When Haru brought up "last night's incident," Cynthia naturally and instinctively thought back to the story of Lillie and the "Night Butterfly."
But even then, she still clung to a sliver of hope.
What if the "incident" Haru mentioned wasn't what she thought it was? Wouldn't that mean all her panicking was for nothing?
No big deal. There's no way Haru would bring up such a shameful thing in front of so many people, right?
Impossible. Her disguise had been flawless—airtight. There was no way Haru could've spotted her slip-up, much less suspect her directly.
It must've been something else that happened in Haru's room after she left last night.
And yet… all of Cynthia's messy thoughts froze solid the instant Haru spoke again.
"Lillie—the one who came to my room last night—that was you, wasn't it?"
"Uh—"
Bullseye. That blunt, straight-to-the-point question shattered every last scrap of Cynthia's wishful thinking into dust.
"Um… what Lillie? I don't know what you're talking about."
She had to admit it—lying wasn't her strong suit.
After Haru lobbed that fastball at her, it took her nearly five seconds to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying.
Not only did it fail to clear her of suspicion, it made her look even guiltier.
Cynthia knew this too. Forcing herself to stay calm, she tried to wrest back control of the conversation:
"I thought Lillie was your friend? Isn't she still in Alola? How could she suddenly appear here?"
"Haru, maybe you just… saw wrong?"
"Funny. I'd also like to know the answer to that—why would she appear here?"
"Can you tell me what you were doing last night?"
Cynthia's behavior was so suspicious it was practically a neon sign flashing I'm the culprit.
Haru couldn't help pressing her again and again.
"I was in my room all night, doing nothing."
"Whatever happened to you last night—it definitely wasn't me."
But before Haru could reply, a voice cut in from the sidelines. Chloe, who'd been watching quietly, suddenly spoke up:
"That's not true. I clearly saw you last night, Miss Cynthia."
Chloe would've liked to cover for Cynthia, but this involved Haru—her "life-saver." She felt it was better to be honest.
Besides, Haru looked so serious about it that Chloe figured this must be something important. She didn't want to lie to him about it.
And so—this sudden "backstab" left Cynthia completely off balance.
She'd been so nervous she'd actually forgotten she'd run into Chloe last night.
Back then she hadn't thought bumping into one of Haru's "little fans" mid-"operation" mattered at all… but now?
"Um… I just felt a little stuffy in my room, so I went out for some air, that's all."
"I didn't realize it at the time. Please don't misunderstand."
Cynthia racked her brains until she finally came up with a somewhat passable excuse.
But barely had the words left her lips before Chloe's doubting voice piped up again:
"Huh? But you were heading in the opposite direction from the elevators. And I even said I was going to the rooftop for fresh air—you never came with me."
Haru recalled the hotel's hallway layout: "The opposite direction from the elevators… that would've been toward my room and Mewtwo's."
"Well, isn't that interesting…"
In that instant, Haru's suspicions hit their peak.
He had no idea why Cynthia would do such a thing, but every clue pointed squarely at her.
There could be no mistake—the disguised "Lillie" was Cynthia.
That was the conclusion Haru came to.
"Alright then. I can always ask Mewtwo or Necrozma about it. I bet they'd pick up on something interesting—maybe even recognize the disguise."
"And if even they can't clear your name, we can always check the hotel security footage."
"Unlikely to catch much, sure. But what if it did? One sweep like that should clear you of suspicion, don't you think?"
"And of course, I'd offer you a proper apology afterward. How about that, Miss Cynthia?"
"Uh…"
She was doomed.
She hadn't thought of the cameras at all last night… it had been her "first offense," how could she have planned everything so perfectly?
If everything she did was exposed publicly, wouldn't her career as Champion be over?
A Champion sneaking into a man's room disguised as his girlfriend at night—only to fight her hardest and still lose?
Everyone's eyes would turn from admiration to… seeing her as some kind of pervert.
"So how about it? Wouldn't it be easier just to confess?"
"If you admit it, I won't pursue the matter any further."
"…"
At Haru's final words, Cynthia fell silent, trapped in her own inner turmoil.
Two choices lay before her.
One: admit everything. Face Haru's contempt and rejection. But at least she'd have his promise not to take it any further—no devastating fallout.
Two: keep fighting to the bitter end.
If she somehow succeeded, her name would be cleared. But if she failed…
She didn't even want to imagine that pathetic future. She'd rather stop thinking altogether and resign herself to being nothing but a "tool" to play along with Haru's whims.
As for Ash and the others watching from the sidelines—they were eating this drama up.
What a spectacle. Thank goodness Haru and Cynthia weren't both Champions of Kanto, or the whole region's reputation would've collapsed.
Even Team Rocket had stopped bickering. Jessie, James, and Meowth pulled out three giant watermelons from who-knew-where and gnawed away in unison, creepily synchronized.
They even sold one to Ash—at three times the market price—making a fat profit.
They didn't know exactly what had gone down between Haru and Cynthia, or why Cynthia had disguised herself as Haru's friend to see him.
But judging from their tone, whatever had happened last night must've been very juicy.
The standoff dragged on until Haru, losing patience, pressed again:
"Well? Have you decided yet?"
"This is your last chance."
Cynthia's lips twitched. Finally, under the weight of all the staring, gossip-hungry eyes, she spoke.
"…The supposed culprit's identity, the impostor's actions, the subject of our recent discussions… no matter how tangled the mystery, the conclusion was clear from the start. Every clue has already pointed to the same person."
"And this person… in all my words so far, I've always referred to her in…"
"…the first person."
Her words tumbled out faster and faster—half-incoherent ramblings—until she finally slowed.
Haru could already piece together what she meant, but still, he tilted his head and asked:
"…What are you saying?"
"That person… is me."
With her greatest secret laid bare, the proud Champion buried her face in her hands.
The day had come at last.
Her reputation—utterly ruined.
"…"
Haru stifled a laugh and forced his expression into stern lines. "You realize what this means, don't you, Miss Cynthia?"
"This is a very serious matter—especially the part where you disguised yourself as Lillie."
"What do you think Lillie herself would say if she found out? I don't even dare imagine her reaction."
"I… I had no choice! What else could I do?!"
At last, her emotions burst free.
She'd had enough. To hell with it all! It wasn't her fault—it was the world's fault! She hadn't wanted things to turn out this way either!
"They made me do it! It was all their fault!"
"…"
The moment Cynthia blurted that out, far away in the Grand Cathedral, Liko sneezed.
What was that? Why did she suddenly feel a chill?
Back with Cynthia—
Haru had thought the matter settled, but her words left him stunned.
"Huh?"
Someone pulling the strings behind Cynthia? A Champion, being threatened? What was this about?
He wanted to demand answers immediately, but glancing at the others around them, he let it go for now.
"I understand. We'll talk about this in detail once we're back."
"Don't worry—I'll make sure nothing gets out. I'll even have the security footage erased."
Then he turned to the others. "And I'd appreciate it if none of you let slip any… 'interesting' details either."
Honestly, Haru didn't really care if Ash, Chloe, or Team Rocket blabbed online.
They had no evidence, and they weren't influential. Even if they told the truth, it would just be dismissed as rumor.
Haru and Cynthia already had rumors flooding the internet like rivers—one more drop wouldn't cause waves.
People might even joke that their imagination rivaled Yveltal's destructive power.
Still, Haru warned them seriously—just in case.
Cynthia finally began to relax. It seemed Haru truly meant his promise not to pursue the matter further.
Haru then retrieved Espeon's and Ariados's Poké Balls from Jessie and James—once stolen from the sisters of thieves—and handed them over to Officer Jenny.
As expected, the "true" Rocket trio would be spending yet more time behind bars.
After that, Haru left the station.
He debated whether to call on Latias to follow up on the lead Ash had given him, or to return to the hotel and corner Cynthia—and the "mastermind" behind her.
By urgency, Latias's matter took priority. But in his heart, Haru was far more curious about Cynthia and this so-called puppet master.
And just then, Ash, walking beside him, suddenly made a request.
"Battle me!"
He set Pikachu on his shoulder, eyes blazing with excitement as he challenged Haru.
---
If you asked Haru whether he wanted to battle Ash, the answer would definitely be yes.
He had always wanted to personally witness the strength of the so-called "Master of Type Reversals," to see if Ash was truly as formidable in counter-typing battles as the anime portrayed.
And as for that so-called "Bond Phenomenon," was it really strong enough to transcend the boundaries of species?
But the problem now was… Haru didn't exactly have the right kind of Pokémon to battle Ash.
Ash right now was still just a rookie trainer. If Haru were to send out Mew, Pecharunt, or even Necrozma, that would be far too one-sided.
Not just those three—even if Haru sent out Flutter Mane, who rarely joined battles, it would still end up as a complete level crush.
After all, Paradox Pokémon were benchmarked against at least sub-legendary status.
On the other hand, if Haru didn't use his main team and instead sent baby Pokémon like Ralts, Bagon, or Charmander into the fight…
Well, that would feel like he was just making things hard for himself. Not to mention, did he forget what kind of monster Ash's Pikachu actually was?
Stat-wise, Pikachu only had a measly base total of 320. Its defenses and offenses were laughably weak—even Kricketune had a higher base total at 384.
At least Kricketune's Attack stat was close to 100!
As for abilities, Pikachu only had the situationally useful "Lightning Rod," which only mattered against Electric moves—nothing even remotely on the level of something busted like Shedinja's Wonder Guard.
Its movepool, though, was absurdly huge—Helping Hand, Encore, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Volt Switch, Fake Out, Play Rough—you name it, Pikachu could learn it.
If only Pikachu's base stats were around 530, its ability was Prankster… or its Special Attack was raised a bit, and you slapped a Light Ball on it…
But as it was now, Pikachu couldn't really be called a powerhouse.
Honestly, it would be better off just evolving into Raichu already.
The real issue was—Ash's Pikachu… was it even a normal Pikachu?
What kind of Pikachu could blow up a legendary with electricity?!
What's more, Ash's Pikachu in the anime was ridiculously inconsistent. If Haru sent out his baby Pokémon, he really wasn't confident he could beat it.
Even if Pikachu was still not fully developed, Haru couldn't afford to underestimate it.
Unfortunately, Haru was someone whose very blood brimmed with the desire to win.
The idea of losing—he simply couldn't accept it.
With that in mind, Haru finally made up his mind.
"Forget it, this—"
Just as Haru was about to decline, Professor Oak suddenly popped out of nowhere.
He glanced at the two of them and spoke softly:
"Why not? Sounds pretty good to me."
"Besides, it'll give this reckless kid a taste of what a real powerhouse looks like."
"He's been pestering you nonstop about a battle anyway. If you refuse, he'll just keep bothering you."
"Trainer Haru, you wouldn't want to be harassed endlessly, would you?"
At the end, Oak even gave Haru a sly smile.
"Oh, come on… spare me from this one."
Haru's lips twitched at Oak's words.
Honestly, if Ash were a cute girl, that'd be another story. Haru wouldn't have minded stringing along a pretty girl.
But the problem was, Ash was a hot-blooded boy, and Haru wasn't exactly into that…
Still, Oak's words caught more than just Haru's attention—Chloe, who had been silently following by his side, also perked up at the thought.
"Haru battling, huh…"
Chloe wasn't particularly into battles, but this was Haru personally taking the field—it definitely piqued her curiosity.
Back when he saved her, she hadn't seen him fight using his Pokémon.
"Come on, let's do it! Let's have an exciting battle!"
Seeing Haru waver, Ash's excitement soared.
This was the trainer who had beaten Blue! If Ash could defeat Haru, wouldn't that mean he surpassed that "One-Day Champion" too?
"Well then… if you insist."
Haru shook his head, then pulled from his pocket a Poké Ball that looked completely ordinary.
"To battle you… this Pokémon should be the right one."
—
Out on the cerulean sea, an artificial island stood quietly.
Its silhouette was sleek and modern, with towering spires and wide glass walls gleaming in the sunlight, sparkling like a crystal palace.
The island was lush with greenery—carefully cultivated plants arranged in layered garden landscapes.
Pokémon wandered freely through the gardens, enjoying this rare moment of peace.
But amidst this serenity, a blonde girl was dashing frantically across the island.
The staff could clearly see the anxiety written on her face.
That morning, she had practically combed through the entire island, as if searching for something—or someone.
It was odd behavior, but since she was the heiress of the Aether Foundation, none of them dared to stop her.
"Not here."
"Not here either…"
"Still not here!"
"Where on earth did that woman go?!"
The blonde girl—Lillie—had scoured every corner of Aether Paradise where Lusamine might be.
But in the end, she couldn't find the faintest trace of her mother.
What's more, Lusamine had quietly reassigned the role of Aether Paradise's internal manager—not to herself, but to Lillie's brother, Gladion.
When Lillie arrived at Lusamine's office, Gladion was buried in an absurd mountain of paperwork that looked taller than he was.
After some effort, Lillie finally pried some information from her increasingly hair-thinning brother.
Apparently, their mother had built a brand-new laboratory and had been holed up there for days.
In fact, Lusamine hadn't shown her face in a full five days.
That thought sparked a bad suspicion in Lillie's mind.
Could it be… that Lusamine had once again broken her promise and gone off chasing Haru?
Seriously? Even after strapping on that damn restraint device, she was still this "unrestrained"? No Bounsweet around, so she found something else to play with instead?
Unbelievable. Absolutely invincible levels of nonsense.
Such messy thoughts swirled through Lillie's head.
Because Lusamine's newest lab was considered "Top Secret" by the Aether Foundation, even Lillie had to go through layers of procedure to access the relevant documents.
In the end, she wasted a lot of time.
It wasn't until nearly noon that she finally got what she needed.
The records showed that Lusamine had built the lab in the lowest level of Aether Paradise—hidden deep beneath the ocean.
As for the research topic… the documents vaguely described it as related to "emotions and consciousness," though the actual project was glossed over.
Lillie put the report away and went straight to the lab's location.
As the intel suggested, Lusamine was supposedly still there.
The doors of the lab were sealed tight. Without Lusamine's personal permission, no one could enter that underwater facility.
Which meant, if Lusamine had used some unknown means to sneak out and head to Kanto, no one would even know she was gone.
But unlike the others, Lillie wouldn't be stopped by her mother's orders.
Using her own clearance, she forced the lab doors open and immediately peered inside.
To her surprise, Lusamine hadn't left at all…
She was lying in the center of the lab on a platform, wearing a helmet-like device on her head. In front of her were two giant screens.
And not far away, a purple-black, unknown Pokémon was contained inside a transparent chamber, surrounded by countless cables whose purposes were unclear.
"?"
She was actually doing research? Had Lillie misunderstood her?
Instinctively, the kind-hearted Lillie felt a pang of guilt, thinking maybe she had judged Lusamine too harshly.
But the moment she saw what was on the two screens, every bit of guilt vanished without a trace.
***************************
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