Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

 At Kodai Network Corporation, located in Nimbasa City of the Unova region.

Originally, the Rocket Team squad led by Proton, who were undercover here, had completed their mission and were ready to return to Kanto.

 Unexpectedly, Stephen contacted them again, asking them to stay undercover in the company.

 Proton had no objection to this—or rather, he didn't dare to object.

Although Giovanni had not explicitly clarified Stephen's position within Team Rocket, the financial benefits brought by Stephen's TM were evident. Proton was well aware of Stephen's importance to Team Rocket. As a mere squad captain, he had no authority to oppose Stephen's decisions.

"Hmm? Lord Stephen didn't come?"

 At the alley corner diagonally opposite the company, Proton came here to rendezvous, only to find Will and Karen waiting. Curious, he asked.

"Cut the nonsense," Karen replied bluntly.

 "Just give us the intel."

Being ordered around by Stephen was one thing, but now even a young girl dared to boss him around. However, recalling Karen's strength during the earlier Aether Foundation mission, Proton could only vent his frustration inwardly. On the surface, he obediently replied, "Kodai went to Johto."

"Huh?"

 Will raised an eyebrow, "That guy is busy. He just got back from the Lostlorn Forest, and now he's heading to Johto. What's he up to?"

"Probably business," Karen guessed after thinking for a moment.

 After all, as one of Unova's wealthiest individuals, it wasn't surprising for him to expand his market to other regions.

"Or... something shady."

 Considering how Kodai had gone to great lengths to capture Stephen's Zorua, it was clear he wasn't a good person.

"So what now? Wait for him to come back?"

 With Stephen absent, Will could only ask Karen for guidance.

"Chase him!"

 Karen's response was firm.

The ability to foresee the future was too troublesome. Their success in the Lostlorn Forest was mostly due to luck. Kodai had only foreseen their presence in the forest, not their true identities. But next time? Or the time after that? Could they rely on luck forever?

Karen made a decisive call: they couldn't waste time.

 They had to neutralize this threat as soon as possible or at least gain control over him. For all they knew, Kodai might already be predicting the future right now!

After sending a message to Stephen, Karen immediately instructed Proton to arrange a private jet to fly from Unova to Johto.

...

Karen's judgment was spot on.

 On Kodai's private jet, en route from Unova to Johto, Kodai clutched his head in pain, his eyes glowing eerily blue.

When he had foreseen the Joker trio in the Lostlorn Forest, he had experienced the same symptoms.

 This time, however, the vision wasn't of the Joker trio.

 Instead, he saw a small, pink-purple Pokémon darting through the air over a town.

"Boss…"

 Goone, standing protectively beside Kodai, was about to ask something but stopped as Kodai raised his head again, now wearing a sinister smile.

"Found it. Finally found it…"

...

Meanwhile, in Opelucid City, at the Unova League Headquarters.

One by one, people exited the conference room.

"Sorry, I talked for so long but still couldn't come up with a way to counter Joker," Stephen said apologetically.

"Dr. Stephen, you're too modest. You've already helped us a lot," replied Steven, whose likable personality made him stand out even in a world full of kind-hearted Pokémon trainers. "I already know how to deal with that psychic little fatty. Next time we meet, I'll make sure to throw him in jail."

Over the two-hour meeting, Stephen thoroughly analyzed Will and Karen's battle styles and their Pokémon's habits.

 Steven, who had fought Will, and Cynthia, who had faced Karen, both learned a lot from Stephen's insights.

Currently, Karen and Cynthia are evenly matched in strength. If they fought again, it was hard to predict who would win.

 But Steven was confident he could now defeat Will.

The main reason they had struggled in the Lostlorn Forest battle was Will's Slowbro and its Parental Bond ability, which was incredibly tricky to deal with. Now that Steven fully understood this ability, he was confident he could take down Will without a scratch!

Silently, Stephen apologized to Will in his heart.

 There was no other way—selling some intel was necessary to avoid the League suspecting any connection between him and the Joker trio.

He figured he'd need to patch Will and Karen in the next update.

As for Joker... Stephen had, of course, analyzed him too.

 But when it came to the League's most pressing question—"How did Joker defeat Lance?"—Stephen chose to feign ignorance.

"Dr. Stephen, please keep this matter confidential," Cynthia softly reminded him, joining the conversation.

"The Jewel of Life, right? Don't worry, I won't say a word."

 With Umbreon's Arceus form already complete, Stephen had no interest in that artifact.

"But Miss Sheena probably won't return to Michina, right? After all, Joker could strike again," Stephen asked, recalling something.

Cynthia nodded. "We've already convinced Sheena to move to Lily of the Valley Island. The Sinnoh Elite Four live there and can provide the best protection."

This was within Stephen's expectations.

 In the original movie, Ash and his friends had just met Sheena when Arceus awakened. It was clear Sheena hadn't informed the Sinnoh League about the situation. Otherwise, Cynthia and the others wouldn't have stood idly by.

With the Jewel of Life now known to exist, the League was determined to keep it under tight surveillance.

"We're about the same age; let's drop the formalities. Just call me by my name—'Doctor' sounds unnecessary," Stephen said with a smile.

After some back-and-forth, Stephen got along well with Cynthia and Steven.

 Later, even Professor Oak joined the conversation.

As a leading figure in the Pokémon academic field, he held great admiration for Stephen, a rising star who had invented the TM.

"Professor, I recently had an idea. What if we invented a machine that could automatically scan a Pokémon when a trainer caught it? It would analyze its attributes, characteristics, and potential moves, then upload the data to the cloud. Other trainers with the same device could instantly learn about Pokémon's habits when they encountered it. I'm thinking of calling it the Pokédex."

Stephen shared his vision for the future Pokédex with Professor Oak.

 Since the Pokédex was originally Oak's invention, Stephen didn't mind giving him a nudge toward it.

Professor Oak froze for a moment, then, after some thought, his eyes lit up. He grabbed Stephen's shoulders and excitedly exclaimed:

"Brilliant! That's a brilliant idea!"

Hearing Oak's outburst, Agatha raised an eyebrow and glanced over. "What's that old coot yelling about now?"

The other League trainers nearby grew curious and gathered around, eager to know what the two Pokémon researchers were discussing.

"Goodshow, young Stephen just proposed an excellent idea. If this project succeeds, it'll revolutionize the academic field!" Professor Oak excitedly explained to Goodshow and shared Stephen's idea of the Pokédex.

Goodshow's eyes also lit up.

 It was essentially a portable Pokémon encyclopedia.

If such a device existed, the survival rate of trainers on adventures would significantly increase.

To this day, trainers venturing into the wild often suffer injuries or even fatalities from Pokémon attacks. A major reason for this was a lack of knowledge about Pokémon—especially those from other regions.

For example, what if a tourist visiting Alola encountered a Stufful or Bewear, two seemingly adorable Pokémon?

Most people, likely 99%, would assume they were as friendly as Chansey and its evolutionary family.

 Especially since Bewear often waves to greet people…

Many tourists who don't know her mistakenly think she's asking for a hug, which triggers their inner romanticism, and they rush over to hug her.

And then... well... hehe.

If you could learn about the behavior of Bewear in advance, you'd know that when it waves at you, it's not asking for a hug—it's warning you that you've entered its territory. It's a threat!

That's the purpose of the Pokédex:

It can immediately inform you which Pokémon you shouldn't approach carelessly. It serves as a warning system for trainers venturing out on adventures.

The elite trainers gathered here—whether it's Lance, Cynthia, Steven, Lorelei, or even the older professors like Agatha and Alder—

When they heard about the Pokédex's purpose, they were deeply shaken.

Which one of them, standing at the top, hasn't experienced countless adventures? Naturally, they could see the importance of the Pokédex.

"A remarkable invention."

Even someone as prideful as Lance couldn't help but marvel at how incredible this invention was.

For rookie trainers lacking knowledge, or for trainers traveling to unfamiliar regions without understanding the local Pokémon, this is like a lifeline.

"Team Rocket has Joker, a genius inventor, but we in the League also have our genius."

Even Agatha, who had some bias against researchers due to Professor Oak, gave her approval.

"I only proposed the idea," Stephen said. "The actual work of inventing it still falls to Professor Oak."

Stephen continued, "I heard Pallet Town produces excellent rookie trainers. Once the Pokédex is invented, Professor Oak can pick a few promising youngsters to test the first-generation Pokédex."

Well, Stephen was trying to get some information out of Professor Oak. He wanted to know the current state of that legendary two-dimensional furry enthusiast who, after 20 years, finally became champion and retired immediately after.

"Oh, what a coincidence! Pallet Town does have two remarkable kids this generation," Professor Oak said with a clap.

"Oh?"

Stephen was curious.

Could it be Ash and Gary?

But that didn't make sense—Ash was kind of a mess in the early stages.

Professor Oak, looking proud, said, "One is my grandson Green, and the other is Red. Both are outstanding."

Stephen raised an eyebrow. It turned out to be those two after all.

So the other two don't exist?

Just as Stephen had this thought, Professor Oak added with a somewhat regretful tone, "But my grandson Gary isn't quite as good, and Red's younger brother Ash… well, he's not that great either. But that kid is very kind-hearted, a good boy."

Stephen: …

Alright, looks like there'll be no shortage of entertainment in the future.

…

"It's getting late. If you don't mind, why don't you all stay here for the night?"

The Grandma spoke up.

Stephen didn't refuse.

Since it was already so late, forcing an excuse to leave would seem unnatural.

After arriving at his personal room, Stephen checked his phone and saw a message from Karen.

"They went to Johto?"

Stephen frowned.

If he were in Karen's position, he would've made the same decision.

Kodai's future-sensing ability was too troublesome—it was better to deal with it sooner rather than later.

But he hadn't heard of Kodai's network company having any business dealings in Johto. Could they have discovered a rare Pokémon again?

Stephen didn't dwell on it. After replying to Karen with "Leave it to you," he lay down to sleep.

From his observations, as well as information from Proton, Kodai and his subordinates didn't seem to have any particularly strong individuals.

Karen and Will could handle it just fine. Whether or not Stephen got involved wouldn't make much difference—it was just a matter of instant victory versus a quick win.

The only concern was whether that guy would use his ability to discover their true identities before they dealt with him.

But honestly, that was up to fate.

Not everything is in the hands of a transmigrator.

This was something Stephen, who had already crossed over once, understood deeply.

Still, it wasn't a big deal. At worst, he'd fully side with Team Rocket.

…

The next morning.

Steven returned to Hoenn, Cynthia and Sheena returned to Sinnoh, and Goodshow and the Indigo League Four returned to Indigo Plateau.

"Stephen-kun, are you heading back to Alola? I can arrange a private jet to take you there," Goodshow offered, his smile nearly forming the Nike logo.

The joy brought by Stephen's proposal of the Pokédex completely dispelled the shadow of the three future champions' crushing defeat.

Once the Pokédex was complete, it would surely usher the League into a new, more prosperous era.

This young man truly was a treasure.

"Uh… it's been a long time since I've been to Johto. I want to visit my hometown first, then head back to Alola."

Stephen casually made up an excuse, planning to meet up with Karen and Will.

That morning, he contacted the two, and Karen replied that Kodai and his group were still lingering in urban areas with no opportunity to strike.

Although Stephen thought they'd be fine, he decided to go and check just in case.

"In that case, you can take our plane. We'll stop at Cianwood City on the way and drop you off there."

Goodshow had long since investigated that Stephen was from Cianwood City.

Stephen nodded. With this arrangement, he'd have to head to Karen and Will's location after arriving in Cianwood City.

…

Soon, Stephen, Goodshow, the Indigo League Four, Professor Oak, and others boarded a private jet.

"TMs and the Pokédex—both are inventions that could trigger world-changing revolutions," Professor Oak marveled after taking his seat.

"Professor Oak, I have a question for you," Lorelei suddenly said, sitting beside him.

"Huh?"

…

Before the plane took off, Stephen tried contacting Karen again, but there was still no reply.

Is everything alright?

Stephen grew a little uneasy.

It wasn't that he was worried about the pair losing to Kodai and his weak subordinates; it was more about Kodai's annoying future-sensing ability.

He just hoped they wouldn't end up in a situation where, mid-flight, Goodshow receives a report:

"President, we've discovered that the psychic kid among Joker's companions is Will!"

Then everyone turns to look at him…

Stephen suddenly regretted agreeing to board the same plane as Goodshow and the others.

"Dr. Stephen."

Hearing his name, Stephen looked up to see Lorelei's beautiful but stern face.

"Huh? What's… what's wrong?"

A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Damn it, could it have been exposed?

Stephen quietly placed his hand on his Pokémon belt.

"You lied to me," Lorelei said coldly, sitting down beside him.

Stephen was already preparing to throw a Poké Ball and fight.

However, catching a glimpse of Lance with the corner of his eye—sitting diagonally opposite, legs crossed, pretending to nap—he felt something was off.

If he had been exposed, how could Lance still be in the mood to sleep?

 He would have charged over already!

"Miss Lorelei, what are you talking about?"

 Stephen quickly composed himself.

"Professor Oak told me that inventing items like the TM for Pokémon is impossible without conducting experiments."

Just a moment ago, Lorelei, on a whim, consulted Professor Oak about TMs.

 Professor Oak explained that specialized Pokémon tools like TMs must involve Pokémon testing—there's no way around it.

It's just like the medicines sold in stores today, such as Potions, Antidotes, Paralyze Heals, and Full Heals.

 All of these went through countless experiments on Pokémon. They would first put Pokémon into abnormal states and then treat them with experimental drugs.

 Only after ensuring the safety of these medicines were they allowed to hit the shelves.

These medicines have saved countless trainers and Pokémon, but behind them are untold numbers of Pokémon sacrificed in experiments.

Professor Oak regretfully admitted that it's simply inevitable.

 After all, how could medicines be sold without first being tested?

The same goes for TMs, these Pokémon-specific tools.

 How could they have been invented without any experimentation?

After hearing Professor Oak's explanation, Lorelei was immediately enraged.

 She wasn't angry that Stephen had conducted experiments to invent the TM.

 She wasn't some naïve young girl; she understood that using Pokémon in research was an unavoidable reality in the scientific world.

As long as the experiments weren't inhumane, Lorelei would usually turn a blind eye.

What truly made Lorelei furious was that Stephen had lied to her.

 Using Pokémon for experiments wasn't the issue, but why did he have to lie about it?

You see, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Rainbow Corporation's opening, when Stephen claimed that the TM was invented without using Pokémon for experiments, Lorelei was genuinely delighted and even considered him a friend.

For Lorelei, the number of people she recognized as friends could be counted on one hand.

But now, this friend had deceived her. How could she not be angry?

After learning the reason for Lorelei's anger, Stephen sighed deeply in relief.

 At least he hadn't been fully exposed.

At the same time, Stephen's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to calm this Ice-type Elite Four member down.

"What's the matter? Nothing to say?"

 Lorelei scoffed coldly.

If Stephen couldn't give her a satisfactory explanation, Lorelei wouldn't harm him, but she would cut ties with him forever.

"…Sigh…"

 The next second, Stephen let out a long, heavy sigh, his face filled with sorrow as if carrying an immense grievance.

He looked at Lorelei and said,

 "Kona, I did not lie to you."

"Hmm?"

Seeing Stephen's pitiful expression—like a helpless Happiny—her heart softened by three degrees.

"Can this matter be a secret between us?"

 Stephen asked as if making the most difficult decision of his life.

Lorelei's earlier coldness had completely vanished, and she was now fully drawn into Stephen's narrative.