The Pantheon

Mew Mew

Ashley didn’t move. Couldn’t, really. Her limbs felt like they were made of sandbags—equal parts sore and too heavy to lift. Her breath hadn’t fully returned either, still catching in shallow waves. She was gaping at the floating pink ball of chaos in front of her.

Mew.

Mew.

Freaking Mew.

And right behind her—the humanoid one. Tall, sleek, and silent. Still floating like it couldn’t be bothered with the concept of gravity. The one Ashley had seen from the deck of the S.S. Anne. The one that had cut the entire ship down the middle like it was slicing butter.

Her throat felt tight.

Lucario had stepped in front of her fast. A single sharp motion. No hesitation. Venus, for once, didn’t snarl at the gesture. She just moved to the left of him, and Mercury took the right, flanking her with stiff legs and ears tilted back.

Ashley’s voice didn’t work yet. Her mouth opened, closed again.

Lorelei stepped forward with calm, practiced confidence, Jynx hovering close by. The air in the chamber had shifted. Gone still. Cold. Like the pressure before a storm.

But Mew didn’t seem to care.

In fact, she twirled. Twirled.

Mew zipped forward in a burst of pure pink energy, loops and swirls in the air like this was some kind of celebration. She was beaming. Broadcasting—Ashley could feel the emotional wave in her bones. That odd, psychic warmth. Happy. Thankful. Proud.

“I think she’s saying thank you,” Lorelei murmured beside her.

Ashley didn’t answer. Mostly because Mew was now hovering right in front of her, upside down, tail dangling in slow lazy arcs. Big eyes blinked once. Then again. A soft trill came from her throat.

“Hi,” Ashley said, voice flat. “Thanks for almost giving me a heart attack.”

Mew chirped in response.

Ashley’s body was too exhausted to jump back, but her head reeled when Mew drifted forward—practically nose to nose with her now. Venus and Mercury both tensed. Lucario didn’t move a muscle, but his paw twitched, just once, ready for anything.

Mew tilted her head and purred in that weird psychic way. A sound that wasn’t quite sound. It echoed in Ashley’s brain like a soft hum. Ashley could feel the humanoid Pokémon still standing silently. Its arms were folded, tail lazily curling behind its back, expression unreadable. Like it was watching them. Judging. Studying.

Ashley finally broke eye contact with Mew and glanced back at Lorelei. “You’re seeing that, right?” she said low, her voice quieter now, flat with disbelief. Lorelei nodded once. Tense. Her eyes hadn’t left it either. “Great. That’s great. Because what I really wanted after nearly passing out purifying a magic tree was running into another psychic nuke.”

Mew giggled.

Freaking giggled.

Ashley squinted. “Why is she acting like she just surprised us with birthday cake?”

“She’s Mew,” Lorelei said with a shrug. Though, Ashley could tell she was this close at snapping. They had met Articuno once, and that had been more than enough for a lifetime of adventure. “I don’t think she gets tension.”

Ashley’s fingers twitched. She grabbed the edge of Venus’ fin for grounding. It was cool and damp and real. Then, under her breath, low enough that only her team and Lorelei could probably hear it, she muttered: