Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice-Chapter 209: Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice []

Pryce has died. La Glace was thrown into the time portal by Dialga. If nothing unexpected happens, it should soon reunite with its parents.

However, Stephen vaguely remembers La Glace hatched from its egg only after the two Lapras were killed, right? In that case, does it have such deep feelings for its parents? Hmm, this is a question that shouldn't be overthought—otherwise, all that La Glace did for it would truly make him the clown in the end.

"What's next? Are we going home?"

Will exhaled deeply as he asked.

Although Pryce was dead, Will wasn't as happy as he had imagined he'd be. Still, he felt a certain sense of relief.

"At least, there's nothing urgent to take care of for now. Probably..." Stephen said, though his tone was far from confident.

After all, he had caused too much chaos. The developments across various regions had completely diverged from what he remembered. Even as someone who had traveled through time, he couldn't predict where this world would go next.

"Are you sure it's okay? That woman..."

Karen raised an eyebrow, motioning for Stephen to look at Cynthia, who stood next to her MEGA Garchomp.

After all, she now knew Joker's biggest secret.

"If it were someone like Lance with his personality, it might be dangerous. But Cynthia... she's a rational person," Stephen said with a smile.

After sending La Glace into the time portal, Dialga also opened a gateway and returned to its temporal dimension.

The Delibird and the Swinub, both Master-level Pokémon, stared blankly at the departing La Glace and the smiling Pryce who had fallen to the ground.

After a while, Delibird hoisted up Pryce's lifeless body and gave Swinub a subtle glance.

Swinub climbed onto the body, curling up just as it used to when Pryce was alive.

Finally, Delibird, carrying its trainer and companion, spread its wings and flew away from Lily of the Valley Island.

Where they were going, no one knew.

"Whew... Old man, let's get out of here too," Joker said with a long sigh, addressing Giovanni.

"Hmm, I don't have much interest in continuing to fight, either," Giovanni nodded in agreement and then asked with a smile, "How does it feel to have defeated the only Master-level Pokémon Trainer of this era?"

Joker chuckled and replied, "Rather than his strength, what leaves me sighing is Pryce's personality. To go to such lengths for a single Pokémon—it's terrifying how strong his obsession was. Well, anyway, with all the evil he's done, I don't feel any guilt about killing him. At least now, the children he kidnapped can return to their parents."

As soon as Joker said this, both Team Rocket and the League members' faces turned grim.

"Pryce kidnapped children!?" Steven exclaimed in shock.

Giovanni's eyes widened as well.

"Yeah, didn't he kidnap me two years ago too? When I was captured and taken to his base, I saw a lot of kids there—probably around 5 to 15 years old. Since he was working alone, he couldn't handle everything himself, so he abducted a bunch of children to act as his pawns. After all, kids' moral compasses haven't fully formed yet, so they're easier to manipulate," Joker said calmly.

Cynthia was visibly horrified. "Even if it was for his Pokémon, that's just too much."

Kidnapping children so young, separating them from their parents...

Pryce might have had his reasons, but what about those parents? What had they done wrong to deserve to have their children taken away?

Buzz, buzz, buzz—!

A large transport aircraft bearing the Team Rocket "R" insignia appeared in the skies above Lily of the Valley Island.

The hatch opened, and Archer, the leader of the Four Executives, leaned out, shouting, "Boss! King Joker!"

"Old man, let's go," Joker said.

"...Mm."

Giovanni, who had been silent for a while, finally snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

Lance's face darkened, but Wallace and Steven simultaneously placed their hands on Lance's shoulders, holding him back.

The situation was too chaotic right now—it wasn't the time for a battle with Team Rocket.

"Stephen, among those children, was there a red-haired one?"

Once onboard the plane, Giovanni couldn't hold back any longer and asked eagerly.

He had wanted to ask back on Lily of the Valley Island. However, he'd refrained, fearing the League would catch on, so he had held it in until now.

Giovanni probably should've waited until it was just him and Stephen before asking. After all, there were still quite a few subordinates present.

Even within Team Rocket, the fact that Giovanni had a child was a closely guarded secret known to no more than three people. Children often become their parents' Achilles' heel. Giovanni had to guard against not only his enemies in the League but even his people.

But now, with the Three Beasts and the Four Executives all present, he still couldn't help but blurt it out. It was clear he was anxious.

Just as Stephen had predicted, the Three Beasts and the Four Executives all looked at Giovanni with puzzled expressions.

Why was their usually composed boss so concerned about this?

"Well... I'm not sure. I escaped shortly after being captured, so I didn't interact with the other children much. Pryce also strictly forbade them from communicating freely," Stephen replied after some thought.

He had intended to use this opportunity to inform Giovanni about Silver's situation. However, based on the information he'd recently learned about the Silver Feather and Rainbow Feather, both Silver and Green had likely escaped Pryce's control. Finding Silver among the vast sea of people would not be easy.

"Damn it!" Giovanni cursed through gritted teeth.

That bastard Prye—he should've made sure he had taken Silver before killing him!

"Boss Giovanni cares about this... Could it be..."

The sharp-minded Sird, along with Archer and others, began to piece things together.

Even the less perceptive members, like Carr and Petrel, could sense that something was off.

After all, this was the first time they'd ever seen Giovanni so anxious, even showing a bit of desperation.

The diminutive Carr furrowed his brows and muttered quietly to himself, "The boss... has a child!?"

...

...

The atmosphere on Team Rocket's side was tense, and things weren't much better on the League's end.

Seeing the now completely desolate Lily of the Valley Island, the only Sinnoh native present, Cynthia, fell silent.

"It's okay. If a house is destroyed, it can be rebuilt. But if lives are lost, they can never be restored," Steven said, attempting to comfort her.

Although rebuilding Lily of the Valley Island would surely cost a fortune, Steven viewed the outcome of this massive battle—which resulted in relatively few casualties—as nothing short of miraculous.

This result was entirely acceptable, at least to him.

Moreover, let's not forget that this battle, unlike the Indigo Plateau Battle, wasn't broadcast live to the entire world.

Public opinion would be far easier to manage.

Cynthia didn't respond to Steven, as she hadn't even registered what he said.

Cynthia wasn't mourning the destruction of the Island but was instead preoccupied with the earth-shattering secret she now carried. What was she supposed to do next?

Still, Cynthia was the most level-headed among the future Champions. After a moment of silence, she suppressed her inner turmoil and called Bertha to ask about the displaced Lily of the Valley residents who had entered the portal.

"What? They're in Kalos!?"

Hearing Bertha's answer, Cynthia's right eye widened in shock.

Kalos was tens of thousands of miles away. What kind of power could transfer hundreds of thousands of people such a vast distance all at once?

"If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it either. But that Pokémon called Hoopa does have that ability," Bertha replied from the Arche Valley, glancing at the Hoopa being held by Meray.

She then asked, "You're calling me, so the battle's over, right? What's the situation?"

Cynthia was silent for a moment before responding, "It's a bit complicated. Tens of thousands of Lily of the Valley residents have been relocated, and we need to find them a new place to live. Also... someone will have to take responsibility for this."

Although the chaos caused by the battle on Lily of the Valley Island might not rival the Indigo Plateau Battle from a few months ago, its impact on ordinary people was far greater.

After all, the Indigo Plateau wasn't densely populated.

If it was destroyed, so be it—few civilians were affected.

But Lily of the Valley Island was different. It was home to hundreds of thousands of people. Now, in its ruined state, where were they supposed to live?

Even if the League paid for accommodations at hotels, public dissatisfaction was inevitable.

Someone would have to step up and take responsibility.

Or rather... someone would have to take the fall.

"Hah—"

Cynthia took a deep breath and then made up her mind. "I'll take responsibility for this..."

"Leave it to me."

Before Cynthia could finish her sentence, the Chairman of the Sinnoh League, with his ice-cream-like hairstyle, suddenly spoke up.

"Chairman, you—!?"

Cynthia was stunned.

As Sinnoh's Champion, it was her duty to protect the region from external threats.

No matter how strong the enemy was, if she failed to defeat them, the blame ultimately lay with her.

Besides, after learning that secret, Cynthia had been under immense psychological pressure. This could have been an opportunity for her to step away, clear her mind, and regain her balance.

"You are Sinnoh's hope, our pride. You cannot take on this burden," the Chairman said with utmost seriousness. Then, as he continued, a smile crept onto his face. "As for me, I'm different. I'll just treat this as an early retirement. Besides, I've already thought of a great successor."

"Who?"

Cynthia instinctively asked.

"A man named Cyrus. He's an up-and-coming philanthropist in the Sinnoh region."

...

Meanwhile, Stephen and his two companions arrived in Johto aboard a Team Rocket private jet.

After the collapse of Team Shadow, most of the underground businesses in Johto had fallen under Team Rocket's control.

In Cianwood City, by the sea, they stood before a dilapidated house.

Looking at the old building, Will clasped his hands behind his back and joked, "This brings back memories. It's just like ten years ago."

This was the house Giovanni had given to Stephen back then—the starting point of everything.

"We've only been gone two years, haven't we?"

Karen rolled her eyes in exasperation and turned to Stephen. "Why did we get off the plane here? Couldn't we have gone straight to the Team Rocket base?"

When the plane passed over Cianwood City, Stephen had asked Giovanni to make a stop.

At first, Karen thought Stephen just wanted to revisit an old haunt, but after landing, she realized that wasn't the case at all.

Had Will not suggested coming here, Stephen wouldn't have even considered it.

"You'll find out soon enough," Stephen said with a wave of his hand, signaling the two to follow him.

"By the way, Stephen," Itsuki said as the three of them strolled along the streets of Cerulean City, "when Uncle Giovanni asked about the kidnapped child earlier, things felt... tense."

"Yeah, well, the idea of Uncle Giovanni having a child is a bit shocking," Stephen replied calmly.

"What's so shocking about that? He's almost forty. Isn't it normal for someone his age to have kids?" Will asked, confused.

"You idiot," Karen snapped. "If you were the head of a massive organization with countless subordinates waiting for a chance to take over, and suddenly the boss revealed he had an illegitimate child, how would you feel?"

Will immediately jumped in realization. "You're saying... someone's planning a rebellion!?"

"Not necessarily. Most of the organization still respects Uncle Giovanni. Even if there were a rebellion, it wouldn't amount to much," Stephen said.

In the original story, the only one who truly broke down after learning Giovanni had a son and planned to make Silver his successor was Archer.

Honestly, Stephen was curious as to why Archer rebelled in the first place.

Even if Giovanni didn't have a son and chose a successor based on merit, Archer wouldn't have been the top candidate anyway.

Both Proton and Ariana outranked him in terms of qualifications—not to mention the two undercover agents in Kanto.

And let's not forget, if Koga hadn't left at the time, Archer would've been even further down the list.

"Hmm? This is... the Pokémon Center?"

When Stephen stopped walking, Will raised his head and looked around, clearly surprised.

"Welcome... huh? Wait, are you... Stephen-kun? Oh no, I can't call you 'Stephen-kun' anymore..."

As the three entered the building, a Nurse Joy accompanied by a Chansey instinctively called out.

"Long time no see, Sister Saori."

Stephen greeted her with a smile.

This Nurse Joy from Cianwood City's Pokémon Center was the one who, four years ago when Stephen first arrived in this world, had treated him to a meal and helped him register as a citizen.

"Wow! It's Champion Dr. Stephen!"

"Please give me your autograph!"

"I'm a fan of your Bewear! Can I see it?"

A group of young trainers immediately crowded around him.

Nurse Joy Saori handed Stephen a pen with a proud expression as if she were watching her child finally succeed.

After signing his name in flamboyant handwriting on several Poké Balls and pieces of clothing, Stephen handed a USB drive to Nurse Joy Saori.

"I told you I'd repay your kindness one day. Now it's time to fulfill that promise."

...

Two days later.

As expected, the Lily of the Valley Island incident made headlines.

The Kanto region's top-selling newspaper, Viridian Daily, reported:

["Led by Joker, Team Rocket and the League's SSS-level fugitive, the Masked Man, engaged in a fierce battle on Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley Island. The battle ended in Joker's narrow victory. This tragedy resulted in the destruction of the entire city on the island. With the League's full support, new housing has been secured for tens of thousands of displaced residents."]

The League's newspapers also avoided twisting the truth to claim that Lance or Cynthia had defeated the Masked Man.

To be fair, they wouldn't dare. After all, the Masked Man had left behind battle footage online.

A person capable of suppressing even Ho-Oh—who else but Joker, armed with Shadow Lugia, could take him down?

But soon, Stephen came across a report that left him utterly speechless.

On a morning news program by Sinnoh's Jubilife TV, the Sinnoh League Chairman—whom Stephen had met once during the Galar Champion's Cup and the Alola Friendship Tournament—bowed deeply before the camera. With the iconic "Sumimasen!" opening, the Chairman tearfully declared:

["This disaster is entirely my responsibility as Chairman. I will bear all the consequences. The successor to the presidency has already been decided. Cyrus is an outstanding young man. Though he is only 24 years old, he is already a renowned philanthropist on Sinnoh's Commercial Street. I believe that this new duo of Cyrus and Cynthia will lead Sinnoh to even greater heights."] ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"Pfft—"

Stephen spat out a mouthful of coffee, right onto Will's face.

Seriously? One corrupt Chairman in Kalos wasn't enough? Now Sinnoh wants to join the party too?

While nearly every media outlet across the Pokémon world was reporting on the Lily of the Valley Island incident, Johto's Goldenrod TV aired a different story:

["According to information provided by the Joy family, two days ago, Dr. Stephen delivered a set of medical equipment designs to Nurse Joy Saori at Cianwood Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy Saori, who was interviewed, stated that this technology will revolutionize the medical field and the entire Pokémon world. It drastically reduces treatment time while greatly improving effectiveness. Even as the current Alola League Champion, Dr. Stephen's heart remains with Johto. Perhaps in a few years, after President Lusamine fades into obscurity, Dr. Stephen will return to Johto!"]

The device Stephen had given Nurse Joy Saori was based on healing technology he had seen in the Dragon Ball world—a nutrient chamber.

While it couldn't treat Pokémon inside their Poké Balls like traditional machines, its speed and effectiveness were unparalleled.

At the very least, incidents like Blaziken's inability to compete due to severe injuries from the first day of the Silver Conference wouldn't happen again.

This technology had already been implemented in Alola and within Team Rocket.

Incidentally, Aster was currently using one of these healing tanks.

It was undeniably a groundbreaking advancement in Pokémon medicine, benefiting all Pokémon worldwide.

As the video of Nurse Joy Saori's interview was broadcast by Goldenrod TV, it quickly triggered widespread reactions, becoming one of the two most talked-about developments in recent days.

With someone else drawing public attention, the Sinnoh League's troubles should have eased.

Yet, while her colleagues sighed in relief, Champion Cynthia found herself unable to feel any joy.

She suspected that Stephen was threatening her.

Meanwhile, Stephen's phone rang.

To be precise, it wasn't his phone that rang—it was the phone Marnie had given him.