Pokémon: Raising Abandoned Pokémon into Legends

Chapter 268: Ilex Forest

Rio had entered the true Ilex Forest. Here, the foliage was so dense it blotted out the sky. Though it was daytime, after passing through the giant tree, it felt as if night had fallen—only faint slivers of light pierced through the leaves. In every direction, he could see a dozen species of Pokémon: Heracross, Pidgeotto, Hoothoot, Ledyba, Spinarak, Nidoran♂, Nidoran♀, Butterfree, Farfetch’d, and more. They coexisted peacefully, living in contentment. They didn’t attack him as he walked through.

Rio pulled out the ancient Poké Ball and released Gengar. Though he had come to terms with sending Gengar back to the past, now that the moment was near, he couldn’t help feeling reluctant. So he wanted to spend a little more time with Gengar before Celebi appeared. Maybe, just maybe, the old ghost would have a change of heart and realize he was better than its hundred-years-dead former trainer—and decide to stay. It was a slim hope, but it didn’t hurt to imagine.

"Gus, wait for me—your old ghost is coming back to see you!"

But the moment Gengar appeared, that was the first thought that echoed in Rio’s mind.

Rio: "..."

He was so annoyed he almost recalled Gengar on the spot—but he held back. In a flat tone, he said: "Find a shrine in this forest—one dedicated to Celebi."

The old ghost seemed to sense the sourness in Rio’s voice. It cackled and patted Rio’s shoulder: "What’s wrong, kid? Are you going to miss Old Ghost?"

"Don’t flatter yourself. One more or one less of you makes no difference to me. Once I send you off, I’m heading back to that island where I caught Mewtwo—I remember very clearly there’s a powerful Gengar there. It’ll fill your spot just fine."

The moment Gengar heard Rio planned to find another Gengar to replace it, its expression changed—a hint of panic flickered in its eyes. "Bull! That Gengar could never be as good as me! Old Ghost is a Champion-level Pokémon! I haven’t even left yet, and you’re already planning to replace me—you ungrateful brat! I knew you weren’t a reliable trainer—you’re nowhere near as good as Gus!"

Watching Gengar’s flustered reaction, Rio raised an eyebrow. For some reason, his earlier irritation faded significantly. So it does care—even if it won’t admit it. The friendship it’s built up is enough to unlock two tiers of rewards—of course it has feelings for me.

What Rio didn’t notice was a camera pointed at him from behind. A kilometer away, in a hidden camp, his every move was being broadcast on a monitor.

"It’s him—why is he here too?" Athena, one of Team Rocket’s Four Generals, stared at the screen with a hint of fear. Beside her stood Lance, another of the Four Generals. Unlike Athena’s terror, Lance’s eyes burned with hatred.

"Damn you—why couldn’t you have choked on water or died choking on food?!" Lance growled through gritted teeth. He would never forget what happened at the Twin Islands. That man had disguised himself as an ordinary Rocket grunt, earned his trust, taken command of his forces—and then, right before his eyes, captured Articuno. He’d become the biggest laughingstock in Team Rocket’s history, and the first General to be called a failure by Giovanni.

"What do we do now? Is he here for Celebi too?" Athena asked nervously. She had grown genuinely afraid of Rio—the League Champion. Every time he showed up, Team Rocket suffered a major loss. Apollo had been thrown in prison twice. Lance had been made a fool of. Even her own capture during the Mewtwo operation had been his doing. Of the Four Generals, only Lambda had escaped unscathed—and that was only because he mostly handled Johto operations and rarely crossed paths with Rio. Otherwise, he’d be in the same boat.

"What do we do? Screw him! As long as we capture Celebi, even a League Champion won’t matter!" Lance said viciously.

In his plan, which he’d proposed to Giovanni, the first thing they’d do after capturing Celebi was have it send them back in time to when Rio was still weak—and kill him. With Rio gone, all of Team Rocket’s current shame and crises would be resolved. They’d once again be the underground kings of Kanto and Johto, and Lance would become the most powerful General under Giovanni—with Apollo, Athena, and Lambda all answering to him.

"But can we capture Celebi with him here?" Athena’s confidence was wavering. Without Rio’s presence, she’d have had some hope. But he was here—the man who could even command Mewtwo. How could they possibly win?

"Who says we can’t? You never know unless you try. He’s in the open—we’re in the shadows. As long as we don’t get caught, anything’s possible." Lance’s eyes gleamed with a ruthless light. He ordered all Rocket members in Ilex Forest to stay hidden and wait.

And so, Lance and Athena used the surveillance cameras spread throughout the forest to monitor Rio’s every move. They watched as he wandered for nearly an hour, eventually stopping before an ancient shrine with a long history.