In the footage—
As Lucario stood lost in his memories, Ash suddenly called out, inviting him to soak in the hot spring. Interrupted and annoyed, Lucario cast a cold glance at Ash and turned away without a word, leaving Ash scratching his head.
Later, May spotted a beautiful flower high up. Ash tried to climb up to get a better look, but he slipped and fell into the water, accidentally plucking the flower as he tumbled. May took the flower from him, frowning. "You really are a scatterbrain, Ash!"
Ash rubbed his head awkwardly. "I'll plant it back once we're done soaking."
Shortly after, the group gathered to replant the bloom. As Ash dug a small hole, the flower suddenly emitted a brilliant radiance! A phantom image flickered to life—it was a replay of Ash slipping and picking the flower moments ago.
Everyone was stunned. Lucario watched with complex emotions. Sir Aaron had once told him that these were Time Flowers, miracles that could only be triggered by the Aura of an Aura Guardian. Ash's massive, untamed Aura had passively activated the flower's memory.
"Is this the legendary Time Flower?" Kidd Summers asked, rushing over to examine it. "Legend says Aura Guardians can see miracles of time through these blooms! It seems Ash's Aura is so vast that it triggered this vision of the past. Truly incredible!"
[Professor Oak: Oh?! Time Flowers near the Tree of Beginning! This discovery could revolutionize historical research!]
[Wallace: A beautiful miracle. Sadly, it seems only Ash and Lucario have the capacity to trigger them.]
[Cynthia: Just having Aura isn't enough; it must be immense. My Lucario is strong, but in terms of raw Aura capacity, he likely doesn't rival Ash or the Lucario in the footage.]
The experts noted that while Aura isn't the only measure of strength, having a "sea of Aura" like Ash's guaranteed a certain level of untapped, monstrous power.
In the footage—
Night fell. Having traveled the previous night, the group set up a campfire on a grassy slope. Gazing at the stars, Ash reminisced about his early days with Pikachu.
"At first, Pikachu hated me. He was always on guard and shocked me constantly... well, he still shocks me now, haha!" May asked, "Then how did you become so close?" Ash recalled the Spearow attack from his first day.
"We faced a life-or-death crisis together. From that moment on, we trusted each other completely. That's why I will bring him back!"
Lucario, listening from the shadows, felt a sting of bitterness. He had trusted Aaron just as much. 'What is there to trust?!' His voice echoed in their minds. 'Humans are unreliable!'
Ash stood up and confronted him. "Are you talking about me?" 'When things get hard, you'll probably abandon Pikachu too!' "I would never!" 'Hmph, who knows.'
As Lucario turned to leave, Ash shouted, "A true hero would never abandon his Pokémon! You're just making things up!"
[Lucario: !!!]
The mention of "abandonment" set Lucario off. He lunged. Ash didn't back down. In a move that shocked the world, Ash tackled the Pokémon, and the two went tumbling down the hill in a chaotic wrestling match!
Skill: Ash's Submission (Seismic Toss style)!
They splashed into a nearby pond, grappling and splashing. Lucario was internally reeling. Is this kid actually human? He could feel Ash's raw physical strength—it was equal to his own battle-hardened body! Eventually, Lucario used his superior combat experience to throw Ash off, ending the brawl.
[Bruno: Holy—! He's fighting a Champion-level Lucario hand-to-hand?!]
[Bea: Is Ash... actually a Pokémon?]
[Lance: Don't ask. Ash is a Humanoid Mythical Pokémon. Case closed.]
In the footage—
Ash climbed out of the pond, soaking wet. May gently began drying his hair with a towel. Under her calm gaze, Ash's anger faded into a pout. "He said Pikachu would abandon me..."
"You said some mean things too, Ash," May said softly, acting as the voice of reason. "Think about it. Lucario just woke up after a thousand years.
Everyone he knew is dead. His last memory is of his master 'betraying' him. Seeing how much you and Pikachu trust each other probably hurts him. If Pikachu did that to you, how would you feel?"
Ash went quiet. If Pikachu left him and he woke up a thousand years later alone... he'd lose his mind. "You're right. I should find a way to make up with him." "Good," May smiled, continuing to dry his hair with a gentle, motherly touch.
[Cynthia: May has grown so much. She looks like a young wife taking care of her husband.]
[May (IRL): Wait! I'm just being sensible! Cynthia-san, don't say embarrassing things!!]
In the Hoenn region, May's face was beet-red. Her younger brother Max teased her, "Sis, you've got it bad for him, don't you?" A quick "bonk" to the head silenced him.
Meanwhile, girls across the world who knew Ash felt a sudden surge of rivalry. This "clumsy" girl from Hoenn was a lot more dangerous than she looked!
In the footage—
While May comforted Ash, Max found Lucario sulking by a tree. Max offered him something from his bag. "Here, Lucario. Have you tried this? It's chocolate! It's sweet, and eating sweet things makes you feel better."
Lucario sniffed the treat and took a bite. The rich, sweet-bitter taste began to melt away his frustration.
[Lance: Stop! Dogs can't eat chocolate! It's toxic!]
[Professor Oak: Lucario is Steel-type. Steel types are immune to Poison. He's fine.]
[Lance: ...Fine. You're the Professor.]
In the footage—
Morning came, and the group resumed their journey. They were finally at the base of the Tree of Beginning. Suddenly, Lucario skidded to a halt. Behind him, Kidd slammed on the brakes of the off-road vehicle.
"What is it, Lucario?" Ash asked as they all scrambled out of the car.
Lucario looked toward the towering rock formations ahead. His Aura sensors were screaming. The Guardians of the Tree had arrived.
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