Chapter 79: Mew, Utterly Defeated

"With Double-Edge Payback, catnip, and maxed-out attack speed gear—are you really ready for this?"

"This is a trial. A grueling, merciless trial. And frankly, I don't think you'll survive it."

Haru stood there with his violin in hand, facing Mew, his expression deadly serious.

Only... Mew wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but something about Haru's face looked off. Eerily so.

Almost like he was plotting something very... sinister? But what on earth could it be?

"What... what's he planning?"

For some reason, the pink-haired girl was starting to panic.

Sure, she was a certified theory master. Among Pokémon, there was hardly anyone who could rival her intellect in this field.

Even compared to most humans, she'd win hands-down.

But her Pokémon Trainer? He always found new ways to catch her off guard. And worse yet, those schemes never repeated.

Mew was seriously beginning to worry about the kind of content Haru consumed on a daily basis.

At this point, you couldn't even blame it on playing too much Uma Musume. Even that game didn't go this far off the rails.

And that violin… Mew had never, in all her lives, seen someone ride a horse while playing an violin.

Was he going to ride while playing "a tune to break hearts, seeking a soulmate"? What next—put on sunglasses and place a tip bowl in front of himself?

No, no—surely it couldn't get that absurd.

So what the heck was Haru planning with that violin?

The more she couldn't read his intent, the more uneasy Mew felt.

Her gut told her: Haru was serious. He'd really prepared a one-hit-KO final move for her.

"You want answers? Then let my actions do the talking, Mew."

"Mew, behold—the true power of William Tell Overture!"

The horse race had officially begun.

Or more accurately... the grand parade of a military band?

With all sorts of nonsense running through his head, the young dragon-blooded knight Haru mounted his steed and began his final ride with his beloved cat.

The research lab was spacious enough. Maybe a proper horse race was a stretch, but for Haru's warped high school-themed racing version? Totally doable.

"Wh-What the..."

Under the influence of the catnip, the pink-furred Pokémon was now practically shifting from Psychic-type to Ice-type.

She couldn't smell the catnip anymore—but her instinct knew better.

If normal sensation was like an 80-power Shadow Ball, this was a 120-power Power Gem straight to the face.

And not even an area attack—this one was single-targeted and hit with full damage.

With Black Steed Calyrex's special attack stat clocking in at 165, this was a type weakness Mew couldn't possibly withstand.

And now, under catnip's spell, Mew was practically the second coming of Lusamine—unable to find any chance to fight back.

But this... this was just the beginning.

Because Haru had truly decided to race—yes, he was going to play the violin version of the song "William Tell Overture."

Screeeeeech!!—

The moment Haru drew the bow, the harsh sound of the violin struck Mew's ears, sending a chill down her spine.

At the same time, the rhythm of the "William Tell Overture" beat came crashing down.

Its uplifting tempo and rapid progression spiraled higher and higher—melding into the piece known as "William Tell Overture," a tune Mew had once heard before.

Her Trainer was really performing "William Tell Overture"—while racing a horse—and tapping the beat while doing it.

Every beat, he'd tap once. Multiple beats in a row? Multiple taps. It was methodical.

Although "William Tell Overture" is an violin piece, its tempo mirrors that of an actual horse race—brisk and energetic.

Haru, naturally, kept pace perfectly. He played the piece fluidly and passionately.

This was absurd. Absolutely absurd. Mew had never imagined he'd actually pull something like this.

And what's worse? The guy actually played it well. Pitch? On point. Rhythm? Flawless.

Even she—self-declared music snob—couldn't pick out a single flaw.

If Meloetta had shown up right then for a live vocal performance, and Cricket Star had come in with violin backup, the concert would've been complete.

At some point, Haru was fully immersed in his performance—the violin melody flowing beautifully through the lab.

But Mew? Mew was struggling.

In just that short time, she'd already lost two accounts and two virtual weapons to Haru's "account destruction" punishment system.

Her heart ached. That gear—those accounts—they were her precious babies, kora!

Seeing Haru still caught up in his "performance," Mew finally spoke up again:

"Master, c-can we call a truce? I really won't do it again, I promise—meow..."

"To say such a thing at this stage—are you joking?"

Having finished half a lap, Haru gave her a glance… and then launched into the legendary meme track, "Catch Shrimp."

Horse racing followed by shrimp catching. Perfectly logical progression.

Not only that—he pointed at Mew and commanded:

"You. Sing along."

"D-Damn it, Master! You've left me no choice! I'll use my trump card—nyaa!"

Knowing she couldn't keep dragging this out, Mew finally unleashed her ultimate technique: Transform.

She would borrow the power of others to counter Haru.

This was her ace in the hole—her final shot at turning the tide.

So...

"KIIIISHU—grant me your strength!!"

Shouting the name of the legendary little Magnemite, the pink-haired girl morphed into the form of none other than... Iono, the Electric-type Gym Leader.

From the iconic shark teeth to the twin Magnemites hovering over her head—flawless mimicry.

She wouldn't lose. No way! Because she wasn't fighting alone anymore.

With Iono by her side (kind of), victory was surely within reach!

Meanwhile, Iono herself was still up on the roof, furiously pounding on the thick glass barrier—looking like a side character who just lost her turn in a gacha pull.

Truly, what an absurd creature this Mew had turned out to be.

"Ma-ku-a-gra...%@#?!"

"NO transforming! Don't you dare take my form!!"

She already hated stand-ins—and now she was being turned into one herself!?

This Mew had officially crossed the line. She had to be stopped—hard.

But unfortunately, maybe the glass was just too thick, or maybe the chaos below was just too intense...

No matter how hard she pounded, the duo below didn't notice her presence at all.

Or maybe... they did notice her—but were politely pretending Iono was just part of the background marching band.

Just as Iono was about to release her Pokémon and smash her way in, she suddenly noticed two fast-approaching figures in the distance...

"Lillie... and—Mew!?"

"How the heck are they down there!?"

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