Ash's Aura powers were absolutely astonishing.
So much so that even the Fighting-type Trainers around him began to suspect that his strange constitution might be tied to his Aura ability.
Otherwise—how else could they explain it?
Surely it couldn't be because Ho-Oh resurrected him with Sacred Ash, giving him such a physique, right?
No—the only logical explanation was the Power of Aura.
After all, Psychic powers existed, didn't they? So why not Aura as well?
If they could somehow learn Aura, that'd be the deal of a lifetime.
The scene shifted to
Ash and his companions finally arrived in the city of Orudran.
The four of them were immediately swept up in the festive atmosphere, each changing into the city's traditional attire.
May wore a lovely pink princess dress, while her little brother Max donned a miniature knight's outfit.
But the most ridiculous of the bunch had to be Brock — his desert-style robe made his already dark skin look even darker.
As for Ash—
It was as if fate itself guided him—he happened to be wearing the same outfit as the legendary Hero of Aura, Sir Aaron.
Meanwhile, Pikachu was leaning on the windowsill, apparently watching something slip away outside.
Before it could react, however, the four of them had already dressed Pikachu up in a jester's costume.
Combined with its naturally red cheeks, the sight was oddly hilarious.
Once everyone had changed, Ash and the others joined the festival's competitions.
At the same time, Team Rocket had slipped into the changing room while Ash was away.
And of course, their purpose was clear.
Wherever Pikachu went, Team Rocket followed — and their goal never changed.
To steal every Pokémon in the city and deliver them to Boss Giovanni!
Then they'd finally get that promotion and raise!
But while Team Rocket's scheme was still brewing, Ash's match had already begun.
And as usual in movie-style fashion, Pikachu didn't even need to break a sweat — effortlessly leading Ash to the finals.
On the final stage, Pikachu sealed victory with a single Thunderbolt.
Just as Ash was about to hug Pikachu in celebration, a random Aipom suddenly jumped out and high-fived Pikachu with its tail—
Snatching Ash's moment right from under him.
Ash froze mid-motion, completely awkward, as the host quickly smoothed things over.
"Rejoice! A new Hero of Aura is born! Across a millennium of time, he has mastered the essence of Aura itself—he is the Hero of Aura, Ash!"
[Ash: Did everyone see that? That Aipom was the Mew I saw earlier.]
[Cynthia: Indeed, as Ash said, before entering the stage, that 'Aipom' was still a Mime Jr. It transformed in a flash of light.]
Cynthia's statement confirmed Ash's claim — there truly was a Mew drifting through this legend.
[Professor Oak: So Mew might be not just a witness, but a participant in this entire series of events.]
[Cynthia: In Kanto legend, Mew is said to coexist with the Tree of Beginning. Mew represents the Tree, and the Tree represents Mew. Any harm done to one is felt by the other.]
[Lusamine: So the light that quelled the war earlier must've been Mew's doing as well.]
[Cynthia: Most likely, yes.]
Mew's raw power might not match that of other Pokémon with divine authority—but its uniqueness set it apart.
As Ash had said before—
It could even mimic Ho-Oh.
It couldn't perfectly reproduce Ho-Oh's strength, but it came very close.
The Tree of Beginning allowed Mew to use the right of Mimicry.
Unless the true deity itself descended—
A transformed Mew could act in its stead.
The scene shifted to
Ash emerged victorious in his battle, officially recognized as the new Hero of Aura.
His prize? Beyond the honorary title, he was to be crowned that very night in Orudran Castle.
At the coronation, the reigning Queen lrene herself presided over the ceremony.
She handed Ash the staff said to once belong to the original Aura Hero, Sir Aaron.
As Ash accepted the staff, preparing to raise it—
A mysterious voice echoed inside his mind.
At the same time, the crystal embedded in the staff began to glow faintly.
Ash looked up in confusion, scanning the room—but no one nearby was speaking.
Then, the banquet began.
Deciding not to dwell on it, Ash turned his attention to the celebration.
As the music started, pairs of nobles began to dance elegantly across the ballroom.
Meanwhile, Brock had already found himself a partner—a young girl named Kido.
He'd fallen for her the instant he saw her during the finals.
Seizing his chance, Brock invited her for a dance.
Watching his friends having fun, Ash also wanted to join in—
But the elderly attendant beside him stopped him.
"A true Hero must remain seated here. You cannot join the dance."
That one line completely deflated Ash's enthusiasm.
Just then, the Aipom that had earlier celebrated with Pikachu appeared again—
Quietly sneaking into the festivities.
It beckoned Pikachu, May, and the other Pokémon to follow it out of the hall.
It didn't mean any harm—just wanted to play.
Their destination: the castle's attic, filled with toys.
However, the sneaky Meowth hiding under the banquet table noticed them leaving—
And suspicious as ever, decided to follow.
At the same time, Kido excused herself from Brock, slipping out of the hall.
Once outside, she shed her princess gown and changed into a tight, agile adventurer's outfit.
Through Meowth's eyes, she was seen putting on a pair of high-tech glasses and speaking into a communicator.
Clearly, this girl was up to no good.
[Lance: Her outfit looks familiar. I've seen it somewhere before.]
[Codename "HandsomeGuy": Don't worry, Commander Lance. I checked—her name's Kido Shamaz, a registered adventurer.]
[Cynthia: "Adventurer," huh? Just another term for reckless self-styled explorers.]
[Professor Rowan: Ugh, those adventurers are a nightmare for us researchers. Every time we find new ruins, we have to dig through their mess to find the real artifacts!]
[Ash: Wait, could this Kido be after Mew and the Tree of Beginning?]
The audience gasped collectively.
The Tree of Beginning?!
Even people from other regions knew that name—it was a cornerstone of the world's balance.
If that adventurer disturbed something she shouldn't—
The results could be catastrophic.
[Lance: Let's hope she doesn't do anything foolish. Otherwise, I'll arrest her myself.]
Kido shuddered. That was one of the Elite Four!
If she got on their radar, her career was over.
[Kido: I swear I won't do anything like that!]
[Lance: You'd better not.]
The scene shifted to
Under Aipom's lead, Pikachu and the other Pokémon happily reached the attic.
At the same time, Kido was leaping across the castle's rafters, unaware that Meowth was tailing her.
Of course, this Meowth was none other than Team Rocket's own.
Why was it following her? Simple—
Team Rocket's mission was to steal every rare Pokémon in Orudran.
So when a suspicious person appeared, Meowth naturally assumed she was a rival thief.
And as Team Rocket's "brains," it decided to investigate personally.
But the further it followed, the more it began to doubt its life choices.
How could that human be more agile than a Pokémon?!
While it struggled to keep up, she was practically flying across the rooftops.
Meanwhile, in the attic—
The Aipom had vanished, and two Pikachus now stood side by side.
This confirmed it—Aipom was Mew in disguise.
The Pokémon all played together happily—
Until May's Munchlax, tired and hungry, went downstairs for food.
As it returned, Max noticed and followed curiously.
Outside the attic, Meowth lost its footing and fell—
Right through the attic window.
Crashing to the floor and rubbing its backside, it looked up—
Only to see itself surrounded by a circle of Pokémon.
Then, one of the two Pikachus transformed before its eyes into a pink Mew.
Not just Meowth—everyone watching the livestream gasped.
Until now, Mew had never transformed onscreen.
But here, it revealed itself openly.
Seeing Meowth's stunned face, Mew covered its mouth with tiny hands and giggled shyly.
Outside, Kido's device began beeping wildly.
She had located Mew at last.
Her mission in Orudran Castle had been to find Mew.
Without hesitation, she sent out two Weavile to tag Mew with tracking devices.
[Codename "HandsomeGuy": Commander Lance, no need to say more—I'm listing Kido Shamaz as an S-Class wanted criminal!]
[Archie: What the hell?! She gets S-Class?! I'm the boss of an evil organization and I'm only S-Class! You mocking me?!]
[Maxie: Yeah! Just wait till I awaken Groudon—your Investigation Bureau's the first to go!]
[Lance: Oh? Sounds like you're volunteering for arrest. Steven, mind if I do a little cross-regional law enforcement in Hoenn?]
[Steven: Be my guest. I've been wanting to sweep out this trash for ages.]
[Kido: Wait—I wasn't trying to catch Mew! I just wanted to study the Tree of Beginning! You believe me, right?!]
[Lorelei: Do you think we believe that?]
[Professor Oak: Mew represents more than itself. It is the Tree of Beginning—the foundation of the world's stability.
By exploring it out of selfish curiosity, have you considered the consequences?
If the Tree collapses, could you bear that responsibility?]
Oak's words silenced the entire chat.
Mew's existence was too unique—irreplaceable.
Even gods with authority could pass their power to successors—but not Mew.
It was one of a kind.
To harm Mew was to harm the Tree.
Adventurers like Kido were no different from the evil organizations they despised.
Realizing this, Kido froze in disbelief.
How could this be?
She just wanted to understand the Tree of Beginning—
Not destroy the world!
Then—knock, knock, knock.
The sound snapped her out of thought.
"Who's there?"
"Hello, water meter inspection."
"My water meter's outside."
"We also have a delivery for you, needs your signature."
"You can just sign it yourself."
(whispering) "Captain, she's not buying it."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
BANG! (Door breach)
"Hands up! Against the wall! Alliance Investigation Bureau!"
Kido: "Lucario: What?"
The scene shifted to
In the attic, the Pokémon were still marveling at Mew—
When suddenly, two Weaviles burst through the same window Meowth had fallen from earlier.
Before anyone could react, they lunged straight at Mew, launching attacks.
The chaos was instant.
Munchlax, who had just returned with food, got frozen solid by a stray attack—
Its confused face saying, "I didn't even get to eat yet!"
The audience couldn't help laughing.
The battle raged on—many Pokémon were frozen or knocked aside.
Mew didn't retaliate.
As for Meowth—it was completely useless.
Pikachu fought bravely one-on-two, managing to hold its ground—
Until one dirty sneak attack hit home.
The impact sent Pikachu flying into Meowth's arms, both collapsing together.
Then—
Mew, still in disguise as Meowth, stepped forward.
With a flash of light—
Teleport—activated.
And in an instant, Pikachu, Meowth, and Mew vanished from the attic.
Munchlax!
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