In Po Town, Alola region, an old Bug Catcher was lounging with his legs crossed, fiddling with his collection of Buginium Z.
Truth be told, he already had an entire box full of Buginium Z crystals, but he'd never once used them in battle—just like a monk who obsessively collects ceremonial robes but always wears the same threadbare one, much like the infamous Elder Jinchi.
Just as Mega Evolution was to Kalos, Dynamax to Galar, and Tera Forms to Paldea, Alola had its own unique way of enhancing Pokémon:
Z-Moves.
Using Z-Crystals and a Z-Ring, Trainers could empower their Pokémon to unleash a single, often battle-deciding, devastating move.
Pikachu's 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt and the ever-memed Twinkle Tackle were prime examples of iconic Z-Moves.
It was no exaggeration to say that the proper use of a Z-Move could determine the entire outcome of a match.
Yet Guzma, Emperor of Destruction himself, utterly rejected Z-Moves. Even though he'd amassed a trove of Buginium Z, he stubbornly refused to use them.
The reason? Simple. On one hand, Guzma believed he could become a true powerhouse even without Z-Moves.
On the other hand... Z-Moves required performing an elaborate, cringe-inducing Z-Dance, which Guzma found painfully uncool—an image disaster for someone who prided himself as the final boss of Team Skull.
Honestly... Dynamax looked a lot cooler.
Lately, Guzma had been enjoying quite a bit of downtime.
He'd originally thought Lusamine was finally about to kick off some major operation, and that he and Team Skull—the so-called "Aether root squad"—would be brought in to play an important role.
But after that mission to capture the mysterious man had been abruptly canceled, Guzma hadn't received a single new task from Lusamine.
She's biding her time! he told himself. Miss Lusamine is definitely holding back! All this patience is for a grander scheme yet to come.
Of course, even he had no idea what this so-called grand plan was. But wasn't that proof of Lusamine's brilliance? The fact that no one else could see through her plans—that was her genius.
Otherwise... what would Lusamine be doing all this time? Chasing after men?
What a joke!
Still, as he let his mind wander, Guzma grew increasingly restless, desperate for some entertainment.
Lately—he wasn't sure why—he'd been feeling inexplicably frustrated, and even his usual urge to go out and stir up chaos had waned.
Destruction, destruction... how should I go about wrecking things next?!
Just then, his phone rang.
"Faba? What's this old man want with me?"
---
Inside Aether Paradise, a large-scale family drama was about to unfold.
The two starring roles: Haru and "Lillie"...
All Haru could say was—he'd underestimated Lusamine.
Her dedication to the bit... was absolutely terrifying!
No exaggeration-her acting skills could give Hollywood's finest a run for their money.
Haru had genuinely been fooled. He'd thought Lusamine had asked him here for something serious.
Something like needing his help to put down a rebellious "loyal subordinate."
But nope—he was wrong. Lusamine had no intention of having him do anything that serious.
Well... maybe that wasn't entirely fair.
Haru soon noticed that besides dressing exactly like Lillie, Lusamine was also holding a marker pen.
She seemed to want Haru to mark a tally on her body-one line for each Pokémon battle he completed-keeping count until her skin was covered with neat sets of five.
In a certain twisted sense—this was serious business.
With light, graceful steps, "Lillie" finally approached Haru.
"What's wrong, Mr. Haru? Why are you making that face?"
Her voice was still as soft and gentle as ever—so gentle that it seemed ready to forgive Haru for anything.
"..."
Perhaps because Haru remained silent, "Lillie" pouted, her face full of grievance.
"Did Lillie do something wrong... Mr. Haru, please forgive me. I'll do anything you ask."
Wha-wha-wha—?!
Haru was absolutely stunned. In that moment, even his scalp tingled.
Lusamine... was this terrifying of a person?!
Her method acting was flawless—this was cosplay taken to a whole new level of mastery.
If Lillie herself were a rare potion, Lusamine could drink it and instantly become it—body and soul.
If it were just about appearance, Haru wouldn't have been that surprised—the two of them looked fairly alike to begin with, and with a bit of disguise it wasn't hard to achieve a perfect visual match.
But the problem was—Lusamine had perfectly mimicked Lillie's vulnerable aura, her speech patterns, even her tone of voice—everything was identical.
This wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
If Haru didn't already know this was Lusamine in disguise, he might have mistaken her for Lillie herself.
"Why that expression?"
"Lillie" spoke again, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she glanced back longingly at him.
"If Lillie has done anything wrong... then please, Mr. Haru, 'punish' me yourself."
"As long as Mr. Haru doesn't hate this version of Lillie, I'll do anything you want."
With that, she leaned over the sofa, presenting her white-dress-clad figure toward Haru—her intentions painfully obvious.
Truth be told, Lusamine had originally resolved to cut off all ties with Haru.
She felt she couldn't betray Lillie any further. She'd wronged her daughter enough already, and this had to stop.
But then again—there's always a "but."
Lusamine realized she simply didn't have the willpower.
Though her mind told her to end things, the moment Haru and Lillie arrived at Aether Paradise, she couldn't resist luring Haru away—even going so far as to dress as Lillie to indulge her desires further.
I am guilty, but I truly can't help myself.
Please forgive me, Lillie.
"..."
Isn't this... a little too shameless?
Still standing there in a daze, Haru glanced at the marker pen... then at Lusamine, still sprawled enticingly on the sofa.
The real Lillie's still outside waiting for us...
And besides—how exactly was he supposed to handle this twisted relationship now?
Haru had never imagined that after his "debut," the first real challenge he'd face would be something this ridiculous.
Technically speaking, he and Lillie weren't involved, so he wasn't exactly betraying her—but it still felt... incredibly awkward.
"Am I not attractive enough for you? Or... do you only want Lusamine herself?"
Under Lusamine's renewed coaxing, the Great Cannon Warlord finally decided to get this over with quickly.
Since I'm already here... might as well.
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