Yes—Necrozma's recent "disappearance" wasn't some random accident, nor was it because it had run into danger.
During an encounter with a Rocket executive known as Matori, it had accidentally learned about the Mewtwo Project—and the more it heard, the more interested it became.
As Giovanni's secretary, Matori's knowledge of Team Rocket's top-secret projects was second only to Giovanni himself. You could say she had been involved in most of the syndicate's "operations" at one point or another.
At first, however, Matori showed no intention of revealing any relevant intel to Necrozma, meeting its probing questions with staunch resistance.
And really—her loyalty to Giovanni was beyond words. Betray Team Rocket that easily? What a joke.
What did Necrozma think she was-a fickle rival trainer, ready to switch sides the moment someone waved a shiny in her face? Yeah, no.
But that… only managed to piss Big Neko off.
From Necrozma's perspective, this was the very definition of not knowing what's good for you.
She had been "asking nicely" out of courtesy, but this human had the audacity to refuse? Clearly, she was begging to be on the receiving end of the Ultimate Impact of Paldean Rye Bread from her master!
Did she even understand who she was dealing with?
In a fit of anger, Necrozma resorted to… let's just say some non-standard methods.
To put it plainly—mental contamination.
Big Neko had precise control over this sort of thing: no lasting harm to the human, but enough to leave them feeling both "blissfully alive and dead inside" at the same time—and ready to surrender in short order.
This was hardly her first rodeo. In under thirty minutes, Matori had been taken on a rollercoaster from heaven to hell and back to heaven again—like she'd been riding a drug high.
By the time the "treatment" was over, Matori was rolling her eyes back, drooling, and humming softly…
After that, still drooling, she began pouring out the details of the Mewtwo Project in painstaking detail—and even spilled other Rocket secrets for good measure.
Necrozma could only think—Well, well, what do we have here?
So her master had unknowingly become a father? And not just to any Pokémon, but to a man-made Legendary? As expected of Haru—achieving what most trainers wouldn't even dare to dream.
Initially, Big Neko's first instinct was to rush back and report to her master to earn some credit.
But before she moved, she thought it over again.
Wait… wasn't this a rare opportunity? Hadn't she essentially found herself a DIY Mew?
She and Mew had never gotten along. And yet, in front of their master, she could never quite outshine that smug pink hairball.
Anyone with eyes could see it—Haru might complain about Mew, but in truth, Mew was still the Pokémon he relied on most.
In any sudden crisis, the first Pokémon Haru called for was always Mew—not Necrozma, and certainly not the severely socially anxious Flutter Mane.
From a pure combat perspective, Big Neko's strength easily surpassed Mew's.
But according to her own (obviously brilliant) anthropological analysis, the only reason Mew held the higher ground was due to first-mover advantage.
Mew was Haru's first Pokémon. Back when Haru had just arrived in this world, it was Mew who had helped him through countless hardships.
Naturally, a deep-seated dependence had formed—and even if Big Neko was stronger, it would be difficult to shake Mew's "first love" status in his heart anytime soon.
This had frustrated Big Neko for a long time.
But after hearing about Mewtwo… her mindset shifted in a subtle way.
If I can't deal with you, I can still deal with your substitute, can't I?
Mewtwo had been created from Mew's and Haru's genetic material. In terms of abilities, it was remarkably similar to Mew.
Their appearances might differ greatly, but when Big Neko "educated" it, she couldn't help feeling like she was educating another Mew.
If Mew hadn't been Haru's Pokémon, she would've been very interested in coaxing Mewtwo into fighting her "mother."
Who knows—she might even take a page from Mew's book and act as director for "The Strongest Mother-Daughter Showdown on Earth."
But that was fine—there were plenty of other fun things to do even if she couldn't make them fight.
Mewtwo was still in an infant-like state of innocence, readily absorbing every piece of "knowledge" she taught it—even when she slipped in a little "personal spin."
And for Mewtwo…
It was deeply grateful to Necrozma.
Before their meeting, its dreams had been nothing but endless darkness—heavy curtains wrapping around it from all sides, not a single ray of light able to pierce the suffocating stillness.
It could only curl up in the center of the void, mind as hazy as the darkness surrounding it.
Ever since it had gained self-awareness, it had been tormented by three questions it could not answer:
Who am I?
Where did I come from?
Where am I going?
It knew it was some kind of creation—and for that very reason, it doubted the circumstances of its birth.
From the people who had made it, it saw nothing but greed and boundless malice.
That confirmed the truth—it had not been born blessed. It was the offspring of malice.
This truth drove the newborn deeper into its shell, unable to see any future beyond the dark.
Until—
A young woman in a kimono, her hair as black and sleek as ink, appeared in its dream.
With her came a beam of light that tore through the darkness—Prismatic Light, the light of destruction.
Yes, this kimono-clad maiden was none other than Necrozma—the radiant deity of Alola.
Mewtwo didn't know who—or what—this "person" was, nor what her appearance meant.
But it could sense that this seemingly ordinary "girl" possessed terrifying power no less than its own—and like itself, she was Psychic-type. That alone sparked a sense of kinship.
Then, the "girl" began answering questions it had never been able to resolve…
"Your real father's name is Haru—one of the strongest trainers in the world."
"As for your mother, she's the most ill-tempered Mythical in existence. Her name is Mew."
"Yes—those people named you Mewtwo because they wanted you to surpass Mew."
The girl sat barefoot upon the clouds, idly swinging her smooth, delicate legs as she spoke.
"Father? Mother?"
Mewtwo didn't care for the "beauty" of the scene—only repeating those two words in bewilderment.
After a brief explanation, it roughly understood what those words meant. A strange feeling stirred in its heart.
These two "people" were probably the closest beings it had in this world…
But… could it really be close to them? How would they view a monster like it?
Big Neko hadn't expected "Mew 2.0" to be this sentimental, but she kept spoon-feeding it her fanfiction-ed version of common sense.
"That's right—those two are your parents."
"If you ever feel like you have no one to rely on, running away and going straight to Haru is definitely a good option."
"But before that, there's something you need to know—otherwise, you might get the short end of the stick."
"What is it?"
Mewtwo trusted this "kind-hearted" teacher completely. Seeing her speak so seriously, it asked in equal earnest.
"I told you already, didn't I? Mew is one of the most ill-tempered Pokémon in this world."
"So even though you're her child, when you find her, she might still use some rather nasty methods on you."
"Trust me—that woman is capable of anything. She's a living nightmare."
"…Then what should I do?"
Necrozma didn't hesitate.
"The answer is to strike first! When dealing with someone like her, you have to be even nastier than she is to keep her in check."
"Speaking of which—do you even know what your duties as a child are?"
"What's that?"
It was still far too new to the world. Half the things Necrozma said were things it had never even heard of.
"As her child, you must serve your 'father' well—do whatever it takes to satisfy him."
"And Mew will never allow you to take that 'right to serve' away from her."
"So—use that angle to strike first."
"How… how do I make Father satisfied? Just… let him give me a 'milk bath'?"
Still bewildered, Mewtwo had no idea why that image had popped into its head.
"…You even know about that? Truly a prodigy—no wonder you're their child."
Necrozma gave it a surprised look, then went on:
"The 'milk bath' is only part of it—there's a lot more to learn in that area."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you. But first, you need to change how you address Haru."
"Instead of 'Father,' the word 'Daddy' might sound… more affectionate."
"And you'll need to learn an extremely important skill—riding on people."
"…Daddy?"
At that moment, "Mew 2.0's" feelings grew even more tangled.
When she spoke the word, it felt like something inside her was slipping away…