Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

"That is—"

Goh stared blankly at the lawn on the right.

Noticing her friend's change in expression, Chloe also turned her head to look in the same direction.

On the lawn across the river, two small Pokémon were facing each other—one floating in midair, the other lying on the grass—staring at each other with wide eyes.

"What are those two Pokémon? I've never seen them before."

Chloe widened her eyes in curiosity.

The floating one resembled a cat, covered in soft, light pink fur, with a slender, long tail that seemed to be longer than its entire body.

Meanwhile, the Pokémon on the ground looked like a little black fox, exuding a mischievous aura that contrasted with the graceful presence of the floating cat-like Pokémon. It tilted its head up, gazing at the other.

"Are they Pokémon from another region?"

Goh, who was familiar with almost all known Pokémon, also showed a puzzled expression.

Although he claimed to recognize all Pokémon recorded in books, that knowledge was mostly limited to the Kanto and Johto regions.

The next second, the floating cat-like Pokémon tilted its small head, seemingly curious about the little fox below.

Then, a blue-white glow, reminiscent of an evolution light, flashed across its body. Under Goh and Chloe's incredulous gazes, it transformed into an identical version of the little fox and landed on the ground.

"Mew~ Mew~"

The transformed cat moved closer to the little fox, tilting its head with a playful smile as if saying, "Look! Look! Impressive, right?"

Goh's jaw dropped in shock. "It... it turned into the same form as the other one?!"

However, instead of reacting with surprise, the little fox narrowed its eyes. The corner of its mouth curled into a sly grin.

In the next instant, the little fox's body shimmered, and its form changed. Standing now was a bipedal Pokémon with ominous red eyes and fur, resembling a werewolf.

Lycanroc (Midnight Form)!

"It transformed too?!"

Goh and Chloe's expressions shifted once again.

A transformation ability similar to Ditto?

No... Something feels different.

"Rrrr..."

The transformed Lycanroc let out a low growl toward the now-Zorua cat, and a youthful telepathic voice echoed in the latter's mind:

["Clearly, I'm the stronger one."]

As everyone knows, wolves are natural enemies of foxes.

The little fox was using this transformation to prove that its ability was superior.

However... wasn't this somewhat self-defeating?

After all, it was a fox itself—turning into a wolf just to prove wolves are stronger than foxes?

Wasn't that just slapping itself in the face...?

Hearing the real little fox say this, the fake little fox puffed up its cheeks in defiance.

Once again, a blue-white glow flashed across its body.

This time, it transformed into an Incineroar!

"Mew~ Mew~"

The Incineroar curled a finger at the Lycanroc, which was now a head shorter than it, oozing with provocation.

Even without telepathy or translation, its meaning was clear—

Something along the lines of "You became a wolf? Then I'll become a tiger! Tigers are stronger than wolves!"

But... that voice was just too out of place.

It felt like one of Doflamingo's subordinates—the stone guy—who had a rough, burly face but spoke in a high-pitched, eerie voice.

The wild and fierce-looking Midnight Lycanroc pursed its lips in a pout, making an expression completely unfitting for its appearance.

Even though Goh and Chloe didn't recognize Lycanroc, the sight of such a feral Pokémon making a childish, pouting face utterly disgusted them.

It was like seeing a Gardevoir acting shy and demure—it would be heartwarming.

But if a Machamp did the same thing, it would just be... heart attack-inducing.

Just as Goh and Chloe were starting to feel nauseous, the Lycanroc shimmered and transformed once again.

This time, they recognized the Pokémon.

Its round belly, its goofy yet gentle expression—

Wasn't this Dragonite, the pseudo-legendary of the Kanto region?!

This Pokemon was so famous that nobody in the Pokémon world wouldn't recognize it.

Not to mention, Goh had just been saved by Professor Oak's Dragonite earlier.

But instead of the usual warm and friendly demeanor of a Dragonite, this one bared its teeth in a smug, mischievous grin, completely out of character.

["A tiger? So what? Can you beat a dragon?!"]

The Incineroar narrowed its eyes. It was getting serious.

Once again, the blue-white light flared.

This time, it transformed into a form that the two kids on the other side of the river had never seen before.

It was a majestic, deer-like Pokémon with long, X-shaped antlers radiating a holy aura.

Xerneas!

As the God of Life, Xerneas was the embodiment of sanctity.

Yet now... it was grinning playfully like a child.

If Princess Diancie, the devoted follower of the Life God, were to witness this scene, she would undoubtedly exclaim, "This isn't how Xerneas-sama usually acts!"

"Mew~ Mew~"

The Xerneas tilted its head with a smirk as if saying, ["A dragon? So what? I'm a dragon slayer!"]

The usually warm, golden-retriever-like Dragonite now took on the expression of a stubborn husky, visibly displeased.

It didn't recognize this Pokémon, but judging by its appearance and aura, it was likely legendary.

Hah, a legendary? Big deal. Who hasn't seen one?

Its body shimmered once again.

The already towering Dragonite expanded in size once more.

"Oh—!"

A divine bird's cry echoed through the sky like the sun itself descending upon the land.

If Goh and Chloe had only been surprised before, they were completely stunned now.

It... It even transformed into Ho-Oh?!

The Xerneas widened its deer-like eyes in shock.

You little black fox, you've seen Ho-Oh, that big bird?!

Well then, I won't hold back anymore—prepare yourself!

The blue-white glow of transformation flared up yet again, dazzling as ever.

The Xerneas also transformed—this time into a massive bird Pokémon with wings so vast they seemed to cover the land.

Lugia!

The two enormous bird Pokémon faced each other in midair, their cries echoing through the sky.

But why did the cat transform into Lugia?

There wasn't any deep reason behind it.

It was simply because it knew that over a hundred years ago, these two legendary beings were neighbors—they lived in the same city and were even worshiped by humans.

So, when the little black fox transformed into Ho-Oh, it naturally transformed into Lugia in response.

Thud!

Seeing Ho-Oh and Lugia majestically soaring over Route 1, Goh was so overwhelmed that he collapsed onto the ground.

T-This scene was just too spectacular!

On the other side of Route 1, Daisy and a group of other children also noticed the commotion.

"What is that?!"

Ash's mouth dropped so wide that he could fit a whole fist inside, pointing across the river and shouting.

Daisy, Gary, Hilda, Serena, and the others turned their heads to look—

One by one, their eyes widened in shock.

"Ho-Oh! And the other one is...?"

Gary immediately recognized one of the giant birds.

After all, Ho-Oh had caused quite the incident in Viridian City just a week ago and was currently one of the most talked-about legendary Pokémon online.

As for the other one...

"That's Lugia!"

Daisy provided the answer to her younger brother.

"A legendary Pokémon said to have been sighted by fishermen living near the sea. It's rumored that its power is so immense that a mere flap of its wings can create storms strong enough to blow away houses. Because of this, it resides deep in the ocean... But why would it appear in Pallet Town, which is far from the sea?"

Daisy was just as shaken.

Pallet Town has been way too lively recently!

Even legendary Pokémon were showing up now?!

"Mew! (Hehehe! You little fox, you truly delight me!)"

Lugia cried out excitedly.

As one of the most mischievous legendary Pokémon, it had been a long time since it had encountered something this entertaining.

Lugia raised its head toward the sky.

"Mew! (This isn't enough fun! Why don't we go to the Tree of Life and feast for three days, then play for three hundred rounds?!)"

With that, Lugia flapped its massive wings, preparing to take off.

Ho-Oh's expression instantly changed.

It... couldn't fly!

Its transformation ability was more of an illusion—it could shape-shift into different forms, but it wasn't like the other one, which became what it transformed into.

Seeing the other about to leave, Ho-Oh immediately reverted to its original form, then leaped onto Lugia's back in a desperate tackle.

"NANI?!"

Daisy and the children who had rushed over to see the spectacle were dumbfounded.

W-What was happening now?!

Ho-Oh, just turned into a little fox?!

Before anyone could process this shocking revelation, Lugia had already taken off into the sky with the little fox on its back, disappearing into the clouds.

Meanwhile, Ash and the others were unaware that the moment Zorua pounced on Lugia's back, it had already sent a telepathic message to Stephen, who was inside Oak's Lab.

[Master! I'm going out for a bit! I'll be back in a couple of days!]

"Huh?"

Stephen, who had been adjusting the Pokédex testing machine, froze for a moment before quickly stepping out of the lab.

The moment he looked up, he saw a large white bird soaring swiftly into the clouds—

And from its back, he could sense Zorua's presence.

"Was that... Lugia?"

Stephen blinked in confusion.

"Dr. Stephen, what's going on?"

Professor Oak had also stepped out of the lab by this point.

At the same time, Daisy and the others arrived back in a hurry.

"G-Grandpa! Just now... just now, we saw—"

Daisy, still catching her breath, tried to explain what had just happened.

Between gasps, she recounted the entire event to Professor Oak.

"Ho-Oh AND Lugia?!"

After hearing the story, Professor Oak's eyes widened like copper bells.

Ho-Oh was somewhat understandable.

Reports had already mentioned that Ho-Oh had appeared in Viridian City ten days ago, and since Viridian wasn't far from Pallet Town, it might have just been passing through.

But Lugia?!

Why on earth would Lugia, which was supposed to dwell deep in the sea, appear in Pallet Town?!

"No, no, Grandpa... that Ho-Oh wasn't real..."

Gary, still panting, interrupted to clarify.

That Ho-Oh was fake—just a little fox Pokémon in disguise.

"A fox Pokémon that can transform into Ho-Oh?"

Professor Oak stroked his chin in thought.

After a moment, he deduced the answer:

"That must be Zorua from the Unova region. Their ability, Illusion, allows them to take on the appearance of other Pokémon or even humans. I never expected to see one here in Kanto, though—they're quite rare, even in Unova."

Hearing this, Stephen raised an eyebrow slightly.

Standing beside him, Karen leaned in and whispered,

"Stephen, isn't this a bit bad? The kids saw Zorua..."

"It's fine."

Stephen shook his head.

Just like how Giovanni used different Pokémon when acting as the Viridian Gym Leader versus when he was the leader of Team Rocket,

Stephen also had two identities—Dr. Stephen and Joker—each with completely separate Pokémon teams.

Neither Stephen nor Joker had ever publicly used Zorua,

So there was nothing to worry about—at least, not yet.

Hearing this, Karen felt more at ease.

"But still... Lugia appearing in Pallet Town is..."

Stephen had a vague suspicion, but before he could voice it,

Goh suddenly spoke up:

"Professor Oak, that Lugia wasn't real either."

The moment those words landed, everyone's expressions changed once again.

Another master of illusions?!

Goh and Xiao Chloe recounted everything they had witnessed from the beginning to the end.

Professor Oak fell into deep thought once again before explaining:

 "Then what you saw was probably the legendary Pokémon, Mew..."

As he spoke, Professor Oak shared his current research findings on Mew with everyone.

"Mew... Mew..."

Goh repeated the name, his eyes filled with longing, before finally declaring:

 "I've decided! I will catch Mew and make it my first Pokémon!"

Gary almost couldn't resist kicking him again, but considering that his grandfather was present, he held back.

This guy may not be good at much, but when it comes to daydreaming, he's top-tier.

Boom—Boom—!

Just as Goh finished speaking, the sky suddenly rumbled with distant thunder.

Everyone looked up to see that the once clear, cloudless sky had now been overtaken by dark storm clouds.

"Oh dear, it looks like outdoor activities won't be possible. For the last day of summer camp, let's switch to indoor activities instead," Professor Oak called out to the group.

"Yes~!"

The children responded in unison.

"Excuse me, Professor Oak, I need to step out for a bit."

Stephen took an umbrella from Daisy's hand.

"Is something wrong?" Professor Oak asked curiously.

"When I left the inn this morning, I let all my Pokémon out to play except for Bewear. I need to call them back," Stephen explained with a smile.

"Oh, I see. You should go quickly, this rain looks pretty heavy," Professor Oak nodded repeatedly.

...

Stephen, Karen, and Will walked through the forest along Route 1, umbrellas in hand.

Before long, they had gathered back all the Pokémon that had been let out earlier—except for Zorua.

"The first time it took action, it got caught by Pryce. The first time it went out to play, it got taken away by Mew. What kind of legendary luck does Zorua have?" Will muttered.

Karen ignored him, casually scanning the surroundings—until she suddenly noticed a Kangaskhan walking unsteadily, looking incredibly weak.

"Stephen, over there..."

She tugged on Stephen's sleeve and pointed toward the Kangaskhan.

Stephen turned his head and saw the Pokémon staggering like a drunkard, its face unnaturally flushed in the pouring rain.

"Pichu~"

From the pouch of the Kangaskhan, a small Pichu jumped out. But as soon as it landed, the Kangaskhan reached out and gently pulled it back, murmuring something softly.

Without Zorua around, they couldn't translate, but the three of them could more or less guess what was being said.

"I just remembered what I forgot," Stephen muttered.

He had felt all day that he was forgetting something—now he knew what.

"Auuu~"

The Kangaskhan took a few more steps before finally collapsing, her legs giving way beneath her.

Just as she, along with the baby Kangaskhan and Pichu in her pouch, was about to hit the ground face-first—

A strong, firm arm reached out and caught her.

"A...uuu..."

Using the last of her strength, the Kangaskhan looked up at her rescuer before succumbing to the dizziness overwhelming her, her eyes rolling back as she fainted.

Bewear gently reached into the pouch, carefully cradling the startled and slightly anxious baby Kangaskhan and Pichu in one arm.

With the other, it effortlessly hoisted the much larger Kangaskhan onto its shoulder.

"Good job, Linlin."

Stephen and the others walked up, and he praised Bewear while reaching out to pat Pichu's little head.

This was the only Pikachu in the world with the unique ability Fifty-Fifty.

Oh, wait—technically, it was still just a Pichu for now.

"Stephen, should we take it back to the lab for treatment?"

Karen gently played with the baby Kangaskhan, but the little one was too worried about its unconscious mother to enjoy the attention.

Stephen glanced around before pointing to a cave less than a hundred meters away.

"Let's treat her there. The Kangaskhan's condition isn't too severe—our medicine should be enough to heal her."

...

Half an Hour Later – Inside a Cave on Route 1.

With Stephen's help, the Kangaskhan had been given an IV drip.

After hearing from Stephen that its mother would be fine, the baby Kangaskhan finally relaxed and fell asleep beside her.

"Pichu~"

Once everyone else had drifted off, Pichu suddenly opened its eyes.

It hesitated for a moment, then turned back frequently as it walked toward the cave entrance.

Finally, it looked back at the sleeping Kangaskhan mother and child, memories of their time together flashing through its mind like a slideshow.

And then, under the moonlight, a radiant glow of evolution shone forth.

"Pikachu!"

Pichu had evolved into Pikachu!

Pikachu cast one final, grateful glance at the Kangaskhan mother and child before bowing deeply in gratitude.

Then, it turned to leave—

"You're leaving?"

A voice startled Pikachu so much that it nearly tripped.

"Pika!?"

With a panicked expression, Pikachu spun around.

It was the human who had treated Kangaskhan!

"That Kangaskhan was already weak to begin with. Taking care of two little ones must have been tough for her," Stephen said.

Hearing this, Pikachu lowered its head in sorrow.

"But... I know a good place for you."

"Pika?"

Pikachu's ears perked up, looking at Stephen with curiosity and nervousness.

"Stay for just one more night," Stephen said. "Tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere. If you don't like it, you can leave then."

"Pika..."

Pikachu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

After all, who wants to be separated from their loved ones if they have a choice?

The next day, when Kangaskhan woke up and saw Pikachu's new form, her expression was a mix of shock and joy.

It was as if she were saying, My child has finally grown up.

The baby Kangaskhan excitedly grabbed Pikachu's hand, bouncing up and down.

Pikachu felt both exhilarated and bittersweet.

Don't look at me like that... It just makes me not want to leave even more.

"Let's go."

Stephen walked over, calling out.