Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

Even though Pikachu had already successfully evolved, Kangaskhan's mother was still accustomed to putting him and the baby Kangaskhan together in the pouch on her belly.

However, Pikachu, who was one size larger than Pichu, made the pouch noticeably crowded when squeezed in with the baby Kangaskhan.

Before long, everyone arrived at the entrance of Professor Oak's Laboratory in Pallet Town.

Among them were Iono, Serena, and other children who had come to participate in the summer camp. They were already gathered in groups, waiting at the entrance.

"Dr. Stephen, over here! Over here!"

Seeing Stephen and his companions approaching, Iono was the first to raise her hand high, jumping up and down in greeting.

"The summer camp is already over?"

Stephen asked as he recalled something.

According to what Serena had mentioned before, Professor Oak's summer camp seemed to last only three days.

"Yeah, yeah! The experience I've had these past few days in Kanto might be more exciting than my entire future life!"

iono clasped her fingers together nervously, shivering like a Chihuahua, but then suddenly opened her arms wide, excited like a happy cat.

"But! It was a huge success! The video I uploaded yesterday blew up again! The subscription count on my channel has now surpassed one million! Hooray! Hooray! ≧▽≦"

"Ohhh~ Congratulations, congratulations~"

Stephen thought that Iono was probably evolving from a Paldea region internet celebrity into a continent-wide Poké-world influencer.

Iono continued to show off her channel's subscriber count to Stephen and expressed her gratitude for his help.

"It's a pity that starting today, I won't be able to film videos of you anymore, Dr. Stephen. I wonder how much my view count will drop because of that…"

At the mention of the day after tomorrow, Iono's face fell, looking as downcast as a frostbitten eggplant.

These summer camp participants were gathered here, waiting for the bus from Pallet Town to Viridian City.

Soon, they would head to Viridian Airport and then take flights back to their hometowns.

"Dr. Stephen, who are they…?"

The Unova sisters, Rosa and Hilda, were more focused on the Kangaskhan behind Stephen and the two little ones in her pouch.

"We ran into them last night," Steoheb explained just as Professor Oak happened to walk out of the laboratory.

"Professor Oak, can they stay here?"

"Kangaskhan and Pikachu?"

Professor Oak glanced at them.

To be honest, he had already thoroughly studied both species long ago.

But since it was Stephen's request, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

Although keeping them would mean an extra expense for food, he was already planning to apply for a loan, so a little more or less didn't make much difference.

"They're nice Pokemon. Once they grow up, they could even be given to new trainers as their starter Pokémon."

Professor Oak stroked his chin as he observed the baby Kangaskhan and Pikachu.

"Kanga~"

Kangaskhan's mother frowned in displeasure.

This old human wanted to separate her from her children.

Stephen quickly reassured her, "Calm down, Kangaskhan. Professor Oak will find suitable trainers for them, and even if they become someone else's partners, you'll still be able to see them often."

Hearing this, Kangaskhan reluctantly calmed down.

"Professor Oak, I think this Pikachu would be a great match for Ash."

Stephen pointed at Pikachu.

"Ash, huh? Hmm… I suppose I could let them spend some time together and see how it goes."

Professor Oak was momentarily surprised.

Thinking back on Ash's behavior in front of Stephen these past few days… Hmm, he honestly couldn't recall anything particularly outstanding that would make Stephen take notice of him.

But since Stephen had such an opinion, he must have his reasons.

However, Stephen didn't have any deeper reasoning.

He just felt that if Ash didn't end up with the Pikachu, it would feel weird.

Stephen personally disliked how some protagonists in certain novels loved playing matchmaker.

What, got addicted to shipping characters?

But Ash and Pikachu? That was an exception.

They were like peanut butter and jelly—inseparable.

Plus, since he had already stirred up quite a storm with his butterfly effect, Stephen figured it was best to give Professor Oak a heads-up, just in case.

"Oh right, Dr. Stephen, the video Iono uploaded yesterday about your Pokédex research has once again drawn massive attention… and, well, a little controversy."

As he said the words "a little controversy," Professor Oak made a gesture as if he had just lost the market.

"Huh?"

Stephen didn't quite understand what Professor Oak meant at first.

"Dr. Stephen, look."

At that moment, Iono quickly moved closer, pulling up a news page on her phone.

The top trending headline read:

["Dr. Stephen Once Again Sparks an Era of Change—The Essential Travel Tool for Future Trainers: The Pokédex!"]

That seemed normal enough.

But as he scrolled further, things started to look a bit off.

The second top story was a video interview from Kanto's highest-rated Goldenrod Television Network.

In the video, Goodshow, the Chairman of the Indigo League and the overall head of the Pokémon League, smiled kindly like Santa Claus and said:

["Dr. Stephen is the pride of our League. He has invented yet another revolutionary product. The Pokédex will greatly enhance the safety of new trainers on their journeys. In fact, for years, we've considered raising the minimum age for new trainers from 10 to 14 or even 16. But with the Pokédex, there's no need to worry anymore. Without a doubt, Dr. Stephen is a genius who has made outstanding contributions not only to the League but to the entire world."]

Then came the third trending news story, published by Macro Cosmos Financial Report from the Galar region.

It featured a statement from their chairman, Rose:

["We are delighted to collaborate with Dr. Stephen and Rainbow Corporation. The Pokédex is expected to launch within a month, with Macro Cosmos and Rainbow Corporation handling distribution. It will be available exclusively to registered trainers from Alola and Galar. Trainers can purchase the Pokédex at Macro Cosmos' official flagship store, and the first batch of customers will receive a free Dynamax Band."]

Stephen checked the timestamps on the two news reports.

Rose's statement had come out less than half an hour after Goodshow's interview.

Stephen immediately understood what was going on.

The real issue was Rose's statement.

By making the Pokédex available only to trainers from Galar and Alola, it was clear discrimination.

Trainers from other regions were outraged:

["Am I not a person? Do I not count as a person??!!"]

To make matters worse, Goodshow had openly praised the Pokédex in his video, making the situation even more awkward.

…

Soon, news outlets from various regions started reporting on the controversy.

The top journalist from Lumiose News, Alexa, covered the story.

["Good evening, viewers. Dr. Stephen from Alola has invented the Pokédex, which is now the hottest topic of discussion. However, according to Galar's Chairman Rose, the Pokédex will only be available to registered trainers from Alola and Galar, sparking widespread debate among trainers from other regions. Right now, I am standing in front of Rose Tower in Wyndon, Galar…"[

In the background, several Galar trainers made funny faces at the camera.

Alexa then stopped a scruffy, exhausted-looking punk youth and asked:

["Hello, what are your thoughts on the Pokédex being sold only to trainers from Alola and Galar?"]

The punk youth lazily replied, ["Doesn't matter. My sister's from Galar, so she can get one. That's good enough for me."]

Waving dismissively, he entered Rose Tower.

Alexa looked awkward.

Wait, that's not the expected response at all…

Turning back to the camera, she said, ["Perhaps interviewing Galar trainers isn't the best approach… Let's ask trainers from other regions."]

At that moment, a large crowd had already gathered outside Rose Tower, many of whom were holding protest signs reading ['We Object!']

["Hello, where are you all from?"]

The microphone was pointed at a young man with red, explosive hair by the reporter, Alexa. Next to him stood another young man with yellow hair.

Compared to the excited, red-faced redhead, the blond seemed much calmer.

["I'm from Sinnoh, and so is he. Originally, we were preparing to take the Gym Leader qualification exam, but when we heard about the Pokédex issue, we came here to protest,"] the redhead said passionately.

The blond responded lazily, ["Whatever, right? We don't need the Pokédex anyway. Once we become Gym Leaders, we'll just stay in Sunyshore City and won't be traveling around..."

["You bastard! How can you say that!? What about the kids in Sinnoh!?"]

The redhead shouted at the camera:

["Rose! How can you be so selfish!? A product that benefits humanity should be shared by everyone! Dr. Stephen, you should also come out and explain why you agreed to such collaboration terms! Did Rose seduce you or something? Fine! Come to Sinnoh! Our genius Cynthia is also a great beauty! If you come, I, Flint, will personally set you two up..."]

The screen of the Lumiose channel suddenly went black, followed by a message: ["Due to technical difficulties, the channel is currently under repair."]

In the comment sections of news articles and major video platforms—

[Comment Section:]

["Damn, Chairman Rose is shameless in trying to recruit people for Galar!"]

["Everyone knows what Chairman Rose is up to. But wasn't this thing invented by Dr. Stephen? What gives Chairman Rose the right to make the decision?"]

["Yeah, wasn't Professor Oak involved too? Shouldn't the decision be up to the two of them? What does Chairman Rose have to do with this?"]

["Damn it, Dr. Stephen is from Johto! Why did he exclude Johto from this?"]

["Hah, brother, does your Johto have a top-tier wife like Lusamine?"]

["Wait, I just remembered—Melony, the Gym Leader from Circhester in Galar, is a widow! Her husband passed away recently!"]

["Holy crap! Now everything makes sense! Damn, Dr. Stephen, you have a thing for Milf!"]

And so, terms like "young stud with an older woman," "honey trap," and "widow killer" once again trended on social media.

...

Back in Pallet Town

Originally, Iono and her friends were waiting for the bus to take them to Viridian Airport so they could return home.

However, a huge crowd of journalists and protesters suddenly rushed over, surrounding Professor Oak's lab in multiple layers.

It couldn't be helped—after Iono's three consecutive video uploads, the entire world knew that Stephen was here.

Although the people who came weren't as aggressive as Flint in the news, they were still very curious about why Stephen agreed to Rose's conditions.

"Hey Stephen, a lot of people online are saying you have a thing for widows," Will teased while showing his phone to Stephen.

The news even had a photoshopped image of Stephen and Melony together, with a big question mark on it.

"Get lost!"

Karen pushed Will aside with a huff.

"Dr. Stephen, why isn't the Pokédex being sold in Paldea? I heard you have a good relationship with Chairman Geeta," Iono asked curiously.

As soon as she brought this up, Serena from Kalos, Hilda and Rosa from Unova, the four brothers of Pallet Town, and others all turned their curious gazes toward Stephen.

They were all very interested in this question.

"I made a deal with Chairman Rose. In exchange for giving him the exclusive distribution rights for the Pokédex, he helps me track down Articuno and Moltres. I want my companions to catch these two legendary bird Pokémon," Stephen explained, pointing at Karen and Will.

The two of them froze.

They had guessed that Stephen must have had a reason for agreeing to Rose's terms, but they didn't expect it to be for them.

Karen hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. "Stephen, you don't have to—"

Stephen raised his hand to signal that she didn't need to worry and continued, "It's fine. You two have been running around helping me out non-stop lately, and you haven't had the chance to strengthen your teams. Think of this as a little payback from me."

They had been living together for almost three years now, yet Karen still only had three Pokémon on her team. That wasn't right.

And as for Will, it was even worse.

Half a year ago, when they went to Sinnoh to retrieve the Jewel of Life, Will had mentioned wanting to visit Hoenn to catch a Gardevoir.

But one thing after another kept coming up, and such a small matter had never been settled.

Even though Will always acted carefree and playful, Stephen could tell that he sometimes felt frustrated.

The entire lab fell silent after Stephen said that.

Even Ash, who had been trying to greet Pikachu excitedly, froze in place.

"Dr. Stephen, you are truly a man of loyalty and honor," Serena, usually shy, was the first to speak.

The first time they met, Stephen had healed her injuries with his Sylveon.

That had already given Serena a good impression of him, but now she admired him even more.

"Stephen… actually, my team is pretty solid already," Will muttered, feeling a little guilty.

To be honest, he had been cursing Stephen and Karen as a shameless couple in his heart quite a bit lately.

Now, with Stephen suddenly doing this for him, Will wanted to slap himself.

Damn, I'm such a jerk.

"It's fine," Stephen smiled. "I think those two birds suit you guys well. They're just wandering around aimlessly anyway, so why not let them follow you?"

Silence filled the lab once again.

Even Gary, who usually scoffed at words like "friendship" and "bonds," couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration—"To have a friend like this, what more could one ask for?"

"Wait a second, Dr. Stephen!"

Gary, having been completely won over by Stephen's generosity, had also changed how he addressed him. He suddenly thought of something and asked,

"Aren't Articuno and Moltres from Kanto? What does this have to do with Galar?"

Hearing that, everyone else also realized something.

Unlike mythical Pokémon like Diancie or Xerneas, which rarely appeared before humans, the legendary birds and legendary beasts were known to roam around.

They were widely recognized.

Anyone with basic knowledge knew that the legendary beasts primarily appeared in Johto, while the legendary birds were found in Kanto.

So why was Stephen dealing with Rose?

Shouldn't he be negotiating with Chairman Goodshow instead?

Even Professor Oak, Karen, and Will looked confused.

"Have you guys heard of regional forms?" Stephen asked.

Professor Oak nodded. "Of course! Alola has the most regional forms of any region. Pokémon like Geodude, Rattata, and Vulpix all have regional forms... Wait!?"

Professor Oak's cousin, Samson Oak, was based in Alola, so he was naturally familiar with regional forms.

But halfway through his sentence, Professor Oak suddenly realized something.

"Dr. Stephen, are you saying that even the legendary birds have regional forms?"

Stephen nodded. "The Galarian legendary birds have completely different typings from their Kanto counterparts. Galarian Articuno is Flying/Psychic, and Galarian Moltres is Flying/Dark."

Karen and Will immediately understood—Stephen had thought of everything.

"Some people are just ridiculously lucky to have Stephen as a friend," Karen said, not missing the chance to mock Will.

But Will, for once, didn't argue back. He secretly turned his head and wiped his eyes before hooking Stephen's neck and laughing:

"We can't let that Zapdos go either. Stephen, why don't you catch it?"

Stephen: …

To be honest, the design of the Galarian Moltres is cool. The red + black color scheme is just off the charts in terms of style.

 As for Articuno, although it feels a bit odd, at least it's not too bad.

 But Zapdos… Sigh, why do you look so lame?

...

"Prepare me a helicopter to Pallet Town!"

At the Indigo Plateau, Goodshow, who had only been happy for two days, suddenly felt his high blood pressure acting up again.

Using Stephen to divert public attention from the Viridian City tragedy—honestly, it had worked quite well.

As soon as the videos of Stephen, recorded by Iono and the others, were released, not just Kanto but almost the entire Pokémon world was captivated.

The revelations—the legendary Pokémon's stance towards humans, the official acknowledgment of the Fairy type, and the Pokédex launch event—each piece of news was more explosive than the last.

Especially the last one. Once Goodshow's official Pokédex was released, it would significantly boost the safety of rookie trainers traveling the world.

But he hadn't even been happy for an hour before Rose, that backstabber, sent a message saying that the Pokédex would only be available in Galar and Alola, and trainers from other regions wouldn't be allowed to buy it.

That instantly cured Goodshow's low blood pressure.

To be fair, if the Pokédex had been invented by someone from Galar, Rose pulling this move wouldn't be surprising.

But according to the intel he had gathered, the development of the Pokédex was led by Stephen, with Professor Oak assisting.

What the hell does this have to do with Galar?

Why does Rose think he gets to interfere?

Goodshow felt the urge to fly straight to Pallet Town and question Stephen in person.

Before setting off, he happened to come across news about Stephen and Melony's scandal.

His bloodshot eyes almost popped out of his wrinkled sockets.

WTF?! Are young people this wild nowadays?!

After a brief moment of thought, he went up another floor, didn't even bother knocking, and barged straight into Lorelei's room.

"Do you seriously have time to just sit around right now!?"

Seeing Lorelei scrolling on her phone, Goodshow shouted in frustration.

"Chairman, what's wrong?"

Lorelei, who had just been about to buy a ticket to Alola, frowned slightly.

Ever since the Fairy type had been officially announced, Lorelei had taken a great interest in it. She had heard that there was a beautiful Ice/Fairy-type Pokémon in Alola, so she wanted to go check it out.

More importantly, that was Stephen's workplace.

She figured this would be a good excuse to spend more time with him.

"Your man is about to be stolen, and you're still doing nothing?!"

Goodshow slammed a Photoshopped tabloid image of Stephen and Melony leaning close together in front of Lorelei.

Lorelei shot up from her seat. Amid her confusion, a hint of darkness flashed across her stunning face.

PS: What the heck?