The black airship loomed over Sunset Forest, its massive shadow swallowing the land below. At its base, a beam cannon extended outward, releasing a blazing purple energy pulse that rapidly expanded across the forest.
This energy was designed to lock down temporal distortions, sealing off Celebi's ability to travel through time.
However, the device had two major flaws—it consumed energy at an extreme rate and could not be sustained for long.
Thus, Team Rocket immediately proceeded with Phase Two of their plan.
"Commence the operation! Forward units, initiate landing as planned!"
The announcement echoed through the airship. The side hatches slowly slid open, and the first wave of Team Rocket grunts activated their jetpacks, carrying disruptor devices as they descended toward the outskirts of the forest.
Their mission: Establish an energy barrier around the perimeter using the disruptors. The moment the beam cannon's effects wore off, these devices would maintain the suppression of Celebi's powers.
"Alpha, Beta, and Gamma units, proceed with landing."
A smug voice chuckled.
"Looks like it's our turn. I hope I'm the first one to catch Celebi~"
Proton smirked, stepping off the platform as he turned to his squad.
"My loyal team—go forth! Destroy anything that stands in our way!"
"Yes, Master Proton!" the Rocket grunts roared, their excitement bordering on fanaticism.
"Haha, good energy! I'll be heading in first, Archer!"
Without hesitation, Proton sprinted forward and leapt straight from the airship, pressing down on his beret as his crazed grin widened.
Despite free-falling from such a height, he showed no fear—instead, he reveled in the thrill of danger.
At the last moment, he summoned Crobat, which swooped in at incredible speed, catching him just before he crashed into the ground.
"Hoooh~ That was exhilarating!" Proton exhaled, savoring the rush—until his eyes narrowed at the unexpected scene before him.
The landscape was completely different from what their intel had described. The forest was dark, yet filled with glowing plants, their luminescence casting an eerie light across the area.
Proton tapped his earpiece.
"This doesn't match the data. It looks more like… Glimwood Tangle."
A voice crackled through his communicator, filled with uncertainty.
"M-Master Proton, we're not sure… Your surroundings don't align with our maps at all. Should we retreat or—"
Click.
Proton shut off his comms without hesitation.
Then, his lips curled into a manic grin.
"Doesn't matter~" he whispered, "Anything that dares obstruct me… will be sliced apart~"
Back aboard the airship, Ariana sighed, stepping down from the command platform.
"That lunatic…" she muttered, shaking her head. "It's been too long since we've done an operation like this. Is he really that eager to cause destruction?"
She turned toward the Beta Unit, folding her arms.
"Commence the operation. There is no room for failure. Understood?"
"Yes, Master Ariana!" the unit responded with unwavering determination.
Ariana watched as her squadron deployed from the airship, then turned toward a nearby chamber. Unlike Proton, she had no intention of skydiving into the unknown.
As a scientist, she preferred efficiency over recklessness.
Settling into a hovercraft, she activated its controls. The platform beneath her slid open, revealing the vast landscape below.
Her communicator buzzed with urgent reports from the deployed units.
"Master Ariana! We've landed in a snow-covered forest! The temperature is extreme—requesting immediate repositioning!"
Ariana's eyes narrowed.
"What? That doesn't match the data at all… Could this be Celebi's doing? No, that's impossible. The suppression field is active, and there's been no abnormal readings on our scanners."
She scoffed.
"Denied. Hold position. You can handle a little cold."
No sooner had she dismissed that report than two more voices chimed in.
"Master Ariana! We've landed in a tropical rainforest—conditions completely differ from the intel. Holding position for further orders!"
"Master Ariana! Our team landed in a misty, silent forest. Thick fog is limiting visibility. Holding position."
Ariana took a deep breath, her frustration mounting.
Such environmental diversity should only exist in controlled laboratories, yet somehow, Sunset Forest had it all.
No matter.
"Tch… Second and Third Units, stay put. Monitor your surroundings. First Unit—begin exploration and regroup with the others."
With those commands issued, Ariana descended into the unknown, eager to uncover the truth behind this bizarre forest.
Meanwhile, Archer stood on the airship, staring at the last five remaining Alpha Unit members—Team Rocket's strongest fighters.
He spoke, his voice filled with fervor.
"Rejoice, for today, we fight for Team Rocket's glorious rebirth! Everything we do—everything—is for Giovanni!"
"FOR GIOVANNI!!"
Their voices echoed through the air, their zeal bordering on madness.
"Good! Now go! Spread out across the forest and trap Celebi within our grasp! You fight for honor!"
"Yes, sir!"
The five Alpha operatives activated their enhanced jetpacks, vastly superior to the ones used by standard grunts. They carried high-efficiency disruptors, second only to those used by Team Rocket's elite commanders.
As they launched into the air, Archer stepped toward the open hatch, gazing down at the forest below.
His attention snapped to a massive armored vehicle plummeting toward the trees, its impact shattering the landscape, sending splintered wood flying in all directions.
He scoffed.
"Hmph. What an excessive entrance. Hope you make yourself useful, Zolorn."
Without another word, Archer activated his jetpack, descending toward the battlefield.
The moment his boots touched the soft, damp soil, his confidence faltered.
"A lake…? How is that possible?"
The scene before him was nothing like what he had observed from above.
As he scanned the surroundings, a thin mist began rising from the lake's surface, clouding his vision.
Archer's eyes narrowed.
"Celebi's tricks, huh?"
His grip tightened on his Poké Ball.
"Hmph. You think some petty illusions will stop me? I will end this quickly—then offer you to Giovanni myself!"
A low, sinister chuckle escaped his lips, morphing into full-blown laughter.
"Consider yourself honored, Celebi! Haha! Soon, all of time and space will be under Team Rocket's control—no, under Giovanni's rule!"
"Master Archer, we've successfully landed and are proceeding with the containment operation… Hold on, there seems to be some annoying Pokémon in the area."
Bagh, a member of the Alpha Squad, switched off his communicator, unwilling to let Archer hear such trivial matters.
Looking up at the group of Nuzleaf standing on the treetops, he scoffed and casually tossed out three Poké Balls.
"Wipe them out, Beedrill, Venomoth, Scyther!"
The Nuzleaf wasted no time. They raised their wooden flutes and began playing a hypnotic melody that drifted through the forest.
Bagh's eyelids grew heavy almost instantly. Realizing the danger, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Venomoth, Supersonic!"
"Moru~!"
Venomoth unleashed a disruptive ultrasonic wave, instantly nullifying the sleep-inducing melody.
Beedrill darted toward the treetops, its stingers gleaming menacingly, while Scyther swung its scythe-like blades, slicing through the branches supporting the Nuzleaf.
But the Nuzleaf were nimble, quickly leaping to new footholds, avoiding a disastrous fall.
Bagh's frustration flared. "Tch! Enough of your tricks—leave no survivors!"
"Skaaar!"
Just then, a Skarmory descended from above, leading a flock of avian Pokémon. Its fierce presence alone was enough to make Beedrill hesitate and retreat.
"Tch! Where the hell did this stupid bird come from? And why are you hesitating? These are weaklings—you should be cutting through them with ease!" Bagh snapped at his Pokémon.
Skarmory, unimpressed, simply sneered at him. "You must be new here. We've been fighting Bug-types forever. Your team? Nothing but second-rate in Sunset Forest."
"Skaaaar!"
With a powerful flap of its wings, sharp metal shards rained down, while the rest of the bird Pokémon scattered Stealth Rocks across the battlefield.
"What?! Spikes and Stealth Rock?! Damn it! Beedrill, Venomoth—use Sludge Bomb! Scyther, Air Slash!"
Bagh gritted his teeth. His Pokémon were now in a minefield—stay put and get bombarded, or take off and get shredded by the traps.
Meanwhile, Skarmory took the Sludge Bomb head-on, emerging unscathed with a smug look.
The other bird Pokémon continued their relentless aerial assault, launching Air Slashes from all directions.
Bagh's team had no way out.
"Damn it! How do wild Pokémon even know type matchups?!"
Frustrated, Bagh activated his jetpack, shooting upward to capture the birds with his electrified net.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the air, sending Bagh spiraling downward. His eyes widened in shock—his own Pokémon had attacked his jetpack!
Their blank stares were eerily unnatural, as if something else was controlling them.
"Master Archer! Be careful! There's a Pokémon here capable of mind control—!"
That was the last thing Bagh managed to say before crashing into his own Pokémon, knocking himself unconscious.
From the shadows, a Fezandipiti stepped forward, its sharp eyes glinting.
It had secretly released pheromones, influencing Bagh's Pokémon and turning them against him.
With a final glance at the fallen Team Rocket grunt, Fezandipiti crushed the disruptor device under its talons, then soared off toward another battlefield. The others could handle the cleanup—right now, its teachers needed backup.
Dreamwood Forest
Meanwhile, Gamma Squad was completely lost.
"Where's Commander Proton?! We can't reach him!"
With no orders, they aimlessly wandered through the misty labyrinth of glowing mushrooms.
"These mushrooms are kinda pretty, huh?"
One grunt absentmindedly reached for a dull-colored one—then his eyes widened in horror.
"Wait. This is—"
PFFF!
A cloud of spores burst into his face.
Drowsiness instantly overtook him. He collapsed to the ground.
Peeking from behind the fungi, a Shiinotic snickered.
One down.
With their false sense of security, the grunts kept dropping one by one, each falling prey to Spore traps.
The Shiinotic dragged their latest victim into the shadows, leaving the others blissfully unaware.
Another one asleep.
And another.
And as more fell, the true nightmare of the Dreamwood Forest was just getting started.
(To Be Continued…)