Ryou and Keiichiro tell Ichigo that the creature she saw was a parasitic alien, called a chimera anima. To stop them, the Mew Project infused five girls with the DNA from specific endangered species, enabling the girls to become "Mew Mews". Ichigo begins working at Cafe Mew Mew while searching for the other four girls who bear the Mew marks. Keiichiro gives her a robot, Masha, to help with her work. While going home, Ichigo meets Minto Aizawa and her dog. Later, Ichigo visits Minto's home to return a handkerchief, but Minto's dog becomes infected by a chimera anima. During the battle, Ichigo discovers that Minto is the second Mew Mew, Mew Mint. They defeat the monster, returning the dog to normal. Minto joins Ichigo in working at the café.