If the Rocket Grunts had only felt fear before, then now they were truly terrified out of their minds.
After all, they knew their own situation best. Though none of them were exactly among Team Rocket's upper ranks, they had all heard of that name—Mewtwo.
They were perfectly aware that this Pokémon, the one they themselves had once named "Mewtwo," possessed power on the level of a Legendary.
After all, it was Team Rocket's own ultimate creation—the strongest weapon they had ever built.
Every Legendary Pokémon was an existence capable of destroying heaven and earth. So if such a being were to undergo Mega Evolution on top of that…
They could hardly even imagine what kind of overwhelming power that would unleash.
At this point, perhaps their best option was to just fall to their knees and pray for mercy.
After all, Mega Evolution itself was meant to shatter the limits of ordinary Pokémon—bringing them even closer to godhood.
And now that Mewtwo had achieved Mega Evolution… didn't that mean she had surpassed even the gods?
Perhaps only now, for the very first time, did the name "Mewtwo"—the dream that transcends Mew—finally live up to its meaning.
Even Mew, the so-called Mythical Pokémon, could never possess such power.
They could only hope that when Mewtwo eventually came knocking on their boss's door, their boss would somehow be able to fend her off.
Unlike the trembling Rockets, Mewtwo herself was overwhelmed by exhilaration.
Her form had changed—but the storm of energy surging within her was intoxicating.
If her psychic power before had been a mere river, then now… it was a boundless ocean.
This Mega Evolution had not disappointed her.
If she were to battle her former self now, she was certain she could utterly crush that weakling version of herself within ten minutes.
The weak Mewtwo of the past was dead.
"So this is… power!"
The girl holding the keytar spread her arms wide, closing her eyes in rapture—as if she wanted to feel every fiber of strength coursing through her body.
The power she had pursued for so long… was finally hers.
But perhaps because this Mega Evolution had been forced out by Haru, Mewtwo could feel her mind slipping toward instability—a growing sense of losing control.
In simple terms: itchy hands, an irresistible urge to fight—a Pro Max version of the "battle junkie syndrome."
She was desperate to unleash all her pent-up fury on Haru.
"It actually worked…"
Haru's "Choice Scarf" Mew watched the scene before her with a mix of fascination and envy.
Mewtwo's genetic base had come from her. So why was it that Mewtwo could Mega Evolve, yet she could not?
How unfair could the heavens be?
Mew never cared too much about strength, but watching her "clone" ascend before her eyes, she couldn't help but have thoughts.
Now that Mewtwo's power might already surpass her own—what would she do if one day Mewtwo decided to turn on her creator?
As she rubbed her head affectionately against Haru's coat, Mew pondered the question.
She used to taunt Mewtwo quite often, and Mewtwo's temper was not exactly mild. Now that she'd suddenly gained all this power…
Well, Mew couldn't guarantee that Mewtwo wouldn't take her revenge. If she ended up being humiliated by her own creation, wouldn't that be embarrassing as hell?
But then another idea sparked in her little head.
Mewtwo's strength came from Mega Evolution.
And Mega Evolution required cooperation—with Haru.
If Haru refused to trigger it, then no matter how strong Mega Mewtwo might be, it would all amount to nothing.
So in the end, while Mewtwo had indeed become more powerful, she had also become even more bound to her trainer's will.
And that meant… Mew might be able to exploit that. Perhaps she could even use this to keep her unruly "daughter" in check.
Besides, considering they shared the same genetic origin, when she used Transform next time, she might be able to copy a good eighty to ninety percent of that power herself.
Brilliant. When Mewtwo levels up… I level up too!
Wasn't that practically a free upgrade machine?
Her eyes sparkled at the thought.
For someone as lazy as her, getting stronger automatically was basically peak satisfaction.
Hmph. No matter how strong you become, Mewtwo—you're still just our master's toy.
Haru, meanwhile, had no clue what his Mew was scheming. Seeing Mewtwo complete her Mega Evolution, he grew excited himself and commanded:
"Mewtwo—use Psychic Terrain! Let's finish off these rats quickly!"
Psychic Terrain was the most compatible battlefield for Psychic-types. Like Electric or Grassy Terrain, it boosted moves of the corresponding type by 1.3×.
It also nullified priority moves—particularly those that countered Psychic-types, such as Dark's Sucker Punch or Ghost's Shadow Sneak.
Unfortunately, in terms of sheer utility, Weather effects like Sunny Day or Rain Dance were generally superior to Terrains.
After all, Weather not only came with unique secondary effects—it also boosted moves by 1.5× instead of 1.3×—a full twenty percent more.
Still, Psychic Terrain had its own niche—it empowered one of the most practical Psychic-type attacks: Expanding Force.
When used under Psychic Terrain, Expanding Force hits all opponents and its base power increases by 50%. A truly enhanced AoE nuke.
When all these buffs stacked together, Expanding Force's damage output became devastating.
It was the same move that made the newly introduced Ceruledge of Generation IX such a menace on the battlefield—since few others could learn it at the start of Scarlet and Violet.
Even if Ceruledge wasn't that powerful by itself, Expanding Force made it dance circles around the competition.
In short—Expanding Force was a mass destruction skill for crowd control.
In fact, that was exactly why Haru had told Mewtwo to set up Psychic Terrain first—he had zero interest in battling these Rocket grunts one by one. A massive, wide-range AoE sweep was far more convenient.
Unfortunately, neither of Mewtwo's Abilities—her base form nor her Mega form—was Psychic Surge, which would've automatically created Psychic Terrain upon entering battle.
That meant she either needed a teammate like Indeedee or Tapu Lele to generate it for her, or she'd have to waste an entire turn setting it up manually. Pretty awkward, really.
If Mewtwo did have Psychic Surge, she'd definitely rank among the top meta threats in battle.
Even if Psychic typing wasn't the best offensively, Mewtwo's stat spread and movepool were more than enough to compensate.
And with Mega Evolution plus a boosted Expanding Force, her damage output could be downright terrifying.
However—Haru hadn't expected what happened next.
The moment he issued his command, Mewtwo didn't follow it.
Hovering midair, she muttered something under her breath in a voice too soft for anyone else to hear, her expression flickering rapidly as if wrestling with conflicting emotions.
Every few seconds, her gaze flicked toward Haru, strange and unreadable.
Then, after a brief three-second silence—her expression hardened completely.
Without warning, she launched herself straight toward him, accelerating rapidly.
Anyone could see the murderous fury in her eyes—she was aiming to kill him!
The toy was about to turn on its master.
The Rockets, who had been sprinting for their lives, froze mid-run at the sight.
They could smell the drama—the sweet aroma of chaos—and perhaps… a golden opportunity.
Interesting. Judging by that posture… could it be that Mewtwo and her trainer were fighting each other?
If so—then didn't that mean they had a chance to strike back?
If the two ended up injuring each other—or better yet, if Haru got killed by Mewtwo—they could immediately launch a counterattack on a weakened target.
With their numbers, they just might manage to capture her.
And if they brought a Mega-capable Mewtwo back to Giovanni… their ranks would skyrocket overnight.
Or—better yet—why even hand her over? If they could somehow control her themselves and defect from Team Rocket, they could form their own "Mat Squad" or "Tac Force."
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Haru, the idiot, could've just flattened them directly—but no, he had to show off with Mega Evolution, and now look who's paying for it.
Serves him right. Nya!
And indeed—Mewtwo was going for him.
Sure, gaining power was exhilarating—but everything that had just happened had shattered her pride.
It was all Haru's fault! If not for him, none of this humiliation would've happened!
All of it—all of it—was his fault! Unless she punished him herself, she could never calm the storm raging inside her.
Her eyes widened, power flaring wildly with that violent emotional surge.
Finally, she could no longer suppress the roar in her throat. She lunged toward him and shouted:
"Didn't you keep forcing me to confront my true feelings?!"
"Fine—then I'll show you! Take this—Super-Ultra-I-Love-You Punch!"
Yelling that bizarre battle cry, Mewtwo charged in and threw a serious, no-joke punch straight at Haru.
She hadn't used her full strength—but if a normal human were to take that hit directly, their body would be pulverized into dust by the sheer psychic force alone.
That was the gulf between humanity and a Legendary Pokémon. Only exceptional cases—like "Super Humans of Hisui"—could even begin to compare.
"No! This is bad!"
"Garchomp—stop her!"
In a panic, Cynthia hurled out her ace Pokémon.
Even though she knew Mew was guarding Haru, Mewtwo's rampage made it impossible for her to stay calm. The land shark dragon burst forth in a flash of light.
But even with Garchomp's blistering speed, it couldn't close the distance in time.
By the time its fins extended forward, Mewtwo's strike was already upon him.
It missed by just a fraction of a second—but that sliver of distance might as well have been an unbridgeable chasm.
Likewise, Liko, who idolized Haru to the point of blind worship, felt her heart seize the moment she saw the blow coming. Her hand instinctively gripped the pendant around her neck.
Yes—she too was afraid for his safety.
But unlike Cynthia, Liko had no partner fast or strong enough to intervene.
Her Sprigatito hadn't even evolved into Meowscarada yet—thanks to her recent laziness. Expecting a mid-stage Pokémon to stop Mewtwo's attack was pure fantasy.
That left only one hope—Terapagos.
If anyone could save him now, it would be the Legendary Pokémon Haru himself had acknowledged.
But no matter how she pleaded or how her heart raced, the crystalline Terapagos remained still, motionless.
It only flickered twice. Then nothing.
In contrast to everyone else's panic, Goh's reaction was… different.
He hated Haru—and for him, the last few minutes had been an emotional roller coaster.
At first, he'd been gleeful when Team Rocket looked ready to tear Haru apart.
Then, when Haru summoned Mewtwo and triggered Mega Evolution, his heart had plummeted into despair.
From the Rockets' reaction, he'd gathered enough to know: that Pokémon was a Legendary.
A Legendary that could Mega Evolve.
Just thinking about it made his stomach twist.
He figured Haru, commanding a Mega Legendary, would wipe out everyone—and maybe even him.
But what came next… was the best surprise of his life.
"They're fighting? Oh, they're fighting!"
Excellent! The stronger the Mega Legendary, the worse the backlash when it turned against its trainer.
This was a glorious day indeed.
He could already picture it—Haru, destroyed by his own strongest Pokémon.
Wouldn't it be poetic justice if Mewtwo blew his head clean off?
In that instant, Goh's excitement hit the roof.
So the question was—how would Haru respond to this terrifying strike?
Was he panicking? Begging for his life?
Of course not.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, there wasn't a trace of fear on his face. Instead, he dismissed Mew's protective barrier entirely.
That meant Haru now stood utterly defenseless—no psychic shield, no safeguard at all.
He's insane! He's absolutely lost it!
A human couldn't possibly survive a blow like that.
Impossible. Totally impossible.
Goh saw this and felt his heartbeat quicken, joy flooding through his chest.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Once Haru died, he could seize all those Legendaries for himself—including the Mega-capable one.
After that, it would be his time to shine.
He could capture whichever Legendary he pleased—just send one to weaken the others, then throw a Poké Ball. Easy.
What a beautiful dream. If he pulled this off, his future would be limitless.
Unfortunately for him—Mewtwo's punch never landed on Haru.
At the last moment, her fist swerved sharply—straight toward Goh.
The blast of psychic force was aimed squarely at his position, intent on turning him to ash.
Goh's face drained of color. Luckily, he was far enough away to just barely react.
Panicked, he threw out a Poké Ball.
A rabbitlike Pokémon appeared in a flash, planting itself between Goh and the incoming strike.
Cinderace.
Among the starter Pokémon, Cinderace was quite the capable one—its Libero Ability let it change type to match its attack, and it boasted a powerful signature move with 120 base power and no recoil.
Sure, its accuracy was only 90%, but compared to moves like Mist Ball, it was leagues better.
Given a choice between that and the recoil-heavy Flare Blitz, plenty of trainers would pick Pyro Ball.
Still—no matter how good Cinderace was, against Mewtwo's monstrous power it stood no chance.
Worse yet, Goh had sent it out unprepared—it hadn't even had time to brace itself.
The poor thing was launched sky-high in an instant by Mewtwo's psychic force, its ears flopping helplessly as it tumbled through the air.
Even as it flew, its eyes glared accusingly back at its trainer.
Seriously? After all I did to become your partner—and this is what I get? Used as a meat shield?!
Regret flickered in its gaze.
As for Goh—he didn't fare much better.
The blast hadn't hit him directly, but the shockwave was enough to batter him brutally.
Cinderace might've been tough enough to take part of the impact—but Goh was just a human.
"Gah—!"
He slammed into a wall, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
All he could feel now was pain and rage. Pain that seared through every nerve in his body, as if each cell were screaming louder than any game player's shriek.
For someone so pampered, he had never experienced pain like this in his life. The fact he hadn't fainted on the spot was a miracle of stubbornness.
And his hatred—oh, that burned bright.
Hatred toward both Haru and Mewtwo.
Yes, even Mewtwo.
How dare she hit him that hard?! That was asking for death!
She'd just been raging about Haru a second ago—so why turn on him?!
Unbelievable. Utterly incomprehensible!
That attack had been precise—targeted. There was no mistaking it.
The damned Mewtwo had meant to hit him.
And indeed, she had.
Mewtwo had heard every venomous word that came out of his mouth. That was why she'd redirected the blow.
She could insult or even strike Haru herself—but no one else had that right.
And this conniving, scheming human? He disgusted her.
The fact that she'd only injured him was mercy.
Had she been even slightly more unstable, she might've ended him outright.
If she could hear the thoughts running through his head now, she probably would finish the job.
After all, she never had much fondness for humans to begin with—especially the kind who were rotten inside.
Of course, after throwing that punch, Mewtwo no longer cared about Goh, that pitiful clown of a human.
Compared to Goh, what she cared more about was Haru's actions just now.
Just now, Haru had chosen not to defend himself at all against her attack...
If she had been even a little slower in pulling back her power, Haru might have really met his end.
Although she hadn't intended to cause him too much harm in the first place, his approach still made her break out in a cold sweat.
It was so close... just a tiny bit more and something terrible would have happened to him.
Every time she thought about it, Mewtwo felt a chill run down her spine.
She had only wanted to scare Haru a little, to force Mew and Necrozma to go all out in blocking it, but she hadn't expected things to turn out like this.
"Why? Why did you give up resisting?"
Looking at Haru's calm face, Mew No. 2 stood there in a daze, still holding the electric keyboard.
Mewtwo simply couldn't understand why Haru would dare to face her attack head-on.
Wasn't he afraid of dying? Even if he wasn't scared of death, at least don't act so cocky about it, kora!
In response, Haru once again showed a faint smile:
"I told you before, I trust you a lot."
"Are you still doubting my words even now? Where did you pick up such a lousy personality?"
"The Pokémon around me are all so straightforward—even Patrat is clear about grudges and favors."
As he said this, Haru casually waved his hand with remarkable composure: "Alright, now that you've vented, let's start cleaning up the trash."
"Those small fries have been waiting for you for a while."
"You've finally evolved into your Mega form—don't disappoint me now."
"..."
Still not making a move, Mewtwo floated in front of Haru, her expression growing even more complicated.
"What's wrong? Do you still want to punch your master, nya?"
"Once is enough for that sort of thing. If you swing a second fist, I won't stand for it."
Perched on Haru's shoulder, Mew glared at Mewtwo with predatory intensity.
From the look on her face, it was clear that if Mewtwo showed any sign of attacking, she'd strike immediately.
Though Mewtwo hadn't actually hurt Haru just now, her actions had still provoked Mew's displeasure.
In Mew's eyes, Haru's willingness to accept Mewtwo and let her live with them was already a tremendous 'grace.'
Moreover, Mewtwo's presence undoubtedly diminished her own visibility in front of Haru.
For that, Mewtwo ought to recite gratitude lessons every day, like 'Haru's Cannon Shatters the Legendary Beasts'!
So, the very idea of Mewtwo daring to lay a hand on her was utterly absurd.
She'd have to punish her properly later!
But right at the moment Mew's words fell...
This Mewtwo suddenly made her move.
Instead of following Haru's instructions to set up a Psychic Terrain, she first turned her head and erected a barrier behind them, trapping the Rocket Team grunts and Goh there.
Then, she spun back around and pinned Haru against the hotel wall with her arms in a classic wall-slam.
Haru was taller than Mewtwo, but at that moment, her 'aura' completely overwhelmed him.
The girl glanced at Mew and snorted coldly:
"Hmph, anything you can do, I can do too! What's so special about that?"
"Not only can I do it, I can do it better than you!"
"Be jealous, you useless old hag—it's the era of young girls now."
"This is just the beginning. Soon, I'll personally smash you so-called legendary and mythical beasts to pieces, then right in front of your faces, I'll ravish and dominate Haru thoroughly!"
With those words, she brazenly unleashed the 'Draining Kiss' move right there in front of everyone.
Though she wasn't very skilled with this Fairy-type technique and was purely Psychic-type herself, when she used it, she was undeniably a little fairy.
Little fairies could be a type of fairy, after all!
In any case, her momentum was definitely stronger than that of some certain character who looked eerily similar to her but had racked up a huge debt from messing around with a band.
After all, she had successfully turned the tables.
To save face, Haru quickly dodged her attack and whispered a refusal: "Wait, don't do this."
"Mewtwo, no! Not there..."
As he spoke, he desperately tried to evade, hoping this would snap the girl out of it.
But clearly, it had no effect.
If this Mewtwo were a girl with normal shame and propriety, she might have backed off after those two sentences.
The problem was, Mewtwo had been 'crooked' from the start, even before she was 'born.' She'd never been normal to begin with.
From the very moment she gained consciousness, Giovanni had been bombarding her mind with all sorts of bizarre ideas every other day.
Though she hadn't fully bought into his words due to her skepticism, she'd still been profoundly influenced in the end.
This directly led to her having misconceptions about human common sense from the outset.
On the surface, she seemed perfectly normal, but behind the scenes, Mew No. 2 was capable of things that would mortify any ordinary girl.
For instance, Mewtwo had always thought that 'serving' Haru, her genetic source, was perfectly natural.
In Mew No. 2's view, this was a way of showing 'friendship' to Haru, even a duty she had to fulfill.
It was just that she'd never been willing to swallow her pride and actually do it, so neither Haru nor the others at home had ever noticed.
Later, during the time she lived with Haru and the others, it was even more pronounced.
Mewtwo could see Haru in intense battles with people almost every day—the only variable was who the opponent was.
For such behavior, Mew No. 2 didn't see anything wrong with it at all.
If anything was off, it was only if Haru found out.
As long as he didn't, no matter how extreme it got, it was fine.
Under this prolonged influence, Mewtwo increasingly felt that her connection to Haru was only natural, and even peeping was justified.
So, day after day, she spied on Haru's earth-shattering clashes with the girls and meticulously recorded everything she saw.
She even believed that to advance her relationship with Haru further, she had to follow the things noted in her notebook.
If even those more intimate acts were fair game, then what was wrong with using 'Draining Kiss' on him as a reward for his trust?
Haru was even more reserved than she'd imagined.
"Be good and let me take a look!"
After a prolonged stalemate, Mewtwo finally used her psychic powers on her master.
In the midst of Mew No. 2's 'brutal actions,' Haru couldn't escape the fate of being 'defiled'...
After five seconds of cat-and-mouse, Haru was captured by the domineering Mew No. 2.
Mew No. 2 then savored Haru's 'beauty' at her leisure.
She first took two deep sucks, then released him with a puzzled blink, only to latch on again for several more Draining Kisses. Seeing no special reaction from either herself or Haru, she finally gave up on her own.
But even then, her face was still etched with full-blown confusion.
Though she'd successfully 'captured' Haru this time, the experimental results weren't all that satisfying to her.
Based on her long-term observations, using 'Draining Kiss' on Haru should produce some kind of special pleasure.
Like with Liko, Cynthia, or even Mew herself—they all seemed utterly engrossed when they did it. So why didn't she feel that special sensation when she tried it personally?
Was there something she wasn't doing quite right? Like, maybe the duration wasn't long enough or something?
But that didn't make sense either—she'd nearly suffocated Haru, so time couldn't be the issue, no matter how you looked at it.
Or perhaps... the position was off? Or Haru wasn't cooperating enough?
This stuff was truly profound; it looked like she'd have to study it more.
The girl, convinced she'd already mastered it all, fell into deep thought.
But setting aside her own thoughts for the moment, at least the surrounding onlookers were genuinely stunned.
Just a minute ago, Cynthia had been worried about Haru's safety, fearing he'd be smashed to bits by Mewtwo's punch.
She hadn't expected things to spiral into such bizarre territory.
Hold up, weren't you just clashing with Haru a second ago? How did it turn into this?
This was getting a bit too outrageous.
Haru must have some kind of ice charm on him, right? To make you this infatuated—next, are you gonna force yourself on him or what?
However... what even Cynthia herself hadn't anticipated was that, despite having been tangled up with Haru in passion less than half an hour ago, she felt no real jealousy toward this girl who was essentially assaulting him.
If anything... she was actually quite intrigued by Mewtwo's situation?
She was curious about what the relationship between Mewtwo and Haru would ultimately become.
If necessary, she wouldn't even mind jumping in herself...
As for Chloe...
Her heart was in utter turmoil right now.
On one hand, she'd just witnessed her childhood friend get sent flying by Mewtwo, filling her with extreme worry.
Though Goh had been pissing her off lately, he was still her childhood friend, and if something really happened to him, of course she wouldn't want that.
On the other hand, she'd also seen Haru get forcibly kissed by his own Pokémon, leaving her emotions in a total mess.
Even a Pokémon could do it, but she couldn't?
Well... that Pokémon's mobility was way superior to hers, after all.
Up until now, she hadn't even mustered the courage to ask Haru for his number, let alone anything else.
Losers were losers because they always dashed toward the starting line.
But there was one person even more invested in the dynamic between Haru and Mewtwo than Cynthia or Chloe.
Yes, that person was Professor Oak.
He'd been waiting for this moment far too long.
Originally, he'd invited Haru to Alto Mare precisely to observe their interactions up close.
Ideally, to record any special bonds that formed.
His intuition told him that the relationship between Haru and Mewtwo would never be limited to just Pokémon and trainer.
So, this was a prime subject for study.
Yet the first few days couldn't be called fruitful—more like a complete blank.
On the surface, there seemed to be no progress in Haru and Mewtwo's relationship, let alone elevating it to a 'higher' level.
In fact, from certain everyday behaviors, their bond sometimes appeared weaker than that of an average trainer and Pokémon.
The genetic connection didn't seem to provide much of an edge.
Though disappointed, Professor Oak hadn't given up on observing Haru.
As a professional Pokémon researcher, he had his own obsessions and perseverance in this area.
He'd already prepared for a long-term 'engagement' with Haru and was confident he'd get everything he wanted from him.
However, he hadn't expected that before long, the miracle would unfold right before his eyes.
Haru hadn't laid a hand on Mewtwo, but Mewtwo couldn't hold back from making a move on Haru!
And this move was done right in front of everyone, without a shred of shame, leaving the crowd dumbfounded.
The moment Haru and Mewtwo crossed the line beyond mere friendship, this Pokémon professor from Kanto immediately pushed through the onlookers and approached them.
He stared at Haru and Mewtwo with feverish eyes, as if trying to burn every detail of what he was seeing into his memory.
Yes… yes, it was true! He hadn't misjudged Haru at all—there did exist humans who could fall in love with Pokémon in this world.
If the two of them were to… come together, what would their child be? Human, or Pokémon?
And if it were human, would they inherit the power of a first-ranked legendary?
Considering that Haru himself was one of Mewtwo's genetic sources, their offspring's bloodline might even be further purified.
Whatever the case, Mewtwo's child would certainly be different from that of a Typhlosion.
No—perhaps it wasn't even right to simply classify Mewtwo as a "Pokémon." After all, she was the hybrid of human and Pokémon genes.
So in a sense, Mewtwo was the bridge between the two species—half human, half Pokémon.
Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous! If he continued to observe the "romance" between Haru and Mewtwo, then his next research paper would practically write itself.
Truly, Haru was his lucky star.
Perhaps it was that very thought that made Professor Oak swallow audibly as he glanced at them both.
Though he usually appeared gentle and kind, Oak was in fact quite the fanatic when it came to his field of study.
Even though the area was still within the danger zone—where any stray shockwave could hit at any time—he risked it all just to keep watching Haru, desperate not to miss a single historic detail.
Fortunately, Mewtwo completely ignored him, or else he probably would've been vaporized on the spot.
At that moment, the boy who'd been relentlessly "assaulted" by the girl finally coughed twice and spoke up:
"Cough, cough... Can you follow my command now?"
He hadn't expected Mewtwo to do that in front of everyone—and without the slightest hint of shame.
Still, at least Mewtwo hadn't done anything more outrageous. Losing a bit of face was the worst that had happened; he could live with that.
"Tch… fine."
The girl turned her head toward him, then reluctantly followed his earlier order and activated Psychic Terrain.
It looked somewhat similar to Misty Terrain, but its effect was vastly different.
In terms of practical use, the two were about even, ignoring elemental differences. After all, Misty Terrain's immunity to all status conditions made it much more universally useful than, say, Electric Terrain.
As soon as Mewtwo steadied herself on the psychic field, she felt her already overwhelming psychic power surge to an even higher level. A strange calm washed over her.
If the Fountain of the Sacred Tablets was a "field spell" for casual players, then Psychic Terrain was Mewtwo's personal battlefield.
Only while standing on it could she unleash her full power.
Not only her—even Mew, still perched lazily on Haru's shoulder, felt a similar sensation, though she said nothing.
Unlike Mewtwo, Mew's abilities weren't limited to psychic power.
After all, Mew knew a bit of everything.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket's members could only watch as the world around them was dyed pink—and panic finally set in.
No—no good! That Mewtwo is about to attack!
It was too late.
They couldn't escape. Even if Mewtwo had just been toying with her trainer moments ago, she wasn't about to give them another chance now.
Despair sank into their bones.
They'd been blasting at the barriers around them all this time, yet hadn't even managed to make a hole.
Mewtwo's psychic power was on a level far beyond anything they'd imagined.
All they could feel now was regret.
She'd left them an opening earlier—when she turned on Haru—but their greed had cost them that fleeting chance at escape. Now, it was all far too late.
A Mega Evolved Mewtwo was terrifying enough already, and now with Psychic Terrain active? They didn't stand a chance.
Their only remaining hope rested on Haru's supposed "mercy."
If Haru chose to spare them… maybe there'd still be a sliver of hope.
But was that even possible?
Of course not. Haru was probably hoping Mewtwo would send these scumbags flying into orbit like bowling pins. There was no way he'd let Team Rocket off the hook so easily.
The moment Mewtwo deployed her field, Haru's second command followed immediately.
"Mewtwo—use Expanding Force on all of Team Rocket's Pokémon!"
Mewtwo's signature move was Psystrike, with a respectable base power of 100—standard among legendary-exclusive moves.
But as a Psychic-type attack, its offensive efficiency lagged behind others, and being a single-target move calculated through the opponent's physical defense didn't help. It was weaker than Miraidon's Electro Drift or Koraidon's Collision Course.
Compared to signature moves like Surging Strikes from Urshifu, Psystrike honestly wasn't much to brag about.
That's why Mewtwo—and most offensive Psychics—relied heavily on Expanding Force.
Its base power was only 80, but under Psychic Terrain, it hit all opponents and gained a 50% power boost—making it 120. Then, with the terrain's 30% Psychic damage bonus, the true effective power reached 182.
And that's without factoring in items, Abilities, or Terastal bonuses.
Stack those, and the move could easily exceed 300 effective power.
Sure, it still wasn't as absurd as Kyogre's Water Spout, but combined with Mega Mewtwo Y's ridiculous Special Attack? The damage output was downright obscene.
If only it weren't Psychic-type—it'd be god-tier.
Even though many of Team Rocket's Pokémon were Dark-types, they were still utterly overwhelmed.
Most of them were flattened instantly, forced to their knees and stripped of fighting strength.
A few bulkier ones managed to hold out, but only barely—they were all at the brink.
You could say that as long as Team Rocket kept attacking, Lacey and Mewtwo had plenty of room to respond strategically.
"S-so strong… this is the power of a first-ranked legendary after Mega Evolution?"
Standing atop a nearby skyscraper, Caitlin couldn't help but gasp.
As the saying goes: Amateurs watch the spectacle; experts see the technique.
And as a psychic herself, Caitlin knew exactly how terrifying what she was witnessing truly was.
Though she specialized in training Psychic-types, the sheer force radiating from Mega Mewtwo Y was unlike anything she had ever seen in her life.
And that was only a fraction of Mewtwo's full strength.
A first-ranked legendary… really was this monstrous.
"How fascinating. Perhaps this, too, is a manifestation of the power of love."
"Yes—the power of love truly is limitless."
Professor Oak's eyes gleamed as he scribbled furiously in his notebook, glancing occasionally at the fallen Pokémon.
This was Mewtwo's first recorded Mega Evolution in battle—an event of immeasurable scientific value. He wasn't about to let a single detail slip away.
Meanwhile, having finished one devastating attack, Mewtwo didn't even wait for another order. She simply repeated her strongest move.
After all, there were still people standing between her and Haru—something she found utterly unacceptable.
If people were still standing, it meant she wasn't strong enough yet. She had to keep striking, keep surpassing herself.
Another Expanding Force exploded outward. The few Pokémon who had managed to remain upright were finally flattened, collapsing unconscious.
Their trainers followed soon after, fainting the instant their partners hit the ground.
Even so, a handful of Pokémon remained conscious—too stubborn to pass out, yet clearly broken in spirit.
All that filled their minds now was escape. Their trainers felt the same.
Under Mewtwo's crushing psychic pressure, they scattered like headless flies, desperately searching for any possible exit in the barrier.
But fate was cruel—one of them tripped over a boy lying face-down on the ground.
A sharp, agonized screech tore through the air.
The pain jolted Goh upright, veins bulging, face twisted.
Agony—searing, indescribable agony. But it was nothing compared to the anguish in his heart.
He'd been ruined.
The one who'd stepped on him was an overweight grunt, and that single stomp had turned something oval into something… two-dimensional.
Rage boiled through him. He wanted to kill that bastard—but he couldn't even take on a Hoppip right now.
The pain was blinding; his eyes were bloodshot, breath ragged.
Why… why me?! What did I do to deserve this?!
Do I get punished by heaven just for catching Pokémon?!
Haru… Team Rocket… I'll kill you! I'll kill you ten thousand times over!
As his fury peaked, his internal injuries flared again, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Fortunately, fate decided to end his suffering there—because Mewtwo and Haru swiftly "avenged" him.
Determined to prove her power, Mewtwo wiped out every last conscious opponent in record time.
The bald-headed Rocket executive who had fought Haru the longest was the last one standing.
Even after enduring two Expanding Force blasts, his Pokémon stubbornly shielded him.
But they couldn't hold out forever.
Annoyed, Mewtwo finally picked up her electronic keyboard and strutted toward the man.
She raised it like a Go board, mimicking an ancient chess master—and struck.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Crack.
Four resounding blows later, the last of them went down.
There's a saying: "Gold at the corners, silver at the sides, grass in the center." It applied to Go boards—and apparently to the damage zones of Mewtwo's keyboard, too.
Each hit had been a "corner." The results were spectacular.
"Damn… to think I'd lose to this traitor in the end… I can't accept this…"
Those were the bald man's final words before collapsing.
His fall marked Team Rocket's total annihilation.
Mewtwo tapped the unconscious bodies with her keyboard, confirming they were all out cold, then stretched lazily.
"That's it? What a bore."
All around her lay the battered remnants of Team Rocket—nearly fifty grunts in total, bodies scattered and piled around the hotel.
As for their Pokémon? Even more outrageous—enough to form a small military unit.
Yet in the end, they'd all fallen before Haru—or rather, before the invincible Mewtwo.
Even with Team Rocket's resources, losing this many people in one day would surely make Giovanni weep.
And to top it off, their mission had completely failed.
"Now that this is over," Haru sighed, "let's call Officer Jenny to clean up the scene."
Cynthia, who had been standing by in a "ready to strike at any time" stance since the chaos began—but never actually got the chance to act—finally spoke up.
For her, Team Rocket itself wasn't the main concern anymore.
What truly caught her attention was Mewtwo's Mega Evolution—and the sight of Haru being forced to his knees by it.
Garchomp, however, had no clue what its Trainer was thinking. Since Cynthia never gave it any command to attack, it was more than happy to stay out of it.
After all… it had no interest in helping Haru or Mewtwo.
Ever since "102-10" (as Garchomp privately dubbed him) showed up, it had a hunch this guy might steal its Trainer away—so it was never particularly friendly toward him.
Of course, "unfriendly" was only part of it. Truth be told, it was also a bit afraid of Mega Mewtwo.
Haru nodded slightly at Cynthia's suggestion.
"Yeah, I get it…"
This sort of situation was better left to Officer Jenny. There were just too many Rocket members here—if he handled them personally, it'd be far too much of a hassle.
Though… Goh's case might need a little more thought.
As that thought crossed his mind, Haru swept his gaze around the area—then suddenly froze, his expression changing dramatically.
"Not good—something's wrong!"
He shouted that and bolted toward the edge of the island.
And just as he feared, something was terribly wrong.
The moment he arrived, an enormous wall of water—dozens of meters high—was rolling in from the distance.
There hadn't been any typhoons or extreme weather lately, so for such a terrifying wave to suddenly form out at sea—something was very, very off.
If it struck Alto Mare, buildings would surely shatter under the sheer force of it and be swept into the sea.
In the face of nature's fury, humanity was painfully small.
"Damn it… of all times, it had to be now. Don't tell me the one who stole the Soul Dew has started controlling Alto Mare's defense system?"
That was Haru's first thought as he stared at the oncoming wave.
The Soul Dew, together with Latios and the control system beneath the Alto Mare cathedral, could freely alter the entire city's structure—locking down districts, sealing off routes, and more.
But those mechanisms weren't just defensive tools—their greatest power was the ability to control the surrounding ocean itself.
With a single command, they could summon waves tens of meters high—just like the one surging toward them now.
If the Soul Dew was stolen, the system would spiral out of control.
When that happened, the seas around the island city would begin to boil and evaporate, and Alto Mare itself could collapse completely.
So… was this the thief's doing?
That was Haru's first thought—until he saw what was really behind it.
A massive, pure-white creature—a bird-like Pokémon, though "bird" barely fit the description. Its wings had evolved into enormous hands, and yet the odd anatomy didn't hinder its flight speed in the slightest. If anything, it flew faster and further than any normal Flying-type.
Yes—this was no ordinary Pokémon. Ordinary Flying-types couldn't compare to this being.
It was the guardian of ocean currents—the Legendary Pokémon Lugia.
A being said to stand opposite to Ho-Oh, with whom it shared a… let's say, strained relationship. But the two did have a few things in common.
For example, both were "troubled," and both had a few subordinate Legendary Pokémon beneath them…
Amusingly enough, though Lugia was revered as the "Guardian of the Seas" or the "God of the Ocean," it wasn't actually a Water-type Pokémon at all.
Its true typing was Psychic and Flying.
Yes—yet another Psychic-type.
And since it was also Flying-type, it couldn't even benefit from a Psychic Terrain boost.
You could call that one of the lingering "design quirks" of early-generation Legendaries—everyone seemed to think slapping a Psychic-type label on themselves was a good way to make life harder.
That said, Lugia wasn't exactly an aggressive creature. In general, it was far calmer and easier to reason with than Kyogre, the other ocean deity. At the very least, Lugia didn't go around blasting humans for no reason.
So the question was—why was Lugia summoning tidal waves to attack Alto Mare?
In Haru's memory, Alto Mare had never experienced an incident involving Lugia.
But there was no time to dwell on that now.
The urgent priority was clear: stop Lugia before it destroyed the city.
That wave could not be allowed to hit.
"—Mewtwo!" Haru shouted.
Mewtwo had already sensed what was happening. The moment Haru called out to her, she moved.
Dispersing a tidal wave of that size wasn't easy. The simplest way would be to summon a primal force—something like Groudon—whose power to turn the ocean into land could easily counteract it.
Unfortunately, Haru didn't have a Groudon handy.
So they'd have to use a more direct approach.
Yes—he would punch the wave back and freeze it solid.
A daunting feat… but one within Mewtwo's reach.
The "Mewtwo" let out a disdainful laugh.
"Please. Just a third-rate Legendary using a fourth-rate move. Watch me send it flying."
"Mew No. 2" retrieved her electronic keyboard; her aura flared wildly—an overwhelming surge of psychic energy rippled through the air as she ascended to her perfect form.
"—Dark Soul Annihilation Palm!"
Despite the dramatic name, she was still just using Psystrike.
Her hand was small, her attack struck only a tiny part of the wave—yet that single blow shattered the entire thing to mist.
The wave broke apart, crashing harmlessly back into the sea. Just like that, Mewtwo had erased a disaster-level threat as easily as swatting a fly.
However, though the immediate danger had passed, the Lugia hovering above the sea had noticed her interference.
It let out two furious roars—then dove straight at Mewtwo to attack.
"Mewtwo! You alright?!" Haru called out.
In the games, Lugia wasn't exactly a powerhouse.
It was a product of its time—middling ability, mediocre signature move. Sure, it was bulky enough to stall teams to death, but offensively? Not much to brag about.
That said, this was reality. Nobody knew what a real Lugia could do. Maybe it was far more dangerous than the one on a Game Boy screen.
And here, on the open ocean—this was its domain. Facing it here was reckless.
Still, Mewtwo's response came quick and confident.
"No problem. Winning's practically guaranteed."
"Technically speaking," she added with a smirk, "it's the challenger here."
Maybe it was because she'd just come off a crushing victory, but her voice brimmed with unshakable confidence—so much that it actually made Haru uneasy.
Could she really win this one?