The scene shifts back to the depths of Area Zero. At the forefront of the expedition team led by the Aether Foundation, one of the members steps forward, glaring at the man in front of him—who, to his eyes, was nothing more than a charlatan pretending to be mysterious.
"Whether we should be here isn't up to you to decide, freak—whatever you are, human or Pokémon."
The speaker was a man clad in a white lab coat, and his hairline looked even more precarious than Iono's.
Though dressed like a professor, there was something about him that oozed sleaziness—he gave off the same uncomfortable vibe as a Hypno you'd see featured on those kinds of sketchy websites.
Behind him, the others fell into formation as if guarding their commander.
Some of them weren't exactly thrilled to follow his lead, but at this point, they didn't have a choice.
It was time—to fight for the Aether Foundation!
Haru immediately recognized who was leading this bunch and quickly figured out where they were from.
Yes, that man was Faba—the Branch Chief of the Aether Foundation.
At the top of the foundation stood Lusamine, the President. Just below her were two Branch Chiefs.
One was Wicke—a bespectacled lady with a very generous heart. The other... was Faba.
Even Haru hadn't expected his little operation to reel in a fish this big.
Weren't these people supposed to be busy researching Ultra Beasts? What were they doing all the way in Area Zero? Alola's not exactly just around the corner.
Standing atop a massive boulder, Haru looked down at the group of trainers below, thoughts churning in his head.
"Leave this place," he said calmly, "and turn yourselves in to Officer Jenny."
His tone was level, but carried an inexplicable force—like a Loudred evolving into a Raging Loudspeaker, blasting authority.
Sure, they were all technically trespassing—but Haru still spoke like he had the moral high ground.
And in his mind, he absolutely did. Faba wasn't someone you could ever call a good person.
Unlike Lusamine, who at least claimed to love Pokémon, Faba's every action had always been about one thing—power.
And to achieve it, there was nothing he wouldn't do.
Years ago, in pursuit of his own twisted research, he forcibly opened an Ultra Wormhole, an act that led to Lusamine's daughter, Lillie, being attacked by the Ultra Beast Nihilego.
Faba had been there. He'd seen it happen. And he hadn't lifted a finger to help. Lillie had nearly died.
Though she survived thanks to the artificial Pokémon Type: Null, the incident left her with a deep-rooted fear of Pokémon—so intense she couldn't even touch them anymore.
That trauma also strained her relationship with Lusamine.
Faba didn't just cause the disaster—he covered it up. He exploited Lillie's amnesia, pretending it never happened. He felt no guilt. And when Lillie began to regain her memories, his first instinct was to destroy the evidence.
Let's not mince words—he was a scumbag.
So here's the question: would someone like that back off just because Haru told him to?
Of course not.
True to form, after hearing Haru's ultimatum, Faba just sneered.
"Hah! At this point? You must be dreaming."
"We're not going anywhere until our research on the local Pokémon is complete—and until we've captured enough samples."
"You think a brat like you can stop us?"
He actually looked a little disappointed.
Their research in Paldea hadn't exactly gone smoothly. First, they'd ticked off the local Pokémon, and now this weird guy had shown up out of nowhere to block their path.
But whatever. If they beat him, the project could proceed.
In fact, Faba was quite eager to capture the boy—just to see if he really was a Pokémon.
If he was, Lusamine would definitely be interested!
And before that, why not start a livestream? Let the president see just how impressive he was.
"You're fools," Haru said. "This place isn't for your kind of research. And these Pokémon should never leave Area Zero."
"Looks like I'll have to capture you myself... and have a little chat with whoever's backing you."
As someone from another world, Haru knew all about Paradox Pokémon—their origins, and their dangers.
These Pokémon arrived via time machines.
Except for a rare few, most Paradox Pokémon were incredibly aggressive—hostile to both humans and Pokémon alike.
Even worse, they were absurdly powerful, on par with pseudo-Legendaries. If they ever broke loose into the world above, the destruction would be catastrophic.
Faba didn't know that. And even if he did, he wouldn't care what happened to the world. So Haru had only one option left—
Battle.
"Capture you?" Faba snorted. "Hypno, get him!"
"Let's show this idiot what we're made of!"
With those words, a Poké Ball flew from Faba's hand—and a bright yellow Pokémon materialized between them.
Hypno.
A Pokémon notoriously popular on... certain sites.
Humanoid in shape, with a long, creepy nose that only added to its disturbing appearance.
And in its hand? A pendulum-like object. The tool it used to cast its trademark move—Hypnosis.
Yes, Hypno's specialty was that move—the one that showed up way too often in some questionable fan comics.
Unfortunately for Faba, the opponent this time wasn't some easily corrupted knight or magical girl... but a top-tier Paradox Pokémon.
So from the moment it appeared, the outcome was already decided.
"Flutter Mane, prepare for battle."
There was no Poké Ball, and no Pokémon appeared in response to Haru's command.
Just Hypno, swinging its pendulum back and forth. No sign of a second Pokémon anywhere.
"..."
"Tch. Alright then."
Haru sighed and stepped forward himself, sensing the trembling 'soul' inside his body.
Most Paradox Pokémon were defined by their ferocity—but his Flutter Mane was painfully timid.
If there were only one or two people around, she might show herself. But the moment a crowd formed, Flutter Mane would refuse to leave Haru's body no matter what.
No matter. Haru could handle this himself. He could still use moves like normal.
And if he really were in danger, even the most terrified Flutter Mane would come to help him.
Because no matter how powerful they were, Pokémon were still innocent, lovable creatures.
...Or so Haru thought.
But Faba clearly misunderstood the situation—and grew even more arrogant.
"Oh? So you're taking the field yourself? Don't tell me—you are a Pokémon? And your name's Flutter Mane?"
"A Pokémon pretending to shout 'prepare for battle' like a Trainer... What, are you your own Trainer now? Hah! What a joke."
"Or wait—are you so scared of me, the great Faba, that you're ready to submit?"
"In that case, come along quietly. This Poké Ball's your reward. Show your gratitude."
But all Faba saw next... were Haru's cold eyes.
And—
A fist flying straight at his face?!
What the hell just happened—?!
"Sucker Punch!"