Halfway up the Tree of Beginning, Lorze and Mew walked at the very front of the group, leading the girls behind them like tour guides as they strolled upwards. Beneath their feet, the continuous "rustle, rustle" sounds of stepping on the grass could be heard.
It could be seen that everyone was traveling light. They brought almost no luggage at all. After all, Lorze's system storage box could hold a sufficient amount of things. It could definitely be considered a highly convenient walking luggage storage!
At a fork in the uphill path, the pink little cat floating in the air sucked on her paw and observed for a moment. She then craned her neck forward and sniffed, before waving her small paw to point to the path on the right.
"Mew❤~ This way will be easier to walk!"
What? She's actually using her sense of smell to distinguish the path!? Lorze teased in his heart, but still very trustingly followed Mew's pace, because up until now, the little kitty's route-finding hadn't had a single flaw.
"Thank you, Mew. And everyone in the back... make sure to keep up! This uphill slope... if anyone finds it inconvenient, please help each other out~"
"Yes——" "Got it~"
Hearing the messy yet vibrant responses mixed together from his wives, Lorze hooked the corners of his mouth with great gratification: Just looking at the smiles and relaxed state on everyone's faces, one could tell that taking the whole family out for a picnic was indeed a very correct decision.
The five mothers who had already given birth were sandwiched in the middle of the group, holding their respective babies. This was because Lorze, as a husband and father, neither wanted the mothers and daughters walking at the very front to encounter sudden danger, nor was he afraid they wouldn't be able to keep up with the main group and get lost if they were at the very back.
Even though someone as powerful as Mewtwo felt such an arrangement was truly unnecessary, Lorze was still very insistent. Because these ladies and their daughters truly held a very heavy weight in the young man's heart. Therefore, the girls ultimately couldn't out-stubborn him.
Also out of consideration for taking care of the mothers, the marching speed of the entire group wasn't considered fast. However, since it was a picnic and not a rushed journey, the slow pace actually allowed everyone to calm down and properly appreciate the scenery along the way—the wilderness was a wonderland where the golden autumn wind brought refreshing coolness and the maple forests were dyed completely red. The blooming autumn chrysanthemums and abundant fruits all over the mountains and plains painted a picture of the harvest season. The autumn scenery of the Tree of Beginning was unimaginably beautiful.
However, occasionally passing through caves, there were leaks everywhere, bringing a chilling coldness. The gloomy, cold environment couldn't compare to the magnificent scenery outside. Yet, those glowing crystals growing in clusters like bamboo shoots were exceptionally beautiful and eye-catching.
"This crystal? It's very beautiful..."
Actually, Hatterene's pretty, large eyes were even a bit more beautiful than the crystals. But curiosity still drove the witch to extend the tentacle on her hat towards that magical-looking existence.
However, the beautiful luster of the crystals wasn't something everyone was happy to appreciate. At least to Mewtwo, who was beside Hatterene, it was somewhat glaring. These crystals were exactly the "white blood cell"-like existence of the Tree of Beginning, which had almost swallowed her most deeply beloved husband back then.
Even though she already knew this thing wouldn't proactively cause trouble, she couldn't suppress that subconscious resistance in her heart, so much so that she subconsciously stopped Hatterene's action.
"Ah! That is... it's best not to touch that."
"Mhm? Big Sister?"
Now, not only Hatterene, but a few other young girls who married in later also developed some interest in this crystal. Mewtwo then half-jokingly introduced to them how terrifying these things could be when the Tree of Beginning got angry.
"They will transform into the appearance of Pokémon and patrol back and forth in the Tree of Beginning area. If they encounter a person, they will swallow them whole, like 'chomp' in one bite!"
Holding Ah Meng, Mewtwo suddenly made a ferocious grimace, intending to express the terror of the Tree of Beginning's defense mechanism. However, the Ah Meng in her arms not only didn't cry from fear, but was instead amused by her mom's weird expression. This made Mewtwo feel a burst of awkwardness: Oh my, is this baby Lorze fathered really this bold? She'll truly be quite a handful in the future...
But since Ah Meng was ignorant after all, after Mewtwo's explanation, those few younger sisters were actually a little scared.
"Wow, r-really!? Then wouldn't it be very dangerous!? Are we really okay being here?"
Seeing that she really frightened the younger sisters, Mewtwo couldn't help but playfully cover her mouth and let out a silver-bell-like sweet laugh.
"Yes, but actually they won't eat Pokémon, they only eat humans. Probably because... the Tree of Beginning doesn't like being disturbed by humans."
Mewtwo looked up at Lorze at the very front of the group and continued with a sweet smile: "Hehe, let me tell you guys, our damn husband, the first time he came to the Tree of Beginning, he actually got swallowed whole~"
Thinking back to the time when they first came to the Tree of Beginning to look for Pikachu, Jirachi, and Mew, their understanding of the Tree of Beginning wasn't clear yet. The rampaging Tree of Beginning swallowing Lorze truly terrified Mewtwo, Gardevoir, and the rest of the sisters. That feeling of complete despair still throbbed faintly when she thought about it today. Mewtwo felt she would probably never forget it for the rest of her life.
Fortunately, this guy Lorze turned out to have everything under control, and the matter was ultimately successfully resolved. Lorze also gained the recognition of the Tree of Beginning as a human. He not only pacified the Tree of Beginning's anger but also successfully married the cute Mew—who, perhaps in a biological sense, is closer to being Mewtwo's "mother".
Mewtwo's words completely hooked the younger sisters' curiosity. After all, the usual Mewtwo was always busy taking care of the baby and didn't seem to have talked much about such things.
Under their strong request, Mewtwo vividly recounted the adventure stories she had experienced together with Lorze while walking. Not just the encounter with Mew, but tracing back even further, starting from their very first meeting, and then how they found Gardevoir, and also Latias...
In short, all of these were extremely precious memories between them. Sharing these memories with the younger sisters who were also family members wasn't a bad idea either. Mewtwo felt that taking advantage of the current opportunity of traveling outdoors to tell everyone stories seemed to draw the family's feelings closer and make them more intimate. They were both closest sisters and good friends. Such an experience was quite nice too~
The new wives gathered around Big Sister were all listening entranced. Because Mewtwo told it engagingly and it was full of joy for those days, the thick emotional tone of happiness in her voice was also very infectious.
This inevitably made the few younger sisters very envious of the older sisters who had met Lorze earliest. But they understood: Lorze was also slowly creating memories like this together with them, just like right now during this outdoor picnic.
Even, they could also become mothers just like the older sisters now. In short... the time belonging to them was still long enough.
"Alright, let's go, let's go, or else we'll fall behind the group~"
Seeing a steep slope ahead, the maid Indeedee volunteered to help support Mewtwo, who was holding her daughter. But the latter waved her hand, directly took the Ah Meng in her arms, flew into the air, and went up the high slope. This left the younger sisters below, who could only walk on their feet, standing disheveled in the wind.
You must know... not all Pokémon can fly. Just like Groudon... no, no, just like Hatterene, they can only slowly inch their way up bit by bit.
Mewtwo shrugged with a bit of resentful reproach: Did they really think she was a weak mother? You must know, even in Lorze's harem, her combat power is among the very best!
"So that's why I said, at the end of the day, we are still powerful Pokémon. We've been so spoiled by that guy, we almost completely see ourselves as frail humans now."
Although she said that, Mewtwo still revealed a faint smile: This is actually pretty nice too.
It's as if Lorze had never treated them as powerful Pokémon with physical fitness far exceeding humans, but rather treated them as ordinary human women. And precisely because of this, he took very good care of them. They almost forgot that theirs was an interspecies romance.
How could the delicate older sister resent Lorze's actions? Their gentle husband always cared for them very well. It's just that the days were too cozy, almost making their combat abilities regress. To think they had even undergone special training together back then.
Mewtwo's side was one scene; the other side was a different scene.
Compared to the mothers who had many restrictions, the young girls who hadn't had babies yet appeared unrestrained. Not to mention the six Florges sisters and Milotic, especially Zorua and Ponyta. The two young girls, who had a very good relationship, played and frolicked non-stop along the way, rolling around in the brightly blooming chrysanthemum bushes, releasing their wild nature in nature to their heart's content.
Even while playing recklessly, they could easily keep up with the group and even run to the front. They were inevitably praised by the older sisters for their radiant vitality. The two little girls giggled silly, their two tails almost pointing to the sky.
Rapidash and Zoroark smiled tacitly: It's rare to go out on a trip. They didn't act as buzzkills to discipline their mischievous, active daughters anymore. Today, they would just let the two little troublemakers do as they pleased.
As for Meowstic, who had been pregnant for over a month, because her little belly had already begun to develop, and sexy stretch marks under her fur could even be faintly seen, she received special care from the meticulous Lorze.
Knowing the little cat girl was a bit inconvenienced in her movements, Lorze made an exception and allowed her to sit on his right shoulder, which she had been doing ever since they started climbing.
Not only that, Lorze was also afraid Meowstic would be uncomfortable sitting there, so he asked her frequently. He always wanted to give his pregnant wives meticulous care. The young man himself couldn't say if this was because of his wives themselves or because of the babies in their wombs.
"If you get tired of sitting, you have to tell me, Meowstic? You're a pregnant woman right now, you can have some little privileges~"
The young man shrugged his shoulders, lifting the chubby little cat girl up a bit. The shoulder bone under Meowstic's chubby buttocks was somewhat hard and poked her butt, but Meowstic looked as if she was enjoying herself.
"Mmh yeah meow, it's very comfortable right now meow. Lorze is the best meow❤~ Love you meow❤!"
Meowstic shifted her firm little butt and hugged Lorze's head. The purring sound coming from her throat was an expression of her happiness. Whether sitting on Lorze's shoulder or being held in Lorze's arms, she felt incredibly happy.
On the young man's left shoulder sat the cute Mime Jr. She had climbed up at some unknown time and was currently making crisp "crunch crunch" sounds while chewing on a biscuit.
Somewhat similar to the pregnant Meowstic, Mime Jr. also sported a surprisingly large butt. Perhaps this was the only highlight on her flat figure.
After the little one finished the small snack in her hand, she immediately imitated Meowstic's action and affectionately hugged Lorze's head. Her seductive charm was no less than the cat girl's. After all, her voice possessed a different kind of sweetness, along with a slightly spoiled, cutesy tone. Lorze was very receptive to it.
"Mime❤~"
Besides this, the young man was also surrounded by Celebi and Jirachi playing and frolicking floating in the air, plus Mew leading the way at the front. Lorze was practically surrounded by his petite loli wives!
Lorze said I'm definitely not a pedophile, but my loli wives are truly very cute, aren't they? Even... they exude a maternal radiance from time to time too.
Amidst a burst of joyful laughter, Lorze's family, under Mew's guidance, unknowingly arrived at an elevated area in the upper level of the Tree of Beginning—this was a very open grassy area, and the field of vision was also excellent. It carried quite an artistic conception of the sky being high and vast.
Mew surveyed the surroundings and nodded in extreme satisfaction. Her confident, hands-on-hips posture even more vividly displayed the cuteness ingrained in her bones.
"Mew~ Mew thinks this place is very good. What does Lorze think?"
"This place is indeed very nice. There's no need to go any further up. Let's just stay here. Thank you, Mew!"
Because Mime Jr. and Meowstic were sitting on Lorze's shoulders, it wasn't convenient for him to reach out and pet the pink little cat. Therefore, it was Mew who proactively bumped into Lorze's embrace and rubbed against him affectionately. And Lorze also smiled and hugged his precious Mew, very enthusiastically accepting her acting spoiled.
Since they had already arrived at their destination, Lorze took the opportunity to sit cross-legged on the grass. Meowstic and Mime Jr. could then very conveniently jump down from the young man's shoulders onto the grass. Lorze, on the other hand, raised his arms high, stretching and loosening his muscles and joints. After all, having walked so much with two chubby little beauties sitting on his shoulders, it would be a lie to say his shoulders weren't sore at all.
However... looking down from a commanding height, the dazzling golden autumn of the Tree of Beginning area was in full view. The faintly continuous mountain ranges in the distance were also visible at a glance. Presumably, this is the most suitable endpoint for this climbing trip.
Whether it was the distant view or the close-up view, it was incomparably wonderful, drawing bursts of sighs from the wives. Taking out the PokéNav Lorze bought for them to take a beautiful picture was naturally a matter of course. But beyond that, the urge to take a group photo together with Lorze was equally irrepressible.
"Hu hu... Honey, do you want to take a photo together here?"
"Of course. Actually, I've already prepared. I even brought a dedicated camera and tripod!"
Even large and highly inconvenient items like this could be stored and retrieved at will. The convenience of the system's storage box space was evident.
With Deoxys's help, Lorze set up the camera far away, while also setting the automatic shooting countdown.
The young man returned to the center surrounded by his wives. With a bit of embarrassment, he linked arms with his wives, embracing them left and right. The corners of his mouth were harder to suppress than an AK recoil.
"Everyone, look towards the camera. 1, 2, 3——"
"Cheese~"
Thus, Lorze and his wives left behind a large group photo here—a happy and perfect family climbing high to gaze far during the Double Ninth season. Their background was also the vast, ethereal golden autumn mountains.
Not only that, Lorze also acted like a model and took a two-person photo with every single wife. Only then were the greedy little girls completely satisfied. Although it was a bit tiring, it brought out the flower-like smiles of the young girls. Lorze felt it was very worth it.
"Hu hu, coming to such a high place is also quite tiring. Then let's just play here. From now on, it's free time~"
Little did he know, Zoroark actually pulled out a bottle of pre-prepared chrysanthemum wine from her dense, fluffy hair. Her gaze looking at Lorze inevitably carried an extra hint of lecherous cunning...