First of all, according to Mew's request, Cynthia had to sneak into Haru's room tonight to secretly watch his "performance."
Not only that—she also had to record the performance, edit it into a documentary, and then submit the footage along with a "video abstract" to Mew. And the entire process had to remain undetected.
Afterward, Mew would review her "thesis." If it didn't pass, she'd have to rewrite it.
And as if that weren't bad enough, Liko had also set a deadline for tonight.
Her demand? Cynthia had to take part in Haru's battle as a "supporting ally."
In other words, Cynthia wasn't allowed to step onto the field herself and fight head-on with Haru's "iron club," but she had to find ways to make the whole match even more heated and intense.
For example… lending a hand to steady Haru's weapon while he attacked Liko.
Or maybe helping Haru "sharpen his blade" so he could unleash something like a Rising Dragon Strike on her.
There were plenty of ways to "sharpen a blade"—maybe through Fighting-type moves, maybe through an Alcremie's Fairy skills, or maybe something more biting like Crunch.
Never mind how ridiculous this all sounded—the very fact that one task required her not to be discovered, while the other required her to play the role of an assistant, had already boxed Cynthia into a corner.
If she went in, there was no way she wouldn't be noticed. But if she wanted to remain unnoticed, then she'd fail Liko's demand.
And the consequence of going against Liko's demand was…
"Cynthia sis, you wouldn't want people finding out about you, uh, wetting yourself or sneaking into someone's room in the middle of the night, right?"
Staring at the last line on the letter with its elegant signature, Cynthia felt her heart crumble.
What was she supposed to do now?
Liko, you wicked brat! You've really got me trapped this time.
Her cheeks flushed crimson as she scolded Liko silently in her heart.
But just then, a peculiar idea sparked in Cynthia's mind.
Even if the situation was grim, it wasn't completely hopeless.
First, there was no way she could do both things at once alone.
And second—she absolutely couldn't let Haru think of her as some sort of pervert.
So, if she really wanted to accomplish both tasks, she had to make sure Haru never suspected her. In his eyes, she had to remain the pure, virtuous Champion trainer.
That meant she needed a helper—someone who could disguise her role, someone with the power to go invisible and film in secret.
But who had abilities like that?
Well, there was Mew herself, of course. Then Mew's daughter, Mewtwo. Necrozma too, though its true form was still shrouded in mystery.
And finally… Latias, whom they had only just met today. According to Mew, Latias excelled in invisibility and transformation.
So, in theory, any of these Pokémon could carry out Cynthia's plan.
But getting them to actually help her… that was another story.
Mew was the trickiest of them all.
Her willingness to help was a coin toss at best.
She was a mischief-loving gremlin; if Cynthia told her about Liko's demands, maybe she'd find it amusing enough to help.
But it was just as likely she'd cook up something even worse to torment Cynthia with.
So ideally, Cynthia thought, it would be best to avoid involving Mew altogether.
As for Necrozma, Cynthia barely had any contact with it, only hearing Haru mention it once or twice.
And from the way Haru described it, Necrozma's temperament was a lot like Mew's—just more low-key.
That alone was enough reason to cross it off her list.
Not to mention, Necrozma was currently sealed in Haru's Poké Ball, completely out of reach.
Which left Cynthia with just two options: Mewtwo and Latias.
Neither of them shared a room with Haru, and neither of them were the type of perverts who'd blackmail her like Mew or Liko would.
The only problem was—would Mewtwo or Latias even agree to do something this underhanded?
They were both pure-hearted Pokémon. Was it really right to drag them into something so… dirty?
Cynthia clutched the note in her sweaty hand, her anxiety mounting until her face was slick with perspiration.
The stalemate stretched on until the clock's hour hand crept toward midnight. Finally, Cynthia stood up.
At this point, she had no choice but to give it a try.
Latias was out of the question. Cynthia didn't know her at all, and barging in with a request like this would only backfire.
Mewtwo, on the other hand… might be easier to fool—ah no, easier to persuade.
Besides, she'd been by Haru's side for so long that she probably already knew a thing or two.
Though admittedly, Mewtwo's position was far more awkward than Latias's…
Steeling herself, Cynthia slipped the sweat-soaked note into her pocket, cracked her door open, and crept out.
Tonight they were staying at the largest hotel in Venice. Haru's room was in the very center of the seventh floor. Cynthia's room was down the hall on the left side, near the elevator.
As for Mew No. 2, her room was right next door to Haru's, on the right.
Which meant, if Cynthia wanted to see Mewtwo…
She'd have to pass by Haru's door without being noticed and then knock on Mewtwo's.
Honestly, that was no easy feat.
Her only hope was that the hotel had good soundproofing. If it did, she'd be fine.
If not… she was screwed.
Cynthia poked her head out, scanning the hallway.
It was late. The corridor was as silent as an empty street at midnight, not a soul in sight.
She let out a breath of relief.
Quietly closing her door, she crept toward Haru's room.
The closer she got, the faster her heart pounded, her palms damp with sweat.
But just as she reached his door… the room nearest to her suddenly opened.
A girl in a bathrobe stepped out, yawning as she pulled the door behind her.
She looked half-asleep and didn't notice Cynthia at first. But as she was about to shut her door, her gaze snagged on Cynthia.
One glance—and her drowsiness vanished instantly.
She knew that face. That was unmistakably the Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia!
Just as she was about to greet her, Cynthia raised a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.
The girl caught on immediately.
Of course—at this hour, raising one's voice might disturb others. How thoughtful of the Champion.
What a kindhearted trainer she was.
The girl smiled faintly to herself.
Still, to meet the Champion in person and just walk away without a word seemed like such a waste.
As long as she kept her voice down, it would be fine.
Stepping closer, she whispered:
"Hello, Champion Cynthia. My name is Chloe."
"I heard you've been traveling with Haru lately. I actually ran into him earlier today, and now I see you tonight—what a coincidence!"
"If you're staying here too, then that means Haru must also be at this hotel, right?"
Cynthia had been about to send this unexpected girl on her way, but hearing Haru's name made her pause.
"You said you met Haru today? What was he doing at the time?"
"Ah, I happened to be attacked by revived Fossil Pokémon. Haru saved me."
"As expected of the man said to be closest to Pokémon—he defeated them without even sending out a single one."
Chloe's tone brimmed with admiration, her eyes shining with reverence.
This reaffirmed to Cynthia yet again—Haru truly was a good man.
But she pressed on.
"And after that? What did he do?"
"I don't know. After saving me, he just left. He didn't even leave his contact information."
Her words carried a trace of regret.
Though truthfully, Chloe knew it wouldn't be hard to get his number.
After all, Professor Oak certainly had it, and her father was Oak's student. If she asked, she could get it anytime.
But… wouldn't chasing after him like that make her look like some kind of obsessive fangirl?
That hesitation was what kept her from acting.
"I see… understood," Cynthia replied, her expression thoughtful.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but she couldn't shake the sense that Chloe's attitude toward Haru was a little… strange.
After some more small talk, Chloe excused herself, saying she was going up to the rooftop for some fresh air.
Once her figure disappeared, Cynthia resumed her mission.
She'd considered knocking, but quickly dismissed the idea—it was far too risky.
In the end, she decided to fall back on her old reliable method: climbing walls and slipping through windows.
As long as she avoided Haru's balcony, she should be fine.
With that, she circled around and, under the cover of night, carefully floated up to Mewtwo's balcony window.
Good news: it wasn't locked.
Bad news: the moment she arrived, the room's occupant spotted her.
Mewtwo's immense psychic power gave her equally immense perception. Cynthia had barely set foot on the balcony before Mewtwo looked up from her chair, staring at her coldly.
On the table before her lay a notebook. It seemed Mew No. 2 had just been jotting something down.
Mewtwo's gaze was frosty, and if not for Cynthia being a familiar face, she might already have been attacked.
They stared at each other in silence for nearly a full minute before Cynthia whispered:
"Um… I'm here to propose a deal."
"What do you mean?" Mewtwo didn't lower her pen.
"I recall you still long for Haru's… affection, don't you? You need to deepen your bond with him if you want to Mega Evolve."
"And what of it?"
The phrasing made Mewtwo uncomfortable, but she didn't lash out.
"What I mean is—I can help you."
"Help you grow close enough to Haru in the shortest time possible."
"…Really?"
That caught Mewtwo's interest.
Though the idea of cozying up to Haru made her uneasy, she'd do anything for the sake of strength.
For her, only victory mattered—victory was all she ever craved.
"Of course it's real. But first—you'll have to let me see that notebook of yours."
Suppressing the guilt of deceiving a "one-year-old girl," Cynthia held out her hand.
Mewtwo hesitated.
She lacked worldly experience, but even she knew the notebook contained… certain forbidden human knowledge.
In fact, she even thought of it privately as her "Book of Taboo."
"Does it really have to be this way?"
"It has to," Cynthia said firmly.
"…Fine. I understand."
After a moment's pause, the naive girl finally handed the notebook over.
Cynthia accepted it, but didn't open it right away. Instead, she added:
"One more thing. Find me a set of your clothes—I'll need to wear them tonight."
"?"
"…Why?"
"Don't ask. Just prepare them."
"Oh, and if you happen to have a set of Lillie's clothes—that'll work too. I've heard Haru likes her."
"Lillie… I think I might have some."
"But what on earth are you planning?"
"You'll find out soon enough. Just do as I say."
Waving her hand dismissively, Cynthia finally cracked open the notebook.
But the very first page left her stunned—the intricate sketches and lurid descriptions made her gape in disbelief.
What… what the hell was this?!
Wasn't Mewtwo supposed to be pure and innocent?
Could it be… she was the one being played all along?
A giant question mark popped up over Cynthia's head.
What she didn't know was that Latias, watching invisibly nearby, also had a giant question mark over hers.
What is all this? she thought. Is human knowledge always this bizarre?
---
Meanwhile, in Alto Mare…
A cold wind slipped through the shattered windows of a derelict house, making the dim chandelier sway and cast fractured light across the room.
The wooden furniture, long rotted by time, was reduced to pitiful wreckage. The cracked floorboards moaned as the breeze passed through, like unseen spirits whispering in the dark.
In one corner, a broken chair sat in lonely vigil. Cobwebs stretched across the walls—clear proof no one had come here in years.
It was a place forgotten by all. But for some, the perfect meeting ground.
Two twisted shadows perched atop the chandelier like bats, their guttural growls echoing like beasts:
"Do you seek power? Do you wish… to truly live?"
"…!"
The human below staggered back, startled, but managed to stammer:
"Yes… I do."
"Even if it demands sacrifice and a heavy price?"
"What… what kind of price?" His voice trembled.
"Your name is Goh, from Vermilion City in Kanto. Correct?"
"H-How do you know that?!"
Exposed, Goh's tone turned frantic.
"That is irrelevant. The only question is—do you want to grow stronger?"
"Do you want… to trample certain people beneath your feet?"
The shadow's voice was slow, deliberate, oozing temptation—like a devil's whisper.
"If you crave 'progress,' you must also have the courage to pay the price."
As the words faded, a slip of paper drifted down from the ceiling.
"Your first step: abandon the feelings you should not have. Offer up your childhood friend to another."
"In return, you shall receive the power of the Infinite Pokémon, Latios. A fair trade."
"What?! Offer Chloe to someone else?! I…"
"Unwilling? Then leave. Those who cannot cast aside emotion are unworthy to deal with me."
The icy words cut him to the core, sending a chill through his blood.
"I… I understand. I will obtain the power of the Infinite Pokémon!"
Something hardened in Goh's gaze.
Some things were simply more important than a childhood friend.
A small sacrifice—nothing more.
"Excellent. Then let the game begin."
"I shall call it… Project Dream-Shatterer. Keh-heh-heh-heh—"
Cackling, the shadows melted into the ruin's darkness, leaving behind only Goh, eyes blood-red with frenzy.
At last… he had found his chance to strike back at Haru.