Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice-Chapter 189: Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice []

At the Hao'aole Police Station in the Hao'aole Commercial District.

Inside the reception room, Nanu plopped himself down on the sofa, gesturing toward the couch opposite him. He invited Cynthia and Diantha with a wave of his hand, saying, "Please, have a seat."

Not long ago, Nanu had tracked down these female trainers shopping in the commercial district. After identifying himself, he invited Cynthia and Diantha to come for a private discussion.

"Mr. Nanu, why did you call us here?"

Diantha, sitting beside Cynthia, asked with a slight frown.

Just moments ago, Caitlin had been visibly upset that Nanu had chosen only Cynthia and Diantha for this conversation and demanded to know why she couldn't join in. Nanu didn't explain much, only stating that the matter was critical and could only involve those who had participated in the Indigo Battle.

On top of that, the meeting being held at a police station gave Diantha a foreboding feeling.

"Let me introduce myself once again. I'm Nanu. You both know me as the Island Kahuna of Ula'ula Island, but in truth, I have another identity."

Nanu pulled down his collar and retrieved a badge from an inner pocket.

International Police, Agent Number: 000

The sight of the badge made both Diantha and Cynthia's faces subtly change.

It wasn't particularly surprising that Nanu was both an Island Kanuha and a member of the International Police. Many figures within the League held multiple roles. Even Lance, the Dragon Master, was both an Elite Four member and an investigator.

However, the number "000" on the badge... was no ordinary agent's number.

Nanu put the badge away, his tone remaining as lazy as ever. "Since two years ago, I've been under orders from the chairman to investigate Joker. But recently, the chairman abruptly rescinded those orders."

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Diantha instinctively guessed, "Is it because Joker's identity is now clear? He's Dr. Stephen's brother, who was disgraced after the Olivine Gym Incident and, out of disappointment with the League, joined Team Rocket. Chairman Goodshow likely decided there's no longer any need to investigate, right?"

"That's correct—on the surface, at least."

Nanu poured tea for the two of them, though neither felt like drinking.

"On the surface?"

Hearing those words, Cynthia's uncovered right eye narrowed slightly in thought.

"For reasons I can't explain, despite lacking solid evidence, I feel something about this situation doesn't add up."

Nanu poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and raised his half-closed eyes to glance at the two women.

"Let's not even mention the incident with the Shadow Lugia. If it weren't for Dr. Stephen's Bewear wearing it down significantly, followed by Zamazenta landing the final blow, do you think Joker could have captured the Shadow Lugia so easily?"

Diantha frowned deeply. "Mr. Nanu, isn't your speculation a bit far-fetched? It's entirely possible that Joker was lurking in the shadows, waiting for the Shadow Lugia to be weakened before making his move. That explanation works too, doesn't it?"

Diantha felt Nanu's reasoning was like shooting arrows and then drawing the target afterward. He'd already decided Stephen was suspicious and was now working backward to prove it. It was absurd.

"Then why would the Shadow Lugia acknowledge Joker as its trainer?" Nanu asked again.

Diantha raised an eyebrow, recalling the events before answering, "Because if it didn't cooperate with Joker, Zamazenta would have killed it."

This incident highlighted Joker's remarkable skills as a trainer. Despite its weakened state, the Shadow Lugia, under Joker's command, managed to endure two strikes from the Sword King.

"Exactly. If it weren't for Dr. Stephen's... oh, wait, it's not even his. If it weren't for him summoning Zamazenta and forcing the Shadow Lugia into a desperate situation, the Lugia wouldn't have acknowledged Joker as its trainer so quickly, would it?"

Nanu clicked his tongue and continued. "Don't you think Dr. Stephen's actions seemed almost like he was helping Joker tame the Shadow Lugia?"

Diantha was at a loss for words. Was Nanu just dead set on accusing Dr. Stephen of something?

"Mr. Nanu, I understand that as a member of the International Police, being suspicious is part of your job. But Dr. Stephen is, if not a savior of the world, at least a hero who saved the League. Accusing him like this is inappropriate."

After saying this, Diantha stood up, pulling Cynthia along. "Let's go, Cynthia!"

"This is my card."

Nanu placed a business card on the table in front of Cynthia. "If you think of anything suspicious, feel free to contact me."

Nanu knew from the start that his words would make him unpopular. But as the ace of the International Police, his ability to remain unaffected by public opinion was what made him successful.

Even if Dr. Stephen was a hero who saved the League, Nanu would still investigate if he found reason to suspect him.

Cynthia hesitated for a moment but ultimately pocketed the business card.

...

Outside the Hao'aole Police Station, Diantha pouted in displeasure. "Cynthia, why did you take that lazy old man's business card? Don't tell me you suspect Dr. Stephen too?"

"Not at all," Cynthia replied with a faint smile. "But since he's the ace of the International Police, we might need his help someday."

["Good evening, viewers. I'm DJ Mary, your newscaster from Manalo TV."]

Back in the commercial district, as Diantha and Cynthia were preparing to reunite with Caitlin and the others, the large screen in the square lit up with an image of Mary, a young girl exuding a delicate charm.

["Pokémon fans, as you know, I've been filling in as a commentator for this week's Alola Friendship Tournament. For the next five days, aside from news broadcasts, I'll also be reviewing classic battles from the tournament."]

["Now, let's dive into today's news. The first day of the Friendship Tournament celebrating the official establishment of the Alola League has concluded successfully. Top trainers from all regions have gathered to showcase the League's prosperity. Chairman Goodshow and other League chairpersons attended the event at Manalo Stadium to watch the battles in person. Unfortunately, the former chairman of the Kalos region recently announced his retirement and was unable to attend. Rumors suggest that Lysandre, the head of the Lysandre Group, is the leading candidate to succeed him..."]

Cynthia froze in her tracks, staring at the screen broadcasting Mary's report.

"What's wrong, Cynthia?" Diantha asked, puzzled by her friend's reaction.

"I... I just remembered. That girl is... a fan of Joker!"

Cynthia's eyes lit up with realization.

She recalled that a year ago, during the Jewel of Life Incident, she had joined Steven and Lance in forming a temporary team to search for Joker across Johto.

One day, while out buying ice cream alone, she was approached by a young girl for an interview. That girl was none other than Mary, who now appeared on the screen as a news anchor.

Cynthia distinctly remembered that during the interview, Mary had been adamantly trying to clear Joker's name, believing he had some hidden, misunderstood motives.

But that wasn't all. Cynthia also remembered that during last month's Indigo Battle, after Dr. Stephen had arrived on the battlefield, a girl in the rear of the crowd had been cheering loudly for him.

Most people's attention was focused on Dr. Stephen, but because Cynthia was closer, she noticed that it was Mary. However, Mary had only cheered twice before being dragged away by another girl with long, light blue hair.

This left Cynthia even more puzzled. A year ago, Mary had been passionately defending Joker, but last month, she was supporting Stephen, whose role seemed to oppose Joker's.

And now, Mary had appeared in Alola as a news anchor?

What was going on here? Cynthia furrowed her brow, her unease growing.

At that moment, she too felt that something wasn't right.

...

...

The next day, the Alola Friendship Tournament continued.

Half of the strong contenders from various regions had already been eliminated.

The eyes of the global audience were now focused on a select few individuals—the ones about to ascend the champion's throne.

Since Steven's ace, Metagross, was no longer at its peak, although Steven wouldn't abandon it, he did have to start training a new ace. Naturally, Wallace was pushed forward by the Hoenn League to prepare to take over Drake's position.

But this wasn't a big deal. After all, the championship position in Hoenn was like a public restroom—it just kept alternating between the two of them.

The second day's matches had the world's live-stream audience primarily focused on two key battles:

Lance vs. Agatha

Cynthia vs. Lucian

The former was a showdown between the Indigo League's champion-in-waiting and its current champion.

The latter was a battle between Sinnoh's champion-in-waiting and the head of Sinnoh's Elite Four.

The first match of the day, however, was between Hassel, the head of Paldea's Elite Four, and Alder.

The match-up sparked lots of discussion among the live-stream audience. However, some people weren't interested in this match and started talking about other things.

["Lance barely beat Geeta yesterday. He might crash and burn against Agatha."]

["Not necessarily. What if Agatha goes easy on him?"]

["Don't kid yourself. If Agatha held back, Lance would flip out. This guy might have a bad temper, but his pride wouldn't let him tolerate such an insult."]

["This reminds me of how the former Galar chairman once tried to rig a match to help the former champion Mustard keep his undefeated record. Mustard was so mad he quit right after."]

["Wait a second—Cynthia looks a little distracted. What's going on?"]

When Lucian's Noivern was knocked out and he retrieved it, the broadcast briefly panned over the audience.

Some sharp-eyed viewers noticed Cynthia's face looked somewhat absent-minded.

One commenter asked: ["What's up with this 'Shirona' nickname?"]

Another quickly answered: ["You don't know? Joker gave Cynthia that nickname!"]

This immediately diverted the attention of the live-stream chat:

["What's going on? Why is Joker giving Cynthia a nickname?"]

["Could something shady be going on between the two of them?"]

["Is she thinking about Joker?"]

["OMG! The strongest woman in the League and the most wanted criminal in the League? This ship is killing me!"]

...

The 3v3 friendship match between Alder and Hassel eventually ended with Alder narrowly securing a victory.

However, Unova's viewers weren't thrilled. After all, seeing their champion barely scrape through against an Elite Four member—it wasn't exactly something to celebrate.

In the audience, people like Elesa, Skyla, and Shauntal also realized that Alder was past his prime.

Even more concerning was the fact that Alder's ace, Volcarona, had passed away some time ago, leaving him dispirited.

Unlike Steven, who still had the drive to train a new ace after his Metagross declined, Alder had completely lost his spark.

But what worried Unova even more was the lack of a successor.

Look at the other regions: Kanto had Lance ready to take over from Agatha. Hoenn had Steven stepping up for Drake, with Wallace as a super backup. Sinnoh had Cynthia. Kalos had Diantha.

But Unova? No one.

The chairwoman of the Unova League, known as Dragon Granny, sighed deeply. She suddenly remembered that Cynthia had mentioned taking care of a little girl with powerful psychic abilities. Maybe she could convince the girl to join Unova?

...

...

...

"100 years ago, Dahara City was just a small town in the middle of a remote desert. One day, a Legendary Pokémon appeared and used its powers to bring immense wealth to the town. The town grew rapidly, transforming almost overnight into one of the largest cities in the Kalos region."

Outside the desert near Dahara City, Stephen was explaining to Karen and Will:

"That Legendary Pokémon could retrieve objects from afar. It could access alternate dimensions to take its target. Using this ability, brought great wealth to the townspeople."

"Retrieve objects from afar?"

Karen seemed thoughtful, then suddenly shuddered:

"You're saying it could retrieve not just items, but even other Legendary Pokémon...?"

Stephen nodded.

Upon hearing this, Will's jaw dropped in shock.

That kind of power was insane!

Stephen confirmed it."

"But back to the point—where exactly is this so-called genie? There are only four days left."

Ichiki furrowed his brows in frustration.

Stephen didn't answer.

From his memories of his past life, he knew that the siblings who controlled Hoopa lived in a place called the Arche Valley, located in the desert not far from Dahara City.

But that was all he knew. The exact location? He'd have to search for it.

"It won't take too long. It's already late today. Let's head back to Dahara City to rest," Stephen said to the two.

From his past life memories, Stephen recalled that the younger sister of the Hoopa siblings would occasionally take Hoopa to Dahara City to shop. That's how Ash and his friends encountered Hoopa.

Although Stephen didn't think he had the same kind of miraculous luck as Ash, who knows—maybe he'd hit the jackpot?

Besides, camping out in the middle of the desert was nowhere near as comfortable as a hotel in the city.

...

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Stephen. I am Lysandre, the chief representative of the Lysandre Group."

As soon as Stephen and his group returned to the hotel, a tall man nearly two meters in height walked up to greet them.

But more striking than his height was his appearance—he looked just like a Pyroar from the Kalos region.

To make it even more amusing, he had a Pyroar standing by his side!

"A Kalos billionaire? How does he know we're here?" Will whispered.

Karen, unfazed, replied, "This hotel belongs to the Lysandre Group."

The Lysandre Group held the same status in Kalos as Silph Co. in Kanto, Devon Corp. in Hoenn, and Aether Paradise in Alola.

"Not just the chief representative—Mr. Lysandre is also about to become the chairman of the Kalos League."

At that moment, a playful female voice came from behind Lysandre.

Just from the tone of her voice, you could tell she was stunning.

When she stepped forward, Will's eyes nearly popped out.

She was wearing a sleeveless, tight-fitting top that covered only half of her upper body, exposing her slim waist. The neckline was half-open, revealing an impressive figure.

Her lower body was dressed in tight red leather pants, with diamond-shaped cutouts showing patches of fair skin.

Coupled with her light red glasses, Will swallowed hard and muttered, "If this woman starred in adult movies, she'd become famous across the Pokémon world."

This was Malva, Kalos's Fire-type Elite Four member and the top anchor for the region's news network!

Karen secretly kicked Will.

But she had to admit that the woman in front of her had a certain destructive charm, even more so than Lorelei's useless fat, so to speak.

While Lorelei was also stunning, her cold and distant aura wasn't exactly appealing to men.

This woman, on the other hand, exuded such an irresistible allure that she could make any man lose control at just a glance.

However, what gave Karen some relief was that Stephen didn't stare at Malva with the same mesmerized expression as Will.

"The chairman of the Kalos League... Kalos has a turbulent fate," Stephen silently mocked to himself. Then, with a polite smile, he greeted:

"We just arrived yesterday, and I didn't expect Mr. Lysandre to come looking for us so soon."

Lysandre immediately expressed his apologies, saying it was rude of him not to personally welcome Stephen, the hero who saved the league, upon his arrival. Upon learning from his subordinates that Stephen was staying at this hotel, he rushed here from Lumiose City.

As expected, Lysandre soon asked why Stephen, who was busy hosting the Friendship Tournament in Alola, had decided to visit Kalos.

Stephen explained that, in the days leading up to the tournament, his presence wasn't particularly needed, and he was intrigued by the Keystone Diantha had gifted him. So, he decided to take advantage of this spare time to visit.

That was correct—Stephen hadn't tried to hide his reason for coming to Kalos. After all, researching Mega Evolution was a legitimate excuse.

But Lysandre showing up so quickly was a bit unexpected.

Was he afraid Team Flare might accidentally expose themselves in front of Stephen?

"This isn't the best place to talk. I've already prepared a lavish dinner. Please, Dr. Stephen, do me the honor of attending," Lysandre said with a smile, gesturing invitingly.

Stephen didn't refuse, mainly because he had no valid reason to.

That said, he wasn't too keen on getting too close to someone as unhinged as Lysandre.

To be honest, among the crime bosses across all regions, only Giovanni, Archie, and Cyrus seemed somewhat normal. Oh, and let's not forget Guzma.

...

In the hotel lobby, an extravagant buffet of all kinds of food was laid out, resembling a self-service feast.

However, there wasn't a single other guest present. It was clear that Lysandre had rented out the entire place.

"What's your opinion, Dr. Stephen, on this new type of stone discovered by the Lysandre Group?" Lysandre initiated the conversation.

Stephen was just about to respond when he suddenly noticed something unusual above the dessert section behind Lysandre.

A glowing halo appeared out of thin air.

Moments later, a pair of stubby pink-and-gray hands emerged from the halo, reaching mischievously for a donut on the table.

Stephen was dumbfounded.

No, wait—why are you stealing food now of all times?

Do you even realize that the local crime boss is standing right here?