Let's rewind time just a little, courtesy of the great Dialga...
While the two Supremes battled until the universe was laid to waste, another major showdown was about to erupt in Ultra Megalopolis.
Poor Miss Iono had originally come with the noble mission of "rescuing" Haru. But somehow, somewhere along the way… she ended up as a stand-in. A substitute for Lana. Or rather, a substitute in that kind of situation.
"Mm-mm-mph—glrk—!"
The poor girl, rivaling even the Storm God in unluckiness, was unceremoniously dumped on the floor.
She kept making strange noises, clearly trying to communicate something to Haru.
Unfortunately… the spherical object stuffed in her mouth made speech impossible. She was left murmuring like a shy Pochi-chan, and somehow ended up making Haru look like Pochi.
Even now, Iono was still struggling to explain who she really was.
Honestly, if it were just Haru getting a little too aggressive, she might've been able to accept that.
After all, she did have a bit of a thing for him—so she wasn't going to fall apart over it.
At worst, she'd drag him back to Paldea and demand he "release his energy" exclusively on her every single day before being allowed to leave the house.
Oh, and also require prior approval every time he so much as glanced at another young woman.
That's all. Really!
Iono thought she was being pretty generous about the whole thing.
But the real problem was… if anything was going to happen, it should happen with her own face, not someone else's.
Doing it while mistaken for another woman made her feel like a cheap imitation—a substitute for Lana.
And that, Iono could never accept. She wasn't some overly forgiving Lillie.
Lillie had already demonstrated what happens when kindness goes too far, and Iono had no intention of stepping into the same trap.
Explaining this would be as easy as a Wurmple taking down a Mega Beedrill-so yeah, not happening.
"Hm? Still struggling? Too bad, it's already too late. When you did all those things, you should've known this day would come."
"I even gave you a chance to come clean, remember?"
"And didn't you seem to enjoy it last time? So why the sudden urge to run?"
Haru crossed his arms, tilting his head as he looked down at the girl now flattened on the ground like a bugged-out Wurmple.
He removed the spherical gag and leaned in close, sliding two fingers gently into Iono's mouth—as if playing tag with her tongue.
"Mmph—haah—n-no—"
With her mouth a mess, Iono couldn't form proper words. Her breathing, however, was getting noticeably heavier.
Even though Haru hadn't actually done anything, she felt like some mental fuse had just been snipped.
The strange, overwhelming sensation rising in her chest made her breath come faster and faster…
"If you won't accept the previous plan, maybe it's time I educate you a different way?"
He continued teasing her mouth as he spoke, swirling around with casual finesse.
When he finally withdrew his fingers, a thin silvery string followed, as if her lips were reluctant to let go.
Only once his hand pulled fully away did that string snap.
Iono collapsed, breathless, onto the floor—completely spent.
Her hunched-over, red-faced form looked exactly like a Long Sword Main who just whiffed her Spirit Combo.
I-it's over… I'm done for…
How did it end up like this? Why was she so weak and Haru so… experienced?
If she really lost control just from this, her career as a top streamer and Electric-type Gym Leader would be over!
Wait—this was her chance!
She had to tell Haru the truth about who she was, before he took things any further!
No matter what else he planned, he had to know she wasn't that blue-haired girl.
Struggling to her feet, she mustered the last of her strength and spoke in a shaky voice:
"W-wait… I'm not that blue-haired girl… I'm—I'm—mmph!!"
Before she could finish, Haru hit her with a combo move-this time a claw-like technique he'd picked up from an old fighting game, inspired by a feathered fighter known for his brutal grapples.
Needless to say, it was very effective.
And so lono was left speechless, slumped over like a bruised, overcooked eggplant straight out of a parody cooking show.
It was only then that Haru noticed something odd. This "Lana" was tapping out much faster than usual. Way faster than before.
But he didn't give it much thought—he just figured she'd become more sensitive after all their "battles."
As for the thing she tried to say—about not being that blue-haired girl?
Haru didn't even register it.
Come on, this was Ultra Space. Who else could possibly impersonate Lana here?
He never would've guessed that in just a few hours, he'd already gone through three different "Lanas"… each one more dramatic than the last.
But it wasn't really his fault. He was just an ordinary guy.
The one who could tell the difference—Mew—was currently scribbling down furious notes, dreaming of becoming the first-ever Pokédex creator in Ultra Space history.
And hey, even if things went sideways, it could always step in when needed.
Besides, Mew had already figured it out: neither Lana nor the Big Nezzy were likely to harm Haru. If anything, they'd probably help if he got into real danger.
"Aiya, you're hopeless," Haru muttered. "Is that really all it takes to break you?"
"Still, it's not quite entertaining enough like this. Needs a little something extra."
After a bit of thinking, he clapped his fist into his palm, making up his mind.
"Right! Let's give you a little makeover first. That'll make this much more fun!"
With that, Haru pulled out a strange outfit from who-knows-where and began dressing up Iono.
It wasn't anything too indecent—just your standard-issue bunny girl costume. Totally normal stuff.
And of course, he didn't forget to add the signature bunny ears to complete the look.
Thus, Miss Iono—now minus her trademark Magnemite accessories—was reborn with a new skin:
Iono (Buneary Form)
"Hey little bunny, want a carrot?"
Haru pulled out a giant Onix and waved it teasingly in front of her eyes, like a cat toy.