On the other side, just as Guzma thought Lusamine was still on her way, the head of the Aether Foundation was already lurking nearby, hidden in the shadows not far from him and Haru.
Since Haru hadn't made any attempt to conceal his movements, it wasn't hard for Lusamine to track him down.
In fact, she had arrived even earlier than Guzma—before Lillie had even woken up, she was already hiding in this very spot.
But for reasons unknown, she hadn't sent anyone to support Guzma, nor had she shown herself.
She merely observed, lurking on the sidelines, peeking and thinking.
Thinking about an answer that had haunted her for some time.
What... did she really want to do? Capture that mysterious man? But what then?
Not long after Haru left, her mind had slowly begun to "clear."
With Guzma buying time up front, she finally had the space to reflect on the choices she'd made.
As much as she hated to admit it, at the moment when she had been bound and whipped by that man, she had felt a kind of incomparable, euphoric pleasure.
A pleasure so potent it had made her forget everything in an instant—her missing husband, her "treacherous" children, even her so-called "love" for Pokémon.
If her senses could speak, they'd probably blurt out something like, "Your whip... it brings me such delight!"
That pleasure had almost made her lose herself, pushing her toward reckless, irrational actions.
But... so what?
Perhaps those subconscious urges were in fact the truest expressions of her desires—the things she really wanted.
And if that was the case, then she had to have them.
Lusamine was not a rational person. Her obsessive nature had twisted her concept of "love" beyond recognition.
She was so consumed by her fascination with Ultra Beasts that she could ignore, even harm, her own children.
She loved Pokémon so much, she had turned the ones she cherished most into preserved specimens to keep forever.
She was pure in her obsession—but a kind of purity that was terrifying.
Even if there was still a mother's love buried deep within her, Lusamine was, at her core, an extremist.
Pulling herself back from her swirling thoughts, Lusamine dabbed at her flushed cheeks with a wet wipe and made a silent decision in her heart.
It was decided. If she could capture that man, then that euphoric feeling... must be savored again.
At least in that final moment—whatever that meant—she could forget all her pain. That was all she wanted right now. Nothing else mattered.
She'd lock him in her private chamber. Reinforce the room with extra security systems and locks—make absolutely sure he couldn't escape.
As for what came after...
Her gaze flicked to her daughter and the man who had become her new obsession. Then she finally spoke into the communicator:
"Move in. Capture the target. At all costs."
As she issued her final order, something seemed to melt in her eyes, turning them hazy and unfocused, like they were veiled in mist.
Her legs even began to tremble, as if in anticipation.
The Aether Foundation agents concealed nearby had no idea what was going through their president's mind. They couldn't begin to guess what Lusamine might do after capturing Haru. They just followed orders on autopilot:
"Yes, President!"
If nothing unexpected happened, the story should've gone like this: Haru, alone, would battle the entire Aether Foundation, either defeating them all or getting overwhelmed and captured after a valiant stand.
But... things went far beyond Lusamine's expectations.
Because right at that moment—something unexpected did happen.
In Alola, there was a rare phenomenon known as an Ultra Wormhole.
Its cause was unknown. Maybe it was some kind of shockwave caused when the god of light was selling fishing hooks. In appearance, it looked like the sky itself had been violently torn open—a massive circular void rimmed with radiant, flickering lights.
By passing through this wormhole, humans could enter the Ultra Space—the realm of Ultra Beasts—and capture these entities, whose power rivaled that of Legendary Pokémon.
But the opposite was also true.
The Pokémon could use the Ultra Wormhole to enter the human world—and do whatever they wanted.
Lusamine needed Cosmog precisely because its power could safely open Ultra Wormholes, allowing her to contact the Ultra Beasts she so desperately adored. That's why she had clashed with Lillie in the first place.
After all, the odds of an Ultra Wormhole naturally appearing were extremely low. Having one pop up right in front of her today was... insanely lucky.
But for Lusamine in this moment—was this really "good luck"?
Staring at the wormhole just a few feet away, Lusamine actually took two steps back, as if fearing something.
Unfortunately, while she didn't want contact with the Ultra Wormhole—something in it wanted contact with her.
The moment the wormhole appeared, a long, thick white tentacle shot out from within.
It moved with terrifying speed and immediately wrapped itself around Lusamine's leg.
Then, floating effortlessly from the wormhole, came a Pokémon.
It was jellyfish-like in form, but eerily resembled a girl wearing a large hat. Its umbrella-like body was translucent as crystal, glowing with a soft white shimmer—like the gentlest stars in the sea.
Graceful. Ethereal. That was the first impression Nihilego—the Parasite Pokémon—gave off.
But to Lusamine, all she felt was numbness and cold. As if something inside her was being drained away.
Something was wrong. This wasn't part of the plan.
Her thoughts began to blur.
She had always wanted close, real contact with the Ultra Beasts—to make them part of her permanent collection. But now, an unfamiliar regret began to rise in her heart.
Thankfully, the people around her also noticed something was off. Haru, who had been about to face Guzma, stopped in his tracks.
"Mom!"
Lillie's voice trembled as she saw the Nihilego—and the deepest fear buried within her heart was forcibly awakened.
She didn't know why she was so afraid of this seemingly elegant Pokémon, but her body was already shaking uncontrollably.
Yes. The one that had attacked her all those years ago... had been this very Pokémon.
Nihilego were highly aggressive toward humans. They understood people by parasitizing them—merging with their prey until they became indistinguishable from one another. Just like what it was doing now.
Seeing Lusamine caught, Haru didn't hesitate. He immediately summoned his strongest Pokémon.
"Mew! Use Teleport!"
Guzma could wait—Lusamine couldn't. Haru knew which battle took priority.
And this time, he wasn't helping for free. Haru made a mental note to collect a "symbolic" payment from Lusamine later. Otherwise, wouldn't that make him seem a little too generous?
"Mew~!"
Mew remembered Lusamine—the "lab rat." So she didn't slack off.
Guzma had initially tried to block Haru, thinking he was trying to escape—but the moment he realized what Haru was doing, he backed off.
He wanted to help too, but none of his Pokémon were fast enough. All he could do was watch Haru act.
Nihilego noticed it had become the center of attention and immediately tried to drag its "prey" into the wormhole with it.
But Mew was faster. In the very next instant, she appeared right in front of it. And then...
Cat Punch!
Nihilego didn't dare clash directly with a Mythical Pokémon. It still wanted to take Lusamine, but in the end, it let go and slipped back into the Ultra Wormhole alone. The portal then shrank and vanished, leaving Lusamine, Lillie, and Haru standing in awkward silence.
"Why are you here?"
"Mom, are you okay? And… why is your skirt all wet?"