"ROAR!!"
The terrifying bellow shook the sea, sending waves rippling across the surface. Even the smaller Water-type Pokémon nearby panicked and scattered in all directions, the once-serene ocean erupting into chaos.
Only a few bold Pokémon like Basculin dared to swim toward the source of the sound, seemingly eager to challenge whatever creature had made it.
It wasn't just the Pokémon that noticed. Haru, who had been about to leave, paused and turned his head in the direction of the roar.
He couldn't see the creature yet—but the fury carried in that sound was palpable, like a living force pressing against his skin.
That kind of rage… it was like spending an hour trapping your opponent's King in a perfect checkmate—only for them to pull out an Exodia card and flip the table.
Haru glanced down at the unconscious Nessa in his arms. Did saving her somehow anger a wild Pokémon? Or was this just a coincidence?
Still, it was hard to imagine any Pokémon being so furious just because someone had rescued a drowning human.
Frowning, Haru stroked his chin. After a moment's thought, he decided not to linger. He urged Lugia to turn back toward the shore.
He didn't yet know what condition Nessa was in. If she was in danger, staying here could make things worse.
Curiosity burned inside him, but keeping her alive came first.
Unfortunately for Haru, even if he was ready to let things go—the Pokémon that had roared clearly wasn't.
The moment he hoisted the dripping Nessa onto Lugia's back, the ocean beneath them heaved. A colossal shape rose from the waves like an island coming to life.
At first glance, it looked like a massive, sky-blue cloud reflecting sunlight, its smooth surface gleaming with a pearly sheen. The intricate patterns on its skin shimmered like foam on a cresting wave.
When the Pokémon opened its mouth to cry out again, Haru caught a glimpse of its pale pink maw and rows of gleaming white teeth. The blast of mist that followed scattered into a rainbow under the sunlight—like it carried its own built-in weather system.
And then, without warning, the enormous Pokémon attacked. It unleashed Water Spout, the ocean surging upward in a massive geyser.
The move's power scaled with its stamina—and this thing clearly had plenty to spare. Water Spout could outmatch even Kyogre's Origin Pulse, or a perfectly aimed Hydro Pump (assuming it didn't miss three times in a row).
Even if its raw attack power wasn't overwhelming, the output was monstrous.
A Charizard without Water Absorb would've been toast.
Even trainers like Lusamine or Lillie—if caught in that blast—would have been completely wiped out.
But the creature it was facing wasn't some fragile Charizard.
It was a man who carried both Mythical and Legendary Pokémon by his side.
If it came down to it, Haru could even call on his Water Absorb–gifted Ogerpon for support.
For a Water-type opponent, Ogerpon was practically the ocean's own child.
So before that devastating geyser could hit, an invisible psychic barrier flared into existence, dispersing the attack midair.
That was Necrozma's doing. The eager Legendary had stepped in to shield its trainer.
Lugia, however, wasn't so lucky. The blast soaked her completely, plastering down her crest feathers into awkward spikes. She looked—well—less like the Guardian of the Seas and more like a drenched seagull.
Still, the attack hadn't really hurt her.
After all, this wasn't a game.
Lugia lived in the depths, ruled the ocean currents, and commanded the storms themselves. Having high Water-type resistance was only natural for her—even if the Pokédex never bothered to list it.
"Hmm," Haru murmured. "Looks like it and Nessa have some kind of history."
"Could she have drowned because of it?"
Sitting atop the white guardian's back, Haru studied the massive creature below. If he remembered correctly, that was a Wailord—the largest Pokémon ever recorded, the so-called 'Lord of the Sea.'
Of course, technically speaking, Eternatus dwarfed it by a mile.
In its Eternamax form, Eternatus' height was listed as a full 100 meters, and its weight? Just three question marks.
The Pokédex practically admitted defeat.
That was the true "largest, heaviest, tallest, strongest" Pokémon ever—its 1125 base stat total making it a walking apocalypse.
Too bad it wasn't playable.
As for "Lord of the Sea"? Both Kyogre and Lugia would probably take offense to that title.
If Wailord wanted the throne, it would have to beat Kyogre first.
But Haru wasn't interested in who was the ocean's true ruler.
After the Water Spout attack, he had planned to let Necrozma respond in kind—just to test its strength.
What he didn't expect was for Lugia to move first.
Having been ambushed out of nowhere, the white guardian let out a piercing cry and unleashed her signature move—Aeroblast.
Yes, Lugia was furious. Again.
Today just wasn't her day.
First, some human had stolen her child, then another had humiliated her, and now—now this overgrown balloon fish thought it could blast her trainer right in front of her?
Enough was enough.
The sea churned violently as twin waterspouts formed, roaring toward the Wailord with unstoppable force.
The massive Pokémon hesitated for a moment, recognizing Lugia's power—but its own rage drowned out reason. It roared and countered with another Water Spout.
Unfortunately for it, size didn't mean strength.
When the two attacks collided, Lugia's cyclone swallowed the geyser whole, then hurled the water back at its source.
She literally used Wailord's own attack against it.
"Wait, Lugia! Calm down!" Haru shouted.
But Lugia didn't listen. The winds howled louder, lightning crackling through the storm.
She combined wind and thunder into one devastating strike—Thunder Cyclone Slash!
The blast slammed into Wailord, flipping its enormous body over with a deafening crash.
The difference between a Legendary and a regular Pokémon was like heaven and earth.
Thankfully, Haru managed to stop the furious guardian before she could finish the job.
"Easy now," he said, patting her soaked feathers. "You still need to save your kid, remember?"
Lugia huffed, still bristling with frustration, but began to steady her flight.
---
Cold. Shaking.
Nessa felt like she'd been trapped in a long, long dream.
In it, her body had been sealed inside a glass tank, sinking deeper and deeper until she hit the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
That suffocating pressure and despair still lingered in her chest even now.
It had only been a dream… but it felt real. Too real.
How could that be? Water was supposed to be her ally—her element. She was a Water-type Gym Leader, after all.
Her fingers twitched, and slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
A strange ceiling.
Where on earth was she?
Then, the memories came rushing back—the swimsuit strap snapping, the wild tug on her fishing rod, the sting of saltwater rushing into her nose—
She sat bolt upright, checking herself over. Fortunately, aside from her damp, clinging clothes, she seemed unharmed.
"I was fishing… and then… my new swimsuit malfunctioned?"
"So someone must've rescued me?"
After confirming she wasn't hurt, Nessa let out a relieved sigh. Sure, she'd lost a giant catch—but at least she was alive.
"Oh, you're awake?"
The unfamiliar voice came from nearby.
Startled, Nessa whipped her head toward the source of the sound.
At the doorway, she could clearly see the visitor — a young man.
He wore a slightly flashy trench coat, and draped around his neck was a pink catlike Pokémon whose long tail curled loosely under his chin.
Even though Nessa had never met him in person, she recognized him instantly.
Yes — that had to be Haru, and the pink feline was unmistakably Mew.
Nessa had never seen his battle against Blue firsthand, so she didn't know much about him personally. But lately, Leon had been mentioning his name a lot — so often that Nessa had gotten curious and looked him up.
She'd read the highlights: his impossible win streaks, the Legends under his command, and the trail of chaos he somehow left behind wherever he went.
She had even imagined facing him someday in an official tournament match — never imagining that her first real encounter with him would involve waking up in his bed.
"Where… am I?" she asked quietly, her tone halfway between dazed and mortified.
"The city of Alto Mare," Haru replied casually.
"I drifted that far?"
The answer left Nessa staring in disbelief.
Her accident had happened in Galar. How on earth had she ended up in a city on the Kanto coast?
That distance was impossible for any ordinary current to carry her. And even more unbelievable — that she'd survived the journey at all.
Did a kindhearted Pokémon… carry her here?
Her thoughts spun in disbelief. The seas of the Pokémon world could be surprisingly gentle sometimes.
It wasn't unheard of for Lapras or Dragonite — the ocean's guardian angels — to rescue lost travelers. If she really had been saved by one of them, that would at least explain the distance.
But Haru shook his head.
"No," he said, "finding you was pure coincidence."
"When I pulled you out of the water, there was a—"
"Wailord?! It's still around?" she blurted, eyes widening.
"You know that Wailord?" Haru asked.
Nessa hesitated, her expression tightening. "...No. Nothing."
"I see." Haru studied her a moment, then nodded slightly and changed the subject.
"Anyway… you might want to take a shower and get changed. No offense, but your current situation's… a little awkward."
"...Huh?"
Nessa looked down — and froze completely.
Her outfit wasn't exactly scandalous under normal circumstances… but now that it was drenched through, it left little to the imagination. The fabric clung to her skin, turning half-transparent in the light.
Haru could clearly see more than either of them would've preferred — and Mew, the little pink imp, was tilting its head curiously, its eyes glinting with mischief.
Flushing crimson, Nessa folded her arms tightly across her chest. "C-could you maybe have someone bring me some clothes to change into?"
Her voice trembled between embarrassment and irritation. She might've been tempted to challenge her so-called "rescuer" to a battle right then and there — but even she wasn't that reckless.
"Of course," Haru said at once. "Actually, we've already taken care of it. You'll find a few outfits in the bathroom to your left."
He paused, rubbing the back of his neck a bit sheepishly.
"Though, fair warning — they might look a little weird. I don't exactly have many women around to help shop for clothes, so… try not to judge too hard."
This from the man surrounded by at least three female companions at nearly all times.
Nessa gave him a flat look, halfway between disbelief and exasperation.
Mew, still lounging on Haru's shoulders, gave a soft giggle — the sound sparkling like a chime.
The air in the room hung awkwardly between gratitude and secondhand embarrassment.
***************************
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