"Ah! That's Absol!" Max shouted, pointing in alarm.
Absol's crescent-shaped horn gleamed as it launched a Razor Wind! Max quickly shielded Jirachi in his arms and rolled out of the way. Absol struck again, forcing Max to dodge sharply to the left.
"Jigglypuff, use Sing!" Ash called as he rushed over.
Jigglypuff hopped out, microphone in hand, and began to sing. As expected, Absol's eyes fluttered shut, and it fell into a peaceful slumber. Jigglypuff smiled in triumph.
After spending time with Ash, Jigglypuff had gotten better at battle moves—especially combining performance flair with battle technique. Hypnotizing foes with Sing had become her specialty.
AbsolPower Level: Mid-Rank Elite Tier
"But that's… Absol," Butler said grimly. "A Pokémon said to only appear before disasters. Why is it here?!"
Suddenly, a soft voice echoed in their minds.
"Absol's here to pick me up," said Jirachi via telepathy.
Everyone was stunned. Absol wasn't an attacker—it was Jirachi's friend! They decided to wait until it woke up to hear more.
Later that night, while May, Max, and Brock slept, Ash sat alone, eyes focused, sensing something was off.
Sure enough, the door creaked open, and in stepped Butler, silently approaching Max and Jirachi.
Just as he reached out—
"Great Magician Butler... what exactly are you doing?"
"Pika~!" Pikachu sparked warningly by Ash's side.
The others stirred awake, rubbing their eyes. Max clutched Jirachi protectively. It was obvious that stealing Jirachi in the middle of the night wasn't for any good reason.
Caught in the act, Butler froze—then broke into laughter.
"Haha! I didn't expect to be found out. I wasn't planning to involve you, but you've forced my hand! Still, how did you know it was me?"
Ash stepped forward. "Jirachi said Absol came to take it home. That means someone close by had Jirachi before. And who had its crystal before it woke up?"
Butler's smile faded. "You're clever, Ash. But cleverness comes at a cost."
He muttered under his breath, "I'll show those arrogant Team Magma scientists what true genius looks like..."
"Wait—Team Magma?!" May gasped. Everyone tensed.
Butler tossed out a Poké Ball. "Dusknoir, use Psychic!"
DusknoirPower Level: Entry-Rank Elite Tier
Its eyes flashed red, a psychic blast shooting toward the group!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash countered.
Electric sparks surged through the air, dispersing the incoming psychic energy.
Just then, Diane burst into the room and grabbed Butler's arm. "Stop! Butler, please!"
"I'm so close, Diane. One more chance—just one!" Butler said, eyes full of desperation.
But Diane stood firm. "This isn't the man I knew…"
Butler scowled and shook her off. "Dusknoir, Shadow Ball!"
But before it could launch—
Whoosh!
A Razor Wind slashed through the darkness, scattering the Shadow Ball mid-air. Absol had woken up and stood protectively before Jirachi, eyes burning with fury.
"Pikachu, Electro Ball!"
A glowing orb crackled at Pikachu's tail and shot toward Butler. Absol followed up with another Razor Wind. The combined blasts exploded in front of Butler and Dusknoir, throwing up a thick cloud of smoke.
"Now's our chance!" Diane called. "Everyone, this way!"
Ash hesitated briefly, then nodded. The group followed Diane out of the camp and piled into her RV.
As the RV sped away through the forest, Jirachi stirred in Max's lap.
"I want to go back… back to Forina..."
"You want to return to Forina, right?" Diane asked, glancing at the rearview mirror.
Everyone nodded.
Diane began explaining. "Forina is where Butler first discovered Jirachi. Back then, he was a scientist working for Team Magma… but his real goal was to resurrect Groudon."
"Groudon?" May blinked. "What's that?"
Ash stepped in. "Groudon's a legendary Pokémon—the embodiment of land. Ancient myths say it created the continents. That's why Team Magma wants it—to expand the landmass."
"And Team Magma?" Max asked.
"We've dealt with them before," Ash said gravely. "They'll stop at nothing to awaken Groudon."
Diane sighed. "Butler once tried and failed to create Groudon artificially. Team Magma discarded him. Then, by chance, he found Jirachi in Forina. He believes Jirachi can absorb the energy of the Millennium Comet—and that'll finally give him the power he needs."
"But Jirachi only grants wishes, right?" Max asked hopefully.
Diane shook her head. "That's not what Butler wants. He doesn't care about wishes. He's using Jirachi as a power source. His magic shows were just a way to find Jirachi's chosen companion—someone pure-hearted enough to awaken it."
Everyone looked at Max, who looked down guiltily. But Ash's gaze narrowed—he knew the truth. It wasn't just Max… it was me, too.
"Miss Diane," Ash asked, "how long will it take to reach Forina?"
"About four days," she replied.
Max clenched his fists. "Then we'd better get going. If Jirachi wants to return, I'll take it back myself!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the RV rolled on into the night.
The next day, Diane and May chatted quietly in the backseat.
"Butler and I… we were childhood friends," Diane said softly. "He always loved building things—always wanted to surprise people, make them smile…"
May looked at her with concern. "Do you think… he'll be okay?"
Diane nodded slowly. "In four days, Jirachi will return to its thousand-year slumber. When that happens… Butler's dream will fade away. And maybe… the real Butler will return."
Time passed. As each hour ticked by, Jirachi's seven-day window grew shorter.
Max stared down at the tiny sleeping Pokémon beside him, his heart heavy.
"I won't get to see Jirachi again after this…" he whispered.
Ash walked up beside him.
"To a comet… a thousand years is nothing," Ash said gently. "And to Jirachi, that sleep might feel like the blink of an eye."
He turned to look up at the sky.
"But these seven days... they matter. They're a flash in time—but they can create memories that last forever. As long as you remember Jirachi, and Jirachi remembers you… you'll always be together."
Max wiped his eyes and stood up, smiling again. "Yeah… you're right!"
On the sixth day, they reached the edge of a vast canyon.
Diane parked the RV. "We're here… this is Forina."
Everyone stepped out—and gasped.
Thick, towering stone pillars rose from the forest floor, surrounded by lush green trees. Sunlight streamed down through the canopy, and the entire place shimmered with natural beauty.
"This is Forina?!" Ash said, stunned. "It's like a hidden paradise…"
As they walked along the mountain path, the forest around them buzzed with life. Swablu and Altaria soared in the sky, while Nuzleaf played among the trees. The peace of the place was almost magical.
Jirachi floated up, eyes wide with wonder. "I love it here!"
"We love it too!" everyone said with a smile.
"Pika~!"
To be continued…