Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice [154]

In just a single day, the entire Slateport City plunged into chaos.

The commotion was mainly concentrated in the northern region, where the iconic structure, the Grand Festival Arena, stood. Under the strategic command of the large-scale police force led by Officer Jenny, the city's residents were being evacuated to the southern part. However, the exact nature of the incident remained undisclosed, as both Officer Jenny's police force and the Gym Leaders who had arrived for reinforcements avoided discussing the matter.

Slateport Beach in Southern Slateport City.

This beach was not only the largest in Slateport City but also the biggest in the entire Hoenn region. Though its scenery couldn't compare to Alola's, its sheer vastness attracted an enormous number of tourists daily. Because of the dense crowd and prying eyes, Stephen and Will chose this location to land.

As they prepared to enter the city, a police officer stationed at the city's entrance announced through a loudspeaker:

["Attention all citizens and visitors! The northern part of the city is currently under attack by Team Rocket. Please refrain from approaching the northern district. I repeat, the northern part of the city is under attack..."]

Blending into the crowd, Will muttered in disbelief:

"What the hell? Didn't Karen just snatch a weakling's legendary Pokémon? Why is this causing such a huge commotion?"

At the moment, neither Stephen nor Will has received any response from Karen. Giovanni had also not yet received a report from Sird.

However, during their urgent journey from Galar, Giovanni had contacted them and explained:

Some time ago, Team Rocket had discovered a weak trainer in Sinnoh whose starter Pokémon was Darkrai. Giovanni had sent Sird as a guide to help Karen steal the Pokémon.

But just as the two were about to take action, Sird, using a wiretap installed on the target's phone, learned that the trainer had also obtained information about the legendary Pokémon Latios and Latias. Seeing an opportunity for an even bigger heist, they followed the target all the way to Hoenn.

A starter Pokémon that was Darkrai?

 And now they had intel on Latios and Latias?

 On top of that, they were from the Sinnoh region?

With all these factors combined, an image immediately surfaced in Stephen's mind—of a certain trainer from his previous life who had crushed Ash's decade-long championship dream.

Yet, even as a time traveler, Stephen found this strange.

Could Tobias' Pokémon trigger such a massive uproar?

Speaking of which, that guy's background was always a mystery...

But for now, the most pressing concern was Karen's safety.

Blending into the crowd alongside Will, Stephen entered the city, discreetly glancing at the Vivre Card in his palm.

There were no changes yet.

This allowed him to proceed step by step without rushing.

If this Vivre Card started burning up, like Ace's did in Impel Down, Stephen wouldn't hesitate to charge in directly.

...

Meanwhile, in Northern Slateport City.

In the grand plaza before the Contest Hall, the venue for the annual Hoenn Grand Festival...

Sird found herself under immense pressure, facing two of Hoenn's most powerful trainers—Steven and Wallace.

"Tch—"

Being a known fugitive, Sird didn't bother wearing a mask. Clicking her tongue, she glanced past them at the person they were protecting—Tobias. Raising an eyebrow, she scoffed:

"Team Rocket has stolen plenty of trainers' Pokémon in Kanto, and the League never made this big a fuss. Care to explain what makes this guy so special?"

Wallace furrowed his brows slightly, but before he could speak, Steven had already stepped forward:

"Sorry, but you don't need to know that. The only thing you should be concerned about is your imminent future in a League prison."

Elsewhere.

Karen panted heavily.

Her Houndoom and Honchkrow stood protectively in front of her, one at the front and one at the rear. But both of her Dark-type partners were in bad shape.

Honchkrow's left wing had burn marks near the middle—an injury caused by Typhlosion, the Pokémon belonging to Hoenn's Fire-type Elite Four member, Moore.

Meanwhile, Houndoom's left foreleg had a deep, gaping wound—courtesy of Sidney's Mightyena, the Dark-type Elite Four member.

"Impressive."

Moore genuinely admired Karen's endurance.

"Holding your ground for this long against two of Hoenn's Elite Four members simultaneously… Quite remarkable."

"Now's not the time for admiration!"

From above, Winona called out while sitting atop Altaria.

"Take her down quickly before the situation escalates any further!"

The League Chairman had mobilized Hoenn's top trainers overnight for this operation, and the true reason was something that couldn't be openly discussed. The longer they delayed, the greater the risk.

"Her Pokémon are nearly exhausted. But striking down a woman like this doesn't align with my sense of evil beauty."

Sidney flicked his mohawk-like hair and turned to Winona.

"How about you take care of it?"

Moore remained silent but also hesitated—after all, Karen was just a young girl, not much older than his granddaughter.

"Tch!"

Winona frowned.

If it were a one-on-one fight, she wouldn't stand a chance against the Masked Girl. But after being worn down by two Elite Four members, if she still couldn't take down Karen, she might as well resign.

Unlike Sidney and Moore, who were burdened by personal sentiments, Winona had no such hesitation.

Her position as the Head of Hoenn's Gym Leaders wasn't just because of her strength—it was also due to her impartial nature and keen judgment.

Much like Erika, the Gym Leader Chairperson of Kanto, the person occupying this role wasn't necessarily the strongest Gym Leader, but they were always the most capable manager.

"Altaria, Peck Attack!"

Even so, Winona wasn't aiming to kill—otherwise, she would have gone straight for a Draco Meteor, like Lance would have.

Seeing Altaria charge forward, Honchkrow and Houndoom immediately moved to intercept from both sides.

"Disarming Voice!"

Winona calmly commanded.

"Liii~~~"

Altaria opened its beak and let out a melodic cry, releasing a wave of soft pink soundwaves.

Honchkrow and Houndoom winced in pain, their balance faltering midair before they crashed to the ground in distress.

After the Fairy type was officially introduced, trainers worldwide began studying whether their Pokémon had Fairy-type potential or could learn Fairy-type moves.

This was because Dragon types were simply too dominant.

Winona was one of those trainers. She discovered that although her Altaria was a Dragon type, it was highly proficient in Fairy-type moves.

As she watched Honchkrow and Houndoom fall one after another, the three remaining Poké Balls on Karen's belt began to tremble involuntarily.

"Don't act rashly!"

Karen pressed down on her Poké Balls.

Altaria, carrying Winona, sped toward her, attempting to restrain Karen.

Karen instinctively took a step back.

Altaria's sharp claw accidentally hooked onto Karen's mask.

With a clang, the mask fell to the ground.

The entire crowd of Hoenn trainers witnessed Karen's true face.

"A beautiful young lady, unexpected… but alas, a beauty wasted on a thief."

Sydney observed the situation with a sidelong glance and sighed.

"You better not let Winona hear that,"

Moore silently retorted in his mind.

Before Karen could react any further,

Altaria's fluffy feathers pressed firmly against her neck from behind.

"Don't move. As long as you stay still, I won't do anything."

Winona, sitting atop Altaria, warned her in a low voice.

Though her tone was not overtly threatening, it carried an undeniable warning.

"Alright, return my Darkrai to me. And Latios and Latias as well."

Tobias approached with a bright smile.

Karen scoffed disdainfully, "Having those legendary Pokémon follow you is like using gemstones as toilet paper—such a waste."

"Shut up!"

Being ridiculed in front of so many people, Tobias couldn't help but become angry.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Cynthia, who had been observing the battle from start to finish, thought to herself:

"Though her words are crude… she does have a point."

After all, Darkrai was Tobias's first partner Pokémon.

Yet after all these years, his skill level was still only this high—barely enough to battle an Elite Four member.

If it were Cynthia herself using Darkrai, she could probably pummel a Champion into the ground.

Karen gritted her teeth. Losing Latios and Latias was already bad enough, and now her true identity had been exposed. But in truth, that wasn't even the biggest issue.

After all, the higher-ups—headed by Goodshow and Lance—already knew her real identity.

The real problem was… if the League members saw Kubfu she had with her, that would be disastrous.

As Tobias continued approaching her, Karen instinctively struggled, but Altaria's soft, white wings held her down firmly.

Sensing her movement, Winona's tone grew sharper, carrying a hint of threat this time.

"I said—don't move!"

But suddenly, a new voice interrupted:

"That's a line I should be saying to you."

Winona's heart skipped a beat.

Before she could turn around,

Both she and her Altaria felt an enormous shadow looming over their backs.

The expressions of the Hoenn elites present—along with the reinforcements from other regions—changed drastically.

They turned to look—

A massive canine Pokémon stood behind Winona and her Altaria, letting out a low growl reminiscent of a lion.

And atop the lion-like Pokémon's back was Joker.

"Do you understand, Gym Leader Winona?"

"Joker!?"

Countless people in the crowd shouted the name in shock.

"He showed up!"

Cynthia's face darkened.

Hoenn and Sinnoh were geographically close, so her trip here didn't take too long.

Initially, when she saw so many Hoenn experts gathering in Slateport City, she thought she wouldn't need to intervene.

But upon hearing that one of the suspects was the Masked Girl—one of Joker's known companions—Cynthia recalled the battle in the Lostlorn Forest in Unova half a year ago.

She decided she couldn't take any chances.

At first, seeing only the Masked Girl and Sird resisting, she assumed Joker himself wasn't involved in this operation.

But now—he'd shown up after all!

"Is that… Entei?!"

Moore's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the lion-like beast Joker was riding.

The three legendary beasts of Johto were widely known.

Raikou and Entei, often protecting their fellow Electric- and Fire-type Pokémon, were especially famous among trainers specializing in those types.

Meanwhile, Suicune not only helped Pokémon but occasionally even rescued humans in distress—making it even more renowned than its two companions.

After the infamous Viridian Incident confirmed them as Ho-Oh's personal guardians, their reputation skyrocketed even further.

But what truly unsettled Moore and the others was—

Wasn't Entei supposed to be a guardian of justice?

As Ho-Oh's subordinate and a frequent protector of Fire-type Pokémon, that should have been obvious.

So why… why was it following Joker, a high-ranking officer of an evil organization?!

Winona turned her head.

Her pale face was now mere inches away from Entei's gaping maw.

She could even smell the scent from its breath.

Her face grew even paler.

Joker said nothing.

He simply extended a hand toward Karen.

"Sorry."

Seated behind him on Entei, Karen lowered her head.

Joker gently knocked her on the head.

"Idiot. What are you apologizing for?"

Noticing the leftmost Poké Ball on Karen's belt,

Stephen's eyes flickered with surprise behind his mask.

"It evolved?"

Inside the ball was a Zoroark—waving at him enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it evolved two days ago while sparring with Kubfu."

Karen whispered,

 "Why not use it?"

Stephen scolded,

 "Not to mention anything else, as long as you use Zoroark's illusion to escape from here, it shouldn't be a problem."

"This is one of your biggest trump cards. There are so many people here—if you use illusions in front of such a large crowd, the chances of exposure are very high. If your trump card gets revealed, wouldn't that be disastrous?"

Karen replied matter-of-factly.

Stephen was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Grr!"

At that moment, the Entei beneath Joker let out a low growl and, with a slap as effortless as swatting a mosquito, sent Winona and her Altaria flying to the side.

"Winona!"

Seeing his girlfriend being knocked away, Wallace panicked instantly.

"Rather than worrying about your girlfriend, you'd better focus on yourself."

Another figure emerged from the crowd, blocking Wallace's path.

"The Psychic Fatty is here too!"

Steven's expression changed drastically.

"Motherf***er! You're dead!"

The previously amused Will instantly flew into a rage upon noticing Steven.

Because he had investigated it—back when someone first called him that nickname, and when the media picked it up and spread it, the one who started it all was none other than Steven Stone.

"Slowbro! Exeggutor!"

When enemies meet, their eyes burn with fury.

Will immediately sent out two of the main Pokémon from his Psychic Fatty lineup.

Slowbro, utilizing its Parental Bond ability, unleashed a double Surf attack.

Meanwhile, Exeggutor used Psychic to manipulate the surging waves, shaping them like Gaara's sand, allowing for precise control.

"So, in the end, it has come to this? But I've already figured out your battle style!"

Steven waved his right hand.

 "Metagross!"

His ace Pokémon soared from behind him.

Its right forearm gathered a dazzling silver-white light, with faint starlight glimmering within.

Meteor Mash!

A high-power, STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) punch—a single strike punched a hole right through the twin waves.

But in mere moments, that hole was visibly closing up again.

"It's not over yet!"

Steven growled softly.

Immediately after, Metagross began to spin wildly like a top.

The sharp claws on its three remaining arms erupted with crackling electricity, dark energy, and freezing cold!

That was... Thunder Punch! Shadow Claw! Ice Punch!

Although not executed simultaneously, the interval was incredibly short.

Through continuous bombardment, it shattered the Surf + Psychic combo attack!

"Metagross has four brains that can operate simultaneously. After our battle in the Lostlorn Forest, I've been developing this ability."

Steven raised one hand, exuding the demeanor of a true powerhouse.

"Although it can't attack simultaneously like your Slowbro, it's more than enough to deal with you."

In the original story, Bruno's Hitmonchan could use both fists independently, executing Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Fire Punch interchangeably.

And Steven's potential surpassed Bruno's.

Although Will, with Stephen's help, had reached a near-Elite Four level at just twelve years old, rivaling his future self as the youngest member of the Indigo League's Elite Four...

This world has never been short of geniuses.

Wallace seized the opportunity his best friend created, shouting toward the center of the waves:

 "Milotic! Ice Beam!"

In an instant, a freezing laser shot through the opening, targeting its mark.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The surrounding ground rapidly froze, forcing the Hoenn police officers nearby to step back to avoid getting their feet frozen.

"As expected of Young Master Stephen! Next month's Ever Grande Conference—he will undoubtedly claim the Hoenn Champion title!"

One police officer looked at Steven with admiration.

"No, no, I support Gym Leader Wallace more!"

A female officer retorted.

"Now isn't the time for idle chatter! The enemy is someone who has troubled the League Headquarters for years!"

The leading Officer Jenny sternly reminded them.

"Relax, Captain! Milotic is Gym Leader Wallace's ace. That last attack—Psychic Fatty's Exeggutor will either be knocked out or barely hanging on like a flickering candle."

The female officer spoke confidently.

She was a die-hard fan of Wallace.

"Wait! What is that!?"

As the icy mist gradually dissipated, a sharp purple spike was revealed.

When the mist fully cleared, the entire squad was shocked to see—a massive, spiked shell.

"Th-That's… a Cloyster!?"

As a Water-type specialist, Wallace instantly recognized the Pokémon.

The Cloyster's shell automatically opened, revealing Will, Exeggutor, and… a Slowpoke inside.

Then, just as quickly, the Cloyster snapped its shell shut, biting onto the Slowpoke's tail.

And in the next moment—it evolved into Slowbro!

"How about it? This is the new power Joker has granted my comrades and me."

Will smirked wickedly.

Sure, Steven's potential was higher than his—but so what?

He had a powerful backer!

"This just got troublesome."

Steven lowered his head, speaking in a heavy tone.

Chairman Goodshow had warned him and the others before—whenever they fought Joker, he would always pull out some new trick, making him incredibly difficult to deal with.

And if Psychic Fatty was already this troublesome, even as just Joker's subordinate…

"Then... what about him?"

 Steven couldn't help but glance sideways toward the other side of the battlefield.

"Shirona, what are you trying to do?"

 Watching Cynthia walk up with her Garchomp, Joker, who was sitting cross-legged on Entei's back, rested his chin on one hand and smiled.

"Don't call me that!"

 Cynthia frowned under her bangs. "Your actions are truly despicable! Last time it was the Jewel of Life, and this time it's someone else's Pokémon. To prevent you from causing trouble again in the future, I will stop you right now!"

Reminded by Cynthia, Joker also recalled that all of this had started because Karen and Sird had taken the Mythical Trainer's Darkrai.

But just now, when Joker checked the Poké Balls on Karen's belt, there was no Darkrai.

"Darkrai is with Sird."

 Karen, having guessed Joker's thoughts, explained.

"Huh?"

Oh, right—if I remember correctly, in the manga, Sird does have a Darkrai. So this is how it happened?

In other words, right now, Latios is with Karen, and Darkrai is with Sird.

Stephen suddenly felt that the Mythical Trainer was truly a living saint. I won't make fun of you anymore.

Flannery's grandfather, Moore—according to the anime, he was a former Gym Leader, while in the manga, he was the former, deceased, Elite Four member.