The sudden appearance of Lucario in the grand hall sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
Lucario stood before Ash, fists clenched, body trembling.
A voice echoed accusingly in Ash's mind:
"Why?!"
"Why did you abandon the city?!"
"Why did you seal me away alone?!"
The barrage of questions left Ash frozen in place.
Overwhelmed by emotion, Lucario nearly grabbed Ash by the collar—only to let its hands fall limply in the end.
"Lucario, please calm yourself," Queen Ilene said gently. "Look closely. Who do you truly see before you?"
Lucario forced its eyes open.
It stared at the unfamiliar young man for a long, silent moment.
This wasn't Sir Aaron.
And yet… why did his aura feel so much like him?
Lucario's gaze swept the room, then dimmed. Without another word, it bolted from the castle.
"Lucario!" Ash gritted his teeth and sprinted after it.
Meanwhile, Natsume and Steven were busy chewing on cupcakes.
"Aren't you going after them?" Steven asked, turning his head.
"That's Ash's personal storyline," Natsume said, using words Steven didn't quite understand. "They'll make up soon enough anyway."
Steven nodded thoughtfully. "But your Squirtle just ran after them, you know."
Natsume blinked.
Sure enough, Squirtle was already waddling eagerly toward the exit.
"Squirtle!"
It might be dangerous…
But if it could spar with that Lucario, maybe it could master even stronger aura techniques!
Just then—
Jessie and James came scrambling over in a panic.
"Big trouble!"
They skidded to a halt in front of Natsume, only to freeze when they noticed Steven beside him.
Steven studied their Team Rocket uniforms with surprise. "Weren't you the lady from the ball earlier…?"
"Uh—"
But there was no time for explanations. Jessie and James blurted out:
"Natsume-sensei! Meowth's been captured!"
...
Fireworks bloomed across the night sky.
Was this truly an era of peace now?
Lucario paused for a long moment before pushing open the dust-covered door.
Inside lay Sir Aaron's old residence—everything still exactly as it had been.
Lucario closed its eyes.
Memories flooded back.
The war had erupted without warning. Hundreds—no, thousands—of Pokémon soldiers had swarmed the land.
And then… Sir Aaron had sealed Lucario away inside the staff.
He'd mounted his Pidgeot… and fled the city.
That was the last thing Lucario remembered before the darkness took it.
And yet…
No matter how hard it tried, Lucario couldn't bring itself to hate Sir Aaron.
Only regret. Confusion. Even self-doubt.
"If only I had been stronger…"
Lucario's ears twitched. It leapt back in alarm.
"Lucario…" Ash's voice was soft.
The figure before it now made Lucario's chest tighten with something painfully familiar.
It shook its head violently.
No.
No matter how similar…
This boy wasn't Sir Aaron!
"Lucario."
Queen Ilene stepped forward, her voice gentle. "I know you have many questions. But you are welcome to stay in Cameran Palace for as long as you need… until your heart finds peace."
Lucario's eyes flickered. After a moment, it gave a slow, silent nod.
"Squirtle~~!"
The door creaked open again as Squirtle peeked inside, cautiously stepping in.
Lucario's gaze snapped toward it—and then widened in shock.
This Squirtle hadn't even evolved yet.
So why… why did its rippling aura feel so powerful?
"Sorry to interrupt the reunion," Natsume coughed, striding into the room with Steven.
"But, Ash? Change of plans. Looks like we're gonna have to go find Mew!"
...
Learning that Meowth had gone missing alongside Pikachu put Natsume on edge.
While Ash was busy bonding with Lucario,
he took a moment to video call Professor Oak for information on Mew.
"Mew is a Pokémon said to reside in the Tree of Beginning," Professor Oak mused, stroking his chin.
"If Ash can gather data on Mew as part of his evaluation, that would be ideal."
"Oh, Professor Oak." Steven suddenly leaned into the frame with a smile.
"Steven, you're there too?" Professor Oak blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Good. That means extra security."
"Weren't you leaving tomorrow?" Natsume asked Steven.
"I was," Steven replied cheerfully. "But my original destination was the Tree of Beginning."
Natsume looked skyward.
Sure, the Tree of Beginning had rare fossils.
But the thought of the three legendary titans lurking nearby gave him a headache.
Then again, Steven would probably be thrilled to see them...
At any rate, Pikachu's disappearance was partly his fault.
Natsume sighed.
"Mr. Steven, guess we're counting on you this time..."
...
When Ash learned Pikachu had been "taken" by Mew, he remained oddly calm.
Pikachu got kidnapped every few episodes at this point.
He'd built up immunity to panic.
He turned to Natsume. "Natsume-sensei, so we're..."
"Going to the Tree of Beginning." Natsume rubbed his temples. "And Mr. Steven is tagging along."
"A pleasure, Aura Warrior."
Steven, ever the dapper gentleman in his suit, shook Ash's hand with a smile.
At the term "Aura Warrior," Lucario scoffed and fell silent.
Queen Ilene led the group to the terrace,
pointing toward the distant Tree of Beginning, shrouded in mist.
"Though it resembles a giant tree... it's actually a massive rock formation."
Steven's eyes gleamed at the word "rock."
Natsume tensed.
Steven, don't tell me you're planning to dig straight through it!
"With a Mega Metagross's Flash Cannon... it might actually be possible..." Natsume muttered thoughtfully.
Despite his lingering hostility toward Ash,
Lucario agreed—at Queen Ilene's request—to accompany them to the Tree of Beginning.
"There's little I can contribute," Lucario's telepathic voice rang coldly.
"That Squirtle could easily replace me."
All eyes turned to Squirtle.
"Its aura can also sense darkness," Lucario frowned slightly. "In fact..."
It trailed off, closing its eyes in silence.
Queen Ilene, ever poised, showed a flicker of surprise.
But remembering the rumors about Natsume...
If he could train someone like Ash, he must be a formidable aura wielder himself.
She smiled gently. "Even so, I'd like you to go with them."
"Perhaps... you might uncover some truths about the past."
Queen Ilene bore an uncanny resemblance to the ancient queen Lucario had once served.
After a long pause, Lucario gave a stiff nod.
...
That night,
the group set out immediately for the Tree of Beginning.
When Ash heard Team Rocket was joining, he pointed accusingly at Jessie and James.
"They probably kidnapped Pikachu in the first place!"
"Excuse you?!" Jessie clenched her fists. "Meowth's been taken too! We're just tagging along to save him!"
"Yeah, like we'd choose to travel with you twerps!" James added.
Ash and Jessie's glares clashed midair.
"Let them come."
Lucario's voice cut in coolly. "My aura senses no malice from them."
"Hmph!" After a long standoff, Ash and Jessie turned away in unison.
Natsume, with Togepi perched on his shoulder, offered Steven an awkward smile.
"Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Steven."
"Not at all." Steven rested his hands on the jeep's steering wheel,
gazing toward the mist-veiled Tree of Beginning.
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
"Something tells me... this trip will be interesting!"
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