A/N: Hello my lovely readers. I'm back with a quick update for the story. I wish I can upload more often, but college is a lot of work. I don't really have too much free time to work on this as much as I like, but I am trying to keep going. College is so much different than high school, but I feel like I'm adjusting relatively well.
Enough about me... time to talk about why you're really here: the story. Like I said at the end of the last chapter, this will be a bit of a lore bomb. Take it with a bit of grain and salt, alright? It's bound to give you much to think about.
Also... for those who somehow didn't watch Lucario and the Mystery of Mew at this point... this chapter contains spoilers and allusions to the movie. I do suggest you watch it if you haven't already. I added my own twist, of course. With that, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: Pokemon is owned by Game Freak. The story is mine, though :)
"An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception." -John Bevere
Chapter 21: Serenity Burned to Ashes
Ash found himself is an area of absolute destruction. He was in a completely destroyed city. Fire and smoke loomed at every corner and the fire looked like it was spreading. He was trapped inside some debris and struggled to get out.
Ash noticed Ashton under the same predicament somewhere nearby, but he seemed to have an easier time escaping. Ashton got out of his precarious situation by blasting some electricity in front of him. He looked around for Ash. As he looked, he noticed some debris moving nearby, so he decided to check there. His gut had been right; Ash was struggling to escape.
When he found Ash, he helped moved the debris off from him. With a bit of team effort, they removed the large chunk of debris crushing Ash. Ash made a small huff as thanks. They both looked like they were beaten up, but they didn't understand why. They took the opportunity to properly look around. They noticed that this torched city looked awfully familiar to them. It looked like a razed Viridian City. Ash and Ashton decided to head to some place a little safer because they noticed the fire beginning to spread to them. They headed south towards Route 1. They noticed that the fire wasn't affecting any of the routes, just Viridian City.
Ash and Ashton both looked tired, Ash more so than Ashton. Ash was feeling a mix of emotions that he couldn't describe. None of those emotions were pleasant. Ashton looked pensive at the city. They both decided to rest on the route until they got their energy back. Ash and Ashton searched until they found a small tree. They noticed it was the same tree Ash found a Spearow when he first started his Pokémon journey. Ash decided to sit down against the tree while Ashton had his back against the tree. They both looked at the razed city with a gloomy disposition.
"What happened here? This is awful…" Ash noted. He found himself getting more and more depressed the more he gazed at the forsaken city. Ashton nodded in agreement.
"Isn't this just a dream? Shouldn't we be able to change this?" Ashton suggested. Ash nodded. Ash tried to concentrate and imagine anywhere but here. He closed his eyes, placed a hand on his head and focused. He imagined himself with all of his Pokémon in Professor Oak's ranch, just having a fun time. He imagined Pikachu at his side, looking up at him confidently. When he opened his eyes, the image was the same. Complete and utter annihilation.
"I feel something off… I can't change anything." Ash said sadly. Ash tried to think about his state of mind. "I don't get it. We aren't in the second stage of the conflict anymore. At least… I don't think we are."
"You've been more accepting of the situation and I'm not mad anymore. The only thing I'm annoyed about now is the fact that Viridian City is in ruins. Why are we dreaming about this?" Ashton said.
"I don't know, but I'm going to try to help any people stuck like I was," Ash said curling his fist in determination.
"We're in no condition to check. Our struggle with Aruru stripped us of much of our aura, Ash. I was afraid that we were going to go bonkers if we had held her any longer than we did." Ashton shuddered.
"I've been helping people from before I knew I was even an aura guardian. I'm not going to let that stop me." Ash said with conviction.
"That's not the point. You risk your life, but you never think about the consequences. Use your head for once." Ashton shook his head. "Should we go in the city, what can we do? You don't have any of your Pokémon with you."
"Ashton, come on! I'm going let obstacles stand in the way. I don't know what I'm going to do when I'm in there, but it's better than just sitting around. Whether you sit here and do nothing, that's your choice. I'm going on ahead." Ash got up from the tree, but when he got up, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He clutched his chest in pain and was about to collapse, but Ashton caught him in time. Ash looked up at him appreciatively. Ashton carried Ash by his shoulder and started to walk towards the city. Each step took a toll on Ashton, but the counterbalance didn't care. He looked just as determined as Ash.
Ashton talked with each step he took, "Take it easy. If you want to go in the city, I won't stop you. It wouldn't feel right sitting by and do nothing, either. Let's find out what happened together."
"Thank you, Ashton." Ash thanked. Ashton nodded in acknowledgment.
Eventually, the duo set foot into the city again. This time, they could visibly see something shoot flames. It looked familiar to them, Ash in particular. Ash had a horrified expression on his face as a look of recognition passed on him, "That… Pokémon. My nightmare…"
"I don't know what that thing is, but I do know it needs to be stopped. I remember using your fear to come out and attack. You can't let that same fear get to you this time. I won't allow it." Ashton said, looking up at the Pokémon. Ash nodded. Ash felt strong enough to stand on his own. He didn't know where this energy came from, but he felt significantly better than he did before. Ashton felt the same. They both felt their aura returning to them.
The Pokémon seemed to be alerted to their presence. He stopped what he was doing to regard them. His yellow eyes were piercing. His appearance was daunting, but it overall had an amused expression. He bellowed, "Welcome, Ashton Cornelius Ketchum, to Armageddon."
"What are you?"
"Names are important weapons, especially when regarding the most powerful aura guardian of his generation. You need not know my name, but you need to know of your place." The dragon purred.
"My… place?"
"Your place in the world is to be useful to me. Your only purpose is to serve me." The dragon stated simply.
"Fat chance of that ever happening. I follow my own destiny! I don't serve anything." Ash pumped his fist against his chest and glared. Ashton was looking at him in surprise. Whatever fear he had for the Pokémon seemed to have vanished in his glare. The dragon began to laugh harshly. Ashton shivered slightly while Ash continued to stare down the Pokémon eye to eye. Ashton was nervous that Ash would do something reckless by the way he was staring. The reptile smirked in challenge.
"That spark you possess… it's just as irritating as your mother's. I'll snuff them both out soon enough." The Pokémon grinned. Both Ashes cringed at the sight.
"If you do anything to my mom…" The raven haired teen growled and let the statement hang. Electrical sparks started to cackle in his hands. The legendary didn't look the least bit phased and continued to look entertained.
"It's quite humorous how your loyalty is so… warped." He countered, still amused.
That amused look turned sharp and pensive in an instant. He narrowed his eyes, spread out his claws, and stomped on the ground. Purple smoke clouded Ash's and Ashton's vision. They both suddenly felt very woozy due to the noxious gas, but neither of them refused to give in. They both covered their noses and looked through the smoke. The Pokémon's gleaming yellow eyes peered into their souls and scrutinized their very consciousness. The gas built up further, creating a whirlwind of fumes until the razed Viridian City was no longer in the background. His voice echoed throughout his head in laughter.
Ash and Ashton tried to cover their ears, but realized if they did that, they would be exposed to the gas. The laughter was everywhere. It was tortuous to both of them. The cloud of purple gas eventually swirled up into one spot and glowed from the inside. Ash and Ashton were glad that they could breathe normally again, but still covered their ears. They couldn't get the dragon's voice out of their heads.
The removal of purple gas in the dreamscape revealed that they were in a wide open field. The grass wasn't flowing and there was no wind. Everything looked bleak and in different shades of gray. The entire world was stagnant. Eventually, the laughing stopped and the gas solidified into a more specific shape. The gas materialized into a more feminine humanoid shape. As the shape's features became more defined, Ash and Ashton noticed she had short wavy blond hair and blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a light pink dress over a grayish-black tank-top with a white collar. Over her dress, she wore a long red vest with large pockets. She also had on black stockings and brown boots. She looked at the split aura guardian with a sweet smile.
"S-s-serena?!" They both echoed in surprise.
"How loyal are you to me, Ashy?" She said in a husky tone. She took a step towards the two of them. Ash also took a step, while Ashton observed her closely.
"Serena…" Ash softly replied. His tone was all that was needed to let anyone know the answer. Serena continued to smile, but then cupped her hands together. She started to form a ball of pure energy. Ashton looked at her, puzzled, but quickly picked up on her intentions. He roughly pushed Ash out of the way from Serena's line of fire. Serena had shot the aura sphere at Ash directly and Ashton barely saved him. Her smile turned malicious.
"Or rather… how loyal am I to you?" Serena's eyes became completely pink as her expression turned even more deadly. Ash couldn't help but be frightened but attracted to her at the same time. He shook his head trying to deal with a now hostile Serena. Serena was quick to form another aura sphere in her hands and shot it at the two of them. Ash flinched slightly in anticipation of getting hit, but Ashton didn't allow it. He intercepted the attack by using his electrical aura.
"Get away from him!" Ashton growled and visibly had sparks protruding from around his body. The blond girl looked amused and raised her hand in the air. Ashton gasped as he was raised in the air. It wasn't the aura grip; he couldn't feel Serena's emotions at all. She was like a blank slate and it unnerved the counterbalance. Serena turned her head to look at Ash and soon, he was in the same predicament as this red eyed counterpart.
"Serena, you don't have to do this…" Ash pleaded. His voice was fallen on deaf ears.
"Of course I do, sweetie. This is for your own good." Serena responded. Ashton looked taken aback with furiously. His entire body was glowing dark blue and his eyes were piercing.
"Own good?" Something inside Ashton looked like it snapped. His eyes were twitching and he looked at Serena with pure hatred. "I'm not hearing that again from you or anyone else! I'm not letting you use the same grip like those psychics did on Ruru! Let us go! NOW!" Ashton roared with rage. He closed his eyes tightly and trembled in rage. His body began to be surrounded in a dark purple aura. Serena gasped as her concentration was broken. She released both Ash and Ashton from her grip. Ashton snorted and glared at her while Ash looked at Ashton with an indescribable expression. He didn't know which one to be nervous of more.
"I knew it. That had to be the psychic grip." Ashton clutched his fists tightly and the aura surrounded him shifted back into blue, Serena scowled at him.
"I can't help but say I'm begrudgingly impressed by your cognizance, love. Your retained memory is a hindrance to me." Serena snapped her fingers and brought out her hand. Pink light gravitated towards her hand into it formed a more visible shape. The shape was a massive hammer strong enough to crush someone's skull. She had a smirk in challenge. "I suppose I'll need to punish your naughtiness, Ashyton."
Ash had his mouth open in awe. His amazement quickly turned to horror as she spun the warhammer around and knocked Ashton from across his chest. Ashton hissed in pain as his body was knocked into the air and landed on the ground. Ashton could barely get back up. Ash immediately went to Ashton to help him up, but Serena shot an aura sphere in between them. She made a small toothless grin.
"Ashy… come play with me next." Serena begged in a cute voice. Ash gulped and sweat-dropped.
"I… I don't know what kind of sick game this is, but leave me out of it!" Ash roared.
Serena tittered as she slowly walked towards Ash. Ash grew increasingly anxious and slowly walked back. Serena snapped her fingers. A wall erected behind Ash and stopped him in his tracks. Serena inched closer and closer to the uncomfortable Ash. Ashton continued struggling to get up, but was wheezing from the impact of the hammer. Serena's face was ultimately but a few inches away from Ash's. Her eyes stopped glowing pink and he noticed how piercing her blue eyes were. They were drastically different from how soft they usually were.
"Oh, silly Ash." Serena poked him in the nose. Ash flinched slightly from the contact. She began to swing the weapon in her hand. Ash noticed what she was about to do and ducked his head. The hammer was inches away from hitting his head. She destroyed the top portion of the wall behind him instantly. Ash quivered in horror and imagined that was his head. He quickly moved away from the blond teen. Serena tilted her head slightly as she said, "It was never your choice in the first place."
Serena pursued the confused balance in a matter of a few steps. Serena began to swing the hammer at her boyfriend's head, almost like a golf club. Ash could barely dodge each one, but he knew he couldn't dodge forever. He didn't retaliate because he didn't want to hurt her. He also didn't want to lose his head to a hammer made out of pure aura. Serena seemed to know this and smirked. He didn't know what to do so he kept on dodging.
"Gah! Serena, I don't want to fight you." Ash pleaded. Serena made her hammer disappear temporarily and elbowed him in the gut. She then twisted his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. Ash grunted in pain as he landed on his back. Serena looked down at him with a goofy grin.
"But... I want to fight you," Serena stated sweetly. Ash was unnerved by the response. The warhammer once again appeared in her hands and she drove it towards Ash's head. Ash barely rolled out of the way and scrambled to get back on his feet. He tried to run away from her towards Ashton, but she held out her hand. When she opened her hand, Ash stopped dead in his tracks. He was at her mercy.
"What's gotten into you?" Ash questioned her anxiously.
"Nothing, really. I just really want to show how much I hate you, is all." Serena said casually.
"W-what?" Ash couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"I never loved you, sweetie. Don't you get that?" Serena confirmed. "You've never been special to me. All you have been to me is obnoxious, an idiot, just plain irritating…. Shall I go on?"
"W-why do you feel that way? What… have I done wrong to you…?" Ash wondered in a small voice. Serena shook her head and sighed. She was about to respond, but Ashton recovered from the hammer's impact and was sneaking up from behind. Using Ash as a distraction, he coarsely grabbed and crushed Serena's shoulders. She wailed in pain at his sheer strength. His hands were crackling with intense electricity and he held no mercy in his eyes. Serena screamed in agony was thoroughly shocked by the red eyed teen. Crushing her hands in his strong grip, Ashton yanked Serena away from Ash. He looked like he wanted to kill her.
"Enough of this! Leave him alone!" Ashton yelled. He noticed Ash's despondency and looked worried.
"What's the point…?" Ash mumbled.
"Ash?" Ashton called.
"Why doesn't she love me?" Ash looked depressed. Ashton growled a sound that was almost inhuman.
"Ash!" Ashton slapped Ash hard in the face. Ash still looked despondent. He growled, "Snap out of it! You were dense before and now you're letting some chick's words hurt you? Look, I don't know what's with the sudden change in attitude, but for whatever reason, I'm not going to stand for it. Neither should you. If she wants a fight, we can give her a fight!"
"No matter what she says to me… I can't. I love her too much." Ash as clearly too overcome with emotion to listen to reason. Ashton sighed and decided to take things into his own hands.
"You may love her, but I sure don't. I'm not going to let petty emotions cloud my judgment… at least not again. If she wants to hurt us, that's fine. I have no qualms about retaliating… especially if she's like this." Ashton said, disgusted. Serena hissed in response.
"If that's how you feel, I have no choice but to make sure you aren't in the picture." Serena narrowed her eyes. Ashton's body tensed up as he was once again trapped in Serena's psychic grip. "Little boy… I'm going to make your life a living hell. With you subdued, I know Ash won't last long."
"A warning was a warning, disobedient child." A new voice said flatly. A lone aura sphere curved from above and hit Serena on the back. Serena's look was deadly as her beauty, but looked completely out of place on her. A mysterious figure fell down from the sky and glared at the psychic-guardian hybrid. Ash and Ashton gasped at what they saw. The individual stood in front of them protectively.
"Aurora?"
"Ruru?" Were their respective responses. The aura guardian turned her head snapped her fingers.
"Not quite, dears. I figured you'd be more familiar to your... relative's shape." She winked at the two of them. They looked at her, confused. She stared at the girl sharply, "When I dispelled you from Aurora's mind, I expected you to never invade another Ketchum's again. Now… Mama Kangaskhan is angry. Disobedient children will be punished. I won't allow you to continue to torment them, Nyxcipher."
"Mew! Stay out of my affairs!" Nyxcipher roared in Serena's body. Both versions of Ash became very frightened from the roar.
"Mew? Nyxcipher?" Ash echoed. Aurora grinned and nodded.
"That's right, dears. I'm sick of resisting my son's fumes, so let's dispel it!" Mew said in her real voice. Mew cracked her knuckles and brought her hands out wide. A mighty gale storm blew through the stagnant field. At first, nothing was happening other than the wind blowing. Soon, Serena's body appeared to peel off right in front of them. Her body shifted and grew. Her eyes became yellow, her skin into scales and her ears into horns. Nyxcipher stood in front of them in the flesh. Mew jumped up into the air and reverted to her small, pink, nimble regular form.
"Humans get affected by this stuff way too easily." Mew slowly levitated in front of the two and touched them on their heads. Ash and Ashton suddenly felt highly uncomfortable and had mild headaches. Mew literally yanked the purple gas from their noses and purified it into air. Ash and Ashton's vision and senses grew much clearer than they were before. The boys didn't even know that their senses were dull in the first place.
"Die, impudent worm!" Nyxcipher tried to step on Mew, but she was too quick. She teleported away almost instantaneously. She was in front of his face and her expression was downright scary. She had a dark look in her eyes.
"I was nice the first time. Now's not the time to be so nice…" Mew's body shifted to being incredibly large; it rivaled that of Nyxcipher. Her body remained pink. She grew a large flowing mane and she turned completely bipedal. She also had a silver cross-like wheel attached to her body by her round abdomen. The wheel also had four jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of her underbelly which resumed past her waist. Her legs had gray undersides and her tail was fairly like her mane in shape and coloration.
Ash and Ashton had a sudden urge to just bow down to her. Her presence radiated respect and her demeanor expected everyone to obey or be punished. The dragon type scowled at the transformed legendary and swiped her down with his claws. However, she didn't take any damage at all from the attack. Everyone, including the dragon, looked at her in shock.
The silver wheels attached to her began to glow. Multiple silver hands made of aura suddenly grabbed Nyxcipher's body like it was nothing. She grunted and slammed Nyxcipher on the ground repeatedly. Attempting to make her stop, the dragon bit into one of Mew's legs. She growled a sound that made everything shiver to their core. Her entire expression turned predatory. Mew opened her mouth and revealed she had razor-like teeth. She savagely bit into Nyxcipher's neck and was seeking to break his neck in two. She continued to bite harder and harder until she heard a palpable roar in defeat. She released her hold and looked down on the weakened dragon. Ash and Ashton were speechless. They noticed the large pool of blood staining the grass.
"You…" Nyxcipher panted. He could barely lift his neck up.
"Do not try my patience further. My word is clear and my judgment is harsh. You are forbidden from ever entering another Ketchum's dream, whether they are connected through blood, close romantic relationships or close friendships. Failure to abide by me will result in extreme consequences." Mew commanded. "I would kill you, but you would come back, more powerful than you are now. I'll await your proper downfall at the prophecy's end. Even my judgment cannot surpass His while He is the End. Consider my counterpart's merciful nature the reason why you still live... because if I was still the End, I would condemn you to the Distortion World right now."
Nyxcipher weakly got up and spat out blood. His yellow eyes were glowering at the primordial, "If I was in my full form…"
"Even if you were in your full form, my humans would prevent history from repeating itself. Now… get out of my sight!" She stomped her feet into the ground. Within the next few moments, Nyxcipher roared and was sent away from Ash's mind.
Ash and Ashton looked up at the pink Pokémon fearfully. Mew looked down at them with a neutral expression. They all stared at one another in a tense silence. The twins didn't know what to expect from her. Then, she sheepishly grinned at the two. Her body shifted back into the small shape they were used to seeing. She wiped some excess off from her mouth and spit it out. Then, the bite marks on her leg healed. The Ashes were surprised at how quickly she was restored. Mew bashfully rubbed behind her head and looked down. Her tail was in between her legs and she looked at the twins slightly anxiously.
"I'm… super sorry you had to see me like that, dears. I normally would never do that if I feel I didn't have to." Mew continued to look down. She noticed that their expressions did not change. "This is exactly what I'm afraid of… seeing you two scared of me because you see my serious form. I totally understand, but I-"
"We aren't afraid of you…" Ashton started in a low voice.
"You're… not?" Mew said with a bit of hope.
"We're just… processing what just happened. "Ash admitted.
"Oh, thank goodness." Mew sighed in relief. She checked the two Ketchums and touched each one on his shoulder. Then, she patched them each up slightly. They both weren't one hundred percent, but they still felt significantly better. Mew twiddled her paws nervously, "So… uh… are you guys, like, alright? Encounters with Nyxcipher normally never end well."
"Why did you look like Arceus? Why did Nyxcipher appear in our dream?" Ashton asked.
"My other form… that's how I really look like. This small cat-like shape is my preferred form, but when I need to, I can revert to my original physique at any time. I've done a pretty good job hiding that and I remain an enigma to this day. People think I look like this." Mew gestured to her current form and answered with a smile. Her smile slowly shifted into a frown, "As for Nyxcipher… he most likely wanted to psyche you out. Luckily, I arrived before he could do worse."
"That's really cool! So… you're basically a female Arceus." Ashton noted.
"Or… is Arceus just a male Mew?" Mew countered with a small smile. "With you humans, I guess it depends on which perspective you see it from. Just… don't start calling me Arceus. My name will always be Mew. Pure and simple."
"Alright…" Ashton still had sparkles in his eyes in admiration. Mew laughed nervously and sweat-dropped. Meanwhile, Ash looked despondent.
"He took Serena's shape and body. I actually felt like I was speaking to her… it felt like some messed up crap." Ash shook his head. Mew slowly gravitated towards him and lifted his head up.
"Ah… illusionary gas. Very annoying to deal with to the untrained eye. If Nyxcipher changed the dreamscape, he most likely expanded all of his gas through your dream and into your lungs. That gas enabled him to manipulate your minds into believing what you were seeing. The gas also has the ability to warp your sense of perception. Even though you saw Nyxcipher prior to him changing into Serena's shape, he warped your thoughts to thinking Serena was actually in front of you. It made his words that much more effective, especially against you, Ash." Mew explained. "Love and principle have always been primary weapons for or against humans."
"Did he really mean what he said? That Serena didn't love me?" Ash asked her in a small voice.
"Ash Ketchum… you are one lucky guy. You are quite fortunate to have met the aura guardian-psychic hybrid." Mew said with a coy smile. Ash's expression immediately lightened up and he sighed with relief. Mew continued, "Of course she loves you… more than you will ever realize. Stop worrying about what that fake Serena said. Just learn from this and focus on the future."
"I'll try," Ash said.
The raven haired teen was still somewhat disturbed with his encounter with the legendary dragon type and Mew herself. He was glad that none of what he had seen was real, but it made him worry about what would happen if it was actually true. It wasn't easy to see your loved one almost kill you.
Ashton saw Ash's face and nudged him on the shoulder. Ashton had a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "OK, you gotta admit. Serena was pretty hot wielding a warhammer, even though she was really an ugly dragon."
"Seriously, Ashton?" Ash said, slightly peeved.
"What? Can't blame a guy for pointing it out." Ashton laughed. Ash started to form a small smile at Ashton's attempt to make him feel better.
"You know… you're right. I wonder if she can do that in real life." Ash said.
"I'm pretty sure if she was a master hybrid, she could do it. She's a novice, so I doubt she could do anything else but heal things. Maybe she could create aura sparks if someone showed her how. It's not really that hard to learn." Mew pointed out.
"How would Nyxcipher know what Serena could do?" Ash asked. Mew blinked in surprise, then smiled.
"Nyxcipher has always been… a perceptive one. He visits all dreams in some way… and I'm assuming he saw into Serena's parents' dreams at some point in their lives anticipating Serena meeting you later in life." Mew a thoughtful expression. She suddenly became excited, "Thinking about it… he probably combined her parents' preferred weapons. That's genius! I have to give credit where credit is due. As a mother, I'm proud. He takes manipulating you humans to a whole new level!"
"You're acting like that's a good thing." Ash and Ashton stated at the same time.
"It's not, but I can't help but be impressed." Mew clarified. She looked around the dreamscape and shook her head.
Mew closed her eyes and enveloped her body in a light pink aura. She cupped her paws together, slowly charging up energy. With a small shriek, she dispelled all of her pent-up energy into the air. The grass began to move. Ash and Ashton could feel the wind. The entire dreamscape changed to reflect the lack of an evil presence. A massive tree grew in the distance and everyone stood right outside of the entrance of one of the many cave formations. The tree itself looked every imposing from up close. Ash immediately recognized where he was.
"The Tree of Beginning... What are we doing here?" Ash wondered aloud.
"I still protect this large hunk of rock, remember? I thought of this place as better than a windless and bleak field. As your patron, this tree naturally holds an importance to you as well. This was the place where you first started to use your aura again in your amnesia, but I suspect you've slacked off since then." Mew told him.
"I was only able to use aura because I was wearing Sir Aaron's gloves, though. Any aura I'm using now is because of me, but I still don't know what I'm doing." Ash admitted.
"Yes… his residue aura allowed you to perform an intermediate technique way too early. I appreciate that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the tree's survival, but you were not ready to go. Not then, at least." Mew confirmed. She had a thoughtful expression her face and her eyes grew pensive. She had some thoughts about Ash's visit to the tree and what happened. She thought about the people who she had seen with the young Ketchum and frowned. She hissed at the memory and shook her head.
Mew suddenly shifted to resemble Aurora again and smiled. She said in Aurora's voice, "You definitely know more than you think you know. You just don't know your potential, young one."
"Why in the world change back to her shape?" Ash asked, bewildered. She began to twirl around and giggle.
"I dunno. Maybe because I can." Mew winked. She began to change shape. Her shape changed to be slightly skinnier and her hair grew shorter. Her eyes were more welcoming and she greeted Ash with a smile. Ash looked uncomfortable while Ashton looked at Ash with a blank expression.
"Now Serena?" Ash blinked. "Why are you here, Mew? I have a feeling it's more than just trying to save us."
"One Ketchum stands before me split into two. A balance and his counterbalance. You both inherited the Marks of Mew… er… me in your birthright. They will help to further develop your powers. Why am I here, you ask? The answer will be found during a little game we play." She winked. She clasped her hands together. Serena's body shifted into two bodies. One was slightly taller than the other. One had long raven black hair and the other had short honey-blond hair. Ash and Ashton both sweat-dropped.
"Two women that are most important to you…" Aurora and Serena echoed harmoniously. "…will eventually help decide the choice you make. To raze or preserve the future of this world."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait… what? You're telling me I'm going to make a choice that will either destroy or save the world? How can one choice make so much of a difference?" Ash said in complete shock. He looked at Ashton to see how he was feeling, but Ashton had an equally surprised expression. Mew shifted back to her small feline form.
"That I cannot determine. It's all in you. Humans are some of the most unpredictable creatures I've ever made. You really won't know where your heart lies until you decide what you want to do." Mew said while maintaining a thoughtful expression. "You know… let me tell you a little story that no other human has figured out yet. The closest people to find out about the origins of the world is in Sinnoh. Here, grab a seat." She snapped her fingers and a couple of mossy rocks appeared right under them. She pushed them both to sit down. She glided slightly to regard both Ashes.
"How can you manipulate my dream?" Ash questioned.
"The better question is why can't you manipulate your own dream?" Mew answered with a question of her own.
Ash thought about it for a moment. The whole thing puzzled him, "I don't know…"
"Exactly. It's like I said. It's all in you. Your own mind is like a blockade… and it's up to you to break your own barrier. You'll figure it out by the time I'm done with you… but that's beside the point. Tell me, boys, how do you think the world was created?" Mew asked.
"I was always told that Arceus used his thousand hands to shape the world. He created everything and everyone." Ash stated.
"At the same time, I heard that you're the ancestor of all Pokémon. Arceus couldn't have made everything if you're his ancestor. It's hard to believe which one is true." Ashton added. Mew placed her paw on her chin, listening intently.
"Hmm… you two got only some of it right." Mew acknowledged them, "It is true that I am the ancestor of all Pokémon. All people and Pokémon have some of my genes in one way or another. However, Arceus did not create everything and everyone. We worked together to do that, but I'll get to that soon. I want to show you everything as I saw it so you can get a better perspective of my beginning. Well, the beginning. As we're in a dream, this is much easier."
Mew waved her arms around. The dreamscape slowly became dark and darker until nothing could be seen. After a few moments, Ash, Ashton, and Mew's bodies began to glow white and they were able to see each other only. The rest of dream was completely black. There was nothing to discover. In what felt like an eternity, they started to see a lone egg floating into this dark expanse of nothingness.
"I was the first Pokémon ever to exist. I predate all humans and living things in this universe by trillions of years. I was born in an egg… with nothing else around me. I saw a blinding light as I gained consciousness and I saw nothing around me. I was born before time. Eons can pass by and you will not know it. I was born before space. You can wonder in this place forever and go nowhere. See, we all are in a cycle of creation and destruction. I'm not sure how I came to exist, but I'm certain I was meant to start a cycle of creation. I have no idea how long my egg stayed in this place nor do I know how my egg formed in the first place."
They began to see the egg cracking suddenly. In a harsh white light, the egg began to hatch. The newly born Pokémon was a tetrapod, but she was fairly small. She looked like a mini Arceus, but her body was pink, the wheel-like structure in her back was silver, and her eyes were blue. She was crying like most newborns would. Eventually, the younger Mew stopped crying and began to gaze at her surroundings. The present Mew waved her arms around again. Ash and Ash began to see the Pokémon grow in nothingness. They could see the younger Mew, wandering, but not wondering at all. They could see her progressing in growth, but there was no time to progress.
"I slowly grew larger and wandered around through this wide continuous expanse. It was dark and lonely, wandering around in nothingness for so long. I wondered if I was forever destined to live in this version of existence. I had been growing in power, so eventually, I decided to do something about this."
The younger Mew shed a single tear. She looked depressed and desolate. Ash and Ashton could feel fledgling version of Mew's sorrow. She grew tired of seeing nothing. She grew tired moving in nothing. Her face suddenly grew determined. She screamed as the silver wheel-like structure on her back began to glow. She became surrounded by eighteen different plates. They all shined simultaneously and illuminated the dark expanse. Everything became caught in the light. They all had to cover their eyes.
Eventually, when the light cleared, Ash and Ashton could see a being approximately Mew's size, but its body was white, instead of pink. The wheels on his back were gold instead of silver. Ash and Ashton opened their mouths in shock. They saw Arceus himself. He looked hopelessly confused, but Mew comforted him. They nuzzled together and began to explore the lack of space void together.
"W-what? If you were really the first Pokémon, why do so many people consider Arceus to be the first one?" Ash asked.
"There's the common misconception most people fall prey too. Yes, most humans believe Arceus was the first Pokémon and he created the world. However, you've seen that I actually look like Arceus and I possess a lot of arms myself. He took credit in that regard." She chuckled. "I don't really care. I prefer Arceus taking the credit so people know less about me."
Mew took a deep breath before continuing again, "So… back to the story. As I grew lonely, I decided to make someone else in my likeness… the Arceus you know now. He's slightly bigger than I am, but in the end of the day, I'd say I'm a bit more powerful."
"Doesn't that mean Arceus is your son and if he's your son…?" Ash was about to note, but Mew shook her head.
Mew sighed, "I know what you're implying and no… it's not like that at all. Arceus is not my child. Arceus is my equal. Unlike later living things, as you saw, I physically created Arceus with my own power and split it into two. Arceus is my serious, responsible, but a lot grumpier counterbalance. We're just separated… literally."
"I thought counterbalances are supposed to be the same gender as you," Ash noted.
"Legendary Pokémon don't necessarily have a gender, dear. Anyway, Arceus and I were inseparable at first, but again, as time went on, we longed for more companionship..."Mew explained. She clapped her paws together.
Ash and Ashton could see the amount of love that the two legends had for each other. It made both their hearts warm. Mew accelerated the vision's time. At this point, both Mew and Arceus looked unhappy. They still were in love with each other, but they both felt like they were missing something.
Growing tired of wondering in nothing, but Pokémon released their arms from their rings. Using their imagination, the younger Arceus and Mew envisioned themselves in a place where everything was peaceful. They envisioned a place where they and their creations can flourish without any harm. Combining their energies in an explosion of power, they created what would later be Earth and the rest of the worlds in their version of the universe. They created everything equally, but decided to take different roles.
Arceus finalized most of the planets, suns and other things to maintain each solar system, galaxies and the universe itself. He split up his power to aid stabilization. Closing his eyes and channeling his power, he created six eggs. The first three eggs were Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Ash and Ashton were drinking in all that they were seeing and was watching in awe. The present Mew giggled silently.
They immediately aided their father in the stabilization of the rest of the universe. Dialga created time so things can progress. Palkia created space, so things can flow and feel as though they have a purpose. Giratina created the Distortion Universe upside down to the universe Arceus and Mew were creating so that the main universe could stay stable. It also served as a prison to any misdeeds. When they were done, they made their own separate dimensions and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Mew shrunk herself down into the first world she ever made: Earth. Splitting her power, she created the first trees, plants, and berries that would give life to future organisms. She created the first Pokémon and people. She created a man and a woman. Ash noticed that one of the first humans looked incredibly similar to him while the other looked a lot like a woman he knew he knew, but couldn't place a finger on where. The present Mew sped up the vision once again. She showed how she created the rest of the legendaries such Groudon, Kyogre, and Yveltal. Ash had seen most of those legends except for a dragon that looked like a fusion between Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyruem. Some of Mew's children made more legends and the world flourished.
Mew flew out of this world and repeated this process for many select planets in the universe. She didn't want to have too many companions. Finally, she returned to Earth and created different natural landforms. She made the world have its oceans, sky, and ground. She created special stones and made each land unique. Each legend she made had a responsibility. They all followed by her wishes. She did this once again to the same select worlds.
The last three eggs Arceus created hatched: Uxie, Mespirit, and Azelf. They gave all life the ability to gain knowledge, have emotion and maintain will. When their work was done, the Lake Guardians disappeared in their respective lakes. Once she saw the world bustling with life, she went back into space and checked up on her mate. She noticed how tired he was and told him to take a rest.
In response, Arceus transformed into an egg. Despite feeling very tired herself, Mew transported Arceus to his own dimension. She sighed in sadness and wished to see her special one soon. Yawning, Mew reverted to a small pinker cat-like form that looked similar to a fetus. She looked exactly like her present day form, except her fur was seemingly brighter. She slowly drifted herself to what would be the Tree of Beginning and fell asleep at its apex. Subconsciously, she covered herself in a forcefield and covered the rest of the tree in a large mist designed to confuse those who trespassed. Arceus and Mew stayed in those states for millennia afterward, both proud and exhausted. When the past Mew fell asleep, the present Mew stopped the vision.
"We decided to make more companionship. It was a highly exacting process and it cost us much of our energy. Arceus reverted to an egg and I reverted to the form you see now. It took many millennia for us to revert back to our original forms and… I eventually grew to like this nimble cat form. Of course, Arceus did create the time-space trio and lake guardians of Sinnoh to stabilize the universe. I created many balancing ancient landmarks in each world that can still be visited today. You saw me directly in one of those landmarks." Mew told them.
"The Tree of Beginning. You kidnapped Pikachu and nearly killed us!" Ash frowned as he remembered the place. Mew simply giggled.
"I did try to save you humans afterward. I'm so glad Aaron's soul friend was with you at the time. May their bond be forever eternal…" Mew said with a small tear in her eye. "It makes me sad because I know I indirectly caused his death. I never want to kill any of my children without just, even if it wasn't completely my fault."
"Wasn't your fault? If you hadn't of…" Ash felt himself getting annoyed, but one look from Mew made him silent.
"Let me stop you right there. I just said I indirectly caused their deaths. However, due that adult female accompanying you and bringing in technology to the tree, that's what caused me to be sick in the first place. She caused Lucario's death in the long haul… and I only know this because the tree and I are symbiotic. I know what the tree tried to treat… it was some weird robots I couldn't recognize." Mew explained.
"Kidd never brought technology with her." Ash defended.
"Kidd?" Mew growled. Both Ash and Ashton grew very nervous. Mew looked like she was getting angry, but then shook her head and sighed. She said in a more controlled voice, "So… that was her name. And yes, she did. You were too occupied with Pikachu to notice."
"But…" They both tried to interject, but Mew rose her paw to stop them from talking. Ash and Ashton noticed that they actually couldn't speak anymore. Mew was pressing her temple with her paw in exasperation.
"We can get into a huge argument about this, but you would lose. The tree is one of the few things I'm always serious about. Do not question me about the tree's safety, Ashton Cornelius Ketchum. I know my home." Mew sternly said while looking at Ash. It was clear that Mew was beginning to lose her patience with the balance. Ash decided to change to subject. Seeing Ash's face caused her to sigh and snap her fingers. Immediately when she did, they both could speak again.
"I can tell Sir Aaron was my ancestor, but how was he like?" Ash blinked his eyes. Mew looked at him with a renewed smile.
"Aaron… was incredibly gifted. So much raw power and experience wrapped up in one man. I remember torturing… er… I mean… training him during his tenure as patriarch. It was really fun stretching his limits! I've done this with each and every Ketchum so far… at least… except for you." Mew remembered fondly.
"Even Ruru?" Ashton asked.
"Ah… yes. Aurora was the latest victim I've had the pleasure to finalize aura training for. She's the most technical Ketchum I've ever seen, being able to manipulate aura in ways I never thought possible. However, she sacrificed power for skill. You and possibly Serena beats her out with power." Mew told them. "But alas, we digress. Back to the story."
"When I made my children, I wanted everyone to have some sort of purpose. For example, Nyxcipher represents the destruction of a dying world. He's the mercy of a lost soul. I made him on the contingency that if the world was too much in disrepair, he could destroy it and I can start it anew. It broke my heart the first time it happened. Humans were too corrupt without Pokémon. Fortunately for you, the destroyed planet was in an alternate universe where I never made any Pokémon. They had creature-like things called animals instead. It was a bit of trial and error, but Arceus and I were finally happy when we created your world. I just showed you the part where we were successful.The first aura guardians and psychics of this world were the Ketchums and Malladuses respectively. I kept you both close, but after all these years, I only have the Ketchums on my side." Mew explained solemnly.
"So… does that mean those lookalikes…?" Ash realized. Mew nodded.
"Yep. The male was the first guardian and the female was the first psychic. I made more of each naturally. You are a descendant of those guardians, Ash. Later guardians don't have counterbalances like Ketchums or Malladuses do."
"Why do we have counterbalances?" Ashton asked with folded arms.
"I wanted everyone to have a little bit of my characteristics in the form of counterbalances initially. I didn't want anyone to feel as lonely as I did. However, I noticed that with counterbalances, aura guardians and psychics were a little too powerful from what I intended. I took out counterbalances in later guardians and psychics when I realized humans won't be as lonely due to your large population. I still had a soft spot for Ketchums and Malladuses, so I decided to let them keep their original characteristics. However, there are not too many of either family still alive." Mew replied.
"That's sad that we don't have that much family, but at least we still have our mom. I wish I knew where Dad was." Ash said somberly. Ashton nodded in agreement, but then shook his head sadly at Ash. He had the same thoughts about his father, but knew his mother was closer than his balance thought.
Mew noticed their discomfort and decided to change the subject. Mew cupped her paws together and showed an image of the current Earth using her psychic power. Both Ashes were amazed at the sight. "Look at this planet. This world is nowhere near needing to die… and yet Nyxcipher's resenting feelings towards me and Arceus is blinding his judgment. He wants to end the world out of revenge against us. I imagine those resenting feelings has worsened now that I've put him in a near death state."
"Wouldn't this world fall out balance if Nyxcipher is killed? I mean, if he's supposed to destroy a dying world, and he's gone, what happens if the world is actually close to dying?" Ashton asked.
"Good point. There are other Pokémon that can fill in that purpose. Yveltal is a good start. All good things must end naturally… and I want everyone to enjoy life to the fullest. I didn't want anyone else to feel just as lonely and lost as I did before I made Arceus. That's why I made it so people and Pokémon die eventually. Those who are immortal are content with their role." Mew continued.
"What's your role, then?" Ash inquired.
Mew made a small laugh. "I was hoping you'd ask that. To be honest… there's a good chance I've already fulfilled it when I provided life. However, my current job to protect the Tree of Beginning. I settled for a smaller job so I could be more flexible and help Arceus if needed."
"So… how do you help Arceus? Is there anything else you do?" Ash asked.
"We switch roles every other millennium. I transform back into my original form and he transforms into a white version of this cat form. Right now, I'm the Beginning and he is the End. As I am the Beginning, my judgment is seen through life. As Arceus is the End, his judgment is the final word. Depending on your actions, he may send you to the Distortion World or allow you to make the choice to where your spirit goes. I sometimes help him make those decisions because it's never an easy thing condemning a lost soul." Mew said with folded arms and a slanted smile.
"Really? Why do you switch? What do you do other than that?" Ash and Ashton said together. They surprised themselves. Mew rubbed behind her head and sweat-dropped.
"Oh, never mind me, dears. I've only touched the surface of Pokémon politics and history. As you get older, you'll be a little more appreciative of the roles we legendaries have to keep everyone safe… even ones that are deemed to have an 'evil' role like Giratina, Yveltal or Nyxcipher himself." Mew dismissed after seeing Ash and Ashton's faces. She didn't want to overwhelm them with too much information.
"One more question. How are Ruru and us linked to each other? It was kind of sudden to find out we are linked to her when we haven't seen her in nine years." Ashton asked with a frown.
"I was afraid you were going to ask that. I caused the link." Mew admitted.
"You?! How?!" Ash and Ashton roared. They both had their fists clenched and blue aura oozing out. Mew sweatdropped, but chose to continue speaking. She knew she would have to tell them this eventually.
"Remember that little adventure you had in the Tree of Beginning?" Ash was increasingly getting knots in his stomach. He remembered it all too well and knew what Mew was going to say next. "I orchestrated the entire thing. I knew Pikachu was your traveling partner so I kidnapped him to lure you to the tree. When you tried to help the tree with the sickness, that's when I properly linked you and Aurora together. All I needed was for you to do is expose your aura to me."
"What the hell, Mew?! I don't like how you're literally taking our lives into your paws and not care about the consequences! What happens if I don't accept what happened? We would die… and it would be your fault!" Ash continued, annoyed.
"Ash…" Mew tried to placate him, but Ash didn't care.
"I don't want to hear you! You've put our lives endangered and you expect us to be all casual about it! Get out of my mind!" Ash growled. Mew stared unnervingly into Ash's eyes as he yelled at her.
"You're so similar to her, boy. Too similar. I deserve every bit of the tongue lashing you're giving me. Remain doubtful if you wish, but I did it to aid in your future training. You've squandered so much time not training your aura... so I decided to accelerate the pace of your learning by taking a risk." Mew explained.
"Our lives being gambled apparently." Ashton snorted. Mew sighed.
"You can choose to dislike me, boys. However, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think you wouldn't remember yourself." Mew told them. "It's your choice if you don't want to go through the trial, but if you don't do it, Nyxcipher is likely to disobey my order and invade your dream again."
Both Ashes paled upon hearing this.
"It is in your best interest to keep me here because my presence keeps Nyxcipher at bay. Again, I'm providing you the choice to make me leave." Mew offered with a weak smile. Ash and Ashton both looked appalled.
"A choice? That's a load of Rapidash dung. You're surprisingly manipulative for a pixie." Ash grumbled.
"You learn to be that way when you've been alive for as long as me. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I didn't intend for you feel this way. I swear." Mew admitted.
"Gee, I wonder who wouldn't want to feel used by a legendary who's been watching our every move. Whatever gave ya that impression?" Ashton hissed. "You totally intended everything, except for this moment where we would be angry. You expected us to be yielding immediately and it's throwing you on a loop."
Mew decided not to respond to that. Ash looked pensive and closed his eyes when he made a choice.
"Ashton… let's do what she wants." Ash said in a defeated voice. Ashton widened his eyes.
"What? Are you serious, dude?" Ashton said incredulously. Ash frowned and glared at Mew.
"Yeah. I don't like this any more than you. If I felt… terrible… when Nyxcipher turned into Serena, do you really want to see him turn into Aurora? Imagine all the things that could be said or done while he tricks us with his fumes." Ashton looked down when Ash said this. Ash could tell his point was made. Ash regarded the primordial Pokémon. He jeered unlike himself, "We really don't have a choice. That is what you wanted… right?"
"Not like this. Only a Ketchum could stab me in my heart like this. I do hope you'll forgive me once you are rewarded." Mew offered a small smile.
"At least you acknowledge what you're doing is wrong. Whatever. Let's just get this over with." Ash crossed his arms and frowned.
"Fine. Now… for preliminary stages of the trial." Mew closed her eyes and her body multiplied. They went from seeing one Mew to ten, to even a hundred. They both sweat-dropped as they felt completely outnumbered. The legendary grinned evilly at the two. All of them said, "Which me is the real me?"
"Uh…" The boys could only mutter as they looked at each Mew. Every Mew was doing something different. Some Mews were flying around the sky, some had silly faces, some looked ready to kill Ash and Ashton while others were conversing with one or another. It was a mass pink gathering of the same Pokémon and it confused anyone who saw it.
Ashton tried to pinpoint which one was which, but Ash just stood there and concentrated. He closed his eyes and thought about the legendary Pokémon herself. Instead of trying to figure out which one was real, he tried to sense which one was different and pick the odd one out. Meanwhile, Ashton was struggling to figure out which Mew was which. Ash's body began to glow slightly blue as his concentration deepened. Ashton was curious of his balance's intentions.
Ash gasped at what he found and his gaze turned sharp when he opened his eyes. Ashton looked at Ash, wondering why he wasn't doing anything.
"Mew!" Ash called out and cupped his hands against his mouth to project his voice. All the Mews stopped what they were doing and stared intently at Ash. They all turned so uniformly.
"Dear, have you figured it out yet?" One of the Mews flew to be directly in front of him.
"I… think," Ash stated hesitantly.
"Tell me, is it me?" The same Mew asked him. Ash was about to respond, but then another Mew spoke up in his place.
"I look pretty real." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
"Don't listen to her, darling, I'm your main gal." Another Mew said in a happier voice. She pointed to her chest and tugged on Ash's arm. She looked up at him pleadingly.
"No you aren't! I'm the real Mew." The first Mew stated.
"No, I am!" The other one argued back.
"No, ya dirty little liars. I'm the one he's looking for. Stop trying to mislead him." Another Mew floated down and glared at her.
"No you're not." A multitude of other Mews entered themselves into the conversation.
"Yes I am." The same Mew stuck her tongue out at all of them.
"No, I'm the real Mew!" All of them said at once towards Ash and Ashton. Ashton had a blank expression and sweat dropped and Ash had an annoyed face. All of Mew's bickering voices kept echoing in his head and he was getting sick of it fast. Eventually, he had it.
"Mew! Stop this façade already!" Ash barked. All the Mews looked shocked at the boy. Then, their gazes turned cold. They all narrowed their eyes. Ashton didn't know what to think. Ash cleared his throat and explained, "I know… there's only one of you… but that one Mew is split into all of you. You all are real."
"All of us, you say? Interesting response from a human." The first Mew who spoke and snapped her fingers. The other ninety-nine Mews turned into tiny pink balls of light and moved to one definite source. Only one Mew accepted the pink sparkles of energy and absorbed it. The Mew who had regarded Ash was only one remained.
"Impressive stuff, Ash. You're sensing my aura effectively." She clasped her paws together, "So… now that I've gained an approximate scope of your sensing ability, I think I can gauge at your brain a little further through the actual test."
"Uh… what are you planning?" Ash asked tentatively.
Mew responded with her body changing shape. She grew much larger and her fur turned scaly. She looked relatively small and had a horn on her head. She had striking red eyes. Then, it looked as those her body evolved to a cocoon-like shape. Finally, it evolved again to shift color shifted from a dark blue to a monstrous green. Her eyes turned black. Mew's back became extremely spiky and the front resembled a scary face with a blue mouth. Mew was grinning at the two in this form and Ash and Ashton looked highly nervous.
"You've transformed into Larvitar, evolved twice and transformed into Ty-Tyranitar?" Both of them trembled.
"All Ketchums are born with the innate will to live and survive. They never back down from a challenge and are eager to experience more to further themselves. As guardians naturally feel at ease in nature, they often know how to survive on their own for a long time. This will either be a breeze for you or a rude awakening. Your instincts and combat prowess have been suppressed for far too long. And… it's my duty to bring them back out." Mew grinned while showing her fangs.
"And how… are you going to do that?" Ashton questioned.
"About fifteen years ago, I did this exact same test to Aurora with you on her shoulders. I remember your small baby face, blissfully unaware of the danger I put her in. You have it so much easier, that's for sure. You have someone else that can help you and isn't a liability." Mew continued with a slanted smile.
"You still didn't answer me. How are you planning on bringing back our instinct?" Ashton repeated.
"By chasing and pursuing you. For six days, I will be chasing you in the vast expanses of this tree. I will transform into different Pokémon and track you down. Each Pokémon I transform into has a special meaning to you in some way, though you will most likely figure out how by the end of this exercise. You won't be able to wake up until we are done. I'm giving you an hour head-start on me. Hide wherever you like in the tree and run as far away from me as possible. Eventually, I will find you and I will try to kill you." Mew explained. Both humans grew alarmed and unnerved.
"What?!" Ash and Ashton took one step back from the transformed Pokémon. Mew looked amused.
"Yep. To make this as real as possible, I have to show you no mercy. The only thing that I can't do is sense your aura. That would be cheating on my behalf." Mew said. "Still, I would get going if I were you. I'm the grandmother of all living things. I'll know how to hunt you down in other ways. When I do find you… either run or try to face me with your powers. You can hold me back, but you have nothing but your wits."
"We don't even know how to use our powers! How do you expect to survive this?" Ashton said angrily.
"That's the thing: you won't. Not with that attitude, you won't. You doubt yourself. You are afraid of losing Ash like you lost Aurora because you are afraid you will be overwhelmed by me. You are afraid of facing that same overwhelmed feeling from nearly a decade ago." Mew said sadly. Ashton felt a shiver down his spine and didn't know what to think. He couldn't respond to Mew's claim. Ash noticed his anxiety and didn't know what to say. He didn't know Ashton cared about him so much.
"This trial will help you to believe in yourself again and for Ash to believe in his wits." Mew directed her attention to the brown eyed teen. "You've been too dependent on other people in your travels for far too long. It's good to have friends to support you, but it's also good to have a backbone. Now that you've forgotten what you've learned, how will you do with only your forgotten self and your non-practiced self? We'll find out."
"Fine. We'll play this game and prove you wrong. I'm not dependent on my friends." Ash growled.
"And… I don't doubt myself." Ashton added. Mew had a satisfied smirk plastered on her features.
"I look forward to you two proving me wrong. Use whatever resources in the tree for food. Good luck. Now boys… you should leave. You don't have that much time to hide from me." Mew said with a mighty roar. Both balance and counterbalance scrambled away from the transformed psychic into rock type, both of them both determined and shaken. Her reptilian eyes followed the two targets she sought. She grew excited.
"I'm curious to learn how much he subconsciously retained from his previous nomadic lifestyle with Aurora. Time to see if he's a real Ketchum." Mew snickered as she watched them enter inside one of the tree's many caves.
A/N: This chapter was a lot to process, so if anyone has questions, fell free to hit me up through a PM. I visit the site every day, so I'm likely to respond in a few hours.
The next chapter will be broken up into six parts, sort to speak. Each day Ash and Ashton are trying to avoid Mew will be counted a chapter... so expect six 'shorter' chapters from me, even though it will actually be one long one. I feel like this way is best to bring about the survival aspect of Ash's trial.
Also... I'm going to try to update once a month until I have a large surplus of chapters again. I think this is fair. Being at a university really is taxing, but I know I'm learning a lot of concepts for the fall. I feel so happy about this. :D
I really hope you liked this chapter~
Next chapter: Tree of Remembrance: Larvitar