Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

To many, this girl with her fiercely independent streak was more elusive than even legendary Pokémon.

Because, well… she was just that free-spirited.

When the group first arrived in Kitakami, the first thing everyone else did was follow the professors' arrangements and settle down.

But her?

She vanished off the map the moment she arrived.

Kitakami was home to many Pokémon not found in Paldea, and her top priority was to prove her strength and courage to these unfamiliar species.

To show them what it meant to be an elite Trainer. To soak in the rural charm of Kitakami—and then give every strange Pokémon she encountered a proper beatdown.

With strength nearing Champion level, she was more than capable of doing just that.

In Haru's mind, if the Loyal Three hadn't still been glued to their screens watching commercials, or the revival match between Lord Punchline, PM Libon, and Aqua, she probably would've dragged them out for a brawl too.

And honestly, those wannabe demigods might actually lose to her.

After all, getting wiped out four-on-one? That's disgraceful no matter how you spin it.

As it turned out, Nemona had really followed the legend of Greengrass Town, chasing down that so-called ghost to become the "Ogre-Busting Hero"...

Too bad Ogerpon had been actively avoiding her, so naturally, she returned empty-handed.

Still, Ogerpon had developed a certain wariness of her—this battle-crazed maniac.

Whether or not it could beat her didn't even matter. Her sheer enthusiasm for combat was terrifying on its own.

In all her life, Ogerpon had never seen another person with a mind completely consumed by battles the way Nemona's was.

And the worst part? No one could control her.

In every sense of the word, Nemona was simply too special.

Even Haru couldn't take a hardline stance to interfere with her actions.

A future Champion was still a Champion. And in the world of Pokémon, Champions weren't cheap titles like in some cheesy webnovels—no one was forcing these people into humiliation arcs.

That said, Haru was actually rather pleased that Nemona had chosen to go off on her own.

At least today, nobody was pestering him for a battle.

Unfortunately, it seemed his reprieve was short-lived.

After running wild all over Kitakami, the Demon Queen Nemona had returned—and this time, she had her eyes locked on her main course: him.

"Yo, Lillie, you're here too!"

Nemona paused briefly upon barging into Haru's room and seeing Lillie in her pajamas, but then quickly ignored her presence and turned excitedly to Haru.

"Perfect night for a battle, don't you think?"

"According to research, over 90% of Trainers sleep better after an intense match before bed."

"So let's go! I can't wait anymore!"

As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the water dispenser in the corner of the room.

"Whoa, the prof's got a water cooler in here? Nice! I was getting thirsty—this saves me a trip down to the convenience store."

Without skipping a beat, she pulled out her water bottle and started filling it up.

"Wait—Nemona!"

Lillie, who had been plotting how to get Nemona out of the room quickly, suddenly panicked.

Why did it feel like her plan was about to fall apart again?

Just to be safe, she had drugged the water in the dispenser. The compounds had completely dissolved into it, blending seamlessly with the water.

She hadn't expected anyone else to be here. It was supposed to be just her and her Haru—what could go wrong?

Who could've guessed Nemona would crash in the moment the drug was in place?

Even worse, Lillie had no idea what kind of excuse could possibly stop her.

Telling someone not to drink water? That's beyond suspicious, no matter how you frame it!

But if she just let Nemona drink it...

Disaster.

Haru had already drunk half a cup of that water.

If Nemona drank the rest...

Something was definitely going to happen between those two. This room would become a battlefield—or a romantic inferno.

And Lillie? She would be the one who brought this on herself, unwittingly crowning herself with a betrayal she couldn't live down.

How could she possibly accept that?

"What's wrong?"

Nemona blinked at Lillie, sipping from her cup.

Truth be told, she'd already noticed Lillie acting weird the moment she entered—but hadn't paid it much mind.

Now, though, things seemed to be getting weirder by the second.

Hmm... Had something interesting happened between these two while she was gone?

She had no idea what was actually in her cup as she drank—but this was getting fun.

"Uh... I mean, I was just wondering—didn't Mr. Haru lock the door? How did you even get in?"

"Telekinesis from a Psychic-type, duh. Pretty standard, right?"

"And just so you know, Steel-types are even faster at popping metal locks. No wonder they're considered top-tier with all those resistances."

"Pokémon are incredible, aren't they?"

Nemona answered cheerfully without missing a beat.

"Is... is that so?"

Lillie's smile twitched.

"Standard," my foot! You walking chaos generator!

Can you please think about the trouble your actions cause for other people?!

Internally fuming, Lillie marched up to Nemona and shoved a bottle of mineral water into her hand.

"Ahem, actually, I just checked that dispenser... and I'm not sure it's really..."

"What? What's wrong with it?"

Nemona asked curiously—after she'd already downed her cup in one gulp.

"..."

Lillie froze completely.

Nemona, what the hell are you doing?!

Couldn't you wait one second before chugging it down?!

And I literally just gave you a sealed water bottle—why that water?!

Now Lillie was well and truly speechless.

She'd seen her fair share of strange people—but Nemona was on a whole other level.

You couldn't control someone like this. She was the kind of person you just couldn't predict—utterly chaotic, utterly unstoppable.

The kind who sees a big red button labeled "DO NOT PRESS," says "Hmm, looks suspicious," and presses it anyway.

Now what?

Even if Lillie had the antidote, she'd have to find a way to sneak it into Nemona's mouth.

But doing that in front of Haru?

Even a complete idiot would figure out something was up with the water.

"Lillie, are you okay? Is there... something wrong with the water?"

Haru looked up, confused—he'd already had half a cup himself.