[Cynthia]: Time is merciless. To you and me, this might just be another livestream—but to Lucario, this is a wait that has lasted a thousand years.
[Sonia]: I understand that feeling. Every time I study history, I'm facing the weight of centuries. Lucario's the same. In just the blink of an eye, he's woken up in a world a thousand years ahead—what meaning does all his past effort hold now?
[Mustard]: He thought he'd finally see the light of day again and reunite with Sir Aaron, only to be met with such a scene...
[Wallace]: The loneliness of being out of step with the world—that's the hardest pain to bear. Everyone and everything familiar has become strangers. Just imagining it hurts.
[Bruno]: Even one as steadfast as Lucario can't withstand the agony of time's passing...
Everyone expressed their sympathy for Lucario.
Even a Fighting-type Pokémon with the strongest will could become fragile before something as unstoppable as time.
They could only hope Lucario would find the strength within himself to move forward—otherwise, trapped in the whirlpool of memory, he would only suffer more.
In the video feed—
Inside the castle of Rota, Queen Irene sat solemnly on her throne.
Ash and his friends stood beside her, while below the dais knelt Lucario—just like the day of old.
Irene asked him about the events of that time and retold to him the legend that had since been passed down.
When Lucario learned that he had been sealed away—and that Sir Aaron had sacrificed himself to save Rota—he was struck dumb.
First disbelief. Then anger.
Because in Lucario's memories, Sir Aaron had told him directly that he would abandon the castle.
And to stop Lucario from interfering, Aaron had sealed him inside his staff.
When Lucario recounted everything, an awkward silence filled the hall.
The legend and the truth didn't seem to match.
Even when Irene gently said that Lucario could think of the castle as his home, the air remained heavy and uneasy.
Then, in that oppressive atmosphere—
Ash broke the silence.
"Hi! My name's Ash. Why did you mistake me for Aaron earlier? Was it because of my clothes?"
Lucario looked up briefly. Ash followed his gaze toward a mural depicting Sir Aaron and his Pokémon partner.
"No. It's not the clothes... It's because your Aura is identical to Lord Aaron's."
Ash blinked in surprise.
At that time, he didn't yet know what "Aura" meant.
But before he could ask, Max came running in, breathless.
"Ash! Something's wrong—Mew! Mew took Pikachu and the others away! And Meowth too! It grabbed them all!"
Everyone turned to him in shock.
Mew? Here?
Yet Queen Irene and her elderly attendant didn't seem alarmed.
In Rota, sightings of Mew were a common tale.
In their legends, seeing Mew meant one was a child of great fortune.
The old woman smiled kindly and praised Max for his luck—
—but Max interrupted, insisting he really saw Mew take Pikachu and Meowth.
Ash's group thought he was joking, until Kido came in and confirmed his story.
According to Kido, Mew had transformed into a Pidgeot and flown off with Pikachu and Meowth, leaving Rota behind.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket's Jessie and James were eavesdropping from the palace rooftop.
Their joy at seeing the rare Lucario quickly turned to horror upon hearing that Meowth had been taken.
Meowth wasn't just their partner—it was family.
But how had it been caught up in this mess?
"Mew's somewhere out there—and I'm going to get Pikachu back!" Ash declared firmly.
Lucario froze.
For an instant, Ash's figure overlapped with that of the Sir Aaron he once knew.
Moved, Queen Irene led them to the palace balcony.
There, in the distance, a colossal mountain rose beneath the stars—its silhouette faintly resembling a towering tree.
That was the Tree of Beginning.
The balcony existed for that very purpose—only from this vantage could one glimpse the Tree.
Elsewhere, it was invisible to the naked eye.
To most people, it was just a mountain.
Many adventurers had tried to find the Tree of Beginning, but no one had ever reached it.
A strange mist surrounded it, turning back any who ventured in.
Without Mew's guidance, no one could set foot there.
But there was one exception—the power of Aura.
A strong Aura could pierce the mist and reveal the way.
"Lucario's Aura can guide the path forward," Irene said. "Even in the darkness, it will show the way."
"With Lucario's help, we can find the Tree of Beginning easily."
"Lucario, will you accompany Ash to find Pikachu and the others?"
Her voice was gentle—never commanding, only asking.
Like the Queen before her, Irene never forced Lucario or Aaron to do anything. She always respected their choices.
Hearing the kindness in her tone, Lucario placed his paw on his chest.
" Lucario: I shall follow my Queen's will..."
Ash's tense face softened with relief.
He was still blaming himself for losing Pikachu—but with Lucario's help, he was sure they'd find him.
"If you don't mind, I'll come along too."
It was Kido's voice.
Now dressed in her explorer's gear again, she leaned casually against the balcony rail, her eyes on the distant Tree.
Brock's eyes turned to hearts the instant he saw her. He quickly flipped open his "Beauties of the World" notebook and added a new page for her: 'World-Class Adventurer – Kido Summers.'
"With your help, this trip will be much easier!" Ash said.
"I actually came to Rota to uncover the secrets of the Tree of Beginning," Kido replied with a faint smile.
What she didn't admit was that she had sent her Weavile to place a tracking device on Mew—an act that had led to Pikachu and Meowth's abduction.
Her offer to help sounded kind, but in truth, it was also self-serving.
She was using Ash's group as an opportunity to complete her mission.
Viewers in the livestream caught the flicker of guilt in her eyes.
[Codename ''HandsomeGuy'' ]: You adventurers are no better than poachers, aren't you?
[Kido]: No, it's not like that! I really want to help Ash find Pikachu! I swear I wasn't using them!
[Lance]: Don't bother denying it. If you hadn't tried to probe the Tree's secrets or fought Mew, none of this would've happened.
[Cynthia]: Exactly. You "adventurers" are no better than vandals. Every time I study a newly discovered ruin, I find traces of you lot—ancient records ruined beyond recognition. Is that your so-called spirit of adventure?
[Sonia]: Well said! They destroy history in the name of exploration!
After such scathing words from historians and champions alike, the audience turned harshly against the adventurers.
They called it "exploration," but in truth, it was destruction.
Perhaps, to them, uncovering ancient secrets was glory.
But at what cost?
The destruction of civilizations long gone.
Of course, not every adventurer was like that—but most were.
And Kido's current actions fit the pattern all too well.
If the Tree of Beginning were exposed to the world, countless others would come to exploit it.
That Tree sustained the balance of the world itself.
Revealing it was as reckless as handing someone the launch codes to a nuclear weapon.
Later that night—
After saying farewell to the others, Lucario returned alone to the great hall.
He stood silently beneath the mural of Sir Aaron and himself.
Scenes from the past flickered in his mind like distant echoes.
As he brooded, Ash entered quietly.
But before Ash could speak, Lucario moved like lightning—pinning him to the ground.
Only when he saw who it was did he release him.
"Never stand behind a warrior unannounced," Lucario said curtly.
Ash didn't take offense. He grinned instead.
"Tomorrow, I'm counting on you. We'll definitely bring Pikachu back!"
"You're that Pikachu's master?"
"Master? No—we're friends."
"Friends?"
"Of course! We've been through everything together. If your friend went missing, you'd go after them too, wouldn't you?"
Ash picked up his cap from the floor, brushed it off, and put it back on.
Lucario fell silent.
That was exactly how Aaron had been, long ago.
"I'll guide you only because of my promise to the Queen," Lucario muttered, then turned and walked away.
But as he did, the faintest smile tugged at his lips.
For someone so stern, he was remarkably tsundere.
[Lillie]: Mommy, mommy! Isn't this what the novels call a tsundere?
[Lusamine]: And just what kind of novels have you been reading?!
[Lillie]: Eh? 'The Succubus Loves Her Shota Servant'—I found it on your bookshelf, Mommy. Isn't that yours?
[Delia: Hehehe]
[Cynthia]: Ahem! Anyway… it looks like we'll finally see the Tree of Beginning soon. How exciting, right?"
Cynthia awkwardly changed the subject, quietly closing the book in her own hands—
'The Succubus Loves Her Shota Servant'.
Definitely not the kind of book a Champion should be caught reading!
The next morning—
Before dawn, the group set out.
Lucario ran ahead on foot, his Aura guiding the way.
Behind him followed a jeep, bouncing along the steep mountain trail.
Inside were Brock, May, and Max—still half-asleep after being dragged from bed.
Ash sat in the passenger seat beside Kido.
The path grew narrower, the fog thicker.
Without Lucario's Aura, they'd have lost their way within minutes.
"This place really does feel like it's above the clouds," Kido remarked. "No wonder adventurers couldn't reach the Tree."
"Lucario's completely unaffected," May said in awe.
"That's because it's using Aura," Kido explained.
"Aura?" Ash asked. "What exactly is that?"
"Aura is the energy emitted by all living things," Kido explained patiently. "Every lifeform gives it off—only the strength differs. Aura can't be seen, but those who have it can sense it. It's like a radar in the dark."
Ash listened intently.
"But why did Lucario say my Aura is the same as Aaron's?" May asked.
"Well…" Kido thought for a moment. "Lucario's called the Aura Pokémon because it can manipulate Aura freely—and use it in battle, like its signature move, Aura Sphere. But some humans can use Aura too. In Rota's legends, people who could control Aura like Lucario were called Aura Guardians."
"So maybe Ash has the same kind of Aura Aaron did—and that's why Lucario mistook him for Aaron."
Her reasoning was partially correct—two parts truth, eight parts wrong.
Still, the explanation left Ash deep in thought.
He stared at his hands, wondering—could he really wield the same power as Sir Aaron?
Just then, the jeep jolted violently as it hit a sharp incline.
Ash instinctively grabbed the handrail—and shielded May with his body.
Meanwhile, in the trunk, Jessie and James—who had stowed away—were getting tossed around mercilessly.
This mountain road was no joke.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard