Honestly, if we're just looking at it from the perspective of the games, Galar is a pretty ridiculous place no matter how you slice it…
First of all, the biggest power there is the Macro Cosmos Corporation, a massive conglomerate not unlike Alola's Aether Foundation.
And the president, the one pulling the strings of Macro Cosmos, is none other than a man named Rose.
That's right—he's actually Peony's elder brother (making him Penny's uncle) among the three friends from Paldea, and also the one who "discovered" Leon, the Champion of Galar.
It was Rose who spotted Leon's talent, provided him with resources and opportunities, and pushed him to where he stands today.
And it wasn't just Leon—Rose also took notice of other promising trainers, offering them all sorts of chances to grow.
This was a man who started from nothing. In his younger years, he even competed in the Galar League and rose as far as runner-up.
Later, he founded Macro Cosmos and, together with Professor Magnolia, developed the system of Dynamax battles, creating the Dynamax Band.
And unlike the Aether Foundation, Macro Cosmos' grip over Galar is even tighter.
Livelihood, resources, technology, internet, aviation, railways…
Nearly every industry in Galar is monopolized by Macro Cosmos. Their influence makes Samsung's grip over its home country look like child's play.
You could say that the moment a Galarian is born, their life is already tied to Macro Cosmos.
And on top of all that, Rose also happens to be the chairman of the Galar Pokémon League.
Which means, whether you look at it politically or commercially, Rose stands at the very top.
If we mapped it into real-world terms, the power he holds is like the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary rolled into one… utterly absurd.
And yet, because the Pokémon world's utopian mega-corporations aren't nearly as rotten, Rose genuinely is seen as planning for the region's future. Otherwise, Galar would've probably erupted into open revolt by now.
Still, this man who seems to already have everything harbors an ambition of his own.
That ambition is Eternatus.
Dynamax made Galar "great again," turning it into a region with a uniquely iconic battle style that drew countless trainers to its shores.
But within a thousand years, Galar's energy supply will be depleted.
When that day comes, even Dynamax battles—the region's pride and symbol—will vanish.
And so Rose's grand idea was to "revive the Darkest Day" and harness Eternatus as an endless source of energy, prolonging the very "lifespan" of the entire region.
In other words—awaken and control Eternatus.
The way he went about it, though, was… baffling. Enough to make you wonder if he had a brain bleed.
I mean, it was something that wouldn't even matter until a thousand years later, and yet he just had to trigger it during the one time Leon couldn't come.
Worse, when he tried it, he had no way of knowing if Leon could even handle Eternatus, nor did he have a clear grasp of Eternatus' full power.
And so, of course, it spiraled into disaster—the rampage of a Legendary. Rose himself fell from an all-powerful authoritarian into a prisoner in chains.
If Zacian and Zamazenta hadn't descended like literal deus ex machina, Galar probably would have blown sky-high.
But of course, that's still the future. For now, in the public eye, Rose remains a highly respected League Chairman.
No one would even guess that buried beneath his power plant was a Legendary Pokémon.
Even if Haru shouted the whole truth to the world, it wouldn't change much—if anything, he'd be scolded by the people of Galar themselves.
After all, nothing's happened yet, and he has no concrete proof.
And yet, when Sonia asked Haru about the figure pulling strings behind Eternatus, he still answered with a faint smile:
"Believe me or not, the one lurking behind Eternatus is none other than the head of Macro Cosmos—Rose."
Haru didn't expect to convince them on the spot. His goal was only to plant a seed of caution, to give them a reason to be wary before things slid past the point of no return.
When the time was right, he would step in himself.
And as for compensation for "saving the world," well… having some sweet little farm girl like Yu repay him didn't sound unreasonable, did it?
…Not that he was seriously thinking it through; more like he was just idly spitballing to himself.
"Chairman Rose?! That's impossible!"
As expected, Sonia didn't immediately buy into what Haru said.
After all, she'd met the kindly chairman herself multiple times—he didn't look like a villain at all.
And it wasn't just her. Even Professor Oak and the others present had at least heard of Rose, but none of them expected Haru to drop a bombshell like this today.
In their minds, Galar's very prosperity was tied directly to this man.
So how credible was Haru's claim?
Could it all just be lies he'd spun?
But if it was true, why would Rose do such a thing? And how could Haru possibly know any of this?
These questions made Cynthia feel lost once more.
Just how did Haru know all this? Did he control some sprawling intelligence network that spanned every region—one that could even keep tabs on what underwear she wore each day?
Haru caught the look on everyone's faces but paid it no mind. He simply went on calmly:
"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I've been nothing but honest about what I know."
"But for now, Rose probably hasn't made any real moves, so there's no need to panic."
"Some things need time—you have to let the bullet fly before anything can change."
"At the very least, I don't believe my words alone could shake Rose's position."
Then, turning back to Sonia, Haru added:
"If you really want to test my claim, maybe you could casually drop the name 'Eternatus' around him. See if he reacts in a way that stands out."
According to the anime, the name "Eternatus" was something Rose himself coined, carrying the meaning of "eternity."
But the notebook Sonia had just taken out also recorded the same name, which suggested the possibility of an ancient origin instead.
Either way, few would know the meaning behind the name.
So if Sonia mentioned it at the right moment in front of Rose, it might reveal something.
And judging by the thoughtful look on her face, it seemed she already had an idea or two.
But Haru didn't press the advantage. Instead, he shifted topics abruptly:
"Of course, that's not really today's focus."
Accepting the cup of tea handed over by his "good daughter" Mewtwo, he took a sip and went on:
"What I really want to share are the details about Eternatus itself. That's the kind of thing my Pokédex should be recording."
"Th-That Eternatus you mentioned… is it really that powerful??"
Perhaps Sonia herself didn't even notice, but her attitude toward Haru had already shifted completely.
She still couldn't be sure whether Haru's claims were true, yet the sheer weight of the information he'd just dropped would be enough to keep Galar's press buzzing for weeks.
Often, the question of truth in information isn't about the facts themselves, but about who is saying them.
If Arceus were to point at an alpaca and declare it the most sacred and adorable creature in existence, everyone would nod in agreement.
And while Haru didn't carry quite that level of "divine authority," being the trainer of multiple legendary and mythical Pokémon did make his words on such matters far more convincing.
"It's not a question of whether it's strong or not."
"This Pokémon has an incredibly unique appearance—its body a deep violet-black, and its type is Poison and Dragon."
"In its normal state, Eternatus has the strength of an ordinary tier-one legendary. But don't forget—it's the very source of Dynamax itself."
"You mean… it can Dynamax too?"
Sonia, furiously jotting down notes, froze mid-sentence and looked up at Haru intently.
"Strictly speaking, it undergoes Eternamax. That's the form that embodies the Darkest Day."
"Its entire form transforms drastically, and its power multiplies."
Here Haru paused briefly before adding:
"More importantly, unlike normal Dynamaxing, Eternamax doesn't have a time limit."
"With the way Galar is right now, unless the legends of Sword and Shield come to life again, no one could possibly stop an Eternamax Eternatus."
Truth be told, Haru was very fond of Eternatus as a Pokémon.
Its design was strange, yes, but both its name and aesthetic were absolutely his style.
And judging from the game's storyline, while Leon had managed to defeat Eternatus in its normal state, its Eternamax form clearly outclassed him by a wide margin.
Leon himself had even called it "the strongest Pokémon."
Unfortunately… in actual battles it was kind of a letdown.
If it could use Eternamax in combat, it would be the strongest Pokémon, no question. But it couldn't.
Meanwhile, the Sword Pokémon of Gen VIII, Zacian, was just absurdly overpowered.
Steel + Fairy-type, near-perfect base stat distribution, a ridiculous ability—aside from being item-locked and having a limited movepool, it was practically flawless.
And even with a limited movepool, it was leagues better than certain "mage" Pokémon—at least it had STAB high-powered moves it could reliably use.
"Not even Leon could stop it?"
Sonia pressed on anxiously.
Leon's undefeated legend had etched a certain stereotype deep into the minds of Galar's trainers.
Even Gym Leaders who challenged him, and Raihan—the region's strongest Gym Leader who openly considered Leon his greatest rival—shared this belief.
In their eyes, Leon was literally invincible.
So what if it was a legendary? Leon could beat it into the dirt, no sweat!
And yet, Haru's calm words ruthlessly shattered that illusion.
"He couldn't. Eternatus in that form is far beyond what you're imagining."
"Unless the Sword and Shield themselves appeared, or unless I personally came to Galar and had Necrozma assume its Radiant One form, then…"
"What exactly is the legend of Sword and Shield?"
Sonia interrupted quickly.
Seeing her finally land on the crux of the matter, Haru simply spread his hands and smiled:
"That's for you to investigate, isn't it?"
"Researching Galar's legends is your job. I'm just a helpful informant."
"And honestly, just the things I've told you already will keep you busy verifying them for quite a while."
"Oh, and one more thing—if you want to publish Eternatus's typing and power-related info, be sure to credit me. That's material I intend to include in my Pokédex entries."
Tossing out that remark, Haru finally rose from his chair.
Sword and Shield? Like hell he knew what they really were!
The games barely gave any real backstory on those two mutts—their origins and past were a complete fog, more deus ex machina than deus ex machina itself.
All he knew was their typing, stats, movesets, and their general power levels.
If he had to speculate, maybe Zacian's concept came from the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, in Arthurian legend, while Zamazenta was based on King Arthur's shield Pridwen. And perhaps Zacian was even Zamazenta's elder sister.
Beyond that? He honestly had no clue. Better to let Sonia uncover the truth in her own research.
Gathering his wandering thoughts, Haru reached over and ruffled Mew no. 2's head, ignoring her look of disdain.
Then he walked straight toward the wooden door that led from Professor Oak's lab to the backyard.
Seeing everyone still frozen in place, Haru waved them along.
"Come on, Professor Oak—you promised to show me your breeding grounds, didn't you?"
The professor furrowed his brow, deep in thought for a long moment.
"…Very well. Let's go."
He stepped up to the wooden door, but just before placing his hand on the knob, he couldn't help but ask:
"That term you mentioned earlier—'Radiant One'… what does it mean?"
For all his breadth of knowledge, even with his personal encounters with many mythical and legendary Pokémon, Oak had never once heard of such things.
Eternamax, Radiant One, Sword and Shield…
Seriously, who's the professor here—you or me?!
In Oak's mind, Haru was either a reclusive Pokémon scholar of unimaginable caliber, or a total madman.
And judging by his composure, the odds were leaning very heavily toward the former.
"Necrozma, when fused with either Solgaleo or Lunala and empowered by a Z-Move Burst, ascends to its ultimate form. Its type shifts from pure Psychic to Psychic + Dragon."
"In this state, Necrozma is arguably among the strongest of all tier-one legendaries."
"Ah, right. Actually, I also know the Trainer of the Moon Pokémon, Lunala. As for Necrozma and Lunala, she can vouch for everything I've said."
Of course, the one Haru was referring to was none other than Lillie, far away in Alola.
Since Haru had temporarily left Paldea, Lillie had also taken the chance to return to her hometown.
According to her, she had some important matters to deal with, so if Lusamine couldn't be reached during these days, it wasn't a big deal.
"..."
Standing nearby, both Cynthia and Sonia were completely dumbfounded.
What was going on? Did they somehow stumble into the wrong timeline? Since when did so many Trainers own Legendary Pokémon?
But Professor Oak's feelings were even more complicated than theirs.
The more information Haru revealed, the more credible his earlier words began to sound.
Could it be… Haru really knew a lot about Galar's legends? Then was he seriously planning on confessing to that shiny female Machamp in his backyard?
What's more, Oak couldn't shake the feeling that this kid might one day complete a Pokédex dedicated solely to Legendary and Mythical Pokémon—and become a true Pokémon Professor because of it.
After all, the number of Legends this kid had encountered or even understood was simply overwhelming…
And judging from his demeanor, he might even head to Galar one day to personally seek out the Eternatus he mentioned.
Young people these days really were something else.
As for Liko and Korrina, surprisingly, the shock they felt was the least.
Liko was already the holder of a Legendary herself, and she'd met both Haru's and Lillie's Legendaries, so she was long used to this kind of thing.
From her perspective, no matter what unbelievable feat Haru pulled off, it always felt perfectly normal.
Her respect for Haru was no less than how the people of Galar revered Leon.
After all… this was her "primary care doctor"!
As for Korrina—well, she was the truly carefree one.
She hadn't even paid attention to half of what Haru had just said. Her mind was entirely preoccupied with figuring out how to tell Haru that his sweet daughter had been sneaking peeks into his room every day…
Legends? Myths? Bah, what were those supposed to be?
In the end, with everyone harboring their own thoughts, the group—led by a visibly preoccupied Professor Oak—finally arrived at the Oak family's Pokémon Breeding Grounds.
---
The sunlight filtered through thin clouds, spilling over this lively stretch of land.
It was a meticulously designed garden, where berry-bearing plants grew alongside all sorts of Pokémon.
The first sight upon entering was the variety of foliage. Huge leaves gleamed like emeralds against the rich brown soil, veins so clear you could almost feel them breathing in the breeze.
A few Lilligant strolled past with Petilil in tow, while some Shroomish lazed unmoving beneath a tree, savoring the rare moment of leisure.
Farther off, a classic Kanto scene unfolded: a Charmander was being relentlessly sprayed down by a Squirtle, the little lizard's pitiful state not unlike a cat about to be dunked into a tub.
Because Oak frequently distributed starters to rookie Trainers, the breeding center was overflowing with Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.
Their evolutions were around too, but far fewer in number.
"So? Isn't this place wonderful?"
At the head of the group, Professor Oak spread his arms wide as if to embrace the flourishing sanctuary.
He had poured no small effort into nurturing this environment, all for the sake of giving these Pokémon a better home.
"It's beautiful," Haru nodded slightly.
He had to admit, even if none of his favorite Pokémon were here, the environment was exceptionally well crafted. It spoke volumes about Oak's love for Pokémon.
In contrast to his calm reaction, Liko, Korrina, and the others were brimming with excitement.
Their wide eyes darted everywhere, trying to memorize the scenery in every detail.
As for Cynthia, this wasn't her first time here, so she remained composed.
Compared to Oak's "paradise," her focus lingered more on Haru himself—and occasionally on Mew no. 2, who trailed closely behind him like a little shadow, though what she was thinking remained unclear.
After a while, Oak once again turned to Haru:
"So? Did any Pokémon catch your eye?"
"As you can see, the most common ones here are the Kanto starters—Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur."
"All three have the potential for Mega Evolution, and their strength is nothing to scoff at."
"Especially Charizard—both Red and Leon had one as their ace."
"That's why I recommend you choose one of them as your future Mega partner."
"Particularly Charizard. It has two different Mega forms—one physical, one special—which is just extraordinary."
"But… the Charmander still here tend to be proud by nature. Many dislike being restrained by Trainers, so earning their recognition isn't easy."
Oak sighed.
In his eyes, Charizard was full of potential: capable of Mega Evolution, Gigantamaxing, and formidable no matter which path it took.
No wonder so many considered it their trump card.
Haru, however, muttered inwardly.
Of course. Charizard was Masuda's favorite child; naturally, champions would give it the spotlight.
Just look at Lance next door—he even carried a Charizard alongside his dragons.
Still, though Mega Charizard looked incredible, and its Gigantamax form carried a certain beauty of raw power, Haru preferred choosing Pokémon in more… "special" ways.
If it wasn't Lopunny, Gardevoir, Diancie, or Mawile, he usually didn't bother…
But then again, taking a closer look, this "Masuda favorite" didn't seem so bad.
And wait—was that a Bagon nearby?
Its final evolution, Salamence, was nothing short of amazing—and stylish too.
In the end, he decided to approach both Pokémon, just to test the waters. If he didn't win them over, no big deal; after all, strength wasn't really what he valued.
Thinking this, Haru strolled over. He bent down slightly, intending to greet them.
But to his surprise, as soon as the two noticed him, they darted toward him at breakneck speed, faster than a shinobi mid-defeat slide tackle.
And then… they each grabbed one of his legs with their tiny claws, gazing up at him with tearful eyes.
"?"
Haru froze at the sudden turn of events, and so did Oak and the others.
Scratching his head, Haru turned back and asked in confusion:
"Professor Oak, did these two… get bullied or something?"
"That's impossible. There are plenty of Pokémon here, yes, but I also assigned enough caretakers to manage them. That kind of problem shouldn't happen."
Even Oak was baffled.
Cynthia, who had been silently observing, didn't speak. Instead, after glancing at Haru, she quickly jotted something into her notebook.
Sonia, however, noticed her action from a distance.
"I don't think they're upset," Liko offered thoughtfully after observing the pair at Haru's feet.
Mhm… as a former socially anxious girl, she had plenty of "being upset" experience herself.
Just then, Hakimu stirred from Haru's arms, cracking open her eyes with a mischievous grin:
"Hehe, let me explain. What they mean is—after drifting aimlessly for so long, they finally found their destined master. If you don't reject them, they wish to follow you."
But before she finished, Mewtwo snapped at her:
"That may be what they just said—but only because you were using psychic powers to manipulate them."
"And you shameless little Mythical, how much longer are you planning to cling to Haru's lap?"
Mew lazily swayed her tail, only smiling wider.
"Hehe~ Mewtwo, why is your head so pointy? Don't tell me my darling daughter is upset about her mother lying in her father's arms~?"
"If you'd like, you can crawl in too, nya~ He won't mind giving you some fatherly love."
And just like that, the one-year-old Mew no. 2 was "red-hot" with fury again, unable to out-talk her own mother.
The tension between the two cats thickened, to the point where even the two little dragons at Haru's feet trembled.
Thankfully, before things escalated, Haru once again stepped in, stuffing the troublemaking Mew back into her Poké Ball.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned to his well-behaved daughter.
"So what's really going on here?"
Though he'd known Mew longer, when it came to reliability, Mewtwo's words carried more weight than Mew's nonsense.
"These two Pokémon are interested in you," she explained.
"They were going to approach you 'by the book,' but Mew's psychic interference changed their behavior."
"I see."
Haru looked down at the dragon duo, deep in thought.
Flying and Dragon… Fire and Flying… was he really about to follow in Lance's footsteps?
Still, they were undeniably strong… and they looked female, too…
Rising to his feet, Haru glanced over at Cynthia, still scribbling furiously in her notes.
"Speaking of which, after this we're going to meet your friend, right?"
"Mm—ah? Yes, that's right."
"Her name's Caitlin. She specializes in Psychic-types, though her personality is a bit… eccentric. If she says anything odd, please don't mind it."
"Especially when it comes to, um… rumors about you. She might have some misunderstandings."
For some reason, Cynthia's expression looked a little off as she said this.
Haru nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Got it."
Gardevoir's most praiseworthy trait was, of course, its Fairy typing.
That typing had excellent coverage and solid resistances. As for its secondary Psychic typing… well, that part was a bit awkward.
Caitlin herself didn't use Gardevoir, but she did raise its branched evolution, Gallade.
Come to think of it, based on Haru's memories, Caitlin was also loaded—one of those rich ladies. Not only that, she was a Psychic herself.
In the Pokémon world, "rich lady" seemed like an awfully common attribute. If you thought about it carefully, you could list a whole bunch.
His mind wandering with such nonsense, Haru didn't snap back to reality until Mew no. 2 started getting impatient. Then he finally turned to Professor Oak and said:
"Professor Oak, I've made my decision!"
"But… can I take both of these Pokémon with me?"
"Hm… well, if they're no longer under the influence of psychic control, I suppose that should be fine."
In all his years as a professor, this was actually the first time Oak had seen a Mythical Pokémon personally "abduct" two children on behalf of a trainer.
But, judging from the result, those two Pokémon clearly had chosen Haru themselves. Letting him take them along wasn't an issue.
As for whether taking both was a bit greedy… well, Oak wasn't nearly stingy enough to quibble about that.
"So, do you need to battle them to capture them?"
The moment Haru said this, Oak quickly shook his head, then pulled two red-and-white Poké Balls from his pocket.
"No, no, let's skip that. I don't think these two little ones have any desire to fight you."
After capturing the two baby Pokémon, Haru didn't leave right away.
First, following Oak's guidance, he completed his very first Pokédex entry. After confirmation from Pokémon like Necrozma, Oak directly published it for him—treated as a sort of "teaser."
It wasn't hard to imagine that this so-called "teaser" would cause a tidal wave online.
After that, Haru said his goodbyes to Oak and Sonia, then followed Cynthia to pay a visit to Caitlin.
Sonia, who had taken a liking to Haru, looked like she wanted to travel with him a bit longer.
Unfortunately, her grandmother, Professor Magnolia, was already hounding her, urging her to return to Galar immediately for work.
So she had no choice but to part ways with Haru.
—
Unova — Blueberry Academy.
The Kitakami livestream incident had already been some time ago.
The sibling duo, Kieran and Carmine, had undergone earth-shaking changes since returning from Kitakami.
Before, the two of them would often bicker but still got along fairly well. But after returning, Carmine and Kieran had completely fallen out…
And Kieran's personal changes were downright absurd. His personality was like someone who came back from a sugar refinery with three extra scoops added—completely over-sweetened, sickly even.
On top of that, his strength had skyrocketed at a ridiculous pace.
Through relentless grinding and training, someone who had once been just a regular member of the Blueberry League Club suddenly shot up in rank, smashed through the Blueberry Elite Four, claimed the title of Blueberry League Champion, and began ruthlessly pressuring his fellow students.
He had essentially become the very type of person he used to despise the most.
If Blueberry Academy had its own Team Star, there's no way he'd be strutting around like this.
On top of that, he declared that one day, he would absolutely defeat Haru and wash away his shame.
For victory, he even abandoned his longtime partner Furret, resolving instead to pursue the power of Legendary Pokémon.
Most recently, he'd been obsessed with the Pokémon buried deep within Area Zero, the one Briar referred to as "Terapagos."
In Kieran's view, the only reason Haru had beaten him was because Haru relied on Legendary Pokémon.
Take away the Legendaries—or let Kieran get his own—and Haru would be nothing special!
As long as he obtained the power of a Legendary, he could defeat Haru, take back Ogerpon, and reclaim his sister!
As for Carmine…
For some reason, she had recently been buying a suspicious number of ropes. Girls passing by her dorm sometimes overheard strange noises inside. Nobody really knew what she was up to.
On top of that, she seemed to have developed a serious "internet addiction," spending all her time communicating online with some mysterious woman from Alola.
From bits and pieces overheard, that woman appeared to be a powerful figure in a major Alolan conglomerate. She had taken a liking to Carmine's particular "talents" and deeply valued her.
As a result, in everyone's eyes, Carmine was starting to seem rather mysterious herself.
Of course, the fallout didn't only involve the siblings Carmine and Kieran. Another student who inexplicably caught some collateral AOE damage was Lacey.
Because of what Kieran had shouted before his battle with Haru, rumors about her and Haru had swirled around Blueberry Academy for quite some time.
In the end, with time passing and Fire-type Elite Four member Blaine's "violent intervention," those rumors eventually quieted down.
But then… just a day ago, Haru's battle with Blue once again thrust his name into the eyes of Blueberry students.
And this time, his presence loomed far larger than before.
Using only four Pokémon to defeat the former Kanto Champion's full team of six, even deploying a mysterious Pokémon capable of taking human form—his strength seemed bottomless.
And more importantly, he was really handsome!
From any angle, Haru was maxing out the popularity meter.
Which, of course, reignited the rumors that had previously been fading away.
After enough time fermenting, some students were even claiming that Lacey was Haru's childhood fiancée—after all, why else would their names sound so similar?
That was just one version. Plenty of other rumors floated around too.
For example: that Lacey had once been in love with Haru, only to be abandoned by him.
In anger, she supposedly swore "Thirty years on the East bank, thirty years on the West—don't you dare look down on a poor girl!" She then enrolled at Blueberry, determined to become strong enough to rival, even surpass, Haru before seeking him out again.
As for Kieran… in some rumors he'd been reduced to nothing more than Lacey's pathetic lapdog, with the Kitakami battle framed as him staking everything for the sake of his "goddess."
Of course, that was nothing but slander made up by students who resented Kieran.
Unfortunately, because his reputation on campus was so terrible, a good number of people actually believed it.
All this ridiculous gossip left Lacey with a pounding headache, but there wasn't much she could do.
Sure, she was one of the Elite Four, which gave her some authority.
But there were levels even among Elites. A mere school "Elite Four" member couldn't compare to real regional Elite Four members.
From the perspective of official League Elites, Blueberry Academy's League Club was nothing more than kids playing pretend.
Just a school. It was laughable.
So no matter how much Lacey wanted people to shut up, it was impossible.
If anything, the rumors were starting to influence how she herself viewed Haru.
Smack!
With a sharp sound, she slammed her laptop shut, then punched a chibi Haru plush on her desk.
After that, it was like she lost control. She clutched her head in both hands and buried her face into the desk.
Lacey, Lacey, what the hell are you even doing these days?
They're just meaningless rumors. All you have to do is ignore them.
So why did you actually go online and look up information about him?
Remember—he has nothing to do with you. Stop paying attention to him!
Telling herself this over and over, she eventually calmed down. Then she reopened her laptop and carefully deleted one by one the bizarre searches in her history: "Trainer Haru and Blueberry's Lacey relationship," "Haru's childhood wife," "Haru's current girlfriend—rumored blonde heiress," "Haru and Cynthia's forbidden story"…
After wiping away every trace, Lacey felt a measure of peace return to her heart.
As expected, that man was the root cause of her unrest.
The girl, wearing her Plusle-and-Minun headphones, let out a long sigh.
But not long after she regained her composure, Lacey received a message from Drayden—the former Blueberry Champion and current Dragon-type Elite.
And wouldn't you know it, the annoying message was—of course—about Haru.
The headline said something about Haru compiling a Legendary Pokémon Pokédex, planning to reveal part of it online. This time, he was releasing the entry for Solgaleo, the Sun God.
Even more importantly, Haru had posted it using Professor Oak's account.
Which meant… Professor Oak was personally backing him?
At the very end of the message, Drayden even asked when she planned to invite her "lover boy" to visit Blueberry, saying he hoped to meet him in person someday.
Lover boy my ass! How many times have I clarified already? And he's still saying lover boy?!
Suppressing the urge to curse out loud, Lacey finally shut her phone.
But her gaze once again drifted to her laptop. Almost without thinking, her fingers began typing Haru's name into the search bar again.
I-I'm just checking… I'm only curious about Professor Oak. This has nothing to do with him.
Come to think of it, Headmaster Cyrano did mention that an invitation had already been sent to Naranja Academy, and apparently Haru agreed. No telling when he'd actually arrive, though.
Whenever that day came, she swore she'd battle him properly—and vent all her pent-up frustration.
The girl, whose personality was supposed to be gentle by nature, rested her chin on her palm and stared blankly at the glowing screen.
***************************
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