Chapter 167: The Time Flowers in the World Tree…
At this moment, the Salamence prepared to drive all the Pokémon from the surrounding area.
With the resources left behind, it aimed to break through to a new level of strength.
Its thunderous roar echoed through the area, alerting all the Pokémon around it to its intentions.
For Hikaru, this came as a momentary relief.
It seemed the Salamence hadn't noticed him.
After its roar, the Salamence wasted no time, targeting its first opponent—a Shiftry stationed to the east of the World Tree.
Incidentally, it was the very same Shiftry that nearly fought Hikaru earlier.
Level 68.
This kind of strength might have made it a dominant force in certain S-rank Secret Realms.
But here, it was only marginally stronger than the two Nido guardians.
"Let's go, Latias. We'll head inside," Hikaru urged.
Latias nodded. Over the past two days, Hikaru had explained to her why the Pokémon here were embroiled in such chaos—it was all because of the slumbering World Tree.
Following Lucario's lead, they ventured through a dark, winding cave. Emerging on the other side, an entirely new world opened before them.
To Hikaru's surprise, the interior of the World Tree wasn't desolate.
Instead, it was brimming with diverse Pokémon species.
Does the World Tree forbid battles here? The thought crossed Hikaru's mind as he observed the scene.
The interior resembled a self-contained ecosystem: vines, greenery, ponds, and an assortment of Pokémon thriving in harmony.
Hikaru even spotted flocks of Altaria soaring through the air. In the water, Omanyte swam peacefully, while Nidoran and Lileep wandered among the shrubs.
Surrounding this vibrant ecosystem were towering cliffs and jagged rocks.
The most striking feature of the World Tree's interior, however, was the scattered crystals emitting a faint green glow.
From these crystals, Hikaru could sense a pure and concentrated energy.
But mixed among the green crystals were others with an orange hue.
The crystals with a more intense orange glow seemed to radiate much less energy.
What stood out most was the ominous and sickly aura emanating from the orange-tinted crystals.
As Hikaru leaned in for a closer look, Lucario accidentally triggered something.
A thunderous rumble echoed throughout the area.
Latias and Lucario instantly went on high alert.
Suddenly, phantom images began to materialize around them.
A destructive Hyper Beam shot forth, its orange-yellow energy tearing through the air with annihilating force, heading straight for Hikaru.
The energy's intensity was at least at the Champion level.
Latias's curious expression quickly turned grim as she instinctively shielded Hikaru. Her body shimmered with a platinum glow.
Light Screen!
This was a subconscious reaction from Latias.
She knew Hikaru's human body could never withstand such an attack.
But her own body could.
Although her strength had diminished, her physical durability remained.
Even so, taking a direct hit from a Hyper Beam would undoubtedly leave her injured.
Latias closed her eyes in anticipation.
"Latias! Wait—huh?"
Hikaru was stunned.
The Hyper Beam moved incredibly fast, but as it passed through their bodies, he realized it left no harm.
"Huh?"
Latias opened her eyes, her confusion evident as she patted herself down.
It didn't hurt?
"Don't worry—it's just a phantom," Hikaru said, his gaze fixed on a peculiar rock-like flower growing on the ground nearby.
This flower pulsed with multicolored light, its petals rhythmically opening and closing.
The Hyper Beam had emanated from a phantom projection atop the flower.
---
[Time Flower (Record-type Treasure)]
"A rare flower that only grows in specific regions. It blooms to reflect events from the river of time."
---
"Huh?"
Latias tilted her head, still disoriented.
Meanwhile, countless phantom projections of Pokémon began appearing around them: Aggron, Salamence, Venusaur…
Some flew through the air, others stood their ground, all on high alert as if preparing for battle.
The earlier Hyper Beam had come from a phantom Salamence overhead.
"Roar!"
The phantom Salamence let out a deafening cry as it dove, releasing another Hyper Beam.
The Pokémon below retaliated, their calls filled with defiance.
It was as though Hikaru and his companions had been transported into a historical battlefield.
Through their exchanges, Hikaru pieced together the source of their conflict.
Long ago, the World Tree had been a place of peace, where all Pokémon shared its abundant energy.
However, as time passed, stronger and more aggressive Pokémon began to arrive.
Among them was the Salamence, whose volatile temperament disrupted the fragile balance.
Tensions escalated, leading to a massive confrontation atop the World Tree.
The projections clashed violently, with energy attacks of every type erupting across the landscape.
Caught in the frenzy, none of the Pokémon seemed to notice the World Tree's crystals turning yellow.
Even amidst the chaos, Hikaru's Aura allowed him to perceive the World Tree's sorrowful cries, buried beneath the din of battle.
"Is this what happened in the past, Hikaru?" Latias asked worriedly, her gaze fixed on the chaotic scene.
"Lucario…"
Lucario, too, was visibly shaken.
Through its Aura, it could feel the overwhelming grief of the World Tree during that time.
"Yes. It seems that the Pokémon disturbances of ten years ago were also linked to issues with the World Tree. And the root of the problem lies here," Hikaru confirmed.
His suspicion grew stronger as he pieced together the evidence.
After all, the World Tree was closely tied to Mew.
Could Mew have been absent during this catastrophe, leaving the World Tree vulnerable to such devastation?
"Where were you, Mew…?" Hikaru murmured to himself.
"Poor Pokémon…" Latias sighed softly, her empathy evident.
Having learned from Hikaru about the cause of these battles, she couldn't help but feel pity for the Pokémon involved.
At that moment, the Time Flower closed its petals, and the phantom projections dissolved into thin air.
"Let's move deeper—"
Hikaru began, but his sentence was cut short.
"Lucario!"
Lucario's urgent warning rang out.
In an instant, it grabbed Hikaru's shoulder and leapt to the side.
The spot where Hikaru had been standing erupted violently, the ground caving in as dust and debris filled the air.
From the cloud of dust emerged a yellow-gray Pokémon!
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