Pokemon: A New Path

In the blink of an eye, Koraidon had vanished into the Distortion World.

At the same moment, within the Expedition Guild atop the World Tree, an elderly man with snowy-white hair stood in shock, staring at the organized scene before him.

"What in the world is going on here?" Pryce muttered, stunned.

There were only Pokémon here, yet these Pokémon had formed a small, structured society just like humans, each playing a distinct role in smoothly managing this peculiar organization.

Even Pryce had never heard of something like this...

"Am I finally going senile?" Pryce wondered aloud, half-suspecting he was dreaming.

"Farfetch!"

A Pokémon's cry rang out next to him. Pryce glanced down at the unusual Farfetch'd that had led him here.

However, this particular Farfetch'd was drastically different from the ones he'd previously encountered. For starters, it was twice the size of a typical Farfetch'd, with a muscular build and sharp, piercing eyes. Particularly noticeable was the impressively thick leek resting on its shoulder.

Seeing the human's attention on him, Farfetch'd nodded decisively, stepped forward a few paces, then paused and looked back at Pryce.

"Fetch!"

"You want me to follow you?" Pryce asked, slightly startled.

Farfetch'd nodded firmly.

"Truly remarkable… Professor Oak would be beside himself if he could see this," Pryce murmured.

His lifelong wish had finally been fulfilled. Having reunited with his two beloved Lapras, Pryce felt he had no lingering regrets.

It felt as though he'd returned to his youth, sailing the seas on the backs of his Lapras.

Curiosity now tugged at him, compelling Pryce to follow the Pokémon.

Guided by Farfetch'd, Pryce soon arrived at a building resembling a Pokémon Center.

Inside, a cheerful Chansey, wearing a nurse's hat, was busy administering care to injured Pokémon.

Noticing their arrival, Chansey quickly finished treating her patient and approached Pryce and Farfetch'd.

Pryce watched as Chansey and Farfetch'd conversed briefly.

Soon, Chansey turned her gaze toward Pryce, carefully pulling out a bottle of milk and a handful of berries from her medical kit.

"Is this Pokémon… actually trying to treat me?" Pryce exclaimed in astonishment.

"Chansey\\~" Chansey offered the items gently.

Almost instinctively, Pryce took them. After drifting through the timestream for so long, he was extremely weak and starving.

He took a deep drink of the milk, and instantly, warmth flooded through him. His injuries vanished, and he felt his energy rapidly returning.

"What in the world...?" Pryce murmured incredulously, staring down at his hands.

What was in that miraculous milk?

At that very moment, Naoki and Koraidon finally arrived at the World Tree, witnessing this surreal scene.

Standing inside the Pokémon Center was an elderly, white-haired man hunched slightly, staring at his own hands with a bewildered expression.

Naoki sighed softly in relief.

He'd been so worried he'd momentarily forgotten to think clearly, but it seemed Pryce had finally regained his senses.

Inside, Pryce suddenly noticed the sound of footsteps.

"Who's there?" Pryce spun around sharply, eyes alert.

The next instant, he saw a tall young man approaching alongside a Pokémon he'd never seen before.

Pryce stood frozen, utterly astonished.

Seeing Naoki arrive, Chansey greeted him cheerfully, and Farfetch'd trotted over with enthusiasm.

"Great job, Farfetch'd!" Naoki smiled warmly, gently patting the Pokémon's head before turning his gaze to Pryce.

Observing the affectionate interactions between the Pokémon and the young man, even someone slow to notice would clearly see the deep bonds they shared, let alone Pryce, who once led Team Rocket.

Could this be some kind of Pokémon sanctuary this man ran? Pryce silently wondered.

After considering the situation carefully, Pryce courteously introduced himself first. "My name is Pryce. It seems I've accidentally stumbled into your territory and disturbed you."

"I know who you are," Naoki replied calmly, looking at the visitor from another world.

Pryce was momentarily taken aback. "Oh?"

Naoki smiled softly. "Pryce, the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town, also known as the Masked Man who once led Team Rocket. You devised a plan to capture Celebi to reverse the tragedy of losing your two Lapras many years ago..."

As Naoki spoke, Pryce's expression gradually tightened. How did this stranger know so much? Could he be connected to Team Rocket? No, that seemed impossible, this clearly wasn't the world he'd come from.

Noticing Pryce's unease, Naoki reassured him. "Relax, Mr. Pryce. I've merely heard your story before. You're no longer in your own world; this is an entirely different one."

Realizing his suspicion had been correct, Pryce sighed softly. "That's all in the past now."

His greatest wish had finally come true. Now, he was just an old man lost in the streams of time. And without Celebi, returning home seemed impossible.

Later that afternoon, Naoki invited the legendary villain Pryce to a cozy café inside the Expedition Guild.

The warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the café windows, gently illuminating Pryce's aged face.

Appearing calm and gentle like any ordinary elderly man, Pryce slowly began sharing his story with Naoki, his life and cherished memories with his two Lapras.

"I named them La Pris and La Prus. When I was young, I spent many joyful days riding on their backs across the seas. Those were truly wonderful times," Pryce reminisced, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

"Back then, Professor Oak, Professor Elm, and Professor Birch gave me a nickname—' The Boy on Lapras' Back.'" Pryce's smile grew warmer. "Later, after I lost them, my friends even composed a ballad titled 'The Boy on Lapras' Back' to comfort and encourage me."

His smile slowly faded, replaced by a look of deep regret. "But I was too lost in grief at the time, unable to awaken from my sorrow, and slowly drifted away from everyone I knew."

Pryce sighed deeply, falling silent for a moment.

Naoki quietly listened to his heartfelt tale, finally asking softly, "Did you finally see La Pris and La Prus again?"

Pryce nodded gently, his expression serene in the sunlit warmth. "Yes. They looked exactly the same as I remembered."

"Now, I truly have no regrets," Pryce paused briefly before continuing, "except… for those children I captured. There's no excuse for what I did. I was desperate just to see La Pris and La Prus again. If only I could go back, I'd tell those children how deeply sorry I am, even if it might already be too late."

Pryce didn't fully understand why he revealed so much to this young man. Perhaps he'd carried these emotions for too long, or perhaps Naoki's gentle, compassionate demeanor simply encouraged him to open his heart.

Naoki fully understood Pryce's feelings.

He also remembered clearly how, eventually, Pryce was rescued from the cracks in time by Celebi.

In the end, Pryce went back to Mahogany Town and resumed his quiet life as a Gym Leader.

"What do you plan to do next?" Naoki asked gently.

"I'm not sure…" Pryce admitted. He knew this was an entirely new world, unfamiliar to him in every way. "Honestly, I'd be content simply living alongside Pokémon like Swinub."

"That's understandable," Naoki agreed thoughtfully.

Curiosity flickered in Pryce's eyes as he watched the Pokémon outside through the café window. "Did you build this sanctuary yourself, specifically for these Pokémon?"

Sanctuary? Naoki considered this description and smiled warmly. "You could say that."

At that moment, a cheerful Buneary waiter hopped over, carrying snacks to accompany their afternoon tea.

Watching this delightful scene unfold, Pryce murmured in amazement, "It's truly incredible. I've never seen Pokémon behave so much like humans before."

"Pokémon are highly intelligent," Naoki explained cheerfully. "With the right motivation, they can quickly learn almost anything." He smiled invitingly, "Would you like to explore this place?"

From Naoki's understanding, every world was different in how Pokémon interacted with humans.

The Pokémon Adventures world Pryce came from was notably harsher, with wild Pokémon less integrated into everyday life compared to here. Additionally, Pokémon battles in his world were often more brutal, sometimes even involving direct attacks on trainers, making battles dangerously realistic.

"I'd appreciate that," Pryce responded warmly.

Naoki eagerly guided Pryce on a tour of the World Tree.

They strolled through lush farmland, greeted the wise and dignified Slowking, observed wheat being ground into flour, and visited a charming sushi restaurant run by Tatsugiri.

Everywhere Pryce looked, his understanding of the world expanded, profoundly astonished.

"Is your entire world like this?" Pryce finally asked in quiet awe.

"Not entirely," Naoki admitted. "Wild Pokémon outside still differ from those here. This sanctuary I've built is unique."

Understanding now, Pryce thoughtfully remarked, "Pokémon and humans still share strong bonds even in my world."

His eyes grew distant, tinged with sorrow. "That's why losing a Pokémon friend can feel unbearable. Tell me, Naoki, if the Pokémon you've cherished most were gone someday, would you do something similar to what I did?"

Naoki hesitated briefly, visions of his beloved ranch Pokémon filling his mind. Knowing their lifespans usually surpassed human lifetimes, he softly replied, "Maybe I would try everything to stay by their side. But never at the cost of hurting innocent children."

"I understand," Pryce acknowledged, nodding gently. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but suddenly a guild member came rushing toward them, calling urgently.

Naoki and Pryce quickly turned to look.

In the distance, Charizard soared toward them, and just behind it, a delicate Pokémon with a soft green body and translucent wings fluttered gracefully, like a mystical forest sprite.

Could that be… Celebi?

Naoki stood utterly astonished.

Pryce, standing next to Naoki, stared in utter disbelief.

He instantly recognized this Celebi, it was the very same Celebi he had previously captured with the GS Ball, the special Poké Ball capable of trapping Pokémon through time itself!

But…how could it possibly be here?

Spotting Pryce, Celebi joyfully zoomed toward him.

Charizard landed gently beside Naoki, joining him in observing this remarkable scene.

"Charizard, what's going on here?" Naoki asked curiously.

"Rawr!" Charizard responded and began carefully explaining the entire story to Naoki.

Apparently, while traveling between Mystery Dungeons and other worlds, Charizard had unexpectedly encountered Celebi. Celebi appeared to be searching desperately for someone. As soon as Celebi spotted Charizard, it rushed over, asking if it had seen an elderly human.

Charizard replied that it hadn't, but suggested that perhaps someone at the World Tree might know more. Charizard then brought Celebi back to the Expedition Guild headquarters, where they learned from other Pokémon that Farfetch'd had indeed recently brought back a human.

"Bi!"

Celebi urgently began communicating with Pryce, who stared back, confused.

Realizing Pryce didn't understand, Celebi quickly utilized its psychic powers to project visions of future events directly into Pryce's mind.

After a brief pause, Pryce's eyes widened. "Is this really going to happen?"

"Bi!" Celebi nodded emphatically.

Pryce frowned thoughtfully, turning to Naoki after a moment. "I must return to my own world immediately. I'll always remember this day. Thank you for your kindness."

Naoki raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. He knew well the history between Pryce and Celebi but hadn't expected their paths to cross again in such an extraordinary way.

"Then I suppose this is goodbye," Naoki said warmly.

Together, they returned to the Gate of Time and Space. Pryce and Celebi stood ready at the entrance. Before stepping through, Pryce turned back, pausing briefly.

"When I return home," he said firmly, "I will do everything possible to atone and apologize to the children I hurt."

Naoki nodded encouragingly, smiling sincerely. "I wish you the very best."

Pryce gave a quiet nod, turned, and with Celebi, disappeared into the depths of the Gate of Time and Space.

"Phew…" Naoki let out a relieved sigh.

Even though Arceus had warned him previously about visitors from other worlds, Naoki hadn't expected the first to be Pryce, the infamous Masked Man himself.

Naoki had envisioned numerous possibilities, such as trainers Red and Blue from the game world, or perhaps even Green.

He'd imagined scenarios like Red training atop Mt. Silver, encountering a wandering Pokémon who informed him of the powerful Pokémon living peacefully at the World Tree. Enthralled, Red might accept an invitation to visit and train there himself.

But, unfortunately, these remained just daydreams.

Since Red was human, understanding Pokémon speech was beyond his capability, making these scenarios merely fantasies.

Sighing softly, Naoki wished he could meet Red, the legendary trainer known as the strongest in the Pokémon world, and finally find out if he'd communicate purely through silence, just as he did in the games.

With Pryce safely on his way, Naoki finally relaxed, mounted Koraidon, and returned happily to his ranch.