Finally Meeting Mew!

5 bonus chapter's coming out at 11 AM EST. So I ask that you withhold you're powerstones until then.

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"Steven, I'll leave this to you," Johan said.

"Don't worry, teacher!" Steven nodded solemnly.

Now understanding that Regirock was nearly impossible to defeat due to the energy it received from the Tree of Beginning, Steven grasped Johan's strategy.

As long as he could stall Regirock, they had a chance.

After all, stalling for days, even weeks? Steven was more than confident in that.

Johan turned to Cynthia.

"I'll explain the details as we go."

"Understood," Cynthia replied without hesitation.

Although she wasn't entirely clear on what was happening, Johan's serious demeanor and Steven's determined attitude told her that the situation was anything but ordinary.

And when it came to Johan, Cynthia trusted him without question.

Johan glanced at Lucario.

"Lucario, lead the way."

"Lucca!" Lucario nodded and began moving toward the Tree of Beginning's interior.

Meanwhile, Caitlin, the golden-haired girl with flowing locks nearly brushing her ankles, stood with an annoyed expression.

Her hair began to float, and her pale blue eyes glowed faintly with psychic energy.

"You insolent...!"

Lucario tensed as an overwhelming wave of psychic power rolled over it. Its pupils shrank to pinpoints.

Such terrifying psychic energy!

Even Johan felt a jolt of surprise.

He had completely forgotten about Caitlin.

She was not one to take being ignored lightly.

Her psychic prowess rivaled Sabrina's, but Caitlin's lack of emotional control made her powers far more unpredictable. When enraged, her outbursts could be even more destructive than the Regis.

Still, Johan wasn't worried.

Understanding Caitlin's personality from both prior study and observation, he had deduced her psychological makeup.

Caitlin's haughty exterior masked deep insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. Her arrogance stemmed from a fragile sense of self-worth.

In short, Caitlin wasn't truly arrogant—she was compensating.

Of course, recognizing this didn't make her any easier to deal with.

But someone else knew exactly how to handle her.

Cynthia stepped in, wrapping an arm around Caitlin and gently stroking her head like soothing a pet.

"Shh. Calm down. We have more important things to focus on," Cynthia said in a soft, calming voice.

"Mm…" Caitlin grumbled, but the swirling psychic energy around her began to subside.

From behind Cynthia's embrace, Caitlin shot Johan a sly look, as if declaring victory.

Johan turned away with a sigh.

What is she here for—support or sabotage?

This little princess sure knows how to play mind games.

"Let's move."

As they proceeded, Johan gave a brief overview of the situation.

"The Tree of Beginning is… sick?" Cynthia's expression grew serious as the gravity of the situation became clear.

Even Caitlin's usually petulant demeanor turned more somber.

"It's here!" Johan and Lucario both said in unison, their senses sharpening.

A glint of frost shot out from the surrounding forest.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!" Cynthia ordered immediately.

"Roar!"

Garchomp reacted instantly, its blade-like fins glowing with crimson energy as it charged forward.

Boom!

The frost met Garchomp's attack, scattering into glittering shards of ice midair.

Emerging from the treeline was a figure composed entirely of crystalline ice, its cross-shaped glowing eyes eerily piercing.

It was Regice, the Ice Titan of the Regis!

"Gengar, Confuse Ray!" Johan commanded.

"Ka-kah~~"

Gengar emerged from Regice's shadow, cackling as it lobbed a glowing sphere of confusing light.

In the same motion, Gengar slyly swiped something off Regice and popped it into its mouth.

"When did you swap abilities with Tinkatuff?!" Johan muttered, his face twitching.

There was no time to question Gengar's antics further.

"Caitlin, I'm afraid this one's all yours," Johan said, his tone serious.

"Why me?" Caitlin demanded, her golden curls floating again.

Johan glanced at Garchomp.

"Unless you'd prefer to send Garchomp—who's quadruple weak to Ice—against it?"

"Roar?!" Garchomp growled threateningly at Johan, clearly offended.

Caitlin scowled, but even she knew the logic was sound.

"Fine."

Without further complaint, she released several Psychic-type Pokémon, including Gothitelle, Reuniclus, Sigilyph, and Musharna.

"You're so annoying," Caitlin huffed, but her Pokémon leapt into action.

Caitlin's psychic strength was devastating in a wild battle.

Her Pokémon pinned down Regice within minutes, demonstrating the raw power of a focused telepath.

"Great job, Caitlin," Cynthia praised.

Caitlin's scowl softened into a faint blush.

"I-It's nothing, really…"

Satisfied that Caitlin could handle Regice, Johan turned to Cynthia.

"Let's keep moving."

Cynthia nodded, and the two pressed onward.

Behind them, Caitlin glared at Regice with renewed vigor, her frustration redirected entirely at the frozen guardian.

This is all your fault!

Regice: ?

"She's not a bad kid," Cynthia remarked. "Just a little… stubborn."

Hearing the distant sounds of Caitlin's telekinetic assault, Johan smirked.

"Stubborn for you, arrogant for everyone else."

Their progress didn't last long.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!" Cynthia suddenly commanded.

"Roar!!"

At her signal, Garchomp leapt skyward, its body surging with energy before plummeting like a meteor toward their next obstacle.

Boom!

The attack struck before the third guardian, Registeel, even had time to react.

Not missing a beat, Garchomp followed up with a devastating Earthquake.

The ground quaked violently, fissures spreading outward as Registeel struggled to recover.

With Registeel momentarily incapacitated, Cynthia and Johan exchanged a glance and nodded.

"Lucario, lead the way!" Johan called.

"Lucca!"

The inner caverns of the Tree of Beginning were a labyrinth of crystalline tunnels.

While some of the crystals showed signs of the Tree's "sickness," the situation was not as dire as Johan had feared.

"This is all Giratina's fault," Johan grumbled as they navigated a narrow pathway. "First chance I get, I'm giving that thing a piece of my mind."

Like a frightened child, Mew's panic seemed to have triggered the Tree's illness.

Because of Mew's symbiotic bond with the Tree, its emotional state directly influenced the Tree's health.

For now, Johan's theory was clear: calming Mew was the key.

As they emerged into the open, Johan finally laid eyes on the towering Tree of Beginning's summit.

"It's beautiful, but… how are we supposed to get up there?" Johan muttered.

Gengar chuckled nervously as Johan turned to him.

"Ka-kah…"

The ghostly Pokémon had no choice but to offer its assistance, albeit reluctantly.

Moments later, Gengar was struggling to carry both Johan and Lucario into the air.

"Gengar, I'm not that heavy!" Johan protested.

"Ka-kah! (Yes, you are!)"

Just then, Lucario gestured for Johan to wait.

{Perhaps we can ask for help from the wild Pokémon here.}

Johan blinked. "You think that'll work?"

{You have the gift of Aura, don't you?} Lucario replied.

While Johan attempted to connect with the surrounding Pokémon through Aura, a Tropius sniffed out the energy cubes he had brought along.

Within moments, it had happily volunteered its services.

"Bribery always works," Johan quipped as he climbed onto Tropius's back.

Lucario sighed. Not everyone can charm wild Pokémon so effortlessly…

At last, they reached the summit.

Before them lay Mew, curled up among a pile of toys, its tiny frame trembling as it buried its face in the heap.

All that peeked out was its small pink tail and rounded back.

"Mew," Johan whispered, his heart softening.

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