Compared to other legendary Pokémon who were aware of the existence of Arceus and therefore held deep reverence and caution toward it, the pure and innocent Mew was instead far less solemn and formal…
In fact, it was almost the opposite—rather than being wary, Mew was filled with immense curiosity toward the Creation Plates of Arceus.
This was no ordinary trinket after all, this was one of the Creation Plates of the Creator God Himself! An artifact so rare that once the chance to see it passed, it might never come again in one's lifetime!
Looking at the small, pink, cat-like creature hovering right in front of him, so close that he could reach out and touch it, Lucas could not help but feel amused. In this moment, Mew looked just like a little child begging their parent to buy them a toy in a store, eyes sparkling with expectation.
Unable to resist the urge, Lucas reached out and gently pinched Mew's soft cheeks. The touch was unexpectedly pleasant, like pressing against the smoothest silk.
Mew tilted its small head slightly but did not avoid him. This was because it possessed the ability to clearly sense the emotions of other living beings—whether malice or kindness.
And it could feel that this human's gesture carried no malice at all. Even if it didn't quite understand why Lucas wanted to knead its face, it didn't mind in the slightest.
"The Creation Plates are something I could never lend to you so casually."
While softly rubbing one of Mew's tiny ears, Lucas chuckled as he spoke. Deep down, what he really wanted to do was pluck off a bit of Mew's fur to keep.
But…
Mew's fur was short and sleek, making it very difficult to pull out even a strand.
Although petting it felt incredibly good, after stroking for a while Lucas realized there was simply no way to gather any fur. All he could do was sigh inwardly, marveling at how unbelievably fine Mew's coat truly was…
As for the Plates—of course he couldn't just hand one over. Mew had an extremely playful nature, and who could say for sure that it wouldn't suddenly fly off with the Plate, never to return?
Yes, they were lucky enough to encounter Mew this time, but that did not mean that finding it again in the future would be easy at all.
Yet more importantly…
"Miiiii…"
Hearing Lucas's refusal, Mew instantly deflated, its small body slumping in visible disappointment. To it, the Creation Plates were irresistibly fascinating, and it had been so hopeful.
"However… it isn't completely impossible either."
The moment those words left his mouth, Mew's ears perked up immediately.
"Mii?!"
Its eyes sparkled as it stared at Lucas, hope returning at once.
Truth be told, if it could, Mew would not have minded simply snatching the Plate secretly and taking it away.
After all, in its innocent, child-like worldview, the concept of stealing simply didn't exist.
Back in the Tree of Beginning, its den was piled high with all sorts of human toys and trinkets that it had "collected" over the years.
But Lucas carried not only Reshiram but also that other overwhelmingly powerful dragon with him. Sensing such formidable power, even the curious Mew had enough awareness to suppress its impulse to snatch something and run.
"First, tell me—are you the only Mew in this world?"
Lucas took out another box of cookies, handed it over to Mew with a warm smile, and posed the question.
"Mii? I think… probably? I've never met another one like me, mii…"
Mew chewed its biscuit while trying its best to recall, but sounded unsure. It had lived for so long—so long that even it could no longer remember exactly how many centuries had passed.
What it was certain of, however, was that it had never once seen another Mew like itself. But not having seen another did not necessarily mean none existed. Deep down, Mew still held a faint hope that one day, it might encounter a companion of its own kind.
Hearing this, Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with thought.
So, it was true—there was only one Mew in this world…
"I've also heard that your life force is tied to the Tree of Beginning. Can you actually leave it for long periods of time?"
"Of course I can, mii! The Tree doesn't place any restrictions on me at all."
Mew chirped back without hesitation, its soft, child-like telepathic voice ringing clear.
"That makes things much simpler, then."
"Mii?"
"I can lend you a Plate to play with—but only if you stay by my side. What do you say to that?"
Lucas smiled gently, eyes narrowing like a fox in secret satisfaction.
If he could bring Mew along, ah… then he would have an inexhaustible supply of Mew's genetic material!
"Miii??"
Mew tilted its head to the side, staring at Lucas in confusion.
Pure and innocent though it was, it wasn't stupid.
This human… wasn't he basically trying to tame it?
Mew was Mew, the one and only. How could it possibly allow itself to be raised like a pet by a human being?!
"No, no way! Absolutely not! I can't go with you, mii!"
Mew shook its little head furiously, like a tiny rattle drum. Not to mention it still occasionally needed to return to the Tree of Beginning.
And besides—its nature was lively and free-spirited. How could it ever bear to stay tied down by following a human all the time?
"Then I also can't let you play with the Plate."
Lucas shrugged lightly, voice casual but firm. There was no such thing as freeloading here—not even for Mew.
"Uuu…"
Mew gnawed on its own small paw, its face showing an extremely human-like expression of tangled inner conflict.
Its heart was telling it very clearly—don't go with a human so easily.
But its eyes kept drifting back to the Creation Plate. This was Arceus's very Source of Life.
If it missed the chance to touch and study it now, it might truly never have another opportunity again for all eternity…
"I won't restrain you all the time. If you stay with me, I'll let you play with the Plate. And if you really want to leave, all you have to do is return the Plate to me, and I won't stop you."
Lucas's lips curved slightly, his gaze soft and persuasive as he spoke to the little one.
"Really, mii?"
"Of course. I have no need to lie to you. But if you ever try to sneak away with the Plate permanently… when Arceus awakens and comes for you, don't say I didn't warn you."
His voice grew sterner at the end, the warning clear.
This playful little creature couldn't be fully trusted. After all, a child could not yet distinguish right from wrong completely.
And though Mew's mind was vast in age, in temperament it was not much different from a child—except that, when it came to truly important matters, it did have its own sense of judgment.
"In that case…"
Mew hesitated, clearly tempted.
Its main motivation was undeniably curiosity about the Plates. But if it were honest, it also held a little spark of interest in Lucas himself.
After all, he was a human who traveled with not one, but two legendary dragons.
"Fine then, mii! But you have to promise not to trick me!"
After a long internal struggle, Mew finally agreed. Uuuu… it simply could not resist the allure of the Creation Plate.
"I'd never deceive a child. Having you stay with me is only so that you don't run off with the Plate. In return, though, I'll need some of your fur and a few of your claws."
Lucas spoke bluntly and without hesitation, his tone righteous and matter-of-fact.
"Mii?! Why do you want my fur and claws, mii?"
Mew blinked, surprised. Could its fur and claws possibly be valuable?
Glancing down at the tiny paw it had been nibbling on, it thought: Emmm… could my claws actually have some kind of special power?
"That's no problem at all, mii."
But the thought didn't linger long. With its child-like innocence, Mew quickly tossed the meaningless question aside. After all, they were just a few strands of fur and bits of claw—things that made no difference to it whatsoever.
Watching Mew so easily bribed and willingly handing over its genetic material, Green's eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
She had always imagined that legendary Pokémon must carry an awe-inspiring air of mystery. Even the weakest of them, like the Black Dragon when it was defeated, at least still charged forward with some semblance of dignity.
But Mew…
This silly, clumsy, and overly adorable sight—it made her want to bury her face in her hands.
The lofty, enigmatic image she had once held in her heart of the ancient and mysterious Mew? Completely shattered.
"As expected, Lucas truly is extraordinary."
Ilene, on the other hand, watched as Lucas effectively "tamed" Mew, a radiant smile spreading across her lips. Once again, her faith in her choice of man was affirmed.
Now that he had secured a new little companion, Lucas naturally put aside the idea of entering the Tree of Beginning altogether. Apart from Mew, there was nothing there that interested him anyway.
And since the Tree itself was a semi-sentient pseudo-lifeform with an autonomous defense system that would likely reject intruders, he certainly had no interest in going out of his way to create trouble.
Mew, too, had urged him not to enter, saying humans were not suited for the Tree. And so, Lucas simply agreed.
Before long, the sky darkened, and evening arrived.
Inside the splendid palace, Lucas and his companions sat together around a lavish dining table, enjoying dinner.
The most striking sight, however, was the small figure floating joyfully in mid-air.
Mew hugged tightly to its chest a massive ancient stone plate, one larger than its own body. Upon its surface was carved a glowing lightning symbol—this was none other than the Zap Plate, representing the Electric Type.
That's right—Lucas had entrusted the Lightning Plate to Mew for the moment. After all, he currently had no Electric-type Pokémon in his team, so it was of little use to him.
"Seriously? It's that easy to coax it? Just one Plate and it's already flying around like it's lost in bliss…"
Watching Mew soar happily through the air, clutching the Plate like a child with a brand-new toy, Green was utterly speechless.
"The Creation Plates are the very source of Arceus's life. For any Pokémon, they can bring unfathomable benefits."
"And for a Pokémon like Mew, all the more so."
Lucas smiled faintly as he explained, noticing the strange expressions of Green and the others.
He, however, was hardly surprised at Mew's excitement. After all, this was one of the Creator God's most precious treasures…
"Mm~ well, now that we've found Mew, Lucas, where are we heading next?"
Green nodded slowly. She didn't fully understand the concept of the Plates, but it was obvious they were tremendously powerful.
Still, that wasn't her main concern—what she wanted to know now was their next destination.
"If there are no urgent matters, then next I'll take you all to enjoy yourselves around Rota Street for a bit."
Ilene spoke gently, her lips curving in a soft smile.
Her radiant, captivating gaze fell upon Lucas. In her eyes, the expectation and desire to spend more time with him shone clearly.
Lucas noticed the look and thought for a moment, then returned her smile.
"Since we can't go to the Tree, I suppose there's nothing pressing. Then for the next few days, we'll rely on you, Ilene."
He had already arranged for Mew's fur and claws to be sent ahead to Lavender Town's Pokémon House, so within a day or two, Dr. Fuji and the others should receive them.
There was no need for him to personally deliver them.
"There's no need for such formality. Though Rota Street is not world-famous, it does have quite a few spots worth visiting."
Ilene's smile bloomed like a flower, her beauty almost dazzling. Though earlier she had said she would not force Lucas to stay, the truth was clear—he was now the man she had pledged her life to. Of course, she longed to spend as much time by his side as possible.
"In some time, I plan to head to Hoenn. Ilene, will you be free to come with me?"
Lucas took a sip of red wine as he asked.
At present, Team Rocket was still lying low. Giovanni had yet to make his decisive move against Silph Co.
And now that Lucas already had Mew's genes in hand, he figured it was time to set his sights on new ventures.
In truth, he was not exactly idle. In Johto, the Team Rocket branch leader Carr had failed to capture Entei. Giovanni had told him he might need to get involved in the plan at some point.
But Lucas was no longer particularly interested in Entei. Compared to that, he found it more worthwhile to look toward other regions…
Like Hoenn's Sky Pillar, where Rayquaza could be summoned. Or even Alola's Ultra Megalopolis, home to the sealed Necrozma.
For now, those were his two main targets.
The Ultra Megalopolis would require traversing through the Ultra Space, and he wasn't sure if Aether Paradise had made any breakthroughs in that field yet.
So, for the time being, Hoenn seemed the better choice. Besides Rayquaza, there were also Groudon and Kyogre, rulers of the land and sea respectively.
Targets galore.
Rayquaza might be notoriously elusive, but Groudon and Kyogre both left clues to their slumbering locations. And if Team Magma or Team Aqua had already uncovered them… then perhaps he could intervene.
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts sharpening.
"Hoenn, hmm…"
Ilene's heart stirred, her cheeks faintly flushing.
This sounded very much like a honeymoon invitation!
"But… the Whirl Islands Cup will be held soon. And I have an old acquaintance there—the Sea Priestess Maya. She has also invited me…"
Ilene suddenly recalled her friend's earlier invitation. A troubled expression flickered across her delicate features.
She wasn't sure how soon Lucas meant by "some time," nor whether the timing would overlap with the tournament.
Maya was one of her few true friends, whom she had first met at a noble banquet. Though they hadn't seen each other often, they kept close contact.
Their circumstances were similar—Ilene was Queen of Rota, and Maya was the Sea Priestess of the Whirl Islands, blessed by the sea itself. In their respective lands, each was among the most honored of women… and yet, both were also bound by destiny, living lives that lacked true freedom.
"The Whirl Islands Cup, huh."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. He did recall hearing about that before.
Maya, the mysterious priestess of the Whirl Islands, bore the Sea Spirit Scepter. Every winner of the tournament was bestowed with the blessing of the Sea Spirit by her own hand.
Whoever received the blessing would henceforth be favored by the sea itself, even gaining the ability to commune with Water-type Pokémon.
One could say it was essentially a lesser version of telepathy, specific to water Pokémon.
Even so, it was an astonishing gift. In truth, Maya was a figure shrouded in considerable mystique, both in the games and in the anime.
"And if I remember correctly… isn't the Whirl Islands also one of the natural habitats of Lugia?"
Lucas's eyes narrowed, his mind piecing together fragments of memory.
(End of Chapter)