Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice-Chapter 152: Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice []

In the end, Stephen still did not answer the question from Alexa and, along with Lusamine, Rose, and the others, quickly entered the VIP lounge of the Palace Gate Arena to prepare for the opening ceremony the next day.

Feeling the vibration from his phone in his pocket, he thought it was a good time to check.

Stephen excused himself from the others and went to the restroom.

As he unbuckled his belt, he opened his phone.

Stephen found his screen filled with emails and missed calls.

He first replied to an email from Karen.

Karen's message was brief but conveyed her feelings clearly: ["Just let me know when you've decided."]

As for the rest—

Rosa: 3 messages.

Hilda: 2 messages.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

Iono: 6 messages.

Serena: 4 messages.

...

...

...

Kukui: 25 messages.

Giovanni: 37 messages.

...

Stephen replied to the group chat of the younger trainers with a simple: ["Still considering."]

After thinking for a moment, he decided to call Kukui first.

Kukui, sounding anxious, assured him that he would find a way to handle the Bewear situation and pleaded with Stephen not to agree to anything with Rose.

Stephen chuckled, "Professor Kukui, no need to panic. Worst case, you can just hold the champion title for two years and appoint the Island Kahunas and Captains as Gym Leaders."

For a league to be established, the basic requirement is one champion and eight gym leaders.

While Kukui barely met the threshold for a champion, he was still of champion-level strength.

As for the eight gym leaders, although Alola wasn't large, they could make it work.

Kukui remained silent for a while before sighing with a bitter smile, ["I could have endured the darkness, but you let me see the light."]

Indeed, Kukui's dream of establishing the Alola Pokémon League had already come true.

But as the famous philosopher once said:

A person never thinks they have too much food. A person never thinks their house is too big. When someone has a small house, they want a bigger one. When they have a big house, they want an estate.

And right now, that was exactly how Kukui felt.

Stephen had helped him achieve his dream of establishing the Alola League nearly ten years ahead of schedule.

But over time, Kukui realized that he not only wanted Alola to have a league—he wanted Alola to become one of the top leagues.

And his greatest trump card was Stephen.

["Sorry, I should already be grateful that you helped Alola join the league, but here I am, being greedy."]

Kukui sincerely apologized.

Stephen smiled and said, "I never said I was leaving, did I? And you don't need to feel guilty about this—it's human nature."

Desire is an essential factor in human evolution; there is no shame in it.

Besides, Kukui was already selfless enough.

After all, he was doing this for Alola, not for himself.

Just as Stephen hung up on Kukui, he immediately received a call from Giovanni.

["Stephen, do you need a branch in Galar? Should I send a squad for you to command?"]

Giovanni's efficiency was as high as ever.

"Not for now. I'm still thinking about how to handle this," Stephen replied honestly.

His initial plan was for Bewear to make a big impact and then leave. Worst case, he could find a new mate later.

But relationships are unpredictable—what if they truly developed feelings over time?

["Hmm... do as you see fit. In the end, it's just moving the branch from Alola to Galar."]

After a brief pause, Giovanni continued:

["Actually, Galar isn't bad. That old fox Rose is willing to do whatever it takes to make Galar stronger. The benefits he can offer you far outweigh what Lusamine can—who, let's be honest, is only good for spreading her legs."]

Giovanni analyzed the situation objectively.

And he wasn't wrong.

Even if Rose knew Stephen's true identity, he wouldn't care.

As long as Stephen was willing to work in Galar, Rose wouldn't mind if he was from Team Rocket or even Rainbow Rocket.

Moreover, Rose was willing to invest all resources necessary to cultivate talent.

His decision to unleash Eternatus and have Leon capture it in the anime was proof of that.

In comparison, what could Lusamine offer?

At best, just some pleasure—but there were plenty of women in Galar who could provide that.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Hanging up now."

Stephen quickly ended the call.

If he let Giovanni continue, the topic would go straight into mature territory.

Stephen returned to the VIP lounge and resumed discussions with Rose and Lusamine about the opening ceremony.

But the atmosphere... was hard to describe.

And in just the ten minutes that Stephen had been on the phone—

As Zamazenta had hoped—his situation with Bewear had already shocked the world.

International Reactions:

Unova's Flying Cloud Daily:

["It is clear that Dr. Stephen is hesitant about Bewear and Zamazenta's relationship, but we believe he will choose to stay in Galar. If he does, there is a 99% chance he will become Zamazenta's trainer. The allure of having a top-tier Legendary is something even Dr. Stephen may struggle to resist."]

Johto's Goldenrod TV:

["We must admit, the Galar League's tactics are highly effective. Sending Zamazenta as a prospective son-in-law to emotionally tie down Dr. Stephen is an even more sophisticated strategy than traditional seduction."]

Galar's Palace Gate TV:

["Chairman Rose has yet to comment on Dr. Stephen's decision, but we interviewed several Galar gym leaders preparing to compete in the Galar Star Tournament. They all expressed their strong support for Dr. Stephen staying. If he does, his two companions, Mr. Will and Miss Morgan, are also likely to join. Alongside current champion Leon and Elite Four-level trainers Raihan and Melony, Galar would form the most powerful lineup in League history!"]

Kalos's Lumiose TV:

["Our investigation shows that during their nearly ten-day stay in Freezington, Bewear and Zamazenta broke seven double beds. However, local villagers reported seeing Zamazenta on the hotel balcony late at night, looking troubled and unwilling to return to the bedroom."]

...

The next morning at 10 AM, at the Palace Gate Arena in Galar.

Fireworks exploded in the sky above the stadium with loud "boom boom" sounds.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Galar region!"

In the center of the stadium, the rising platform activated, and Chairman Rose emerged, waving as he introduced:

"Our Galar region boasts breathtaking natural landscapes and prosperous towns. Many Pokémon and people live here in harmony, enjoying life together."

"And today, I, Rose, will be distributing the Pokédex—a device capable of identifying Pokémon, invented by the world's greatest scientist, Dr. Stephen—to the trainers of Galar!"

As he spoke, Rose pulled out an early-model Pokédex from the pocket of his suit with his left hand and waved toward the VIP section with his right.

Following the direction of Rose's gesture, the stadium's spotlight shone upon the central seat in the VIP section, illuminating Dr. Stephen.

"Ohhh—!"

Stephen raised his hand and gave a small wave, and the audience immediately responded with a deafening cheer.

Meanwhile, in the female competitors' lounge, watching the broadcast on the wall-mounted TV, Bea's eyes sparkled with admiration as she remarked, "This level of reception is on par with Mr. Leon."

Nessa nodded. "Well, if Doctor stays in Galar, our region could rival Kanto in strength."

...

The spotlight did not linger on Stephen for too long. Rose put away the Pokédex and gestured toward the rising platform once again.

"And now, let's welcome the pride of Galar—our Champion, Leon—to ignite the sacred flame!"

The platform activated once more, and Leon appeared alongside his Charizard.

He struck his signature pose, further electrifying the atmosphere.

"Charizard! Gigantamax!"

With a sweeping gesture, Leon's voice rang out, pushing the excitement in the stadium to a fever pitch.

In sync with the energy of Leon's Dynamax Band, Charizard visibly expanded in size, swelling to a Godzilla-like scale.

Its flaming wings blazed intensely, transforming into wings of fire.

Gigantamax Charizard!

"Roooar—!" Gigantamax Charizard spewed a torrent of flames, soaring through the air and taking the shape of a phoenix before landing on the altar at the center of the stadium.

The sacred flame was lit!

"They're going all out with this," Stephen quipped, crossing his legs as he watched the spectacle.

In the original Indigo League, the sacred flame was taken from Moltres. The Silver Conference used Ho-Oh's flame. As for the other regional leagues, Stephen couldn't recall which legendary Pokémon their flames came from.

But Galar was using Charizard's fire... That was quite the honor.

Then again, Gigantamax battles were highly entertaining, and having a Gigantamax Charizard ignite the flame did create a more dramatic effect than a simple torch runner.

It was a matter of perspective.

"Big Brother Stephen, are you leaving Alola?"

Despite the grand opening ceremony, Lillie was not captivated by the spectacle. She pursed her lips, looking at Stephen with reluctance.

"Don't worry, I probably won't."

Stephen reassured the young girl.

When leaving the hotel that morning, Stephen had originally planned to let Bewear stay behind with Zamazenta.

But Bewear had insisted on following him, leaving Zamazenta sulking for quite a while.

If Bewear had no particular attachment to Zamazenta, Stephen wouldn't have stayed.

Zamazenta didn't hold enough personal significance for him.

Still, Stephen hadn't made any promises. That morning, Zamazenta had mentioned planning a trip back to Slumbering Weald to retrieve its shield.

Once it assumed its Crowned Shield form, Bewear would no longer find it unworthy.

Upon hearing the word "probably," Lusamine and her family lost interest in watching the tournament.

"And now, let's welcome the contenders of this year's Galar Star Tournament!"

With the sacred flame lit, Rose made another grand gesture.

Dozens of competitors, dressed in battle uniforms, entered the stadium in unison.

Among them were Melony, Raihan, and other current Gym Leaders of Galar, as well as Bea and Gordie—their second-string counterparts.

The audience's loudest cheers were reserved for Melony, whose physique remained stunning even under a thick winter coat, Raihan, with his striking good looks, and Nessa, who had the grace of a mermaid.

The Galar Star Tournament was different from the league championships of other regions.

In other Pokémon Leagues, there were usually hundreds of participants.

These trainers would battle in preliminary rounds—often in 1v1 or 3v3 matchups—at smaller arenas surrounding the main stadium.

Only after the numbers were whittled down to a few dozen would the full 6v6 battles take place in the grand stadium.

The Galar Star Tournament, however, was different. Rose had limited the number of participants from the very beginning.

Right from the start, full 6v6 battles were the standard format.

Another key difference from other Pokémon Leagues was that Gym Leaders competed as regular participants from Round 1.

Unlike other leagues where a champion was first determined before challenging the Elite Four and Gym Leaders, here, Gym Leaders had to battle from the beginning just like everyone else.

"Hmm?"

Stephen's eyes suddenly caught a few familiar figures in the lineup of competitors.

Noticing his gaze, Sonia—who was holding a Pikachu in her arms—explained:

"Doctor, are you interested in those newcomers? I heard they just transferred their residency to Galar from other regions this month. Because of their potential, Chairman Rose gave them special invitations to participate in this tournament."

Just as Sonia finished speaking, the giant screen displayed a list of all the competitors' faces.

Below their portraits, their names were written.

Reggie! Valerie!

When Stephen saw these two names, his expression turned a little strange.

Was this a butterfly effect caused by his actions?

Well... this could make things more interesting.

Bzzz—

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, Stephen took it out to check.

It was a message from Giovanni.

The message contained a location—Slateport City in the Hoenn region.

And a single line of text:

["Karen attacked."]

Stephen's eyebrows furrowed deeply.

What the hell happened?!

"Stephen... this..."

Beside him, Will had also seen the message.

"Looks like we won't be able to enjoy the show."

Stephen put away his phone, ready to make a run for it.

"Leaving now? There are tens of thousands of eyes on us."

Will glanced around and whispered.

Although the contestants were entering one after another, among the 100,000 spectators, many were still sneaking glances at the VIP section.

Not to mention, the cameras were occasionally focusing on Stephen.

Anyone unaware of the situation might think he was the main character.

If Stephen left now, the whole world would be curious about where he was going.

Moreover, if he wanted to travel to Hoenn, just the round trip would take nearly ten hours. He couldn't just say he was going to the restroom, right?

"Of all times, Zoroark isn't around... Hmm?"

Stephen suddenly noticed the Pikachu sitting on Sonia's lap.

At that moment, it was comfortably seated on Sonia's denim-clad thighs, its head resting against her soft, D-cup pillow, watching the match while enjoying being fed.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Stephen grabbed Pikachu (Mew) by the scruff of its neck and walked out.

Will quickly followed.

Mew: ???

Sonia was also baffled. Why take Pikachu to the restroom?

...

Five minutes later, in the men's restroom of Wyndon Arena.

"That's the situation. I need to take a trip, so until I get back, you'll have to transform into me and act as usual."

Stephen placed Mew on the sink and quickly explained the current situation.

"Mew~"

Even though it still looked like a yellow rat, since there were no outsiders around, Mew didn't bother to disguise its real voice.

After hearing Stephen's request, Mew leaned against the mirror, squinting mischievously.

[Why should I help you?]

"Tch~"

This was exactly why Stephen never liked cats in his past life—too difficult to deal with!

"What do you want?"

Not knowing what the situation with Karen was, Stephen didn't want to waste time and directly asked what this fake yellow rodent wanted in exchange.

["Mew~ I don't think I lack anything~"]

Mew scratched its chin in thought.

For food, it could just teleport to a human store and grab some.

For entertainment, the exciting drama between Bewear and Zamazenta wasn't over yet.

After thinking for a moment, it realized it truly lacked nothing.

["Speaking of which, you seem to have another identity to keep hidden. I think it'd be more fun if I didn't help you—your cover getting blown would make things much more interesting, Mew~"]

Mew smirked mischievously as if imagining something amusing.

Stephen's eyes widened.

If he didn't need this thieving cat's help right now, he'd have given it a good smack.

After thinking for a moment, Stephen asked, "Have you ever played video games?"

Mew blinked in confusion. "Mew?"

Five minutes later...

Hearing footsteps behind her, Sonia turned around and saw Stephen returning.

"Huh? Pika—"

Sonia was about to ask where Pikachu had gone.

But in the next second, "Stephen" plopped right onto her lap.

"Ahhh!"

Sonia screamed and pushed Stephen off her, her face turning as red as a monkey's butt.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

Lusamine and her two children, along with Rose—who had just announced the start of the tournament and returned to the VIP section to try recruiting Stephen—were all dumbfounded.

Uh... what? What's going on?

Mew, now sitting on the ground with a sore butt, looked aggrieved.

Why did she hit me?

Doesn't she like having me sit on her lap?

A second later, Mew realized something.

Oh... right. I almost forgot I'm that guy now.

Mew casually sat back on the sofa and continued watching the match.

At the same time, he kept stuffing snacks from the table into his mouth.

Though he acted as if nothing had happened, everyone in the VIP section could no longer remain calm.

Feeling the lingering warmth on her thighs, Sonia—her face now redder than ever—couldn't help but sneak glances at Stephen as he stuffed his face.

What does he mean by this?

Lusamine, looking pitiful, thought to herself: "As expected... I'm too old now."

Lillie: "Why... why did Big Brother Stephen suddenly become like this...?"

Gladion: "If Brother Stephen leaves, how are we supposed to deal with Team Rocket?"

Oleana: "Chairman, this situation is getting out of control."

Rose: "I was too careless. I thought Dr. Stephen only went after widowed women, but it turns out anyone with a romantic connection is a potential target."

Meanwhile...

Stephen and Will were riding on Galarian Articuno, flying toward the Hoenn region across the sea.

"Stephen, is it really okay for me to leave? That Mew can only transform into one person. With both of us gone..."

Will realized something and asked.

Stephen: "You don't need to worry about that. No one cares where you go."

Will: "..."

PS: F for Will...