Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice-Chapter 255: Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice []

In Fortree City, the entire Hoenn League elite—gym leaders, Elite Four members, and even the Champion Wallace, along with Hoenn's top trainer Steven—had all gathered.

Coincidentally, due to the ongoing reconstruction of the Indigo Plateau Arena, the main cast of trainers, who had chosen the Hoenn Grand Festival as their first regional league challenge, were also gathered here. Among them were Ash, Gary, Gold, Ruby, and Sapphire.

"You!?"

As soon as Ruby and Sapphire met, they instinctively pointed at each other.

"I've already got seven badges. As long as I beat Winona, the Fortree Gym Leader, I'll qualify for the Grand Festival," Gold said proudly.

"That's only because I spent more time on special training! Otherwise, I'd already have all eight badges!" Ash retorted, refusing to lose face.

He currently had only five badges—the fewest among the three.

Gold and Gary both flipped him off.

"Why are Mr. Steven and the others all gathered here? Did something happen?" Gold asked, noticing the series of trainers entering the Fortree Gym.

Gary glanced over. "Looks like Team Rocket is up to something again. They're probably discussing how to deal with them."

"I know, I know!" Ash, finally able to dominate the topic, eagerly told them everything that happened at the recent Fortree Carnival.

Seeing Ash's smug face, Gary couldn't help but jab, "So who did you beat? Green? Or maybe that girl Marnie?"

"Well... no. The guy from Team Magma suddenly broke down crying while hugging this mutated Team Rocket woman... and then they all just left without fighting..."

Ash babbled on while Gold and Gary looked increasingly confused.

Someone from Team Magma cried in front of Team Rocket? And there was a woman with mutated limbs?

What the heck kind of story was this?

"So, you didn't even fight?" Gary asked after a moment of silence.

"N-No! I told you, they just left mid-scene!" Ash pouted.

"Pfft," Gary and Gold scoffed at the same time, clearly unimpressed.

If you didn't even fight, what's with all the bragging?

Just as Gold was considering sneaking into the Fortree Gym to eavesdrop on the meeting, a loud argument erupted from behind.

The Kanto trio turned to see two Hoenn trainers suddenly quarreling for some unknown reason.

Inside the meeting, where the Hoenn Chairman and Joseph Stone—the richest man in Hoenn—were present, the two men revealed a secret plan they had orchestrated six years ago: Project Rayquaza Capture.

Combining what they had witnessed of Aster during the carnival, and things Marnie and Zinnia said at Mt. Pyre, the Chairman and Mr. Stone had pieced together the full picture.

A heavy silence hung in the room. Whether it was the young gym leaders like Flannery and the twins Tate and Liza, or veterans like Drake and Juan, they all stared at their League Chairman and tycoon in disbelief.

They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

They had tried to gang up on Rayquaza to catch it—and it already had a trainer?!

And they killed her?!

"So, you're saying, after Mr. Stone took Rayquaza, its trainer, Aster, didn't die, but was saved by Team Rocket, and now she's back for revenge. That's it, right?" It was Champion Leon who finally broke the silence.

"That's why Zinnia called her cousin. No wonder she was so hostile to me in Slateport..." Steven muttered with a bitter smile.

Wallace licked his dry lips. "It's unclear if they're really after revenge, but from what we've gathered, their immediate goal is to help Aster reclaim Rayquaza."

Winona frowned. "Rayquaza was Aster's Pokémon. If she were just a normal trainer, I wouldn't object to her reclaiming it. But she's now a member of Team Rocket. If she succeeds, Team Rocket will control the sky dragon. Everyone... what do you think we should do?"

Once again, silence.

They knew deep down the League was in the wrong.

Rayquaza was hers. She had every right to take it back.

But she was now with Team Rocket, and not just any member—one of the Shichibukai, the Seven Warlords.

Team Rocket was already a global menace. Add a Rayquaza to that mix.

Forget the League—this might become the most dangerous criminal organization since the dawn of time!

"...Let me take responsibility for this," Mr. Stone suddenly said.

...

Alola – Aether Paradise, Pokémon League HQ Meeting Room.

Lusamine, now the new Chairman of the global Pokémon League, handed a file to Stephen. "Stephen, how should we deal with this?"

It was the Hoenn Chairman's proposal for resolving the Aster incident.

They planned to hold a public apology, revealing the full truth of the Rayquaza capture and seeking forgiveness from Aster and Zinnia.

Stephen deadpanned.

In the original manga, Mr. Stone did resolve the whole thing by confessing and apologizing—plus some protagonist-level talk no jutsu.

As ridiculous as it was, it had worked.

But this was real life now.

Given how Zinnia acted like a Sasuke-possessed edgelord, Stephen seriously doubted that an apology would cut it.

And now Lusamine was the League Chairman, not Goodshow. This kind of scandal would destroy her.

Then his phone rang.

It was Green. Giovanni wanted to talk.

Stephen told Lusamine, "Tell them not to act rashly," and opened a portal using Hoopa to the Team Rocket base.

Giovanni was already steaming.

"What happened, uncle? You're burning up," Stephen asked.

Green handed him a newspaper.

It was Kanto's top-selling financial daily, the Goldenrod Economic Times.

The front page showed Silver in a police uniform. The headline:

"No Bloodline Barrier! Silver, Son of Team Rocket Boss Giovanni, Follows in Champion Lance's Footsteps and Becomes the Youngest Investigator in League History!"

Stephen blinked twice.

So, it's come to this.

In the manga, Silver had vowed to take Team Rocket down with his own hands. And now, having been raised by Lance for a year, he had indeed become a League investigator.

No wonder Giovanni was furious.

"Boss Giovanni still hasn't given up on making Silver his successor," Green whispered.

After some thought, Stephen said, "I might have a solution, but it'll come at a cost..."

...

Hours later – Fortree Gym, Hoenn.

The gym leaders and Elite Four were still waiting for HQ's reply.

After Mr. Stone proposed a public apology, the trainers split into two camps.

Winona, Tate, Liza, and Flannery supported the idea—they believed in admitting mistakes.

Drake, Norman, and Juan were opposed—exposing the truth would do no good.

The stalemate left it up to HQ.

"Dr. Stephen says hiding it is better. Even if my father and the Chairman apologize, it won't change anything. Right now, we need to focus on stopping Aster from reclaiming Rayquaza," Steven said after receiving the reply.

"Even Dr. Stephen... agrees with this?" Winona was stunned.

"This is the right move." Norman, Hoenn's strongest gym leader, crossed his arms. "Even if they accept our apology, they'll still go after Rayquaza. And if the truth gets out now, after we just stabilized the League... our credibility will collapse."

Adults don't deal with right or wrong. Only in pros and cons.

Juan sighed, stroking his beard. "Get ready, everyone. Then we—"

Before he could finish, the ground suddenly shook violently.

Ash and Gold, who had been eavesdropping, fell over. Gary barely held onto the door handle and shouted, "W-What's happening!?"

"What the hell is this..." Ruby, sitting under a tree after a fight with Sapphire, stared up in shock.

The sky above Fortree City had split in half.

On the left: a scorching sun, so bright it felt like the plants were burning.

On the right: storm clouds and torrential rain blanketing the city.

Two opposite scenes—yet they were happening side by side.

Only one thing was the same: terrified wild Pokémon fleeing in panic.

Just then, the League Chairman's phone rang.

As soon as the call connected, someone screamed from the other end: "Chairman! It's bad! Groudon has awakened!"

Before he could react, another call came in: "Chairman! It's Kyogre! It's awake too!"

"Rooooaaar—!"

Two deep, ancient cries echoed from opposite sides of Hoenn.

...

In the northwest: Terra Cave. In the southeast: Marine Cave.

Groudon and Kyogre's sacred domains.

Outside Terra Cave, under the gaze of Marnie and Green, a massive crimson beast stepped from the lava.

"He looks different from two years ago during the Lumiose War," said Green, who had just awakened Groudon using the Red Orb.

Compared to when Hoopa forcibly summoned him back then, this Primal Groudon was even more terrifying. Twice the size, glowing lava lines across his body, and the blazing Omega mark on his hands.

"ROAAAAR!!"

Groudon let out an earth-shattering roar, eyes locked toward the southeast.

He sensed it—the presence of that damn fat-headed fish!

Green's phone buzzed. It was Zinnia.

"You've awakened Groudon, haven't you?"

"Yeah... he was kind of grumpy. Tried to attack me and Marnie when he first woke up. Good thing we ran."

Only by facing them in person could one truly understand the horror of legendary Pokémon. Green couldn't imagine what Stephen felt during the Lumiose disaster.

"Hehe... we've awakened Kyogre too. My cousin and I are heading to Sky Pillar to summon Rayquaza. Want to come?"

Her voice trembled with anticipation. She'd waited too long.

Green looked at Groudon, drying up oceans with every step, then reluctantly shook her head. "I'll pass."

She wanted to see how the Draconids summoned Rayquaza.

But a clash between the supercharged primal gods? That was no joke.

Mounting her new partner Roaring Moon, she followed Groudon while pulling out the newspaper featuring Silver.

She swallowed hard.

Something big is coming.