Morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
At daybreak, Paul checked his Rotom Phone as he rode atop his Metagross, with Electivire by his side. The three were heading toward a special area marked on the device.
The journey took them through vast stretches of forest and wilderness, with little to no sign of human activity along the way.
After crossing the woods and reaching a mountainous region, Paul continued his aerial advance on Metagross. But midway through the flight, Metagross suddenly came to a halt mid-air for just a moment.
A brief flicker of confusion passed through Metagross' eyes—but it quickly resumed its "normal" course and kept flying forward.
Electivire reacted similarly, pausing in midair as if distracted before veering off with Metagross in another direction.
Even Paul was caught off guard. He frowned as he checked the map displayed on his phone.
"Stop."
Paul's calm voice cut through the air, prompting both Pokémon to halt instantly.
"Viree…?"
"Grroo~?"
Electivire and Metagross glanced back at him in confusion.
"Change course. Fly that way." Paul instructed, pointing slightly to his front-right.
"Grroo~."
"Viree~."
Though puzzled, the two Pokémon obeyed and turned in the indicated direction.
"Stop again."
Not even thirty seconds later, Paul's voice called out once more.
Frowning deeper, Paul examined his position on the map, then scanned the surrounding terrain. That's when he noticed something strange—
Even after flying for so long, the distance between them and the Tree of Beginning hadn't decreased at all. In fact… it was growing farther away.
"Electivire, fly in that direction for 300 meters."
Paul pointed again, this time holding his hand steady.
"Viree~!"
Without hesitation—though clearly still unsure why—Electivire burst forward in a flash of speed and flew straight for 300 meters.
"Eh…?"
But when Electivire looked back to locate Paul, it realized something shocking—Paul was somehow less than 100 meters away from him!
What's more, the path Electivire had flown deviated by nearly 90 degrees from the direction Paul had pointed!
"…It's like a classic case of 'spirit maze'—a ghost wall phenomenon from legend. A special defense mechanism of the Tree of Beginning?"
Paul pieced it together based on what he'd just observed.
"Any Pokémon that approaches is subtly hypnotized or mentally redirected… unconsciously veering away from the tree. No matter what, they can't get close."
A one-way barrier—exit-only, no entry?
"Alright. Let's land."
To avoid any further interference, Paul decided it would be wiser to continue the rest of the journey on foot.
Soon enough, the two Pokémon and their trainer landed amidst a rugged mountainous terrain, surrounded by jagged cliff faces at varying elevations.
After finding a relatively flat path, Paul pointed ahead and instructed, "Attack the ground in a straight line. We'll follow that path forward."
"Viree~!"
Electivire unleashed a unique surge of electricity. As the current raced across the ground, it scorched a straight blackened line into the earth.
With Paul leading the way, they focused their attention on staying aligned with the scorched path. Sure enough, they no longer succumbed to the strange hypnotic influence in the area.
Or rather, even if they were affected, they would quickly readjust and correct their direction, sticking to the line.
Of course, there was one rather ridiculous moment—at some point during their trek, Paul and his Pokémon simultaneously turned 180 degrees and began walking back the way they came.
But after Paul adjusted his strategy to proceed one by one, that problem disappeared.
They continued this way for several kilometers. Eventually, the strange psychic interference faded completely, and the path ahead suddenly "opened up"—revealing a dramatic shift in terrain.
Out of nowhere, another expanse of jagged mountains emerged.
At the center stood an impossibly colossal tree.
The tree soared several hundred meters high, and its sheer size was overwhelming. Vast networks of roots, branches, and leaves stretched in every direction. Even from afar, one could feel the breadth of the world—and the raw vibrant force of life—emanating from it.
But that was just the first impression.
A closer inspection revealed that this "tree" was anything but ordinary.
It was a unique crystalline lifeform—its structure made up of rock formations shaped to resemble a tree. Calling it a "tree" was simply due to its outward appearance.
Although Paul was still quite a distance from the Tree of Beginning, he wasn't foolish enough to take to the skies on Metagross, even without the interference of the tree's unique defensive mechanisms.
He feared that if he flew too close, something unexpected might appear and eliminate him.
He didn't believe himself to be as lucky as Ash—the kind of guy who could literally die and come back to life. So charging in blindly was out of the question. He would proceed cautiously, exploring step by step.
Of course, there was another important reason…
"Rotom, has the energy collection rate increased?"
Paul hadn't forgotten the true purpose of his visit—to recharge the special functions on his Poké-gear.
"Trainer, energy absorption rate has increased dramatically—approximately five times from the previous speed! Roto~!"
Rotom's face appeared on the screen, showing Paul the current charging progress.
"At this rate… we'll need to stay here for nearly 40 more days to fully charge?"
"That's too slow. I need to check if we can boost it further by heading deeper in."
Paul was clearly unsatisfied with the current charging speed.
He wasn't in a rush to travel through dimensions, but really—who wouldn't prefer the process to finish faster?
With that, he led his Pokémon deeper inside.
Though the surrounding terrain was mountainous, something was off. Strangely enough, there were several paths that appeared to lead toward the Tree of Beginning, the primordial heart of the world. Some seemed carved out by human hands, while others looked as if they had formed naturally over time.
"Interesting."
That was Paul's only comment before he continued on venturing deeper along the trail.
He had no idea how far he'd gone, but eventually, a strange cavern appeared ahead—one that seemed to serve as a direct passage beneath the Tree of Beginning.
Just as Paul and his Pokémon were about to step inside, an inexplicable sense of danger surged in his chest. A subtle tremor rumbled beneath his feet—so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Paul didn't hesitate for a second. Instinctively, he leapt to the side.
BOOM!
In the next moment, the ground exploded open as a massive Pokémon burst forth. Its entire body was made of gray and orange stones, and embedded in the area where its face was a pattern of seven orange dots arranged in the shape of an "H." Its cylindrical body was rough and uneven, flanked by two sturdy arms made of stone.
There were orange plates on its left chest and right thigh, and a modest gray rocky tail extended behind it.
It was none other than the Legendary Pokémon of Rock-type lore—Regirock.
"Regirock~"
The orange dots on Regirock's head flashed a deep red, pulsing rhythmically like a warning light. It was as if it had received a command—summoned like law enforcement to carry out a mission.
Seeing Paul dodge its ambush, Regirock wasted no time. Without a word, it raised one arm and condensed a powerful Focus Blast, launching it straight at Paul.
"Vireee!"
At the critical moment, Electivire threw itself between them intercepting the attack. With a roar, it activated Protect and conjured a shimmering barrier.
The Focus Blast packed an incredible punch. Even with Protect, the shield flickered under pressure, staggering on the verge of collapse. It was clear that holding the line was no easy task.
Yet thanks to Electivire's grit and resolve, the barrier held. The devastating blast was successfully blocked.
Meanwhile, Paul—who had hit the ground during his dive—rolled back onto his feet in one fluid motion. His gaze locked onto the ambusher: Regirock.
Feeling the aura emanating from it and judging the sheer force of its Focus Blast, Paul quickly assessed its strength—
"An Elite-level Regirock?"
(End of Chapter)
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