A/N: Hey-oh and hiya everyone! Welcome to the fifth part of Ash's trial. I can't wait for you guys to read this chapter... I loved writing it.
Disclaimer: You know the drill at this point. I don't own Pokemon, but I own this story and its concepts.
Day 5
"Interesting… humans are always so interesting. Five days… and the boys are going strong… and as novices no less! Makes me excited. When I was Greninja, I pushed Ash to the point where he wanted to kill me. That simple fact alone makes me wonder if he will do that again…" Mew murmured to herself as she walked through the Tree of Beginning's grasslands. She looked up at the sky and saw the mighty tree itself. Mew knew exactly where Ash and Ashton were. It was only a matter of time before she found them.
"Heh. They've learned quite a bit in the last few days. I think today and tomorrow will be pivotal in them gaining trust in me. More than ever I must be careful… but first, I'd say it's time to contact someone else. I know she'll be able to help me gain their trust…" Mew said.
Mew closed her eyes and concentrated. Then, she teleported away from her spot.
Mew found herself standing in a wide-open blank white field. Although she was confused, she knew she was in the right place. The mythical Pokémon hovered along the expanse. There was nothing of note. This was common with traversing an area of a dream that the active dreamer wasn't near. Still, she wanted to find the dreamer soon.
Mew kept floating along in nothingness. She never liked floating in nothingness because it reminded her of the days where she was lonely. Mew sighed. She didn't know why but she began to feel a sense of melancholy. Her sadness extended beyond the feeling of loneliness. This melancholy… felt strangely familiar. Then, it hit her. She suddenly in place and surrounded herself in a dark pink aura. She started scowling and her curled her tiny fists tightly.
"Mew…" A deep voice droned in the void of nothing.
"That voice…" Mew hissed. She sensed something teleporting right behind her. It was a massive figure, radiating with power and authority. Mew snorted and continued to float through the wide-open space. She could feel the figure following her. Mew started to fly faster. Step by step, the being kept up with Mew's pace no matter how fast she flew.
"Mew, stop and let me talk to you." The deep voice pleaded with her. Mew stopped in place and growled. The aura around her got more intense and she clenched her fists even tighter. Then, she turned around and saw the object of her animosity. She looked up and saw a large imposing white centaur-like Pokémon. His green eyes stared into her soul. Any other Pokémon would be petrified in their spot, but Mew wasn't phased in the slightest.
Mew, although she didn't change into her true form, changed her blue eyes back to its original shape and pupils. Her red-pupiled eyes stared into his very soul and for several minutes, they tensely stared at each other. Mew then floated up to talk to her counterbalance.
"Well, aren't I blessed? His Majesty, the hypocrite has arrived. Didn't you say you wouldn't invade a human's life and yet you're contacting me through her dream." Mew remarked with a sneer. The white Pokémon didn't seem phased by her quip.
"Mew, you know exactly why I've come." The white Pokémon said in a calm and patient tone. Mew rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, and you know exactly what my response will be. Stay out of my business, Arcy. I'm not going to stop helping my humans." Mew stated adamantly. Arceus was a bit surprised that she said her loving nickname for him in such an icy way. Arceus seemed unphased with how cold she was toward him. He just started at her, then sighed.
"I can feel your bitterness toward me." He stated simply.
"Gee, I wonder why. You're the idiot who set up another world changing prophecy. What the hell were you thinking?! You thought about one Pokémon compared to the billions of lives that will die to Nyxcipher if he has his way. You haven't learned from the last time you gave that crooked Pokémon a chance. I don't want to have to go through the pain of seeing so much life wiped out again. I'm only trying to clean up your mess before it happens!" Mew said and slapped his nose in disgust. She had tears forming in her eyes thinking about what happened to the world before this current one.
"…" Arceus just stood there and took the hit. Mew was appalled that he showed no emotion and quickly regained her composure.
"Unless you want to help me train our last hopes, leave this dream… or I'll make you." Mew growled, forming an aura sphere in her hand. She pointed it at her mate. Arceus widened his eyes, then narrowed them. His wheel-like structure began to glow as he growled at the mythical Pokémon. Mew made the aura sphere the size of her body as she narrowed her eyes back.
"I see you won't be convinced my way. I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice…" Arceus seemed a bit sad when he said this.
Mew was a bit surprised at his tone, but her guard wasn't let down. Mew suddenly felt a crippling pain throughout her entire body. Mew gasped and looked at Arceus in shock. Then, she could feel him sucking away all her energy. Mew wailed in pain as her entire body shuddered to fight off Arceus's effect. Arceus's wheel glowed brighter and brighter as Mew felt weaker and weaker. Then, she could feel herself losing touch with the dream. Arceus grew disorienting as she struggled to keep herself conscious. She immediately knew what Arceus was trying to do and she wasn't going to have any of it.
"You despicable bastard! You'll be damned to think I'll let you contain me!" Mew hissed.
Mew looked at her mate with pure animosity. Then, she shot the aura sphere directly at his face. Arceus grunted at the hit, but didn't seem to care. He stomped his foot on the ground. Mew screamed louder. She shuddered even harder. Then, she had enough. Her body began to glow white and her blue eyes turned red completely.
Mew's body grew larger and larger until she rivaled that of Arceus. She became quadrupedal and her silver wheels were glowing brightly. Arceus stepped back in shock to see her transform back into her original form. He hadn't seen Mew in this form in millennia. Arceus was in awe. He forgot how beautiful she looked to him like this, but dare wouldn't say anything. Mew stopped shuddering and everything around her no longer looked disorienting. Then, she promptly kicked him in the face with her hind legs.
Arceus groaned as he was knocked into the ground. Arceus was a bit surprised at how fluid her movement as and was bemused as to why she wasn't resorting to using her psychic power. The legendary promptly got back up. He didn't get too much time to stand as Mew charged forward and knocked him back down. She placed her front legs on top of Arceus to prevent him from moving. Arceus tried to force her off, but Mew wouldn't have any of that.
With a huge bellow, Mew stomped on his torso as hard as she could. Arceus lost his breath and coughed heavily.
"Ack! Mew…" Arceus said while coughing.
Mew stared at him coldly. She got off him and lifted him up with her psychic power. Arceus tried to break free, but Mew overwhelmed him. He was surprised to see how powerful she was. He didn't think her power overcame his. He scowled at his mate. Then, he looked around him. Several psychic orbs of energy surrounded him. With one motion, Mew could easily attack him. However, she hesitated. Arceus was slightly bemused to see her hesitating. She was normally quick to attack.
"Stay away from me. Do something like that again and I will make no hesitation in killing you. I don't care if you are the End, I will take up your role if necessary. Now… if you'll excuse me, I have a Ketchum to talk to." Mew pointed her nose up and started to walk away from him. Her eyes changed back into blue with red pupils. She suddenly released him from her psychic powers and the psychic orbs seemingly disappeared.
"Mew... this isn't over. Your meddling with humans will bring ruin to the world! Your harsh training will bring them to distrust you and all your precious creations will be destroyed by our son. I'm only trying to prevent that." Arceus explained. Mew scoffed at the legendary, but was secretly wonderingly if what he said was true.
"You shouldn't have given our son another chance by making the Great Prophecy. You should have let me kill him. Now, the humans are suffering for it… and I'm going to fix it." Mew said determinately. She continued to walk away.
"Mew-" Arceus started, but was greeted with several psychic orbs pelting him. Arceus screamed as he took the brunt of Mew's psychic fury. Then, he collapsed on the ground, barely able to get up. Arceus found himself begrudgingly impressed with his balance's power.
"By the by… those psychic orbs never disappeared. I never trust a snake." Mew stomped her foot on the ground. Arceus gasped as he was teleported away from the dream instantly.
"You will be properly punished for disobeying me. Like I said… this isn't over, Mew Boo…" Mew could hear Arceus's condemning voice on her head.
"I look forward to you trying, Arcy." Mew snorted before she blocked herself off from her mate. Then, she refocused herself on what she wanted to do.
Mew started to move along the dream again. However, upon taking a few more steps, she collapsed on the ground. Her body was surrounded by white sparks as Arceus's effect still took hold on her. She tried to move, but found that she couldn't. For the first time in a long time, Mew was afraid of what might happen to her. She wondered if she was going to be stuck here.
"Lady Mew?" Two feminine voices called. The area around Mew changed as it changed to be a grassland leading into the beginning of the forest. Two women who looked incredibly alike approached her with concerned faces. One woman had wolf-like amber eyes while the other had piercing red eyes.
"Heh… Hello Aurora and Aru…" Mew coughed out. White sparks entangled her body again as she winced in pain.
"Mew… who did this to you?" Aru demanded to find out.
"Ugh… Don't worry… about that. I'll be fine." Mew once again tried to stand up, but fell with a huge thud. Aurora and Aru jumped up involuntarily. The two women were horrified.
"Mew… rest your energy. Aru, help me with this. We can change to dreamscape to be at our cottage and then we can begin to treat her." The yellow eyed lady said.
"Right." Aru nodded.
Closing their eyes, both ladies focused and the dreamscape changed. Soon, they changed the area so that they were in front of Aurora's house. Then, Aru promptly went inside to get some medicine. Meanwhile, Aurora placed her hand on Mew's body. She walked around the legendary, testing how her muscles would react. Everywhere around her body, Mew tensed up. Aurora then nodded to herself. Aurora then walked back to see Mew eye to eye.
Mew looked incredibly weak despite being in her true form. She tried making a reassuring look, she knew she wasn't fooling anyone. Aurora murmured, "Mew… who did this to you?"
"When you felt around my body, who's aura could you feel?" Mew coughed. Aurora rolled her eyes, but humored her.
"It felt like… yours. Except this aura felt more… ruthless? I said it like a question because I'm not sure. I doubt you did this to yourself and you are in your true form so…" Aurora thought about it for a few moments. Then it hit her. "Arceus… he condemned you, didn't he?"
"I always liked how quick you are to figure things out…. Gah…" Once again, Mew's body became tangled with white sparks and she cried out in pain. Aurora started to panic and put her hands on her head. Then, she transferred some of her energy over to her patron. Mew was a bit surprised by the swift response and was secretly thankful.
"Mew, save your strength. We'll help you." Aurora said with a smile. Aurora felt weakened but she would do anything to help.
"Thank you, dear." Mew said from the bottom of her heart. Something had been lurking in her mind for a while. Mew then asked suddenly, "I'm weakened, so you can say or do anything to me. Aurora… do you actually trust me?"
"Mew, where is this coming from?" Aurora blinked her eyes in surprise.
"Just answer my question… please." Mew coughed roughly and uncontrollably. Her eyes began to dilate. Aurora placed her hands on her cheek and looked sad. She shook her head and wondered why Mew was so intent for an answer. However, the middle-aged woman didn't mind speaking her mind.
"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have allowed you to train me so harshly. Yes, I may get mad at you, but I know you wouldn't do what you do if you didn't care. I have your back… and you have mine. That's good enough for me to know. As long as I still breathe, I will serve and aid you the best way I can." Aurora said as candidly as she could.
"Thank you… that… means more to me than you know. I sometimes question myself when I think of ways to teach you. I've always been afraid for you guys breaking away because of something I did. I don't want to feel lonely again... and whenever I see you Ketchums, I feel a sense of joy I can't explain…" Mew grimaced when she tried to smile.
"Mew…" Aurora didn't know how to respond to that.
"I'm sorry for going out on a bit of a tangent, dear. Don't worry about me." Mew tried to ease Aurora, but Aurora shook her head.
"When someone says that, that's when I worry more. Please, just relax." Aurora said.
After a few moments, Aurora saw Aru coming back out with several regular, Super, Hyper and Max Potions. She also had a few Full Heals and several berries. She carried the man-made medicine in her hands and the berries with her aura grip. Then, she placed them on the ground. Both Auroras began to help dispel Auceus's aura from Mew. Aru focused on healing her body while Aurora focused on healing her aura.
For several hours, the two tended to Mew and the mythical Pokémon could do nothing but just lay there. She kept looking up at the sky, deep in thought. Aurora and Aru looked at each other anxiously, but continued their work in silence. They eventually took turns switching roles. By afternoon, Aurora and Aru successfully dispelled all foreign aura out of Mew, but the effort was taxing. They were breathing heavily by mid-afternoon.
Aurora and Aru stepped back and gestured her to try standing again. Mew nodded. Slowly, but surely, Mew got back up. She stretched her body out. Then, her eyes began to glow blue as Aurora and Aru was suddenly lifted into the air. Aurora and Aru laughed when she gave them both a large lick in thanks. They both were covered in Mew's slobber, but neither of them cared. Then, she placed them both on top of her head and smiled. Sighing, Mew sat down and looked off into nothing.
"...Humans like you are the reason I fight so hard to prevent the negative passing of the Second Great Prophecy. I wish you can show Arceus that there are people still kind to the life around them. That alone gives me the strength to keep going." Mew said after sitting there for several minutes without speaking. Aurora and Aru felt warm and fuzzy after hearing that.
"Mew… are you ready to tell us why Arceus did this to you?" Aurora asked. Aru blinked her eyes in surprise and Aurora quickly told her what she had sensed when she was gone. Aru nodded.
"I suppose I owe you to that much. I took a bit of a risk putting you and Ash under these trials. Arceus threatened me, saying that if I went through with this that he would harshly punish me. He said that I am getting too close to humans, specifically the Ketchums. He scolded me about choosing a side in the aura guardian-psychic conflict and said that as a legendary Pokémon, it is my duty to stay neutral and let things pan out how they are supposed to. He came earlier than expected, choosing to attack me after I was done with your trials… but I know he isn't done yet. However, this doesn't change the fact that I'm going to finish Ash's trials. I don't care what he does to me." Mew explained.
"Why would you do that to yourself? We aren't worth it!" Aurora exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, you are. Preserving life is always worth it to me. The last time I abided by Arceus's word, the world was destroyed and we literally had to reset everything. It seems like my mate hasn't learned from his mistakes because he's doing exactly what he did last time: sit around and do nothing. He thinks that the humans will decide for themselves their destiny, but the smartest humans tend to lean toward corruption. Those humans often are the reason for unnecessary chaos and destruction. For example, Charles Elliot Malladus is an incredible mind, being able to create amazing technology. However, he is blinded by the grief of losing his wife to an aura guardian… so that causes him to seek revenge in the worst way possible." Mew continued.
"I would have never expected Arceus to be so harsh to you. Doesn't he see that you're only doing what you think is right?" Aru growled. Mew shook her head. Aurora and Aru barely held on to the titan's head when she shook it.
"Arceus is thinking about the legendary Pokémon rather than the humans. He feels as though humans will betray Pokémon so they deserve no help. He thinks his immediate children are more important, but he forgot I founded life on everything, not just a small percentage. I rather a lot of life stay than a little bit of it." Mew sighed.
"Mew... why did you come here anyway? I thought we were done with our trial." Aurora pointed out.
"Yes, you did finish your trial and once you wake up, I'll teach you your reward since it is impossible to teach it in a dream. I didn't expect Arceus to intercept me here… so I apologize about most of your day being wasted on my behalf. However, I came back with a request." Mew said.
"Don't apologize. What do you want us to do?" Aru asked.
"I am currently during the six-day survival challenge as a trial to help Ash remember you a bit more as well as improve his skills as a guardian. He's already seen that he will have Tyranitar, Bulbasaur, Greninja and Lucario as guardian partners, though it is unclear to me if Bulbasaur will evolve or not. I want you two to help me with his final day by making it a bit more special." Mew pleaded with the Ketchums on her head.
"Mew… before I accept anything, I need you to tell me something. Does Ash have that killer instinct you instilled in us? Did he nearly kill you because you tricked him?" Aurora asked in a calm, but deadly voice. Her eyes turned orange as she spoke. Aru got a bit nervous and looked down toward Mew's face. Mew was looking down and wasn't responding. Aurora curled up her fists, "Well…?"
"… Yes." Mew hesitated to answer, knowing that Aurora would get annoyed. Aru didn't seem too surprised while Aurora was angry.
"Mew! How did you trick him?" Aurora demanded.
"He thought I had killed Ashton… so he went berserk. Obviously, I didn't kill Ashton, but I made it appear I did. However, Ash is a lot more efficient when angered, doing techniques no novice should. He even created the Ketchum sword prematurely." Mew recalled.
"What?!" Both Auroras gasped.
"Yeah… I was surprised about that, too. That still doesn't make up what I did to him… which is why I want your help. I know they trust you… but they struggle to trust me because you got separated before you able to take him to the Tree nine years ago. I understand these trials are also making them wary of me," Mew sighed sadly.
"You want us to help them learn to trust you?" Aurora and Aru asked.
"Yes. I want to show them that my way of teaching isn't too bad, so I want you both to appear in Ash's dream on the last day to spar with both Ashton and Ash. They will likely be reluctant to fight you, but you need to show them it's alright to fight when you need to. It's alright if you don't choose to accept considering the hell I put you through in the last few days, but-" Mew continued.
"I'll do it." Aurora said abruptly. Her eyes turned back to normal.
"Aurora?" Aru blinked her eyes in surprise by how fast she responded. Aurora turned to Aru.
"Mew may usually be a little sadistic, but I can tell the encounter with Arceus mellowed her a bit. I can feel in my heart that everything she is saying is coming from her soul and that is why I will help." Aurora said. Mew felt touched and smiled widely, Aurora then added, "Also… it'd be a good way to monitor any damage Mew might do to both my boys. I can get my revenge easier if I see Ash or Ashton hurt."
"Heh. Fair enough. Aru… can you help as well?" Mew asked earnestly.
Aru looked at Aurora, then shrugged. Aru said with a grin. "Eh, why not? I wanna see how much they've improved in the last few days, anyway. I've been wanting to spar with our boys since we reunited with them."
"Thank you so much, girls." Mew said in appreciation. Aurora and Aru suddenly gained a pink outline around them. Then, they were lifted from Mew's head and back onto the ground. Mew staggered slightly, but stood back up. Then, she transformed back into her pixie-like form and floated right in front of them. She said, "Let me tell you what will happen tomorrow to help you prepare. You will wake up tomorrow morning. I will teach you your reward, but you will barely survive trying the technique. Then, you soon fall back to sleep. Once you fall back to sleep, I will get you and we will travel to Ash's dream together."
"How are you so certain this will happen?" Aurora questioned.
"I'm about ninety percent sure that this will be the sequence of events that will occur because it is so close to happening. Keep in mind that despite me being adept in aura, I am a psychic type. In my true form, I can only be in one place. However, in this form, I can be in several places at once, so I would have also been showcasing Ash's last partner to them at the same time as retrieving you. That's all you need to know for now." Mew explained. Both women nodded.
"Now… I must go. I spent too much time here and the boys have to be wondering why I didn't ambush them yet." Mew said.
"Care to tell us who you'll transform into?" Aurora asked in a curious tone.
"A Pokémon with a stubborn, but fiery spirit. I think you can guess for yourselves." Mew chuckled. Aurora and Aru immediately got a bit of a shiver, but nodded.
"Tell Ash and Ashton that we send our blessings to them. Also, if he tells me you did anything to him I don't like…" Aurora growled. Mew raised her hands up in a pacifying manner and sweatdropped.
"I rather not provoke a mother protecting her young. I won't get too serious… I promise. It's strange… before this meeting, I would have been even harsher than I was as Greninja, but because you helped me, I'll be more respecting of your wishes." Mew admitted.
"Thank you, Mew." Aurora said with a smile.
"I guess we'll see you tomorrow." Aru said slightly awkwardly.
"One more thing, ladies." Mew said.
"What is it?" Both humans asked.
"Make sure you two stay close. You are stronger together. Never forget that." Mew told them.
"Mew…" Aurora said in sadness. She knew she was still hung up about Arceus.
"Just humor me, alright? Treasure the chemistry you share, girls. You never know what you'll miss about your counterpart until it's gone. With that, I'll see you soon." Mew said as she teleported away from the duo. Aurora and Aru then went back into their cottage to think about their encounter with Mew.
It was mid-afternoon at the Tree of Beginning. Ash and Ashton continued to walk along the forest that is the Tree's leaves. However, they both were wondering the same thing: Where the heck was Mew? Both of them were beginning to get worried. They hadn't seen the transforming pixie all day. They thought they would have been ecstatic, but instead, not seeing Mew left them with a sense of unease. They began to try looking for the mythical Pokémon herself.
As they were walking, Ashton wondered aloud, "Is she doing this to test us out? If that's the case, what would be the point of it?"
"I'm not sure if she's trying to test us out by disappearing on us, Ashton." Ash closed his eyes and placed his hand on the ground. The ground around him began to glow blue as he began to sense the area. Then, Ash sucked his teeth, "I can't sense her anywhere in the dream. This is so weird."
"Seriously?" Ashton said with surprise. Ash tried again, but couldn't sense her anywhere.
"Yeah. Something might have happened to her." Ash said, slightly nervous.
"I don't that happened. She might be covering up herself from her sensing." Ashton said.
"Mew told us that she wouldn't cheat by using her sensing. I think that extends to her also being sensed. I'm really getting worried." Ash said while frowning.
"You are the one to give things the benefit of the doubt. Go figure." Ashton shrugged. Then, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you really want to, we can continue to try to find her. I don't like seeing you this worried about anything."
"Thank you, Ashton." Ash said with a large smile. Ashton sighed and rolled his eyes. Then, the duo began to walk down the tree. They traversed through the crystal caves and structures. Eventually, they reached the base of the Tree and its grasslands. The sun was beginning to fall from the sky and the sky itself turned orange. Then, Ash stopped suddenly and asked, "Ashton… tell me what's been on your mind."
"What do you mean?" Ashton immediately asked.
"I know you know exactly what I mean, dude." Ash said in an unimpressed voice and crossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes at the counterbalance.
"…" Ashton stayed silent and looked away. Ash continued to cross his arms, but frowned.
"Ashton… you always stay silent when something is bothering you. That much I remember." Ash said. Ashton blinked his eyes.
"Wait… remember? Ash… how much are you remembering?" Ashton gasped. Although the balance was surprised that he said and knew that, he didn't care too much at the moment.
"That's not important. What's important to me is trying to help you. Now… tell me what's up? I know Greninja's attack affected both of us pretty badly, but… I'm beginning to come to terms with the power I displayed. I'm learning that if I don't let my emotions go out of control, I can control myself. However, have you come to terms with your own conflict?" Ash asked seriously.
"I… yes. I'm beginning to, at least." Ashton admitted.
"What have you been struggling with?" Ash asked.
"I've…" Ashton started but couldn't continue. Ash made a reassuring smile and gestured him to continue. When he didn't, Ash sighed.
"Ashton, I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me." Ash said in a deadpan voice.
"I don't like how you are so determined and stubborn about everything. It's so annoying to deal with." Ashton grumbled.
"I mean, you're just as stubborn as I am since we're the same person." Ash pointed out. Then he said, "Stop beating around the bush and tell me what's up."
"Fine." Ashton sighed. "I've… been feeling like… you're better than me in pretty much every way since the trial started."
"What? Ashton, you know-"
"Yeah. I know what you're going to say. You're gonna say, 'I'm not better than you at all' or something along those lines. I'm realizing that I have my own strengths, Ash." Ashton cut him off and told him. He looked down at his hands. They started to glow blue as the counterbalance continued speaking, "I've… been selfish. I prided myself in being the one saving you or helping you when you needed it. I was happy to help you when Happy tried hypnotizing you with her cuteness and when Aruru rampaged. I thought that was the way we balanced each other out."
"…" Ash stayed silent as he continued to listen to Ashton.
"In the first few days of the trial, I still had that mentality. I felt like I could be some sort of odd mentor while you have your amnesia. However, throughout these trials, you've begun to remember more things and because of that, your power is beginning to trounce mine. You definitely proved that a couple of days ago when you stuck up for me, when you thought I was dead. I didn't know you cared about me so much." Ashton continued.
"Of course I care about you. I… I don't want to ever see that happen to you again. I… I'm just glad it was only an illusion." Ash held his hand against his chest and closed his eyes. Ashton didn't know how to respond to that, so he decided to change it to something slightly different.
"You don't want to go out of control and I feel inadequate. Because of this, I decided to seek out Mew to see if she could help my boggled mind. Instead, she ambushed me, knocked me against a tree, and told me that I always have my own strengths." Ashton recalled.
"Yeah… that sounds like something Mew would do." Ash shrugged.
"She also told me that I'm held back by my fear. At first, I denied it internally. Then, I realized it was true when I couldn't attack her at first. After the sparring match, she helped me realize that my strength isn't how powerful I am… it's how technical I am. I'm beginning to accept that I'm the weaker one of the two of us. However, that's alright." Ashton said. He curled his fists tighter. "Sometimes, power isn't the answer. Sometimes, it's skill. Mew helped me realize that through our sparring match yesterday. I did a lot better when I stopped focusing on overpowering her."
"I'm glad she helped you realize that. Seems like I'm the brawn and you're the brain." Ash said with a large grin. Ashton chuckled slightly and shook his head.
"I don't think that's quite it, Ash. You're pretty smart yourself." Ashton pointed out.
"I guess, but you're more likely to think before you do something. That's another way we balance each other out. This balance and counterbalance thing is cool. It's like we have a simba... symbio… sym… something relationship." Ash grumbled as he couldn't think of the right word. Ashton rolled his eyes.
"Symbiotic." Ashton said the word he was looking for.
"See? You're totally smarter!" Ash complemented.
"I don't think that's me showing my intelligence, Ash. I think that's you just forgetting your vocabulary." Ashton sighed. Ash shrugged.
"Eh, I don't care about that. The important part is that I got you to talk about your feelings. I want to be here for you, Ashton… like a brother should." Ash said with a grin. Ashton widened his eyes and gasped.
"Brother…?" Ashton growled as he suddenly became surrounded in a powerful red aura, Ash stepped back, laughed nervously, and sweatdropped. Ashton hissed, "Ash… did you hear what I said last night?"
"Yeah… You shouldn't be upset about opening yourself up more." Ash winked.
Ashton promptly responded by flipping him over his head, crossing his arms and looking away with a small blush. Ash grunted when he landed on the ground, but laughed afterward. Ashton rolled his eyes and helped up his balance.
"Glad you're feeling better, bro." Ash said cheerfully.
"Don't call me that." Ashton hissed.
"Why not? We certainly have that sort of relationship." Ash said with a bit of a frown.
"We do, but right now you're being like an irritating older brother." Ashton growled.
"You called me brother again!" Ash sang. Ashton inwardly cursed at his slip-up and threatened to punch Ash on his arm. Ash exposed his arm for the counterbalance to punch, calling his bluff. Ashton grumbled as he said it wasn't worth it.
"Shut it." Ashton decided to respond.
"Hahaha! Love you too, Ashton." Ash chuckled.
"Ugh... you're annoying." Ashton said, exasperated.
"And you're unbearable. Then again, I am a part of you so you just insulted yourself twice over." Ash retorted. Ashton widened his eyes. He didn't expect that sort of response from him. Ash chuckled, "Sounds familiar?"
"…I'm stopping this conversation right now." Ashton said.
Ashton started to walk away from his brown eyed counterpart. Ash sighed happily and followed him. Then, Ash suddenly stopped again. Ashton wondered what was up until he looked at Ash's face. It seemed to be mixed with relief and surprise. Then, Ash placed his hand on the ground and started to sense the area around him. He made an affirmative nod to himself. Ashton noticed the change.
"She's back… and she coming straight for us." Ash said in a grave voice.
"Really?" Ashton asked. Ash nodded.
"Yes. We don't have time to talk. She's going to be-" Just as he was about to grab Ashton's hand to flee toward the crystal caves, a wall of flames came from the sky and blocked their path. Ash and Ashton stopped in alarm. They were about to run in the opposite direction, but another wall of fire blocked them. Eventually, the duo was trapped in a ring of fire. A large shadowy being in the sky landed on the ground. Ash and Ashton made an involuntary jump.
The sun had completely set and the only light was coming from the moon and the flames. The Pokémon approaching them had glowing blue eyes and the flame on its tail was intensely blue. Ash and Ashton were getting frightened, but stood firm at the incoming threat. The Pokémon approached the duo and walked through the wall of flames. Ash and Ashton were ready to fight if necessary. They were surprised when the blue flamed Pokémon stopped in its place and its blue eyes stopped glowing.
"How fitting to meet Charizard under the cover of darkness. Darkness was both a place of beginning and a place of growth with this Pokémon for you." The Charizard said. "This Charizard is one of your most powerful allies and I can feel how close knit you two are. It would make the survival challenge even more devastating."
"Mew… before you do anything to us, I need to know this. What happened to you? I couldn't sense you in the dream at all and I got really scared that something happened. Even though we're about to fight, I'm really glad you are safe." Ash said. Mew widened her eyes. Then, they became soft.
"You… care about me?" Mew said in surprise.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Ash nodded, then gestured Ashton to do the same. He made a reassuring smile, then nodded himself. Mew looked down, somewhat deep in thought.
"How odd that humans are able to make me feel this way. That's more comforting to hear than you know."Mew admitted. Mew raised her tail flame up. All the flames became drawn to her tail until there was no longer any wall. Both Ashes looked at the draconian in confusion. She continued, "Charizard was going to be a devastating Pokémon for you to face, but I changed my mind. You don't have to prove your physical strength to me… Ash has proven himself on Day 3 and Ashton has proven himself yesterday. I can tell your emotional strength has also improved… since I can tell you two are more connected than you were yesterday. All that is left is mental strength."
Mew suddenly gestured the duo to climb on her back. Although a bit hesitant, the two obliged. Then, with a mighty roar, the trio were off in the moon bathed sky.
After a few minutes of flying, Ashton had to ask, "Mew, where are you taking us?"
"I'm taking you to a part of the Tree of Beginning where only Ketchums have set foot in. We're going to the time flower garden."
"Time flower garden?"
"Yes. Remember on the first day I told you how the Tree of Beginning is also called the Tree of Remembrance?"'
"Yeah…"
"This is where the mental strength comes in. Ash, will you be able to accept what you see? Ashton, will you be able to take what you see?" Mew asked.
"You're going to show us the separation?" Ash and Ashton asked.
"No. I'm only going to show you what happened after it. I feel like Aurora deserves to show you the actual event more than anyone, so I'll give her that. You have no idea how devastated her parents were when they found her nearly dead. Her father used his one wish from me to keep her alive because… with her injuries... she wasn't going to make it." Mew remembered in sadness.
"Pop Pop wished her to stay alive? He could do that?" Ashton asked, somewhat bewildered.
"All biological Ketchums have one wish they can use from me, if it is within my power. I normally do not interfere with death or life of humans, but… her father was insistent. It was obvious he was going to be a broken man if I didn't do it. I care about all Ketchums. So, I enabled her to live through her injuries, albeit through a three-month coma. He's the only reason Aurora is still alive now." Mew explained.
Ashton placed a hand on his chest and shuddered heavily. He seemed so afraid and relieved at the same time. Meanwhile, Ash was thinking about what might have been able to nearly kill her. Aurora seemed very durable based on how many hits she took during Aru's attack. He also thought about what Ashton said.
"Pop Pop? Like Granpop or something like that? Wait… so her father is my grandfather?" Ash asked. Ashton didn't know what to do say or do so Mew decided for him.
"…Yes." Mew answered uneasily.
"So… this means Aurora really is my aunt! Mom and Aurora are actually sisters!" Ash said in excitement. Ashton immediately widened his eyes and shook his head.
"Uh… Ash, that doesn't mean-" Ashton started, but Ash, in his excitement, cut him off.
"I knew it! It made sense that she's my aunt. Although, it still confuses me that Aurora looks… more like me than my mom." Ash placed a hand on his cheek in slight confusion and wonder. Ashton and Mew sighed sadly and shook their heads.
"Ash… you have no idea. It's not as simple as one, two, three. You'll understand later in the week. However, yes, I can confirm to you that Aurora's father is your grandfather. She's probably going to be upset that I told you this, but she can deal with it. You do deserve to know some things." Mew shrugged. Mew was fast approaching a large wall and showed no signs of stopping. Ash and Ashton closed their eyes, expecting some sort of huge impact.
When they opened their eyes, all four of them sparkled in wonder. They were in a beautiful garden of ethereal buds. Mew finally found a space where she could land without burning any of the flowers. Then, she hovered above the ground while asking Ash and Ashton to get off. The two obliged.
"Some walls are walls and others are illusions, here in the Tree of Remembrance. You can only reach this place through certain circumstances." Mew said.
"What are those circumstances?" Ashton asked.
"I have to be here when a Ketchums goes to the garden and I cannot be sick. Also, the Ketchum must possess enough integrity to pass through the barrier I put up. You both passed with flying colors." Mew congratulated. She hovered over and picked a time flower bud from the ground and formed a blue bubble around it. Then she told the Ashes, "This will require you to wake up temporarily to see what happened. If I showed you here, I can't ever convey the raw emotion Gordon had. We will head to the Hokori region and we will see the incident at Gordon's house."
"I'll be able to see everyone before I go?" Ash asked, slightly excited.
"No. I will place a substitute in your form and imbue it with aura like yours. It will be impossible to tell if you left, unless the person or Pokémon is a master guardian. After you see the past, I will send you back to ride out your last day in a dream." Mew told them.
"Why can't I see Serena, Clemont and Bonnie?" Ash growled.
"Because they will likely want to accompany you and I never let other humans interfere in a Ketchum trial. This is a self-learning experience, Ash. Please bear with me for tonight and tomorrow. Then, you will be able to see your precious ones." Mew calmly explained.
"I really wish I can see them…" Ash huffed in sadness.
"Sometimes, it's best for people you love not to intervene. If they do, you might end up being hurt." Mew advised.
"Mew…? Did someone you love crush you?" Ashton asked. Mew made a solemn smile and shrugged.
"… Yes and no, but that's not important. What's important to me is helping you get stronger." Mew said while looking up at the sky. The wind suddenly picked up as both Ashes began to feel cold. Mew's tail flame was swaying to the wind. Mew suddenly developed a serious expression, "Enough talking. Time to head to Hokori, boys. Close your eyes."
Ash and Ashton looked at each other uneasily, then sighed. After that, they closed their eyes.
When Ash opened his eyes, he found that his body was laying on the ground, but there a sepia house right near. Ash suddenly became spooked and looked around for Ashton. Then, he realized he wasn't dreaming anymore. He sensed Ashton in him, then made a sigh of relief. Ash sat up, somewhat groggily and inspected the sepia house closer. He also looked around the environment. He noted that he area surrounding the house was forested.
When he squinted his eyes, he noticed another building off into the distance. Is that… another Pokémon lab?
Ash slowly got up from the ground and stretched himself out. He felt a sense of familiarity being in front of this house, but remembered that this was his grandfather's house. Ash suddenly had a deep feeling in his heart as he gasped. This was his grandfather's house. He was one step closer to uncovering his past. He didn't know whether to feel excited or nervous about what is hidden.
Ash suddenly felt a presence appear right behind him. It was a Charizard with a blue flame. Mew said, "Welcome to Shingetsu Town. Any of this feels familiar, Ash?"
"It…does. I feel like I was here, playing and having fun." Ash pressed a hand against the house. It felt rigid, but he felt a sense of happiness being here. He then placed both of his hands against the wall. He closed his eyes and his hands began to glow blue. Mew tilted her head in curiosity. Ash said with his eyes closed, "I also feel like… my grandfather is pretty intimidating, but my grandmother is scarier when angry. Aurora got her temper from her mom and her intimidating stare from her father."
"That is correct." Mew confirmed.
Ash became spooked at himself. He opened his eyes, stepped back slightly and kept repeating, "How do I know that… why did I say that?"
"This is good. Don't rush anything you feel and keep following your gut. It'll make this easier on you." Mew advised.
"Should I… you know… knock? This feels so weird to be meeting them like this." Ash admitted.
"Alison and Gordon are currently doing a request from Aurora. They aren't home." Mew told him.
Ash felt a bit confused, but mostly disappointed. He asked, "Where are they?"
"Heh, you'll find out soon enough." Mew said, poking her claw through the key hole. After a few moments of moving it in the hole, both Ash and Mew heard a click. Mew smirked to herself and opened the door. Ash felt slightly uncomfortable watching that. Mew gestured him to follow her inside. Ash, seeing that he didn't have too much choice, decided to follow her.
Mew led him into the living room and turned on the lights. Then, she transformed into her regular pixie form and snapped her fingers. The blue bubble with the time flower in it appeared in her paws and she cupped the outline of it. Mew looked at Ash with an indescribable expression. Then, she passed the bubbled flower to the human. Ash cupped it in his hands and looked at Mew with a lost look. Mew gave an encouraging smile.
The legendary said, "When you are ready, pop the bubble. A time flower will only respond to my aura or a Ketchum's aura. After that, it will show an event of the past. I can control the time period you see, so you will be able to see everything."
Ash looked at the flower intensely. He was shivering slightly, both in anticipation and in anxiety. For several minutes, he just stared at the flower. Mew tapped her chin on her finger and started to think. Then, she snapped them when she got an idea. Her body began to glow white as she released an odd aura in the room. Ash started to feel calmer. Ash looked at the pixie in confusion, then smiled in appreciation. Mew nodded made a gesture with her fingers that seemed to say, 'It's alright. Go ahead and take your time.'
Ash took a deep breath. Then, he finally popped the bubble. The ornate bud fell into his hands and immediately opened. A bright ball of light emerged from the opened bud and soon encompassed the room Ash and Mew were soon in a blue outline as they were now only witnesses of the past.
Nine years ago…
A Charizard with intense red eyes and a blue flame landed on the ground as fast as she could. She had a Dragonair right beside her and another old human on her back. This human was tall, had graying dark mahogany hair, intense yellow eyes and was trembling heavily. All three of them were trembling heavily. The Charizard was holding an unconscious woman in her arms. She wasn't moving. She was blooded and unlike the man, she had no 'z' shaped marks on her face. The Charizard knocked the door open with the swing of her tail.
The old man took the woman in his arms and hurried inside. The Charizard and Dragonair stayed outside, knowing they were too big to enter. All they could do is stay outside and hope for the best. However, they couldn't stop crying. The thought of losing both their trainer and their young master was too much to bear and they broke down in tears.
Once inside, the old man immediately lied the woman down on the long couch. He saw that she was no longer breathing. He pressed his head against her chest. No heartbeats, either. His yellow eyes grew soft as he got on his knees and began to weep.
"I'm too late…" He kept murmuring. Another lady walked right behind him from the kitchen. Upon seeing her husband and daughter, she dropped everything in her hands. Then, she rushed to be by the unconscious woman. The old lady looked at the old man with a sense of disbelief.
"Please don't tell me…." The lady said with a shaky voice.
"Our grandson is nowhere to be seen. Our… our daughter…" The man wiped his eyes. Then, he caressed his daughter's unfeeling cheek, "Aurora… I don't sense any aura in her. She's…."
"There has to be something we can do! I know our baby girl is strong! Some part deep inside of her... is fighting to stay alive. There's still some aura left!" Alice suddenly rose her voice at her husband Gordo blinked his eyes in surprise. Alice continued, "You aren't one to give up so easily, damn it! If there's a way, we will find one. Aurora will not die in our living room today. We'll make sure of it."
"Are you sure you aren't hallucinating about her aura-"
"You're wasting time! Maybe Lady Mew can help with this." Alice suggested. Gordon widened his eyes, then shook his head.
"She can't interfere with life and death. She controls life, but if she messed with it, who knows what might happen to the natural order?" Gordon said. He's heard stories from Mew about the consequences of prolonging a life that was already taken. He didn't want that sort of afterlife for his daughter.
"Do we have any other options?" Alice growled and slapped her husband on his face. Gordon softly touched the same place she slapped in a stunned expression.
"…" Gordon couldn't think of anything. If his wife was right, he had to decide now.
"At least try…" Alice's eyes suddenly grew watery. She clenched her teeth, brought her head down and started crying through closed eyes. She said in a broken voice, "Please… try… for her sake. We… we can at least save one of them…."
Gordon nodded his head. He closed his eyes, clasped his fingers as tightly as he could and began to pray. His entire body was trembling as he focused solely on contacting Mew for her aid. He knew the chances of her coming was slim, but he had to bank on it. Eventually, after being in the same position for about a minute, a flash of white light emerged in the middle of the middle room. A pink feline with large blue eyes and long tail appeared in right of them while stretching.
"I haven't felt a request that strong in…" Mew gasped when she noticed Aurora unconscious. She suddenly grew anxious, "Oh my… I'll assume you want me to use your wish up to heal her."
"Yes. Please do anything you can to save my precious angel." Gordo begged.
"Gordon, you know that I cannot directly interfere with a human's natural death or rebirth. If I was still the End, I would do it in a heartbeat." Mew sighed in sadness. "Alison, keep Aurora's head cold. It'll help us prolong her brain from dying."
"This isn't natural! She got shocked to her core!" Gordo argued. Mew sighed and shook her head. Alice immediately nodded and pressed her hand on Aurora's head. It immediately grew cooler.
"It is still natural in the fact that she survived the hit, but her nervous system is shutting down because of it. Once the brain is dead, that's it. This is out of my power." Mew said sadly. She floated to Aurora and caressed her cheek. Truth be told, she didn't know how to help. She didn't forsee this to happen to Aurora.
"Is there anything you can do? Like… like some sort of loophole?" Gordon suggested.
"The best I can do is to influence something to happen." Mew told him.
"Influence…" Gordo thought slightly about what she said. Then he snapped his fingers, "Can you make it so that Aurora lives through her injuries?"
"Gordon, I can't interfere with Arceus's work… even though I would love to save her." Mew said.
"You can cause her to be in an extended coma, right? You still represent life as the Beginning!" Gordon said. Mew considered the notion, then nodded eagerly.
"That I can do." Mew confirmed.
"If she's in a coma, her body will heal on its own, albeit slowly. She will wake up eventually and you wouldn't have directly interfered with Aurora's death or rebirth. You would have only prolonged the seemingly 'inevitable' outcome… an outcome that will be changed if Aurora has any amount of aura left. It's the only chance we've got." Gordon proposed.
"I respect what you're doing for your daughter. It's clear you love her dearly. I like your idea and I genuinely hopes it works." Mew said. She pressed her paw on Aurora's forehead and hummed softly. Aurora's body glowed white slightly before returning to normal. Mew drifted slightly back to see what would happen. She still wasn't breathing after a few minutes.
All of them slung their heads down. Alice began to weep on Gordo's shoulder as Gordon just stared at Aurora intently. He hadn't given up yet. "Come on, kiddo. You're durable and strong. Your endurance is the best of the best… please pull through from this."
Aurora wasn't breathing, but Gordo did notice something peculiar. He gasped in excitement, "Her aura levels are rising again. She has aura in her!"
"But if she doesn't breathe soon, her brain will begin to die. It takes a brain about five to ten minutes to begin taking damage after not receiving oxygen, guardian or not. Then… the coma would have been for naught." Mew said to him.
"She's only stopped breathing once we landed in front of the house. I know she will pull through." Gordo said while looking at Aurora's closed eyes. "She's fighting hard still. I can feel it."
After about five minutes, Aurora's chest began to move again. Upon seeing Aurora's chest move, Gordo lost all feeling in his legs and fell on his knees. He bent over and thanked Mew over and over again. "My baby girl… she's gonna be OK. She's gonna be… OK."
"Thank the stars and heavens our baby is still alive." Alice said curling her hand against her chest. She wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Aurora's a child you gifted us. You brought her to life… and you've helped to keep it. Thank you, Mew, from the bottom of my heart." Gordo said.
"No problem, Gordon. Do keep in mind that if something like this happens again, you can't call me to help you. You've used up the one wish biological Ketchums have." Mew said in a serious tone. Gordo nodded.
"I know… and I'm fine with that. As long as Aurora is alright, I'll be alright." Gordo said as he got up and held Aurora's hand.
"Though Aurora is still alive, her brain was without oxygen for almost ten minutes. There might be some consequences once she wakes up and she might not be the same. Will you be able to face those consequences?" Mew warned.
"We can live and help her through it." Gordon said.
"So be it. All the best to you, Gordon and Alison. Now, if you excuse me, I should take my leave." Mew said.
"Thank you, Mew… for everything." Gordo and Alice said in appreciation. With that, Mew teleported away.
The time flower closed once the past Mew teleported away. Since Mew had left the door open, Ash gasped in shock in seeing how they arrived. He'd never seen Chari or Kairyu that devastated before. It made him feel depressed since he knew that Chari was a symbol of strength in Aurora's party. If she looked like she gave up, then how would everyone else feel like? Ash had tears forming in his eyes after watching that and fell on his knees.
"Thank you so much for what you did to help Ruru out, Mew." Ash said without thinking.
"No problem, my boy." Mew said. She then blinked her eyes and said, "Wait… Did you just say-?"
"Yes, I did. It feels… right… calling Ruru that after what I just saw. I'll… try getting used to saying that again, though I'll likely still call her 'Aurora' until I recover my memories completely." Ash said.
"Fair enough. You don't know how much mental strength it takes to be able to see your loved ones nearly dead. You've proven yourself strong physically, mentally and emotionally, Ash." Mew said.
"That's cool, I guess…" Ash had in a hollow voice. He was still processing what he saw.
"I would imagine you need to rest." Mew said, noticing this.
"Mew… can you tell me a little more about what happened before and after this vision?" Ash asked without looking at her. Mew nodded.
"Out of respect to Aurora, I will say only a little bit. Aurora was left on the forest ground, nearly dead after the Zurui attacked. You were taken from her so she had no way of knowing if you would be OK. Chari and Kairyu came with Gordon immediately afterward, sensing Aurora was in trouble and flew to Hokori. Then, the vision you saw happened." Mew said.
"Afterwards, Aurora spent three months in a coma. Gordon did not leave her side the entire time, even going as far as to hold her hand while he slept. Of course, Alison grew concerned and tried to ease his mind. He was too stubborn to move from his spot. Once Aurora woke up, he tried his hardest to help her body get back into shape and... for her to move on from the past. At the time, her parents thought you were dead since they couldn't sense you. So, when Aurora woke up without any memory of you… they didn't want her to be devastated. Aurora can tell you more when the time comes." Mew continued.
"Why couldn't they sense me?" Ash wondered.
"Psychic energy was used to distort your aura, making it hard to track you. It eventually wore off when you were in Johto… and a year later, Aurora got her memory back of you. You know, Aurora lost her memories on a lot of other things, but the one memory she tried keeping close ended up eluded her. Her subconscious felt like she was missing something important in her life outside of Aru. Aurora really tried her hardest to remember you, but her brain had taken quite a toll. It's fully healed now, but it takes a lot to basically retrain yourself and then remember everything you lost." Mew explained.
"…" Ash didn't know what to think about that. Mew saw this and decided he should do to bed.
"You should go back and process everything you've seen. Make sure you rest up, you hear?" The psychic type advised.
"Right." Ash nodded. He suddenly said, "Um… Mew?"
"Yes, dear?" Mew said.
"Thank you for all this. I'm happy I'm finding out about the past." Ash said in appreciation.
"No problem, Ash." Mew chirped happily.
"One more thing though."
"What is it, child?"
"Were you in trouble earlier? I couldn't sense you at all in the dream and I really was getting concerned for you." Ash said.
"I… I was, but I eventually got out of it with some help. Don't sweat with the details. All you need to worry about is finishing your trial tomorrow." Mew said. Mew gestured him to follow her outside. Ash obliged, but not before locking the door. Mew playfully floated around the boy and Ash smiled slightly. As she floated, Mew said. "Close your eyes again. When you open them, you'll be back in Kalos, dreaming once again. I wish you the best of luck on your final day."
"Right." Ash did what the pixie wanted. Slowly but surely, Ash began to feel sleepy as Mew teleported him back to Lumiose City.
Once back in Lumiose City, Ash immediately fell back asleep. However, a girl and a woman watched as he returned. The girl put out her hand out and it began to glow pink. She said in rejoice, "He's back! You were right!"
"Naturally, I was right. Like I told you, you can trust Mew to keep her Ketchums safe. Now that your little bout of worry is behind you, let's get back to training, Serena. Mirabelle's waiting for you to come back outside as well." The woman responded.
"Oh… of course, Raven." Serena said to the black-haired lady. Raven left the room immediately. Serena was about to leave the room as well, but she suddenly came back and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. Ash subconsciously formed a smile after that. She said with a giggle, "Stay safe, Ash. When you wake up completely, I can't wait for us to be together again. Until then, I'll keep getting stronger like you are…"
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I feel like a lot happened in this part.
The goal for me is to put up Day 6 of the trials on or before January 23rd. Why? That's because that's my birthday :) I want to share my happiness with you guys by doing something special on that day (or the Saturday/Sunday before it, depending on how fast I finish the final part, heh.)
What did you think about this chapter? I appreciate any input (as long as it is not rude, of course).
One more thing: My classes start again on January 25th, but I will still try my best to provide chapters to you guys. With that, I hope you have a wonderful day~
Next Chapter: Tree of Remembrance: Final Day
~SPG123~