"Oh no! I-it's… it's a human! We're doomed!"
"Wuuu—!!"
The moment Latias noticed Haru and the others, she reacted as if startled, instantly vanishing from sight.
But after about three seconds, she must have noticed Canon standing by Haru's side, because she dropped her invisibility and reappeared.
Because of what had happened not long ago, this Latias showed a clear reluctance toward human contact.
She hid timidly behind a tree, poking out half her head to watch Haru and the others.
One wrong move from them, and she looked ready to bolt.
"So she really does have the power to turn invisible… I thought only Mew had that kind of ability."
"Seems I was too narrow-minded."
Cynthia and Professor Oak's eyes shone as they stared at the "girl" hiding behind the tree, both sounding a little excited.
Sure, Haru might have Legendary Pokémon following him around like they came wholesale from a factory, but Cynthia and Oak still knew exactly how rare and precious a Legendary was.
If nothing else, this single Latias alone could fuel several of Oak's papers.
Coming to Alto Mare had really paid off—Legendary encounters weren't usually this easy.
So thought Professor Oak to himself.
"Actually, if they wanted to, plenty of Legendaries and Mythicals could do similar things, nya."
"Invisibility, transformation into humans… even that muscle-for-brains girl Mewtwo could learn them, nya."
"Abilities like that are getting cheaper by the day."
Mew, who had been napping on Haru's shoulder, suddenly opened her eyes.
"But in this area, Latios and Latias are especially skilled. Looks like you're in luck, Master, nya."
"At the very least… you can skip the whole 'training' part."
"What nonsense are you spouting? What does Latias being good at invisibility and shapeshifting have to do with me?"
"And stop dragging Mewtwo into this! Mewtwo is very smart. At her age, no human would know half as much."
"True, true. After all, baby Mewtwo's only a year old—or maybe not even a full year yet."
Mew nodded sagely as he spoke.
"That's enough! Quit stirring things up."
Seeing Mew No. 2 already starting to play along, Haru quickly shot Mew a fierce glare.
"Fine, fine, I get it, nya."
Mew yawned wide, wrapped her long tail around Haru's neck like a scarf, and curled back up on his shoulder, closing her eyes again.
"Ahem. Anyway, let's try talking to her first."
Haru clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
"As long as we figure out what happened, everything else will fall into place."
Saying this, he placed a hand on Mewtwo's head, stroking her gently as he continued:
"Mewtwo can understand what Pokémon say and translate it into human speech. So feel free to ask whatever you need—Lady Mewtwo is very clever."
The moment his hand touched her head, Mewtwo rubbed her cheek against Haru's palm in bliss.
But seconds later, as if suddenly remembering herself, she pulled away with a look of distaste.
Mewtwo…? A human who can understand Pokémon speech? And what on earth does he mean by 'one-year-old'…?
Canon felt her questions multiplying.
But she knew this wasn't the time to worry about that.
Seeing Latias gradually calm down, she quickly began explaining Haru's group's purpose.
"Wuuu~?"
Latias tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden arrival of so many humans claiming to help her.
But after listening to Canon, she obediently stepped out from behind the tree.
Her gaze immediately fixed on Haru and the Mewtwo beside him. Her face softened, as though she'd found a pillar to lean on.
Psychic types naturally resonated with each other. She had already sensed Mewtwo's overwhelming will—a power strong enough to let her feel safe.
"Wuuu—!!"
Realizing she might have found her saviors, Latias let out a mournful cry, as though pleading.
Hearing it, Mewtwo's face grew serious.
She turned calmly to Haru and translated:
"She says her brother, Latios, was captured by humans. They also stole the Soul Dew."
"Normally, if Latios were conscious, she could at least sense his condition through their psychic bond. But so much time has passed, and she hasn't felt a trace."
"She's terrified, worried something terrible has happened to him."
"Latios was taken because he tried to protect her. If not for her dragging him down, he wouldn't have been captured."
Canon, seeing proof that Mewtwo really could translate Pokémon speech, hurriedly pressed further:
"Who were they? What did they look like?"
"Wuuu—"
Latias cried out again, this time sharper and more frantic, tinged with both fear and anger.
But to the others, her voice sounded less threatening and more like a young girl's pitiful complaint.
"Two human women. Their hairstyles were bizarre—like they'd walked straight off some trading card set. Very eye-catching."
"They had technology that let them see through invisibility and disguises."
"Latios didn't know how, but no matter what tricks he used, they couldn't escape their sight."
"As for their Pokémon… one was an Espeon, the other an Ariados."
Mewtwo translated Latias's words one by one.
"I see… that explains a lot."
Haru jotted the intel into his notebook, nodding.
He hadn't expected the "plot" of the movie to repeat itself here in reality.
If he was right, those two women Latias spoke of were none other than Annie and Oakley, the infamous thieves from the movie.
Ranked as top-tier criminals in the underworld, they had come to Alto Mare seeking the Soul Dew and the power of an infinite Pokémon.
They had attacked the Eon siblings, stolen the Soul Dew, and then used both Latios and the jewel to forcibly power up the city's defense system.
They even weaponized that system, reviving fossil Pokémon like Aerodactyl and Kabutops to hunt down Latias again.
In the end, their actions nearly sank the entire island city.
All that just to steal. Nearly killed an entire city's population.
If Latios hadn't sacrificed himself to stop the disaster, Alto Mare would have been erased from the map.
But that was in the movie. Reality might not follow the same script.
For example, in the movie Annie and Oakley activated the defense system right after stealing the Soul Dew. But here in reality, they had been quiet ever since.
Honestly, Haru wished they would just rush off to the sanctuary. Then he could deal with them directly.
Like playing with defense systems, huh? Fine—I'll let you play till you choke!
Want to capture Legendaries? How about trying Necrozma instead?
"So it really was humans, then?"
Cynthia let out a long breath after Mewtwo's translation.
"Why is it always the same story?"
"Pokémon are such innocent creatures, yet humans with malice keep exploiting them for power or profit. The results are always catastrophic."
"Pokémon may hold the power, but it's humans who twist that power and cause suffering. Isn't that ironic?"
As Sinnoh's Champion, Cynthia had seen countless battles.
Yet each time, the same melancholy settled in her chest.
It was true: most trainers were good people. But the actions of a small few could cause irreparable harm.
And in the end… it was always the targeted Pokémon who suffered.
Professor Oak glanced at her.
"That's why harmony between humans and Pokémon is so crucial."
"Pokémon are our partners, not tools. If more people truly understood that, things like this would happen far less often."
"You're right…"
Cynthia rubbed her temples and gave Oak a wry smile.
At that moment, Liko—who had stayed quiet all this time—finally spoke:
"So… are we going to let Latias stay here?"
"If what she said is true, then this garden is already compromised. It's dangerous now."
"Those thieves already found it, and they can see through invisibility. If they strike again, she might be captured too."
"Indeed. The top priority is protecting Latias—and we need to lock down the sanctuary's defense system completely."
Cynthia nodded in agreement.
"But if Latias doesn't stay here, then where?"
"Should we send her back to her own kin?"
Canon removed her hat anxiously as she spoke.
The Latios–Latias group wasn't far. Sending Latias back to her kin was the safest option.
But… she felt ashamed. She was supposed to protect both Latios and Latias, and she had failed.
Liko immediately shook her head.
"No, she should stay by Professor Haru's side!"
"There's no safer place in the world than with him."
"Besides, if she stays with him, it might even lure out the thieves. Then we could catch them all at once."
"Two birds with one stone, right?"
Liko even winked at Haru, as if hinting at something.
"…."
Canon faltered.
It sounded nice, but in reality, that meant using Latias as bait. Risky—too risky.
Who could guarantee Latias's safety even at Haru's side?
If she was captured too… they couldn't bear that loss.
In truth, even Haru himself found Liko's idea fishy.
He suspected her true goal wasn't fishing for thieves or protecting Latias at all… but giving him 'opportunities.'
Had she misunderstood him?
Like mistaking him for some creep obsessed with "special Pokémon"?
For the record, Haru, Alola's No. 1 hopeless romantic, had no designs whatsoever on Latias!
Why did everyone assume he was into any Pokémon that could turn into a human?
Seriously, was this for real?
Yet before he could object, Latias herself had already decided.
"Wuuu~!"
"She says she wants to try. She feels safe with that human male. To rescue her brother, she's willing to take the risk."
Mew No. 2 translated firmly.
"…."
Canon fell silent. After a long pause, she finally nodded.
"All right, I understand. But please, be careful. Latias is still young. If anything happens to her—"
"I get it, I get it. Relax."
"Even if you don't trust me, I've got Cynthia right here. She's the actual Sinnoh Champion, after all."
Haru sighed and nodded.
"Then… shall we go? We need to continue the investigation."
As soon as he spoke, Latias eagerly reverted to her original form.
She looked like a small aircraft, red and white in color.
But compared to real planes, her curves were softer—almost feminine.
At a glance, she seemed like she should be Flying-type, maybe Flying/Steel.
That combo would give her tons of resistances and good coverage.
Yet in reality, she was Psychic/Dragon. No Flying. No Steel.
Normal players could never understand Game Freak's logic.
Gyarados and Charizard weren't dragons, but Alolan Exeggutor and Latias were? Same energy as Cola-chan across the hall.
But whatever—Flying/Steel or Psychic/Dragon, Haru's fondness for Latias wouldn't change.
He patted her head with a smile.
"Then… I'll be counting on you."
"Wuuu~"
Latias circled him happily, chirping with delight.
"…."
Cynthia watched the interaction quietly, a strange feeling settling in her chest.
Something felt… off.
Had she overlooked something again?
---
Meanwhile, while Haru's group discussed the Latios kidnapping case in the Secret Garden, Alto Mare's great sanctuary welcomed a rather unusual guest.
A girl with a single ponytail.
Her long chestnut hair shimmered like it had been dusted with golden powder in the dappled light, swaying gently with her steps.
Her eyes resembled an autumn lake strewn with fallen leaves, deep yet vibrant. Her lashes brushed like fans, each blink stirring ripples in the heart.
Her name was Chloe, a girl from Kanto's Vermilion City. Her father was none other than the renowned Professor Cerise.
By chance, this professor's daughter had come to Alto Mare, accompanied by her mother, Talia.
Her father, busy with research, couldn't join them.
Amusingly enough, Professor Cerise was technically Professor Oak's student.
Not long after arriving, Chloe heard her father mention that Oak himself was in Alto Mare.
She had wanted to visit him, but word was he was busy, so she gave up on that plan and instead toured the city's attractions.
Naturally, that included Alto Mare's most famous landmark—the great sanctuary.
"So this is the sanctuary… looks pretty interesting."
"Kabutops, Aerodactyl… hmm? That one looks familiar. Didn't I see it in Dad's Pokédex?"
"Could it be Omastar? And that's Bastiodon… Rampardos? All ancient Pokémon from long ago."
Backpack slung over her shoulders, Chloe peered curiously at the fossils beneath her feet.
Originally, fossils hadn't interested her much.
But with the displays and explanations, her curiosity grew.
This was a rare chance. If she found more artifacts linked to the Infinite Pokémon, all the better.
At the very least, she could record them for her father.
So she walked on, lost in thought.
Gradually, she wandered deeper into the sanctuary.
Without noticing, the number of tourists around her dwindled, the air growing strange.
Deeper inside, the exhibits shifted from artifacts of the Infinite Pokémon to fossil displays exclusively.
Fossils from every region filled the hall.
Once, their owners had been kings of their time. Now, they were just lifeless displays.
Chloe couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
Fossils weren't the same as living Pokémon.
"Brr—it's cold. Maybe I should head back."
She blew warm breath into her cupped hands.
But at that moment, in a shadowed corner, a skeletal leg twitched.
Then more fossils began to stir, pulled by some unseen force.
Clack, clack—
Bone fragments clicked together, slowly assembling themselves piece by piece, regaining the forms they once had in life.
The ancient creatures… were awakening.
The sound of bone striking bone filled the sanctuary with eerie echoes.
Chloe noticed the strange atmosphere immediately.
Though she hadn't realized what was happening, instinctive fear drove her to run.
I just have to get out. If I can get out, I'll be fine.
But to her horror, her escape route was already blocked.
Two Aerodactyl, wings spread, stood in her way.
Not only were they revived, but they had sealed off her exit, glaring down at the frail girl.
They clearly saw her as prey—their first meal after eons of slumber.
This is bad… what do I do now?
Her panic grew.
These revived Pokémon radiated hostility.
And Chloe… had no combat strength. She'd never cared much for battling.
Any trainer who had beaten even one Gym would be stronger than her.
But these were powerful ancient Pokémon.
There was no way she could fight her way out.
She turned to look behind her—only to find the rear blocked too.
More fossil Pokémon had already filled every passage, closing in step by step.
Her space shrank smaller and smaller.
At this point, she had only one choice left…
"Help! S-somebody, help!"
She cried out with all her strength.
But no one came.
The truth was, her predicament was beyond what an ordinary trainer could handle.
Even if someone noticed the disturbance, they'd likely be overwhelmed themselves.
It would take an elite group of trainers—or one especially powerful Pokémon Trainer—to save her.
But could such a miracle really happen here?
That was the thing about miracles: they were rare precisely because they were nearly impossible.
As it turned out, reality was merciless—no miracle answered Chloe's desperate prayers. Worse still, her cries only seemed to provoke the Fossil Pokémon further.
They grew visibly more savage, as though intent on tearing her apart limb by limb.
One Aerodactyl swooped down at terrifying speed, jaws gaping wide as if to swallow Chloe whole.
It was clearly just a recently revived Fossil Pokémon, and yet she could almost smell the sickening stench of blood and decay wafting from its maw.
If nothing changed, she would vanish into that mouth.
In other words… she would die.
"Ah—!!!"
"No, no, please—!!"
At that instant, the girl could no longer suppress her terror. A hysterical scream tore from her throat.
She raised her hands over her eyes, as though shielding herself in that way alone could ward off the death scythe looming above her head.
She hadn't done anything wrong. Why her? What had she ever done to deserve this punishment from the heavens?
And yet… three seconds passed. Chloe felt no pain. Her body remained intact.
Even the stench of decay and the sharp clatter of bone on stone had vanished completely.
As if everything she had just experienced was nothing more than a dream—an illusion.
Timidly, she lowered her hands and opened her eyes.
What she saw was a handsome young man.
He casually tossed aside a pile of bones in his grasp as though discarding garbage.
The skeleton crashed forward, shattering the leg of another Rhyhorn in its path.
Judging by the pair of "wings" still clutched in his hand, the skeleton's owner had to be the very Aerodactyl that nearly devoured her.
After tossing the wings aside, the man seemed unsatisfied. With some force she couldn't even comprehend, he instantly reduced the surrounding Fossil Pokémon back into lifeless remains.
He moved with effortless grace, as though such things were no more than routine chores to him.
With nothing more than a wave of his hand, he quelled every Fossil Pokémon present—and didn't even break a sweat.
To Chloe, it was nothing short of unbelievable.
"Are you alright?"
Having thrown the last Kabutops aside, Haru brushed his hands together and glanced at the dazed, brown-haired girl.
His voice snapped Chloe back to herself. She clutched her chest, drew two shaky breaths, then hurriedly answered:
"Ah… I-I'm fine."
"Thank you. Thank you for saving my life."
Her words were followed by a deep bow of gratitude.
Just moments earlier, she had truly believed her life would end here.
If not for this big brother suddenly appearing, she would have been finished. But in this moment, she also recognized exactly who he was.
There was no mistaking it. This was the same Haru who had recently taken the internet by storm—the Mew perched on his shoulder made his identity undeniable.
And really, who else but Haru could so easily crush an army of Fossil Pokémon?
"Be more careful next time. Alto Mare hasn't been very peaceful lately."
"If something happens again, even I might not be able to save you."
Haru patted Chloe on the shoulder, then turned away without another word.
He recognized her identity, of course, but he had other business to take care of—no time or interest in small talk with Professor Cerise's daughter.
If he met Professor Cerise himself next time, perhaps then they could talk about more… 'academic' matters.
But just as he turned his back, a girl's voice called out once more.
"Um… excuse me. Are you… Haru?"
He stopped in his tracks.
"That's me. Something else?"
He turned back to look at her.
"Could you… take this?"
From her bag, Chloe produced a brand-new blue baseball cap, holding it out with both hands.
Haru pressed his lips together, meeting her gaze. After a moment's pause, he accepted the cap from her.
It was clearly new—tags still attached, the craftsmanship anything but cheap.
"Thank you. I like it."
He adjusted the cap on his head, gave her a smile, and nodded.
"I have some things to do now. See you around."
With that, he turned again, his figure fading down the cathedral corridor.
This time, Chloe didn't call after him. She simply stood where she was, watching as he disappeared from view.
"…Goodbye then."
She whispered softly, before turning toward another exit of the cathedral.
Not long ago, she had been seconds away from death here. And yet now, her heart had calmed.
The cathedral no longer seemed so foreboding or terrifying.
At least—not until she crossed paths with Goh.
"Chloe, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."
"I heard Fossil Pokémon showed up near the cathedral. I thought I might catch a few, but by the time I got here, they were all gone."
As he spoke, Goh pulled out several Poké Balls, frustration evident in his tone.
Like Chloe, he hailed from Vermilion City. She was one of his few close friends, his childhood companion—he shared almost everything with her.
Including, of course, his dream of catching every single Pokémon for his Pokédex.
But today… Chloe could no longer serve as his usual 'confidante.'
The mention of Fossil Pokémon instantly reminded her of what she'd just endured. Her voice trembled as she said:
"I… I ran into them inside the cathedral. Haru saved me."
"Who?!"
The keyword set Goh off, his voice rising.
"Trainer Haru—the one who defeated Blue in Celadon City."
"…That guy?"
Once he confirmed the name matched his suspicion, Goh's expression soured.
"Stay away from him. He's no good."
"?"
Chloe blinked, still lost in the memory of what had just happened. His words left her baffled—and angry.
How could her friend slander the person who had just saved her life?
"Why? He's obviously a good person."
"I—"
Goh opened his mouth, but no matter how he tried to frame it, he realized he didn't have any concrete dirt on Haru.
In the end, all he could muster was:
"I heard he's a total womanizer. Stick around him long enough and he'll trick you sooner or later.
"And the only reason he has so many Legendary Pokémon is because he used shady methods to force them into servitude.
"So, really, you're better off staying away from him. For all you know, those Fossil Pokémon were revived by him just so he could stage a 'hero saves the damsel' moment."
Truthfully, Goh knew most of these were baseless rumors. But he couldn't explain why—something about Chloe admiring Haru infuriated him.
Even if he had to resort to gossip, he wanted to tarnish Haru's image.
And more than that, he genuinely disliked Haru. Deep down, he wanted all the rumors to be true.
Chloe, however, could only laugh in exasperated anger.
"So what—you're saying Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh, was 'tricked' by him too?
"And as for illegally catching Legendaries… are you suggesting Professor Oak himself collaborates with criminals, since he's the one helping Haru complete his Legendary research?
"And the Fossil Pokémon… you think he just magically knew where I'd be, orchestrated the whole event in under half an hour, and left no evidence whatsoever?"
"I… I…"
Goh faltered, unable to respond.
Her three simple questions cut sharper than any blade—there was no good answer.
Chloe shook her head, disappointment plain in her eyes. Without another word, she walked quickly ahead.
"Wait—listen to me, please!"
Goh's voice followed behind her, but Chloe didn't turn back. The distance between them only grew wider.
---
Later that night
Moonlight streamed through sheer curtains, casting a silver glow over a room in the Alto Mare hotel.
On the large bed, the rumpled sheets betrayed someone having only just lain there. In one corner, a floor lamp glowed softly, lending a faint warmth to the otherwise dim space.
But the room's owner was far from calm.
On the desk sat two notes, scrawled in different hands. And both were addressed to none other than Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh.
Not that she welcomed them.
"What do I do? What should I do now…?"
Her hands trembled as she held the notes. Cold sweat gathered on her brow.
The Task Manager had sent her another mission.
Compared to last time, this one was even more humiliating—dancing precariously right on Cynthia's red line.
That alone would have been bad enough. But then… the other Task Manager sent one too.
And of course, the two missions conflicted. She could only complete one.
Worse still, both were the kind of tasks Cynthia had no choice but to obey.
The first note had been expected—she was still under Mew's thumb, blackmailed into carrying out its degrading demands.
But the second note… bore the signature of none other than—Liko.
All because, to keep Haru from leaking her "wet herself" incident to the world, Cynthia had gone to him directly.
Unfortunately, while spying on Liko and Haru's battle, she'd been caught.
Haru had let her off lightly, with hardly any punishment—but Liko, in turn, had claimed a "favor owed."
Cynthia had thought, perhaps, that Liko had forgotten. Days passed, with no word.
But clearly not. The task spelled out in that note was every bit as shameless as Mew's orders—if not worse.
Seriously? Aren't you supposed to be the 'sweet, innocent' girl? When did you suddenly become this… unhinged?
For the first time, the Champion of Sinnoh felt true despair.