Ange's amazement lasted barely three seconds before he saw the Ho-Oh flash with light and transform into Mew.
Mew mew~
Seeing that Ange had successfully passed the trial and reached the Tree of Beginning, Mew appeared very happy. It flew above Ange's head, circling him repeatedly.
Paw paw~
Pawmot hopped up and down, raising its hands to greet Mew.
Mew~
Mew flew down and gave Pawmot a high-five.
Sneasel was not familiar with Mew, so it ran behind Ange and hugged his leg, silently watching Mew interact with the other Pokémon.
While Mew played with everyone, Ange finished treating Aerodactyl's injuries.
Roc~
After nodding to Ange and the others, Aerodactyl flapped its wings rapidly and vanished from sight.
Shortly after, Mew beckoned to everyone and led them toward the interior of the Tree of Beginning.
Furthermore, although it was called a tree, the Tree of Beginning was essentially a rock-based lifeform. Because a large number of special trees grew upon it, the structure as a whole resembled a giant tree.
The leaves of those trees were exactly what Ange was looking for.
They were part of the Tree of Beginning itself. To the Tree of Beginning, they were comparable to human hair or the fur and scales of a Pokémon.
There were vast spaces within the Tree of Beginning where various Pokémon lived. These spaces were connected by a series of special tunnels.
Under Mew's guidance, Ange and the others passed through a tunnel and arrived in a space containing a river and a forest.
In the crystal-clear river water, Ange saw many Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops.
Conversely, these two types of fossil Pokémon, which were extinct in the outside world, still existed in large numbers inside the Tree of Beginning.
After crossing this space, Ange and the others entered another tunnel. When they emerged, they found themselves in a space filled with waterfalls and forests.
Numerous Swablu and Altaria flew above the waterfalls.
Meanwhile, Dratini and Dragonair resided in the water beneath the falls.
On the banks on either side of the waterfall, about ten Dragonite were playing together.
It was a spectacular sight when the massive flocks of Swablu and Altaria flew across the sky together.
Ange walked to the water's edge, and the Dratini and Dragonair immediately swam over. They widened their large eyes, observing Ange with curious gazes.
This was the first time they had ever seen a human.
Ange reached his hand into the water, and the Dratini crowded around, licking his palm with their tongues. It was incredibly cute.
Their tongues were soft and cool, and their licking felt very comfortable to Ange.
Pawmot tried to copy Ange by reaching its hand into the water, but the Dratini did not approach Pawmot like they did with Ange.
Because Pawmot's hands carried a faint electrical current, the Dratini could sense it and were afraid of being shocked.
Suddenly, Pawmot had a bright idea. It took out some food saved from the royal banquet from its backpack. Attracted by the food, the Dratini swam ashore and gathered around Pawmot.
Mew mew~
Mew flew to Ange's side and cried out twice. Only then did Ange realize that the Dragonite they had encountered on the way was actually the leader here.
Leaving this space, Ange and the others continued upward and arrived at a space inhabited by a large number of Aerodactyl.
The Aerodactyl that had fought Komala was the leader of this area.
After leaving the Aerodactyl's living space, Ange and the others entered the next tunnel.
Led by Mew, Ange and the others saw many Pokémon living there. They all relied on the Tree of Beginning and received Mew's protection.
In one of the tunnels, Ange and the others saw Regice, Regirock, and Registeel, whom Ash had mentioned.
The three Titans were very surprised to see a human like Ange. The lights on their faces flashed rapidly as they considered whether to expel him.
Fortunately, Mew appeared just in time. Seeing that Ange had come with Mew's permission, the three Titans simply turned around and left.
After passing through another tunnel, Ange and the others emerged outside.
This was the mid-section of the Tree of Beginning. From here, Ange and the others could see endless mountain ranges and forests in the distance, and they could even faintly see the outline of Cameran Palace.
Mew mew~
At that moment, Mew pointed to the nearby leaves of the Tree of Beginning, reminding Ange not to forget his purpose for coming here.
I got so absorbed in the view that I almost forgot, Ange thought.
Ange patted his head and walked to the leaves, using the Eye of Observation to look carefully, wanting to select qualified leaves.
However, the result was that all the leaves here were judged as inferior products by the Eye of Observation.
Mew knew the answer just by looking at Ange's expression. Consequently, it led Ange and the others back into the tunnel and continued toward the higher levels of the Tree of Beginning.
After passing through several more spaces, Ange was led out of the tunnel by Mew again. This time, they reached an even higher part of the Tree of Beginning.
Ange walked to the leaves growing there and looked at them with the Eye of Observation. Subsequently, he turned his head and shook it at Mew.
Mew clenched its fists with an expression as if it wanted to punch Ange. Ange smiled helplessly at it.
After Mew cutely swung its fists a few times, it slumped its shoulders in resignation and continued leading Ange upward.
Before they knew it, Ange and the others reached the very top of the Tree of Beginning.
At the highest point of the Tree of Beginning, Ange saw a cluster of trees that looked similar yet different from the ones he had seen before.
The moment he saw these trees, his intuition told him that he had found what he was looking for.
Ange ran over and opened the Eye of Observation. Information about the leaves quickly flashed before his eyes.
[Tree of Beginning Leaf, Normal Quality, can be used as a special ingredient!]
[Tree of Beginning Leaf, High Quality, can be used as a special ingredient!]
[Tree of Beginning Leaf, Special Grade, can be used as a special ingredient!]
Ange showed a look of joy. He had finally found them!
The leaves of the ordinary Tree of Beginning were dark green, while the leaves here were tender green. The higher the quality, the more tender the color. The special grade leaves were even a light yellowish-green.
According to Ange's observation, most of the leaves here were of normal quality, a small amount were of high quality, and special grade could only be described as rare.
Ange immediately took a basket from his backpack and began harvesting.
Seeing this, the other Pokémon stepped forward to help, including Mew.
Pawmot and Sneasel even began competing secretly to see who could harvest faster.
Every time Pawmot picked a handful, it would proudly raise its chin at Sneasel. When Sneasel picked two handfuls, it would cast a provocative glance at Pawmot.
The two Pokémon fought back and forth like that, and Lokke, who was watching from the side, almost burst out laughing.
While harvesting, Ange asked Mew, "These leaves look so special. You failed the harvest several times; why didn't you think of coming here to try?"
Mew mew~
Mew indicated that it hadn't actually noticed this place before. It was usually too busy playing and wouldn't pay attention to such minor details.
Moreover, it rarely came to the highest point of the Tree of Beginning.
Without realizing it, everyone had picked several baskets of Tree of Beginning leaves. Seeing that it was getting late, Ange called out:
"That's enough. Let's find a place to rest, otherwise it will be dark soon."
The Pokémon stopped what they were doing upon hearing this.
Ange put the baskets full of leaves into the System Backpack and asked Mew, "Is it okay if we stay here for the night?"
Mew mew~
Mew nodded, then turned and flew into a tunnel, beckoning Ange and the others as it flew. It seemed it wanted to take them somewhere.
Under Mew's lead, Ange and the others came to a space that wasn't very wide.
This space was covered in grass. Below the grass was a small pool, and a large tree grew in the center.
Under the large tree, various toys were piled up. They were presumably all things Mew had taken from Cameran Palace and Rota.
Ange guessed, "Mew, could this be your home?"
Mew mew~
Mew narrowed its eyes and nodded repeatedly.
"Then we'll be bothering you tonight," Ange said with a smile.
Mew mew~
Mew nodded happily and requested Ange to make something delicious for it.
Ange said readily, "No problem. I promised to make you three big meals!"
Mew became even more excited upon hearing this, circling continuously above Ange's head.
At that moment, Pawmot seemed to have discovered something and shouted for Ange to come over.
Ange walked over in confusion and saw Pawmot crouching under the large tree in the center of the grass, sticking its butt out while doing something.
Paw paw~
Seeing Ange come over, Pawmot scrambled up and pointed at a tree hollow beneath the tree, shouting with a look of surprise.
Miraculously, that tree hollow was actually glowing with a bright emerald green light.
"What is this?" Ange also showed a look of surprise.
Mew mew~ Mew flew to Ange's side.
After its explanation, Ange finally realized that this tree hollow actually connected to the nutrient transport channels of the Tree of Beginning.
The nutrient transport channels were vital to the health of the Tree of Beginning. If a problem occurred, the entire Tree of Beginning would collapse.
At the same time, this channel had a special function: Mew could use it to quickly travel to any part of the Tree of Beginning.
Learning that the tree hollow was so important, Ange quickly pulled Pawmot away, telling it not to approach randomly in case something happened.
Ange had heard Ash talk about the terrors of something going wrong with the Tree of Beginning.
Mew mew~
However, Mew told Ange that it was fine for them to touch it.
The Tree of Beginning would not produce an overreaction or rejection response toward two types of creatures.
One was Pokémon.
The other was humans who had awakened Aura Power.
Only then did Ange realize that even if he hadn't received Mew's permission and had come directly to the Tree of Beginning, it wouldn't have triggered the tree's rejection as Ash had said.
Because he possessed Aura Power, and the Tree of Beginning was close to Aura.
Even Ash didn't know about this point.
It was precisely because Ange had awakened Aura that Mew had found it so easy to get close to him, as Mew was symbiotic with the Tree of Beginning.
Mew mew~
Mew beckoned to Ange, and then, under Ange's surprised gaze, it dove into the tree hollow, then poked its head back out.
"You want us to come along?" Ange asked.
Mew mew~ Mew narrowed its eyes and nodded.
Ange walked to the tree hollow. Mew immediately pulled its head back in, and Ange slowly poked his head inside.
Subsequently, he saw a magical scene.
In the upward channel, green energy was flowing, while dark green orbs were floating rapidly upward.
Mew was currently lying on a green orb, bouncing up and down.
Ange climbed into the tree hollow and leaped onto a green orb. Because he didn't stand firmly, he almost fell off, which scared him into mimicking Mew's posture by lying flat on it.
Outside, seeing Ange disappear, Pawmot quickly climbed into the tree hollow as well.
Then Sneasel, Lokke, and Metagross—with Komala on its head—also climbed in one after another.
After entering the tree hollow, everyone felt it was very novel. They all lay on the green orbs and then controlled them to bump into each other like bumper cars, having a great time.
Even the usually mature and stable Metagross couldn't help but bounce on a green orb.
After seeing Mew use its orb to bump into Ange, nearly knocking him off, Pawmot looked secretly at Sneasel and let out a wicked grin.
While Sneasel wasn't paying attention, Pawmot controlled its orb and slammed into it.
However, it hadn't expected that Sneasel was already on guard. When Pawmot struck, Sneasel twisted its body and controlled its green orb to dodge skillfully.
Pawmot missed the hit. Just as it stabilized its orb, Sneasel had already crashed into it.
After a violent shaking, the green orb sent Pawmot flying off.
Paw paw~
Pawmot screamed as it fell downward, but it was immediately caught and pushed back up by another rapidly rising green orb.
Paw paw~
Pawmot patted its chest with lingering fear, and everyone laughed heartily at its clumsy appearance.
Of course, the one who laughed the loudest was Sneasel.
Through the nutrient channels, Ange and the others were taken by Mew to visit many spaces where Pokémon lived.
In some spaces, a large number of Farfetch'd, which were almost extinct outside, lived. They either flew in the sky in flocks or lined up to drink by the river, looking very leisurely.
In other spaces, rare Pokémon like Kangaskhan, which are rarely seen outside, lived. They carried baby Kangaskhan in their pouches, either walking on the grass or foraging in the woods.
Still other spaces were home to Slowpoke groups led by Slowking. A large group of Slowpoke floated on the water, all bowing toward the Slowking on a rock in the center of the water, which looked very ritualistic.
In one of the spaces, Ange even saw groups of Chansey.
The Chansey were very gentle. Whenever an injured Pokémon came to find them, they would kindly use Heal Pulse or Life Dew to treat the injured.
For a Pokémon lover, this place was simply paradise!
If the timing hadn't been wrong, Ange really would have wanted to exchange some eggs with the Chansey; those were ultra-rare ingredients!
When they grew tired of playing, Mew brought Ange and the others back to its home.
Next, Ange began to prepare dinner.
After thinking about it, Ange transferred Diancie, Munchlax, Inteleon, Gengar, Magearna, Volcanion, and Passimian from home.
Having not seen them for a while, he really missed everyone.
Since leaving home, he hadn't summoned the Pokémon from home even once.
Of course, the Pokémon at home also missed Ange.
Magea magea~
Gar~
In-tai~
Munchlax, Gengar, and Inteleon were the three who threw themselves into Ange's arms the moment they were transferred.
Ange was instantly knocked to the ground by them.
Munch munch~ Munch munch~ Master! Master! I missed you so much!
Munchlax hugged Ange's waist, its head rubbing into his chest continuously, with an incredibly aggrieved expression on its face.
Its master hadn't summoned it even once.
Gar~ Gar~
In-tai~ In-tai~
Gengar and Inteleon—one holding Ange's head and the other hugging Ange's neck—similarly expressed their longing and accusations toward Ange.
Why didn't you summon everyone?!
Ange patted each of their heads. "Be good, I missed you too! Haven't I summoned you now? I'll try to summon you more often from now on."
Munch~ That's a promise.
Munchlax looked up at Ange and said.
"It's a promise, it's a promise," Ange guaranteed repeatedly.
After a round of "pouring out their hearts," Ange took his three disciples to start cooking, while the other Pokémon played with Mew.
Mew had collected all sorts of toys, like Squirtle tops and Hitmontop yo-yos. Some were quite old; it was unclear when Mew had collected them.
Everyone soon became familiar with Mew, and the sounds of their talking and laughing filled the space.
Mew was active among the Pokémon, talking incessantly as it introduced how to play with the various toys.
On Ange's side, with the help of his three disciples, he quickly finished making dinner. His whole family, along with Mew, Lokke, and Sneasel, sat together. Everyone chatted and ate, making it extremely lively.
Mew had never eaten in such a lively atmosphere before, so its mood remained particularly high. Every two bites, it would fly up from its seat, chat with everyone for a bit, and then sit back down.
As for Sneasel, it had stuck by Ange and tried to please him just so it could one day eat the delicacies Ange made.
It hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
Looking at the table full of abundant food, its eyes could hardly take it all in. It was the "little warm man" Munchlax who looked after it, constantly putting food on its plate, only then did it know which dish to start eating from.
During the meal, Munchlax was very attentive in taking care of Sneasel, the new member.
Because of this, Sneasel had a particularly good impression of Munchlax, and its attitude toward it was completely different from its attitude toward Pawmot.
Whenever Munchlax looked at Sneasel, Sneasel was always smiling, with an incredibly kind expression.
Sneasel might hold a grudge, but it was also equally grateful.
After dinner, Ange spread a soft, thick, and wide blanket in Mew's home, and everyone lay down on it lazily.
After sitting for a while, Ange took out the Tree of Beginning leaves from his System Backpack and began to classify them according to their quality.
Seeing this, Munchlax, Inteleon, Gengar, Magearna, and Passimian hurried over to help.
Ange said, "Can you help me wash the leaves I've sorted?"
The five Pokémon nodded simultaneously.