Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

"Are you thinking about capturing Ogerpon…?"

"I am. I really want to catch her. In fact, out of all the Pokémon in Kitakami, she's the only one I actually want."

"And I believe Ogerpon can become part of my family—truly part of the family, not some disposable tool."

When Sabrina asked the question, Haru didn't even try to hide his ambition.

Even though there was a chance Ogerpon might overhear, he still chose to speak his mind.

Sometimes, it's just better to be direct with your intentions.

Beat around the bush too much, and people will misread your motives. You'll come off like someone scheming something shady.

Plenty of blondies out there have feelings they never voice, only to end up tsundere-ing themselves into lonely defeat.

But to a Pokémon like Ogerpon—one that's been feared and shunned for who knows how long—someone actually saying "I want you" wouldn't make her wary. It'd win her over.

Because among all the sub-Legendaries, Ogerpon is… different.

First of all, her personality is much more human than most Pokémon.

And she's probably the only mythical Pokémon who isn't coveted by the masses, but instead actively avoided and disliked.

Even Mewtwo, after being born, had people "wanting" it—granted, they wanted it gone.

But with that in mind, capturing Ogerpon is way easier than catching any other Legendary.

As long as you have the heart for it and actually manage to connect with her, there's a pretty good chance she'll come willingly.

In a way, it's thanks to Kitakami's xenophobia and prejudice. If they hadn't treated Ogerpon like garbage, would Haru have gotten such an opportunity?

And just as he expected…

After he said those words—

Ogerpon, who now understood what the word family meant to humans, didn't feel anger. She felt a flicker of joy.

A bit shy, sure—but this was exactly what she'd wanted to hear.

It had been so long... and this was the first person who didn't treat her like some kind of "ghost."

Not only that—he even wanted to treat her, this ghost, like family.

He was just too yasashii…

Most people wouldn't even dare get near her.

Ogerpon peeked out from behind a tree, her starry eyes—eerily similar to a certain gothic heroine—blinking with hope.

Maybe… could that Trainer named Haru say a little more?

Like, emphasize just how important she was?

Or maybe call her cute once or twice? She'd be okay with that.

If he praised her enough, maybe she would be willing to go with him…

However, Haru's attitude really ticked off the Rocket grunts nearby.

Was this kid seriously ignoring them? Since when did Team Rocket get treated like background nobodies?

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Standing before the glorious Team Rocket and acting all smug?!"

"Hmph! Bow before the might of Team Rocket Executive Gran☆Bell-chan!"

"Aggron! Use High Horsepower and stomp that brat into the dirt!"

The middle-aged man at the front pulled out a pink heart-shaped magic wand, waving it flamboyantly as he shrieked commands at his Pokémon.

And strangely enough, his Aggron seemed to share some of his… questionable tendencies.

When its Trainer started dancing around with the wand, the Pokémon actually got more excited…

With a flourish from Magic Middle-Age Man, Aggron charged straight ahead, aiming to take down a mythical Pokémon as if it were just some ordinary fight.

"..."

Sabrina didn't even blink. She was used to this. The organization had more than its fair share of weirdos.

But Haru?

He was speechless.

Is Team Rocket seriously this… diverse now?

And Giovanni actually lets this guy be an executive? How does he even keep his lunch down?

Haru had originally planned to take these guys down quietly. But now?

To hell with it. Creepy men in skirts pretending to be magical girls have no place in the Pokémon world.

The last time someone tried to go full potato-field with this stuff, it didn't end well.

For the sake of everyone's sanity—and eyesight—it was best to end this quickly.

"Mew! Don't hold back—use everything you've got!"

"Meow!"

Mew sensed her Trainer's resolve, and while she normally disliked fighting, she got a little serious.

Because even if she hated battle, she was still a mythical Pokémon. A being at the peak of power!

She closed her eyes, and waves of invisible psychic energy rippled outward like a water sprite diving into a pond.

Though unseen, the force was unmistakable—everyone could feel it.

Psychic power. A force that was reshaping the world around them.

The ground. The air. Everything was bending to her will.

Once it fully erupted, it'd be like dropping a nuke on the entire region.

Everyone there could feel it—not just the presence of her power, but the threat of death that came with it.

Could they win? No—they could die.

If Mew truly unleashed everything she had, people would die here.

Even Kieran and Carmine could feel it.

"So... this is the power of a mythical Pokémon? That's terrifying..."

Gripping his Poké Ball tight, Kieran whispered, his face filled with disbelief.

But as scared as he was, he also felt something else: longing.

What if he had power like this?

What if he could control a mythical Pokémon—wouldn't everyone stop ignoring him then?

Maybe he'd be the one doing the isolating for once...

But then again, Pokémon like that don't just show up out of nowhere.

Only the so-called "chosen ones"—the protagonists of the world—ever get Pokémon like that.

People like Haru. Or his student, Lillie. People born to stand in the spotlight.

Kieran's heart burned with jealousy, yet he knew he couldn't change a thing.

He was nowhere near their level. Let alone worthy of a mythical Pokémon like Mew.

Then his gaze landed on the Pokémon hiding behind the tree—

Ogerpon. The "ghost" he had been chasing all this time.

That's right. The ghost.

From what he'd read, her power could rival that of a god.

He'd been pursuing her for so long—surely she felt it by now, right?

They were kindred spirits. She would understand him.

Kieran's eyes burned with new determination.

Yes. The power I seek is right in front of me.

But wait—didn't Professor Haru also say he was after Ogerpon?

Damn it! He already has so much, and now he wants to fight me for the ghost too?!

While Kieran was slipping deeper into dangerous thoughts, Team Rocket was in full panic.

They knew mythical Pokémon were strong, but this? This was absurd.

The magical-girl wannabe shouted desperately:

"Everyone, use your strongest moves—NOW!"

"Focus your power, steel your hearts! We won't lose to someone who relies on a mythical Pokémon!"

"We will win! In your darkest hour, Magical Girl Gran-chan is your shining hope! Let us vanquish evil with the power of love!"

Turns out, his whole squad was filled with freaks just like him.

With his "battle speech" finished, the rest of them lit up like bad cosplay come to life.

They ripped open their jackets to reveal T-shirts plastered with magical girl merch.

Some even wore full-on princess dresses beneath their coats, decorated with pink hearts and sparkles...

"For the magical girls—ULTIMATE IMPACT!"

"Hyper Beam! Let love and truth strike evil!"

"Bell-chan, we love you! Take this—Flare Blitz!"

"It's come to this... I have no choice but to unleash the forbidden art! Shadow Witch Secret Technique—Adorable Star Crash!"

A whirlwind of bizarre attacks rushed toward Mew, threatening to engulf her tiny form.

Even with a Kadabra and Sabrina at her side, the sheer volume of moves was overwhelming.

If this were a game, no amount of HP could survive this barrage.

But this was reality—

And in the real world, a top-tier mythical Pokémon could take down everyone here alone.

Mew raised a paw and, with surprising resolve (?), slammed it into the ground.

Electric Terrain + Psychic Terrain combo—Mew had gone full God Fist mode.

And she wasn't just targeting the Pokémon—she was going after the trainers too.

No one who desecrated the sacred concept of magical girls would be spared.

BOOM—!!!

Her punch hit, and an unstoppable force radiated out like a divine tsunami, tearing through the battlefield.

The earth shook. The sky roared. Reality itself flinched.

Her fist wasn't just a blow—it was divine judgment.

With that one punch, all the Rocket members—and their Pokémon—were blown away.

She didn't kill them, but a good number were knocked clean out.

One move. That was all it took.

And with Mew's absurd level of power control, not a single non-Rocket person was harmed.

No one would believe it, but this level of precision?

Came from years of starring in risqué "director's cut" films.

"How... how is this possible... she's a monster."

"Is this where the magical girl finally falls to the darkness? But... I won't give up."

They'd given everything they had. But it wasn't enough.

Even so, Magical Middle-Age Man still refused to admit defeat—but he was clearly out of options.

Mew was just too strong. Transcendently strong.

"Pony pony—!"

As for Ogerpon, she was thrilled by Mew's world-shattering punch.

After the fight ended, she jumped out from behind the tree, bouncing in place like an excited kid.

Sure, she was cute—but considering her weapon was a brutal spiked club, maybe she was more battle-hungry than she looked.

Instead of scaring her, Mew's punch had lit a fire in her.

Still, after a few hops, the overly anthropomorphic Ogerpon remembered she had to maintain her sweet image in front of Haru.

So she quickly pretended to lose interest and dashed off up the mountain steps.

Too many humans around. She'd look for a chance to talk to that guy later.

At that moment, Kieran panicked and rushed up the stairs after her, recalling his Furret.

"Wait! Ghost, is that you?!"

Ogerpon froze—then ran faster.

Ghost. Again.

Just because her name sounded similar—why did everyone keep calling her that?

She hated that name. Hated being treated like something scary.

"Please, Ghost! I need to talk to you!"

But before Kieran could catch up, Haru Teleported in front of him and blocked his path.

"That's enough. Let her go."

"Those Team Rocket clowns probably scared her. Even if you catch up now, it won't help."

"…"

Kieran said nothing. He just stood there with his head down, a shadow darkening his face.

Behind Haru, two female voices called out one after another:

"Haru, I was just talking to Sabrina…"

"I'd like to know—what exactly is this 'deal' you two have?"