Inside the Tree of Beginning…
Ash and Lucario were also under attack—this ti from Regice and Registeel.
"This way!" Lucario yanked Ash by the collar, taking Registeel's Flash Cannon head-on with a pained grimace.
"Lucario!" Ash cried out in panic.
Lucario knelt, gasping for breath, before forcing itself back up and dragging Ash deeper inside.
I have to reunite Ash with Pikachu…
Lucario clenched its teeth.
I won't let the sa tragedy happen again!
The Tree of Beginning's paths twisted like a maze.
Elsewhere, Jessie and Jas wandered, separated from the others.
"Where'd the twerp go?"
"Even owth's missing…"
The two sighed in unison.
"Jas, look at these ores—they've gotta be worth a fortune!" Jessie's eyes glead as she reached for a glittering crystal nearby.
Jas suddenly paled. "Danger!"
"Huh?" Jessie turned—just as a Cradily, its body glowing like molten lava, lashed out with its tendrils and ensnared her.
"What the hell is this thing?!" Jessie shrieked.
"It's… almost like a white blood cell attacking bacteria," Jas muttered, voice shaking. "Weezing, Cacnea—save Jessie, now!"
But by the ti their Pokémon lunged forward, Jessie had already been swallowed whole, vanishing without a trace.
Behind Jas, another spectral fossil Pokémon lood, its shadow stretching toward him.
"Ghk—!" Jas thrashed wildly, hurling a Poké Ball with his last ounce of strength. "Chicho, all of you—run!"
In his final mont, his choice was to set his Pokémon free.
"Chicho~~" Chicho and Weezing locked eyes, tears streaming down their faces.
anwhile…
Natsu and Steven had ventured deep into the Tree of Beginning's heart.
The trunk's interior was a hidden world—crystal-clear streams, rare Berries, precious ores, and fossil Pokémon everywhere.
"It's like a paradise untouched by ti," Steven murmured.
"The Three Regis must guard this place to keep humans from disturbing its peace."
Natsu glanced at his phone, hesitated, then pocketed it.
I'll co back for photos later, he told himself with a nod.
"The paths here are too convoluted," Steven said, frowning. "Natsu-sensei, can you contact Ash?"
"There's no signal on the mobile phone either." Natsu shook the mobile phone and smiled, "But I have Squirtle."
"Huh?"
"Squirtle!" Squirtle closed its eyes, sensing Lucario's aura, then pointed decisively toward the cavern's depths.
Steven followed its direction, stepping forward cautiously. "Let's go. No sign of the other two legendary titans yet—"
He paused.
The air was dead silent.
Steven turned.
Natsu was gone.
His smile vanished. tagross materialized at his side in an instant.
"Stay sharp," Steven whispered, eyes scanning the shadows. "Sothing here can Teleport."
...
One mont, Natsu had been chatting casually with Steven.
The next, he found himself standing at the very top of the Tree of Beginning.
A cold wind brushed against his face as he gazed out at a sea of thick clouds.
Looking down, the dizzying height made his stomach lurch.
"Pikachu!"
"Executive ~~!!"
The cries of Pikachu and owth's wailing suddenly reached his ears.
Natsu turned—just in ti to see a pink blur dart past him.
"w~~"
He looked left, then right, before finally glancing up to find w giggling mischievously.
So w's Teleport brought here...
Before he could finish the thought, owth barreled into him, clinging desperately.
"owth's been stuck playin' with w for a whole day an' night!" owth sobbed, snot and tears dripping. "owth wants Jas an' Jessie, ow!"
"Pikachu..." Pikachu stood nearby, ears drooping.
"w!" w flitted nervously toward a pile of junk hidden behind a tree stump.
Natsu's eyes followed—only to find an assortnt of toys scattered about.
w pulled out a horn and gave it an enthusiastic "Doduo!" toot.
When Pikachu didn't react, it rummaged again, this ti producing a music box. Its face lit up. "w~!!"
Pikachu still shook its head.
Hovering midair, w racked its brain before finally resorting to a bright, hopeful smile. "w!"
"Did you bring here to play with you?" Natsu asked softly.
w circled him twice, then shimred with a soft glow—transforming into a Pikachu that leaped onto Natsu's shoulder.
After nuzzling his cheek affectionately, it changed back and pressed the music box into his hands. "w~!"
In that mont, Natsu saw it—
Centuries of w waiting alone in the Tree of Beginning, with nothing but these worn-out toys for company.
It longed for playmates, so it brought them here.
But one by one, they all returned to their Trainers.
Only w remained, left with its music box and toys centuries out of date...
Natsu reached out. w happily flew over, rubbing against his palm.
"Sylveon!" Sylveon puffed its cheeks and turned away indignantly.
"w~~" w smiled shyly before flitting off to try coaxing Sylveon into playing.
"I can play with you for a while," Natsu said gently. "But I'll have to go back eventually."
"Just like owth and Pikachu... they have people they care about, sa as you care for these toys."
"w..." w's shoulders slumped. It picked up the music box again, nudging it toward Natsu pleadingly.
Natsu didn't take it. "Can you leave the Tree of Beginning?"
"w..."
owth translated: "It says only for short trips—gotta co back eventually, ow."
Natsu sighed quietly.
He'd expected that answer.
w was a guardian of the Pokémon world, bound symbiotically to the Tree of Beginning. It couldn't just leave.
For thousands of years, it had no companions, no Trainer to bond with—only its childlike innocence, unchanging...
Still, he accepted the music box with a smile. "If you want to play, you can visit anyti."
"But only for short trips. And no more whisking away other people's Pokémon."
w nodded vigorously, tail swaying as it circled him. "w~~~"
Natsu opened the music box. A gentle lody spilled out as w settled quietly on his shoulder.
"So you're giving this to ?" he teased.
w hesitated—then nodded firmly. "w!"
"Just kidding." Natsu laughed. "Gengar, you brought Pokéblocks, right?"
"Gengar~!" Gengar grinned, plunging a hand into its belly to rummage around.
"Ta-daa!"
Momotarō's rice balls (scratch that)—Natsu-sensei's golden Pokéblocks!
"w?" w carefully took one in its tiny paws and nibbled.
Instantly, its face lit up with pure bliss. "w!!"
owth wiped drool from its mouth. "Says it's the best thing ever, ow."
"Here." Natsu tossed one to owth. "You're practically drowning in saliva."
"Thanks, Executive!" owth cried, moved.
"Gengar~~︿(￣︶￣)︿" I'm above such things now~
After making their promise,
w floated obediently, leading Pikachu and owth to find Ash.
The labyrinth of crystalline branches ford a tangled maze of pathways.
Suddenly, Pikachu's ears twitched. It stood upright and shouted, "Pikachu!"
...
Ash and Pikachu reunited at last.
Lucario watched them, a faint smile crossing its face: He really did it... what Sir Aaron couldn't.
But owth looked around anxiously—no sign of Jessie or Jas.
Like a kindergarten kid left unclaid after school,
owth's head drooped, dejected.
Natsu patted its head reassuringly—
Then froze.
Not far off, a crimson, magma-like specter of a fossil Pokémon drifted, scanning the area.
"I rember... if that thing catches you..." Natsu glanced at w.
w fidgeted like a guilty child.
owth translated: "Says it didn't give that order, ow!"
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