"C-can't… can't go on…"
"I'm… I'm at my limit, ha~"
"Somebody… somebody help us, if this keeps up—!"
The strange cries of young women echoed through the streets of Alto Mare.
Just hearing their voices would've been enough to send any bystander's imagination running wild.
Of course, they weren't actually doing anything indecent.
They were simply running for their lives through the streets—at full speed.
As the world's number one thieves in their field, Annie and Oakley had never been in such a sorry state since the day they made their debut.
It all started when they set their sights on Latios.
Their plan had almost succeeded, almost—
until everything fell apart at the very end.
Not only did they fail to capture Latios, but their own Pokémon were severely injured in the process and ended up being taken away by someone else.
It all happened so fast that the twin sisters barely had time to process it.
And now, as if fate were mocking them, they were being chased through the streets by a group of unknown pursuers.
If the ability "Serene Grace" represents divine blessing, then this must be its polar opposite—absolutely cursed luck.
"So this is all your fault, Annie! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be suffering like this, kora!"
"What are you talking about, Oakley?! Wasn't it you who got greedy for that in the first place? If not for your avarice, none of this would've happened!"
"How is that my fault?! I'm the rightful owner of Latios, damn it!"
"There's only one master of Latios and the Soul Dew—and that's me!"
"Annie, could you maybe argue after you deal with the pack of maniacs chasing us? My dear 'Latios master'?"
"Then why don't you go wave to Officer Jenny, huh? Maybe the authorities will even come out and cheer us on. Just drop your empty Poké Balls into their evidence box while you're at it!"
"Are you an idiot?! Sure, the people chasing us are criminals—but it's not like we're any better! You want me to turn myself in?"
"We're thieves, remember? When has a thief ever been a respectable person?"
"What's so bad about it? At least we'd get three meals a day!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Though they bickered nonstop, neither slowed down even a little.
Their legs moved like blurs as they dashed through the city.
And despite their chaotic escape, the twin goddesses of thievery still displayed the peerless agility that earned them their fame.
They vaulted, flipped, and twisted through narrow alleys and over handrails with acrobatic grace—almost like a street performance from an Indian circus troupe.
From that perspective, it was fair to say they truly lived up to their title as the world's greatest thieves.
Of course, the people chasing them weren't ordinary either.
They lacked the physical finesse of the "Evil Twins," but they had one critical advantage—Pokémon.
Some rode flying Pokémon through the air, while others skimmed swiftly across Alto Mare's canals using water Pokémon as if rowing invisible boats.
With their Pokémon's aid, the pursuers kept close on the sisters' tails.
They couldn't quite catch them, but neither were they falling behind.
Most of those Pokémon were Dark-types—just looking at them gave off a bad feeling.
And as for the people themselves…
They didn't share any standard uniform, but glimpses of black undershirts beneath their varied outfits gave them away.
Their true identity was obvious: members of Team Rocket from the Kanto region.
If Annie and Oakley were gods of thievery, then Team Rocket were gods of crime.
The difference in "rank" between them was immense.
When those two worlds collided, all the "Evil Twins" could do was run for their lives.
And even then, "running away" might have been overly optimistic.
Yet perhaps neither sister realized that their petty squabbling had once again drawn someone else's attention.
He hadn't heard every word, but a few key phrases had reached his ears.
Latios.
Master.
Soul Dew.
The boy in the cap, who'd been wandering nearby, suddenly lifted his head and stared in the direction the twins had fled.
A suspicion took root in his mind.
Two figures… two women in black… and they'd mentioned being Latios's masters?
That couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?
Was it possible that those two were the same "shadows" he'd once made a deal with?
They'd looked different back then—he hadn't seen their faces clearly—but the possibility fit too perfectly to ignore.
The boy—Goh—felt a flare of anger rise in his chest.
He had genuinely believed those shadowy figures were powerful beings, capable of summoning Legendary Pokémon as "rewards." He'd followed their every command, almost fanatically.
But seeing them now, dirty and scrambling through the streets—
Where was that air of mystery? That intimidation?
They weren't "unknown powerhouses."
They were just pitiful strays, dogs on the run.
And he—he had been their fool.
He'd nearly sacrificed Chloe and his own Pokémon because of them.
The thought made his blood boil.
It was a humiliation.
An open-handed slap across his face.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he could no longer hold back.
He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and released his Pokémon, setting off in pursuit.
If Latios was truly with those two women, then this was his chance—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to claim it for himself.
Yes. He would let everyone else chase them down, then swoop in and seize Latios amid the chaos.
Once he had Latios, those "shadows" would no longer matter.
And Chloe? He wouldn't have to hand her over to anyone.
Was stealing someone else's Pokémon wrong?
Who cared?
Those women were criminals too. Taking their prize would be justice in his eyes.
The only real concern was whether Latios would obey him once caught.
But Goh had confidence—he always thought of himself as good with Pokémon.
All he had to do now was stay out of sight of the others chasing the sisters.
If they noticed him, things could get dangerous.
Unbeknownst even to him, however, his chase was leading him—and the twins—closer and closer to the hotel where Haru was staying.
They were about to step straight into Haru's "territory."
But Goh would never make it far enough to see him…
---
Meanwhile, as Goh was chasing his "dream of a Legendary Pokémon," his childhood friend Chloe was on her way back to the hotel.
Walking and chatting softly into her Rotom Phone, she said,
"Yeah… yeah, Dad, I changed my mind."
"I still don't plan to go far as a Trainer, but I think I'd like to give it a try."
"I mean, being an ordinary person is fine… but being a Trainer feels a little more… limitless."
Her voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable spark of excitement in it.
Truth be told, Chloe had never cared much for the idea of being a Trainer or a Pokémon researcher.
She preferred calm, relaxing work—something peaceful.
But as Professor Cerise's daughter, expectations had always followed her.
People assumed she would naturally inherit Professor Oak's legacy, become a researcher or a top Trainer, and work tirelessly toward that goal.
That weight of expectation had always pressed down on her.
Sometimes, it even left her feeling lost—unsure of what she really wanted.
She'd wanted to reject it all, but it was hard to say "no" to everyone's hopes.
Then she met Haru—and something changed.
She still didn't aim for the top, but she'd found herself interested in battles.
If she became a Trainer, maybe she'd have a reason—no, an excuse—to challenge Haru to a match someday.
If that boy named Ash could do it, why couldn't she?
And if she could protect herself, she wouldn't have to fear another incident like before.
With her father's status, it wouldn't take long for her to qualify for a starter Pokémon, right?
After all, her dad was a Pokémon Professor.
But just as she was thinking that, Professor Cerise gave her an unexpected answer.
Becoming a Trainer required far more procedures than she'd imagined.
It might take at least a week after she returned to Kanto before she could officially receive her starter Pokémon.
"Huh? It's that much trouble to become a Trainer?"
Her confusion made the professor laugh softly.
"Of course, Chloe. Don't underestimate the Trainer's path."
"But you weren't interested in battling before. What made you change your mind?"
"Why I changed my mind… well… that's a long story."
Her voice dropped lower still, and she started to mumble.
"Don't tell me it's because of that young man, Haru? You mentioned him quite a lot the last time we talked."
"Could it be… he has something to do with this?"
Perhaps intrigued by his daughter's reaction, Professor Cerise's tone turned teasing.
He didn't really suspect anything serious—after all, rumors had long swirled among top Trainers and researchers about Haru's… entanglements.
Stories of Haru and Cynthia.
Of Haru and a girl named Liko.
Even of Haru and certain Legendary Pokémon that could take human form.
Compared to those, his daughter hardly seemed like she was in the running.
Besides, if anything had happened, surely Professor Oak—who was traveling with Haru—would've mentioned it.
Cerise trusted his teacher completely.
No, it was far more likely that Chloe simply had a small crush on Haru.
His precious daughter was still unpicked.
Which was why he could joke so casually:
"Haru? Oh, he's just my lifesaver. There's nothing between us," Chloe said, before muttering privately,
"Not that he'd ever be interested in me anyway… he's already got his hands full with those other women."
"I can't even imagine what they get up to every night…"
But aloud, she added, "Um… even if there's nothing between us, could you maybe ask Professor Oak for Haru's number? I… I don't really have the courage to ask him myself."
And that was the truth.
For some reason, whenever she was near Haru, she always felt dwarfed by his presence—like her confidence just melted away.
It didn't make sense. He was always gentle.
"You should ask him yourself," Cerise chuckled. "If you can't even do that, what's the point of getting his number? You wouldn't use it anyway."
"…Unless," he added slyly, "you actually do like him. Right, Chloe?"
There was a long pause.
Then a loud stomp.
"No! We really don't have anything like that! Don't start getting weird ideas!"
"Really?"
He sounded even more suspicious now.
"Hmph! I'm done talking to you!"
And with that, she hung up.
The hotel wasn't far now—but even she didn't know what she'd do when she got back.
Maybe she'd follow her father's advice and talk to Haru?
At least get his contact info?
She had no idea that, at that very moment, their hotel had already descended into utter chaos.
And the hands stirring that chaos weren't just local—they stretched all the way from Alola itself.
The situation in Alto Mare was far more complicated than anyone could imagine.
---
Cerise Research Lab, Kanto Region
Professor Cerise stared at his phone in silence, the call cut off.
Something about this didn't feel right.
Had he said something he shouldn't have?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
In the end, he decided to call his own teacher—Professor Oak—and ask him to keep an eye on Chloe.
Just to be safe.
After all, he couldn't let anyone "pick" his little girl without him knowing.
---
The hotel room was as luxurious as ever.
Through the vast floor-to-ceiling windows, the entire city spread out below.
Gold and white tones filled the space, with elegant paintings adorning the walls—every detail exuding refined taste.
The silk sheets on the massive bed shimmered softly in the light.
Just lying on them would've been pure bliss.
But Cynthia wasn't in the mood to enjoy any of it.
Her gaze was fixed entirely on the two objects laid out before her.
Sweat glistened on her forehead—whether from fear or excitement, even she couldn't tell.
A collar and a blindfold.
That was the final "choice" Liko had given her.
To accept—or to refuse.
If she accepted, she'd have to cast aside her pride and admit, before Haru, that she was not as composed as she pretended to be.
The reward: freedom from the burden of restraint.
If she refused, she'd go on pretending—uttering empty denials while carrying that weight forever.
Or… she could admit that something inside her truly wasn't "normal,"
swear to abandon those impure thoughts,
and promise to change completely.
But that might be the hardest path of all.
As the saying goes: "You can change the world, but not your nature."
Show your true self.
Liko's final words still echoed in her ears.
As outrageous as they sounded… perhaps, from another angle, they weren't entirely wrong.
Cynthia—
She did have the power to resist.
"Actually, it wasn't just with Liko; even when facing Mew's 'salami-slicing tactic' threats, she could have reported the matter directly to Haru."
Once the Mew situation was resolved, Liko would most likely not dare to write the command on that note after learning about it.
But what did she do instead?
Even though she clearly knew Mew's demands would inevitably become more and more excessive, she never once informed Haru about it up until now...
This indicated that, deep down in her subconscious, she wasn't resisting those things at all.
She couldn't deceive her own body, nor could she deceive her true thoughts.
This was what Cynthia considered her biggest problem right now.
She didn't immediately reach out to touch those two items.
First, she cast a tentative glance toward Haru, like a lost child searching for direction.
Faced with this kind of interrogation, even someone as strong as the Sinnoh Champion, Cynthia, couldn't help but instinctively seek 'advice' from others.
Especially since Haru himself could be considered a 'party involved' in this situation.
If she could get some 'encouragement' from Haru, perhaps she would find the courage to 'resist' Liko again, or perhaps the courage to let go completely.
But all she saw was Haru's gaze, calm as still lake water.
It seemed he was indifferent to whatever choice Cynthia made.
Or perhaps, no matter what Cynthia did, Haru would support her.
In the end, the decision on how to proceed rested with her alone.
Seeing Cynthia hesitate to make a move, Liko spoke up again:
"What's wrong? Still not going to do it? Or are you going to keep clinging to that pitiful 'dignity' and deceive yourself, even after I've torn off your mask?"
Perhaps because she felt she'd been 'taken to court,' Liko's words were unusually sharp today, each one cutting deeper than the last.
"..."
The stalemate lingered for a while longer. After staring at the collar for a moment, Cynthia suddenly stood up.
Then, she actually reached out for the collar and the eye mask.
But instead of putting them on herself as Liko had anticipated, she grabbed Liko herself.
Utterly defenseless, poor Miss Liko found herself seized by the scruff of her neck in an instant.
"You... what are you doing?"
The sudden attack made Liko yelp in surprise.
The first thought that popped into her head was...
Oh no, is she angry and trying to get back at me?
Did I go too far? Maybe I shouldn't push so hard next time.
Just as she was thinking this and trying to break free, she realized Cynthia was attempting, with rather rough movements, to fasten the collar with its attached leash around her neck...
She was turning Liko's own tactics against her!
"If you like playing with this stuff so much, then let's let you have your fill right now! I'll help you."
"W-wait—hold on!"
Though she tried to protest, the struggling girl was completely subdued, the collar fastened around her neck in an extremely awkward position.
Not only that, it seemed Cynthia also intended to put the eye mask on Liko... turning her into the 'complete set.'
"And there's one thing you've got wrong."
Holding the leash, Cynthia looked down at the girl, her tone unusually firm.
"Just because I don't resist certain things doesn't mean I'm willing to accept your arrangements."
You are the challenger here, understand?"
As her words fell, Cynthia's imposing aura seemed to swiftly return.
She was once again the dominant Sinnoh Champion.
Although, this time, her dominance wasn't being channeled into something righteous like a Pokémon battle.
In Haru's eyes, Cynthia right now seemed more like a 'particular type of character' from certain media, the kind holding a whip.
Haru wasn't particularly interested in that genre of work, but he was very interested in the idea of conquering that 'particular type of character.'
Having undergone a significant change, Cynthia first shook the leash in her hand as if testing its hold, then casually handed it over to Haru beside her.
Her relaxed attitude made it seem like she was just handing him a pet leash.
"Now take it off! Aside from the stockings and the eye mask, you are not allowed to have a single piece of cloth on your body."
"You!"
Liko, who had thought she gained the upper hand, naturally refused to submit.
What a joke! According to the 'script,' the one who should be wearing the collar and 'disarming' right now was Cynthia, so how did it suddenly become her?
But physically, she was completely overpowered by Cynthia. With Haru not intervening, she had no ability to resist Cynthia at all.
The girl pushed against Cynthia a couple of times, and when she didn't budge, finally couldn't help but cry out: "W-wait... stop!"
"Big Sis Cynthia, please don't!"
"Professor Haru, save me!"
Unfortunately, Cynthia was clearly determined, paying no heed to Liko's pleas as she vigorously tore at her clothes.
First went Liko's skirt, followed by her inner layers...
But true to her word, she didn't touch Liko's stockings, only continuously using 'Disarming' moves on her other parts, forcing Liko to 'disrobe.'
Like Lillie, Liko's figure had room for development.
But aside from that, she still looked quite enticing.
At the very least, Haru, who had been watching from the sidelines all along, was already Seven Stars Entertainment.
Of course, it wasn't just because Haru had a fondness for certain smaller attributes and thus reacted strongly to Liko.
More importantly, the scene before him wasn't just Liko, but also Cynthia, whom he hadn't yet fully 'savored.'
As Cynthia was using 'Disarming' on Liko, she herself was also shedding some unnecessary 'armor' piece by piece alongside the gradual reduction of Liko's clothing.
People are always most interested in what they haven't yet obtained.
Even Haru was no exception.
And if Liko was like a green apple, then Cynthia could be considered a ripe, juicy peach.
Haru certainly didn't mind appreciating the 'contours' and sweetness of this peach.
"Yesterday you forced me to be a 'spectator,' today I'm going to teach you, you bad girl, a proper lesson!"
"Bad girls have to accept punishment."
Miss Cynthia forced Liko to stay face down, 'menacingly' rubbing her hands together.
Smack!
A crisp sound of impact immediately echoed in the room, followed by a second, then a third.
With her vision obscured by the eye mask, Liko was plunged into darkness, completely unaware of what was happening to her, only feeling a numbness on her rear.
She couldn't even be sure if the one delivering the strikes was Haru or Cynthia.
Even though Haru hadn't joined in from the start, Liko had always known that deep down, Haru also had a certain mischievous streak... maybe this time he was taking advantage of her blindfolded state to vent it on her.
But after enduring a series of slaps for a while, Liko suddenly began to feel that this kind of play wasn't entirely unacceptable...
Especially with Haru involved; it could potentially be a special form of 'entertainment.'
Of course, in reality, it was just Cynthia personally using the Normal-type move 'Double Slap.'
If possible, Cynthia wouldn't mind using a whip, but unfortunately, neither Haru nor she had prepared such a special prop... so they had to make do with hands for now.
After casually 'punishing' Liko a few times, letting the girl gradually become 'flushed,' Cynthia turned her head to look at Haru, revealing an extremely alluring smile:
"Haru, what are you still sitting over there for? Come and play."
"Do you want to play... on the automatic rocker?"
"..."
Haru remained silent, but in his heart, he already had a target in mind.
***************************
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