Chapter 458:
Such an unusual phenomenon naturally captured the attention of all the Pokémon present, and even most of the Pokémon living on the Tree of Beginning turned their gazes toward it.
"Mew?"
The first to be confused was Mew, staring blankly at what was happening before its eyes.
Kaede was also stunned.
Everything unfolding before him completely exceeded his understanding.
But he quickly regained his composure. "Serperior?"
Serperior did not respond. The emerald-green light bathed its body, cloaking it in a radiant, life-like glow, making the entire serpentine Pokémon appear sacred.
Unable to get a response from Serperior, Kaede quickly shifted his attention to Mew.
"Mew? What's going on?"
He also activated the [Eye of Exploration].
"Mew, mew~!!"
Mew's voice sounded somewhat excited, but after opening the [Eye of Exploration], Kaede could no longer clearly hear what it was saying.
Because, at this moment, his own expression was equally dramatic.
He was, one might say, utterly shocked.
[Pokémon: Serperior]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Grass]
[Ability: Contrary (+)]
[Aptitude: Divine]
[IVs: HP (31+2) | Attack (28+1) | Sp. Atk (31+2) | Defense (31+1) | Sp. Def (28+2) | Speed (31+3)]
[Level: 71-74]
[Moves: Vine Whip, Leech Seed, Glare, Aura Sphere, Grassy Terrain...]
[Description: Receiving the Tree of Beginning's essence...]
[Affection: 100]
[Happiness Value: 70]
The description was simple and clear.
But the information conveyed and the changes on the status panel made Kaede's eyes twitch involuntarily.
Its Aptitude had become Divine. Its Individual Values had also increased and seemed poised to reach their maximum.
Among these changes, the least significant was the rise in its level.
The description stated it was receiving the Tree of Beginning's essence. After collecting himself, the explanation Kaede got from Mew was the same.
In other words, at this moment, the Tree of Beginning was willing to bestow upon Serperior a responsibility similar to Mew's!
Of course, with responsibility came corresponding rewards.
This reward was a symbiotic relationship with the World Tree.
Its Aptitude had ascended to Divine, and henceforth, as long as the Tree of Beginning remained unharmed, Serperior would also be safe!
However, a question bubbled up in Kaede's mind: Why had the Tree of Beginning chosen Serperior?
After all, it was just a relatively ordinary Pokémon.
When it came to nurturing plants, there were plenty of suitable Pokémon to choose from.
The Life-Giver Xerneas, or Calyrex with its two steed forms. Taking a step back, there were so many Grass-type Pokémon in the world!
But at that moment, a faint trace of Aura quietly reached him.
It was from Serperior. Within the emerald-green light, it opened its eyes and revealed a smile, having heard Kaede's call.
And through this trace of Aura from Serperior, Kaede understood the reason.
*That unique Pecha Berry tree!*
He also understood the Tree of Beginning's thoughts.
For the Tree of Beginning, it bore the responsibility of maintaining the world created by Arceus. However, the world was vast, and if it bore this responsibility alone, the risk was immense.
Rooted here, it had witnessed conflicts between humans and Pokémon, and among Pokémon themselves.
Wars and strife raged endlessly. If no one had stepped forward, the flames of war would have surely reached it!
Thus, it feared that if something truly happened one day, wouldn't the world's vitality wither away?
Yet, in that Pecha Berry tree nurtured by Serperior, it saw infinite potential.
Even from an immeasurable distance, after Serperior somehow obtained its Aura power, it could still sense the Grassy Terrain Serperior cast daily in the plantation and the orchard.
And the condition of the plants being cared for.
That verdant and pure natural energy was suited to all plants brimming with natural vitality.
That berry tree, seemingly capable of infinite growth—such an existence might truly have the ability to nourish an entire world.
But that was for the future.
For now, the Tree of Beginning was likely just testing the waters.
That was Kaede's guess.
Moreover, a key point was that this "symbiosis" between the Tree of Beginning and Serperior differed from the symbiotic relationship between Mew and the Tree.
Simply put, it was more like a supportive relationship.
Like an elder supporting a younger generation.
In other words, Serperior received from the Tree of Beginning, but it did not need to bear responsibilities—at least not now.
If something happened to the Tree of Beginning, Serperior would not be affected.
Learning this, Kaede felt a mix of astonishment and bewilderment.
Because before this, while he had also been hopeful about that Pecha Berry tree back home, he had only thought about the day it might bear large fruit and whether they could make some special dishes with it.
But now, he was being told that tree had the potential to one day shoulder the Tree of Beginning's responsibilities?
Wait, isn't the Tree of Beginning a rocky lifeform?
Mine is just a tree!
And Serperior's Aptitude had risen to Divine... did that mean its future achievements could reach Legendary levels?
The light grew brighter and brighter. All the Pokémon around Kaede stared intently at Serperior, with Lugia's eyes being the widest of all.
What... was happening now?
It could sense that this ordinary Pokémon before it was undergoing some miraculous, inexplicable transformation!
The light radiating from it shot straight into the sky, its brilliance visible not only here but also in Cameran Castle far away. The ongoing Aura Guardian candidate battles paused.
Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the location of the Tree of Beginning.
Queen Ilene also stared blankly in the direction of the World Tree.
Was the legendary scene happening again?
Had something happened to the Tree of Beginning?
She was puzzled, but the Tree of Beginning's location was not to be approached casually.
She could only look toward the Tree of Beginning and pray nothing was amiss.
The light gradually faded. On the Tree of Beginning, the expressions of everyone shifted from shock to curiosity.
They looked at Serperior, still surrounded by a shimmering green aura, wanting to discern its changes immediately.
Kaede, observing a Serperior that seemed unchanged yet profoundly different, couldn't help but open the [Eye of Exploration] once more.