There was actually one more thing Peter had never said out loud.
Or rather—this was his own hypothesis about how time and causality worked in the Pokémon world.
In the anime, there were plenty of incidents involving Celebi, but the most representative one was the Johto-region movie.
While fleeing from Pokémon Hunters, Celebi carried a young Professor Oak forty years into the future, where he encountered Ash and his companions during their journey through Johto. Oak even left behind drawings of Pikachu and Celebi.
Later, when Celebi was captured and corrupted by Team Rocket executive Iron-Masked Marauder using a Dark Ball, it went on a destructive rampage through the forest. In the end, Ash and his friends awakened it through friendship, thwarting the villain's scheme. With Suicune—and other Celebi from different timelines—the forest was restored to life.
In the movie's post-credits scene, Oak's lab still preserved those childhood drawings, neatly filling in a long-standing mystery:
Why had Professor Oak always taken special care of Ash?
Not because of any ridiculous rumors about Ash's mother—
but because Oak had already met Ash when he was young, and the two had once been close friends.
That movie helped Peter confirm something crucial:
Celebi's time travel does not alter causality.
Whether it was young Oak being influenced by Ash during his journey to solidify his beliefs,
or Oak later nurturing Ash because of that childhood meeting—
both events formed a perfect causal loop.
Cause and effect fed into each other.
The same principle applied to the ending of The Ruler of Illusions.
Kodai had indeed used the Time Ripple to glimpse a future where he was stopped by Ash and others. He prepared meticulously, countered every move he foresaw—
And yet, the outcome never changed.
He still fell.
If even Celebi itself couldn't change causality, then someone merely borrowing fragments of time like Kodai certainly couldn't.
Which meant—
What Kodai saw was, in a sense, inevitable.
Across the entire Pokémon canon, there was only one being that truly changed causality itself:
Dialga, the God of Time.
In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Dialga sent Ash and his companions back to the ancient past, where their actions directly rewrote history—refreshing the present timeline, calming Arceus's wrath, and saving the ruins of Michina Town.
Because of this understanding, the moment Kodai claimed he had foreseen Peter and Whitney stopping him—
Peter already knew the outcome.
All that despair.
All that resignation.
All that "giving up."
Pure acting.
With five layers of contingency beneath him, there was absolutely no reason to panic.
As for why he hadn't let Whitney help directly—
Well…
He was afraid her acting might not sell it.
People said big chest, simple mind.
And in Whitney's case…
It fit just a little too well.
…
"All right, Boss Kodai," Peter said with a calm smile.
"It's over. You lost."
Kodai finally lowered his head.
Knife at his throat, fish on the cutting board—there was no point struggling anymore.
Just as despair settled in, Peter spoke again:
"Speaking of which, you've committed quite a few crimes this time.
Let me count them for you."
He cleared his throat theatrically.
"First—you attacked two innocent youths, violating basic civil rights to life and safety."
"Second—you illegally captured Zoroark and its child, injecting them with psycho-toxins and abusing wild Pokémon."
"Third—you're currently lying on eighteen crushed blades of grass. Environmental destruction."
"Fourth—you went outside looking like a pig and caused widespread psychological trauma to all living beings."
"Fifth—I personally witnessed you committing unspeakable acts against your own bodyguard.
Evidence: there's a hole in his pants. You corrupted and harassed an employee."
Peter paused, then continued smoothly.
"Sixth—you're breathing air and wasting planetary resources."
"Seventh—listing all six of the above deeply disturbed me. You've polluted a pure soul."
"Seven deadly sins in total.
That's more than enough for you to rot behind bars for life."
Kodai: "???????"
"WAIT!"
His pig-like face flushed dark red in outrage.
"I'll admit the first two at most! The rest are completely fabricated charges!"
If this kept up, he wouldn't even make it to prison—
he'd die of rage on the spot.
"How could that be?" Peter said righteously.
"I'm always fair and impartial. If you don't believe me, I'll call my witness."
He shot Whitney a look.
"Right?"
"You—YOU TWO—!!!"
Kodai was so furious he nearly blacked out.
"Pfft—"
Whitney burst out laughing.
"Peter… how did I never realize how bad you are?"
Peter looked at her innocent face, then leaned down and pecked her pink lips.
"Oh, I can be much worse.
Want to try?"
Whitney froze, face instantly turning red.
"R-really…? Is that okay…?"
She lowered her head shyly, pink bangs swaying along with her curves, arms tucked behind her back—somehow making her figure look even more stunning.
"Can you two show some respect?!"
Kodai wailed.
"I'm still here!"
The moment shattered.
Whitney's expression darkened instantly.
She stomped over and kicked Kodai twice for good measure before running off to check on Zoroark.
"Disgusting old man!" she snapped over her shoulder.
Kodai: "..."
Peter looked at the extra footprints on Kodai's face and smiled faintly.
"Let's talk, Boss Kodai," he said calmly.
"Unless you'd prefer to spend the rest of your life enjoying free meals behind iron bars?"
Kodai's eyes lit up.
"There's… still room to negotiate?"
"Yes!" he nodded frantically.
"Name your terms!"
"Three conditions," Peter said evenly.
"First—hand over your bank card.
Second—use your media network to funnel traffic to me.
Third—give me the antidote for Zoroark's poisoning."
"Do that, and you walk."
"…That's it?"
Kodai was stunned.
Too easy.
Smack!
Peter slapped him across the face.
"Don't ask questions you don't need answers to. Just do it."
"Y-yes!"
Kodai hastily pulled a card from his pocket.
"This… this is everything I own. Password: 74874874748."
In the Pokémon world, bank accounts were bound directly to personal IDs—
meaning all of Kodai's liquid assets were in that single account.
His thinking was simple:
Give him the password.
If he transfers the money, I report him.
Police recover the funds—and I drag him down with me.
Perfect.
Except—
Peter casually twirled the card between his fingers…
Then stuffed it straight back into Kodai's pocket.
Kodai froze.
"…?"
What—what are you doing?!
That's a fortune in there!
I gave you the password!
You're supposed to take it!
At least skim a few million!
Anything less would be disrespectful to my wealth!!
Kodai stared blankly, his worldview quietly collapsing.
--------------
📢 Bonus Chapter Notice
Thank you for your support!
✨ 2 extra chapter will be released for every review.
✨ 2 extra chapter will also be released for every 50 Power Stones received during that week.
Support the Story and Read 40+ Chapters early on P@treon:👉[email protected]/MPHFics