Pallet Town… a place everyone knows.
Just like when Haru visited, Professor Oak's room was still a mess.
Books, documents, and all sorts of experimental equipment were scattered everywhere—on the table, across the floor, even dangling from the walls.
In the corner sat a small bed with sheets in complete disarray, clearly untouched for ages. On the desk in the center of the room, a computer hummed loudly, its screen scrolling with endless streams of data.
But this time, it wasn't Haru visiting Professor Oak.
It was a boy destined to remain forever ten years old, yet somehow destined to carry twenty years' worth of a trainer's experience.
Oak clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder and said earnestly:
"From today onward, you'll be a Pokémon Trainer. From now on, you must give it your all."
"Awesome, Pikachu! I'll become the greatest Pokémon Master ever!"
The boy in the baseball cap scooped up his electric mouse and spun around excitedly.
And, inevitably… he was fried into a "human lightning rod."
Clearly, his Pokémon wasn't quite used to such close contact yet.
Yes, this boy was Oak's neighbor—the one everyone knew as Ash.
Although he declared with confidence that he would be a Pokémon Master, in Oak's eyes, Ash was still far too immature.
Which was why, before Ash officially set out on his journey, Oak decided he needed to issue a few warnings.
"I know you're eager, but don't rush things."
"Remember, being a Pokémon Trainer isn't simple—especially for those of us who travel."
"Dangerous Pokémon and criminal organizations can be a huge threat to rookies like you."
"Especially Team Rocket. They're extremely dangerous."
Oak paused, then raised a finger. "And one more thing."
"Don't go around challenging trainers who are far too powerful for you. All you'll gain is frustration—it won't mean anything else."
"When the strength gap between two Pokémon is so big that one side can end the fight with a single Tackle, then things like 'battle experience' stop mattering entirely."
"Huh? Oh, got it! I understand."
Recovering from "lightning rod mode" at record speed, the ultra-fresh rookie scratched his head, then suddenly nodded like he'd just remembered something important.
Looking at Ash's brimming confidence, Oak still wasn't reassured. "Alright then—so tell me, what's your very first goal?"
"Of course it's to beat that guy Haru who's been blowing up online lately! Just watch me, I'll defeat him with everything I've got!"
"Uh, but where do I even find him? Haven't seen him post in days…"
"..."
Oak felt his temples throb.
Good grief, this kid's head is hard as a rock. I told him to start out slow and train after leaving the beginner village, and what does he do? Goes straight for a 1v1 against that guy?
Still… maybe this wasn't entirely bad. At least it might toughen Ash up a little.
Haru should know his limits… right?
"Actually, I've already sent him an invitation to Altomare, the Water Capital."
"They say the guardian deities of that place are the Legendary Pokémon Latios and Latias."
"And I might personally go there as well."
At that, even Oak couldn't help but feel a twinge of anticipation.
He'd been itching for ages to study Haru's connection with Mewtwo. This Water Capital trip might just be the perfect chance.
Especially if Haru and Mewtwo's relationship had… progressed somehow.
No way… they wouldn't have gone from a father-daughter vibe into something even stranger, right? No, even Haru wouldn't go that far… would he?
"Professor Oak? What are you thinking? Why's your expression so weird?"
"Ah—nothing. In any case, if you want to go to the Water Capital too, you don't have much time."
---
Meanwhile… Somewhere in Galar.
In the shadows of a forest, Haru stood calmly, facing down two great hounds.
These two were no ordinary Pokémon. In myth, they corresponded to the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, and King Arthur's shield.
Lore-wise, they might not quite rival Dialga and Palkia, but with multiple victories against Eternatus under their belt, they surely weren't weaker than Solgaleo and Lunala.
And in terms of raw gameplay strength… they were absurd—especially Zacian.
That's right, Zacian: base stat total 720, physical attack at 170, "throwaway" Special Attack at just 80, Steel/Fairy typing, and its monstrous STAB move Behemoth Blade. Add in the ability Intrepid Sword that auto-boosts Attack on entry and—aaaaargh!
If there's one Legendary from Gen VIII deserving the title of "most broken, most used," it could only be Zacian.
Even Calyrex, rampant in Scarlet and Violet, couldn't compare to Sword and Shield's Zacian.
Outside of being locked into held items and having a somewhat shallow movepool, this Pokémon basically had no flaws.
And those so-called flaws were trivial compared to its strengths.
It was… just too perfect.
Sure, Mega Mewtwo X had a base 190 Attack compared to Zacian's 170. But with Intrepid Sword, Zacian didn't just make up the difference—it blew right past it.
That simple ability: on entry, Zacian's Attack rises one stage. In other words, a 1.5× multiplier.
Brutally straightforward, yet devastatingly effective. Way better than certain "carry Kyogre with your teeth" gimmick abilities.
Take 170 Attack and multiply by 1.5, and you get an effective 255 Attack—well beyond Mega Mewtwo Y's paper-thin offense.
And despite its shallow movepool, Zacian still had at least three high-power moves that covered most typings.
Its only real downside? Play Rough's shaky 90% accuracy occasionally whiffing and giving players aneurysms.
Meanwhile… Mega Mewtwo X?
Granted, Zacian in Gen VIII thrived under Dynamax restrictions, while in Gen IX it got nerfed so hard it was left bleeding out.
"One Intrepid Sword boost per battle"? What is this, GF borrowing balance patches from CocaCola-chan? RIP forever.
On the other hand, Zamazenta's buffed Body Press made it skyrocket into competitive relevance.
But in the real world? Balance patches didn't exist.
In reality, Zacian was terrifyingly strong—and Zamazenta was no mere "tutorial guide dog" either. Its true strength far exceeded its in-game performance.
So the question was… could Haru win?
He stared down the two wolves, silently asking himself.
The safest move would be to send Hop and Gloria away, facing the wolves alone. But this forest was far too dangerous. Sending them off might only put them in more danger.
That left only one answer.
Fight.
There was no way his journey would end here. It was just two dogs.
Besides, he wasn't even sure Zacian and Zamazenta intended to attack.
By lore, neither were evil—just a little… tsundere.
And curiously, Zacian gave off a distinctly feminine presence.
Fitting, for a "sword-maiden."
They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Haru finally released his Pokémon.
"Ogerpon, Flutter Mane—let's go!"
Everyone knew Ogerpon was nicknamed "Budget Zacian." With Terastallization stacking, its firepower could rival Zacian's.
Sure, reality wasn't a carbon copy of game stats, but Haru was curious to see how they'd clash.
Especially with Fire typing naturally resisting Steel.
As for Flutter Mane—no need to explain. A veteran powerhouse. Even if it couldn't defeat one of the wolves, it could stall them long enough.
Besides, these two weren't in their crowned forms yet. Without the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield, Zacian and Zamazenta were a tier weaker.
Victory was possible.
Behind him, Hop finally snapped out of his shock.
"You… you're Haru?! Why are you here?"
Having once witnessed Haru battle Blue, he recognized him immediately.
But how on earth had Haru just kicked away that whole pack of Houndour? Was he even human? Were all those online rumors true?
"Haru?" Gloria echoed, still dazed.
She'd heard the name, knew he was a powerful trainer. But why was he suddenly here, when just days ago he'd been in Kanto?
Regardless, he had saved them. Without him, things would have ended badly.
Gratitude welled up in her chest.
"There's no time to explain. Find cover, quickly—don't get caught in the crossfire."
Haru never took his eyes off the wolves.
By game logic, they wouldn't attack just yet—but he couldn't afford to gamble with his life.
And his fears proved right.
Seconds later, Zacian lunged with Iron Head.
Yes, that Iron Head—the one with 100% usage rate.
But Zacian had held back, merely testing him, and Ogerpon's thorny vine bat blocked it with ease—even without Terastallization.
Then the wolves stopped, gave Haru and Mewtwo a glance, and slowly turned away, leaving without pressing the fight.
Clearly, they hadn't intended to clash seriously.
Hop exhaled in relief. "Phew—I thought I was done for."
Gloria said nothing, but her expression mirrored his relief.
Haru shook his head.
"That's why you don't wander into dangerous places without ensuring your safety, idiots."
As he spoke, he gave Gloria a quick look.
She was cuter than her game counterpart, he had to admit—and her outfit wasn't nearly as dorky as the starter gear.
Of course, her "plot armor thickness" was the same. In both game and reality, she was about as fragile as Lillie.
Noticing his gaze, Gloria smiled sweetly at him, her face glowing.
Hop, oblivious, scuffed the dirt. "But… but Wooloo's missing in this forest. We couldn't just sit back."
Just then, a familiar voice called out to him:
"No worries. I already found it."
Leon appeared, following his "compass"—his Charizard—carrying a fluffy Wooloo in his arms.
Right behind him came Cynthia, with Garchomp by her side.
Notably, the two other girls Haru had brought along didn't appear—they'd likely been left at Leon's place.
"Looked like a battle just happened here. What's going on?"
Cynthia ignored Hop and Gloria, focusing straight on Haru.
But before he could answer, Gloria spoke up:
"We ran into two mysterious Pokémon and a pack of raging Houndour. Big Brother Haru drove them away."
"...Big Brother, huh."
Cynthia's lips twitched, but she let it slide.
More than that, Haru's actions reassured her.
Despite knowing so many things he shouldn't possibly know, he always used that knowledge for good.
Without his help, Leon's brother and Gloria would have been in serious danger.
Yes… Haru was trustworthy.
Perhaps she could open up to him even more?
Cynthia thought it over.
"By the way, I just got a call from Steven."
"He says his excavation project is on pause, and he asked if you'd like to meet. See if the stones he's found correspond to Mewtwo."
"Ah, of course—no problem at all."
Though he loved to roast Mega Mewtwo daily, in truth Haru was very eager for Mewtwo's Mega Evolution.
And he was especially curious: could he and Mewtwo meet the conditions for Mega Evolution—the evolution born of trainer and Pokémon's bond?
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