Caitlin, finally couldn't sit still anymore.
At first, she had been thinking she could just dump all those notebooks onto Mewtwo, fool Haru into believing they belonged to him instead.
But now—Mew had outright declared that the owner of those notebooks was none other than her, Caitlin.
That single statement completely cut off her escape route.
What was she supposed to do now—argue with Mew again?
But Mew had already proved herself right once before. It wasn't as if Caitlin could ask her to prove it a second time.
Back then, Mew had said there were still other people hidden in the room, and Caitlin had refuted that.
But now that Mew had managed to drag out every last person she'd mentioned… that meant everything Mew said earlier had been true.
So then—was she supposed to just admit it?
That was obviously impossible. When Haru saw the contents of the notebook, his expression had changed instantly.
And the way he was looking at her afterward—it was weird.
What did that mean? It meant that, in Haru's eyes, she had probably already become some kind of pervert.
And that wasn't even the worst part. The terrifying thing was that Haru might now start thinking that "Caitlin is an easy target."
Once that idea took root, he'd probably start using those so-called "hypnosis techniques" of his—trying to turn her into another Cynthia.
Damn that infernally evil little Mew! If it weren't for her, how could she have ended up in such a miserable situation?
As the thought hit her, the girl bit her lip, heart filled with alarm, and leaned closer to Haru to say—
"These things actually…"
Before she could even finish, Haru raised a hand and cut her off.
"No need to explain. I understand everything."
"I'm just… a little surprised by how profound your 'research' is. It's nearly on par with Cynthia's."
"No, to be precise, you've already surpassed her."
"There are things Cynthia hasn't even theorized about yet—but you've already put them into practice."
As he spoke, he flipped rapidly through the pages of the notebook, then added in a puzzled tone—
"But why are there so many things about Cynthia in your works? Does she… somehow give you more inspiration?"
"Ah, but that makes sense. Cynthia is your friend—you'd naturally know her better. And in every sense of the word, she is a Champion."
"The Champion's… prowess is indeed something that can't be underestimated."
The moment Haru said those words, Latias and Mewtwo's eyes lit up in unison.
So it was true after all—their suspicions had been right.
That stack of papers they'd stolen really was the Champion's secret manual.
Haru himself had just acknowledged the "brilliance" of the knowledge written within.
And what was even more crucial—he had made that connection to Cynthia all on his own, without even knowing what had happened earlier.
What did that imply? It meant he had recognized, purely from reading it, that the "style" recorded in that manuscript was extremely similar to Cynthia's.
And since the real author was Cynthia to begin with, it was only natural that Haru would notice her touch in the text.
But that also confirmed something else: the knowledge contained in those papers was truly precious.
They had to get their hands on it—no matter what.
A Legendary Pokémon and the Champion's secret manual… wasn't that the perfect combination?
Heh heh heh heh… it wouldn't be long before she, Mewtwo, became the strongest Pokémon in the world.
As she stared at the pages in Haru's hands, Mew No. 2's eyes gleamed with naked greed.
That craving, that hunger—everyone present could see it.
"But it's really not mine…"
Seeing how Haru's misunderstanding was only getting worse, Caitlin's voice trembled, tears threatening to spill.
To be mistaken for some kind of pervert—that was not something she could accept!
But Haru merely shook his head slowly.
"I get it. Since you say it's not yours… then it's not yours."
Right—she was a prim and proper blonde lady, after all.
It made sense she wouldn't want to admit she had a 'special side' like that.
"I'm serious—it's really not mine!"
Caitlin could clearly tell what Haru was thinking, but she had no idea how to clear her name anymore.
And Haru didn't seem intent on arguing the point either.
He turned to Mewtwo and said calmly, "Come to my room tonight. I'll be punishing you. I don't recall ever teaching you to steal, did I?"
"And if you're truly interested in these things…"
"Well, it might sound strange coming from me, but—you could always ask Mew. She's an expert in this field."
Haru's "kind suggestion," however, only earned him a disdainful snort from Mewtwo.
Ask Mew for advice? What a joke!
Sure, she knew Mew was exceptionally skilled in battle techniques—but asking her for guidance would be the same as admitting defeat!
Haru, of course, didn't care what Mewtwo thought. His gaze shifted next to Chloe.
"I still don't quite get why you two thought it was a good idea to sneak into Caitlin's room and steal this stuff."
"But breaking into someone's room like that—that's trespassing. I can't just let you walk away scot-free."
As he said this, Haru couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu.
Why did it feel like his own memories of these people were misleading him so badly?
Chloe and Mewtwo… them, of all people—sneaking into someone's room to steal notebooks?
That didn't sound right at all.
But the evidence was right in front of him—undeniable, irrefutable. Even he didn't know how to defend Mewtwo this time.
"I… I…"
Chloe opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but couldn't form a complete sentence.
Ah… she really had made a mistake this time. It was only fair that Haru and Caitlin wanted to punish her.
(Though, technically, Caitlin had stolen it from Cynthia in the first place…)
Of course, Caitlin could never have imagined that, in Haru's eyes, she now looked like some freak who sneaked into others' homes to steal notebooks.
If she knew that, she'd probably faint on the spot.
"…Alright then. I won't handle this matter myself," Haru finally said.
"I'll contact your parents later—let them decide how to deal with you."
"However… the victim here is Miss Caitlin. If she chooses not to forgive you, I can't help you there."
"You two can settle that in private."
Trespassing and theft—this was already serious enough for Officer Jenny to get involved.
By suggesting they handle it privately, Haru was already being exceptionally merciful.
But the girl panicked at his "verdict."
"Please don't do that… anything but that! Please choose another punishment—I'll do anything!"
She stepped forward and bowed deeply, pleading.
If her parents ever found out she'd done something like this—what kind of look would they give her?
Just imagining it made Chloe's blood run cold.
But before Haru could respond, the long-ignored ahoge woman finally snapped.
"Hey—you people done yet?"
"How long are you planning to leave me standing here?"
"…And you are?"
Haru frowned, turning toward her.
He had noticed her arrival earlier, but assumed she was one of Caitlin's friends—or maybe someone from the room—so he hadn't paid much attention.
But judging by her tone now, she seemed to be addressing him directly.
At the very least, when she spoke, her gaze was clearly locked on him.
"We just met not long ago—don't tell me you've already forgotten me?"
The silver-haired woman's tone grew sharp, as if Haru had done something unforgivable.
"Just met…?"
Haru looked even more puzzled, and this time he studied her carefully.
She was breathtaking—leaning lightly against the cushioned seat by the window, her silvery-white hair spilling down like unbound moonlight, the pearlescent ends curling faintly at her waist.
Her soft peach-blossom eyes half-lidded, casting long lashes' shadows tinged with a hint of bluish weariness, a tiny cinnabar mole gleaming at the corner of her left eye.
Her willow-like silver brows were faintly furrowed, as if disturbed by some invisible breeze.
And from her head rose a single stubborn lock of hair—the "ahoge"—standing upright like a feather caught in a levitation spell.
But in all of Haru's memories, he was certain he had never seen such a beautiful woman before.
And "not long ago"? That ruled out the possibility he'd simply forgotten.
"Who exactly are you? I don't have any memory of you."
"...?"
The white-haired beauty seemed momentarily stunned—but then raised her voice indignantly.
"I'm Lugia—the one you pinned down and humiliated not long ago!"
"You bullied me just earlier, and now you're pretending you don't even know me?!"
Her tone was dripping with outrage now.
"..."
Haru was speechless for a long time.
Lugia? How could she be Lugia?!
Why did she look like this now? Didn't she realize that turning into such a form only made her more dangerous?
And why was she in human form now too?
Could it be that he really carried some kind of bizarre curse—where any Legendary Pokémon who came into contact with him turned into a beautiful woman?
Then someday, if he ever met Arceus, would that mean he could actually reenact "The Spear That Conquered God"?
Or perhaps stage "The Lancer Who Threw His Spear at the Creator"?
Hmm… a spear blessed by divine blood could indeed be called the Lance of Longinus.
Breaking news from the Legendary Pokémon world: "Arceus turned into a goddess obsessed with divine-slaying spears."
As his thoughts spiraled in that unholy direction, Haru's eyes nevertheless never left Lugia's face.
He had to admit—it was dangerously easy to get distracted by her beauty.
Meanwhile, Caitlin and Chloe, interpreting the situation through a completely different lens, picked up on a few particular keywords—"bullied," "denying it," "pinned down," "humiliated."
Instantly, their minds jumped to the kind of plotlines one only found on certain… special websites.
That man was terrifying—he'd even "defiled" a Legendary Pokémon like Lugia…
If even a top-tier Legendary couldn't resist him, what chance did they have?!
As for Mewtwo and the others, they saw something else entirely.
To them, Lugia's words carried just one meaning—"defeat."
Otherwise, how could even a Legendary like Lugia have fallen to Haru's power?
No—thinking carefully, this form Lugia had taken might even be proof that Haru was too strong, forcing her to assume human form just to seek his favor.
Such power… such dominance…!
The one who held such "force"—the one with that unmatched Powa—was truly capable of doing anything.
And those precious papers in Haru's hands—they were clearly the key to attaining that same power.
"…Alright, Lugia. It's true I've kept you waiting," Haru finally sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Something unexpected came up, that's all."
He shook the stack of papers in his hand.
"Let's head out to rescue your child now. Do you have any leads? Like who took them, what they looked like—anything?"
"Wait. Before that…" Lugia's voice cut in sharply.
"I want to know—what exactly is that you're holding?"
She had been about to agree to leave, but just like Mewtwo, her attention was drawn to the papers.
After all, she'd witnessed the earlier chaos between Haru, Caitlin, and the others. It was obvious that both Caitlin and Mewtwo valued those documents immensely.
No—more precisely, even Haru himself had spoken of them with deep admiration.
If they had all been ordinary humans, Lugia wouldn't have cared.
But the key here was—none of them were.
Haru was the human who had once subdued her.
Caitlin radiated formidable psychic energy.
Mewtwo, of course, was another legendary Psychic-type powerhouse.
And beyond them, Lugia could even sense a fourth presence—another Psychic-type Legendary, cloaked and invisible, lurking nearby.
All these powerful psychics… and all of them were coveting those papers.
What could that possibly mean?
There was only one answer.
Those papers contained the key to making Psychic Pokémon stronger.
That had to be the truth.
Heh. She was brilliant, wasn't she? Figuring it out in one go.
When Lugia asked her question, Haru only gave her a deliberately vague smile.
"Just… something only humans can really understand."
"At the very least… I don't think it's something you'd be interested in."
"Let me see it."
Lugia's tone left no room for refusal. And, perhaps sensing Haru's hesitation, she added,
"Think of it as compensation—for what you did to me before, and for making me wait so long just now."
"…If you can get Miss Caitlin's permission, then fine. But I must warn you—whatever you see in there, don't… overreact."
"So much talk."
Ignoring his warning entirely, Lugia snatched the stack of papers straight out of Haru's hands—and immediately began to read.