"Rumble…!"
Sparks of electricity and that strange, destructive energy ravaged the Tree of Beginning, tearing through it like wildfire.
The colossal "fragile shell" that was the Tree of Beginning was starting to collapse.
"Mewtwo, take me inside—straight into the core of the Tree of Beginning!"
Ash made his decision in an instant.
This great tree was connected to Mew itself. If the tree was in danger, then surely Mew's life was too.
In the original story, the Tree of Beginning had appeared as well, tied to Lucario and its master of Aura. But this time, there was no sealed Lucario waiting to awaken.
This Lucario was Ash's partner. And it, too, possessed Aura.
Mewtwo gave a firm nod. Its eyes flashed with blue psychic light—
In an instant, both Ash and Mewtwo vanished.
When they arrived inside the Tree of Beginning's core, Ash noticed something odd—
The terrifying, devouring "cells of the tree" weren't attacking.
The Tree of Beginning was far too damaged to even defend itself.
Ash's Aura spread outward in a wave, scanning the enormous structure. His Aura sense covered nearly five kilometers in all directions.
And there it was—at the very center—
A small, pale-pink Pokémon lay collapsed on the ground.
Mew.
The Origin of All Pokémon.
Ash exchanged a glance with Mewtwo, who gave another nod. With a flash of teleportation, they appeared beside the fallen Mew.
"Mew… mew…"
Its body radiated heat, as if it was burning up from within.
Mew's life was bound to the Tree of Beginning. As the tree faltered, so did Mew.
"Mew!"
Ash cradled the frail Pokémon in his arms.
Mew opened its eyes with effort, whispering words that Ash could barely make out.
His heart skipped a beat.
It was the same… the story was playing out just like before.
Mew said that only a powerful enough Aura could reignite its inner strength and stabilize the Tree.
At that moment, Lucario's Poké Ball trembled violently—until Lucario burst free of its own accord!
It had felt the call.
"Luuuu… cario!"
"I know, Lucario," Ash said, his voice firm. "This is your mission… but—"
Lucario had declared it bore the legacy of Aura, and that it was time to fulfill its sacred duty.
Ash caught this Lucario back when it was a Riolu in the Lucario Kingdom of the Sinnoh Region—a place distinct from Rota, the independent city-state where Cameran Palace stands, north of the Kanto Region.
It wanted to shoulder the task alone. To pour all of its Aura into Mew's body, no matter the risk.
But Ash shook his head. There was no way he would allow his partner to face that burden alone.
"System," Ash called out within himself, "with my current body and Aura… can I endure the backlash of awakening Mew's power?"
The system's calm, mechanical tone confirmed that he could.
Ash smiled faintly and patted Lucario's shoulder.
"No matter what, I'm your Trainer. I share your Aura. When I first caught you, I took on part of your burden too. This is ours—together."
"Lu… cario!"
Lucario's eyes burned with determination, and it gave a resolute nod.
Ash's Aura began to surge wildly within him, his body drawing every drop of it to the surface.
This was something even Mewtwo could not help with.
Mew's energy was unique—its life force was unlike any other.
Ash and Lucario stood opposite one another, Mew's burning body lying between them.
"Aura… be with me!!"
Hummmmmmm!
Their Auras exploded forth, swirling into Mew's body like twin rivers of light.
Mew stirred, its half-conscious eyes flickering open.
And then—its body unleashed a terrifying suction, greedily pulling in all of Ash and Lucario's Aura.
There was no turning back now.
"Carrrr… io!"
Lucario held on, thankful that its Aura had advanced during the battle against Alain. Otherwise, this would have been impossible.
Mew's body glowed brighter and brighter as it absorbed their power. Its strength was rising rapidly.
But just then—the catastrophe struck.
The residual energy from Giovanni's micro-bomb still rampaged through the Tree.
Just as Mew's inner strength was about to stabilize—
The very roots of the Tree of Beginning gave way.
The titanic structure tilted. It was falling.
"Lucario!"
Lucario instantly understood. It lunged toward Ash, trying to shove him out of the collapsing core. It intended to stay behind, to pour its Aura into holding the Tree together.
But the Tree of Beginning was too vast, too heavy.
If Lucario attempted it, its fate would be the same as the Lucario from legend—Aura drained, life extinguished.
And even then, it might not succeed.
So—
Before Lucario could push him out, Ash lashed out with his foot—kicking Lucario squarely in the chest, sending it flying backward!
Ash bore the entire backlash alone.
Lucario was his partner, his family. There was no universe in which Ash would allow his friend to sacrifice itself.
This was his responsibility.
And with the system protecting him, he believed he could endure it.
"Ughhhhhh!!!"
Blood sprayed violently from Ash's body in a mist.
Even he was stunned by the sheer agony.
At the same time, alarms screamed in his mind—
"Ding! [Host life in danger! Host life in danger! System initiating automatic Guardian Mode!]"
BOOM!
Ash's Aura skyrocketed, filling every fiber of his being.
The collapse of the Tree of Beginning… halted.
And Mew's inner power—finally—was awakened.
With a cry, the little Pokémon rose into the air, restored.
"Thud!"
Ash, drenched in blood and sweat, collapsed to the ground. His body was on the verge of breaking.
"Damn it… I almost died just now…"
His vision swam, but the system's final voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! [Guardian Mode successful. System energy exhausted…]"
The voice stuttered, mechanical gears grinding as if breaking apart.
Ash froze.
Exhausted? Did this mean… the system was shutting down?
Of course. It had taken on an impossible backlash, draining everything it had left.
A lump rose in Ash's throat. He owed his rise, his strength, his entire second chance at life… to the system.
And now, it had given its last gift.
"System… thank you. Meeting you… was the best part of this journey."
Ash whispered as he looked up at the radiant Mew above him.
["...Ash… meeting you… was the best part for me too…"]
Click.
The system's voice fell silent. Forever.