Origin Island

## Geography

Origin Island is a fairly large landmass, roughly three miles from one end to the other, with many smaller, scattered islands around it. Prior to the present, the islands were kept afloat in the earth's atmosphere via the Tree of Beginning; at present, they float in the Astrean Sea due to both residual psychic energy and large empty pockets of air within the cave systems in the island itself. Origin Island is largely made up of grassy plains and sparse forests, the forest increasing in density around the base of the Tree of Beginning. The tree itself is inextricably tied with the island, the crystal roots of it extending throughout the entire landmass and even out to the outlying islands around it.

## History

Thousands of years ago, when the Cataclysm occurred, not every Legendary agreed with Arceus's decision. Mew, their firstborn, opposed it the most strongly of all. After all, she thought of all life, and every will as a gift, both human and pokemon. She thought the circumstances of one's birth shouldn't define who they are, or how they'd be treated. So, when humanity was wiped out, Mew felt an immeasurable sense of grief and loss - The loss of a family larger than any one being could ever comprehend. As a way to comfort her, as well as a way to give her a sense of purpose and responsibility, Arceus entrusted her with the Mind Plate, one of the fragments they shed during the Cataclysm, so she could use it for her own purposes and keep it safe from harm. What she chose to do with it was to return to a structure she had linked herself with over the years - The Tree of Beginning. She'd return with the pokemon family she still had.. And cordon themselves off from the world forever, so that nobody could hurt her or them ever again like her father had. At first, she wasn't sure how - But she realized, eventually, that together, her, the tree, and the plate could act like a circuit. The plate would store massive amounts of psychic energy like a battery, and the tree could fuel it and use the energy - But it required a conscious mind to direct it, otherwise the tree would output the energy randomly. Without purpose.

Mew knew what she had to do. She got comfortable in the innermost sanctum of the tree, assigning her closest friends to guard herself.. And fell asleep, clutching the plate. In her mind, in her dreams, she could direct the plate and use its' energy to reach out to any mind on the planet. The tree lifted from the earth, its' roots deeply entrenched into the landscape.. It pulled up miles of earth and ground with it, miles of stone, forming an island. And there, in the sky, it would remain for thousands of years. However, energy couldn't come from nowhere.. This tree needed some sort of psychic power to keep the island afloat, and the Mind Plate itself simply wasn't enough. Thus, came the curse of Origin Island. Any psychic pokemon who would come near the island would lose any psychic ability completely and utterly, the Tree absorbing it to cause the island to float. Eventually, though.. Mew realized her family would die of old age. There would be nobody left. So, she made yet another decision. She scoured the earth with the psychic power the Plate afforded her, and found a champion. One that would be noble, and wouldn't exploit the resources of Origin Island - wouldn't exploit her, or her friends. She summoned them to the island, teleporting them there.. And thus began a long legacy of heroes, those she deemed worthy, siring her children, caring for them, and eventually returning to the planet below, or residing on the paradise in the sky until the day they died.

And thousands of years later, the cycle would come to an end.

## The Tree of Beginning

The Tree of Beginning is a marvelous thing, paradoxical and strange. It seems to be a tree, a mountain and a living thing all at once, and existed far before the cataclysm - If Mew is to be believed, it existed far before even humanity. The size of a skyscraper, the tree is made entirely of Origin Crystal, a highly psychically reactive substance that can't be found anywhere in the world. It's the unique qualities of this substance that would allow Origin Island to float, the tree's roots exuding an invisible field that would suck any psychic energy into themselves like water would enter the roots of a plant, the tree using psychic power both for its' own sustenance and to keep the island afloat.

The interior of the tree has been carved into countless passages and chambers, apart from the natural ones that exist, and is the primary home for many, if not most mews on Origin Island. Despite the tree's growing and self-regenerative properties, the rooms and corridors Mews carve don't seem to 'heal' or close in on themselves, except to repair any damage done or to erase corridors Mew hybrids block up with spare Origin Crystal to erase. Most mews believe the Tree of Beginning itself is a living, sentient being, and yearly celebrations happen to celebrate and thank it for both keeping them safe and providing crystal to help facilitate their way of life.

For more information on the Tree of Beginning, refer to this article.

## The Fall

Just as Mew wasn't content with Arceus's final decision, not all were happy with Mew's. Much closer to the present, thousands upon thousands of years since the Champion Cycle had begun, a child of Mew named Antares jumped, to experience the world below. Some time after that, however... That same world had been cruel, to him. He lamented that he was separated from his mother, that Origin Island was doomed to be forever in the sky above, isolated, and he lamented that the island robbed his brothers and sisters of the abilities he believed were their birthright. So, together, with one that had lead him astray, the Cinderace-Mew hybrid came up with a plan - A plan to bring Origin Island down, once and for all.

And despite the efforts of Maria, Ava, Tessa and even Rayquaza.. His plan succeeded.

## Present

Antares's plans had succeeded. The Island had fallen. But.. Despite this, it wasn't all bad. Unknown to Antares, and most, save Mew herself, severing Mew from the mind plate would shatter her spirit and set it adrift. She had become too inextricably tied with the legendary artifact. The moment Antares shattered the plate, though, and the island began to fall without a power source.. He realized this, and sacrificed his own spirit to trade it for hers, saving her and bringing her to wake for the first time since the Cataclysm itself. Antares, himself, fell into a coma, where he still remains.

In the present, the Children of Mew - all her hybrids - are uncertain, but hopeful for the future. Many who were once severed from the isolated isle have returned home to protect it, while others have left - this time, without fear of death from falling. After their island came to rest in the Astrean Sea, the hybrids on the island started to frantically work to make docks and infrastructure, and prepare for potential visitors - Both to welcome, and guard. Mew herself is awake, and has a new perspective that she once sorely lacked, when she made Origin Island in the first place. As much loss as there is, no matter how much death, there will always be a reason to live and continue on - to put hope both in oneself and others.