Chapter Thirty-One: Cooking Up A Plan



Terra's POV



The rest of the group are scattered across the Pokemon Center. Gladion seems to be standing in the middle of the waiting room making edgy poses for no reason. Ilima is at the Pokemon Center cafe, ordering drinks for everybody while keeping an eye on Meowth. Shu is reading a comic book that I'm not sure if it's one of the waiting room magazines or if he brought it himself. Gary is asking around if anyone has any information on what's going on in Saffron City.



And Wes is sort of standing around staring at everything.



"I know this place," he says quietly. "I've been here b'fore. I just can't place th' when."



One of the nurses overhears him. "Was it before or after the Chengdu war?" she asks.



Wes shakes his head. "How should I know? I barely 'member this place as it is... what happened in th' war?"



"Well, famously ten years ago, the Chengu Air Force dropped a series of bombs over Kanto. Mintale Town would have been decimated if the mythical Pokemon Celebi hadn't stepped in. But instead of sending the bombs backward through time, it sent the entire city forward five years later, after the end of the war."



Wes brightens up. "Celebi? Celebi was here?"



"It was. But no human in Mintale Town has seen it ever since that day. It's become something of a legend."



"Well, I got business wi' Celebi." Wes takes off his glove and shows the lady his scar. "Word on th' street has it that Celebi can cure this curse o' mine. If that's any possibility at all, I gotta know where Celebi's gonna be."



The nurse looks uncomfortable. "Well... some say it dwells inside the old windmill out in Springleaf Field, which was built many years ago in its honor. But no one knows for sure. It doesn't seem to want human company."



"Well, I want its company enough for both of us. How do we make it happy?"



"Well, it's said that Celebi enjoys red berries..."



---



Gary looks confused. "We're going to pick berries?"



"No," Wes says, "we're gonna buy berries. The biggest, reddest, juiciest berries we can find. And we're gonna take 'em to th' windmill, offer 'em t' Celebi, an' get me uncursed, y'hear?"



Shu shakes his head. "If it was really that easy, wouldn't someone else have done it by now?"



"Celebi's a Grass-type," Ilima points out. "It can probably produce as many berries as it wants. If we want to bring it a food offering, it needs to be something human-made."



"Like an ice-cream sundae?" Shu asks.



"Probably something cooked specifically for Pokemon," Ilima clarifies. "Like Pokeblocks, or Poke Puffs. So who here knows how to cook?"



I raise my hand, looking around. Surprisingly, Meowth is silent. There's only one other in our group that has his hand raised.



Gladion.



"Wait what?" I ask. "Mr. Edgelord? You can cook?"



"I was raised by an overexpectant perfectionist, okay?" Gladion looks uncomfortable at the attention. "Ilima's class wasn't the only tutoring I ever had. What I'm more surprised is that Ilima can't cook. Trust me, the guy could burn water. And probably has."



Ilima blushes. "That statement might have some partial basis in truth."



"I'm serious. You tried to microwave a burrito in our house and it caught on fire. Mother was furious."



"That was different! I didn't know that under the paper there was a layer of aluminum foil!"



Gary snickers at this. "Yep. Classic psychic at work here."



Ilima gives him the Cat Dirty Look. Gary is unaffected.



"So, anyway," Gladion goes on, "we need something that a Celebi would like. No ice cream; Grass-types are weak to cold. Poke Puffs would be a good start, but we want to make it something really special as an offering."



"How about a trifle?" Ilima asks. "Layer berries, cream, and squares of cake in a bowl. Celebi's a psychic-type, so it should know something about using a spoon."



"I like where dis is going," Meowth says. "Do we get some, too?"



"Well, this is all going to cost money," Ilima points out, "and we still don't know if Celebi will accept the offering. And there are six of us."



"Seven!" Ali says.



"Eight!" Meowth says.



"I vote we get enough for at least twelve," I say. "We've got five growing boys here, not to mention the Pokemon. We'll be lucky to have any left over for Celebi if everyone gets their fingers in the pie."



Ilima sighs. "As I've said, money is a problem. We'll make enough for Celebi, but we can't go eating the offering ourselves. We need to buy ourselves some healthy food to keep us going."



Meowth groans. "C'mon? Pleeeeeease?"



"This isn't going to be easy for any of us. But un-cursing Wes is the important thing." Ilima claps his hands. "So, shall we begin?"



---



The first step is buying ingredients. Since we don't have an oven we can use, we buy a white cake to use for the cake filling, which Meowth slices expertly with his claws. After some debate as to the berries used, we select Razz Berries and Leppa Berries to mix into the trifle, and Meowth slices them into chunks as well. One can of spray whipped cream later, and we have all the ingredients. Although Ilima has to keep Meowth away from spraying whipped cream into his own mouth.



We also buy a clear plastic bowl, which we carefully layer the ingredients into. More than once Gladion has to slap someone who's trying to sneak a piece of cake or one of the berries out of the bowl. While we do have some leftovers, which we share equally, it doesn't really amount to much per person.



Then begins the trek to the windmill. Gladion carries the trifle, because not even Meowth is going to steal trifle from a guy whose glare alone can make you severely rethink your life choices. While we attract a few hungry Beedrill, between Benga, Kachu, and Ali, they aren't that much of a problem.



Then we reach the windmill, and we realize we have something of a problem here.



The door is locked.



Wes thinks he can unlock it. "Never met a lock I couldn't pick," he brags. But several minutes of work makes him realize that it's not just a conventional lock he has to deal with.



It's rust. Lots and lots of rust.



Meowth makes an offer to try using his claws to pick the rock. Wes is all for this, but before too long Meowth gives up too, and his claws aren't in such good shape afterward either.



"We could always break down the door," Gary suggests.



Ilima shoots him a look. "Breaking down the door to a mythical Pokemon's home is like dressing like a Zangoose at a Seviper convention."



"Meaning?"



"It's suicide."



"Ali could get you in," Ali suggests. "If Ilima-Kun doesn't think that would be dressing the Zangoose."



Ilima looks bemused. "Well... I expect Celebi keeps the door closed like that for a reason..."



Shu taps his foot impatiently. "Has anyone else considered just knocking?"



Silence.



Shu sighs. "Of course not." He walks over and knocks on the door. "Hey, Celebi! We came to visit you, and we brought you a trifle! It's layers of cream, cake, and Razz Berries! Would you like to have some?"



There is a pause.



Then an energy begins to ripple. Time energy. Bluish-green. And a song, a beautiful song, one not sung by human lips.



The Celebi appears.



Its body is fibrous, its hair whipped back like a bud of garlic. Its lower half is clothed in bright green leaves, giving it the appearance of a pixie of sorts. Its wings are clear and translucent, like insect wings, but have a glossy surface like a pair of waxy leaves. Its eyes are ringed with a deep black, like mascara, and the blue pupils regard us all with curiousity.



Young Wesley, it says, focusing on Wes. You have returned. At last, you have returned.