Catch Feelings, Not Just Pokemon

Yes, the one who had just appeared was none other than Miss Sabrina of Team Rocket.

However, her pupils now bore a strange resemblance to Iono's—dyed a deep, eerie violet.

And her personality seemed to have undergone a massive shift as well.

The original Sabrina was more on the aloof side. If Haru were to describe it, she was the type who only responded when poked—literally and figuratively.

Or perhaps the kind who could turn Haru from "Haru" to "Ha-ruki" with a single cold glare, without saying a word.

But now? There wasn't a trace of that chilliness left.

That cold beauty had clearly transformed into a hot-blooded elder sister type, barking about hunting down that old fossil Giovanni and blowing up his coin vault—basically giving off the vibe that she could go full-on rampage at any moment.

And it seemed like she wanted to settle the score with Haru, too.

Keep in mind—Iono was currently livestreaming. Everything Sabrina said would, without a doubt, reach Giovanni's ears eventually…

Yet she didn't hesitate at all.

Even without Haru guiding the conversation, she looked straight into the camera and declared her ties with Giovanni utterly severed—no grace, no mercy.

What Giovanni might do to this now-mutinous kunoichi was anyone's guess. Could he come in person for a one-on-one throwdown?

If that happened, Haru would have no choice but to take Lillie into battle himself.

Sure, his Beedrill could hold its own against Legendary Pokémon, but even so, it felt a bit abstract. Bringing out two Legendary Pokémon, one Mythical, and a Paradox 'mon seemed totally justified, right?

---

At that moment, Lillie genuinely couldn't make sense of the situation.

Sabrina aside, she had interacted with Iono before—and Iono was not supposed to be like this.

Wasn't she just your average, slightly quirky streamer?

Could it be that she'd been through too much trauma and finally snapped?

...Had Lillie pushed her too hard?

Maybe... maybe she should've given Iono some hope. Maybe she'd been applying too much pressure.

For the first time, Lillie started to question herself. Maybe this "reborn" version of her had become too forceful—so much so that she'd driven Iono into this mental state.

Iono was her enemy, true.

But at least in this moment, Lillie couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy—something she really shouldn't have felt.

She never once considered that once Iono gained the upper hand, she might turn around and bite the hand that fed her.

Meanwhile, over on the battlefield—er, livestream—Iono and Sabrina were already going at it.

For Iono, being accused of having "weird-colored hair" was like telling someone, "Camus? That sounds like a girl's name."

She was furious.

"What did you say?! You tasteless woman, with fashion sense as bad as a freaking Arctovish, how dare you talk to me like that?!"

"I am the queen at the top of the streaming world! Just look at how my follower count skyrockets with every word I say!"

"And you—just a lowly Rocket grunt drowned in fermented bean curd—don't even deserve a place in Paldea!"

With that, Iono pulled a Poké Ball out of nowhere and locked eyes with Sabrina, clearly ready to throw down.

This, despite the fact that Sabrina could wipe the floor with her in a battle.

But Sabrina didn't back down—she pulled out her own Poké Ball. "You dare to bark at me rather than run? Pathetic fool. Do you even know who you're up against?"

"I am a born psychic sovereign—who dares insult me?! Who can insult me?!"

"Once I defeat you, I'll thrash that man you tried to claim—right in front of your eyes! Then I'll force him to help me take revenge on Team Rocket!"

"Can you live with that outcome?!"

And just like that, with only a few words exchanged, two people who had absolutely nothing to do with each other were suddenly going all out like lifelong rivals.

Naturally... Iono's chat exploded.

"Main streamer, what the hell are you even doing right now?!"

"So... Iono-chan really did become someone else's girl... At least let me die before this happens..."

"Kids, this isn't funny anymore. I want the kind, gentle Iono-chan back. This version... she scares me."

This wasn't even one of Iono's scheduled streams, so her viewership wasn't at its peak.

But with a storyline involving Team Rocket and a love triangle? The chat practically detonated.

What was going on? Why was there a Rocket executive in Iono's stream? And why was she such a cute one?!

And to make it worse, Iono was arguing with her—over a guy?!

Who even was this guy, and what made him so special that these two were fighting over him?

Chat exploded with question marks, trying to make sense of the chaos.

Some thought it was just another one of Iono's new skits and watched it like a soap opera.

Others, however, were furious—that Iono had fallen in love.

Especially when they realized the other party was also a beautiful girl, they wanted to absolutely end Haru.

"What the hell?! Why is this guy hogging all the rare waifus while we're still single as hell?!"

"This isn't fair! EXECUTE HIM!"

Before long, sleuthing netizens had already doxed Haru and Sabrina. That only made the chat angrier.

"I recognize him! He's the one who saved Iono when she got trapped in the Great Crater of Paldea!"

"Wasn't he some underwear thief who collects women's undergarments and carries them around?!"

"And that Rocket woman? That's the Gym Leader from Saffron City, right?"

"That gym is notorious for its difficulty—and for what happens to challengers afterward..."

"She even called out Giovanni for not paying her wages..."

"Another Gym Leader?! How many beautiful Gym Leaders does this man know?! Is he some kind of 'Gym Leader Avatar'?!"

"Hell no! WHY HIM?!"

As the comments flew by at warp speed, more viewers flocked to the scene to watch the drama unfold.

Including... none other than Mr. Blue—who was trying to quit stalking (Day 1).

The former Champion sat at his computer, fingers flying across the keys like a tribute to legendary seiyuu Inori Minase.

He had become a master of editing, composing a glorious "symphony" of text while watching Iono's stream.

But no matter how fast he typed, he couldn't outpace the swarm of messages flying past. His comments disappeared the moment he sent them.

In the end, he could only sit there, seething in silence, watching Iono.

Damn it. His precious oshi Iono... had become someone else's fermented bean curd?!

That bastard! When they finally battled, he would absolutely go all out!

He'd show that two-timing sleazebag the price of walking both sides of the fence!

...That was what he told himself, anyway. But his hands obediently started recording the stream to make clips later.

Of course, he hadn't originally learned video editing. But after watching so many streamers, he just kind of picked it up naturally.

He never told Red or Green about it. Though... whether they noticed was another matter entirely.

And from what Blue had seen, he wasn't the only Pokétuber obsessed with "tracking international Pokémon ecology."

Still... maybe he'd talk to that guy later.

He casually threw a Master Ball gift into Iono's stream and smirked to himself.

---

Meanwhile, Haru had a pretty good idea of what was going on now.

No doubt about it—Pecharunt's revival had started to influence the entire Northern Mountain region.

While Iono and Sabrina didn't seem entirely under his control...

Their violet eyes and abnormal behavior suggested they were definitely affected.

The question was: how many others had come into indirect contact with Pecharunt already?

And more importantly—had that battle-obsessed maniac also lost control because of him?

Normally she was at least a bit restrained. But if Pecharunt's influence reached her... she might straight-up release her Pokémon and start forcing people into battles.

To break free of Pecharunt's control, they'd have to defeat him—and force him to release them.

Not too hard. Even though Pecharunt was a Mythical Pokémon, he got wrecked by Ogerpon in a 4v1. So yeah... kinda trash.

The real problem was finding him.

If he went into hiding and used a human wave strategy to wear them down, that'd be a pain.

As these thoughts swirled in Haru's head, he stepped forward between the two girls, trying to mediate:

"Okay, enough! Can you both just calm down for a sec? Right now, what we really need to—"

But before he could finish, Iono snapped:

"Shut up, you consolation prize!"

And Sabrina, not to be outdone, shouted:

"Don't worry. Once I've captured this woman, I'll try out the S-experience on you."

"Oh, and I've been practicing pole dancing—so just sit there and wait for me to use your pole!"

Pecharunt might not have directly controlled Iono or Sabrina…

But his presence had definitely amplified their deepest desires, shaping their actions.

Desire, in this case, meant what they craved the most.

Iono wanted to become the queen of streamers—so she fired up her broadcast and put on a massive spectacle to draw attention.

But that wasn't all.

She also wanted to reclaim the man who had rightfully belonged to her, stolen by Lillie—thus, the "man-stealing" plotline was born.

Whatever the reception, fighting an Alolan princess for a man? That was top-tier drama bait.

And it might just help her reach both goals at once.

Sabrina, on the other hand, had started with revenge—against Team Rocket, and against Haru, who had captured her.

But thanks to that immersive "first-person CG experience" with Necrozma... well, she was hooked.

So that became her second desire.

How convenient! Two goals, one man. Why not just go all in?

Dance with Haru on a pole, get him to help her destroy Team Rocket, and maybe even test out the "S-loving" Necrozma had described.

Two birds, one very weird stone. Perfection.

"…!"

Hearing all that, Lillie finally couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough! Is that any way to speak to Mr. Haru?!"

"If it's a fight you want, then I'll be your opponent!"

If they were just yelling at each other, or even just insulting her, she could let it slide.

But dragging Haru into it while he tried to break things up? No way.

If words didn't work, then maybe Nebby would!

Let's see how they liked a little "physical persuasion" from Lunala!

"No need, Lillie."

Just as she was about to summon Nebby, Haru gently stopped her with a shake of the head.

Then he leaned close, whispering softly in her ear:

"This isn't the time to reveal your Pokémon."

"Nebby's strong, sure—but you don't have enough Pokémon yet. If some bad guys see you, things could get dangerous."

"And Iono's stream is still live."

"...Okay, Mr. Haru. I understand."

Perhaps it was the warmth of his breath brushing her ear, but Lillie's cheeks flushed slightly red.

"Still… who even started this mess?"

After giving her those warnings, Haru sighed and pulled out Mew's Poké Ball.

But just then—a bright, cheerful male voice rang out from the distance...

"Since you've asked so sincerely…"

Followed by a female voice:

"We'll answer with compassion!"

"To protect the world from devastation—"

"To unite all peoples within our nation—"

"Team Rocket?"

That all-too-familiar opening line instantly triggered Haru's fight-or-flight response. He correctly guessed the identities of the newcomers before they even finished.

"Wahh! You're not allowed to interrupt our intro, nya!"

Just as the voice rang out, three figures burst dramatically from the shadows. Two were average adult height—but the third was shorter than a dwarf.

Haru hadn't been mistaken. The newcomers were none other than the true protagonists of the Pokémon anime:

Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Worth noting—the trio's eyes looked normal. They hadn't been affected by Pecharunt's influence.

Still, perhaps because Haru had cut off their signature catchphrase midway, they all seemed rather ticked off.

"So… you three are the masterminds behind all this?"

Honestly, if you told Haru that this disaster was their doing, he might actually believe it.

Sure, their battling skills were legendarily bad—but their ability to stir up chaos? Easily on par with any other Rocket member.

Especially when it came to craftsmanship. These three were practically the Da Vincis of the Pokémon world.

Of course… eight times out of ten, whatever they made would fall apart right before it mattered.

But when Haru asked again for confirmation, the trio responded not with threats—but by hugging his legs.

"Of course… not."

"We're here to ask for help too, nya."

"Please help us. We'll do anything, Haru..."

As they spoke, inexplicable sobbing began. Long, noodle-like tears streamed from their eyes as they started pouring out their story:

"After our mission in Paldea failed, we fled early by airship to avoid any… accidents."

"But while flying over the region, we were suddenly blasted out of the sky by a Ghost-type move from who-knows-where."

"Barely survived the crash landing. And just when we thought we were safe—poof! All our money was gone."

"Our boss won't even answer our calls."

"Left with no choice, we sought out the local Rocket branch for help."

"But we'd barely been there half a day when everyone just… lost it. First their eyes turned violet for no reason. Then they started screaming about pledging loyalty to some 'Sin Queen' and forcing everyone to eat these creepy purple dumplings."

"Anyone who ate them would turn just as fanatical—and start forcing more people to eat the dumplings."

"And then they started hunting down someone they called the 'Holy Child' to fulfill the Sin Queen's desires."

"And after some digging… turns out, that 'Holy Child' is you. So please, we're begging you—don't let us become like them!"

"You've gotta have a way out, right? The whole area's been taken over by those lunatics. We can't even escape anymore…"

The longer they went on, the more tragic they sounded. Eventually, they even tried wiping their noses on the hem of Haru's pants.

Naturally, Haru nonchalantly dodged them before they could get any snot on his leg. No way he was catching their brand of misfortune.

As for Lillie, she had quietly turned away at some point, face awkwardly averted.

Ghost-type move… If she recalled correctly, she had used one of those during her battle with Carmine.

At the time, not wanting to harm Carmine or her Pokémon, she had aimed her move skyward…

Which meant—there was a very real chance that she had accidentally shot these three out of the sky.

Lillie wasn't the only one who reached that conclusion.

Haru, recalling the incident, coughed awkwardly before decisively changing the topic:

"So… this 'Sin Queen'—do you know who she is?"

"No idea. Only that she's incredibly terrifying. Her… desires go far beyond what any normal person could comprehend."

"That's why most of the people who've eaten those dumplings are completely under her control. Only a select few are exceptions."

"Like those two, for example."

As Jessie spoke, she gestured toward Iono and Sabrina.

"Because they have… shocking levels of desire too, nya. Though still not quite at the Sin Queen's level, nya."

At that moment—after being ignored for far too long—Sabrina finally snapped.

"Enough! Are you just going to talk forever?! At this rate, when will my pole dance even begin?!"

"Go! Munkidori! Let's show them what we're made of!"

As Sabrina hurled out her Poké Ball, Iono followed suit, sneering:

"Hmph, did you think I wasn't ready? Go, Fezandipiti!"

"Well, looks like we're doing this the hard way."

Haru sighed. Even if Necrozma was nowhere to be seen, Mew alone could easily hold its own against two second-tier legendaries.

Especially when those two were… bottom-tier as far as second-tier legends go. In the anime, they'd probably be even more useless than Suicune.

Still—it was odd that Munkidori and Fezandipiti, two of the so-called "Toxic Beasts," would willingly follow Iono and Sabrina.

Judging by their body language, it didn't seem like they were exactly willing participants… just that they had no choice.

That said—just as Haru was about to send out Mew, Ogerpon jumped out in front of him, swinging her club and hopping with excitement.

"Pongpong? You mean… you want me to direct the battle this time?"

Munkidori was Poison/Psychic. Fezandipiti was Poison/Fairy.

And Ogerpon… theoretically, her typing depended on the mask she wore.

With the Heartflame Mask, she became Grass/Fire.

With the Wellspring Mask, Grass/Water.

But right now, she only had the Teal Mask, which meant she was pure Grass-type.

Which meant… she was hard-countered by both of them.

So this time… he'd be playing the role of the "Type Disadvantage Master," huh?

Haru glanced at the fired-up Ogerpon and couldn't help but chuckle.

Well, so be it.

Type disadvantage master it is.

You use what Pokémon? I'll beat you with this Pokémon.