Chapter 449: The Ruined Life Lake
Chapter 449: The Ruined Life Lake
Jinghe passed through the "Forest Gateway" and walked along the forest path, under the watchful eyes of many wild Pokemon. He arrived at a stone mortar-like structure within the forest, covered in moss, resembling a stone shrine.
Swift Dragon and Gramps had also landed there.
Hum—
Suddenly, a mysterious power emanated from the stone shrine, spreading outward with a soft hum.
"Bi—"
In an instant, Jinghe felt as if the surrounding environment had undergone a fleeting change, experiencing countless seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter in a flash.
Got it.
Witnessing this scene, Jinghe's heart sank.
He looked in the direction of the stone shrine.
As expected.
With the previous sound, a young-looking teenager appeared out of thin air there.
Along with him was a small, light green Pokemon with a pair of white wings, resembling a sprite.
Its eyes were tightly closed, and it looked weak as it struggled to stand, only to fall from the stone shrine.
"Bi—"
But it flapped its wings and dragged its tired body, attempting to leave.
"Hengga?"
Gramps noticed the little guy, tilting his head and showing a curious expression.
This light green sprite-like Pokemon was none other than the legendary mythical Pokemon, Timeleap.
"It's Timeleap, Lotad!"
The Lotohm Pokedex contained rare information about Timeleap.
The young-looking teenager was none other than Professor Oak in his youth.
Under Timeleap's power, he had traveled through time from forty years ago to the present.
"Bi!"
Noticing Jinghe's presence, Gramps, who had approached curiously, suddenly found himself facing a powerful psychic power emanating from Timeleap.
Feeling Timeleap's power, Gramps and Swift Dragon's expressions changed simultaneously as they positioned themselves in front of Jinghe.
Gramps rubbed his hands together, summoning a dark shadow ball to block Timeleap's psychic attack.
However, Gramps and Swift Dragon's reaction only made Timeleap more anxious.
Before it and young Professor Oak traveled through time, they had been pursued by a Pokemon hunter, and in a panic, they had chosen to enter the time-space continuum.
So, it had an intense aversion to humans.
Seeing Jinghe and Gramps, Timeleap naturally perceived them as enemies as well.
Bang!!
The force of the collision caused an explosion.
Jinghe quickly spread his arms.
Wave Guide, within my heart! Hum—
Wave Guide power spread.
"Timeleap," Jinghe attempted to communicate with Timeleap using Wave Guide power while conveying his goodwill.
"Gramps, Swift Dragon, it's okay."
He spoke reassuringly, taking two steps forward under the worried gazes of the two Pokemon, facing the weakened Timeleap.
"Bi!!"
Timeleap cried out again.
Vines of emerald green emerged from the ground, lashing at Jinghe.
"Are you hungry, Timeleap?" Jinghe tried to communicate again using Wave Guide power.
However, Timeleap's condition and its aversion to humans made it impossible for Jinghe's intentions to be conveyed through Wave Guide power.
But when Jinghe took out two translucent energy cubes, Timeleap's attacks gradually slowed.
It slowly opened its eyes.
"Bi?"
In its deep blue eyes, there was a hint of fear.
However, upon noticing Jinghe's gentle smile, its resistance lessened significantly.
Finally, Jinghe's Wave Guide power managed to convey his goodwill.
When Jinghe's palm gently touched Timeleap, it finally understood that the human before it was not the Pokemon hunter pursuing it.
"Bi—"
Jinghe picked up the little Pokemon.
Small, soft, and smooth-skinned, it felt slightly cool to the touch.
Jinghe placed an energy cube in its mouth, and after chewing slowly, Timeleap finally relaxed.
"Bi—"
It called out weakly, slowly closing its eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
"Hengga?"
"Hmm?"
Gramps and Swift Dragon, who had been closely following Jinghe, worried about Timeleap's potential rampage, also leaned in curiously.
They gazed at the sleeping Timeleap, filled with curiosity.
Jinghe, slightly annoyed, tapped Gramps on the head.
"Hengga!"
Gramps rubbed his head, letting out a sheepish laugh.
"Now, tell me why Timeleap appeared here?" Jinghe asked.
Logically, Timeleap would indeed bring young Professor Oak through time, but that was supposed to happen when Little Silver arrived.
Seeing Gramps and Swift Dragon's excitement, Jinghe knew they must have done something.
"Heng, Hengga."
Gramps grinned, twirling his fingers in circles.
After Gramps' hesitant explanation, Jinghe finally understood.
It turned out that Gramps had sensed the presence of temporal power as he approached the area.
Driven by his "learning instinct," he had taken out the "Time-Space Orb."
His intention was merely to study it.
But as soon as he took it out, it was like lightning had found a lightning rod.
The vague temporal power was drawn directly to him.
This was the reason why Timeleap had mysteriously appeared with young Professor Oak in this time period.
Jinghe guessed that it was likely because Timeleap had sensed the temporal power and thought it had found a companion.
But instead, it encountered Gramps.
Jinghe rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
In the end, it all traces back to the "Time-Space Orb". No, it's because of the Time-Space Twin Dragons, if we go further back.
"Ah!" The young man lying on the ground let out a soft hum and slowly regained consciousness.
"Timeleap!!" He exclaimed, jumping up from the ground.
His gaze immediately fixed on Timeleap, who was already unconscious in Jinghe's arms, and his eyes filled with hostility.
"Give Timeleap back!!"
He even took out an antique-looking Poke Ball.
Seeing this, a question suddenly flashed through Jinghe's mind.
The strength of the young Oak at this time was not yet at the champion level.
"Wait a moment!" Jinghe reached out.
"Hengga~"
Gramps suddenly appeared behind him, gently patting his shoulder.
The young Oak shuddered, then showed a puzzled expression.
"This Gramps..."
It seemed a bit similar to the mischievous Gramps that belonged to Little Chrysanthemum.
"Ahem, I think you've misunderstood," Jinghe said again.
The young Oak calmed down and noticed that Timeleap, nestled in Jinghe's arms, was sleeping peacefully.
"I-I'm sorry, I got too excited. May I ask who you are?"
Before he could finish, he introduced himself, "I'm Xuecheng, Oak Xuecheng!"
"I know."
"Hmm?"
"I mean, it's nice to meet you."
"Oh, thank you, thank you, me too."
Oak Xuecheng responded, then paused, as if he hadn't known the other's name.
But Jinghe changed the subject, asking, "Can you tell me what happened? You and Timeleap."
At this, Oak Xuecheng's expression turned serious, and he nodded solemnly, "It's like this..."
As he listened to the earnest explanation, Jinghe couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He had thought of a serious matter.
If his and Gramps' appearance had affected the meeting between Oak and Ash forty years ago, it might have had an impact on Ash's debut. Not only on Ash, but also possibly on himself.
That's why he chose to avoid introducing himself to Oak Xuecheng.
But soon, another thought crossed his mind.
In the Pokemon world, due to Arceus, there should theoretically be numerous parallel worlds, just like the many incarnations of Arceus.
No one could be certain that this Oak Xuecheng was from the same Pokemon world as him.
He might be from another world.
Of course.
To avoid excessive information exchange between the two, it was best to err on the side of caution.
"Then, Timeleap and I mysteriously ended up here."
Oak Xuecheng briefly recounted what had happened.
"Regardless, let's treat Timeleap's injuries first."
"Mhm!"
If they were somewhere else, treating Timeleap's injuries might be more complicated.
But here...
"Swift Dragon, when you were flying in the sky, did you see any lakes?"
"Hmm?"
Swift Dragon pondered for a moment, then pointed in a certain direction.
"Let's go."
Jinghe waved his hand.
In the Timeleap Forest, there was a "Life Lake" that could heal Timeleap's injuries.
The two of them headed in the direction Swift Dragon had indicated.
"Why... aren't we flying there directly?" Oak Xuecheng asked, puzzled.
"Never mind that, we can be friends."
"Huh?"
If they followed the movie's plot...
When Jinghe and Oak Xuecheng, with Timeleap, headed towards the "Life Lake," the antagonist, Bisashas, should have appeared to intercept them.
But Bisashas never showed up.
Moreover, the closer they got to the "Life Lake," the fewer wild Pokemon there were.
This was a strange phenomenon.
The "Life Lake" was the foundation of this forest, and there should have been numerous wild Pokemon inhabiting the area.
When Timeleap approached, some wild Pokemon would even appear to guide the way.
However...
None of this happened.
When Jinghe and the others finally reached the "Life Lake," the sight that greeted them revealed the reason.
The once crystal-clear and vibrant "Life Lake" had become dilapidated.
The lake water had turned a grayish-black color, and the surrounding trees were withering and decaying due to the change in water quality.
"This..."
Seeing the scene before him, Oak Xuecheng furrowed his brows.
Even though he didn't know the significance of this lake, witnessing the destruction of what should have been a beautiful natural environment left him feeling indignant.
Jinghe was also taken aback.
"How did the 'Life Lake' become so dilapidated?"
The black, oily-looking substance floating on the lake water indicated that this was human-caused destruction.
"Bisashas..."
Timeleap, who had been in a deep slumber, seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes, propping himself up.
Upon seeing the current state of the "Life Lake," his eyes glistened.
Jinghe could feel the sadness in the little one's heart.
"Bisashas!!!"
Timeleap slowly rose from Jinghe's arms, and a green glow emanated from its body.
Shh...
The trees in the forest seemed to respond to its call, making a rustling sound.
Throughout the forest, green waves rose.
Dots of green light converged from all directions, gathering on Timeleap's body.
And Timeleap channeled this power from the forest, infusing it into the lake water.
Hum—
In an instant, the nearby waters turned a verdant green, the pollution on the lake's surface gradually dissipated, and the withered trees on the shore sprouted new buds.
"Hngga?"
Gengui watched this scene, blinking his eyes.
He glanced at Timeleap, then at his own hands, and gently pinched them.
He felt that Timeleap's move resembled the way he had learned to gather Ghost-type energy from Jizi.
However, Timeleap was currently very weak, and after a short display of its power, its body trembled slightly, and it fell from the air.
Jinghe quickly caught it.
As Timeleap's power dissipated, the partially purified lake water was once again consumed by the polluted water.
Timeleap's eyes filled with a deeper sadness, and a pearl-like tear slid from its eye.
At that moment, Jinghe threw out a Poke Ball.
He summoned all the little guys.
"Block the lake water!" he shouted.
The little guys understood.
Plop—
Gigaforg and Gengui jumped into the water, while Martial Bear Master picked up a rock and threw it towards Gigaforg.
"Roar~~"
Ice Nine-Tailed's nine tails stretched out, its mouth slightly opening and closing as a deep blue beam shot out, instantly freezing a portion of the polluted lake water.
The reason they didn't freeze the entire lake was that frozen water couldn't be purified, so blocking the polluted water from the clean water was the best approach.
Lotad also dove into the washing machine-like device from Gengui, and together with Swift Dragon, they used Water Gun to push the polluted water back.
"Yoo-hoo!"
Piplup, with a serious expression, ran to Martial Bear Master, stomped the ground, creating a crack, from which he dug out a large amount of dirt and gravel.
Charcoal Little Servant found some fallen dead trees nearby and quickly burned them into charcoal.
The charcoal's absorbency could effectively remove some impurities and pollutants from the water.
Swift Dragon threw the charcoal into the polluted water.
Upon seeing this, Daku Xuecheng reacted and quickly took out his antique-looking Poke Ball, summoning Rapidash and Taillow.
They joined the effort to block the polluted water.
"Pika!"
Timeleap, witnessing this scene, was momentarily stunned.
Jinghe smiled and patted its head, saying, "Don't worry, we'll make sure to restore this lake to its original pristine state."
"Pikachu~~"
Timeleap smiled, and despite the tears in its eyes, it showed a rather healing smile.
Perhaps it was inspired by Timeleap's earlier power, or perhaps it was due to the partial restoration of the "Life Lake."
In the surrounding forest, some wild Pokemon appeared.
Bronzor, Bronzong, Golem, Krookodile, Rampardos, Nidoking, and other Pokemon looked at each other for a moment before voluntarily entering the lake to help build the dam.
"Pika~ Pika~~"
Timeleap seemed even happier, flying up and laughing joyfully.
But before long, it stumbled and fell back into Jinghe's arms.
"Have a bite of this."
Jinghe shook his head, took out the Revival Herb, and without waiting for Timeleap's response, stuffed it into its mouth.
Since the Life Lake was in such a dilapidated state and couldn't be restored, they had to resort to some "dumb" methods.
Although this would slow down Timeleap's recovery.
"Pika! (>д<)"
However, the taste of the Revival Herb was not very pleasant.
Timeleap made a bitter face after taking a bite.
Seeing Timeleap's expression of wanting to give up its tongue, Jinghe couldn't help but laugh.
"Ahem, swallow it and recover well. Only then can we restore this lake to its original state."
"Pika?"
Timeleap sniffed and looked at Jinghe pitifully.
Really?
Jinghe was speechless for a moment, then said seriously, "Of course!"
"Look, everyone is working hard."
In the lake, with the Pokemon's efforts, a dam to block the lake water was quickly erected.
Although the charcoal could purify some of the water, restoring the "Life Lake" to its original state required the power of Timeleap.
Or perhaps the power of Water Lord.
"Pika! Pika!"
Seeing everyone's hard work, Timeleap gritted its teeth against the bitter taste in its mouth and nodded earnestly.
That's right! If everyone is working so hard, I can't give up either! The little guy clenched his tiny fist.
Chewing with tears streaming down his face.
Bitter, yet happy.
After a while, the small dam was finally completed. The little guys ran back from the lake, and Daku Xuecheng, covered in mud, wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed to the surrounding wild Pokemon.
"Thank you! Thank you all!"
The wild Pokemon also had smiles on their faces.
The "Life Lake" was the most important place here, and its restoration would undoubtedly be a great thing for the wild Pokemon living in this area.
Moreover, the presence of Timeleap filled them with pride rather than resentment.
"Hngga~~"
Gengui, hands on hips, stood on the shore, looking at their "masterpiece" with satisfaction.
They waved to the wild Pokemon.
Let's go, from now on, this place is under my protection! As he spoke, he put on a pair of sunglasses, exuding the aura of a big brother.
Indeed.
With his appearance, a few of the wild Pokemon seemed to be quite impressed.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
