Natsui had not expected to run into Pokémon Rangers here.
Traveling could be tiring. But for him, this was the best part. He liked going to new places, meeting new people, and seeing new things happen. Every day felt fresh and exciting. That was the biggest reason he loved traveling so much.
Solana led the way. Natsui and May walked for a long time along a narrow path through the forest. At last, they pushed through a patch of thick bushes and reached the center of the forest.
The path ahead was completely blocked.
Huge thorny vines covered the area. They were as thick as pipes and stretched for hundreds of meters. They twisted across the ground, blocked the road, and covered a large part of the forest.
"So many thorns..." May said in surprise. "And they look completely out of place, like they don't belong here. Solana, what exactly is going on?"
Solana stopped. She thought for a moment, then remembered that Natsui was a Special Investigator for the International Police. She decided to be direct. "Actually, all of this is related to Celebi!"
"Celebi!?"
May was shocked the moment she heard that name, and she immediately looked at Natsui.
Natsui looked back at her, his expression barely changing.
That look clearly asked why she was staring at him.
In truth, May knew there was more than one Celebi in the world, so another one appearing was not strange. She also knew Natsui's Celebi was with Erika and could not be here. She had only looked at him out of surprise. When she saw him looking back, she stuck out her tongue playfully.
Solana did not notice their silent exchange.
She stood in front of the vines, took a red-and-black device out of her pocket, and pointed it at some nearby wild Pokémon. It looked like a phone. She used it to scan them.
Data on the Pokémon quickly appeared on the screen.
"What is that?" May stepped closer and looked at the small device curiously.
"This is our Capture Styler," Solana said as she continued using it. "We can use it to launch and control a Capture Disc. It lets us connect our hearts with wild Pokémon, and they become temporary partners. It also works as a phone, can send data, and functions as a Pokédex. Professor Hastings invented this high-tech device. It's one of the most important tools we Rangers have!"
Capture Styler? Capture Disc? Professor Hastings?
Hearing all those unfamiliar terms, May felt as if a whole new world had opened up in front of her. She had never seen or heard of anything like this before.
"So, what are you doing now?"
Solana smiled. "Looking for a Pokémon that can handle this situation, of course!"
She aimed the Capture Styler at some nearby Caterpie, Venonat, and Kakuna. After checking the data on the screen, she shook her head. Then she aimed it at a few Linoone farther away.
The data on those Linoone immediately appeared on the screen.
Natsui also glanced at it. It was different from a normal Pokédex. It did not read the information aloud, but the data on the screen was far more detailed and professional. It showed height and condition, and even listed the moves they knew and their Abilities!
It was very advanced!
Natsui thought that if the Pokédex were this detailed, Trainers would have a much easier time catching Pokémon.
"They know Slash?" Solana's eyes lit up, and she muttered to herself, "You're the ones!"
The Capture Styler changed shape. It now looked like a gun.
Solana aimed it at the Linoone and fired. What shot out was not a bullet, but a spinning disc!
The disc spun rapidly toward the Linoone.
An antenna extended from the Styler in Solana's hand. As she moved her arm, the Capture Disc moved with it, forming circles of light around the Linoone.
May asked again like a curious child, "Solana, what is this now?"
"This is the Capture Disc I mentioned," Solana explained. "Under the control of the Capture Styler, it circles the wild Pokémon and leaves a trail of light. Through that light, it sends the Ranger's feelings to the Pokémon. Once their hearts connect, the capture is complete. The wild Pokémon will then help the Ranger and become a temporary partner."
Solana explained it simply, but Natsui knew the tool was more complicated than that.
It was not perfect.
If a Pokémon or one of its attacks touched the rings of light, the connection would break. The Styler would take damage, and its energy would drop. If that energy fell to zero during a capture, the Disc would explode!
Also, this tool seemed capable of affecting Pokémon that already belonged to other people.
That was a frightening thought.
Ranger technology might be able to take a Pokémon away from its Trainer's Poké Ball!
Fortunately, this technology was kept secret. If it ever became public, it would be a major threat to the world!
There was no way the Rangers would casually reveal such a secret.
Thankfully, the Rangers were a trustworthy organization. Natsui could not speak for the future, but at least right now, they were genuinely working hard to protect nature and Pokémon.
Solana had no idea that Natsui had already figured out one of the secrets behind Ranger technology. She was fully focused on connecting with the Linoone.
She moved her hand faster and faster. The light spun more quickly, then finally sank into the Linoone.
At that moment, the Linoone's eyes changed!
A moment ago, they had still looked like curious wild Pokémon. Now, their eyes looked noticeably sharper.
They had established a connection with the Ranger. Through that heart-to-heart communication, their entire presence seemed to change.
"Capture complete!" Solana broke into a bright smile. She was clearly very experienced with this. She immediately called out to her Plusle, "Plusle, use Helping Hand!"
Helping Hand greatly boosts the power of an ally's move.
Plusle hopped in front of the Linoone, chirping and gesturing at them. Then Solana shouted, "Linoone, use Slash!"
The Linoone obeyed her just as if she were their own Trainer. They rushed toward the thorny vines and used Slash, cutting open a path through them!
May's eyes lit up.
She leaned toward Natsui and whispered, "Natsui, look! That Capture Styler is amazing! She can get Pokémon to help her without even catching them!"
"It is impressive. Why? Do you want one too?" Natsui teased. "Then why not switch careers and become a Ranger? Then you could definitely get Pokémon to help you without catching them."
"Oh, stop it! Becoming a Top Coordinator is my dream. How could I possibly change that!" May waved her hand, then looked confused again. "But if Solana has a Capture Styler and can get help from wild Pokémon so easily, why doesn't she use her own Pokémon? Does that mean she doesn't have any Pokémon besides that Plusle?"
"Who knows." Natsui shrugged. "Maybe there are reasons we don't know, or maybe it's some strange Ranger rule."
The Linoone slashed through the thick vines, widening the opening bit by bit. Soon, a path leading deeper into the forest appeared.
Solana motioned for them to follow, then stepped into the dark passage first.
As she walked, she began explaining the situation with the thorns.
"This happened last night. A large number of thorny vines suddenly appeared here. They didn't just block the nearby roads, they also severely disrupted the local ecosystem and scared away a lot of wild Pokémon. So once we received the report, we were sent here to help. By now, we've confirmed the cause of this incident. It's Celebi!"
Natsui remembered the first time he had met Celebi in the Forest of Purity.
If Celebi caused these thorns, it usually meant it had been hurt.
That meant the Celebi from last night had likely been hurt too.
"I see." Natsui nodded. "Because it involves a Mythical Pokémon, the entire forest was sealed off."
Solana had been watching Natsui and May this whole time. Neither of them had been especially shocked after hearing Celebi's name, and that impressed her.
She figured they must have encountered rare Pokémon before. Otherwise, they would not be acting so calm.
"Exactly." Solana nodded. "In fact, even before this, we had already received many reports of abnormal thorn growth following Celebi sightings. But the reason it happens is still under investigation. The only thing we know for sure is that something must have happened to Celebi."
"So the top priority right now is to find that Celebi first, right?"
"Yes." Solana sighed. "But that won't be easy. Since we got here, we've carried out a detailed search, but we still haven't been able to find Celebi. We've even started wondering whether it may have already left the forest."
"We?" May looked confused. "But aren't you the only one here?"
A person suddenly jumped down in front of them.
"Who said she's alone? I'm right here!"
The newcomer landed, and Natsui and May got a clear look at him. He was a black-haired young man about the same age as Solana, dressed in the same uniform, with a red headband tied around his forehead. A Minun was perched on his shoulder!
"Honestly, you jumped down from such a high place again." Solana pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. Then she introduced him to Natsui and May. "This is Lunick. He's my partner on this mission."
One had Plusle, and the other had Minun. The two of them clearly made a very fitting pair.
"Hello there." Lunick greeted them with a friendly smile. "Since Solana brought you here, I assume headquarters has already approved it. In that case, I won't ask too many questions. Please take care of us from here on~"
Lunick was just as friendly as Solana.
But Natsui could already tell from this alone that the Celebi situation was serious. There were two Rangers here.
Rangers were a small group. They were elites. An entire region might only have a few of them.
The fact that two Rangers had been sent to a single forest already showed how important this incident was.
Natsui then introduced himself and May as well.
Unlike Solana, Lunick's expression changed the moment he heard Natsui's name.
"What? You're the Natsui who won the Championships in three regions!?"
Lunick paid attention to the news. In Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, most people who traveled had at least heard Natsui's name.
"If there isn't someone else with the same name, then that should be me." Natsui smiled.
Lunick's eyes immediately lit up, and he laughed. "I haven't watched your matches myself, but I've definitely heard of you. I know you're incredibly strong!"
"Wait!" Solana looked completely confused as she turned to Natsui. "Aren't you a Special Investigator for the International Police? How did you become a League Champion too?"
"Didn't I already mention that earlier?" Natsui laughed. "Being a Special Investigator for the International Police is just my side job. Being a Pokémon Trainer is my main job!"