It didn't matter to Ilene whether she was first or second.
She was a dignified queen, after all. Could she really allow herself to be overshadowed by a mere little girl? Certainly not.
On the other side, however, Marnie's lips curved into a subtle, almost imperceptible smile, while her beautiful eyes shone with a spark of light.
This was, without question, a rather unexpected surprise!
"An engagement, you say? Wonderful! Excellent! Agreed—it is settled! Your father approves!"
Over the phone, Cassius's voice, stern and commanding as always was brimming with joy. His son not only reached out to him after so many years, but even brought back two potential daughters-in-law.
This was truly great news, better than anything he could have hoped for!
After discussing a few more details regarding the situation, Lucas temporarily said his farewells to his father, planning to have a more in-depth conversation later in the evening.
"Most likely, within the next couple of days, my father will dispatch people over here to discuss the details of the engagement arrangements with you. But, Your Majesty…" Lucas paused, gazing directly into Ilene's eyes with a serious look, "are you absolutely certain you will not regret this?"
He lowered his voice slightly and added, "If I truly were an evil man… you would, in effect, have ruined your entire life."
"If Mr. Lucas were really such a man," Ilene replied softly, her lips curving into a gentle smile, "then I would still follow him all the way to the end."
Though she admittedly did not know everything about him, she chose to place her faith in her own intuition. From his mannerisms, his composure, and his temperament, Lucas gave her the impression of being an exceptionally outstanding person. Their brief contact so far confirmed that his personality was by no means unpleasant. For her, that was already more than enough.
Since she had already made her choice, she would not regret it.
"And besides…" she lowered her gaze slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, while her delicate face grew tinged with red, "…Lucas, at this point, you should also change how you address me."
Her voice was light, carrying a trace of shyness.
After all, Lucas had already spoken directly to his father about their marriage. That meant, in essence, that their relationship was already decided. Continuing to call her so distantly, as though she were a stranger, no longer seemed appropriate.
Seeing this scene, Lucas chuckled faintly to himself. Truly, this situation felt strange and almost surreal. Out of nowhere, he suddenly found himself with a queen as a fiancée.
Of course, to be precise, she was little more than a political ornament, a decorative flower vase. Still, she was pleasing to the eye, and her noble identity certainly matched well with his own standing.
Afterwards, Ilene guided the group up to the balcony situated at the upper levels of the castle. From this vantage point, they could gaze across the entirety of Rota Town sprawled below, and even glimpse the distant mountain ranges on the horizon.
"The Tree of Beginnings… according to legend, no one knows exactly when it first appeared. Perhaps thousands of years ago… tens of thousands… or even longer. Nobody can say for certain."
Her voice, elegant and melodious, drifted gently into the ears of those present as her eyes fixed on the distant view.
"Over there. Do you see? It looks, at first glance, like a colossal tree. But in truth, it is a mountain of rock—that mountain itself is the Tree of Beginnings."
She pointed toward a vast, vaguely tree-shaped mountain in the distance.
Lucas nodded slightly. Indeed, he had already noticed it the moment he lifted his eyes—a rocky mountain in the rough form of a massive tree.
"I do not know why you wish to go there," Ilene continued, turning back toward him. "But Lucas… according to legend, the Tree of Beginnings is the dwelling place of the mythical Pokémon Mew. Nobody truly knows what lies within it. If you are determined to go, please, I beg you, be extremely cautious."
She hesitated slightly, but still spoke with gentle concern.
She was no fool. For Lucas to say he was going merely out of curiosity—Ilene could not quite bring herself to believe that excuse.
Even so, it did not stop her from worrying about him. After all, the World Tree of Beginnings was indeed shrouded in mystery.
"Don't worry," Lucas replied, the corners of his lips lifting into a confident smile. "For me, a mere World Tree is nothing that could pose a real obstacle."
In truth, unless absolutely necessary, he did not intend to venture into the heart of the tree. The automatic defense mechanisms hidden within would be quite troublesome to deal with. And as for the three titans that guarded the tree—Regirock, Registeel, and Regice…
Sorry, but Lucas hardly considered them worth his attention.
"Then I shall wait here for your return," Ilene said softly, her lips curving into a graceful smile while her radiant eyes seemed to shimmer faintly, as though touched by starlight.
She adored the proud, confident aura Lucas exuded at that very moment. More than that, she believed that this was his truest, most genuine self.
What none of them noticed, however, was that on the far corner of the balcony roof, hanging playfully by its tail, an Aipom was quietly observing them, its large eyes fixed in particular on Lucas.
"Mi~?"
Tilting its head slightly to one side, the creature blinked its round eyes in curiosity, letting out a soft, questioning chirp.
At this close distance, it could clearly sense something unique—something unusual—emanating from this human.
For on his body were far too many peculiar forces, each radiating in ways that made it deeply curious.
Moreover, judging from their conversation… it sounded like these humans were planning to go into its home?
Emmmm… Should it stop them, or should it not?
------------------
"Lucas."
"What is it?"
"The psychic-type presence we sensed last time—it is very near you now."
Eternatus's low, rumbling telepathic voice reverberated once again within Lucas's mind.
If the distance had been greater, it might not have been able to sense it. But at this range, there was no doubt. That psychic power was incredibly strong, like a blinding beacon shining in the dark.
Lucas froze for a moment. "The psychic presence from before?"
"It Mew."
This time, it was Reshiram who spoke. Compared with Eternatus, it instantly recognized the identity of that presence.
Lucas's eyes narrowed in realization. Yes—of course. He quickly swept his gaze around, scanning the surroundings until his focus landed upon the Aipom hanging from the balcony's edge.
That was the only Pokémon nearby.
And Mew was known for its ability to transform into other Pokémon. Naturally, Lucas's suspicions were immediately aroused.
Meanwhile, the disguised Mew was still debating whether or not it should prevent Lucas from approaching its home.
The Tree of Beginnings was its nest, its sanctuary. Though its nature was innocent and pure, Mew was not ignorant of the fact that the tree had always been unfriendly toward human intruders.
If this human entered the World Tree, there was a very real chance he would be judged as an invader.
"Mi~!"
But before it realized, Mew suddenly met Lucas's gaze head-on. Startled, it blinked its wide, innocent eyes, letting out a clear, ringing cry.
"Hm? That Aipom seems… a little strange."
Green also noticed it, her expression puzzled as she stared at the small monkey-like creature. "Its cry doesn't sound quite right, does it?"
"You there, little one. Come over here."
That single soft cry had been enough to confirm Lucas's suspicion. After all, Aipom's voice was never that adorably soft.
He beckoned gently with a smile, his expression calm and kind.
Mew hesitated. It had not been particularly fond of humans lately—especially after being chased around just last year by those from Team Rocket.
But its curiosity could not be suppressed. With astonishing agility, it bounded over and landed gracefully upon the balcony railing, tilting its head as its large eyes locked on Lucas.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Noticing that the 'Aipom' kept its eyes fixed unwaveringly on him, Lucas raised a brow. From Green's bag, he pulled out a pack of biscuits, opened it, and offered one with a light chuckle.
"Mi~?"
Mew's small nose twitched as it sniffed at the biscuit curiously, letting out a questioning hum.
"This is food. You eat it," Lucas explained with a smile.
Sensing no malice from him, Mew cautiously reached out its tiny hands, took a biscuit, and nibbled.
Like a little squirrel, it munched in small, rapid bites until the entire thing was gone. Its eyes instantly lit up in delight.
"I've never seen this Pokémon before… it must be from outside," Ilene remarked, watching the little monkey contentedly eat its treat. She was certain she had never seen such a creature in Rota before.
"Of course it came from outside. So then, little one—won't you show us your real form?"
Lucas's eyes twinkled as he smiled knowingly at the disguised creature.
"Real… form?"
Marnie, Green, and Ilene all blinked in confusion.
But in the very next moment, their eyes widened in shock.
A soft glow enveloped the Aipom's body. Its figure blurred rapidly before shifting into an entirely different form.
Before their eyes appeared a small, pink Pokémon resembling an adorable kitten, with a tail longer than its own body.
It was none other than the legendary Mythical Pokémon—Mew!
So, the Aipom had been Mew in disguise all along!
Ilene gazed in astonishment. Though she had occasionally heard rumors that Mew had been spotted around Rota, she never imagined she would have the chance to see it in person.
Marnie, on the other hand, acted with practiced skill. Almost instantly, she whipped out her camera and began snapping pictures of Mew in rapid succession.
A veteran through and through!
"Mi~?"
Mew, now clutching another biscuit with its tiny paws, floated gently in the air as its bright eyes fixed curiously upon Lucas. Its soft cry seemed to be asking how he had recognized it so easily.
"It was Reshiram who told me. You can feel their presence as well, can't you?"
"Mi? Mi~mi?"
Mew nodded rapidly, its pure, flawless eyes blinking innocently.
"But like this, I can't understand you… better use telepathy instead."
Lucas rubbed his temples in mild exasperation. When it kept chirping only "mi-mi-mi," there was no way he could interpret its meaning. His Dragon force was useless here, since Mew wasn't a Dragon-type Pokémon.
Hearing his suggestion, Mew tilted its head in slight puzzlement. But then, as if recalling something, it perked up.
"Mi? Telepathy… like this, right?"
Suddenly, a soft, clear, adorable voice—like that of a little girl—resonated in their ears, and simultaneously, deep within their hearts.
"Wahh… this voice—I love it!"
Green's eyes went wide instantly. There was no doubt: this was Mew's telepathic speech.
But it was almost too cute to be true—sweet, soft, and childlike, sounding like the gentle voice of a young girl. It was healing simply to listen to it.
"Eh? You really can hear me? For real, you actually understand me!"
Mew spun happily in a little circle, overjoyed that its telepathy had worked.
"You have some of Arceus's elemental plates with you. How did you come by them, hmm?"
After taking another bite of biscuit, Mew leaned closer to Lucas, its curiosity overflowing as it asked the question.
This was not its first time sensing him. Even back in Viridian Forest, it had felt his unusual presence. The powerful dragon by his side was one thing, but the fragments of Arceus's stone tablets he carried—that was what truly shocked it.
As one of the oldest Pokémon in existence, Mew was well acquainted with the nature of those tablets. Though its personality was innocent, mischievous, and even childlike at times, beneath that adorable exterior lay an age so ancient and unfathomable that it could shatter human understanding.
Precisely because it had lived so long, Mew's curiosity about Lucas's possession of Arceus's stone tablets burned even stronger.
"Due to certain… special circumstances, I'm only borrowing the plates temporarily. Eventually, they will have to be returned to Arceus."
Lucas did not bother to conceal the truth, answering straightforwardly.
It also seemed that Mew was particularly sensitive to the plates, or perhaps its spiritual power was simply more refined. Even when he had fought with legends in Unova, such as Kyurem or Zacian or Reshiram, none of them had sensed the tablets' presence.
Yet Mew had detected them immediately.
"Emmm… well, of course. Arceus would never allow its stone plates to remain separated in the outside world."
Mew nodded vigorously, it's cute, childlike voice soft yet resolute.
Regardless of how Lucas had obtained them, there was no way Arceus would permit them to stay away forever.
After all, those plates were the very source of Arceus's power, fragments of its life itself.
To divide the plates away was essentially to divide Arceus's own essence and strength. Such a thing was no trivial matter.
"You must have several of the plates, right? Could you lend me one of them to look at? Please?"
Now finished with its biscuit, Mew hugged its long, slender tail against its chest, its large eyes shimmering with expectation as it spoke, its sweet, soft telepathic voice sounding almost like a pleading little girl.
(End of Chapter)