Haru immediately recognized who she was.
During his last time-travel incident, he had crossed paths with Miss Iono from five years ago—sharing what could only be described as a remarkably convincing one-night stand.
But just like Cinderella's magic, that connection was never meant to last. The spell broke. Haru couldn't stay in that era forever.
After helping the struggling Miss Iono regain her footing—and watching her rise to become an Electric-type Trainer—Haru had no choice but to return to the present.
So... why the hell was Iono here? Wasn't she supposed to be a streamer in Paldea? What was she doing in Area Zero of all places?
Could she be here to catch one of those iron-clad paradox Pokémon?
Hiding in the shadows and staring at her slim back, Haru was full of questions.
But whatever the reason behind her presence, her current situation was clearly dire.
Aside from her Bellibolt, which was barely standing, the rest of her team had already been knocked out and returned to their Poké Balls.
Her opponent, while also visibly worn out, still had a Pokémon on the field—locked in combat with her struggling Bellibolt.
As someone who had grown up with generations of Pokémon anime and games, Haru recognized the opposing Pokémon in a single glance—it resembled a Delibird, but it was anything but that.
Iron Bundle. That was its real name.
It looked a lot like a Delibird, sure, but in terms of stats and personality? Not even close.
In the games, Delibird had a miserable base stat total of 330. Even Kricketune would laugh.
But Iron Bundle? That thing had 570 base stats—on par with pseudo-legendaries. Maybe it wasn't a "god" per se, but it was leagues above ordinary Pokémon.
And this one? It was clearly in peak condition, capable of unleashing its full destructive power.
Even though Electric-types had an advantage, the gap in strength here was just too wide. Iono's Bellibolt was going to get steamrolled.
If Haru had to guess, Iono would lose within ten minutes. Cue the defeat cutscene.
What he couldn't understand, though, was how Iono still had the energy to hold her streaming rig mid-battle—even as she stood on the brink of annihilation.
Worse, she was still interacting with her viewers.
"This-this-this Delibird knock-off hits like a truck! If a normal mon took one of those hits, they'd need like ten thousand lives to survive!"
Panicking as she gave a live commentary of the battle, Iono then turned her tear-streaked face to the camera and pleaded:
"Come on, guys. Look at how miserable I am. Give me a follow, please? If you follow me today, you might become my first batch of fans in the afterlife!"
"If I can't stream while alive, I'll just continue after death. So please… support Iono, meow."
"...?"
From a distance, Haru was genuinely speechless.
This woman's commitment to the bit… was terrifying.
Even on death's door, she was still streaming. What kind of mental fortitude was this?
But fine. This was the moment. If Haru didn't step in now, Iono was going to end up as Iono-chan, may she rest in peace.
"KWAAAH!!"
Iron Bundle let out a piercing cry as it charged up its most powerful Ice-type move—Ice Beam.
That was it. Iono's livestreaming arms finally faltered. She hadn't expected this "Delibird" to still pack such explosive force after such a prolonged scuffle.
If that hit landed…
She'd be shredded like Frenda. Or Mami Tomoe.
She was going to die. She was really going to die!
Watching the blinding beam of ice scream toward her, Iono squeezed her eyes shut in pure panic and fear.
Ha… She'd joked so many times on stream about "ascending to heaven," and now she was finally making the trip.
In her stream chat, the viewers were no longer playful. The barrage of comments now looked like a panicked school of Wishiwashi.
"No, please, not like this…"
"Why Iono? Why now? Why this pain…?"
"Why is there no miracle when we need it most?"
Paldean viewers, fans, even fellow Trainers watching the stream—despair washed over them all.
The disaster had come so suddenly. The Pokémon Iono was up against were just… insane.
Many Trainers asked themselves: Could I have done better?
The Pokémon League had already dispatched reinforcements. But reaching Iono's location would take time—and she clearly didn't have much left.
Just another second or two, and this beloved Gym Leader would fall.
But then… she didn't feel the ice.
Was she already dead? Had the pain faded along with her soul?
Confused, Iono opened her eyes. Before she could even make out what she was seeing, she heard a voice—low and resolute.
"I'll protect you!"
It was a voice she knew—one she had searched for endlessly and never found. And yet, here it was, right now, in this place.
In the next instant, she saw him. That same young man from her memories—Haru—standing right before her, taking the full brunt of the Ice Beam.
It had been five years, yet time had left no mark on him. He looked exactly the same.
Watching his back, Iono was transported back to that summer five years ago. He had shielded her then… just like now.
But it wasn't over yet.
Despite being just a human, Haru—after tanking the move—launched himself straight at the stunned Iron Bundle.
And then… he struck.
The energy he unleashed wasn't normal. It glowed with the power of Moonblast, a move only a handful of Fairy-types could use.
But how could a human use a Pokémon's move—and at that level of power?
Iron Bundle, known for its blazing Speed and Special Attack, had always suffered from poor Special Defense. Unprepared, it took the full brunt of the Moonblast and was blasted away.
Even as it tumbled through the air, the mechanical gleam in its eyes showed nothing but shock—utter disbelief at what had just happened.
My move was flawless… so why…?
This entire scene had been captured on Iono's still-rolling livestream.
The trainers of Paldea froze.
The miracle they had hoped for had actually arrived—though in a form they could hardly comprehend.
Since when… could humans fight Pokémon?
"KWAAAH!"
Wounded and humiliated, Iron Bundle let out one last shriek before turning tail and fleeing at max speed.
Haru had half a mind to throw a Shadow Ball at it as it ran, but it was already gone.
From the furious look it gave them before disappearing, though, it was probably going to hold a grudge—and might just return for revenge.
Meanwhile, Iono was just starting to process what had happened.
Her emotions were a mess: relief from surviving, embarrassment from being seen in such a sorry state, and something else—an emotion she couldn't even name.
She opened her mouth, ready to say something witty to break the tension, to reclaim her usual persona.
But what she ended up blurting out… surprised even herself:
"Um… Could you give me back my underwear now?"
"..."