Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice [112]

Credits: Jacob Mooe

The next second, the large-bodied Dragonite under Lance let out another cry of pain.

"Damn it, I can't hold on much longer!"

Two Dragonairs quickly flew over, one on each side, to support Dragonite's body and prevent it from plummeting.

Lance, however, couldn't ponder what Joker had done. He immediately began focusing his energy, activating the power of Viridian Forest to heal his Dragonite.

Just as Lance's palm was about to touch Dragonite, Karen and Will, who had seen this ability multiple times on Stephen, instantly realized what Lance was trying to do.

"Let us help you!"

The two shouted in unison.

They released their Honchkrow and Xatu, both flying types, to attack the two Dragonairs on either side of Dragonite with Brave Bird.

The stunned members of the Pokémon League, including Cynthia and Steven, suddenly snapped out of their shock but realized it was too late to stop them.

The two birds, engulfed in fiery energy, slammed into Dragonair #1 and #2 with full force.

Caught off guard, the two Dragonairs were sent flying.

With its support gone, Dragonite lost its balance and plummeted straight to the ground.

Lance didn't have time to heal his partner with the power of Viridian Forest and also lost his footing, falling from the sky.

"Mr. Lance!"

Steven and Cynthia shouted anxiously from either side.

Steven quickly threw out a Poké Ball, releasing his Skarmory.

Just as Lance was about to hit the ground and turn into a pancake, Skarmory caught him in the nick of time.

"Phew..."

Seeing Lance unharmed, Steven finally let out a sigh of relief.

But the next second, his heart, which had just settled, leaped into his throat again.

"Woof!"

A ferocious bark rang out from below.

Everyone turned to see a mound of earth beneath Skarmory trembling violently.

Suddenly, a Houndoom leaped out from within.

It was hiding here all along!?

"Maria, Fire Fang!"

With Stephen's command, the Houndoom that had jumped out bared its fangs, flames blazing along its jaws.

Almost simultaneously, as Skarmory caught Lance, the Houndoom leaped up and bit into its neck.

Focused entirely on rescuing Lance, Skarmory was caught off guard and let out a pained cry as the Houndoom dragged it—and Lance—down to the ground.

Boom! Boom!

Two heavy impacts echoed as Dragonite and Lance hit the ground one after another.

Dragonite, with its thick skin and sturdy body, wasn't heavily injured even after falling from a height of over ten meters. Compared to the damage it had suffered from the Ice Beam earlier, this was like being scratched.

But it was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Dragonite had endured the Ice Beam with sheer willpower, but now, after the fall, it fainted on the spot.

Lance, on the other hand, was relatively unharmed.

Thanks to Skarmory's earlier rescue, he fell from a height of less than two meters. Aside from some pain and a bit of dirt on his face, he wasn't seriously injured.

However, he did look rather pathetic, his face now covered in mud.

"Damn it!"

Lance pushed himself up with one hand, his face covered in dirt.

With his other hand, he reached toward his belt to release another Pokémon for battle.

The remaining Pokémon on his team only had Dragon in their names—they weren't actual dragons.

But just as Lance's left hand touched a Poké Ball, a sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of his neck.

His vision blurred, and the next moment, his eyes rolled back as he fainted.

For those watching, another Houndoom had leaped out from a separate mound of earth, rushing forward and delivering a clean blow to the back of Lance's neck with its paw.

"Well done, Rose," Stephen said with a smirk.

"How did they even see Skarmory and Lance's position from inside the dirt piles?"

Steven was baffled and deeply shaken.

He couldn't understand! Those two Houndooms were buried in the dirt with their vision obstructed. Their sense of smell and hearing should also have been impaired.

How could they so precisely locate their targets?

Steven didn't notice that the Sina at Stephen's feet was staring intently at the battlefield as if directing the Houndooms.

"Now is not the time to be impressed!"

A drop of cold sweat slid down Cynthia's cheek, her golden hair sticking to her face from the moisture.

Steven looked up to see Joker's trio tossing the unconscious Lance onto the belly of his equally unconscious Dragonite.

Then, with playful smiles, they turned their gazes toward Steven and Cynthia.

Steven's youthful, handsome face twisted into an expression more pitiful than crying.

"This… This doesn't look good…"

...

Along the path from Nimbasa City to the Lostlorn Forest.

"Tauros! Faster, faster!"

Mary kept urging her best friend's Pokémon.

Whitney wanted to tell her to slow down; she was getting dizzy.

Just then, Tauros screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Mary and Whitney off its back.

"What's going on!?"

Whitney, trying to hold back her nausea, asked.

"Whitney, there's a crowd ahead," Mary said, pointing forward.

Whitney forced herself to look.

Whoa!

Sure enough, there were a lot of people gathered at the forest entrance.

"That's… Champion Alder."

Alder's distinctive silhouette was easy to recognize. Whitney immediately identified the Unova Champion standing at the front of the crowd.

Recalling Tauros, Whitney grabbed her friend's hand and said, "Let's go ask what's happening."

Her uncle, Milton, was a Gym Leader as well, though not particularly prominent in Johto. Still, as a Gym Leader, people would likely show them some respect.

At the front of the group, led by Alder, the Unova elites were staring intently into the forest, entirely unaware that two young girls were approaching from behind.

"There's no more noise. Lance and the others must have taken Joker down by now," Alder said, scratching his head.

It had been almost five minutes since the battle noises had ceased entirely. Alder assumed the fight was over.

["Alder, something feels off,"] came Agatha's voice through the walkie-talkie.

Agatha was stationed at the northern edge of the Lostlorn Forest to prevent Joker and his team from escaping.

She had also noticed the silence and guessed the battle was over.

But if Lance and his group had won, they should have informed the others by now.

Alder also began to feel a foreboding sense of dread but refused to believe it. "Haha, Agatha, you can't seriously think Lance and the others would lose, can you? Haha!"

Lance, Steven, and Cynthia were known as the strongest trio of young trainers in the League.

There's no way they could lose, Alder thought.

["Let me go check,"] came another voice through the walkie-talkie—it was Elesa.

Alarmed, Alder quickly tried to stop her. "Hey, hey, Elesa, don't act recklessly! If anyone's going, it should be me…"

If the worst-case scenario had occurred, Phoebe wouldn't stand a chance.

["Ahhh!"]

Before Alder could finish his sentence, a terrified scream came through the walkie-talkie.

Alder, Agatha, and the others froze, rushing to shout into the device:

"Elesa! What happened? Are you okay? What's going on!?"

"Answer us! Are you alright!?"

But Elesa didn't respond. All they could hear were chaotic sounds in the background.

A few seconds later, a different voice came through:

["Relax, she's fine."]

The League trainers' faces paled.

"You… You're Joker!?" Alder exclaimed in disbelief.

Behind him, Mary and Whitney, who were about to greet the group, froze upon hearing the name.

Mary instinctively grabbed her friend and ducked behind Kodai's luxurious car, holding a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

"You… What did you do to Elesa? And what about Lance, Cynthia, Steven, Officer Jenny, and the others…?"

The overly intense situation left Alder stumbling over his words.

["Don't be nervous, Champion. They're doing fine,"] Stephen said calmly.

["Where are you now?"]

Alder took several deep breaths to regain his composure.

"The west exit…" Alder stammered.

["Alright,"] Stephen replied with just one word before ending the call.

Alder, along with the surrounding Unova Elite Trainers, stood frozen, exchanging confused glances.

Did Lance and the others… lose?

Similarly, sitting in the car, Kodai couldn't believe it either.

Damn it, has the League become this useless?

They boasted about the dream lineup of three future champions, and yet they couldn't even handle three kids!

Kodai's confidant, Goone, leaned closer to the car window and whispered, "Boss, didn't you foresee this outcome?"

Kodai replied irritably, "Do you think I can see the future whenever I want?"

He cursed the incompetence of the League again in his heart.

Standing at the forefront, Alder and the others were still too stunned to notice Kodai whispering to his lackey.

However, two young girls, Mary and Whitney, hiding behind the car, overheard the conversation.

The two girls, both under ten years old, looked at each other wide-eyed.

What… what are they talking about? Seeing the future?

Alder and the others didn't have to wait long.

What they saw next would remain etched in their memories forever—

Walking at the front was Joker.

Beside him, an Umbreon strode proudly like a queen.

On the other side, Bewear carried an unconscious Lance in her arms like a princess.

To Joker's left, one of his companions—a masked girl—was gripping Cynthia's arm.

The two girls, beautiful as they were, made for a striking image—if only Cynthia's hands weren't cuffed with silver restraints.

To Joker's right, the other companion, a chubby boy, sat grinning on the back of a Xatu, beside him were Steven and Riley, also cuffed.

"I… I'm sorry, Champion Alder. We just couldn't stop them…"

One of the commanders of this operation, Officer Jenny, looked ashamed as she spoke.

The rest of the officers trailed behind the group, looking utterly defeated and dejected.

How humiliating!

Alder and many other Unova elites stared in shock at the scene before them.

After a moment of stunned silence, they instinctively reached for their Poké Balls.

Alder's Volcarona immediately flew into the space between the two sides, exuding hostility.

"Why so serious?" Stephen asked with a smirk.

"I've fought enough for today. I'm not interested in another battle," he said, tugging Elesa forward gently.

She stumbled a few steps before ending up beside Alder.

"Are you alright?" Alder asked with concern.

Although Elesa couldn't exactly be called a prodigy, she was still part of the Unova League, and Alder naturally cared about her well-being.

"I… I'm fine…" Elesa replied, hanging her head in shame.

She hadn't even put up a fight—she was subdued the moment she encountered Joker.

After her, Stephen and his companions lightly pushed the police officers forward, signaling that they were free to go.

"Jo…!"

Hiding behind the car, Mary almost shouted out in excitement when she saw the familiar figure after over a year.

Fortunately, her friend Whitney quickly covered her mouth.

Given the current situation, the two little girls knew better than to draw attention to themselves.

Soon, everyone except Lance, Cynthia, and Steven had been released.

At this point, Alder noticed something—

Aside from those three, none of the others—neither Jenny nor Elesa—had been forcibly cuffed.

Realizing what this meant, Elesa buried her head even lower in embarrassment.

The reason for not cuffing them was obvious—they were too weak to pose any threat.

Behind Alder, Sheena looked pale.

If even a lineup like this couldn't take down Joker, did that mean the Jewel of Life was truly beyond their grasp?

"You… can you release Lance and the others?" Alder asked, his gaze fixed on the three remaining hostages.

"Of course," Stephen replied without hesitation, surprising everyone.

"The condition is that you tell me how you tracked us down," Stephen added.

"That's the only thing I care about."

"Don't even think about making up some excuse to fool us," Karen interjected coldly, "or else…"

She reached out and gripped Cynthia's pale neck, applying slight pressure.

"Cough!"

Cynthia let out a faint cough, and Alder immediately panicked, waving his hands frantically.

"Calm down! Calm down, please!"

Good grief, if the Sinnoh Champion-in-training died in Unova, it would cause an international disaster.

Stephen placed his hand over Karen's to signal her to ease up.

"It was… it was Mr. Kodai who told us," Alder admitted.

With the lives of three future champions on the line, he had no choice but to come clean.

"Kodai?" Stephen raised an eyebrow.

The name wasn't unfamiliar to him.

After all, his Zorua had obtained intel from none other than Kodai.

The wealthy Unova businessman.

"We only knew because Mr. Kodai said you would be in Lostlorn Forest at this time. As for how he knew…" Alder scratched his head.

To be honest, he was curious about that too.

If the League couldn't uncover such information, how did Kodai manage it?

Alder turned to glance at the luxurious car behind him, prompting everyone else to do the same.

Sitting in the backseat, Kodai broke into a cold sweat.

Damn it, I should have left earlier!

Stephen shot a look at Will, who nodded and jogged over to the car.

Goone tried to block his way.

"Move it!"

Will's Xatu smacked Goone aside with ease.

"Mr. Kodai, would you step out for a chat?" Will said with a smile.

Damn brat!

Kodai cursed internally but had no choice but to get out of the car.

"Your hairstyle resembles a Garchomp's rough scales," Stephen remarked with a smirk.

Cynthia, still held by Karen, rolled her eyes.

"How did you know?" Karen asked coldly.

Kodai broke out in a sweat.

The ability to see glimpses of the future was his greatest secret and the foundation of his success.

No matter what, he couldn't reveal it.

But under the current circumstances, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice.

"Mr. Kodai, is there something you can't share with us?" Alder asked.

In a moment of desperation, Kodai's mind raced, and he found a scapegoat.

"It… it was the Plasma Team!" he blurted out.

Everyone, including Stephen, looked confused.

Kodai elaborated, "When Joker's group arrived in Unova, Team Plasma already had their sights on them. I merely obtained the information from them."

Sheena thought for a moment and said, "Team Plasma… I recall them being some sort of religious group active in Unova's outskirts?"

Alder nodded. "I've heard of them. They advocate for releasing Pokémon from Poké Balls and granting them equality with humans. They claim that keeping Pokémon is a form of cruelty and that releasing them into the wild is the only way to make them happy. They've even gained quite a bit of support…"

"Exactly!" Kodai nodded enthusiastically. "That's where I got the intel!"

Of course, this had nothing to do with Team Plasma. Kodai simply needed someone to take the blame, and the obscure organization seemed like the perfect choice.

After all, it wasn't as if they could come forward to dispute his claim.

Hiding behind the car, Mary and Whitney's expressions changed drastically.

He's lying!

Alder blinked, uncertain whether to believe Kodai's explanation.

But right now, what he was most concerned about was the hostage in Joker's hands.

"Hey! The intel source has already been shared with you. Can you release the hostage now?"

Stephen glanced at Kodai, making the other man visibly uncomfortable. Then he reached out his hand toward Alder and said:

"Let's seal the deal with a handshake."

"Deal!"

Without hesitation, Alder shook hands with Stephen.

"Joker, are you alright?" Karen asked worriedly.

"Yeah, don't worry. Alder, as a Champion, can be trusted. Both Shirona and Steven's characters are also reliable."

If the deal was with the Five Elders, Stephen would never consider doing this.

 But Alder was indeed a man of his word. The same went for Cynthia and Steven.

Alder secretly rolled his eyes.

 Was that supposed to be a compliment? Should he be happy about it?

"Hmm? Shirona?"

 Alder noticed Joker's way of addressing Cynthia.

Steven, who had just been freed from his handcuffs, interjected:

 "Looks like Joker gave Miss Cynthia that nickname."

"Huh?"

 For a moment, Alder, Elesa, and Sheena all wore strange expressions.

 Their gazes shifted back and forth between Stephen and Cynthia.

A nickname?

 Were these two that close?

"Shut up!"

 Cynthia furiously glared at Steven, then bit her lip and shot a glare at Stephen as well.

Since when were we close? Why are you giving me a nickname?!

"We're leaving."

 Stephen gestured to Karen and Will, then began walking past Alder and his group.

At that moment, he happened to spot two little girls hiding behind a car.

"Uh!?"

Will was startled and almost cried out.

Where did these two little girls come from?!

Meanwhile, Mary was visibly excited.

 But she knew this was not the time to make any reckless moves.

Then, as if struck by an idea, Mary quickly pulled out a small notebook she carried with her, jotted something down with a pencil, tore off the page, crumpled it into a small paper ball, and tossed it to Stephen.