It was Mew! It was finally going to make a move!
Maybe this was Arceus's way of compensating Haru. Though he'd been imprisoned in the depths of the Great Crater right after arriving in this world, the moment he crossed over, he also encountered the mythical Pokémon—Mew.
Haru had no idea why Mew was in Area Zero, but that place was already a crossroads of time and space—nothing that showed up there would be too surprising.
Back then, Mew was still... "pure." And it had taken a great interest in Haru, the visitor from another world.
Something about him just called out to Mew's instincts—this special human was bound to be entertaining. Fun. A walking chaos magnet.
And so, Mew followed him. Thanks to that, Haru managed to survive in the dangerous Area Zero. In fact, it was during an incident there that he saved a severely injured Flutter Mane.
That Flutter Mane became his second Pokémon.
However... once Mew realized Haru could fend for himself, it started slacking off.
It gradually sank into the abyss of a shut-in otaku lifestyle—gaming nonstop, binge-watching anime, and researching "human cultural heritage," aka... stuff you couldn't show to kids.
Its appearances in battle became increasingly rare.
During Haru's last time-travel incident, he even got Mew a pair of bunny-ear headphones, specifically for when it was watching that kind of content—so it wouldn't scare Flutter Mane again.
Last time, Flutter Mane caught a glimpse of what Mew was watching and was so traumatized it didn't leave Haru's side for days.
So now, seeing Mew fired up and ready to fight was a rare moment. As its Trainer, Haru naturally had to give it the chance.
What Haru didn't expect was that Mew's motivation wasn't noble at all.
Nope—it had spent the entire night binging "bondage-themed instructional material."
And wouldn't you know it—Lusamine, that young and voluptuous widow, just happened to resemble the protagonist of one of those... lessons.
Inspiration struck like lightning. Mew was now desperate to wipe out the trash mobs so it could invite its Trainer and that woman to act out a little "performance."
So without wasting even a second, Mew descended into view—a Pokémon said to be capable of learning every move there is.
It floated lazily midair, eyes half-lidded, tail flicking back and forth like a bored cat. You'd never guess it was surrounded.
"M-Mew?!"
The moment it appeared, gasps broke out all around.
Not just from the grunts of the Aether Foundation—even Lusamine, who'd maintained her poise this entire time, looked visibly shocked.
They all knew what Mew's appearance meant.
No one doubted that Haru had strong Pokémon. But no one expected that the one he relied on most would be Mew.
"Mew—set up Psychic Terrain, then hit them all with Expanding Force!"
"And easy on the output. Don't want the place collapsing on us."
With just two simple commands, Haru sealed their path to victory.
"Crap, take it down now!"
The Aether Foundation grunts panicked as they scrambled to respond. Who could've predicted they'd run into a mythical Pokémon during a routine op?
A mythical Pokémon! That's basically on par with a Legendary!
Was this some script where a "Legendary Beast Tamer" shows up and wipes the floor with the whole Foundation?!
Too bad. Mew's speed was on a completely different level. Maybe in the games it couldn't handle so many enemies at once—but this was real life.
Game balance didn't exist here.
If anything, "balance" was whatever the strongest Pokémon said it was.
"Meow~"
The petite Pokémon spread its tiny arms wide. A pulse of psychic power radiated outward—and suddenly, the entire battlefield changed.
Violet light washed over everything—the smooth tiles, the outer stone pathways, even cold steel—all gleamed with a strange, alluring glow.
Just as every hero needs their stage, Psychic-type Pokémon have their own arena: Psychic Terrain.
It blocked priority moves. It boosted the power of Psychic attacks. In short—it was strong. Really strong.
But that raised a question: was there any move that synergized with it?
Of course there was.
Haru had just said it: Expanding Force.
In Psychic Terrain, Expanding Force hits multiple enemies at once. So in other words...
As the surrounding Pokémon rushed toward it, Mew lazily stretched its arms like it was getting out of bed. Then, its psychic power surged again.
"Meow~"
The enemy Pokémon's attacks were jumbled together—a chaotic storm of energy. Mew gathered them up, condensed them, and then slammed its own psychic power into the mix.
Terrifying. It felt like countless warriors were unleashing their strongest attacks into the heavens—and what stood against them was a godlike demon bent on annihilation.
If those warriors had coordinated better—if they'd truly fought as one—maybe they could've stood a chance against that monster.
Maybe.
They got wiped.
Just like that, every one of the Foundation's Pokémon hit the ground—flattened by a single move from Mew.
"Croaaak—!"
"Screee—!"
"Yaaaaa—!"
A chorus of cries rang out as they all lost consciousness.
And not just the Pokémon.
Even the Trainers got caught in the crossfire. One by one, they dropped like they'd just sipped sleeping tea spiked with knockout powder.
In the end, only three people remained standing—Lillie, Lusamine, and Haru.
Mew was terrifying.
"..."
And yet, Lusamine wasn't afraid. In fact, something like... obsession flickered in her eyes.
Mew. A Pokémon that only existed in myth—now stood before her.
Her love for Pokémon was twisted into something far beyond normal affection. Even when faced with a creature this powerful, her first instinct wasn't fear.
It was possession.
She had to have it.
The glint in her eyes faded. Her posture shifted slightly.
She was getting ready.
The Aether Foundation had more people. If she could buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive, there was still a chance—she could bring Mew down and add it to her collection.
As for Haru? That man was disposable.
The blonde beauty tilted her head ever so slightly and pulled out a Poké Ball. Her lips curled into a smirk.
Lillie, seeing this, hurried to grab the hem of Lusamine's coat. Tears filled her eyes as she begged:
"Mom, please stop! Don't go any further!"
"Just let him go—if you don't, you'll get hurt too!"
"Children should listen to their parents. That's the quickest way to happiness."
"Lillie. You've already made me very angry today."
Lusamine completely ignored her daughter's pleas. She was ready for battle.
But... something was off.
Lillie, now free of her grip, suddenly closed her eyes. She collapsed gently to the ground—levitated and laid down by a psychic force.
And over by Mew...
Its sapphire eyes glowed dangerously bright.
'Time to show off that new trick, Master! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance—you won't be disappointed!'
That's what Mew seemed to be saying as it dove into Haru's arms—then melted away like mist, vanishing completely.
Haru suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Mew was using him. It wanted to perform a certain move on Lusamine.
That move was called...
Bind.
Mew... wanted to show off its ropework.