Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice [115]

In ten minutes, Cynthia and Steven exchanged their thoughts back and forth, finally completing the review of yesterday's battle in the Lostlorn Forest.

When the two of them finished speaking, the officials of the Pokémon League gathered there fell completely silent.

The three Houndooms capable of sharing their five senses and the Umbreon that could freely shift forms were already terrifying enough.

What truly struck fear into the crowd, however, was the move he used to finish off Lance.

How did he even pull it off?!

"Um… Agatha, can you figure it out?"

Professor Oak scratched his head, seeking advice from his former rival.

There was a reason Professor Oak turned to Agatha.

After all, his old friend's battle style… was also rather eerie.

Normally, Agatha wouldn't bother acknowledging Professor Oak.

But now, with a dozen pairs of eyes staring at her, and knowing how critical the matter was, Agatha cleared her throat and offered her analysis:

"Based on what Cynthia and Steven described, Joker and his Pokémon were under the effect of Lance's combination attack one moment, and the next moment, they were behind Lance."

"If that's the case... it might have been the move 'Substitute' or something like 'Phantom Force'."

Substitute sacrifices part of the user's health to create a decoy, which can act as a shield to absorb incoming attacks.

Phantom Force, on the other hand, allows the user to vanish into a shadowy dimension, sneak up on the opponent, and strike, bypassing moves like Protect or Wide Guard.

"I don't think it's either of those," Cynthia shook her head.

"At the time, Joker himself also moved behind Lance, not just his Pokémon."

Steven nodded in agreement with Cynthia, adding, "And we all saw that Joker and his Pokémon were already caught in the attack. Under those conditions, it's unlikely he could have executed a move like that. Plus, the Eevee evolutions can't learn Phantom Force."

After hearing the analysis from the two witnesses, the hearts of the gathered experts sank further.

Goodshow spoke gravely: "We must figure out how he did it."

If Joker's tactics weren't thoroughly analyzed, the League might fall into his trap again.

This time, they were fortunate. No one had witnessed what happened.

The League could manipulate the media to twist the loss into a victory and distort the truth.

But what about next time?

What if, like the substitute incident in Cianwood City, the League was publicly humiliated by Joker in front of an entire city?

Would the League's reputation survive?

Yet, neither the academic authority of Professor Oak nor the battle-hardened experience of Champion Agatha provided any answers.

Could anyone figure it out?

The meeting room fell into complete silence. Even Lance, normally proud and confident, could only grit his teeth and admit:

He couldn't unravel Joker's strategy!

Lorelei, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly raised her head.

"I think I know of a genius who might be able to analyze it."

Everyone turned to look at Lorelei.

"You're joking, right, Lorelei?" Alder said incredulously.

After all, even Professor Oak and Champion Agatha couldn't figure it out.

"Champion Alder, have you heard of the TM?"

At Lorelei's words, everyone guessed who she was referring to.

Nanu, also an Alolan, immediately chimed in:

"Dr. Stephen, you mean?"

In recent months, there have been frequent trending topics involving terms like "TM," "Rainbow Corporation," "Lusamine," and of course, "Stephen."

"The genius who invented the TM?"

"If it's him, maybe…"

"I wonder how he compares to Joker, the one who created the Poke Ball Disruptor and modified Pokémon…"

The meeting room erupted into heated discussion once again, and Goodshow could only grasp at this last straw of hope. He turned to Nanu and said:

"Nanu, please get in touch with him."

...

"Seeing the future? That's possible?"

Inside the Nimbasa City villa, Stephen and Karen had just relayed the intelligence they'd received from Mary to Will.

Will could hardly believe his ears.

He knew that a rare few humans possessed supernatural abilities similar to those of Pokémon.

For example, Stephen and Lance had the Viridian Force, which could heal Pokémon.

Kanto's Gym Leader Sabrina had psychic powers.

And then there was Sheena from Michina Town, who supposedly had the Heart-Speak ability to communicate with Legendary Pokémon.

But seeing the future? Holy crap, that was overpowered.

Could he help me pick tomorrow's winning lottery numbers?

"Kodai's rise to power in the business world over the past ten years is nothing short of miraculous. He always makes incredibly accurate decisions, which the industry finds baffling," Karen said, clicking her mouse to display information about Kodai on the computer screen.

"If he can see the future, that would explain it."

"But it seems he didn't foresee Lance's team's failure," Stephen interjected while grooming his new companion, Zorua.

"You mean…?" The two turned to look at him.

"That guy probably used his future sight ability to glimpse Zorua's special powers and our trio's activities. But he didn't figure out our true identities. Otherwise, would the League still be sitting idle?" Stephen asked rhetorically.

"Oh, right!" Will smacked his forehead.

Karen added, "In other words, he can't see a complete picture of the future—only fragmented pieces, or perhaps his ability has time limitations."

Her eyes turned sharp. "But even so, his ability is troublesome. Just because he didn't see it this time doesn't mean he won't in the future."

"Take him out!" Will, unusually, agreed with Karen.

The ability was indeed too problematic.

They'd been lucky this time—Kodai hadn't seen their true identities in the fragmented future he glimpsed.

But what if he did next time? By then, it would be too late!

"Stephen, you don't have any objections, do you? That guy caused Zorua a lot of suffering. We'll call it revenge."

Will was already eager to act.

Stephen was about to respond when his phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID—it was Lusamine.

["Hello~"]

As soon as the call connected, Lusamine's pleasant voice came through:

["Stephen-kun, Nanu just contacted me. He's asking if you can come to Unova…"]

Hearing the first part, Stephen was momentarily taken aback.

I'm already in Unova.

But after listening to Lusamine's full explanation, Stephen was even more stunned.

"What's up, Stephen?" Will asked curiously.

"They want me to analyze my secrets," Stephen said, a bit speechless.

"Huh?"

His two companions didn't understand at first.

After thinking for a moment, Stephen said, "That future-seeing ability is indeed troublesome. Whether or not we kill him, we need to control him."

"Proton and his group are still in Unova. You two coordinate with them and take down Kodai."

Rika gave Stephen an "OK" gesture.

With that decision made, the trio split up for the first time.

Stephen headed to Opelucid Gym, while Karen and Will infiltrated Kodai's Network Company.

From Nimbasa City to Opelucid City, the flight would take less than two hours.

But Stephen decided to first buy a ticket to one of the fashion shows and spent over half an hour admiring the model's legs.

Afterward, he took his Umbreon and Zorua to an amusement park for a stroll.

Finally, he purchased a long-distance bus ticket and slowly made his way to Opelucid City.

The reason was simple: traveling from Alola to Unova by plane would take ten hours.

And Goodshow and Nanu thought he was still in Alola.

To keep his presence in Unova a secret, Stephen had to stall for time.

By the time Stephen arrived at the Unova League headquarters in Opelucid City, it was already evening.

"Stephen-kun, it must have been a tiring journey."

 Goodshow stepped forward to greet him warmly.

"You're too kind, Chairman. I'm quite interested in this matter myself," Stephen replied politely, glancing briefly behind Goodshow.

 There's no shortage of big names here.

"Come, come, let me introduce you. This is the President of the Unova League; everyone calls her Grandma…"

 Goodshow enthusiastically began introducing the influential figures present to Stephen.

"Dr. Stephen, we meet again," said Lorelei, one of the few among the crowd who wasn't meeting Stephen for the first time, as she greeted him proactively.

"Long time no see, Miss Lorelei. You're as beautiful as ever," Stephen complimented.

Lorelei didn't respond verbally, but the corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly.

 Standing nearby, Bruno noticed his colleague's subtle expression change and immediately looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Given Lorelei's striking looks and her devilishly perfect figure, many had admired her since the start of her career—including elite trainers and heirs of wealthy families.

 Yet, her attitude toward such people? The polite ones were told to "scram," while the less fortunate ones ended up as human popsicles.

For Lorelei to show even this much warmth toward someone? This was a first for Bruno.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Can we get straight to the point?"

 Lance spoke up. He had a favorable impression of Stephen, the young man who had invented the TM, indirectly strengthening his dragon army.

 But right now, his priority was figuring out the tactics Joker had used in the previous battle.

"Lance, it's already late. Let's discuss it tomorrow," Goodshow interjected, trying to mediate.

 He wasn't about to act like those exploitative capitalists of Stephen's past life—dragging someone who had just flown in from far away into a meeting at nearly 9 p.m.

"…Alright," Lance conceded, realizing his impatience. He then extended a hand toward Stephen. "I'm Lance. Your TM invention has been a great help in our fight against criminals."

"Haha, you're too kind, Dragon Master Lance," Stephen replied with a smile, shaking hands.

 A non-darkened Lance was someone he could get along with.

"But Chairman Goodshow, I'm not tired. That said, didn't the news say Lance and the others won? Why are we analyzing this battle?" Stephen asked, feigning confusion.

It wasn't that he wanted to mock the Dream Team trio; he simply had to play the clueless part convincingly.

As expected, his words caused the faces of the elite trainers present to flush slightly.

 Especially Cynthia and Steven—they both lowered their heads in embarrassment.

What a disgrace! Losing and still having the media spin it as a victory.

"The media is full of nonsense. We lost that battle yesterday," Lance stated coldly.

"Lance!?" Goodshow's face changed slightly.

"A loss is a loss," Lance said firmly, a rare instance of him contradicting the elder he respected.

What had angered him most that morning wasn't losing to Joker—it was the media falsely portraying their loss as a victory.

 To someone like Lance, whose pride and self-respect were immense, this was a grave insult. And it wasn't even the first time!

"Lance and the others lost!?" Stephen feigned shock and disbelief. "Chairman, what on earth…"

Goodshow heaved a bitter sigh. "I'll explain it later, but Stephen-kun, please don't spread this matter."

Stephen nodded and followed the group into the office building.

Half an hour later, inside the conference room.

Cynthia and Steven recounted the events from the morning again for Stephen.

Steven grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote Lance's name on the blackboard. Then, in the bottom left corner, he wrote the word "Joker" and said excitedly:

"At the time, Lance was in the air, and Joker was on the ground. Lance commanded his Dragonite and two Dragonair to launch a combined attack. But we couldn't figure out how Joker and his Pokémon, who were clearly in front of Lance, suddenly ended up directly beneath him."

As he spoke, Steven drew a circle under "Lance" on the board.

Cynthia added, "It wasn't Substitute, Phantom Force, or Double Team… We just can't figure out what move he used."

Stephen stroked his chin, imitating a detective in thought. "Miss Cynthia, you mentioned that Joker's Umbreon was wearing a strange gemstone necklace, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. It looked very similar to the Jewel of Life, almost like a miniature version of it…" Cynthia responded instinctively.

"The Jewel of Life?" Stephen pretended not to know, feigning ignorance.

Cynthia froze for a moment, realizing she'd let something slip.

"It's fine, Cynthia," Goodshow said. "Tell him."

Since they had already revealed the truth about their defeat, sharing a few additional secrets wouldn't hurt.

Hearing this, Cynthia recounted the events in Michina, including the Jewel of Life and its connection to Sheena.

"So that's the true nature of the rare artifact from the Sinnoh region mentioned in the news," Stephen mused. He analyzed further:

"That miniature Jewel of Life was probably a replica Joker created based on the original. The Jewel of Life contains the primal energy of five creation deities, and the replica likely has similar effects. By absorbing its energy, his Umbreon can transform into different forms."

"And the reason Joker returned the original Jewel of Life was probably because it no longer held any value for him."

Half-joking, Stephen added, "How about we call that replica 'Evolution Orb'?"

Professor Oak, intrigued, asked, "Dr. Stephen, if other Eevee obtained that gemstone, could they do the same thing?"

Cynthia's interest was piqued as well. She also had an Eevee. If it could freely switch forms like Joker's Umbreon, it could become a mainstay of her team alongside her Garchomp.

"Unlikely. Normal Eevee can only evolve once, and they don't react to other evolution stones afterward. Joker's Umbreon was likely specially modified," Stephen explained, shattering Cynthia's hopes.

"That damn Team Rocket! Using underhanded methods like this!" Lance cursed suddenly.

Stephen: …

Can you not look down on the power of science? Genos, Android 18, and Bartholomew Kuma might take offense to that.

Lorelei's expression wasn't much better, but when she looked at Stephen, her eyes carried a hint of admiration.

 A scientist who didn't experiment on Pokémon? He was too rare and too exceptional.

"That Slowbro belonging to the masked chubby guy was probably modified by Joker as well. The Parental Bond likely refers to its Slowpoke and Shellder halves being able to unleash powerful moves together," Stephen continued analyzing.

"This reminds me of Kangaskhan in Kanto. Technically, it's the combination of a Kangaskhan mother and her baby, but the baby has no combat capabilities. Perhaps Kangaskhan could awaken such a power in the future…"

"Fortunately, while Slowbro's Shellder half can use powerful moves, it can't act independently. Mr. Steven, if you face it in the future, just focus on its tail."

After Stephen's thorough analysis, nearly everyone in the conference room showed expressions of approval.

As expected of the genius who invented the TM—his breakdown of the battle was flawless.

Even Steven couldn't help but express his admiration: "Dr. Stephen, just call me Steven."

Lance finally spoke again. "Dr. Stephen, you still haven't explained how Joker managed to appear behind me."

Hearing this, Stephen looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Dragon Master Lance, but that's the one thing I couldn't figure out."

Zoroa was one of his trump cards and a critical asset for Karen's future challenge in the Indigo League. There was no way Stephen would reveal that now. He wasn't about to pull a Uchiha Shisui move and give away all his secrets.

Hearing this, some of the people in the room shifted from admiration to disappointment.

A few Unova council members began whispering:

"Ugh, he faltered at the most crucial point."

 "Both are young geniuses, but it seems Joker is slightly superior."

 "If only their positions were reversed…"

Hearing their comments, Lorelei's face grew darker and darker.

"Enough!"

 The Ice-type Elite Four member's cold voice silenced the room, startling the council members.

"Hmph!" Lorelei scoffed internally, thinking these Unova council members were just as ungrateful as those in Kanto.

Dr. Stephen traveled all this way to help you solve your problems, providing plenty of useful information. He answered nearly all your questions, leaving only one unresolved—and you dare to complain? Pathetic!

"Leave!"

 Even the Unova League President, Grandma, thought the council members had gone too far.

With their own President and Goodshow glaring at them, the loudest complainers left the conference room in shame.