In the footage—
As the vision faded, Lucario's hands trembled uncontrollably. The unwavering resolve in his eyes had turned into a storm of shock and regret.
Sir Aaron... had come here to stop the war. He had sacrificed his very life! Lucario crawled toward the crystal containing Aaron's remains and fell to his knees, powerless.
'Sir Aaron... I am so sorry!'
Inside the crystal, Aaron was devoid of life. The only reason his Aura had resonated earlier was due to a lingering trace of energy, but his life force had long since vanished.
"Mew~" Mew slowly awoke in Ash's arms, sickly and weak. It chirped feebly at Lucario. 'You're saying... You need my power to heal the Tree of Beginning?' "Mew..."
Even in its weakened state, Mew knew how much Aura was required to repair the Tree's core. It would likely cost Lucario his life. The kind-hearted Pokémon hesitated, but Lucario stood up, his eyes filled with a terrifying, absolute resolve.
"Let me help," Ash said, stepping forward. "Wait, Lucario! If you do this, you'll end up just like Aaron..."
Ash tried to stop him, but as he looked into Lucario's eyes, his voice trailed off. It was the gaze of someone who had already embraced death. A gaze that said, 'My trainer is gone; what reason do I have to stay?'
'Pikachu, protect Ash. Don't let it end as it did for me...'
Lucario looked at Pikachu. He had once told Ash never to abandon Pikachu because he saw Aaron's shadow in him.
Now that he knew Aaron hadn't betrayed him—that Aaron had sealed him to protect him from the sacrifice—Lucario couldn't let Ash make the same mistake of dying alone.
"Aura is with me!!"
Lucario thrust his palms toward Mew, releasing his life force! However, compared to the titanic Aura Aaron displayed in the vision, Lucario's light seemed ten times weaker.
[Lance: No way... Is Lucario actually going to sacrifice himself?!]
[Diantha: The situation is grim. Lucario alone isn't enough to repair the Tree.]
[Cynthia: Look at the scale of the Aura. Aaron's was massive. Was that man even human?]
[Catlin: It makes sense now why Ash is so superhuman—he's the spiritual successor to an absolute monster. Aaron's Aura could likely suppress legendary Pokémon with one hand!]
[Professor Oak: That was the power that stopped a world war. But now... how much will it take to save the Tree today?]
At Cameron Palace (Real World):
Queen Ilene and her maid were watching the screen in shock. Next to them stood a blue, canine Pokémon—the real-world Lucario, who had just been awakened by the "Heavenly Ranking" system! He watched the screen, his emotions surging.
He had seen the truth. He saw the boy, Ash. He knew his own strength better than anyone; he knew that in the footage, his Aura alone would fail. Unless... someone helped.
In the footage—
Lucario's Aura flickered. It wasn't enough to envelop Mew completely. The blue sphere shattered, and Lucario gasped for air. 'My power alone... isn't enough... Damn it!!'
"Lucario, you said my Aura is the same as Aaron's, right?" 'What? Ash, what are you doing?'
Ash's expression hardened. He grabbed Sir Aaron's discarded gauntlets and pulled them on. He tightened the straps, closed his eyes, and reached out. "I can do this... Aaron, lend me your strength!"
The gauntlets began to glow. They were tools designed to focus and amplify Aura. Ash, who had never consciously used Aura, reached deep into his "Super Pallet Town" potential. Blue sparks erupted from his fingertips!
"Pika-pi..." Pikachu watched, terrified. He had seen Aaron die. If Ash did this... Pikachu wanted to stop him. He couldn't watch his best friend die again!
"Ash, stop! You saw what happened to Aaron!" Kidd shouted. "If the Tree dies, the Pokémon, the forest, and Mew—they all die!" Ash roared. "If I don't do it now, then when?! I can do this! Just once! Explode... all my Aura!!"
"HRAAAAAAAGH!!"
Responding to his indomitable will, the untapped power deep within Ash surged forth! A massive, brilliant orb of blue light erupted from his hands—its intensity rivaling or even exceeding Lucario's! Lucario didn't hesitate;
he merged his power with Ash's. The two spheres fused into one titanic sun of energy that flooded into Mew!
[Riley (Sir Aaron's Descendant): Incredible! Ash truly has the same potential as my ancestor. I've trained for years, and my Aura is barely a fraction of that kid's!]
[Will: How strong would he be if he mastered that?]
[Riley: He could probably take on an Elite Four-level Pokémon with his bare hands.]
[Ash (IRL): Wait, everyone's calling me 'Ancestor' now? I'm just ten! Riley-san, please don't!]
In the footage—
As the energy poured out, blue lightning began to crackle across Ash and Lucario's bodies. "Aura is the power of battle, but it is also the power of life," Kidd whispered. "If it's overused... the user fades away. That's how Aaron died."
Pikachu's heart broke. He prepared to tackle Ash to break the connection, even if it meant the Tree failed. He couldn't lose Ash twice in one day. But Ash didn't flinch. He pushed harder, pouring his very soul into saving the Tree.
[Cynthia: Ash is truly unique. Not just for Pikachu, but for Pokémon he's just met, he will throw his life away. That level of love is peerless.]
[Leon: I admit it. In terms of loving Pokémon, Ash is the strongest in the world.]
In the footage—
Lucario watched Ash. The boy's silhouette perfectly overlapped with Sir Aaron's. Seeing Mew begin to glow with a stable, life-giving green light, Lucario gathered his final ounce of strength.
"POW!"
Lucario slammed into Ash, knocking him backward! The gauntlets flew off, and Ash's connection to the Tree was severed.
"Lucario! What are you doing?!" 'The rest... I can... do alone!' "You idiot! If we did it together, we both could have lived!!" Ash cried.
'But we both could have died. Ash... you have Pikachu. You have friends. I... have nothing left. Let me do this last thing.'
"Aura is with me!!"
With a final roar, Lucario dumped every remaining drop of his life force into Mew. Mew's eyes snapped open, glowing with absolute vitality.
It dived into the Tree's core, sending a shockwave of emerald light through the entire structure and across the land. The "allergic reaction" ceased. The Tree was healed.
Outside, Brock, May, and Max looked at the restored landscape. They smiled, knowing Ash had succeeded. Jessie, James, and Meowth tearfully reunited.
[Lance: A beautiful ending... but at what cost?]
[Professor Oak: Lucario gave everything. He didn't just want to save the Tree; he wanted to return to his trainer.]
In the footage—
The light faded. Lucario slumped against a crystal, his body glowing faintly as it began to dissolve. Ash ran to him, catching him. "Lucario! Hang on!"
Lucario's breathing was shallow. He looked at a Time Flower nearby. It bloomed one last time, showing Aaron's final moments.
"Lucario, you were my apprentice, but more than that... you were my closest friend. I hope one day you'll wake up in a time of peace. I am sorry..."
Lucario smiled. The weight of a thousand years lifted from his shoulders. 'I see... he really was my friend.'
He looked at Ash one last time. 'You too, Ash... thank you.' With a final breath, Lucario's body turned into blue stardust and drifted away, joining the spirit of Sir Aaron in the afterlife.
Ash stood in the silence of the Heart of the Tree, clutching Aaron's gauntlets, tears streaming down his face. The Legend of the Hero was finally complete.
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