Chapter 355: Ho-Oh's Aid! The Broken Seal!

The next morning.

After a good night's rest, Chen Mo once again set out for the World-Origin Tree with Zoroark and the rest of his Pokémon.

To solve the problem of Chen Mo being forced to trigger the Time Flowers, Zoroark had proposed a solution.

"This staff is an artifact Lord Aaron used ever since he was an apprentice. The stone embedded in it is made from the finest Aura Ore."

"Aura Ore?"

Chen Mo took the staff Zoroark handed him, looking somewhat puzzled.

Seeing this, Zoroark smiled gently. It then raised one paw and pointed toward the red-glowing crystalline stones around them, quickly explaining:

"Lord Chen Mo, these stones are actually Aura Ore. When the World-Origin Tree was still in good condition, these ores could transmit the World-Origin Tree's Aura, allowing it to protect all living things."

"I see..."

Chen Mo nodded.

He remembered that in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the Aura Guardian known as Sir Aaron—who was also a member of the Aaron family—had illuminated the crystalline ores scattered throughout the area surrounding the World-Origin Tree when he transferred his Aura to Mew, ultimately bringing the war to an end.

At the time, Chen Mo had not quite understood what was happening.

But now, it seemed that Sir Aaron had used the Aura Ore to channel the Aura of himself, Mew, and the World-Origin Tree, thereby influencing the thoughts of countless humans and Pokémon.

Returning to the matter at hand.

This Aura staff, crafted from Aura Ore, had originally been left behind by Aaron to protect the young Zorua. Whenever Zorua, holding the staff, encountered an attack, the staff's defensive mechanism would automatically activate.

However, as a universally acknowledged "Aura Guardian," Aaron was a true master when it came to Aura.

Although the Aura staff was an artifact Aaron had used since his apprenticeship, as Aaron grew stronger, he had also modified and improved the staff countless times.

In short.

Even a novice Aura user like Chen Mo could easily use the staff to temporarily isolate his own Aura from its surroundings.

"No wonder he's the Aura Guardian. That's incredible."

Looking at the Time Flower that had finally survived, Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.

At the same time.

Zoroark's voice came from not far away.

"Lord Chen Mo, I found it. This should be the place where I used to attack the barrier. You can come over now."

After making their promise the previous night, Chen Mo had wanted Zoroark to stop addressing him so formally.

But the big fox was simply too stubborn.

Even after Chen Mo tried persuading it for quite some time, Zoroark still refused to change, insisting on calling him "Lord Chen Mo."

There was nothing Chen Mo could do.

He could only let it be.

"Coming, coming."

Slowly getting to his feet from beside the Time Flower, Chen Mo quickly walked toward the direction in which Zoroark was waving.

Soon.

Chen Mo saw it.

Under Zoroark's touch, a pale-blue barrier rippled through the air like waves on the surface of water.

The viewers in the livestream immediately began flooding the chat with all sorts of comments.

[According to Zoroark, this barrier was jointly established by the Aura Guardians who entered the World-Origin Tree. So here's the question: why did they do it?]

[Maybe to keep ordinary people from going inside and getting in the way. Sometimes the thing you have to fear most isn't an enemy that's too strong, but an ally who's a total liability.]

[So true.]

Looking at the comments rolling past, Chen Mo, who felt that he probably didn't qualify as a liability, spoke up to explain on behalf of those respectable Aura Guardians.

"When I introduced Aura Ore earlier, I mentioned that the World-Origin Tree possesses an instinctive defensive mechanism. Based on my guess, when the Aura Guardians entered the World-Origin Tree together, they probably discovered that the World-Origin Tree had activated its own defenses."

"So, to prevent ordinary people from accidentally entering this area and being devoured by the World-Origin Tree, they established the barrier we see before us."

After briefly explaining the situation, Chen Mo turned his attention to the barrier.

Zoroark actually had no idea how to open it.

However.

Zoroark had found the place where it had repeatedly attacked the barrier during its rampage fueled by resentment.

According to its guess, the seal here should be weaker than elsewhere.

And from this point onward, it would be up to Chen Mo himself.

Gripping the staff tightly in his left hand, Chen Mo placed his right hand against the barrier's pale-blue surface.

"Aura... is in my heart..."

The Aura Ore atop the staff sensed the Aura Chen Mo released and began glowing with a brilliant azure light, continuously strengthening the Aura flowing toward the barrier.

Zoroark watched the ripples spreading across the barrier nervously.

"Lord Chen Mo... Lord Aaron..."

After such a long period of time.

It had finally waited for two humans.

If Chen Mo still couldn't break the World-Origin Tree's seal this time, Zoroark would truly lose all hope.

Knowing that the responsibility on his shoulders was enormous, Chen Mo kept recalling the promise he had made to Zoroark the previous night as he desperately increased the output of his Aura through Aaron's staff.

However.

Time passed second by second.

The ripples across the pale-blue barrier became more numerous and increasingly violent.

But.

The barrier itself never opened.

Not even the slightest crack appeared.

"Jira!"

Jirachi grew anxious.

"Pika-pika!"

Understanding what Jirachi was thinking, Pikachu gave it an encouraging look.

Seeing this.

Jirachi no longer hesitated.

It placed its little white hand on Chen Mo's shoulder and simultaneously activated its Wish power and Aura, continuously channeling both into Chen Mo.

Soon.

Zoroark saw it.

The pale-blue barrier churned like boiling water, wave after wave of ripples surging across its surface.

"We have a chance!"

Zoroark excitedly clenched its fists.

The viewers in the livestream were equally astonished.

[I'd thought Jirachi was just a mascot, but I never expected it to have such a special ability! Can it use Aura too?]

[This is looking good! Jirachi is carrying the team!]

[Come on, Teacher Mo!]

The Pokémon and countless viewers in the livestream silently encouraged Chen Mo and Jirachi.

But Marshadow, hidden within the Shadow Realm inside Chen Mo's shadow, was frowning deeply.

As a Pokémon that could also use a little Aura, Marshadow could sense something the others couldn't.

Although the barrier was making an enormous commotion now, fundamentally, it had not changed in the slightest.

In other words.

Chen Mo and Jirachi's efforts didn't seem to be having much effect.

"Something's wrong..."

Marshadow was puzzled.

If what Zoroark had said was true—if Chen Mo possessed the strongest Aura of any human it had encountered apart from Aaron—

then, with Chen Mo and Jirachi working together, breaking a barrier seal created by a group of Aura Guardians should have been easy.

So why...

Just as Marshadow was struggling to understand, a soft rainbow-colored light suddenly blossomed before it.

Marshadow froze.

It hurriedly took out the Rainbow Wing it had treasured.

Feeling the energy fluctuations radiating from the feather, Marshadow murmured:

"Lord Ho-Oh..."

At the same time.

Chen Mo, whose strength was rapidly draining away, suddenly felt a strange energy surge into his body.

It was completely different from Aura.

"This is..."

Chen Mo was stunned.

Then.

He discovered that his palm passed effortlessly through the pale-blue barrier that had previously been impenetrable.

At this moment.

Chen Mo could feel that with just a little force, he could tear an opening in the barrier.

"It's Lord Ho-Oh!"

Marshadow's voice came quickly.

"Lord Ho-Oh has used its power to help you. But I don't know how long this assistance will last, so you need to hurry!"

"I understand!"

Although countless thoughts flashed through Chen Mo's mind, he didn't dare hesitate.

He thrust his left hand, still holding the staff, through the barrier as well.

"Open!"

With a low roar from Chen Mo.

Rainbow-colored light burst from his palm.

Little by little, the barrier began to open, forming a passage leading into the World-Origin Tree.

"Finally..."

The barrier that had blocked Zoroark for such a long time was finally broken.

Looking at the World-Origin Tree, which now seemed close enough to touch, Zoroark was momentarily dazed.

"Pika-pika!"

At that moment, Pikachu shouted a warning.

Zoroark finally snapped back to reality when it saw Chen Mo struggling to hold the barrier open. It hurriedly darted forward, following Pikachu through the opening.

Once Chen Mo saw that all of his Pokémon had safely reached the other side, he freed his right hand and scooped Jirachi into his arms.

As the barrier rapidly closed, he rolled forward and safely entered the interior as well.

"Lord Chen Mo!"

Zoroark was filled with guilt.

It hurriedly helped Chen Mo up from the ground and was about to say something when Chen Mo, his face full of excitement, suddenly wrapped his arms around it and enthusiastically slapped it on the shoulder.

Breaking through the barrier meant that they were one step closer to fulfilling their promise, and Chen Mo was visibly thrilled.

"We did it, Zoroark!"

Zoroark froze slightly.

Then it revealed an incomparably gentle smile.

"Yes. We did it, Lord Chen Mo. Thank you. You're truly incredible."

"Ahahaha~"

Embarrassed by the praise, Chen Mo released Zoroark and scratched his head before looking toward the unmistakable World-Origin Tree glowing red in the distance.

"We finally made it..."

Chen Mo murmured.

Inside the Shadow Realm.

Marshadow watched as the light gradually faded from the Rainbow Wing, returning it to its original state, and frowned deeply.

"What's wrong, Marshadow?"

Chen Mo's voice echoed through its mind.

Marshadow stared at the Rainbow Wing in its hand and spoke with some confusion.

"I sensed Lord Ho-Oh's presence in that barrier earlier..."

"Ho-Oh..."

For a moment, Chen Mo didn't know what to say.

Apart from his time in Hongjingpo Forest, almost every stage of Chen Mo's journey seemed to have some connection to Ho-Oh.

In Viridian Forest.

Suicune, one of Ho-Oh's legendary beasts, saved Chen Mo when he was on the verge of being killed by Hydreigon and later sent him Marshadow, who had become one of Chen Mo's most important companions.

At Cangqing Mountain.

When the crystallization incident came to an end, Ho-Oh had seemingly used the Unown to resurrect the humans who had perished in the disaster.

And now.

Ho-Oh had intervened once again.

Although Chen Mo didn't know what this Rainbow God was thinking, or why it refused to let Marshadow tell him the truth, he was still sincerely grateful to Ho-Oh.

Without its help from the shadows, it would indeed have been difficult for him to come this far.

"Don't overthink it, Marshadow. Didn't you say that before?"

Chen Mo comforted Marshadow, having already vaguely sensed that something was unusual.

"Ho-Oh has a close relationship with Mew, so it must know something about the World-Origin Tree's troubles. It's perfectly normal for it to reinforce the barrier with another layer of protection."

"Don't worry. I'll do my best to resolve what comes next."

The closer Chen Mo got to the World-Origin Tree, the more red-glowing Aura Ore he found.

The Aura Guardians, and even Ho-Oh, had placed such a powerful barrier around the World-Origin Tree to prevent it from affecting the outside world.

The danger within was self-evident.

Chen Mo said nothing more.

He carefully released his Aura, observing his surroundings as he slowly approached the World-Origin Tree.

And then.

The countless viewers in the livestream suddenly saw Chen Mo stop in his tracks.

Immediately afterward.

Pikachu, Absol, Zoroark, and the other Pokémon moved as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, rapidly spreading out and surrounding Chen Mo.

"That's!?"

Sitting in front of the screen, Zhou Yichuan's eyes narrowed.

As Gengar adjusted the camera angle, he saw it.

The red-glowing Aura Crystals seemed to come alive, constantly churning.

Then, one by one, strange Pokémon of various shapes, their features somewhat indistinct, struggled and transformed their way out of the crystals.

"Omanyte, Kabuto, Swablu..."

With his extensive knowledge of Pokémon, Zhou Yichuan quickly identified the abnormal Pokémon created by the Aura Crystals.

His heart sank.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of fully formed abnormal Pokémon had already rushed toward Chen Mo and the others at incredible speed.

Yet.

At this moment, Chen Mo beneath the camera showed not the slightest trace of panic.

Looking at the Pokémon flying toward them, he spoke calmly, as though he had expected this all along.

"As expected, we've been classified as intruders."

"In that case, let's do it!"

There was no need for Chen Mo to remind them.

The Pokémon had already known about the plan since the previous night. Each of them rapidly gathered energy and unleashed their widest-area attacks.

In an instant.

As violent winds and beams of various energies swept outward, each abnormal Pokémon glowing red exploded the moment the attacks struck them.

Zhou Yichuan stared at the scene in a daze.

"Why does this... feel a little strange...?"

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