The next morning began peacefully, with the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the tall trees of the reserve and the gentle sounds of Pokémon waking alongside the campers. One by one, the children gathered near the dining area, their sleepiness quickly fading as the smell of freshly prepared breakfast filled the air.
Alex sat quietly at the table, Victini lazily playing with a strand of his hair while munching on a berry, completely invisible to everyone else. Ash was already talking excitedly, barely sitting still, while Gary complained about the food being "too basic," despite eating everything on his plate.
Once breakfast ended, Professor Oak clapped his hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone," he said with a calm but enthusiastic tone, "today I'll be showing you something special."
The children immediately perked up, their chatter dying down as they followed him deeper into another corner of the reserve. The path widened, opening into a massive clearing surrounded by reinforced barriers and natural rock formations.
The moment they stepped inside, gasps echoed through the group.
A towering Blastoise stood near a water basin, its cannons gleaming in the sunlight. Not far away, a Charizard stretched its wings lazily, letting out a low rumble that made the ground tremble slightly. And resting beneath a large tree was a massive Venusaur, vines swaying gently as it breathed.
Ash's eyes sparkled like stars. "That's so cool…!"
Even Gary was silent for once, staring with barely concealed awe.
Alex observed quietly, his expression calm but attentive, mentally noting their movements, behavior, and how naturally they fit into the environment.
The morning passed peacefully, and by afternoon, the children were allowed to relax and explore designated safe areas under supervision. Laughter echoed through the trees as Pokémon and children played together.
Then, suddenly—
Chaos broke out.
A sharp cry rang through the reserve as groups of Rattata burst out from the bushes, followed by flocks of Spearow swooping low and Diglett erupting from the ground. The Pokémon weren't malicious, but they were clearly agitated, scattering children and causing panic.
"Everyone stay calm!" one of the staff shouted, but the noise and confusion made it hard to hear.
Alex felt himself pushed aside as the crowd surged in different directions. Before he realized it, he was separated from the others, standing alone near the edge of the bushes.
He took a slow breath, steadying himself, when a sharp cry cut through the noise.
It was a girl's voice.
Alex turned and followed the sound, pushing past the tall grass until he emerged into a small clearing. There, he saw a young girl crouched on the ground, arms over her head, tears streaming down her face as several Spearow circled above her, screeching loudly.
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's alright," he said calmly as he stepped forward, his voice steady despite the chaos. "They won't hurt you."
The girl looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes. "I—I can't move…"
Victini stirred.
A gentle wave of psychic pressure spread outward, subtle and controlled. The Spearow hesitated midair, their cries faltering before they quickly scattered, retreating back into the trees.
The clearing fell silent.
The girl stared in disbelief before breaking into quiet sobs of relief. Alex offered her a hand, helping her stand.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
She nodded quickly. "Y-Yes… thank you."
Before they could move, footsteps rushed toward them.
"Alex!"
Professor Oak emerged from the bushes, relief clearly written on his face when he saw them unharmed. Staff members followed close behind, quickly securing the area.
"Well done," Oak said, resting a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder. "You stayed calm when it mattered."
Alex nodded quietly, Victini peeking out for just a moment before turning invisible again.
As the camp slowly returned to order, no one noticed the small mythical Pokémon watching silently—its eyes shining with quiet approval.
As Professor Oak made sure every child had been safely gathered, another group of campers finally emerged from the opposite side of the reserve. Among them were Ash and Gary, their clothes covered in dirt and leaves.
"Ash!"
Alex waved as the two boys ran over.
Ash stopped in front of him, breathing heavily, but the grin on his face was bigger than ever.
"Alex! You won't believe what happened!" he exclaimed excitedly, waving his arms as he spoke. "A Pokémon saved us!"
Gary rolled his eyes and brushed the dirt from his shirt.
"It wasn't us who needed saving," he muttered. "Ash got himself into trouble again."
"I did not!" Ash protested immediately before turning back to Alex. "There were a whole bunch of Spearow chasing us! Then this really tiny Pokémon came out of nowhere!"
His hands spread apart as he tried to describe it.
"It was about this big... and it was super fast! It zapped the Spearow with electricity! Even the Rattata ran away!"
The other children quickly gathered around.
"What Pokémon was it?"
"Did you catch it?"
"Was it Pikachu?"
Ash scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"...I don't know."
Everyone blinked.
"It helped us... then it just ran away before I could even thank it."
Gary folded his arms with a snort.
"You were too busy shouting to notice where it went."
"I was not!"
"You were."
Professor Oak smiled as he listened to the children argue.
"There are many wild Pokémon living peacefully inside this reserve," he explained. "Some are naturally kind and occasionally help people when they sense someone is in danger."
Ash nodded vigorously.
"I'm going to find it one day and thank it properly!"
Alex quietly listened to the conversation without interrupting.
Electricity... small body...
A Pichu, perhaps.
It sounded like the most reasonable explanation.
As for the mysterious feeling he had sensed earlier...
His thoughts drifted to another Pokémon entirely.
Mew...
He didn't know why that name suddenly appeared in his mind, but something deep inside told him that if there truly had been another mysterious Pokémon nearby...
...it was probably Mew.
None of the children noticed the pair of bright blue eyes watching them from the thick branches of an ancient tree overlooking the clearing.
Hidden perfectly within the shadows sat a small pink Pokémon, its long tail swaying gently behind it as it observed the lively group below with playful curiosity.
Mew giggled silently.
Its transparent psychic barrier concealed every trace of its presence, allowing it to watch the children unnoticed.
At that exact moment, the tiny Victini sleeping peacefully atop Alex's head slowly opened one eye.
Without moving the rest of its body, it glanced toward the old tree.
Mew blinked once.
Victini blinked back.
No words were exchanged.
No psychic message was sent.
The two mythical Pokémon simply acknowledged each other's existence for the briefest of moments.
Then Victini gave a tiny yawn, closed its eyes once more, and returned to sleep as though nothing had happened.
High among the branches, Mew smiled mischievously before disappearing into the forest canopy without making the slightest sound.
None of the children—including Alex—ever realized that another mythical Pokémon had been watching over them all along.