Want to read ahead. You know where
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"Mimi~!"
"Mimi~!"
Mew yelled at the Three Titans for losing.
With a casual flick of its tail, the air shimmered.
A brilliant light spilled across the Tree of Life, as if an unseen sun had just been switched on.
Warm life energy pulsed through the ancient trunk, surging along every branch before converging on the fallen Regice, Regirock, and Registeel.
Regice's dented chest swelled back into shape.
Deep fractures in Regirock's stony body smoothed over until not a single crack remained.
Registeel's dim core began to glow again, its power building to full strength.
Bang. Bang.
One after another, the Titans rose to their feet.
Sam's muscles tightened.
Every instinct screamed at him to be ready.
"Luka! Hiss! Lili!" he called sharply.
His Pokémon stepped forward without hesitation, eyes narrowing at the reawakened Titans.
Their bodies lowered into battle stances, ready for whatever came next.
Mew didn't spare them a glance.
"Mimi~ Mimi~"
It floated in front of the Titans, almost humming in satisfaction at its handiwork.
Another flick of its tail sent them lumbering deeper into the Tree of Life, their heavy steps fading in eerie unison.
When they were gone, Mew blinked out of existence, only to pop back into view right in front of Sam.
"Mimi~ Mimi~"
It circled him lazily, drifting close enough that he could feel the faint warmth of its presence.
Wide, curious eyes studied him, following the rise and fall of his breath, tilting with a childlike fascination.
"Mew… what are you playing at?" Sam muttered.
Then, as quickly as it had come, the strange pressure in the air vanished.
Mew's presence snuffed out like a candle flame.
The Tree of Life dimmed with it.
The golden-green radiance streaming down its branches flickered out, leaving only shadow.
Just moments ago, it had glowed like a giant Christmas tree; now, it stood dark and silent.
"Hiss~"
Darkrai drifted up beside him, shaking his head.
Its voice brushed against Sam's mind, confirming what he already suspected:
Mew's aura was gone.
As a Dark-type, Darkrai could feel the absence of Psychic energy like a sudden drop in air pressure.
If it said they were gone, they were gone.
Sam's eyes lingered on the Tree's dull branches.
"So that's your way of showing us the door, huh?" he muttered.
"Figures. We'll never be able to figure Mew out."
With nothing left to do here, he turned and left.
Moonlight struggled to pierce the thick canopy, draping the woods in a deep, watchful darkness.
It was the kind of night that might make most people uneasy, but with his three Pokémon at his side, Sam felt no fear.
He found a small clearing, dropped his pack, and began stacking firewood.
Tomorrow, he'd head back to Viridian City.
"Darkrai, give me a hand with the fire," Sam said.
"Hiss~"
Darkrai drifted closer, raised one clawed hand, and snapped his fingers.
Blue wisps flared to life, curling over the stacked firewood before catching into a steady, warm blaze.
He wasn't a Fire-type, but Darkrai's move pool had its surprises.
Will-O-Wisp might burn an enemy to their core in battle, but tonight, it was just a convenient way to light a campfire.
Sam eased down beside the flames.
The soft crackle of burning wood mingled with the rustle of nocturnal Pokémon somewhere in the dark.
"Darkrai, grab the steak… and the sea salt," Sam said, pointing toward the pack.
"Oh, and a bowl of water."
Without a word, Darkrai glided away, moving like a shadow, completing each task with practiced precision.
"Lili~!"
Silver sat nearby, eyes fixed on the steak as if it were the only thing in the world.
Drool glistened at the edge of its beak.
It shifted from claw to claw, as if the sheer will to help might somehow make its wings useful for cooking.
Lucario lounged off to the side, chin propped on one paw, watching Darkrai work.
Something flickered in his gaze, like a thought had just sparked to life.
He stood.
A faint blue glow began to pool beneath his paws, the air humming with the vibration of gathered aura.
Sam and the others turned toward him without thinking.
Slowly, Lucario's paws lifted from the ground.
Aura swirled beneath him, pushing him upward.
His arms spread slightly, balancing himself like a surfer feeling out an unfamiliar wave.
Sam's eyes widened.
"Luca…"
Lucario's ears twitched at the sound of his name.
The flicker of distraction broke his focus, and the aura beneath him faltered.
He touched down softly, landing with a quiet thud.
"Luka…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head, half embarrassed, half defiant.
Darkrai and Silver stared at him openly now, and the attention made him shift uncomfortably.
"Wait, you can do that?" Sam asked, stepping forward, his mind already racing.
Lucario's eyes narrowed with renewed focus.
The blue shimmer returned, aura surging beneath his feet, and he rose into the air again, steadier this time.
"Alright," Sam said, a grin tugging at his mouth.
"Try moving forward."
"Luka!"
Leaning into the motion, Lucario pressed against the aura, gliding forward inch by inch.
Each push grew smoother, faster, until his movements almost looked like true flight.
"That's it!" Sam clapped his hands.
"Luca, this is incredible, better than some legendaries I've seen."
Which ones? He kept that to himself.
"Luka~!"
His breathing had quickened, the effort starting to show, but there was a fire in Lucario's eyes that burned brighter than the campfire.
Sam rested a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Forget everything else for now. Focus on this. If you can fly, even short bursts, your strength goes up by at least thirty percent."
He wasn't expecting Lucario to match Lugia's long-distance flights, but even short aerial bursts would change the battlefield completely.
Lucario nodded sharply, his resolve set in stone.