The Man emerged from the Distortion World to see Ryder kneeling before him. With the flick of his wrist behind him, the portal closed. "I see you managed to shake off that mechanical Pokemon," He noted.
"I admit it was more tricky than anticipated," Responded Ryder, "But I was able to throw it off of my trail. Your associate brought me up to speed. Were you able to ensure Giratina's assistance?"
Taking a step forward, The Man made a hand gesture to order Ryder to rise from his bow and walk with him. "I did," He answered. "A Pokemon is still just a Pokemon, Legend or not. Giratina bought every word. Let's just hope that the crystal I gave it bridges the gap between it and Arceus to keep them both occupied."
Ryder turned his head up to look at the colossal ship beside them. Upon departing from New Goldenrod, his orders had been to escape from his pursuer and meet his master within a ship hangar they had stationed in Hoenn. He hadn't expected the ship to be so large.
Their soldiers rushed all about, gathering supplies to board the ship with. Of course, most of it was ammunition. The soldiers who passed by Ryder recognized him and made sure to steer clear out of his way. Their expressions twisted into abject shock and confusion when they spotted the shadowed face of The Man walking beside him.
Looking back to his master, Ryder said, "I was not informed of the specifics of my mission here. The directory merely told me your instructions were to meet you here to receive the mission's details."
The Man motioned up at the ship. "I am sending a fleet of these vessels to retrieve an item of great power that should have the necessary power to act as a conduit for the Necrozma crystal that isn't broken."
Surprised by that, Ryder asked, "You mean we are already at that stage of the plan?!"
"I do," The Man answered. He clutched at the necklace with the crystal shard hanging from his neck. "The next stage…will commence at the same time. With Giratina set to distract Arceus, it is the perfect opportunity to achieve both goals."
Ryder asked, "And my duties?"
"You," Spoke his master, "Will accompany Auto on one of these vessels. From there, forty vessels will be deployed to the Hoenn seas south of Sootopolis City."
"Our mark?"
At first, The Man did not reply. He merely motioned for Ryder to follow him. They went through a door into a room full of computer screens. Upon seeing Ryder and The Man, the men within the room immediately sprang to their feet and saluted.
A senior officer, the only one to recognize The Man over Ryder, exclaimed, "Sir!"
The Man looked up to the screens and asked, "Is Manaphy's position confirmed?"
Nodding, the officer looked to the screen. It showed an overhead shot of the ocean in different types of detection variants. "Manaphy's movement is mostly random, but consistently appears to be following a mostly circular pattern as if orbiting something. We suspect that this is Samiya."
"Samiya?" Inquired a curious Ryder.
The Man replied, "Also known as the Sea Temple. Thanks to our source, we were able to confirm its existence, along with the Sea Crown inside." Clapping a hand upon Ryder's shoulder pad, he said, "You and our vessels will be pursuing Manaphy and locating Samiya. Once inside, you will take a squad and acquire a series of red crystals called the Sea Crown. Once found, use the artificial Hoopa rings to send each piece back to base."
Glancing back at the computer to see Manaphy, Ryder asked, "What information should I know about this Sea Temple to better complete this mission?"
A small hand motion from The Man was all it took for the senior officer to send the two other men back to their seat in front of the computers. "The temple," Spoke The Man, "Is constantly moving locations within the mesopelagic zone of the ocean. As far as we know, its course is set and never strays from the ocean's currents. However, we have not had the chance to study it long enough to say for certain."
Crossing his arms, Ryder asked, "Its current location?"
The Man tapped on the seat of one of the junior officers at the computers. "Th-the Sea Temple," Began the officer, not expecting to be called upon so suddenly, "Is currently expected to be southeast of Sootopolis City, given Manaphy's travel route."
"According to our source," Spoke The Man, "The temple has many defenses. One of them is a cloak of sorts said to only unravel under the moon of a lunar eclipse."
One of the junior officers said, "But the next lunar eclipse isn't for another eight months, sir."
The Man confidently replied, "No matter. Our ships are outfitted with our holographic technology. In formation, they could project the necessary light to mimic a lunar eclipse over a hundred kilometers out."
"Does the temple have any defenses on the inside?" Asked Ryder.
It was hard for Ryder to see with his master's head cloaked in shadow, but there was definitely a slight nod. "There are, but the traps revolve around water. You will not have to worry about that…"
The Necrozma crystal necklace began to glow a harrowing, dark violet color that unnerved the officers in the room. Then, The Man lifted one hand from his coat and held it up. A small flash of light appeared over his palm, leaving behind a canister in its wake.
"…Because we have this."
Within his hand was a glass, cylindrical container filled to the brim with water that seemed to glow. Three metal prongs sat at its base to hold steady a shining sphere. The Soul Dew.
"With this," The Man continued, "The ocean's water is something we do not need to worry about. Although the job was sloppy, Harper did manage to at least acquire this." Beneath his darkened visage, his mouth twisted, if only barely, into a smile. "The Soul Dew has the power to control water. With it, you will be able to isolate the entirety of Samiya from the ocean."
He extended the canister toward Ryder, who accepted it without hesitation. "I won't fail you," Ryder swore.
"I know," The Man told him simply. He glanced at the set of officers and said, "Carry on. We'll be setting out soon."
The three officers saluted to him and Ryder as they went to exit the room. When Ryder followed him out, The Man suddenly pulled him aside.
"Sir?"
The Man quickly removed his grasp from his subordinate. "Ryder," He said, more quietly than usual, "This is it. Once these boats set out, I'll have already begun my phase of the plan. The Sea Crown and the sample will be obtained at the same time, and from there, the plan will be in its final step."
Ryder glanced up at the roof of the hangar. The weight of his master's words momentarily made his legs weaken. "Then…this is truly it?"
"Not yet," The Man told him. "We still have to achieve our goals before then."
His armored hand twitching, Ryder felt an impulse to unsheathe his blade on instinct, the urge to fulfill his master's will gnawing at him. "Master, permission to speak freely?"
This request surprised The Man. In all of Ryder's years of service, he had never asked for such a thing. "…Granted," He replied.
"I will not fail you, master," Ryder swore, "And I won't give our enemy an inch. I know you won't fail either. You don't fail. It is simply not your way." His hand clutched the grip on his sword anxiously. "It has been an honor to serve you, and until the end, it will be an honor to continue."
The Man slowly raised a finger to his mouth, allowing himself to chuckle aloud. "The feeling is mutual. Once you secure the Sea Crown, I expect you to join me on my end." Again, he chuckled and said, "To think we would ever fight side by side."
"The idea is exhilarating." Ryder's head perked up upon realizing something. "Giratina and Arceus will not be in our way during that step, will they?"
A small laugh from his master dispelled the idea. "Of course not," The Man responded, amused. "Do you think I wouldn't plan for that? Giratina has already been made aware of his part to play. All that remains to do is to relay the necessary information to Arceus."
Ryder asked, "I trust you already have a method for that?"
"I do," The Man confirmed. "All we need to do is rely on Marshadow's puppet, that imitation of Mew."
Hall of Origin
Arceus stood motionlessly upon his pedestal within the Hall. It was empty, save for himself. No meeting of the Legends was yet required as far as he knew, so he was left to his own devices. During this time of silence and solitude, Arceus occupied his mind with meditation as he pulled power from the cosmos to replenish his own.
His brow twitched. There was a disturbance in the flow of energy; a spear piercing through the stillness. A surplus of Psychic energy emerged before him suddenly. He quickly recognized it as Mewtwo, and yet, something else told him that it wasn't. There was a darkness within it, alien to him.
Mewtwo appeared before the slumbering creator in a violent pink flash of light. His power, sparking around him and coming off in droves, bending the nearest ivory platforms. Holding out his three bulbous fingers, Mewtwo tore one of the platforms from the wall and pulled it underneath himself so that he stood on equal footing with Arceus.
"I come bearing news," Spoke Mewtwo with a crooked grin, "From the winning side."
The nigh all-seeing eyes of Arceus lit brightly red as he stirred from his meditation. As his bowed head rose up, and his kneeling legs stood tall, he scanned Mewtwo, choosing to remain silent. Mewtwo's eyes were what truly put Arceus off. They looked dull and red rather than the vibrant amethyst he had seen in Mewtwo before.
Wasting no time, Arceus called upon the Dread Plate. The golden color of his hooves and ring turned a deep, jet black. "Mewtwo," Rumbled the voice of the creator, "Or what manner of creature I am speaking to that claims to be. Why have you revealed yourself to me? Is this news your surrender?"
Mewtwo threw his head back and laughed, earning a narrowed gaze from Arceus. "No," Answered Mewtwo, "Nothing is quite so simple as that." His hands flexed in excitement as he said, "In the presence of a potential vessel as perfect as yourself, I can hardly contain myself."
'Vessel?' Wondered Arceus.
Continuing, a smirking Mewtwo said, "But contain myself, I will. Just as I said, I am only here to deliver a message."
He waited for a response from Arceus. The following silence was enough of a reply. "You don't seem to care," Noted the puppet master, "Which is a shame, considering the news pertains to Palkia-"
The entire Hall darkened in an instant. And in that instant, a dark, crushing force surrounded Mewtwo on all angles and closed in. Mewtwo could barely even squeak in response to every inch of his body being compressed.
The Dark energy snuffed out any Psychic force he could muster, rendering him helpless. Deep within the puppeteered body of Mewtwo, Marshadow was awestruck. Before him laid a darkness the likes it had never seen before. It was oppressive. Malicious. All-consuming. Everything Marshadow aspired to be. And the only light that could pierce this darkness came from the hellish red glare of the creator.
"Release all information you know of Palkia," Ordered Arceus, his voice alone threatening to pry the Hall of Origins apart, "NOW!"
Mewtwo did not have a choice in the matter. The orders that had been bestowed upon him were pried from his very being without so much as a word uttered, not that he could have spoken them to begin with while being crushed.
He gasped for air when the darkness relented, falling to his stolen hands and knees upon a splintered pillar. When he raised his head to see what became of Arceus, he found nothing. The enraged creator, having taken what he needed, departed in an instant and took the darkness with him.
The emerald green light of Recover soothed Mewtwo's broken body inside and out. He floated back into the air, letting out a long breath of relief…and of awe. Having seen the extent of Arceus's power, Marshadow was ecstatic beyond words. Even still, there were worthier vessels just waiting for him.
"Well," Started Mewtwo, dusting himself off, "That was an experience. I suppose that would be my cue to join in the main effort."
And with that, Mewtwo teleported from the Hall of Origins, leaving it in darkness.
Rota, Kanto.
Nearly in the shadow of the Tree of Life itself was the town of Rota. Ash recalled his prior visit to this town. Its buildings looked ancient, like something out of a medieval fantasy story. This town even had a grand castle at its northmost end by the name of Cameran Palace. It was where Ash had met the Lucario that belonged to the hero Sir Aaron.
Now, Ash was on the hunt for Sir Riley. He, atop Charizard, soared high over the city in search for their old friend. The hot afternoon sun beat down on his neck. It seemed like ages since Ash had last spoken with his instructor in the ways of Aura. His Aura should have been like a firecracker to Ash in comparison to everyone else within the city.
And yet, that Aura was nowhere in sight. Not in the town, nor the castle. That left Ash with only one grueling option. He sighed as he and Charizard turned to look at the Tree of Life in the distance.
Finding Riley there would be akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Riley could be anywhere in there, and locating him with Aura would be fruitless. After all, the entire tree was loaded with Aura. It would be impossible to pin down one signature amidst a sea of the stuff.
Still, it wasn't like he had any other option. And so, he begrudgingly said, "Let's go, Charizard."
Beating his powerful wings against the air, Charizard took off toward the tree. As they drew near, Ash glanced down at the ground below. There was only one large valley in front of the tree. Everything else around it was covered in tall, jagged mountains, only dwarfed in size by the tree itself. Nothing could breach those.
He remembered the trek he had to take through the valley and smirked. The rocky terrain fraught with small cliffs he and his friends had to climb, coupled with the steaming hot geysers and miles upon miles of walking. Looking back, those were good memories of a more carefree time.
Their flight eventually took Ash and Charizard to the tree's branches. His prior visit had shown him that the branches sometimes had small holes that led to the tree's tunnels within. He and Charizard soared between these colossal branches in search for such an entrance. It was lucky for them that the gaps between each branch were even larger than the branches themselves.
"Pika!" Chirped Pikachu, pointing down at something.
Ash followed his partner's finger down and found a hole in the tree's stone bark just above the branch. "Good eye, Pikachu," Commended Ash.
Charizard descended toward the branch and fluttered down onto it. Upon landing, Ash hopped off and returned him to his ball. "Thanks," He said to Charizard. "The trip here was long, so you get some rest."
Dipping into the hole, Ash and Pikachu began their venture. The two shuffled through the tunnel in search of an open area. These tunnels were exactly like Ash remembered them. A rusty red color with the occasional glowing crystal growth along the slopes where the floor met with the wall.
It was a bit nostalgic. The last time he had come to the tree, it was a brief and somber occasion that did not allow him to appreciate its beauty. And though Ash wanted to be able to stop and gaze at the crystals for a while, he pressed on. Riley wouldn't find himself after all.
The tunnel eventually led him and Pikachu to a set of four paths. Two of them were level, but the leftmost one went down and the second one from the right curved almost straight up. He peered into the rising path and squinted to better see where it led. It appeared to go up for a long time before suddenly becoming level again.
"The Tree of Beginning is weird," He said aloud, getting a nod of agreement from Pikachu.
Backing away from that tunnel, he pressed a hand on the ground. Auric sensory of the surroundings would hardly be useful in the highest concentration of Aura in the world, but Ash decided to at least give it a try.
Upon sending a pulse through the tree, his suspicions were confirmed. He could hardly make out a thing. The Aura lining every inch of the insides of the tree was so thick that his own Aura couldn't identify much of anything. However, he was able to sense at least one thing for sure.
There was one Auric signature so potent and so vibrant that, even through the endless walls of Aura between himself and it, Ash could identify what it was. And when Ash found it, he slapped his own forehead for not thinking of it sooner.
"Mew!" He exclaimed. "I should have asked her for help. If Riley's here, she's definitely seen him by now."
He sent another pulse through the ground to scan for her location yet again. She was somewhere below him and further into the tree than he was. He squinted through closed eyes upon sensing further. She seemed…extraordinarily happy. Had something happened to her, or was there interference with his senses and the tree?
Shrugging, he decided to save those questions for when he met her in person. Hopefully she'd have sensed his own Aura pulse through the tree and would seek him out. Otherwise, he had a long way to go.
Rising back up, Ash held out his arm for Pikachu to hop onto his shoulder. When his partner took his rightful place, Ash turned toward the path that went down. "Well, I guess this is our best bet if we wanna make it to her."
At first, the path seemed like the correct one. It went down in a small decline, hardly even a slope. However, after the path winded down, it led them to another set of winding paths. These ones were not as obvious as the ones that preceded them. They all seemed flat.
Ash scratched at his head as he silently debated with himself about which one to choose. "Let's see…" He tried peering into the tunnels, but seeing into them didn't grant him much more insight. The tunnels curved before long, preventing him from seeing anything worthwhile.
Shrugging, Ash merely decided, "Let's just take the left path again. Mew's still gotta be that way since we're not that far into the tree."
An unsure Pikachu merely shrugged and sighed.
The chosen path of Ash had led him further into the endlessly winding labyrinth within the Tree of Beginning. At first, it seemed like a good choice. After all, it took them left, the direction Mew was in. And so, Ash continued in the same direction, only aware that the tunnels were not actually leading him down despite going left.
A mildly despondent Ash stared down at his feet without moving. Far beneath him, directly beneath him even, there Mew was. So close, yet still so far out of reach. Although directly beneath him, the distance between him and her was still immense.
The tunnel wasn't exactly helping either. Although it had guided him perfectly vertically, the horizontal location, by comparison, still left a lot to be desired. Not to mention that it was now taking him up. At this point, Ash didn't want to spend another two and a half hours going all the way back to the last branching paths just to take a path that might not even be the right one.
On top of all of those things, there was one problem debatably even greater than them. For some reason, the tunnel was becoming colder. At first, he thought it was going to lead them outside the tree again until it became even colder than the outside. He and Pikachu had tolerated it at first in the hopes that the tunnel would lead them to Mew. But now, as Ash stared down through the walls of the tree at Mew's Auric signature, that hope was dashed.
Letting out a long sigh, one that was visible in the frigid tunnel, Ash turned ahead and said, "Guess we've got a lot more walking, huh Pikachu?"
He chuckled to himself as Pikachu sighed, shifting a small pulse of Aura throughout his body to warm it. All there was to do was face the tunnel ahead and keep moving up. At least until there was somewhere that would finally let them move down again.
The cold had gotten worse than Ash expected. No more crystal growths could even sprout anymore, leaving Ash in darkness. This tunnel just kept going up and up, giving Ash no opportunity to do anything else but press straight forward toward the cold. It got to the point Ash had to create a barrier for himself and Pikachu to ward it off. It at least gave them some form of light to work with.
Ash perked up at the sight of light besides his own in the distance. He wondered if it was at last an opening. As he pressed forward, he noticed the walls becoming glossy. His barrier melted the portion of the ground it touched, preventing him from slipping. Although, as the ice evaporated, the tunnel became more covered in fog until it was nearly impossible to see.
Upon drawing near the light he saw, the fog grew so great that he couldn't tell what was right in front of his face anymore. But it was getting brighter, and that was all that he needed to press on.
Finally, Ash emerged from the tunnel. The fog surrounding him slowly dissipated, unveiling to him and his partner what lied beyond. It was a vast landscape of ice and snow. The ice beneath his feet did not melt like the ice in the tunnel did in response to his barrier. Snowflakes gently fluttered down, landing upon his shield before fading.
He looked to the sky, wondering how it was snowing now when it wasn't snowing while he was outside the tree, and found that there was no sky at all. They were in a gigantic enclosed room. The walls and ceiling had been completely frosted over with packed, white snow. It was only the ground that had ice.
Ash didn't have the time to wonder how this was possible. He glanced around and found, to his further surprise, many Pokemon within this snowy room. Spheal and Sealeo slid across the ice on their bellies toward a lake at the room's center. Within that lake, more of them seemed to play. A large Walrein rested on a flat rock jutting up from the lake.
There were more Pokemon all over this room. Ash decided against focusing on them to instead prioritize finding another tunnel that went down again. But as he scanned the icy walls, his attention was caught again by the indigenous Pokemon. More specifically, by the sound of their panicked cries.
The Walrein's head rose up to check on the others, and when it saw what they did, shrieked like them and dove into the water to get away. A spiky, icy growth began sprouting from the lake. Its expansion caused a series of rapid crackling noises in the frigid air. The ice grew larger and larger, vibrating vigorously until, suddenly, it shattered.
Something flew up from the shards and the brief gap in the water the ice had left behind. It crashed down on the lakeside, making the nearby Pokemon bolt with fright. Six yellow eyes pierced through the mist. This was accompanied by erratic beeping that Ash recognized instantly.
Gritting his teeth, Ash took a defensive stance and let Pikachu drip down in case they were facing a fight. And as Ash stared into the yellow eyes that stared right back at him, he said, "Regice."
"Ji-i-i-i-ICE!"
It's shrill voice shaking the icy ground, the golem made from an ice colder than any other began floating toward Ash. It's eyes shifted from yellow to orange, confirming Ash's fears. He was in for a fight all right. However, he knew that he was not outmatched. His prior encounter with this golem did not end well for it. He wondered if it remembered that as well.
It shot out an Ice Beam at them with lightning fast speeds. Ash managed to expand his shield around Pikachu just before the beam hit, causing the barrier to become encased in jagged ice.
"Yup," Said Ash, "It definitely remembers."
Bringing his arms outward, Ash sent a pulse of Aura through his shield that shattered the surrounding ice. In response, the golem began to beep furiously. Ash grimaced. He wanted to avoid a fight if possible. It would naturally attract the tree's other defenses, and that would only end up damaging the icy environment.
Not to mention how Mew might react if she found out he was damaging the tree's defenses. He was here to ask her for a favor after all. The last thing he wanted to do was incur her ire.
"Pikachu," He said, "Come back."
Pikachu glanced back at him in confusion, but ultimately obliged and returned to his shoulder. Regice shot another Ice Beam their way, which Ash intercepted and deflected using a smaller barrier. Instead of retaliating, Ash lowered his shield and allowed his Aura to flow out from his body.
Surely, thought Ash, Regice would be receptive to Aura given that it lived within the Tree of Beginning, right? "We're not here to hurt you or the tree," Ash told it, "So stop attacking!"
Ash felt it again. Upon summoning his Aura around him, he could feel that same sensation of dread hanging over him. Yet, it felt more distant now, akin to the first feeling of dizziness before being struck by a fit of nausea. Ash pushed that feeling away. The last thing he wanted Regice to sense was dread. That would, no doubt, send the entire tree up in panic.
Regice scanned him for a moment longer, continuing to beep frantically with its orange eyes. After a moment, it let its arms fall slightly and leaned back. The golem grew quiet as the color of its eyes shifted from an alarmed, glowing orange back to a neutral yellow.
With a sigh of relief, Ash said to Pikachu, "Looks like it figured us out, eh buddy?"
A smiling Pikachu nodded.
Ash made his way toward the towering ice golem. "Pikachu and I are looking for Mew. More specifically, we're seeing if she knows where another friend of ours is." He quickly pointed up in a circular motion with his finger. "He should be somewhere within the tree too, but we need Mew's help to find him. Think you could point the way to Mew?"
Regice, at first, responded merely with another array of beeps that Ash couldn't understand. Then, it turned left, toward the lake. It pointed its thick, crystallized arm out past it at something. Ash squinted to see what it was, the snow obscuring his view.
Past the falling snow, he found another tunnel's entrance just underneath a spot of sharp-looking icicles. "Regi-Re-Regi-ice," Droned the golem. As it pointed at the tunnel, it moved its arms back and forth. Left, right, left, left, right, left, right. Then, it turned back toward Ash. "Ji-ice?"
Figuring that it was talking to him, Ash replied, "Are you asking me if I got the directions right?"
"Ji."
Ash's eyes turned upward as he recalled Regice's directions. Truthfully, he had been more focused on the tunnel while those directions were being described to him. "Was it…right, left, left, right, left, right, right?"
Pikachu's ears wilted. Without his Aura to guide him, Ash was just as bad with directions as he used to be. Regice stood silent. It was hard for Ash to tell what it was thinking, but it wasn't beeping. It was just…staring at him.
"I, uh…got it right, didn't I?"
It was thanks to Pikachu that Ash was able to keep himself from getting off track. Making sure Ash followed Regice's directions, Pikachu ensured they were on their way to Mew. Ash's head perked up when he heard something. Ringing throughout the tunnel's walls, there was a dull, low, rumbling sound.
Ash could feel it in every nerve of his body. It was the undeniable flow of Aura, concentrated into a potent funnel. There was only one thing this could be.
As Ash and Pikachu finally cleared the tunnel, they were met with a chamber. It was comparatively smaller than the others he had seen along the way, but Ash could feel what was within before even seeing it. And when he crossed the last corner, he saw it. The Aura Stream.
"Hey, Mew!" Ash called into the room. He hopped down from the tunnel's exit into the chamber. "I was wondering if you could help me with something."
His reply came only in the form of the continued roar of the Aura Stream beside him. "Mew?" He asked again. Once more, there was no reply.
His eyes shifted to a silver glow as he scanned the room with Aura for her. He peered through the walls as much as he was able to with the tree's Aura being so thick. That pink glow he had seen before, only able to be produced by Mew, was nowhere in sight. He looked all around himself and could not find it there either.
"What?" He asked aloud. "Where did she go?"
It was only when he looked at the ceiling did he find that Auric glow. Far, far at the top of the tree, there she was. Surrounding her, there was a thick, dense gathering of Aura that he could see even through the tree's countless walls. They were gathered at the absolute tip of the tree's top.
Slowly, the silvery glow faded from Ash's eyes as they returned to their normal brown color. He let out a long sigh as he turned to face the tunnel he had come from and said, "Pikachu, Alola can't come soon enough."
On trembling legs and an empty stomach, Ash continued to traverse through the tunnels. He deeply regretted not paying any attention to the food at the airport before he departed. If Aura was still watching him even now, then at least it had the courtesy of keeping Mew in place. It was a miracle that she hadn't moved, and frankly, Ash could count his recent blessings on one hand.
Something passed his cheek that sent a shiver running down his spine. Ash's droopy eyes widened upon realizing that what he had felt was a breeze. His heart skipped a beat. Was he finally getting close to the outside?
He was.
Ash felt elation when he came into view of the outside. Immediately, he dashed for it. He felt almost like laughing with delight upon feeling the sensation of fresh, temperate air again. It was dark out, as Ash saw upon staring up at the leaves he was to go to. Countless stars glimmered between the leaves.
In a flash of light, Charizard was released from its Pokeball. It's maw went wide as a yawn forced it open. Groggily, its eyes fluttered open as the dragon looked to see what its trainer wanted.
Ash chuckled. "Bad time?"
Charizard let out a mumble of annoyance, but was too tired to give any bigger reaction than that.
"Sorry," An amused Ash told it. He again set his sights skyward before asking, "Think you've got enough in you for a flight to the top?"
The dragon's head slowly craned upward to see what he meant. Even though they currently stood upon one of the tree's massive branches, the top branches still towered above them. Charizard, upon witnessing this, lowered its head and gave Ash an incredulous look, silently pleading with its trainer.
With another laugh, Ash gently patted the loyal dragon on its back. "Again, I'm really sorry, bud, but I've gotta get up there."
Charizard closed its eyes and puffed out a sigh. Stepping back, it spread and wings and shuddered in order to wake up its sleeping muscles. Then, it knelt down to allow Ash to board. When Ash stepped atop its back, they were off. The temperate wind suddenly felt very chilly as the wind rushed past his skin.
As seconds turned to minutes, Charizard slowly closed the distance from branch to branch, the colossal branches and leaves slowly passing them by. Before long, even the clouds themselves were a distance below them. Then, at last, Charizard brushed alongside the final batch of giant leaves on the tree's tallest branch, the beat of its wings shaking them as it passed.
When Charizard finally cleared those leaves, Ash could clearly sense what that dense body of Aura he sensed before was. There were Pokemon, tens of thousands of them, all laying upon the leaves. Evidently, his appearance startled them, as they all began to sit upright and stare his way.
Charizard fluttered down, sending puffs of wind outward with the beat of its wings until its heavy feet touched down upon the giant leaftops. Ash's face lit up upon seeing Mew at the center of the group of Pokemon. He leapt down from Charizard's back and returned it to its ball so it could slumber again.
Mew faced him, surprised. "You," She spoke with a hint of curiosity, as if pointing him out rather than addressing him outright. She then tilted her head and asked, "Why are you here?"
Ash pursed his lips and breathed out a long sigh. He held up an arm and waved at her, shouting, "Hey, Mew! I've been trying to find you all day!"
"Me?" Asked Mew with a raised brow. "Is there something you, um, need?" She could feel the questioning stares coming from her children. Of course things had to have become awkward after she finally had a moment with them all. "It had to have been pretty important for you to have come all this way."
Nodding, Ash began to approach. "You could say that again." As he drew nearer, the Pokemon surrounding Mew parted, fearful of this mysterious interloper. Though, there was one small Ralts that stayed by her side, hiding behind her. Ash entertained the idea of allowing his Aura to flow in the hopes of setting them at ease, but until he figured out what was causing his episodes, he decided it was better to leave it be.
"I've been having problems with my Aura," Ash told her, deciding to omit the specifics, "But a friend of mine is an Aura Guardian. Last I heard, he might be here. Obviously I couldn't search the entire Tree of Life, so I came to ask if you might know where he is."
Mew put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "An Aura Guardian," She mused with a hum. Her brow furrowed with confusion before asking, "You don't mean Aaron unless I'm missing something."
Chuckling, Ash shook his head. "No, no. Although he does look like Aaron now that I think about it. His name's Riley. He told me a few months ago he was coming here."
"That's odd." Mew continued to stare up in thought. "I don't remember anyone like that coming through."
That surprised Ash, and the smile fell from his face. "Huh?" A chill crept down his spine all of a sudden. A hint of that sensation came crawling back. That crushing feeling of impending doom that he couldn't seem to shake off, like a sickness. "Wh-what do you mean?" He stammered, trying to pull his mind away from the feeling. And yet, it only continued to press down on him, making his breath go ragged in spite of how he tried to hide it.
Mew saw straight through him. "Hey," She said, moving toward him. "Are you okay?" She gently put a hand to his forehead. "If you're tired, you should lay down like the rest of us. Even the Chosen One needs a break sometimes."
The mention of that title immediately worsened Ash's condition. He doubled over, gasping for air in a desperate attempt to keep his stomach from emptying. Beyond his control, white Aura flowed out from his pores. He clutched his pounding head, but it did nothing to ease this feeling.
Pikachu fell from his shoulder. "Pika!" He whined with concern.
Beside Ash, Mew was equally concerned. "Ash?!" She cried with shock at Ash's sudden episode. "What's happening?!"
Similarly, the Ralts beside her cried out something. Their voices sounded dull to Ash, as if they were muffled or incredibly far away. Ash could only hear his own breath, the pounding of his heart and head, and beeping. From somewhere, this ear-splitting, high-pitched beep pervaded his mind. In his current state, he couldn't begin to tell where it came from.
Unbeknownst to him, it came from his own Secretary Bot.
The world suddenly caught up to Ash. As his senses rushed to meet him, Ash threw himself upon Mew, Pikachu, and the Ralts. He took the three into his arms and dashed away just as something whistled through the air. Behind them, a thunderous explosion rocked the colossal leaves.
The Pokemon screeched with fright and confusion as they searched for whatever had caused the explosion. Rising to his feet, Ash manifested an Aura Sphere and hurled it into the empty air. Then, it struck something, and that air proved to be not so empty after all.
Ash's attack sparked amidst the air, gradually revealing the perpetrator for the attack. What was responsible for the ambush was a lone black helicopter. Its metal was rigid and thick, yet flew with no issue even at heights as high as the tree's top. A visible field surrounding it faded as the remaining sparks of Ash's attack wore away at it.
Mew immediately leapt into action. She held up one hand, enveloping all Pokemon of the tree in a pink light. The Ralts by her side only had a split second to cry out in protest before the light whisked them all elsewhere in a flash.
"Why couldn't I sense it?" Mew murmured between her teeth, furious with herself.
The lone chopper turned toward Mew, allowing her and Ash to spot the Nova Branch insignia upon it. Ash prepared to attack it again, but Mew stopped him. In turn, the chopper opened fire. Near deafening bangs rang out into the sky as it shot round after round at her.
Mew scoffed at this paltry attempt at an assault. Her eyes gleamed pink as she enveloped the rounds with Psychic. Those eyes went wide when the bullets continued anyways. Surrounding those rounds was a veil of darkness that seemed to absorb the light around it. To Mew, it seemed almost as if the bullets themselves were Dark-Type.
Narrowly, Mew warped out of the way and allowed the rounds to pass through where she had been. They tore through the leaves like butter. When Mew reappeared next, it was in front of the chopper. Two orange orbs of energy flickered into existence in her hands. When she brought them together, they merged and launched forward as a Hyper Beam.
A shield emerged around the helicopter, momentarily diverting the beam. Yet that beam came from Mew, the mother of all Pokemon. She, who was equal to Arceus himself. The helicopter had only a split second to move to the side before the beam punched through the barrier.
It impacted its side, immediately taking off half of the vehicle. Helplessly, it began to spin out of control as smoke and fire emerged from its side. Ash winced upon feeling the intent of the pilot inside.
"Mew!" He shouted. "It's coming straight for you!"
Indeed, the chopper attempted to spin toward Mew in some vain attempt to take her down with it. Huffing, Mew merely held out a hand. A veritable tempest manifested before her, blowing the helicopter away like a breeze would to an insect. It was sent over the side of the tree, falling helplessly down past the colossal leaves as it spun.
Ash and Mew went to the edge of the leaves they stood upon to watch it fall. "Was that why your Aura was freaking out?" Mew asked him. But as they watched it fall beneath the clouds, those clouds were split, allowing them to see what was beyond them.
They were everywhere. Upon the ground, within the valley in the shadow of the Tree of Life, there was an army. Soldiers and vehicles the likes of which Ash had never seen before. Ash felt his blood run cold upon seeing them.
Their numbers dwarfed anything he had seen from the enemy before, making even what he faced on the island look small in comparison. And as he looked upon this army, with the rising sun at their backs, he finally realized what his Aura had been warning him about.
One Hour after the New Goldenrod City Celebration
Authors Note
The Creator- This chapter was a bit of a pain to write around the middle with the frequent dialogue and explaining Ash traversing the tree without it getting repetitive. However, I think it rounded out into a pretty cool conclusion, wouldn't you say? Looks like a certain someone was acting fast.
Hydra- Not gonna lie things have taken a turn for the worse. Mew is essentially a god, but will that be enough to take on the entire might on the Nova Branch. They have been preparing for months and have all different kinds of weaponry to counter every Pokemon alive. All I can say is I am shivering in anticipation.
DarkPugLord23- Another great chapter! I'm actually surprised that the Man was working for Giratina all along, even if Giratina was completely unaware of this, and he'd be right to distrust the Man; heck, I don't trust him. I'm really hoping Giratina pulls a "SILENCE, MORTAL" moment and just vaporizes the Man, or accepts his offer, only to immediately warn Arceus about the recovered Necrozma fragment. Also, good to see that Shaun has finally gotten used to living in the Tree of Life and has escaped the mental clutches of his good for nothing dad. And even better, a small appearance from the funny Ün Ün Ün chad that is Regirock! I will say though, I am confused as to who the guy with the Charizard is; logic would dictate that it's Ash, but there are several other characters with a prominent Charizard, like Red, Leon from SW/SH, and of course other people. Then again, it could be Ash's Charizard that someone just borrowed, though that last one seems a little implausible. I don't know, but what I do know is that I can't wait for what happens next!
The Creator- Apparently, he wasn't working for anyone after all. However, Giratina is not at liberty to be trusting anyone, let alone Arceus. It's likely that he doesn't even trust The Man even after their talk. But did he accept The Man's gift? And you were right about it being Ash. A bit of a boring answer, but the one that makes the most sense. Imagine if it was Red. Imagine Red fighting the Nova Branch. Of course, there was already dialogue from that person so it couldn't have been Red from the beginning.
Hydra- As you saw, it was Ash who appeared before Mew and it seems like it was in the Knick of time as well. Shaun finally came full circle and got somewhat of a grasp on his powers. Hopefully you enjoyed the appearance of Regice in this chapter as well, I laughed so hard when it gave Ash that blank stare for forgetting the directions it pointed for him.
SilverWolf1130- Yup. Mr. Star is definitely up to something. Now I'm super suspicious.
It's nice to know someone has forgiven Mew because I doubt the Legendaries will. Glad to see Shaun's life is better now.
And as for who that could be… it's totally Goh, who has joined the Nova Branch to finally get the chance to catch Mew. Plot twist!
But for real, I don't know who it could be. Maybe Alain? We'll just have to see.
I don't buy this man's story at all. The Nova Branch can't beat Gira in a direct fight so they have to rely on a dirty trick. Something bad is gonna happen. I can feel it.
Regarding Lugia, I think he'll be easy prey for the Nova Branch with his recklessness.
What a tragic story. He's become the dangerous monster Lee tried to paint him as at the beginning of the story…
The Creator- All things deserve a chance for forgiveness at least, but forgiveness itself is not easily gained. Shaun had no one. Mew realized she had no one as well. It was only natural for them to get over their grievances with each other sooner or later. Yes, Lugia is treading a difficult path. Where will that lead him, I wonder?
Hydra- Lol just imagine if it was Goh, "Mew! I have come to challenge you! Face me in an ultimate battle to th-" gets hyper beamed in the face. Good foresight on Giratina though you were quite correct in noting The Man's real intention. It's through Giratina's hatred for his father that blinds him from the truth.
G- Interesting chapter, was cute and good to see Mew acting like a true mother for the pokemon and residents of the Tree of the Beginning, as she to learned about her previous mistakes, Mew had an important and notable character development, to the point of showed be caring toward her children, especially Shaun, whom finally managed to forgives Mew for her previous actions, and both developed a caring relationship of mother-son, this was cute.
And to be honest Hydra, i thinks that Mew had a very good development in the story, especially if you analyzes the Mew of the first chapters, with the current Mew, because if she was still the old Mew, i guess that when Shaun was in the fire hot brimestone, Mew would used this event to plays some cruel jokes toward Shaun, taking advantage of his fear for this situation, only to laughs from it. In contrast with the current Mew, whom inmediately went to Shaun and protectively took him in her arms, and calmed him, showing a notable motherly and mature behavior. Being honest, i am starting to admires Mew, for her notable evolution as character in the story, to started from an inmature, insensitive, indifferent and slightly cruel pokemon, to turned in a motherly, mature, selfless and protective pokemon, this is truly refreshing in the story.
And regarding to what could happens next, i still thinks that maybe Nova Branch, Team Rocket or even Mr Star, could causes some seige to the Tree of the beginning, because even if Mew had a notable development as character, i still would likes to see her directly involved in some conflict, as until this point of the story, Mew never participated directly in any conflict, making interesting to see some future battle in the Tree of Beginning, to see Mew finally in action.
And regarding to your other question Hydra, about Lugia, personally, to this point, i highly doubt that he can return to the light side, because he already proved to be too deep in this darkness, to be blinded for his wishes for revenge, making me thinks tha Lugia will never the same pokemon that we knew prior Necrozma. Nevertheless, even if he changed forever, i don't thinks that he get too far to start kills innocent people to vents his rage, as Lugia only showed be a merciless pokemon with his enemies, not an indifferent psychopath that enjoys kills in cold blood anyone that crosses his path, meaning that Lugia simply will be ruthless with his enemies, but he won't endanger innocent people without reasons, making that Lugia simply be dangerous for bad people, and don't attacks innocent people in cold blood, unlike Genesect.
And talking about Genesect, regarding to your point The Creator, after see how ruthless and merciless became Genesect, to the point of be willing to endanger innocent people and pokemon, i dares to compares her with Kratos of God of War 3, because Genesect like Kratos are too ruthless, selfish and cruel warriors, that only cares their personal interests, particulary revenge and retribution, to the point of be completely indifferent to the well being of other people, regardless if they are innocent or not, to the point that Genesect and Kratos don't matter to kills any person that could be affected for their violents battles, because they only cares to get revenge, nothing more. And we already knows the kind of consequences that Kratos caused in God of War 3 for this mindset... Meaning that if Genesect follows the same path, she could become another notable threat to this world, easily to the Necrozma's level.
And regarding some possible confrontation between Genesect and Burned man, to this point, i thinks that Genesect could wins this battle, but with a great difficulty, even more than Ryder, as the Burned man didn't showed yet all his arsenal, nor all his battle skills, meaning that he is basically like the secret weapon of Nova Branch. Nevertheless, to considers how quick Genesect can upgrades herself, i thinks that she could be capable to defeats the Burned man in this battle, though that he could gives her more battle than Ryder in my opinion.
To finishes, i am really wondering about the mysterious man that talked with Giratina in the Reverse world, because he talked about some cult like "Faithful Giratina", and that apparently Nova Branch were actually helping Giratina to makes a coup d'tat against Arceus, to be weakining the other remaining Legendary pokemon. Well, i don't sure if this man is saying the truth, that could implies more mysteries about Nova Branch and their origins, or if this is a ruse to decieves Giratina and takes over the Reverse world, because if this organization takes the control of this world, they could makes a lot damages to the pokemon world easily, including the Tree of Beginning.
PS. Talking about Tree of Beginning, after watched the tour of Mew, i can't help in thinks in my previous comparison of the Tree of Beginning and Mew, with the Lifestream and Minerva of Final Fantasy 7, especially as Mew revealed that the pokemon world harbors an inner lifeforce known as Aurastream, that is basically like the pokemon world's Lifestream, even Mew commented that this is like her heart and circulatory system, analogue to Minerva whom is the personification of the Lifestream in Gaia, making me thinks that Mew could be even like the personification of the pokemon world if you analyzes it.
Keep the good job.
As other point Hydra, i can understand your sadness for that Lugia became a ruthless and merciless pokemon that don't hold backs in kills his enemies, because in my case, i am sad for see the change of personality of Reshiram.
As Reshiram is one of my favorites pokemon, as i really liked the combination of type Dragon/Fire, as it is very complementary and balanced, adding that i really likes the angelic demeanor and appearance of Reshiram, that gives a majestic aura, making this pokemon one of my favorites.
And as result, i am sad to see that after the events of the island, Reshiram suffered a drastic change of personality, as result of the nasty injury in the neck, that caused a notable trauma pscychological to Reshiram, for the great pain caused by this injury, without count the prospect that Reshiram almost dies because this, causing that Reshiram ended becoming a ruthless and bloodthristed pokemon that is hunger for violence and for revenge against Nova Branch, to the point of shows no mercy toward them, even to the point that Zekrom became shocked for see the change of behavior of Reshiram, showing how much changed, to the point that now the Black dragon pokemon stopped to recognizes the vast white pokemon as his counterpart that support the Truth and Justice, as now Reshiram only supports a harsh and pragmatic truth in this world; retribution against Nova Branch.
Being honest, its pretty sad to see how our favorites pokemon were notably affected by this conflicts, to the point that looks like that Lugia and Reshiram will never be the same pokemons that we knew in the beginning of this story.
Well, at least i hope that they won't be killed in the future conflicts, and that at least Lugia and Reshiram can get the chance of start a self-therapy to tries overcome their past traumas after all this conflicts, and tries to retrieves some pieces and shreds of their former selves. Because regardless if they are now violent pokemon, i will be sad to see them being killed by Nova Branch.
Well, we can only wait for the future events.
The Creator- Glad to see you're liking the development of Mew. At last, she found peace and harmony. At least with the denizens of the Tree of Life. Will that peace last in the wake of this army, I wonder?
The comparison to Kratos with Genesect fits, I'd say. Indiscriminate slaughter for the sake of revenge, uncaring of whatever is destroyed along the way to the goal. But in the end, Kratos found his own peace elsewhere, didn't he? Who's to say Genesect couldn't? And you think Genesect could win a fight against the Burned Man? Even with that fire weakness? Well, I suppose even the worst of weaknesses can be worked around.
I guess Mew really could be the personification of the Pokemon world. After all, her life is tied to the Tree of Life, and that tree brings life to the world. What would happen to the world without one of them?
Hydra- I have to say it again I was genuinely shocked that you picked up on the irony between Reshiram and Zekrom between their looks and personalities. Reshiram who carries the appearance of an angel acts like a demon or monster that wants to slaughter her enemies. And Zekrom a Pokemon who's form looks like that of a demon is an honor bound creature that would rather subdue instead of killing his enemies. Really good job G props to you. In regards to Mew though hopefully she has changed her ways enough to somehow end this whole situation without bloodshed because if this were the same Mew that we saw back in those crystals well… that would not be good.
The Creator- Next chapter…nope, no spoilers. You'll have to wait. All I can say is that it'll be something alright.
Hydra- Well guys it's that time once more! Before I go I had a question for every single one of you reviewers. When you first read a new chapter how do you read it? Do you start from the top and read all the way down? Do you skip to the AN first to see the responses or do you read the end of the chapter to see what happens before you read it? I look forward to your responses! Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a great night. I'll see you… on the next one.