Lusamine: Haven't you all noticed? Ash has practically won over Lucario already.
Gardenia: Yeah! Just a few moments ago Lucario was still ignoring him, and now look—Ash managed to completely win him over in just a few lines!
Alyssa: Unreal… Ash's charm doesn't only work on girls, but on Pokémon too!
Ash: H-Hey! That's not true! I just talk to Pokémon seriously, okay?!
Misty: He's right about that—he really treats Pikachu so well.
Brock: Why do I sense some sour jealousy here? Whose vinegar jar got tipped over?
Delia: ～
At this point, what was shown on the light screen still hadn't given the audience a true sense of the Tree of Beginning's horror.
After all, the Tree of Beginning's "white blood cells" didn't have much of an effect on Pokémon yet.
And Lucario was doing everything he could to protect Ash's safety.
But—
Was that really the case?
On-screen—
Ash released two Poké Balls, summoning Grovyle and Corphish.
With the help of their cover fire, Ash and Lucario once again managed to evade Regirock and Registeel's pursuit.
Taking advantage of a brief opening, they weaved through the rugged passages of the Tree of Beginning and finally managed to shake off the two Legendary Titans.
To be fair, the Regis did have intelligence… just not much.
Their "brains," after all, were made of steel, rock, and ice—asking them to think critically was perhaps too much to demand from Pokémon like them.
Yet no matter how many times Ash and his companions escaped, the Regis always found them again.
They were, after all, part of the Tree of Beginning's immune system.
Inside this colossal organism, escaping its guardians was nearly impossible.
At the same time, May—separated from Ash—was under attack by the Tree of Beginning's white blood cells.
Facing a swarm of them, May, Max, and Brock had no power to fight back.
All they could do was what James had done before: release their Pokémon, one after another, to let them go free.
Watching this horrifying scene, Kido instinctively stepped back, her face pale.
She hadn't expected her own actions to trigger such a relentless chain of tragedies.
Because of her, people kept dying—only she, with her agile body, had survived by evading the attacks.
At this moment, Kido's expression was nothing short of grim.
Not only had she awakened the Tree of Beginning's immune system…
She had also failed the task Ash had entrusted to her—to protect May and the others.
Now, all she could do was watch helplessly as the white blood cells swallowed them whole.
For the first time, Kido regretted ever coming to the Tree of Beginning.
May's Pokémon stood frozen in place.
They had just been released and had no idea what had happened—
their Trainers had vanished right before their eyes.
A crushing sense of helplessness filled their hearts.
They couldn't even protect their own Trainers…
Lance: This is a disaster! All of them got wiped out—because of that so-called adventurer! If she'd just observed quietly, nothing would've happened! But no, she had to use that stupid sampling device! Illegal exploration! Endangering everyone!
Iron-Masked Marauder: Poor kids… the real victims here are those Pokémon. They'll be scarred by this forever.
Hop: No way! They can't all be dead! I remember Ash meeting Max five years later—so how could they have all died here?!
Bruno: Maybe that scene from five years later was in a parallel world.
Lorelei: Bruno, if your brain works for once, don't waste it on nonsense like this! Can't you see Hop's about to cry?!
Lt. Surge: Yeah! Stop bullying the kid!
Bruno: Huh? I didn't mean to!
Professor Oak: Actually… Bruno might be right this time. The scene five years later could indeed be from a parallel world.
Oak's words froze the entire audience.
If that were true…
then wasn't this far too cruel?
A heavy sense of dread filled everyone's hearts.
Ash… couldn't have died, right?
…Right?
On-screen—
Ash dashed through one forked passage after another—
and suddenly, from a nearby corridor, he heard Pikachu's voice.
Without even a moment's hesitation, he sprinted toward it.
It was Pikachu!
Even after all that running, Ash's breathing was steady—his endurance was almost terrifying.
He emerged into a massive ravine—the connective tissue between two parts of the Tree of Beginning.
On either side, countless glowing blue crystal pillars linked the cliffs together like living veins.
At the same time, Pikachu, perched high above, called out.
"Pika-pi!"
"Ash!" he shouted back.
Their voices met across the canyon, eyes locking.
Even separated by dozens of meters, their shared gaze radiated the joy of reunion.
But then—
Ash did something utterly insane.
Between the two cliffs, the space was crisscrossed by hundreds of smooth, narrow crystal columns—barely a meter wide, spaced several meters apart, and surrounded by violent air currents.
Crossing them on foot would be suicide.
Yet somehow, Ash's feet seemed glued to the crystals as he dashed and leapt from one to the next—
not even on top of them, but along their sides!
The absurdity of it left everyone speechless.
Was he even human anymore?
Still, he pressed on, desperate to reach Pikachu.
And Pikachu, too, bounded toward him from the opposite side.
Then—a sudden gale roared through the canyon.
The lighter Pikachu was caught by the wind and thrown into the air.
Without hesitation, Ash leapt after him—
catching Pikachu tightly in his arms as they both fell.
Even as the wind howled, blowing his cap away, the two of them laughed through the danger.
Lucario, seeing this, immediately prepared to catch them—
but before he could move, another figure intercepted, pulling Ash and Pikachu safely to solid ground.
It was Kido—she had escaped the white blood cells' pursuit just in time.
"Thank you, Miss Kido!"
"Pika-pi!"
"No need to thank me," she said, breathless.
Ash and Pikachu, however, were already lost in their joyful reunion.
Since their journey from Pallet Town, the two had almost never been apart—
never like this. Days apart, with no clue if the other was even alive.
Soon, Lucario arrived, followed by Grovyle and Corphish.
'Are you all right, Ash?' Lucario asked, his aura trembling.
"I'm fine! Look—I found Pikachu!"
Ash held Pikachu proudly.
"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head curiously.
"Oh right, Pikachu—this is Lucario, my new friend! Thanks to him, I made it here!"
"Pika-chu!"
Pikachu nodded gratefully toward Lucario, who returned the gesture with a quiet nod.
Watching them, Lucario couldn't help but recall his own bond with Sir Aaron.
Yes… just like them, they would give everything for one another.
At that moment, Lucario finally believed Ash's words—
maybe Sir Aaron had truly acted out of necessity back then.
Then, Meowth appeared, panting heavily, crawling across the crystal pillars.
"Ugh… I'm exhausted, nya~"
And beside him—
a small pink Pokémon floated near, holding something in its tiny paws—Ash's lost cap.
Mew.
The moment it saw Ash, it chirped excitedly, circling him before gently placing the cap back in his hands.
"Thank you," Ash said, smiling.
After catching his breath, Meowth finally asked,
"Hey, twerp, have you seen Jessie and James, nya? They'd never leave me behind. Where are they?"
Ash froze.
"…I'm sorry, Meowth."
Meowth's fur bristled. "S-sorry? What do you mean 'sorry'? Where are they?!"
Before Ash could answer, Kido spoke quietly.
"She means… they were taken by the white blood cells. Just like May and the others."
"What?!"
Ash's expression darkened in rage—but before he could react, Regice appeared at the far end of the canyon.
They had no choice but to flee deeper into the Tree of Beginning once again.
Only after a long run did they finally stop to catch their breath.
"You said… May and the others were swallowed up by those things?"
Kido nodded. "Mm."
"Then Jessie and James too?" Meowth asked weakly.
Another nod. "Mm."
Two quiet confirmations—and the air turned to ice.
Kido tried to stay calm. "Ash, we have to get out first. Only once we escape can we figure out how to save them."
Her words weren't just comfort—they were a promise.
Ash and Meowth swallowed their emotions.
He couldn't break down here—not yet.
If he did… who would save them?
Following Banks' signal, Kido led Ash toward what she believed was the "exit."
But as Ash reached it—
Lucario was suddenly seized from behind by Registeel.
The Steel Titan's strength was overwhelming; Lucario couldn't break free.
Ash turned to help—
but before he could take a step, a mass of orange-white "cells" fell from above, engulfing him and Kido whole.
"Ash!!"
"Pikaaaaa!!!"
'Ash!!'
Lucario broke free with an explosive surge of aura, but it was too late.
By the time he reached them, Ash and Kido were gone—swallowed by the Tree of Beginning's immune system.
Erased completely, leaving not even a trace.
The audience fell silent.
Swallowed by the Tree of Beginning's white blood cells…
That meant only one thing.
Death.
Ash… was dead?!
Then what was the point of this "special broadcast"!?
Sabrina: No! That's impossible! Ash can't die! He's the Alola Champion—the one destined to challenge Leon, the strongest Champion in the world! There's no way he dies here!
Delia: No, Ash wouldn't die! He still has so many girlfriends in the future!
Cynthia: Calm down, everyone. If this special broadcast is meant to show how Ash gained the power of Aura, then it won't just end like this. There must be more.
Bruno: What if… that was the clue all along? Maybe Ash's Aura power is innate!
Lance: Idiot! Now's not the time to show off your "theories"!
Bruno: I—I don't want Ash to die either! But facts are facts!
Chloe: Why… Why does my heart hurt so much?
Serena: Ash! Wait for me! Wherever you are next, I'll join your journey!
James: Relax, everyone. That twerp's not dying that easily.
Jessie: Yeah, yeah! You've gotta have faith in him!
But disbelief filled the broadcast room.
The main character, dead?
Even the worst soap opera wouldn't pull a twist like this.
Ash!
You can't die here!
Everyone prayed for a last-minute reversal, that this was just a "fake death."
But when Pikachu burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably—
that faint hope crumbled.
Gary: Ash! You still haven't beaten me yet! You can't die, got it?!
Ash: What're you talking about? Beating you's easy!
The chat froze.
…Wait.
What did he just say?
On-screen—
Pikachu was crying uncontrollably.
Ash's other Pokémon kept pawing at the ground where he'd vanished, desperate to bring him back.
Lucario knelt where Ash had stood, trembling.
The pain—unbearable, overwhelming.
He had never imagined Ash would be taken from him too.
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