's wooden wall, a tender light shimmering in her eyes.

Tangrowth pulled over a small wooden stool for the two Celebi, then plopped down on the floor himself.

The stool was just the right size for a small child, but rather large for Celebi.

Unexpectedly, with the two Celebi sitting side by side, it turned out to be quite a good fit.

"Bi."

Sitting on the wooden stool, the pink Celebi gently swung her little feet and gazed fondly around every corner of the treehouse.

She remembered a few things from the past. She, too, had once lived here, though that had been a very long time ago.

Time really could change so much.

"Tang."

Tangrowth took two Berries from a woven basket nearby and handed them to the two Celebi.

These were their favorite Pecha Berries, whose sweet flavor could keep Celebi happy all day.

Pink Cele-

bi accepted the Berry and took a small bite. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a nostalgic look crossing her face.

"Bi..." It tastes just like it used to.

The green Celebi also took a big bite. Juice trickled from the corner of her mouth, but she wiped it away without a care, swinging her legs with a cheerful smile.

Tangrowth watched them, his vines swaying gently as though he were smiling.

The three chatted on and off, gradually stirring more of the pink Celebi's memories.

Although she still hadn't recalled the most important memories from before her journey through time and space, these cozy moments from everyday life filled her with warmth.

Painful memories could warn someone away from danger, but without happy memories to sustain them, their spirit would surely collapse.

The most important thing in life was to be happy.

Back at the Fairy Tale Ranch, Tong Hua arrived first with Turtwig and Minccino.

As he passed the Pond on the way, he noticed the entire Bibarel family gathered along its edge.

Tong Hua went over to look and discovered that more than a dozen fish had appeared in the Pond from who knew where.

Half of them were Magikarp blowing bubbles...

"Bi-bi!"

Seeing the expectant faces of Bibarel and the Bidoof, Tong Hua immediately understood what they wanted...

"Hot pot tonight?"

"Doof-doof!"

The Bibarel family's jubilant reaction left Tong Hua unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Didn't they get tired of eating hot pot every day?

Tong Hua stood at the edge of the Pond and peered into the water. Only the few Magikarp he had caught displayed information panels indicating their quality.

"So what exactly is different about high-quality Magikarp?"

Tong Hua quietly observed them for a while. Most of the Magikarp were swimming calmly through the water.

Only the few C-quality Magikarp were bursting with energy. Not only were they a size larger than the others, but they also kept leaping out of the water.

"It looks like quality really might reflect vitality. These high-quality Magikarp are more energetic, so they may be more likely to evolve into Gyarados in the future."

Although Magikarp were weak and abundant, evolving into Gyarados would turn their fortunes around completely.

It was like a fish leaping through the Dragon Gate and becoming a dragon overnight.

Counterintuitively, though, Magikarp were actually more valuable than Gyarados when it came to running a ranch.

After all, Gyarados were known as the Atrocious Pokémon. They were irritable and quick to anger, and could even use Flamethrower to burn down buildings and farmland. Clearly, they weren't suited to being raised on a ranch.

Magikarp, on the other hand, were weak but tenacious. They also carried auspicious symbolism and felt rather inspirational, making them ideal ornamental pets to keep at home.

"Anyway, since you're all living in the Pond now, you're all part of the Fairy Tale Ranch, too."