Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

According to Haru's original plan, he had arranged to officially meet Ogerpon at tonight's Masked Festival.

As per the customs of the Masked Festival in Kitakami Village, all participants were to wear yukata and cover their faces with masks.

This setup allowed Ogerpon, while masked, to openly appear at the festival without drawing unwanted attention.

Given the dim lighting in the evening, there was even a chance that people might mistake her for a human.

After all, Ogerpon did look quite humanoid—like a little girl wrapped in a heavy cloak, the kind that made you want to scoop her up and lift her into the air.

Haru wasn't completely sure the lonely Ogerpon would show up, but if she did, he was confident he'd recognize her instantly.

But… the problem now was that Haru had run into Ogerpon ahead of schedule, throwing his whole plan into potential disarray.

If his sudden appearance had startled the timid Ogerpon, would she still show up at the festival later?

And even if she did, would she bolt the moment she laid eyes on him?

Ogerpon's nature was quite shy and skittish—she wasn't the kind to pull out her cursed vine club at the drop of a hat.

Haru, on the other hand, was the type to go straight for the vine club—like when he tamed Lusamine, or dealt with that strange tree.

In short, if Haru had already frightened Ogerpon, it would be troublesome to get close to her again.

So after thinking it over, Haru decided he couldn't waste this opportunity. At the very least, he needed to try and reach out to her.

Team Rocket had already set their sights on Ogerpon. And knowing them, they definitely wouldn't use any proper means to capture her.

If she got taken before he had the chance to bond with her, that would be a disaster.

Yes—that's it! He wasn't chasing after Ogerpon to catch her—he just didn't want her falling into the wrong hands! Definitely not just because he wanted to add her to his collection.

Haru kept telling himself that as he chased after the small figure darting ahead of him.

But Ogerpon was fast. Incredibly fast. Despite her tiny legs, she ran like she had wings, practically flying across the terrain.

Some Pokémon claim to be able to circle the globe in 16 hours, yet their base Speed stat doesn't even beat Mega Salamence.

Others might have sky-high Speed stats on paper, but in practice couldn't outrun a Stantler.

But Ogerpon didn't fall into either of those categories.

She was the type who was lightning-fast both in stats and in the real world.

In just the blink of an eye, she was about to vanish into the woods ahead, slipping out of Haru's sight.

And if she decided to hole up in the mountains again and refused to come out, there wouldn't be much Haru could do to lure her back.

She was a Sub-Legendary, after all—if she wanted to hide, she could definitely pull it off.

Besides, Haru couldn't just loiter outside her cave all day like that guy Kieran.

So, in this urgent moment, Haru decided to cheat a little—by calling in his Pokémon to break the rules.

Fast runner? Well, time to beat that with good ol' psychic teleportation. No matter how quick your feet are, you can't outrun instant transmission, right?

"Mew, teleport us—quick!"

"No problem, Master~ Nya! Watch me shine!"

Mew stretched lazily, already prepared. She focused on Haru and Lillie, and with a flick of psychic energy, they vanished from sight.

In games, Teleport is usually just a troll move to make it harder to catch wild Pokémon. But in real life? It was god-tier movement.

The next second, Haru and Lillie reappeared right behind Ogerpon.

Haru reached out with his right hand, aiming for her shoulder. But he was just a little too far, and his hand only grasped empty air.

"Wait, Ogerpon! We're not your enemies—we're here to help you!"

But the moment he spoke, Ogerpon bolted even faster, like she'd just been spooked out of her mind.

It was like she wasn't being chased by a person, but by a horrifying combo of Smeargle + Whimsicott + Spiritomb + Oranguru on steroids.

As if slowing down even a bit would get her caught, humiliated, and—well, violated by that monstrous party.

Now Haru was in a bit of a bind.

He could have Mew keep teleporting after her, or even jump ahead and block her path.

But if Ogerpon refused to stop, this chase could go on forever.

Sure, Mew wasn't a Gimmighoul—she wouldn't run out of energy so easily. But Ogerpon was still a Sub-Legendary—she wasn't going to collapse from exhaustion either.

Haru wasn't about to play tag with her forever. At this rate, he was bound to annoy her.

"Master~ Want me to use a move on her? Maybe scattering Spikes in front, followed by Rock Slide to stop her in her tracks, meow?"

"If that's not enough, I can even use Earthquake. I've got a ton of moves—there's something in my kit that'll hit her."

Seeing Ogerpon refusing to slow down, Mew started offering some... questionable ideas.

Truthfully, she didn't mind Haru catching new Pokémon at all.

She hadn't even protested when Flutter Mane joined the crew—so a non-threatening Sub-Legendary like this one? Not a big deal.

She wasn't into battling anyway. More teammates meant more slack for her.

Besides, Ogerpon seemed like a fun one. After a bit of "training," she might even be good for other amusing uses.

So Mew was pretty gung-ho about this mission.

"No, don't hurt her. At the very least, definitely don't use offensive moves."

Though… maybe Hypnosis would be okay?

Using Hypnosis from behind like this had a very low chance of success—but Mew was still a mythical Psychic-type. She might pull it off...

The thought crossed Haru's mind—but in the end, he shook it off.

No. This wasn't the time to push things.

Even if they stopped her now, what then? Use Hypnosis + Ultra Ball to forcefully capture her?

Ogerpon was just too afraid of people. Winning her trust would take time.

But as long as he kept putting in the effort, she would eventually see his sincerity.

All Ogerpon really wanted were the other three masks stored in Stow-on-Side's collection. If he could get those, how could he not hook her?

No need to risk things.

Just as Haru resolved to wait for a better chance, a ruckus erupted from ahead...

"Was that the Pokémon the boss wanted!?"

"Perfect! After all that effort trying to flush it out—now it shows up on its own!"

"Grab it! This is our big chance to shine. I think it's Grass-type—hit it with Flare Blitz!"

"Where's the net? Use the net to trap it!"

"Poké Balls, too! Ready them!"

"Wait—is that... a ghost? Don't touch it!"

"Kid, get lost! Or I'll send you flying too!"

"?"

Haru, who had been about to give up, paused at the chaotic shouting.

What now? Team Rocket?

Ogerpon had run off in that direction—maybe someone from Rocket saw her and decided to make a move?

But they wouldn't seriously think she was easy prey just because she was shy, right?

If they really thought they could net her like some weak Suicune knockoff...

Well, let's just hope Miss Ogerpon's thorny club didn't break all their legs.

She's a Sub-Legendary who can 1v4—not one of those net-catchable legendaries.

Still, even if Haru knew Ogerpon could handle herself, he quickly had Mew teleport him toward the commotion.

This was the perfect opportunity to score points with her.

Sure enough—it was Team Rocket up to no good.

They weren't even trying to hide—giant "R"s plastered across their jackets, practically begging to be noticed as villains.

There were more of them than Haru expected—maybe a dozen in total.

They looked like elite Trainers too—likely mid- to high-ranking Rocket members.

Their leader was a middle-aged man using classic Dark-types.

Haru didn't recognize him, so he probably wasn't very strong.

Some had already sent out Pokémon, launching attacks toward Ogerpon. Others were preparing for battle.

Also present were two locals—Carmine and Kieran.

They were the last people Haru wanted to run into in Kitakami.

They had thrown out their own Pokémon, trying to stop Team Rocket.

But… well, they were still newbies. A bunch of baby-stage Pokémon weren't going to win this.

Rocket's regulars weren't all clowns like Jessie and James—many of them were actually dangerous.

Haru scanned the area—then spotted Sabrina arriving at the scene.

"Ah, so it really was your former colleagues. Want me to handle it?"

"Or... would you rather take your revenge personally?"

There were no Rocket Executives here, so Haru wasn't worried his lies to Sabrina would get exposed.

His plan now was to slowly lead Sabrina to fully betray Team Rocket.

To the point where, even after learning the truth, she'd be too deep to back out—and forced to stay by his side while burning inside.

That would be hilarious.

"..."

Sabrina was silent for a few seconds. Then she said, "I'll do it myself."

"And I'll use these idiots to catch Giovanni i's secretary—Matori!"

Now that Haru had successfully "red-pilled" her, Sabrina fully saw Team Rocket as the enemy—and she was dead set on taking revenge on the higher-ups.

These members weren't executives, but good enough for her to vent some rage.

And the real prize was Matori, Giovanni's secretary—if she could capture her, they might even be able to threaten Giovanni directly...

As Sabrina stepped forward, Rocket grunts recognized her.

"Sabrina? Why are you here? And standing next to him—isn't he one of the boss's targets?"

"Don't tell me you've betrayed us!?"

Sabrina laughed coldly. "'Betrayed'? Don't be ridiculous. I'm not the one who betrayed anything."

"You're all just pitiful fools who don't know a damn thing!"

"What are you talking about!?"

Her cryptic words sent waves of suspicion through the Rocket members.

Did she know some horrible secret?

If even someone like Sabrina defected, what could that mean?

Maybe... Giovanni was planning salary cuts and mandatory overtime? That'd be hell.

"Hmph. Those who know, know. If you don't, it's pointless to explain."

"So now—drown in your own stupidity!"

She threw a Poké Ball. "Alakazam—go!"

A flash of yellow light revealed the long-mustached Psychic Pokémon, spoons in hand.

As a Psychic Gym Leader and psychic herself, most of Sabrina's team was, naturally, Psychic-types.

Compared to Fairy-types, which are better both offensively and defensively, Psychic-types are more awkward—but in Sabrina's hands, that disadvantage vanished.

Because in battle—she herself was the true god of war.

"Alakazam, use Psychic!"

And as she gave the order, Sabrina also used Psychic herself—amplifying Alakazam's move twofold.

"Can't let you steal all the spotlight now."

"Flutter Mane—"

Just as Haru was about to summon a less attention-grabbing Pokémon of his, he glanced around at the crowd nearby—and decided against it.

There were just too many people around. If he called out Flutter Mane now, she might just faint from sheer panic on the spot.

After mulling it over, he figured it was best to let Mew handle this one.

Sure, she had a slight type disadvantage here, but the level gap between the two sides was wide enough that a minor disadvantage didn't matter.

"Mew, ready for battle!"

As Haru gave the command, Mew, who had been cloaked in invisibility, revealed herself.

"Professor Haru... and—wait, is that... M—Mew?!"

The siblings, who had been frozen in disbelief this whole time, now seriously began to wonder if they were dreaming.

They had just narrowly escaped the clutches of Nemona after a long, hard struggle. And the moment they made it up the mountain—bam! They ran right into a literal oni with a thorny club from legend.

And then, to top it off, a whole crowd of shady-looking people showed up trying to catch said oni.

If that wasn't enough, now Professor Haru appeared out of nowhere—with a Team Rocket executive in tow—only to immediately throw out a Mythical Pokémon known in every household.

So this was what the world of the strong looked like...?

Kieran tightened his grip unconsciously on the red-and-white Poké Ball in his hand.

As for Carmine... she was even more dumbfounded than her brother.

Not long ago, she'd still been plotting to challenge Haru herself—just to show that infuriating man what she was made of.

But now... go up against a Mythical Pokémon trainer?

Nope. That was off the table.

But it wasn't just humans who witnessed this scene. Hidden behind a tree, Ogerpon peeked out—curious and cautious—seeing that no one could attack her for the moment.

Truth be told, she hadn't run away earlier because she hated Haru or anything like that.

In fact, it was quite the opposite. After overhearing the conversation between Haru and Lillie, she'd been overwhelmed—her mind a complete mess.

In all her long life, this was the first time she had ever encountered someone willing to speak the truth out loud.

And not just that—they actually wanted to help her make that truth known to the world.

That thought had terrified her.

What if that human, upon seeing her strange, unnatural appearance, changed his mind?

Based on centuries of painful experience, Ogerpon knew full well: humans don't accept outcasts.

So when Haru chased after her, it wasn't just a matter of nerves—she was scared. Scared enough to instinctively flee even faster.

She was afraid. Truly afraid. Afraid of being hated, of being rejected.

Especially by someone like Haru—someone who seemed to understand her.

But after the mess caused by Team Rocket, her fear had begun to subside just a little. Enough to at least observe for now.

Maybe... just maybe, these humans were different. Maybe they wouldn't reject her because of how she looked?

"Mew, don't hold back. Knock out every last one of their Pokémon."

"Hm... let's go with Psychic Terrain and Expanding Force."

Mew's move pool was vast, as expected of a Mythical, but she didn't come with the standard-issue signature moves you'd see on Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. It made her feel a little awkward at times.

Haru often thought—if only Mew had a 120 base-power multi-target move like Astral Barrage, that would be perfect.

Or if her Ability weren't Synchronize, but Psychic Surge instead—that would be ideal.

But unfortunately, some things just couldn't be changed. Without a signature multi-target move, all Mew could do was rely on Expanding Force in a Psychic Terrain setup.

Even so, her power was more than enough to wipe the floor with any non-legendary opponents.

And today's foes? They were a whole busload of Aggron—tanky, yes, but outmatched.

Facing the sudden activation of Psychic Terrain, the enemy Pokémon all assumed the classic Rocket posture—"We are Team Rocket's Iron Wall!"—none of them willing to surrender outright.

"She's been watching you the whole time."

"...Are you trying to catch her?"

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