Sihey had already found clues about Luis and the survey team, there was no need for Dalton, Shen, and the Pokémon to tinue searg.

  “Metagross, bring them all here,” Julian said.

  Metagross nodded and disappeared in a fsh. Moments ter, it reappeared, bringing Dalton along.

  “Ugh...”

  The intense dizziness from Teleport left the t six-foot-three man clutg a nearby rock, retg as he expelled the tents of his stomach.

  Before long, Shen appeared beside him.

  “Ugh...”

  “Ugh... Ugh...”

  The chorus of retg and the pu smell made Julian grima disgust.

  Oagross had brought back all the Pokémon as well, the two humans sat pale-faced, gring at Julian.

  “I swear I’m going to kill you!”

  Shen snarled as she stomped toward him, only to halt after a few steps wheomach ed again.

  “Ugh...”

  Machamp: 'What’s going on? Pregnant or something?'

  For ordinary people, being teleported by a Pokémo akin to spinning in pce hundreds of times without any prior training.

  The dizziness could make eveoughest person vomit up everything they’d eaten, possibly even from the day before.

  Julian, however, had the enhanced resilienega Pallet Town physique," which meant he didn’t feel the same effects.

  Because of this, he’d overlooked the impa others and had casually asked Metagross t Dalton and Shen over.

  “Here, rinse your mouths.”

  Julian handed each of them a bottle of water, ping his nose as he did so.

  His apology seemed genuine, but only just barely.

  Ohe two had somewhat recovered, they gred at Julian—Shen with murderous i and Dalton with aggrieved eyes—as he expined what he’d discovered.

  “Luis and the survey team must have gone insane. Why are they heading deeper inside? Don’t tell me they are all direally challenged?” Dalton said, baffled.

  Normally, if a group got separated, the best choice would be to head outward, away from the White Mountain Range. Moving deeper into the forest, where danger was eveer, made no sense.

  “Maybe the survey team found something else,” Shen suggested.

  “Very likely. Afterall they ged the inal pn after spotting a Venusaur leading a group of Ivysaur and Bulbasaur, believing they were heading to some kind of mysterious garden for evolution. That’s what got us into this mess in the first pce,” Dalton said angrily.

  “Now who knows what they’ve discovered here. Researchers be so single-mi’s ridiculous. I swear, they barely think straight,” he added, frustration clear in his tone.

  Researchers often got so focused on their work that reasoning with them ointless. But it was also this very trait that led to groundbreaking discoveries.

  “Let’s go.”

  In the end, there was no point iing it further. Finding Luis and the others was the priority.

  Julian recalled all his Pokémon except frowlithe aagross.

  Shen and Dalton, oher hand, kept their Machamps out.

  Without needing Julian's instru, Growlithe was already following the st trail left by the survey team.

  The team, including Luis, sisted of eleven people. The path they took was retively easy to follow, and fortunately, no bloodstains or corpses were found along the way. This suggested they hadn't entered any serious problems—yet.

  However, the fact that they were heading deeper into the mountai trouble was iable. Luis alone couldn’t possibly protect all ten members of the survey team.

  The soohey were found, the better.

  ---

  “Professor Allen, we ’t keep going any deeper. If we tinue, I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.”

  Luis said sternly, his usual pyful demeanor repced by a serious expression.

  The group was resting in a secluded part of the forest. Luis stood before Professor Allen, the leader of the survey team, his tone filled with urgency.

  For someone like Luis, who was almost always smiling, this level of seriousness indicated just how dire the situation was.

  “No way. We ’t stop now! This is Celebi we’re talking about—'the' Celebi! It’s rumored to have the power to travel through time! As a Trainer, don’t you want to withat? Don’t you want to catch it?”

  Professor Allen, a middle-aged man in his fifties with bck gsses and the telltale aura of a schor, sounded almost desperate. His words carried the stubbornness of someone obsessed with discovery.

  “Of course I do! Do you think I don’t? But I value my life more!” Luis snapped, his frustration boiling over. “If my Frosss hadn’t reacted quickly, that Ninjask would have killed us all back there!”

  Luis’s voice was rising, and in his anger, spit flew onto Professor Allen’s face.

  The reckless persistence of the professor had pushed them deeper into the White Mountain Range, with nard for the increasing dangers.

  To make matters worse, their supplies were running critically low. Even if they decided to turn baow, what they had left wouldn’t st long enough.

  “I know you’re from an iial family of the Imperial Capital. You must have a protective Pokémon from your family. As long as it’s with you, even ae-level threat should be manageable,” Professor Allen tered, clearly uerred.

  It was on knowledge that members of promi families were often given a powerful protective Pokémon by their elders. These Pokémon only revealed themselves in moments of great danger.

  Julian’s protective Pokémon eak Elite-level Akazam, while Luis’s was a te-Elite-stage Beartic.

  “The aftermath of ae-level battle could still kill all of you, and I might not make it out unscathed either,” Luis expined, his tone cold.

  Taking a sie-Elite-stage Pokémon into the depths of the White Mountain Range, and burdened with ten helpless researchers at that? Even Julian wouldn’t dare attempt such a thing.

  “It doesn’t matter. If I die, it’s my own fault,” Professor Allen said dismissively.

  “You—”

  Luis was left speechless with anger. How could someone be so irrational?

  “What about them? Are you going t them to their deaths just because of your stubbornness?” Luis poi the other members of the survey team.

  Professor Allen turo look at his team members and asked, “Celebi—don’t you all want to study it?”

  “Yes!!”

  The entire survey team responded in unison, their expressions mirr Professor Allen’s—pure madness.

  'These F*ers!'

  Luis nearly spped Professor Allen in the face out of sheer frustration.

  One irrational person was bad enough, but all of them?

  If it weren’t for his sense of responsibility, Luis would’ve abahem long ago.

  “Celebi, Luis, you know this Pokémon was discovered decades ago, and some lucky individuals even traveled ba time because of it.”

  “Now think about it—many of the treasures recorded today were once hidden i realms. If you could travel ba time, those treasures could all be yours.”

  “Don't bullshit me, Celebi’s time-traveling ability is limited, and I don’t believe it es without a price,” Luis retorted with a wave of his hand.

  Luis’s words were firm, but inwardly, he felt a flicker of temptation.

  As a member of a promi family, Luis rivy to the in stories of mae Trainers and their opportunities. If he were to travel ba time and seize the fortuhat once beloo those Elites, his future could ge dramatically.

  “That’s why we o catch it! Once we have it, I’ll have ample time to study it. We might be able to extend the duration of its time travel—or even reduce its costs!” Professor Allen pressed on.

  Luis frowned, after a long silence, he finally said, “We’ll go on for one more day. If we don’t enter Celebi by then, we’re heading back. If you refuse, I’ll leave on my own.”

  *****

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