Mew was undoubtedly frazzled at this point. From a distance, Zygarde watched with a hint of amusement playing at the corners of its mouth.
Zygarde pondered whether or not to reveal the existence of this particular area to Mew. Knowing Mew's penchant for excitement, she'd likely rush over for an adventure. But on second thought, Mew's knack for stirring trouble was legendary. If she did show up, she might inadvertently attract Rayquaza, making it impossible to keep a low profile. Even more troubling, Mew was linked to the World Tree. Though it was more fitting to call it the Tree of Pokémon Origin now, any mishap with Mew could have dire consequences for Pokémon worldwide.
No, better to keep this under wraps for now. Zygarde decided firmly. There was no certainty that Carl was actually here, and prematurely involving Mew could lead to unnecessary chaos if it turned out to be a false alarm.
Instead, sticking to the original plan of sending those two simpletons to scout seemed more prudent. The territory belonged to that dragon, and if it caught wind of any disobedience, it would surely intervene swiftly. With those three paving the way, they should be able to uncover the secrets of this area.
If brute force didn't work, they could consider seeking help from Zero Illusion, who could potentially harness the power of the World Tree if necessary. The priority, however, was to first understand the situation thoroughly.
"Let's wait a few more days. Mew should be patient enough," Zygarde mused.
Meanwhile, Mew sat at the peak of a snowy mountain, troubled. She rubbed her little face, watching the seconds tick by. Half of the 24 hours agreed upon with Carl had already passed, and in another 12, she would lose.
The mighty Mew, losing at hide-and-seek? Even worse, she'd enlisted a bunch of helpers. If word got out, where would everyone's pride go?
No way, she couldn't concede! Mew perked up, determined to keep searching.
Celebi couldn't disclose critical information, the time-space dragons confirmed the Ultra Space was stable, and Rayquaza sensed Carl was still on Earth. Lugia and Ho-Oh's subordinates, spread across the land, confirmed that all secret realms and relics were intact. The Lake Guardians' emotional search turned up nothing, and even the gods of dreams and nightmares were at a loss, while the King of the Dragons also had no leads. It seemed that both conventional and special methods had hit a wall.
"Mew~"
With a flick of her long tail, Mew decided to swallow her pride for once. Anything was better than losing!
"Whoosh~"
In an instant, she vanished, reappearing in a desert city in the Kalos region.
Nearby stood a creature even smaller than her, with pink and gray skin adorned with golden rings. A pink V-shaped pattern was emblazoned on its belly, and its topknot bobbed with each movement, the central golden ring gleaming brightly.
This cheeky Pokémon was touching the ring on its forehead with a mischievous grin, "What's on the menu today? Hoopa wants meat!"
"Hoopa, fetch~"
It removed the ring from its horn, letting a floating hand reach through it. Miraculously, the hand disappeared through the ring.
Moments later, the hand returned, clutching a chicken drumstick.
Chomp! Hoopa devoured the drumstick, its eyes narrowing in delight. "Delicious!"
"Hoopa, fetch~"
This time it infused the ring with energy. The golden ring spun open a blue portal, and a pile of drumsticks tumbled onto the table.
"Let's dig in!" Hoopa eagerly attacked the feast, crunching even the bones.
Hidden in the shadows, Mew watched with envy. Compared to the constant teleporting needed to find food, this golden ring that could conjure up delicacies was incredibly convenient.
Hoopa treated the whole world like its personal refrigerator, taking whatever it fancied, making others green with envy.
"Hoopa, I want milk tea."
"Hoopa, quick, fetch me some~"
After finishing the last piece of fried chicken, Hoopa wiped its greasy mouth and skillfully conjured a dozen cups of differently flavored milk teas with the ring.
Mew suddenly appeared, snatching a cup on her way.
"Hmm?"
Although its powers were sealed, Hoopa's perception was still sharp, immediately recognizing an old friend. "Mew, are you here to play with me?"
Mew nodded with a playful "Mew~".
Isn't a game of hide-and-seek playing?
"What do you want to play?" Hoopa rubbed its small hands excitedly.
Mew was one of Hoopa's best playmates, often causing mischief together.
"Let's play a game of finding people," Mew proposed.
No need to ask for help; just say it's a game.
With Hoopa's playful nature, it would surely take the bait.
Indeed, upon hearing there was a competition to find someone, Hoopa was all in. "This sounds fun!"
If it were regular hide-and-seek, it wouldn't be interested; its range was limited, and using the ring to find a teleporting Mew was too easy.
But a contest to find a stranger? Now that was thrilling. Mew and Hoopa were both competitive, neither willing to admit defeat. For them, games were serious business.
What Hoopa didn't notice was that Mew had already mobilized all her connections to find this person, an effort akin to an all-out legendary Pokémon battle.
"Mew~"
Mew, full of ideas, didn't directly say they were looking for Carl. Instead, she produced a candid photograph from Professor Oak's collection.
"Let's find Professor Oak first," she suggested. Hoopa glanced at the photo and readily agreed.
They started the countdown together.
Ten seconds later, Mew vanished. Hoopa swung its golden ring, exclaiming, "Hoopa, fetch!"
Meanwhile, at the Kanto League's headquarters, a confidential meeting was underway.
Chairman Damalanche looked grave. "Professor Oak, how much information should we disclose?"
Just as Professor Oak was about to answer, he suddenly found himself plummeting chair and all. How was there a hole in this underground meeting room?
"Ouch!"
During the fall, he noticed he was stuck in a golden ring. Before he could react, Mew appeared above him and pulled him out.
With a swish, both Professor Oak and Mew disappeared in front of the astonished crowd.
Silence reigned in the conference room.
Chairman Damalanche wiped his brow. "Mew's causing trouble for Oak again?"
Agatha frowned. "Could it be a warning?"
All information regarding Mew was immediately encrypted. Damalanche didn't hesitate to issue the order.
Elsewhere, Professor Oak looked around in bewilderment.
"Mew~" Mew declared her victory gleefully.
Hoopa conceded defeat. Hoopa was straightforward. Earlier, only half of Professor Oak's body had entered the ring, so it was indeed her loss.
A talking, unfamiliar Pokémon? That could play with Mew? Professor Oak's eyes sparkled as he stared at Hoopa.
Hoopa waved a hand, and the golden ring suddenly expanded, slipping over him.
Professor Oak surveyed his surroundings, utterly baffled. Before he could react, the ground started to give way again.
Not this again? He couldn't help but shout.
Mew giggled from the sidelines, finding Hoopa's antics with Professor Oak particularly amusing.
"Hoopa, keep playing!" Hoopa proposed enthusiastically.
Mew happily agreed. They played several rounds, each winning some and losing some. In the end, Mew pointed to the photo of Carl, proposing to use him to decide the final victor.
Hoopa instantly became serious. "Hoopa, go all out!" It put in its best effort.
Mew waited patiently, knowing she would inevitably lose this round—because she had no way to sense Carl's location. But watching Carl's antics would be amusing enough. She eagerly awaited the show.
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