Registeel moved toward the trio way faster than they expected it to move, especially since it was made of metal, as it ran in for a [Heavy Slam].
Ash dove left as Pikachu skidded across the stone, electricity crackling as he barely cleared the impact zone. Riley rolled the opposite direction, coming up on one knee, and he threw out his Poké Ball, finally letting out his own Lucario.
Sir Lucario, meanwhile, jumped back and charged an [Aura Sphere] between his hands before throwing it out. It slammed into Registeel's head. The explosion barely staggered Registeel, even if it was super effective, it was just way too tanky.
Registeel's arms split open, vents glowing white-hot as it charged for a [Flash Cannon].
Ash spun, "Pikachu, [Iron Tail]!"
A beam of blinding light roared toward them. Pikachu leapt, tail glowing silver as he struck the beam head-on and split it, leaving the gang safe.
Registeel's dots flickered as it watched Pikachu land. The dots flashed before it raised its foot and tried to squish Pikachu with a [Stomp].
But before it landed, a translucent blue shield appeared above and stopped the stomp, it was Riley, who made a barrier real quick.
Riley smiled as he tipped his hat, "My turn."
Riley's Lucario vanished in a blur with [Extreme Speed], reappearing behind Registeel and slamming both palms into its back with a crack of [Force Palm]. The hit landed, driving Registeel forward a half-step.
Registeel responded instantly, spinning and swinging an arm with [Hammer Arm].
"Ash!" Riley shouted.
"I got it, Pikachu, [Electro Web]!" Ash called out.
As Registeel tried to bring its hand down to crush Riley's Lucario, an electrified web shot out and wrapped around its iron fist, stopping it from slamming down. Then the web lit up and shocked the metal titan.
And when Registeel tried to turn around, it was met with a [Power-Up Punch] from Sir Lucario, sending it another step back, but its dots flickered and it recovered.
Ash, meanwhile, analyzed the fight to see what he could learn. The main thing was that even after Pikachu shocked it and it lost its Legendary resistance, Lucario hitting it didn't do that much, but that was to be expected.
He could tell from the force of the hits that Registeel was a C-tier Legendary at best, maybe even lower. In fact, it was probably weaker than Zeraora in terms of raw AP. In defense, it was probably the third tankiest he'd ever faced, but that gave him an idea.
As for using more Pokémon, not a good idea other than Dragonite. They were literally standing on a stone bridge over a deep fall, and Registeel was already putting a lot of strain on it. Any extra Pokémon could make it collapse, so unless it could fly, it was a no-go. But again, he had Dragonite, and two little goobers.
And also, he had one more trick up his sleeve. So with a smile, he reached into his pocket and called out, "Lucario, take this!"
He threw it through the air. Sir Lucario reacted quickly, catching it midair as he dodged another attack. When he landed and looked at it, he saw a blue and red stone in his hand, "What is this?"
"It's called evening the odds," Ash said, raising his wrist where he had the Key Stone, "Sir Lucario, Mega Evolve!" he said as he pressed the stone.
Sir Lucario was confused as the stone on Ash's wrist began to glow. Then the stone in his hand glowed, then he started glowing too.
Sir Lucario changed as his fur grew longer, the spikes on his hands and chest grew, and the four black appendages on the back of his head lengthened and gained red tips as he turned into Mega Lucario.
Sir Lucario blinked as the light dispersed and he looked over his body, "What is this? My power is overflowing…"
"Uh, guys, I love to see you bonding, but can I get help here?" Riley called out as he fought Registeel 1v1 with his Lucario while Sir Lucario was transforming.
"Call it Mega Evolution. Now let's finish this," Ash said quickly as he went to his belt and grabbed three Poké Balls.
"Hmm, very well. And with this power, I am confident we can," Sir Lucario said as he planted his feet into the ground and got back into stance. Now the real fight could begin.
—
{Outside}
Brock was having his 1v1 against Regirock. He already had his battle strategy ready: Tyranitar and Steelix in the front, behind them Sudowoodo and Forretress, and in the very back were Mudkip and Lombre.
Regirock moved to strike him, and even then Brock didn't move from his spot as he crossed his arms confidently.
"Steelix, keep it on you! Tyranitar, don't let up!"
Steelix roared, his massive body coiling forward as he slammed his tail into Regirock with [Iron Tail], sparks and stone fragments exploding outward. The hit connected, but Regirock barely staggered, responding instantly with a brutal [Hammer Arm] that slammed into Steelix's side and drove him back several meters.
Next, Tyranitar surged in from the flank, tackling into the rock guardian with a [Fire Punch], breaking chunks off Regirock's shoulder.
Regirock finally reacted with force. It stomped once and used [Earthquake], the ground shaking violently, forcing Brock to brace himself as Steelix anchored his body into the stone, taking the brunt of it to protect everyone. Tyranitar skidded back, digging his claws in to stay upright.
"Sudowoodo!" Brock called.
Sudowoodo darted in from behind a fallen pillar, slamming both arms down with a sharp [Low Kick] straight into Regirock's knee joint, sending the rock golem crashing to the ground.
Regirock tried to stand and retaliate to crush Sudowoodo, but Forretress was already there. First, it crashed against Regirock's fist, blocking the attack, then it began to spin, rolling across Regirock's arm and slamming into its head with a [Gyro Ball] before flying back to safety.
As Regirock recovered, it lifted both arms for [Stone Edge], jagged pillars forming midair, but Steelix surged forward, taking the attack head-on as stone blades shattered against his armored body.
Brock called from behind them, "Do it now!"
Mudkip and Lombre both fired [Water Gun], shooting streams of water at the Rock-type. They might be weak and the damage might be small, but damage was damage no matter how little, and they could safely attack from the back while the rest defended them.
Regirock roared, twisting its torso as its eyes flared orange. It slammed its fists together and lunged forward with [Superpower].
"Steelix," Brock ordered.
Steelix planted himself into the ground, stabilizing his tail in the rocks as he used [Iron Defense]. As the incoming hit came, he blocked it from striking Tyranitar.
"Phew, you definitely are one of the strongest I've faced," Brock complimented the rock, "So that means I don't have to hold back!"
He reached down and grabbed his Key Stone and Tyranitar's Mega Stone. As he tossed it to Tyranitar, he clenched the stone as it glowed in his hand, "Tyranitar, Mega Evolve!"
Tyranitar erupted into light as he quickly transformed into his Mega Tyranitar form.
As the light faded, Regirock slightly turned to see what caused it, giving Brock an opening, "Steelix, grab it!"
Steelix surged forward again, wrapping his massive body around Regirock's torso in [Bind], metal screeching against stone as he anchored both of them to the ground. Regirock struggled, pistons in its arms firing as it tried to pry Steelix off.
Brock then shot his arm out, "Tyranitar, [Crunch]!"
Mega Tyranitar charged straight in, jaws glowing as he slammed into Regirock's shoulder. The bite landed with a crack, tearing chunks free and finally forcing Regirock down onto one knee.
Sudowoodo didn't waste the opening.
Sudowoodo rushed in and hammered Regirock's exposed side with another [Low Kick], targeting the joint again. Forretress followed immediately, bouncing in with a rapid [Pin Missile], the impacts chipping and fracturing Regirock's rocky armor.
Regirock roared, energy surging through its body as it tore free from Steelix's bind and slammed both fists into the ground with another [Earthquake].
The battlefield heaved violently, and everyone braced themselves, grabbing onto whatever they could, except for Mudkip, since it couldn't use its arms to grab.
As Mudkip fell forward, he forced himself back up even as the ground was still shaking violently, and as he struggled, suddenly his body began to glow.
"Mudkip…?" Brock muttered, eyes widening.
The glow intensified, then burst outward as Mudkip grew, fins spreading as he rose onto two legs. The light faded to reveal Marshtomp, standing firm despite the shaking ground.
Marshtomp planted his feet and fired a powerful [Water Gun], far stronger than before, blasting straight into Regirock's chest and forcing it backward through the sandstorm.
Lombre joined in beside him, adding another stream. The two Water attacks finally pushed Regirock back several steps.
Regirock fell back, slamming into the side of a mountain and crashing down, then its eyes flared bright orange again.
Regirock straightened and stood up as the cracks on its body visibly began to close, then it rose back to its feet.
Brock exhaled slowly, a grin tugging at his face, "…Yeah," he said, cracking his knuckles, "I figured."
He looked out over his team, Steelix, Mega Tyranitar, Sudowoodo, Forretress, Marshtomp, and Lombre.
"Alright, Regirock," Brock said calmly, "guess we're doing this the hard way."
Regirock answered with a deep, grinding roar as it raised its arms again.
—
The mountain clearing was already full of shards of ice and broken trees. Regice hovered at the center, healing the cracks along its body as it stared down everyone.
One of Kidd's Weavile skidded across the frozen ground, claws scraping as it barely avoided an [Ice Beam] that Regice swiped across the field.
"Left, now!" Kidd shouted.
Both Weavile vanished in blurs, reappearing on either side of Regice as they slashed in unison with [Night Slash]. The hits landed, leaving visible cuts in the ice, but Regice answered immediately, its dots flashing as the temperature plummeted.
"Watch out!" Sorrell warned.
Regice slammed both arms together, unleashing a point-blank [Blizzard], causing the entire clearing to turn white with snow.
"Vee, now!" Max yelled.
Flareon dug his paws into the ice and unleashed a roaring [Flamethrower], the fire cutting a molten tunnel through the blizzard just long enough for Combusken to run in.
"Combusken, [Double Kick]!" May added as she shivered in the cold.
Combusken's legs glowed as he hammered Regice twice in rapid succession, the impacts sending cracks racing up its lower body. She flipped back, landing beside May just as the ice refroze beneath Regice's feet.
Sorrell's Lucario was already moving.
He slid across the ice, aura flaring as he drove both palms forward and fired an [Aura Sphere] at near point-blank range. The blast detonated against Regice's face, forcing it backward for the first time in the fight.
Regice drifted back a few meters, crystalline limbs grinding as it stabilized itself midair. Frost steamed off its body where Aura and fire had struck, the cracks glowing faintly blue.
"Okay," Kidd muttered, spinning her chain daggers back into her hands, "that actually worked."
Regice's dots pulsed, then the temperature dropped again.
Ice spread outward from beneath it in a perfect circle, freezing shattered trees and jagged rocks solid in seconds.
Regice raised one arm and fired a razor-thin [Ice Beam], sweeping it across the clearing like a guillotine.
"Everyone move out of the way!" Kidd quickly called out.
One of Kidd's Weavile took the hit dead-on, or would have, if the second Weavile hadn't slammed into it mid-run, knocking both of them aside as the beam carved a frozen trench where they'd been.
Regice turned, arms spreading as the air filled with spiraling shards, [Ice Shard], dozens of them homing in.
"Vee!" Max cried.
Vee barked sharply and jumped in front of Max without hesitation, using [Fire Spin] to dash forward and melt the incoming ice, protecting everyone.
Then Vee smirked and let out a sharp yelp as a blazing [Fire Spin] surrounded Regice's icy field, causing the frozen ground around it to begin melting away.
"Oh thank goodness, I can feel my legs again," May sighed in relief, she was still just wearing shorts, and it had been hard to focus while shivering.
May stared at Vee for half a second, "…Okay, Ash definitely undersold you, you're way stronger."
Vee huffed proudly at the compliment. After all, he usually had to hold back so much, it was nice getting praised by someone.
"Focus!" Kidd snapped, getting the siblings' attention.
Kidd's Weavile ran up together and slid under Regice's arm as it brought it down to crush them. As they slid between Regice's legs, they slashed back at its legs with their claws, creating an opening.
"On it, Lucario!" Sorrell called out.
Lucario ran forward, his arms glowing blue with Aura as he used [Force Palm], sending a shockwave through the frozen ground. The ice beneath Regice cracked violently.
"Combusken, your turn, [Blaze Kick]!" May added.
"Vee, you too, [Flare Blitz]!" Max added.
Combusken and Vee were both covered in fire as Vee ran first, followed by Combusken. Vee's body was wrapped in a blazing layer as he crashed into Regice's chest, slamming the Ice-type back, and before it could recover, Combusken came in from above and sent a flaming axe kick into Regice's head, driving it into the ground.
When they were done, Combusken and Vee jumped back over to May and Max as everyone watched the smoking impact zone.
"Did we do it?" Max muttered.
Almost as if on cue, the sound of ice scraping on ice picked up, and Regice slowly got back up, cracks along its body already beginning to close.
"You just had to talk…" May muttered.
"Looks like we need to buy Ash and the others more time," Sorrell said as his Lucario stood in front of him, ready.
"Guess so, and you know, this sure is a first for me. The chance to fight a Legendary...how exciting!" Kidd grinned widely as she pressed something on her high-tech glasses, making sure they were still recording everything.
"Guess we have no choice. I just hope they're okay," May muttered as they all got ready for round two.
—
Registeel was running toward them way faster than something made of metal reasonably should.
It blurred forward and brought both arms down in a crushing [Heavy Slam], the impact splitting the bridge and sending chunks of stone spiraling into the abyss below as Registeel kept its rush going, now aiming straight for them.
Sir Lucario quickly jumped in front of Ash and Riley and raised his arms as a barrier formed. When Registeel's arm came down, he caught it. Still in Mega form, Sir Lucario dug his heel into the ground, used Registeel's weight to spin it around, and then slammed it down.
Riley didn't waste the opening, "Lucario, [Aura Sphere]!"
"Pikachu, [Thunderbolt]!" Ash added.
Riley's Lucario vanished and reappeared above Registeel, firing down a bright blue orb. Pikachu's [Thunderbolt] struck the sphere midair, causing it to explode and send Registeel rolling.
As Registeel pushed itself back up, Sir Lucario was already moving. He dashed through the fading light, his hand glowing with red energy as he used [Power-Up Punch].
The blow hit like a piledriver, compressing Registeel's chest inward with a thunderous clang. Red warning lights flickered across its body as it staggered back, its metal armor now visibly dented.
Registeel growled, vents flaring as it reared back for [Hammer Arm], but Ash was already ready.
"Riley, left side. Same time," he called out without even looking at him.
Riley grinned, "Was thinking the same thing."
They all moved.
Riley's Lucario struck first, slamming a [Force Palm] into Registeel's elbow joint, disrupting the swing. Sir Lucario followed immediately, spinning and driving a devastating [Close Combat] into Registeel's torso, each hit landing faster than the last, Aura detonating with every strike.
As Registeel was about to slam down, Pikachu came in and parried the fist with [Iron Tail]. As they clashed, Pikachu grinned and discharged electricity, and metal is one hell of a conductor, so the electricity traveled from Pikachu's [Iron Tail] straight into Registeel's metal body casing, steam venting from its ports.
But even after that, Registeel wasn't down. It was about to counter when suddenly a [Shadow Ball] slammed into it. Where did it come from? None other than Absol.
Remember that Absol Ash met? Well, it asked to go with him. Since Absol go where danger is, and Ash practically radiates danger, it let itself be caught so it could help when things got serious. Ash never mentioned it before since Absol doesn't want to be part of things like Gym Battles, but that didn't mean it couldn't help in moments like this.
Registeel shook off the sudden sneak attack and was about to unleash a last-ditch attack to destroy the bridge when Ash's second contingency activated. From the air, Dragonite came flying down, and in her hands were Beldum and Bagon.
Dragonite wound up her arms and, with all her strength, threw them both directly at Registeel like massive projectiles.
As they fell through the air, their heads began glowing silver as they both used [Iron Head] in unison, slamming into Registeel's body and trying to push the Metal Pokémon back.
For a moment, Registeel resisted, starting to push back against the two babies, but then they began to glow. Beldum's small body extended into a disc shape with thick spikes and two arms, while Bagon's armor expanded until its entire body was encased in a spherical shell, evolving into Metang and Shelgon.
The extra power allowed them to match Registeel, but even then it wasn't being pushed back, just held in place, because Dragonite was still there. She dashed in with [Extreme Speed] and tackled Registeel alongside them.
Then Pikachu fired an [Electroweb], wrapping it around Registeel's foot. With a sharp pull, Registeel finally lost its balance...and fell off the edge of the bridge.
Dragonite caught Metang and Shelgon in her arms and flew back as Registeel plummeted into the chasm. After a moment, everyone heard the loud clang of metal hitting the ground, but even then, they could still hear the beeping of Registeel. Even after all that, it wasn't knocked out.
It made sense, Registeel's defense was second to none. Even compared to stronger Legendaries, its durability was absurd. That meant they had to move fast before it climbed back up and got in their way again.
"Okay, let's go. You all did great," Ash said as he returned everyone to their Poké Balls, but Absol refused, wanting to see what was happening since it could feel danger just beyond the next room.
Sir Lucario finally fell back to his base form now that the battle was over, holding the Mega Stone, "I don't know what this is, but I can tell the power I gained was greater than anything I've ever felt. If I had this back during the war, then…"
"Don't worry about what could have happened. We're here now, and what we need to do is save the Tree," Riley reminded him.
Sir Lucario nodded and held the stone for a moment before tossing it back to Ash, "Here. This is yours. I will not try to take it."
Ash caught it, "Appreciate it. Now we can save the sappy stuff for later, let's go."
Sir Lucario and Riley nodded in unison as they all ran in. When they reached the heart of the tree, it was glowing an unnatural red. As they walked inside, they all felt something in the back of their heads telling them to turn to the left, like a small itch.
When they turned, inside one of the crystals they saw something. Trapped within it, eyes closed, was the figure of Sir Aaron.
"Sir Aaron…" breathed Lucario as he gazed upon his mentor.
He took a step forward, and that's when his foot touched a Time Flower growing out of the crystal that held him.
As his foot brushed against it, the flower reacted to his Aura and the room lit up. They watched the scene play out: Sir Aaron marched into the tree and walked up to Mew. Then they saw him reach his hands out and send all of his Aura into Mew and the Tree of Beginning.
Although they only saw what was happening in this room, it didn't take a genius to understand what his actions caused for the kingdom, after all, the kingdom was still standing.
"So that's how it happened…" Riley muttered. He had read stories, but nothing had ever been confirmed until now.
As they continued watching the scene play out, Sir Aaron finished giving the last of his Aura to Mew. They saw him fall back. Almost on instinct, Lucario tried to catch him, but it was only a flashback, so Sir Aaron passed right through his hands and fell back against the crystal that slowly began to encase him.
"Sir Aaron…" Lucario said again as he fell to his knees, "I...I thought you abandoned the Queen. I...I hated you...for no reason...why…?"
But Sir Aaron obviously couldn't hear him, this was only a memory. Instead, he stared off into the distance, his eyes glimmering as he sat deep in thought.
His trance was interrupted as pain shot through his body, making Sir Aaron grunt.
He turned his gaze toward the wall and began to speak, "Lucario...forgive me."
"M-Master…" Lucario responded.
"Please understand. I had to seal you inside the staff. I knew if I didn't, you'd follow me here and suffer the same fate. I only wish...that you could have known the real story…"
Lucario, tears in his eyes, responded again, "I understand!"
"One day you'll be released in a more peaceful time," Sir Aaron smiled, "What will it be like, I wonder? Will you be happy? What's the color of the sky, the shape of those smiles? I only wish I could see them all one last time…"
"I have...no regrets. My journey...has been good. I served a beautiful queen, and you and I shared many adventures with our friends…"
He leaned back and sighed, a happy and contented smile on his face despite the pain he must have been going through, "Those memories will always be with me."
"Master...if only you could hear me...I want to tell you how much you mean to me…" Lucario started to shake.
"Lucario…farewell. You were more to me than just my student. You were...my closest friend."
"I feel the same," Lucario said, trying not to cry.
"But...before I go...I have one final piece of advice, a final request, even if you never hear it."
"Anything."
"Don't give up just because I am...no longer there. Keep going...and live your life, enjoy it. Continue your work as an Aura Guardian...and help others in need. There are so few Aura Guardians, and maybe even fewer in your new time…so continue your work, but also try to find others with the potential for Aura...and train them."
"You are strong. Use that strength to help others, at least those closest to you...you don't have to help everyone, but try to anyway. It's okay to be confused at times, and don't worry if no one thanks you for it...Just keep trying to help as many as possible. Even if you can only save one...That way, when you die, you'll be surrounded by people...Please don't end up like me," Aaron muttered as his eyelids grew heavy.
"Then, it could be…one day…we will see each other again." A single tear flowed down Sir Aaron's cheek, and he closed his eyes one final time, "I hope so…my friend."
"Aaron, my friend…goodbye," Lucario muttered as he closed his eyes, letting some tears fall.
Then, as the memory started to end, Sir Aaron said one last time, "Heh…I wonder…how Lucius is doing…I hope he's happy too…" then it ended.
As Lucario was looking down, Ash and Riley didn't really say anything yet. Sure, should they have gone over there, slapped him on the back of the head, and told him now was not the time? Sure. But neither of them were A-holes, so they didn't.
However, in Ash's bag, it began to shake as Mew peeked its head out, still looking around weakly, "Mew…"
Ash looked back and was about to say something when suddenly the cave started shaking, and Mew visibly got weaker. The heart of the Tree began pulsing loudly again, and crystals actively began crumbling to dust around them.
"Not good…" Riley muttered as he looked around, "The tree won't survive much longer, and neither will Mew."
Mew fluttered out of Ash's bag weakly and floated over to Lucario, "…Mew…mew mew…"
"What?" Lucario asked, looking up.
"Mew…mew mew mew!" Mew said slowly.
"Yes…of course, I understand…" Lucario said, standing up and wiping his eyes, "I will save you." Then, without saying anything else, Lucario held his hands out to Mew and began collecting his Aura to give it to Mew.
Mew slowly started absorbing it and using its own body as a conduit to spread it through the tree, causing some of the red crystals to slowly start shining blue again.
But Lucario stumbled slightly, "No…not enough Aura…" he muttered.
But just then Ash, Riley, and Riley's Lucario got up next to him and reached their hands out, "Oh no you don't, you're not doing this alone," Ash said with a smirk.
"No, you can't, it's too dangerous," Sir Lucario protested.
"And that's why we have to. Besides, you heard Sir Aaron's words, didn't you? You should enjoy your life now, not throw it away," Riley said.
"Yeah, you're not getting out of your new responsibilities that easily~" Ash added with a cheeky grin.
"…You don't understand," he said quietly, "If you give too much—"
Ash cut him off, "Yeah yeah, dramatic speeches later. If I had a dollar for every time I almost died, I'd have exactly 17 dollars, so let's just save the tree."
Riley chuckled, planting one hand against Lucario's shoulder, "Besides…Aura Guardians stick together. Remember, Aura is with us."
Riley's Lucario stepped in beside them, eyes closing as his aura began to glow bright blue.
Sir Lucario looked between all of them, the stubborn grins. He closed his eyes, but couldn't stop a small smile from creeping onto his face, "…Very well. I thank you," he said finally, "Together."
They reached out at the same time, using all the Aura they had and pouring it into Mew.
Blue light poured from their hands into Mew, swirling like ribbons as it spread through the chamber and into the crystals. Once Mew was charged with as much Aura as they could give, it pulled away from them and flew to the heart of the tree, diving straight into it.
When it did, the red light suddenly turned green…then blue, as Mew spread the Aura throughout the entire Tree of Beginning.
The red crystals shuddered…then slowly began turning blue again. Bright light shot from every crystal, inside the tree, outside it, and all across Rota. Each crystal fired beams into the air like beacons that split the clouds when they struck the sky.
As for the four of them inside the tree, they were completely drained. They collapsed onto their backs, gasping for breath after nearly exhausting themselves, but they were all alive.
"Haaahh…we did it…" Ash said.
"And we're alive too, that's nice…" Riley said, catching his breath, "I don't think I've ever used that much Aura at once."
"Eh…you get used to it…" Ash said as Pikachu walked over and plopped himself onto Ash's chest.
"I don't even want to think about the implications of that," Sir Lucario said, to which Riley's Lucario nodded while catching its breath.
Still, Ash smiled and held his fist out toward Sir Lucario and Riley, "But hey, we saved the world, and we found out Sir Aaron wasn't a fraud, so I'd say today was a success."
Riley laughed helplessly but reached his fist out toward Ash's, "I gotta say, you really do make life more interesting, don't you?"
Sir Lucario looked at them. He didn't quite understand the gesture of a fist bump, but he smiled and held his fist out anyway, "Yes...and it is my honor to serve beside you, descendants of Sir Aaron."