One day, two days, three days.
By the third day, the number of Poison-type Pokémon had surpassed one million.
On the first day, Julian and the others had each chosen a spot to rest, observing the situation from afar.
After all, they couldn't keep staring at the Pokémon the whole time. Julian's body could endure it, but the others couldn't—they needed rest.
Naturally, Julian couldn't make himself stand out too much, so he and Freddie also found a place to rest.
"Julian, the number of Poison-type Pokémon hasn't increased at all today."
After observing from the sky for a while, Freddie frowned in confusion. "Why did they stop increasing? Could something be happening?"
Julian looked down and spoke slowly, "Maybe the number is already enough."
According to Metagross's report, the total count of Pokémon below had reached exactly one million—not one more, not one less. After that, not a single additional Pokémon had entered.
But Pokémon couldn't count numbers, how did they know when their numbers were sufficient?
Puzzled, Julian turned his gaze toward the swamp.
The swamp itself hadn't changed—it looked just like an ordinary marshland.
But now, it was completely surrounded by a million Poison-type Pokémon.
With their numbers no longer increasing, this change naturally caught the attention of the others as well.
Over the past three days, no other trainer had arrived in the area. Maybe no one else had come, or maybe someone had, but they were simply hiding in the shadows.
At the swamp's edge, Nidoran, Grimer, Ekans, Koffing, Weedle, Oddish, Bellsprout, Zubat, Tentacool, and many more Pokémon stood in silence. Even their evolved forms were present in large numbers.
A full million Poison-type Pokémon gathered along the swamp's border.
Not a single one made a sound, they simply stood there, staring into the swamp.
And they had remained like this ever since they arrived.
Splash!
Suddenly, an Arbok at the edge leaped into the swamp.
As if triggered by a signal, countless Poison-type Pokémon immediately followed, jumping in one after another.
Witnessing this, Julian, who had been sitting cross-legged on Metagross's back, abruptly stood up, his face filled with shock.
The swamp might have looked ordinary, but in reality, it was extremely toxic and highly corrosive—far beyond what most Pokémon could withstand.
And sure enough, the Poison-type Pokémon that leaped into the swamp didn't get far before their bodies began to corrode.
Yet, none of them turned back.
It was as if they didn't even feel the corrosion, their flesh was already decaying, yet their expressions showed no pain at all.
Their eyes had become dull, as if they were under some kind of control.
They continued forward without hesitation—until the corrosive force completely consumed their lives.
The Pokémon seemed possessed, desperately throwing themselves into the swamp, only to be swallowed by it.
Not a single one hesitated.
Not a single one screamed as they were corroded.
Not a single one retreated.
They moved in perfect unison, like the strictest of military troops, their only goal was to jump into the swamp, giving up their lives without question.
"What the hell's going on with this swamp"
Freddie's face had gone pale. He prided himself on being knowledgeable, but even he was shaken by this eerie and brutal scene.
"Gen~"
Gengar's voice echoed in Julian's ears.
It told him that even the souls of those Pokémon were being corroded by the swamp.
Gengar was also part Poison-type, yet it remained unaffected.
Among all these Poison-type Pokémon, none of them had a level surpassing a pseudo-Elite, perhaps that was the reason.
Not just their bodies, but even their souls were being destroyed.
"I'm stepping away for a moment."
Julian said to Freddie before Metagross teleported him to the other side of the swamp.
After confirming that no one was nearby, he released Celebi.
Celebi: "You finally let me out! Now, where's my fried chicken?"
After being kept in the Poké Ball for days, Celebi would've broken out on its own if Julian hadn't been keeping it in check.
Julian shot it a glare. "Are you seriously thinking about fried chicken right now?"
Still, he took some out from his system storage and handed it over.
"Hurry up and check what's going on."
He pointed at the countless Poison-type Pokémon that were throwing themselves into the swamp, hoping that this guy—who always rambled about the past—could give him some answers.
Celebi glanced at the scene, and said with a calm expression: "The birth of an Ultimate Poison-type treasure requires an immense amount of Poison-type energy. That's why this is happening."
"Why do you sound so indifferent? Shouldn't you be telling me to stop this?"
Julian couldn't wrap his head around it. Celebi was a Pokémon that loved nature and life. Yet, despite witnessing so many Pokémon sacrificing themselves right in front of it, it didn't seem to care at all.
Had he spoiled it so much that even its personality had been altered?
Thinking of this, a sense of guilt suddenly surged through Julian's heart.
"This isn't man-made, nor is it an accident. This is the will of the secret realm itself."
"The secret realm's will? Are you saying that the secret realm is conscious?" Julian asked in surprise.
Celebi nodded at first, then shook its head before explaining: "The 'will' of a secret realm is essentially just the laws of nature."
"This Poison-type treasure is something the secret realm is nurturing, so the Pokémon of the secret realm naturally cooperate."
"Now, hand me a soda."
Julian sighed, handing Celebi a bottle of ice-cold soda before grabbing one for himself.
The icy soda flowed into his mouth, the carbonation bursting with a refreshing fizz. The cool sensation made Julian's head much clearer.
"So, what you're saying is… This Poison-type treasure is something the secret realm 'wants' to be born, which is why these Pokémon are acting like this?"
Celebi nodded: "Mhm, you are finally acting a little smart."
'Isn't this thing getting a bit too cocky?'
Julian stared at it without saying a word, making Celebi immediately turn its back to him, afraid that Julian would take away the source of happiness from its hand.
"But isn't this too cruel?"
Julian couldn't bear to look at the scene below. It wasn't just a few hundred or a few thousand Pokémon, but a million Poison-type Pokémon throwing themselves into the swamp.
Celebi took another sip before answering.
"The laws of nature demand this, you can just pretend you didn't see it."
That indifference caught Julian off guard, for the first time, he felt like he was seeing a new side of Celebi.
In truth, whether it was a Mythical Pokémon, or a Legendary Pokémon, each one carried certain responsibilities.
As long as those responsibilities weren't disrupted by human interference, and things were unfolding as part of the natural order, they wouldn't interfere.
Celebi often appeared in forests during wildfires, helping to put out flames and restore the burned areas.
Why?
Because those fires weren't 'naturally' occurring—they were caused by external factors.
In contrast, some savannahs in regions like East Africa experienced massive fires every year. Yet, neither the local people nor Pokémon did anything to stop them.
Because those fires were natural occurrence.
And the ashes left behind after the fire became the nutrients for new plant life to flourish.
*****
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