The Weak Tree of Beginning

The location of the Tree of Beginning is designated as a restricted area by the League, with numerous forest rangers stationed around its perimeter. Yuga and Gary happened to encounter two of these rangers.

Since Yuga and Gary were there on an official mission, they were quickly granted passage after explaining their purpose and verifying their identities.

"Be careful on your way. The closer you get to the Tree of Beginning, the stronger the territorial instincts of the Pokémon here become. You risk being attacked if you're not careful!" one of the rangers kindly warned them.

"Thanks, we'll be careful!" Gary replied cheerfully. The closer he got to the Tree of Beginning, the more excited he became, as he was already eager to see the legendary Mew.

Yuga was riding on Absol, while Gary rode Arcanine, and Ninetales obediently followed behind them.

Just as the ranger mentioned, the Pokémon's sense of territory became noticeably stronger as they ventured further. After only a short distance, they encountered several aggressive Pokémon, all of which were driven off by the reliable "bodyguard" Ninetales.

As they continued, Gary suddenly pointed in a direction and shouted to Yuga, "Yuga, look!"

Before Yuga could respond, Gary urged his Arcanine forward.

When Yuga got closer, he saw what had caught Gary's attention: a crystalline flower, gleaming like a jewel. The petals of the flower were curled up, but as soon as Gary picked it, they unfurled completely.

At that moment, a projection emanated from the crystal flower's center into the air, showing two large, muscular Nidokings engaged in a fierce battle, while a Nidoqueen observed coldly from the side.

It was clear the two Nidokings were fighting for mating rights.

The scene was brief, lasting only about ten seconds before it vanished, leaving no hint as to when it was recorded. After the image faded, the petals of the crystal flower closed back up.

"Is this the Time Flower that Grandpa talked about?" Gary said in amazement. "It's incredible."

He then took a box out of his spatial backpack, carefully placed the Time Flower inside, and planned to take it back as research material.

The Time Flower is a unique life form and not an actual plant, so Gary wasn't concerned about it wilting before they returned.

The Time Flower is not particularly rare in this area, though it's not common either. After walking a bit further, Gary found another one on a large rock.

The image stored in this Time Flower depicted two Fearows fighting over food. Gary quickly pulled out a camera he had prepared, watching while filming the scene, and afterward, carefully stored the flower in another box.

One had to admit, ever since switching careers to become a researcher, Gary had changed quite a lot.

The two of them then continued on their journey.

Despite the Tree of Beginning appearing close by, they spent over half a day to finally reach its base.

Of course, the ones who were exhausted were not Yuga and Gary but their rides, Absol and Arcanine.

Although the Tree of Beginning looked like a towering giant tree from afar, upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was actually a series of rock layers stacked atop each other. Trees and flowers grew all over the rocks, making the whole structure look like the crown of a massive tree from a distance.

"How can we meet Mew?" Gary asked, looking at the Tree of Beginning in front of them with a hint of confusion.

"I don't know either!" Yuga replied. "Why don't we go up and take a look?"

"I think you'd better be careful. The Pokémon here aren't easy to deal with!" Ninetales, who was squatting nearby, cautioned them.

"It seems pretty quiet around here. It doesn't look as dangerous as you said," Gary observed, glancing around.

Ninetales found it odd as well. "Something does seem off. Usually, there are so many Pokémon living here, and it's always bustling. It shouldn't be this quiet!" It wasn't Ninetales' first time here, but it had never encountered such silence.

Just as Ninetales finished speaking, sharp cries rang out above them. Yuga, Gary, and Ninetales looked up to see three Aerodactyls swooping down toward them.

The Aerodactyls had fierce expressions, their mouths open wide as they dived, with their sharp teeth glinting dangerously, as if they intended to bite Yuga and Gary in half.

Seeing this, both Yuga and Gary's expressions changed. Absol and Arcanine responded quickly, using Psycho Cut and Flamethrower, respectively, to repel two of the attacking Aerodactyls.

Ninetales, being even more powerful than Absol and Arcanine, directly struck the remaining Aerodactyl with a Flamethrower, sending it crashing down.

Upon seeing one of their companions defeated in an instant, the remaining two Aerodactyls quickly flew up high, too scared to launch another attack.

The Aerodactyls here at the Tree of Beginning weren't resurrected from fossils but were true ancient Pokémon that had survived until the present day.

"We're from the League, here to meet Mew according to an agreement!"

Yuga shouted toward the three Aerodactyls hovering above. However, they ignored him, appearing as if they wanted to attack but lacked the courage. This left Yuga feeling frustrated.

They were supposedly here under an agreement with Mew. So what was going on?

Just then, a strange buzzing sound echoed, catching Yuga and Gary's attention. Looking in the direction of the noise, they saw an ice-blue Pokémon with a crystalline body standing on a rocky ledge halfway up the Tree of Beginning.

"It's Regice!" Ninetales exclaimed.

Regice also noticed Ninetales. It recognized Ninetales from its previous attempts to "visit" the Tree of Beginning.

"Vrrrrr…"

The eye-like markings on Regice's forehead flashed, instantly locking onto Ninetales before launching a Zap Cannon straight at it.

Not one to back down, Ninetales countered with an Inferno. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion that sent the Aerodactyls flying in panic.

With the other two Regis not present, Ninetales didn't feel intimidated facing only Regice, which it had an advantage over.

Yuga shouted again, "We're here to meet Mew as per our agreement!"

Only then did Regice stop its attack, glancing at Yuga and Gary. It observed them for a moment before turning away and disappearing from sight.

Yuga and Gary exchanged confused looks, wondering what had just happened.

Ninetales, having its fight interrupted, was visibly displeased.

A few minutes later, a blue vortex suddenly appeared in front of them, and Regice re-emerged alongside Registeel and Regirock.

Seeing the three regus appear together, Yuga took out a small box, opened it, and revealed the meteoroid fragment inside for them to see.

"This is what we've brought for Mew, as agreed. Can we meet with it?"

"Vrrrrr..."

"Vrrrrr..."

"Vrrrrr..."

After inspecting the item, the three regis conferred briefly before sending Regice forward to speak with Yuga and Gary.

It turned out that the Tree of Beginning had been experiencing issues recently, affecting Mew, who shared a symbiotic relationship with it. The Tree of Beginning contained a self-sustained ecosystem that nurtured many Pokémon. When the tree encountered problems, its ecosystem began to deteriorate, leading to the collapse of habitats for many Pokémon. This was why Yuga and Gary had not seen any Pokémon around since arriving.

Following Regice's hint, Yuga and Gary examined their surroundings more closely and noticed that many trees growing along the rock layers had leaves that were slightly yellowing. The effect was subtle enough to be overlooked at a casual glance. These trees were parasitic to the Tree of Beginning, so naturally, they were impacted when the tree itself faced issues.

"Can't we meet with Mew?" Yuga asked.

The League was evidently unaware of the troubles with the Tree of Beginning and Mew. As emissaries representing the League, Yuga and Gary had a responsibility to find out what was happening to Mew and report it back.

The three regis appeared troubled by Yuga's question.

Mew couldn't appear due to its weakened condition, and if Yuga and Gary tried to enter the Tree of Beginning to meet Mew, they would be met with hostility and rejection from the tree itself. The Tree of Beginning was a unique lifeform, and any foreign entity entering it would trigger an immune response, resulting in an attack that not even the three Titans could stop.

"Does this mean we can't see Mew?" Gary said disappointedly after hearing Yuga's translation. "What if Mew and the Tree of Beginning are in real danger?"

Yuga proposed to the three regis, "Let us at least go inside and take a look. If things get too dangerous, we'll leave!"

Gary quickly chimed in, "Yeah, exactly. We won't feel at ease unless we see Mew."

"Vrrrrr… Vrrrrr… Vrrrrr…"

The strange buzzing of the three regis filled the air as they discussed among themselves.

After some time, Regice stepped forward and agreed to Yuga's suggestion. Due to the League's longstanding friendship with Mew, the three regis treated Yuga and Gary with kindness.

Strictly speaking, the regsis served as guardians of the Tree of Beginning, not Mew. However, eons ago, Mew had formed a symbiotic relationship with the tree; their fates were intertwined, so the regis protected Mew as well.

But before they could enter to see Mew, the three regus turned their gaze toward Ninetales, who had been silent all this time. Recognizing Ninetales, they inquired why it was accompanying Yuga and Gary.

Yuga, quick on his feet, casually replied, "The journey here was dangerous, so we hired it as a bodyguard." After all the treasure he had taken from Ninetales, he couldn't just abandon it now. He wanted to at least let it see Mew. However, given Mew's current state, Yuga had little hope that Ninetales would get what it wanted.

The three regis fell silent at Yuga's explanation, allowing Ninetales to accompany them. While they didn't particularly welcome Ninetales, they acknowledged its strength. With Ninetales present, Yuga and the others would have a slightly better chance of escaping if they encountered any danger within the Tree of Beginning. The Tree was friendly to its native inhabitants but viewed outsiders like Yuga differently.

Following the regis, Yuga, Gary, Ninetales, Absol, and Arcanine stepped into the blue vortex and reappeared inside a rocky passageway—the inner body of the Tree of Beginning.

It was eerily quiet, with nothing but the long stone corridor ahead, illuminated by crystal-like stones glimmering along the path. Yuga noticed these stones resembled the material of the Time Flower, but wary of disturbing anything they shouldn't, he resisted touching them.

They traveled a long way with the regis, and the immune system of the Tree had yet to respond. Along the way, Yuga and Gary saw some of the Pokémon living inside the Tree.

However, each Pokémon appeared dazed, as if facing an impending catastrophe. None of them seemed surprised to see Yuga and Gary, two humans, within their territory.

After some more walking, Yuga and Gary entered another rocky passage. As soon as they stepped forward, their feet became encased in a mass of pink sludge.

"Vrrrrr…"

The regis sent a warning—the immune system of the Tree of Beginning was beginning its counterattack.

Absol and Arcanine immediately attacked the pink substance, but their strikes were simply absorbed.

Ninetales fared no better. Although it had visited the Tree of Beginning many times, it had always been stopped at the entrance by the regis. This was its first time inside, and it found the place far more challenging than expected, as its flames had no effect.

Soon, the pink sludge was engulfing them up to their waists. Gary shouted anxiously, "What are we supposed to do now?"

At that moment, the box in Yuga's hand suddenly emitted a radiant light. Under the glow, the pink sludge melted away like snow in the sun.

Each of them held a box—Gary's contained the giant meteoroid fragment, while Yuga's held the item he'd obtained from the Sasaki family. Yuga had kept it handy to ask Mew about its origins, not expecting it would serve as an unexpected lifesaver.

Yuga, Gary, and even the regis were all surprised by this turn of events.

When Yuga opened the box, the icy blue stone inside continued to shine brightly, and the small Time Flower embedded in the stone became even clearer in the light.

The pink sludge retreated at once under the stone's glow, vanishing without a trace in moments.

The scene left the regis stunned. They had never seen the Tree's immune system relent like this. The Tree of Beginning had always shown no mercy toward outsiders, driving them out like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. Why had it changed now?

Unbeknownst to them, the moment Yuga opened the box, Mew, far at the top of the Tree, sensed the presence and opened its eyes. Exhausted and barely able to move, Mew lay limp beside a small pond, struggling to rise. It managed to float barely half a meter before collapsing back onto the ground with a soft thud.

"Miu…"

Mew let out a weak, plaintive sound, looking pitiful.

With the stone's protective light, Yuga and his companions proceeded smoothly and reached the top of the Tree of Beginning, where they found Mew, frail and worn-out.