Chapter 193: The Beast That Devours Life
"Targeted? By who?"
Originally, Will had no intention of dealing with this man. Even if the future AZ had disrupted Team Flare's evil plans and seemed to have repented, it couldn't erase the crimes he had committed three thousand years ago. He had activated the ultimate weapon at the cost of countless lives, and then used it to wipe two entire nations off the map. It was because of these actions that his Floette had left him.
But what AZ was saying now certainly had his attention.
"A giant, black beast, soaring through the sky, constantly devouring all bountiful and life-filled energy," AZ said. His eyes were cloudy and lifeless, staring blankly at the painting on the wall, but he seemed to be able to hear Will's thoughts.
"...How do you know that?" Will frowned. He thought back to what the Lapras had said about a black Pokémon hundreds of meters long leaping from the sea. Although AZ said this one flew, it wasn't impossible for them to be the same creature.
"You've come from the past, haven't you? I saw a Sceptile a thousand years ago... that looked exactly like you," AZ said, not answering his question. "If I'm not mistaken, the energy on you, and your appearance here, are related to a Pokémon called Celebi."
"..."
Will's eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed. What is with this guy? He could sense the energy in his body, and he knew it was from Celebi?
"When you've lived long enough, you see everything. Though I'm not interested in most of it," AZ said, glancing down at the key on his chest. He then turned to Will. "That black fellow... it's searching for things rich in life to devour. It appeared in Unova decades ago, wiped out a great deal of life, but was also seriously injured by the 'Three Clouds.' It hasn't been seen since."
Hearing this, Will fell into deep thought. The "Three Clouds" were undoubtedly Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus. Why would it go there? To be injured by those three lesser legendaries, it meant it wasn't invincible. But it was still far beyond Will's current level.
"...What is this ability of yours?" Will asked, looking at AZ. He just realized... AZ's mouth hadn't moved at all. He glanced at Meowscarada. She seemed to have heard nothing and was just looking at him with a worried expression, wondering why he was suddenly talking to the strange giant.
"Xerneas has been sleeping for centuries. If there is no Celebi in this era, then... when that black fellow reappears, its target will either be the Tree of Beginning... or you," AZ said, and then, without another word, he turned and left.
Will couldn't understand why he had been told all this. He didn't think AZ was lying; there was no need. But in his current state, shouldn't he be a listless, walking corpse? Why would he bother to warn him?
"Meow?" Meowscarada tugged on his arm.
"It's nothing," Will said, tweaking her ear.
As they wandered through the rest of the museum, Will was distracted, thinking about the black beast. But his safety was the most important thing. He had originally planned to go to the Tree of Beginning and ask Mew to help him complete his genes. Now, it turned out that both he and Mew were being targeted by the same unknown entity.
Get stronger. Team up.
Will's mind was made up. The Tree of Beginning contained an immense amount of energy. Compared to it, he was just a speck of light. The black beast would definitely sense the Tree first. Although he could abandon the Tree and Mew to buy himself more time, he wouldn't.
In his mind: "I'm the Sceptile-King. Why should I run from it?!"
He wanted to save his own life, and he wanted to save Mew's life. This was a matter that affected all his future lives. If he protected Mew in this life, he could come back in every future life and have it help him complete his genes. If something happened to this Mew, where would he find the one that just wandered the world?
So, he decided to train while heading to the Tree of Beginning. Besides... as if Mew and the Regi-trio guarding the Tree were just pushovers. Running around in the wild by himself was the most dangerous option. Teaming up with them was safer.
With his, Mew's, and the three Regis' power... what chance would one Champion-level black beast have?
"That's the plan," Will nodded, but he felt a little helpless. It seemed like a choice, but in reality, he had no choice at all. If the Tree of Beginning was devoured, he would be next. And would the beast become even stronger after absorbing all that energy? Would it go from Champion to Master level? If it came for him then, and he hadn't reached that level... it would be a dead end.
So, aside from allying with the legendary Pokémon at the Tree, there was really no other way to face this situation.
"Meow?"
"It's nothing. Let's go. It's time for us to head to Laverre City," Will said.
"Meow," Meowscarada nodded, yawning. She had no interest in human paintings and was ready to leave.
...
"Meow~ Meow~"
Having returned to the wild, Meowscarada's mood was as bright as the sun. But it was January, and the Kalos region was in the middle of winter. The temperature was quite low.
"Come here, put on your clothes. How are you not freezing to death?" Will said, grabbing the big cat and forcibly stuffing her into her down jacket.
"Meow," she complained, her mood instantly souring. The thick clothes restricted her movement, and the feeling of her fur being pressed down was very uncomfortable. She would rather be cold.
She looked at Will, then slyly extended her claws towards the jacket.
BONK!
An "Iron Fist of Love."
"Don't you dare tear your clothes!" Will said, retracting his fist with a sigh. As she got older, Meowscarada was becoming more and disobedient. It was the "rebellious phase."
Suddenly, "Meow!"
Meowscarada saw some beautiful butterflies on the grass ahead and immediately ran off to chase them.
"Looks like in some ways, she's still the same as when she was little," Will smiled and looked north. He could see Liz's phantom again. But... she looked sad.
What happened to her?
While Will was lost in thought, he heard the sound of an argument.
"SCY-THER!!"
"MEOW!!"
He looked over. Meowscarada was arguing with a red Pokémon. It was a young Scizor.
"What's wrong? Why are you fighting?" Will walked over and separated them.
"Meow!"
"Scizor!"
To put it simply, Meowscarada, while chasing the butterflies, had stepped on the Scizor, which had been sleeping in the tall grass. But in the process, she had also tripped over it. The Scizor thought she should apologize. But she didn't think so. She hadn't known it was there. And besides, he shouldn't have been sleeping in a public place. It was his own fault for getting stepped on.
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