[Qianli: Ash, stop right there! Let go of my daughter right now!]
[Delia: So you must be the in-law I've heard about. I'll be sure to pay you a visit sometime～]
[Serena: Auntie Delia～ I'm Ash's childhood friend!]
[Delia: That's fine～ I'll drop by Kalos too!]
[Professor Oak: Regarding Aura—there actually used to be a formal training method for it. However, it's been lost for generations. Though, I've heard rumors that in Orudoran, someone has recently rediscovered a way to cultivate Aura.]
[Irene: That's just a rumor. Aura training methods have long been lost. We've tried to recreate them, but we failed.]
[Bruno: What a shame. If Aura training really existed, my strength would definitely soar to another level!]
[Steven: Indeed. To lose such an art as Aura cultivation is truly regrettable. I hope this review will bring it back into the public eye—it would be a blessing for everyone.]
And indeed, that was the truth.
Even though humans with Aura still couldn't compare to Pokémon—
(except for Ash)—
Their ability to strengthen their bodies and communicate with Pokémon was remarkable.
Just the power to communicate with Pokémon alone
was already invaluable for training and battling.
The video feed shifted to
The road ahead was extremely bumpy,
so rough that Ash's ambition of becoming an Aura Guardian nearly got shaken right out of his head.
Everyone in the car looked miserable,
and the ones having it worse were Jessie and James, who were hiding in the trunk.
If not for the fact that they were trying to rescue their missing teammate, Meowth,
they wouldn't have put themselves through this ordeal.
And worse—they didn't even know when the journey would end.
Then, the scene shifted.
The mist faded, and the rocky path opened up into a lush field of green.
There, Meowth sat cross-legged before a pile of toys, fiddling around with them.
The toys were of every shape and age imaginable,
all bearing the marks of time.
Pikachu, meanwhile, was sound asleep in a bamboo basket nearby.
The bottom of the basket was lined with soft, emerald leaves—
a sight so warm and peaceful it could melt one's heart.
Needless to say,
this was the Tree of Beginning,
the dwelling place of Mew.
After rescuing the injured Pikachu and Meowth,
Mew had brought them here to heal.
Once Pikachu's wounds were treated,
he was laid gently in the basket to rest.
While Pikachu slept,
outside the Tree of Beginning,
Ash and his friends—guided by Lucario—were pushing through the mist.
At last, they emerged into a beautiful valley.
The sky was still gray,
but at least they could finally see their surroundings.
It was early morning,
and the exhausting journey had drained everyone's strength.
So they decided to rest and eat breakfast first.
Of course, the meal was mainly for May and Max, who were ordinary humans.
Unlike Ash, they didn't have freakish stamina.
Even Kido, an experienced adventurer, felt sore all over.
Brock, as always, was preparing breakfast for everyone.
At one point, a Bonsly tried to sneak a portion,
but Lucario stopped it and traded it for some berries instead.
After that small episode,
the sun rose high,
burning away the valley fog
and lighting the path ahead.
They set off again under Lucario's lead.
Inside the Tree of Beginning—
A gentle breeze stirred,
and a withered leaf drifted into Pikachu's basket.
Startled, Pikachu woke with a soft yawn,
rubbing his eyes with tiny paws—
only to realize he had no idea where he was.
Just then, Mew floated close,
its adorable face filling Pikachu's view.
The moment Pikachu saw Mew's cheerful smile,
all the confusion and gloom vanished.
"Pika-pi!"
"Mew～"
The two quickly began to play together,
their laughter echoing softly through the Tree.
Even Meowth was woken by their noise.
Watching the carefree pair, he sighed helplessly—
but when he leaned back, he accidentally triggered one of the Tree's "elevator" mechanisms
and fell straight in!
Pikachu and Mew hurried to look over,
and before Pikachu could react, Mew pulled him in too.
Thus, the three Pokémon rode the Tree's natural lift
all the way to the top.
There, sunlight bathed the world below—
a vast sea of life, brilliant and boundless.
The beauty was indescribable.
Pikachu instinctively turned, wanting to tug on Ash's pant leg to share the sight—
but when he turned around,
Ash wasn't there.
"Pika…"
Pikachu's ears drooped.
Without Ash,
even this breathtaking view lost its meaning.
[Irene: So that's the top of the Tree of Beginning? Such a breathtaking sight…]
[Kido: It's exactly this beauty that drew me to explore its mysteries.]
[Cynthia: Don't be naïve. Some secrets are meant to stay buried. Do you even understand what the Tree of Beginning represents?]
[Lance: In Unova, the land once called the Dragons' Homeland, there used to be another Tree of Beginning. But it was destroyed—because humans tried to uncover its secrets. If Mew hadn't sacrificed itself to recreate the Tree, we wouldn't even be alive today.]
[Roxanne: Such hidden truths… it's almost terrifying.]
[Ash: But Mew's still alive, isn't it? Why say it sacrificed itself?]
[Professor Oak: That's because Mew bound its life to the Tree. Any harm to one will be shared by the other. Because of that, Mew lost its freedom—it can't stray far from the Tree.]
[Professor Birch: Imagine that—Mew, a Pokémon that loves to explore the world, forced to stay trapped in one place. How heartbreaking.]
[Ash: No wonder there are so many toys here… they must be what Mew collected to keep itself company. Even Pikachu misses me after being apart for just a while. I can't imagine how lonely Mew must've been all these years.]
Yes.
It was humanity's fault—
and yet Mew was the one who bore the burden.
Ash's words struck deep,
leaving everyone silent.
Human greed had once again caused untold pain.
That night, few who watched would sleep peacefully.
Back to the video—
After the car started up again,
the Bonsly secretly climbed onto the roof and followed along.
Before long, Ash's group reached a field of geysers,
the constant eruptions blocking their way.
They had no choice but to stop and rest.
Nearby, May spotted a hot spring
and suggested they take a break there.
Ash wanted to keep going,
but seeing everyone's exhaustion,
he agreed.
As they entered the steaming spring,
Ash turned to fetch Pikachu out of habit—
only to grasp at empty air.
His expression dimmed immediately.
Lucario, watching from a rock nearby,
was reminded of another time, long ago—
when he and Sir Aaron once rested in this very place.
Old memories began to flood back.
Just then, Ash's cheerful voice snapped him out of it,
inviting Lucario to join them.
But Lucario only cast Ash a glance
and silently walked away.
May, meanwhile, noticed a dazzling crystal flower.
Intrigued, Ash used Rock Climb to retrieve it—
earning praise from Kido for his agility.
But of course—things went wrong.
The moment Ash touched the flower,
it flared with blue light,
and the rock beneath his feet crumbled.
The crystal flower fell—
right into May's arms.
"Uh, I slipped," Ash said awkwardly.
"Be more careful next time," May replied with a smile,
but still decided to return the flower to where it belonged.
After drying off, they planted it near the water's edge.
Just as Ash was about to cover it with soil,
the flower began to glow—
and a vivid vision appeared before them.
Lucario froze, eyes wide.
He had seen this before.
Sir Aaron had once told him:
"This flower is called the Time Flower.
Only those with Aura can witness the miracles of time."
"Wait—did you say Time Flower!?"
Kido exclaimed, running up to Ash.
"What's that?" Ash asked—
echoing the question on everyone's minds.
[Bruno: Okay, I'll bite. What's a Time Flower?]
[Lance: You don't know? It's—]
[Bruno: So you do know! Tell us!]
[Lance: I have no idea～]
[Bruno: ???]
Realizing he'd been trolled, Bruno fumed and challenged Lance to a fight—
but after a moment's thought, Lance quietly kept watching.
(It wasn't cowardice. It was a strategic retreat.)
In the video,
Kido began explaining what she knew:
"The Time Flower is said to let Aura users witness the miracles of the past.
That vision we just saw must've appeared because Ash's Aura resonates with Sir Aaron's."
[Cynthia: The Time Flower… What a wondrous creation. If such flowers existed in every ruin, history itself would no longer be a mystery.]
[Sonia: Even so, only those with the power of Aura can awaken them and see those moments.]
[Professor Professor Kukui: In other words, it's all about Aura. If your Lucario had Aura like Ash's, you might witness miracles too.]
And truly—
while most people's Aura was a shallow stream,
Ash's was an ocean.
Night fell.
The group camped by a mountain stream,
the flickering fire casting long shadows.
As they chatted,
the topic turned to Pikachu—
and Ash began telling the story of how they first met.
"When I first met Pikachu,
it didn't want anything to do with me.
I can't even count how many Thunderbolts I took from it!"
"So how did you two get so close?"
"Yeah, tell us!"
Ash smiled gently.
"It was when we were attacked by a flock of Spearow.
We fought together—and that was the moment
we truly became friends."
The screen faded to gray,
flashing through fragments of that day:
Ash shielding the injured Pikachu with his own body,
Pikachu leaping over Ash's shoulder to face the raging Spearow swarm,
and finally—
the two lying side by side, smiling through exhaustion.
"I trusted Pikachu, and Pikachu trusted me.
We're family. No matter what,
I'll always find my way back to him."
[Ash: That's when Pikachu and I truly became partners—family.]
[Steven: That's incredible. Those Spearow were strong enough to kill someone.]
[Cynthia: Yes… seeing them reminds me of my own Garchomp,
who once risked everything to protect me.]
[[RECURRING] Flint: Am I the only one wondering how Ash even survived that? Don't tell me it was Pikachu's Thunderbolt?]
[Officer Jenny: Haha! That wasn't just Thunderbolt—
it was the proof of their friendship!]
"In the end," Ash said softly,
"Pikachu and I learned to trust each other completely."
Those words stirred something deep in Lucario's heart—
echoes of Sir Aaron's voice:
"I believe in you, Lucario.
You can do it."
Lucario had once believed too—
but then came the betrayal.
Aaron had sealed him away.
Lucario's anger surged.
"Believe? Humans can't be trusted!"
He turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Ash stepped forward, blocking his path.
No one—no one—could doubt the bond between him and Pikachu.
"You think I'm lying?"
"When it's life or death, you might abandon Pikachu too!"
"I'd never abandon him!"
"Heh. Can you really say that for sure?"
"A man called a Hero of Legend wouldn't abandon his partner so easily!
If you're so sure of your story—then prove it!"
Lucario froze.
Rage boiled up inside him.
It wasn't his fault.
It was Aaron's.
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