Sinnoh, beneath the foundations of a certain castle…
Dim candlelight cast mottled shadows across the stone walls, making the silhouettes of two figures stretch and twist in the flickering glow.
The heavy iron doors at the entrance groaned faintly, as if whispering some ancient secret.
At the very center of the chamber lay a patch of bluestone flooring, polished smooth by countless battles—shining like the brightest star in the night sky, commanding all attention.
On either side, a young man and a young woman faced one another, the air between them thick with tension.
Yes—those two were none other than Haru and Caitlin.
And they weren't the only ones present.
There was also the castle maid acting as referee, Caitlin's freshly hatched Ralts, and the pair of Goodra Haru had received from Professor Oak.
Compared to Haru, Caitlin seemed far more excited; the corners of her lips curled up in an irrepressible smile.
Though she looked delicate and frail on the outside, as the mistress of the Battle Castle, Caitlin was surprisingly obsessed with battles.
Perhaps she couldn't match a born battle maniac like Nemona, but she definitely liked battling far more than someone like Lillie, a so-called "ordinary trainer."
Unfortunately, her lack of control over her psychic powers meant she rarely had the chance to battle properly.
Whenever the fight turned against her, she would immediately spiral into a rampage, until the only person left willing to face her was Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia.
After all, among everyone Caitlin knew, only Cynthia could withstand her tantrums.
But sadly for Caitlin, her win rate against Cynthia was exactly zero.
Despite her already formidable strength, she was still leagues behind the Sinnoh Champion.
Now, however, she had finally found herself a second worthy opponent.
Even if he wasn't easy to handle, she bore the title of Battle Castle's mistress—defeat was not an option.
Second-tier legendaries, mythical Pokémon—it didn't matter. They would all fall before the divine blade of her Gallade!
Long ago, she had already switched her Gallade's ability to the noble Sharpness.
A tremendous boost to its power—let "Steadfast" be left for some Mega to make use of.
Having changed out of her kimono and back into her regular attire, Caitlin unclasped her cape.
She tossed aside the plain, unbranded cloak, then produced a Poké Ball from who-knows-where.
"Are you ready?"
Her voice trembled faintly with excitement.
"Mhm… of course."
Haru pulled out several Poké Balls, glanced over them, and then put them all away.
Finally, he set his gaze on his beloved daughter.
"Mewtwo—want to give it a try?"
"It's been a long time since you've battled, hasn't it? If you slack off too much, your skills might dull."
Though his expression was one of I'm saying this for your own good, the truth was Haru was just talking nonsense…
The real reason he called out Mew No. 2 was because she'd gotten lazy lately, and he'd suddenly decided to make her work a bit.
In other words—free labor.
Of course, he couldn't say that out loud, or Mew No. 2 would be breathing down his neck in fury.
Don't ask—this is all for her growth!
Mewtwo blinked at his words, caught off guard. "Me? You mean… me?"
She hadn't expected Haru to call on her for help.
So in the end, he still needed her strength after all.
That hateful old woman really was useless.
Partly out of pride and partly sheer contrariness, Mewtwo wanted to refuse. But when she opened her mouth, the words came out against her will:
"If you insist, I suppose I can be generous enough to join this battle…"
Then, flustered, she hastily added:
"But don't get the wrong idea! It's only because I haven't battled in ages and want to stretch myself—not because I want to help you."
"Yes, of course, of course. I understand."
Under her mocking glare, Haru just chuckled and coaxed her along with a double nod, like humoring a child.
Satisfied, Mewtwo hurried to stand before him, eyes alight with anticipation.
But this sudden substitution left Caitlin unsettled.
Wait—what's going on? Why change Pokémon all of a sudden? Weren't his usual picks Mew, Ogerpon, and Necrozma?
That's what he used against Blue.
But… she also remembered Haru patting that blue-haired girl's shoulder and saying this Pokémon was Psychic-type.
And wasn't it able to Mega Evolve as well?
Caitlin knew very little about this mysterious Pokémon.
From hints Cynthia had once dropped, though, odds were this was another legendary.
Seriously, why did Haru have so many legendaries around him—like he bought them wholesale—and why could every one of them turn into a pretty girl?
Were these "transformations" even legal?!
Even as a fellow Psychic-type trainer, Caitlin felt the gulf in luck between them was… obscene.
Still, no matter. Legendary or not, anyone standing in her way would—
Lose.
Fall.
In the end, she would stand victorious.
She wasn't Blue, shackled by self-imposed limits. If she wanted to, she could unleash her full power—and Haru wouldn't necessarily be able to stop her.
With unshakable confidence, Caitlin hurled her first Poké Ball.
"Go, Duosion!"
With a flash of light, a Pokémon resembling a small dream-eating tapir appeared—but cuter, curled up like a little ball.
Despite its adorable look, its specialty was the same as the infamous Hypno so beloved online.
Yes—its forte was hypnosis, with abilities tied to dreams and slumber.
Thankfully, it was only a harmless little Duosion. If it had been Typhlosion… well, that wouldn't have been stream-safe.
"Duosion, set up Trick Room! Then, hit it with Hypnosis!"
Caitlin clearly intended to play dirty right from the start, exploiting her Pokémon's specialties.
Trick Room—a powerful move indeed.
It reversed turn order, making the slowest Pokémon act first, while the fastest moved last.
From the way Mewtwo moved when she entered the field, Caitlin had instantly noticed her incredible speed.
And in battle, speed was everything—not just in the games, but in reality too.
In the games, speed decided turn order. In reality, it determined how often you could strike, and how well you could dodge.
So Caitlin needed to take control of speed herself.
Luckily, her Duosion was as slow as a Torkoal, perfect for operating under Trick Room.
But Haru only smiled faintly.
A 60-accuracy Psychic move, and you dare use it on Mewtwo? Bold.
Might as well try Spore while you're at it.
And Trick Room? You think only Duosion can cast it? Mewtwo can, too.
Psychic-types might be terrible in terms of offense and resistances compared to Fairy, but they did have one unrivaled edge—an absurdly wide movepool.
Trick Room, Gravity, Calm Mind, Light Screen, Reflect—support moves galore.
Especially Trick Room, which gave rise to entire "Room Teams." Any Pokémon that could reliably set it had a place in battle.
Case in point: the classic duck—Porygon2.
The only reason Trick Room wasn't broken with Prankster was because of its naturally low priority. Otherwise, Room Teams would rule the world…
"Mewtwo, set up Trick Room as well. Flip it back."
Barely sparing Duosion's Hypnosis a glance, Haru issued his command. Instantly, Mewtwo twisted space again, restoring the natural order.
Though Duosion's Hypnosis miraculously landed, Mewtwo only wavered slightly, dazed but still composed.
Exactly as Haru had expected.
Hypnosis in reality could never be as broken as in the games—especially not against a god.
If first-tier legendaries could be put to sleep that easily, everyone would be running Amoonguss or Smeargle.
The fact that Duosion could even make Mewtwo falter was impressive enough.
In doubles, that would have created a perfect opening for an ally.
But in singles, and slowed once again, Duosion had little chance to press the advantage.
"So you've reset it… In that case…"
"To compensate for the speed gap, I'll just have to be ruthless."
Caitlin's expression darkened, plotting something devious.
She knew Haru's team still held at least two legendaries and a mythical. The only way forward was to eliminate this Pokémon quickly.
Which meant using unconventional tactics.
"Duosion, Thunder Wave!"
"Then, fire a Shadow Ball—aim for her clothes and hair! Corrode them all away!"
"If that Pokémon is so 'humanlike,' then she must think like a woman. Strip her bare, and she'll be flustered—her rhythm broken."
Caitlin's face flushed even as she spoke.
Yes, it was shameless. But so what? She respected victory above all else. Mental warfare was part of battling too—if you didn't like it, don't play!
And besides, with no men around except Haru, what was the problem?
Haru, however, wore an odd expression.
"My, what an… interesting strategy. I didn't expect that from you, Miss Caitlin."
"It's just a necessary sacrifice!"
Flustered but determined, Caitlin put on a serious front.
And to her credit, the tactic worked.
Though Duosion's attacks weren't strong, and Mewtwo's endurance was solid, Mewtwo found herself dodging frantically—desperate not to let her clothes or hair be shredded.
Gradually, the rhythm of battle slipped into Caitlin's hands…
No matter her fury, Mewtwo couldn't bear to embarrass herself in front of Haru.
So she endured, waiting for her chance at a decisive strike.
Finally, Haru stepped in.
"That's enough. Show her our noble signature move."
"Once you become unbreakable diamond, clothes and hair won't matter."
He pulled out his Tera Orb, ready to Terastallize Mewtwo.
Originally, he had planned to save Terastallization for Pecharunt. But given the circumstances, he had to use it now.
Clothes torn? Hair burned?
Didn't matter. Terastallized Pokémon crystallized entirely—clothes intact, impervious to petty tricks.
But Mewtwo recoiled at once.
"No! I refuse to Terastallize—I'll defeat her fair and square."
"Don't underestimate me!"
Truthfully, even Mewtwo herself didn't fully understand why she resisted.
She just knew that if Haru had to divert Terastallization from Pecharunt to her, it meant she was a burden.
And she refused to be anyone's burden.
This was her chance to prove herself to Haru—and to that detestable woman.
In some ways, Mewtwo was even more stubborn than anyone realized.
"..."
Haru was silent for a moment, then sighed.
"Fine. If that's what you want, we'll change plans."
"Use Rock Tomb to build yourself a fortress. Then just spam Psystrike from inside. After all, your opponent is only a Duosion."
Psystrike—Mewtwo's signature move. Base power 100 in the games, calculating damage off the opponent's Defense.
A frankly underwhelming signature move for a first-tier legendary.
Compared to the Crowned steeds, Groudon, Kyogre, or even Miraidon and Koraidon, the gap was glaring.
But reality wasn't the games. Reality's Mewtwo was far stronger.
At Haru's command, she raised her walls high, thick enough that Duosion's attacks couldn't break through quickly.
Then, she rained down Psystrike after Psystrike.
Caitlin refused to surrender, but in the end, her Duosion faltered.
The gap between a god and a mortal Pokémon was simply too wide.
Unless Caitlin herself ascended to Champion, she had no hope.
But that was a dream still far, far away.
Of course, victory came at a cost.
Mewtwo's fortress collapsed under the bombardment, leaving her outfit… less than intact.
About a third of her clothing was gone, shredded in rather compromising areas—thighs, shoulders, stomach, underarms—revealing far more than appropriate.
Though not exactly a giant, Haru still caught glimpses from certain angles of things better left unseen.
Like the faint outline of a Floette, so to speak.
Thankfully, Haru was a seasoned veteran. Otherwise, he might have found his brain hijacked by a Mega Steelix mid-battle.
Mewtwo had realized this herself.
And she was furious about it.
But her anger wasn't aimed at Haru—it was aimed at Caitlin.
If that woman hadn't given such a shameless command, how could she have made a fool of herself in front of Haru and the other Pokémon?
She had come here to prove her strength, so how had it turned into this?
To be seen in such a disgraceful state by Haru—absolutely not!
Humiliated and seething, Mew No. 2 began to harbor thoughts of retaliation.
If Caitlin could act so shamelessly, wasn't it only fair to teach her a lesson in return?
So when Caitlin sent out her second Pokémon, Alakazam, Mewtwo unleashed a technique she had once learned from her teacher, Necrozma—Psychic Terrain.