The livestreaming equipment powered down, and the two who had just reunited sat down together at the base of the towering crystalline staircase.
To Haru, he'd only been away from Iono for a few short days. But to Iono, it had been a full five years.
Perhaps that was why—even though they'd just survived a grueling back-and-forth skirmish—her radiant face still glowed with uncontainable excitement.
So much so… that she'd even forgotten some rather inappropriate details?
As a livestreamer, Iono's outfits were never ordinary when she was on camera.
Her aesthetic leaned heavily into the "cutesy" vibe, and her clothes reflected a look that was distinctly hers.
She wore an oversized coat—absurdly oversized, really. It was several sizes too big, enough to swallow her whole, arms and all.
Like a little mole wearing a Mimikyu disguise.
But her coat also had a peculiar design—it formed a sort of funnel shape around the shoulders.
Meaning, from a top-down perspective… you could see everything inside through that funnel.
And underneath the coat, she wore a form-fitting silver-white... was that underwear?
The term didn't quite capture it, but yes—it was definitely an intimate garment. One that clung tightly and completely to her petite figure.
Under normal circumstances, her outfit wouldn't have been an issue. The tricky camera angles, paired with her snug clothing, were enough to protect her modesty.
But... she'd just been sweating bullets from battling wild Pokémon, and now she just happened to be sitting a step or two below Haru on the crystal staircase…
Which meant—from his particular vantage point—he could just faintly make out what was beneath that now-damp, semi-translucent garment.
Such as... Iono's two blueberries?
Without letting a hint of expression slip, Haru casually shifted his position to the side, not saying a word or calling attention to their awkward situation.
He cleared his throat lightly, then decided to call out his Pokémon.
He didn't even reach for any Poké Balls. Yet in the very next moment, two small and adorable Pokémon appeared before them.
The first was a dark green creature that resembled an oversized Misdreavus—though its fur was longer and sleeker, giving the impression of four elegant wings trailing from its body.
But the moment it materialized, it darted behind Haru's back, peeking out with just half its face to nervously eye the girl. Whether it was timid or shy was anyone's guess.
The second Pokémon looked distinctly feline. It had a long tail ending in an olive-shaped tip, and its gemstone-blue eyes sparkled in the light.
This one, unlike the first, was completely unbothered. It flicked its tail once, then curled up on Haru's lap like it owned the place, basking in the afternoon sun as it drifted off to sleep.
These were the only two Pokémon Haru had.
Most trainers typically carried four to six Pokémon at any given time. Haru's measly duo was laughably small by comparison.
Yet Iono didn't dare look down on him.
Because to her… both Pokémon could only be described with one word: bizarre.
Yes. No matter which one she looked at, they each seemed to possess their own peculiar traits—and undoubtedly, unique techniques as well.
"Misdreavus? And… Mew?"
Iono murmured the names based on her current understanding.
Let's set Mew aside for now. But was that Pokémon hiding behind Haru really a Misdreavus?
Why did it remind her more of that Delibird she'd fought earlier? But they were clearly two entirely different species!
Sitting slumped on the ground, the girl with twin Magnemite hovering around her head began to doubt everything she knew.
Could it be that Iono herself was outdated?
Was Misdreavus actually the stronger one, while Mismagius—the evolved form—was the weaker link?
Should she go tell her Mismagius to "de-evolve and come back later"?
It was like those Dragon-type Gym Leaders whose entire teams were just Flying-types. Even though Iono was a specialist in Electric-types, her core team still included a Ghost-type Mismagius.
She knew both Mismagius and its pre-evolution Misdreavus like the back of her hand.
In her memory, Misdreavus had always been an adorable but frail little baby Pokémon. How could it possibly be this strong?
"No, that's not a Misdreavus," Haru corrected. "That's Flutter Mane."
He reached behind himself and scooped the little ghost into his arms.
The petite Pokémon tried to wriggle free at first, but after he gave its "hair" a few gentle strokes, it melted in his grasp, rubbing against him and sniffing at his scent.
"Flutter Mane is like that Iron Bundle you fought earlier. They're both what we call Paradox Pokémon."
"You can think of them simply as Pokémon from the past… or the future."
"Flutter Mane might be what Misdreavus looked like thousands of years ago. Just like the Iron Bundle was a far-future version of Delibird."
"Pokémon from the past and future?"
It was a concept Iono had never even heard of before. Nothing in current Pokédex entries matched that type of classification. The closest thing might be Fossil Pokémon.
Still, she found herself accepting Haru's explanation surprisingly easily.
The world of Pokémon was full of strange and inexplicable phenomena. Past Pokémon? That didn't sound so unbelievable—especially in a world where time travel wasn't entirely out of the question.
If long-dead fossils could be brought back to life, why couldn't ancient or future Pokémon just show up out of nowhere? Probably.
"Alright, putting Flutter Mane aside… why the hell do you have a Mew?!"
Even after that explanation, Iono couldn't calm down.
Because to the average trainer, Mew and some "ancient Misdreavus" were not remotely in the same league.
Sure, the latter might be powerful—but the former carried far more weight.
What was Mew, exactly?
Anyone with decent Pokémon knowledge could offer a theory or two.
Just like its name implied—Mew being a play on "myth" or "mirage"—some believed it was a Pokémon born of pure imagination. Others called it the progenitor of all Pokémon.
And that was just scratching the surface. The number of legends surrounding Mew was practically endless. Some verified, others buried in mystery.
What was certain, though, was that this Pokémon was incomparably rare. And unfathomably strong.
As the very first Mythical Pokémon, Mew stood on equal footing with the likes of Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon—the god-tier legendaries.
A literal god.
And now, here was that same beautiful, powerful, immortal Pokémon… curled up on this man's lap, napping like a content house cat?
What was this world anymore? Had Haru really reached this level in just five years?
Even with just two Pokémon, he could probably take down Gym Leaders—and maybe even the weaker Elite Four.
"You're really curious about it, huh? Mew was actually my starter Pokémon."
"If it weren't for her, I would've died here long ago."
"Area Zero is like the ocean. Beautiful, but dangerously unpredictable. Just like what you went through today."
As Haru scratched Mew's chin, he suddenly let out a long, melancholy sigh.
Area Zero was not a place meant for human survival. Even with Mew's help, he couldn't always guarantee his own safety.
Not to mention... his Mew was a bona fide shut-in cat. Not only did she refuse to return to her Poké Ball, she spent every day binge-watching anime and playing video games. How could he not worry?
"I see…"
Sitting beside him, Iono could sense the faint wistfulness in Haru's voice. But she didn't press further about the Pokémon.
Instead, she brought up the question that had been burning in her heart since the moment they met again.
"Then… can you finally tell me now?"
"Why did you leave that day without a word?"