Seeing as this story can basically be classified as an "alternate reality," I think it's okay for me to make the mistake of thinking that the Tree of Beginnings was in Hoenn (I realized it was in Kanto because of Subject666's fic, "Adventures in the Crimson Isles," which is a great story, by the way, check it out when you have the time). Well, it's there now, along with Cameron Palace and all that jazz, northeast of Petalburg. Sorry about that :P

Also, regarding alternate realities, Pokemon Orange and Purple (the sequel to this story) will basically be an alternate to the Pokemon Sun and Moon games/anime. I'm debating whether I myself will introduce new Pokemon; since the sequel won't be released for quite a while, I have a bit of time to sort all of that out. Stay tuned.

Ash was starting to question Dravven's legitimacy.

The Draconid reclined in the front seat of the stolen red Mazda (he had once again claimed ownership), seemingly asleep. Brock gripped the steering wheel tightly, obviously annoyed with Dravven's carefree behavior. Ash sat in the middle of the backseat of the van, Serena and May to the left and right of him. Pikachu was perched on top of Ash's head, staring out the window, watching as the countryside transformed into forest.

Once again, the GPS on Brock's phone shut off. Muttering a curse, Brock tossed it back to Ash to fix. The trainer rolled his eyes. "You know, this wouldn't be happening if you had an Android. Apple sucks."

"Android swallows," Brock retorted. Suddenly, the Pokémon Doctor slammed on his brakes, causing Ash, Serena, and May to lurch forward while simultaneously jolting Dravven awake. Pikachu tumbled from his perch on Ash's head into the teen's lap.

"What the-" May started.

"Why are we stopping?" Serena asked.

"Give me some warning next time you attempt to cause me brain damage," Dravven said. The Aura Guardian stared out the front window, noticing the issue. He exited the car, soon followed by Brock. Ash frowned.

"What's going…"

Leaning forward, Ash caught a glimpse of a Pokémon lying on the ground. It was a Stantler, a dead one. Ash gulped, and gestured for May to let him out.

Brock was already in the process of determining the cause of death, while Dravven had released his Raichu to help him search the surrounding area. Ash, Serena, and May stared down at the corpse, a mixture of worry, shock, and sickness evident on their faces. Serena gasped. "Who would kill such an innocent creature?"

"I think I know who," Dravven murmured. "The Tree of Beginnings isn't far ahead. We go on foot from here."

"There's nothing I can do for this Stantler anyways," Brock sighed, standing up. "Let's get moving."

As the quintet walked, Ash began noticing things from his previous trip to the Tree of Beginnings, in which he needed to reunite with Pikachu after the Mouse Pokémon was taken by Mew. After a while, he noticed a hot spring off to the side of the road. "Hey, May, remember when we went swimming over there? And I almost died trying to get that Time Flower?"

May giggled. "Almost died? Don't you think you might be exaggerating a bit?"

"I remember," Brock said, grinning. "Lucario was being all moody, and then Ash tried battling him, without using Pokémon!"

The trio laughed. Ash punched Brock in the arm. "I'm surprised you noticed that. After all, during the course of that entire adventure you were busy fawning over Kidd."

"Max was traveling with us too, wasn't he?" Brock asked, eager to change the subject. He turned to May. "Where is Max, anyway?"

"On his Pokémon journey. He wants to collect badges like you, Ash. In other words, I have no clue where he is."

Serena, obviously uncomfortable with how close Ash and May were, stopped. "Hey, is that the Tree of Beginnings up ahead?"

Ash, May, and Brock halted their conversation and followed Serena's line of sight. About a quarter of a mile away, a massive, multilayered rock formation stood, towering over the surrounding forest and reaching above the clouds. The grass patches that lined its cliffs were a sickly shade of yellow, as well as the crystals that littered the area. Ash could tell that something was wrong.

"Yep," Dravven said grimly. "Let's go."


As the group travelled deeper into the Tree of Beginnings, Ash began recognizing familiar sights from his previous expedition. He had received a pretty nice tour his first time, seeing as trying to find Pikachu had led to encounters with a trio of golems who tried to murder everyone. Ash frowned. "Where are Regirock, Registeel, and Regice?"

"I don't know," Dravven murmured. "This is bad, worse than I previously thought. But we're almost to the heart. Let's keep going."

The next chamber was enormous, with bridges of crystal criss-crossing throughout, leading to more tunnels. Dravven set his foot on one of the bridges, making sure it was sturdy, then strode up the bridge confidently, May and Brock on his heels. Ash was about to follow, but Serena stopped him. "Hold my hand?"

Ash smiled and obliged, proceeding to lead the Pokémon Performer up the bridge. He didn't notice the look that she and May exchanged.

After trekking through forests of crystals and avoiding countless "blood cells," which were red, gel-like, human-sized organisms in the shapes of Pokémon that were known for attacking anything that they deemed a threat (which apparently included humans), the group finally reached the heart of the Tree. A large, red, crystalline structure not unlike a chandelier lined the top of the chamber, and reclining on it was a Pokémon.

The creature was catlike and pink in color, but it wasn't always like that. Mew had a nasty habit of transforming perfect replicas of other Pokémon and playing tricks on the townspeople of Cameron Palace (which, one time, included harmlessly kidnapping Ash's Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth). Noticing the new arrivals, the New Species Pokémon glided down to eye level. It smiled, then proceeded to steal Ash's hat.

"Is this...Mew?" Serena asked, watching as Pikachu attempted to retrieve Ash's hat by chasing the Mythical Pokémon around the room.

"Yep," Dravven replied. He turned to Ash. "Notice anything odd?"

Ash looked from Mew to the yellow crystals. "The Tree is dying, but Mew is doing just fine? I thought neither could live without the other."

"That was the case, until Lucario saved the Tree of Beginnings many years ago. It now relies off of both it and Sir Aaron, my ancestor."

"You're related the Sir Aaron?"

"I am." Dravven walked to the center of the room, now standing directly underneath the chandelier. "Unfortunately, there is only one way we can save the Tree, at least that I know of. We'd need a full-fledged Aura Guardian, but all of the strongest Guardians died out a long time ago. I've heard that some people aim to become Guardians themselves, but fail to control even the tiniest bit of Aura. It's like a Goldeen attempting to fly; it just doesn't work."

"You're a full-fledged Aura Guardian, right?" Brock asked. "Why can't you heal the Tree?"

Dravven laughed nervously. "You see, my Guardian training wasn't exactly...complete, when I left. The world was in danger, and all of my fellow Guardians wouldn't listen to me. So, I decided to come here myself in order to teach you, Ash, to become a Guardian."

"So, you're a fraud?" Ash inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"Not entirely. I can still control Aura, to some extent. In fact, people thought I was the Chosen One a while ago, because I was so powerful." Dravven sighed. "However, being as powerful as I am comes with a price. I have these...episodes."

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"I can be a bit...off, to some extent. Some people might use the word 'insane.'"

"You've got to be kidding me," Brock murmured to himself. Speaking up, he continued: "So, we follow you blindly only to find out you're not entirely mentally stable?" He then turned to Ash. "Are you sure this was the best idea?"

Before Ash could speak, Pikachu directed his attention from Mew to Dravven and scuttled over to him, hopping up and down. Ash frowned. "Pikachu may not like Dravven, but he certainly trusts him. That's good enough for me."

Brock frowned but said nothing more.

"I brought you all here for a reason," Dravven said, stepping forward. "Ash, you remember how you helped Lucario save the Tree of Beginnings the first time, correct?"

The Pokémon Trainer nodded.

"You have the potential, like me, to become an Aura Guardian. But, then again, so do your friends." He nodded first to May, then to Serena, both of whom wore shocked expressions. "Now, you all might be asking yourselves, 'If May was with Lucario during the entire first expedition to the Tree of Beginnings, why did Lucario only sense Ash's Aura and not hers?' Well, Ash is indeed the Chosen One, and his Aura has the potential to be stronger than anyone, and everyone, else's."

Dravven took a moment to let that sink in.

"This is ridiculous," Ash started. "Again? Really? I've been the so-called 'Chosen One' at least a dozen times now. How is this possible?"

"I'm not sure," Dravven replied, "but I'm sure it has something to do with Mew. That's why I brought you here to explain all of this. We need to find and capture as many Legendary Pokémon as possible before Team Shade gets their greedy paws on them. Mew is our first catch, and possibly our most important. We might have to split up. We can cover more ground that way."

Serena shook her head. "This isn't happening."

"Unfortunately, it is. The Tree may be dying, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world has to." Dravven closed his eyes. "Team Shade is here, in Hoenn. They poisoned the Tree of Beginnings, and now they're going after the Legendary Pokémon." Dravven's eyes snapped open. "There are still some here."

The temperature in the room dropped, and a figure appeared in a puff of smoke. The man looked the same as the one the group encountered previously, with the ninja outfit and shock of white hair. He stood at the ready, tossing a Master Ball into the air. In a flash of white light, Hoopa materialized into existence.

"You thought we'd leave without Mew? Hoopa, Hyperspace Hole. Get rid of these intruders."

Knowing Hoopa's typing, Ash decided to release Greninja in hopes of dealing the most damage. In turn, Serena, May, and Brock released Sylveon, Beautifly, and Steelix, respectively. Before he could escape, Dravven tackled the mysterious person, pinning him to the ground.

Around the cavern, the crystals glowed scarlet. Siphoning energy from them, Hoopa created golden rings around the room, and glided through one of them at a fast pace. Attempting to chase it, Steelix stuck his head through the same wormhole Hoopa disappeared through, only for it to appear out of another ring around the room. Hoopa, meanwhile, fell through a wormhole near the top of the ceiling, landing a Sucker Punch on the Iron Snake Pokémon's head. Steelix howled in pain, and the sound of grinding metal rang out across the room. Hoopa snickered and disappeared through another wormhole.

In turn, the various trainers called out attacks, which their Pokémon adeptly put into action. Greninja hopped through one of the portals, preparing to launch a Feint Attack (which, Ash knew, was a move that always hit), while Sylveon charged a Moonblast, Beautifly whipped up an Air Cutter, and Steelix, having recovered from its injury somewhat, burrowed underground.

As the battle raged around him, Dravven held the mysterious man down. "What are you trying to accomplish? Your goal is impossible!"

"Our goal is a simple one that can be simply executed," he hissed. "Once we drain the Aura of enough Pokémon, controlling the legends is merely a matter of subjecting them to the Manipulator."

"The...what?" Although Dravven couldn't see under his mask, he could tell that the man was grinning.

"You'll see soon enough."

Suddenly, and with surprising force, Hoopa's master pushed Dravven off of him. He stood up and shouted something in an unknown language. All around the room, the wormholes started closing and, at inhuman speeds, ran towards the nearest one and jumped into it. The portal closed behind him.

Dravven stood up, brushing the dust off of his outfit. He looked at the trainers and their Pokémon, all of whom looked to be exhausted. "Did they get Mew?"

Ash started to say something, but before he could, Brock's form shifted. He shrunk and became more catlike, and a long, pink tail sprouted from his back.

Mew floated in the air above a stunned Steelix.

"I guess not," Ash said, shaking his head. Then, his facial expression changed to one of complete horror. "Where's Brock?"


Steven Stone stepped out of the elevator and into the top floor of the Devon Corporation building in Rustboro. He walked towards the meeting hall, passing multiple people who held an air of worry. Opening the door to the conference hall, he immediately made eye contact with his father, who nodded grimly. "Take a seat."

Steven quickly sat in the seat between Norman and a girl he didn't know.

Mr. Stone cleared his throat. "You all know why we're gathered here-"

"To discuss the fact that Hoenn and the rest of the world is going to hell, yes." The voice that spoke was gruff, and belonged to a large, muscular man with dark skin.

"May I remind you, Matt," Brawly intervened calmly, "that you and the rest of your 'Team Aqua' clan almost ended the world three years ago?"

"I've changed," Matt replied, huffing. "I wouldn't be here if I hadn't."

"Yes, I have be so kind as to invite you into my building," Mr. Stone said, intervening before the argument turned violent. "Now, please refrain from arguing. This is a serious matter at hand, and we need everyone's full attention. Arguing does nothing except tear us apart."

Silence fell.

"Now, I agree with Matt, the world is indeed 'going to hell.' My son can confirm that rumors of the terrorist group known as Team Shade is in fact, not a myth, but a serious threat who is at large as we speak. We know nothing of their plans, other than the fact that they want to eliminate Ash Ketchum, whose whereabouts are currently unknown."

"Hey, I saw that kid on the news yesterday," Sidney said. "He's wanted in Kanto for having knowledge of Professor Oak's disappearance."

"I know Ash personally," Roxanne objected. "He would never kidnap Professor Oak. We can rule him out as a suspect."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Phoebe murmured dreamily.

"I would." It was the girl sitting next to Steven who spoke up. Her pink hair was tied in a ponytail, and her purple eyes scanned everyone in the room. "I've only met him a couple times, but I know he was the one who defeated both Team Magma and Team Aqua with the help of his friends and that blasted Pikachu. Why would he go from being a savior to being a terrorist, especially when he knows that Team Shade wants him dead?"

Silence again.

"What do you propose we do?" Winona asked.

"Simple," Steven replied. "We spread awareness. If anyone knows the location of any Team Shade members, be it grunt or admin, then we track them down and arrest them. If we find Ash along the way, we should do the best we can to offer help."

Scattered versions of either "yes" or "no" resounded across the room.

"Good," Mr. Stone said. "Norman, I believe you've been tracking Team Shade's movements-"

Before he could continue, an explosion suddenly rocked the building, blasting a hole in the wall and sending everyone flying. Steven quickly got to his feet and released his Metagross, whom he promptly Mega Evolved.

A black helicopter hovered in the air. A Toxicroak and a Gabite hopped out of the chopper with their trainer, landing firmly on the ground. The man looked oddly familiar to Steven. He had spiky brown hair and tan skin. He wore a combat suit with a purple S stitched across the chest. A strange metal plate covered the entire right side of his face, and a red targeter replaced his right eye.

"Brock?"

The trainer smiled darkly. When Brock spoke, his voice was different than Steven remembered. It was almost as if he spoke through someone else, like an echo. It was more...evil.

"Not anymore."

What's wrong with Brock? Will May and Serena get over their differences? Will Dravven ever get those nasty frozen burritos? Find out next chapter (first, of course, I should probably update Forever Flames before the Minecraft community kills me)!

Also, sorry once again for being so late. Now that the school play is over, I'll be able to write quite a bit more. Stay tuned!