When Logan saw the Pokémon that hatched from the Pokémon egg, he was stunned. Isn't that Riolu? The Emanation Pokémon, inheritor of the aura, the future Lucario. He never expected his luck to spike and hatch this Pokémon from the egg.
"Riolu, come to my side! You're my Pokémon!"
Logan cried out with excitement, but Riolu paid him no mind. Riolu was scanning the surroundings, as if searching for something. This made Logan anxious: the newly hatched Pokémon has no Poké Ball, and he didn't know how to take Riolu with him.
Logan decided to push his luck, break through the Mankey's surround, and get to Riolu first. He swung the wooden stick in his hand with a reckless burst of momentum. Perhaps sensing Logan's surge, Riolu, who had been scanning around, suddenly looked toward Logan.
But that look went unnoticed by Logan, who was entangled with the Mankeys. Logan's swings were wide, but the Mankeys dodged each one. Still, Logan didn't mind; he just wanted to reach Riolu quickly, not hurt the Mankeys.
Seeing Logan get closer to Riolu, the Mankey leader, who had been stationed beside Riolu to grab the egg, looked unhappy. A surge of energy gathered in its hands, and in moments a Focus Blast slammed toward Logan. Logan hadn't expected such a sudden attack and could only raise the wooden stick to block.
Just as Logan's stick prepared to strike downward, a strange fluctuation in the air altered the direction of the Focus Blast. That was a Move called Vacuum Wave, but who launched it? Logan couldn't figure out who sent it to deflect Focus Blast. It wasn't until he saw Riolu still in the act of unleashing Vacuum Wave that he understood.
When Logan's Focus Blast was deflected by Riolu's Vacuum Wave, the Mankey leader exploded in rage. It crossed its arms and launched Cross Chop at Riolu. But Riolu dodged the Cross Chop deftly.
Riolu, having dodged, swiftly jumped beside Logan. During the leap, Riolu unleashed several Vacuum Waves. These struck the Mankeys surrounding Logan, carving out a window of opportunity for an escape. So the pair dashed out of the Mankey's encirclement.
Even outside the immediate trap, the Mankeys wouldn't give up, chasing Logan and Riolu relentlessly. The Mankey leader occasionally launched Focus Blasts at them, forcing Logan and Riolu to flee in a panic. Riolu's Vacuum Wave didn't have a strong effect on the Mankeys; even concentrating one Mankey didn't stop the rest from pursuing.
In the end, Logan had no choice but to have Riolu defend against Focus Blast with Vacuum Wave. Vacuum Wave's power was far weaker than Focus Blast, but the explosion when they collided just happened to obscure the Mankeys' view. Logan seized the moment to scoop Riolu into the grass.
Hidden by the tall grass, Logan and Riolu escaped the Mankey assault. Only after the Mankeys had vanished did Logan get a good look at the Riolu that had just hatched. Riolu's gaze was steadfast, and Logan's heart overflowed with affection. This was his first Pokémon, hatched from an egg, and the first time he'd truly interacted with a real, living Pokémon that belonged to him.
Though inside he kept telling himself it was only a game, the moment his hands touched Riolu's forehead, doubt crept in. The warmth and soft skin felt so real, as if Celebi's forest itself were telling him that Pokémon World is real.
Riolu didn't resist Logan's touch; in fact, Riolu enjoyed it and seemed genuinely happy. After a bit of play with Riolu, Logan decided to head back to the Pokémon Center. Since Riolu had just hatched and went through that battle, he deserved a proper rest and a health check by Nurse Joy.
So Logan led Riolu back toward Cameran Palace. Along the way, he encountered various Pokémon, but he didn't rush Riolu into battles. Then a peculiar cry caught his ear.
"Celebi~"
The call was soft but pleasant, and it felt soothing. Logan followed the sound with Riolu in tow. In a forest, he spotted a green mythical Pokémon with pale blue eyes, thick black circles, blue-tipped green antennae on its head, and a pair of small wings on its back.
Is this Celebi? Logan recognized this Mythical Pokémon at a glance. Celebi is the Time Travel Pokémon, capable of bending time and space, but Logan wasn't sure how such a Mythical Pokémon would fit into this stealth game. Could it really travel through time?
Logan watched Celebi, lost in thought. He had no intention of catching Celebi since he hadn't even got Poké Balls yet. So he just watched, with Riolu standing by his side, quietly admiring the flying Celebi.
Soon enough, Celebi noticed the two of them, and flew closer to Logan and Riolu. Maybe sensing there was no threat, Celebi grew bolder, circling around them, sometimes perched on Logan's shoulder, other times on Riolu's head.
Celebi's playfulness brought a sense of joy to the forest, and the happiness even Riolu shared. The mood was light and carefree, as if the three of them were all that existed, with no people or Pokémon interrupting them. The mood of delight spread, and even Riolu smiled.
Just then, a surge of bright light emanated from Celebi's body. The dazzling light burned Logan's eyes, forcing him to close them to ease the pain. Riolu, too, closed its eyes under the intense glow.