Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

"Stephen, shouldn't we do something about that girl?"

Looking at the distant figure of Bea running off, Will turned his head and asked Stephen, "The Galar royal family still has some influence locally, right? If they find out that girl is trying to expose their secrets..."

Stephen thought for a moment, then turned to Zamazenta with a mischievous smile.

"Shield King, are you just going to watch?"

"Woo?"

Zamazenta tilted its big head, full of question marks.

Wait, what does this have to do with me?

"That child is doing this for you. If something happens to her, can you live with your conscience?"

Stephen pointed at the spot where Bea had disappeared and smirked.

Zamazenta's eyes widened in shock.

Even Zacian, who had been sitting at a distance with a cold and aloof demeanor, showed slight hesitation.

After a moment, Zamazenta silently got up and ran after Bea.

Stephen's grin widened, and even Will couldn't help but chuckle mischievously.

Using moral coercion against righteous Legendary Pokémon like this was always effective.

"[Humans, truly silver-tongued.]"

Zacian snorted through telepathy, expressing its opinion.

Stephen turned his attention to the Sword King.

"Sword King, can I ask you for a favor?"

Zacian glanced sideways at him.

"I want a little of your blood."

Stephen raised his hand and made a dramatic gesture of loss.

Zacian silently got up, leaped onto a rock in the middle of the lake, and sat down.

Its attitude was clear.

To be honest, Zacian's first impression of Stephen was not great.

As the Sword King, who valued righteousness and upright actions, Zacian had no fondness for Stephen's earlier moral coercion tactics against its younger brother.

"Umbre~"

Seeing Zacian's reaction, Umbreon jumped out of her Poké Ball, glaring at it with hostility.

["What kind of attitude is that you mutt!?"]

However, before anything escalated, Stephen raised his hand, stopping Umbreon.

"Stephen, are you just going to leave it be?"

Will asked.

"It's fine. I won't force it."

Stephen shook his head.

Ignoring Arceus, who had the Fairy-type Plate, Zacian was the strongest Fairy-type Pokémon.

For his plan, Stephen wanted a little of its blood.

But if Zacian refused, he wouldn't push the matter.

For Pokémon like Ho-Oh and Zacian, who were righteous and selfless, Stephen knew he wasn't their ideal trainer type, but he wouldn't force them to do anything.

"Let's go see what Bea-chan plans to do."

Stephen smiled, recalled Bewear and Umbreon, and left Slumbering Weald with Will.

From the rock in the middle of the lake, Zacian half-opened its eyes and glanced at Stephen's retreating figure.

A little surprising... he didn't try to take it by force...

...

Meanwhile, Bea had left the forest and returned to Ballonlea before heading to the nearby town, Wedgehurst. By then, it was nighttime.

After running here on impulse, she had calmed down somewhat.

A crucial question popped into her mind—how exactly should she expose the truth about the Galar royal family?

Posting online? Contacting the media? Or telling Leon?

After thinking it over, none of these options seemed reliable.

She had no evidence.

Zacian and Zamazenta weren't willing to testify for her.

She was just a mere second-tier Gym Leader trying to expose the descendants of Galar's heroes... Would anyone believe her without proof?

"Bea, what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, a familiar female voice reached her ears.

Turning her head, she saw Sonia—the woman she had briefly met at the banquet in Rose of the Rondelands Hotel.

"Miss Sonia? What are you doing here?"

Bea, startled, asked the same question back.

Sonia rolled her eyes. "This is my home. Where else would I be?"

Only then did Bea remember—Wedgehurst was home to the research lab of Professor Magnolia, Galar's famous Pokémon Professor.

And Sonia was Professor Magnolia's granddaughter.

Sonia repeated her question. "You still haven't answered me, Bea. Why are you here? Weren't you training with Dr. Stephen? Huh? Where is he?"

She looked around but didn't see Stephen anywhere.

"Uh…"

Just as Bea was about to answer, her stomach let out a loud "grumble."

A blush immediately spread across her face.

She suddenly realized—she hadn't eaten dinner since training and entering Slumbering Weald.

Sonia chuckled. "Well, I was just about to have dinner. Want to join me?"

...

Professor Magnolia's Research Lab.

"Sonia, weren't you collecting Gym Badges to enter next month's Champion Cup? Why are you back?"

Professor Magnolia was surprised at her granddaughter's sudden return.

Sonia forced a bitter smile. "Grandma… I gave up…"

Bea looked at her in shock.

Professor Magnolia didn't immediately respond but instead asked, "Not entering this year? Will you try again next year?"

"No… I… I don't want to be a trainer anymore…"

It looked like Sonia was on the verge of tears.

Hearing this, Professor Magnolia didn't press further. She simply patted her granddaughter's back in comfort.

"Come inside and eat first. Bea-chan, you join us too."

"O-Okay…"

Still processing the conversation, Bea nodded stiffly.

Half an hour later…

As Sonia ate her dinner mechanically, she began sharing her thoughts.

After the banquet at Rose of the Rondelands Hotel, she continued her journey to collect Gym Badges and challenge the Galar League.

Just like every other year…

But when they reached the Ballonlea Gym, Sonia couldn't hold on any longer.

 Although she barely managed to obtain the badge in the end, Sonia knew that it was only because the Gym Leader, Opal, had gone easy on her.

 After all, forty years ago, Opal had once been on par with Mustard.

 Although the gap between them grew over time, the strength of this old Gym Leader was not to be underestimated.

However, after receiving the badge, Opal's offhand remark—"Compared to last year, your growth has been limited"—became the final straw that broke Sonia's resolve.

 (This scene references the manga, where Sonia, after challenging the Ballonlea Gym, gives up on becoming a trainer.)

Yes, after competing in the League for so many years, she had made little progress.

 Meanwhile, her childhood friend had won the championship in their very first year, on their very first attempt.

 The gap between them...

Sonia couldn't take it anymore.

"If you don't want to do it, then don't. It's okay."

 Hearing her granddaughter's tearful complaints, Professor Magnolia patted Sonia's shoulder to comfort her.

"Yeah, Sonia, it's okay," Bea also consoled her.

"Sorry for whining to you guys. Sniff~"

 Sonia sniffled, wiped away the small pearls of tears at the corners of her eyes, and suddenly remembered something:

"By the way, Bea, weren't you training with Dr. Stephen? Why are you in Postwick Town? Where is Dr. Stephen? And that chubby kid who always follows him…?"

Being reminded of this, Bea suddenly realized—

 She had almost forgotten.

"Actually…"

 Bea quickly recounted to Professor Magnolia and Sonia what had just happened in the Slumbering Weald.

As the grandmother and granddaughter listened, their eyes widened more and more.

This was undoubtedly the most explosive news in Galar's history.

 If it were true, it would shake not just Galar, but the entire Pokémon world!

"I'm really troubled about what to do now. Zacian and Zamazenta don't seem to care about this, but… how should I reveal the truth to everyone?"

 Bea looked distressed.

Professor Magnolia narrowed her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, then said:

"Without solid evidence, overturning three thousand years of Galar's history is no simple task. If Dr. Stephen were willing to help, it would be easier. After all, he recently popularized the Fairy type and Legendary Pokémon and even invented the Pokédex. Right now, he is the leading authority in Pokémon research—he might even surpass Professor Oak…"

Although Zacian and Zamazenta refused to testify, in the Pokémon academic world, anything Stephen said was considered evidence!

However, according to Bea, Stephen wasn't interested in getting involved in this matter.

"That guy is so stingy! He won't even help with this!"

 Sonia said angrily.

Bea quietly retorted, "Miss Sonia, don't say that. Doctor does have a point. After all, even Zacian and Zamazenta don't seem to care."

"A scholar should be dedicated to uncovering the truth! Hmph, and to think I thought he and Nessa would make a great couple—I was even considering setting them up!"

 Sonia pouted and complained.

At that moment, Professor Magnolia made a decision:

 "I'll head to Wyndon tomorrow and talk to Chairman Rose about this. Isn't he working with Dr. Stephen? Maybe we can persuade him…"

After considering all the options, Professor Magnolia believed that if Zacian and Zamazenta refused to come forward, then Stephen was their best bet.

She then added, "It's already very late. You two should get some rest."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Professor Magnolia's assistant, who had been organizing documents, had overheard everything.

 While Sonia, Bea, and Professor Magnolia were deep in conversation, the assistant quietly slipped into the records room and dialed a number.

...

Deep into the night, Professor Magnolia, Sonia, and Bea had all fallen asleep.

At that moment, the research institute's front door was gently opened from the inside.

Outside stood a group of mysterious intruders, their faces barely visible in the darkness.

"They already know?"

 The leader of the group asked in a low voice.

"Yes," the person who had opened the door replied, then asked, "What should we do?"

Another person growled viciously, "What do you think? Everyone who knows about this must die. Burn them all…"

As he spoke, he made a sharp cutting motion with his right hand.

"Use Fire Lash."

With the command given, two of the intruders released their Centiskorch, unique to the Galar region, and prepared to set the research institute ablaze, intending to burn the three women alive along with it.

...

Two minutes later.

The fire had completely engulfed Magnolia's research institute. Even the walls couldn't withstand the flames, collapsing one after another with loud crashes.

The firelight illuminated the faces of the arsonists, revealing none other than the Galarian royal brothers—Sordward and Shielbert—whom Stephen had previously encountered at a banquet.

And the person who had let them in was none other than Professor Magnolia's assistant, who had just been eavesdropping on Sonia and Bea.

Yes, his true identity was that of a spy planted by the royal brothers to monitor Professor Magnolia.

For 3,000 years, the Galarian royal family had worked tirelessly to bury the truth of the past.

 Scholars like Professor Magnolia, who studied Pokémon and history, were their primary targets for surveillance.

Their goal was to ensure that no researcher ever uncovered any clues that could lead to the truth.

 (In the games, after Sonia takes over as professor, the royal brothers have a spy among her assistants.)

Bathed in the glow of the flames, Shielbert, the younger of the two brothers, asked,

 "But according to Bea, Dr. Stephen and his chubby sidekick also know the truth. What should we do about them?"

At these words, Sordward and the other intruders exchanged uneasy glances.

Dr. Stephen was not someone to be trifled with.

 He was a globally renowned Pokémon researcher with deep ties to Chairman Rose.

 Furthermore, a recent video had shown him using Bewear to assist an Alakazam in capturing a Galarian Articuno, proving that he was formidable in battle as well.

Whether in the light or the shadows, taking him on would not be easy.

After a brief silence, Sordward said,

 "Based on the intel, Dr. Stephen doesn't seem too interested in this matter. Let's deal with these three women first. As long as we leave no evidence, even if Dr. Stephen suspects us, as long as we deny everything, he won't be able to do anything."

The group of arsonists nodded in agreement.

"Did you get that on camera?"

Just as Sordward and Shielbert were about to leave, a voice suddenly rang out behind them, making them jump in shock.

A dozen pairs of eyes turned in disbelief.

Standing there, completely unharmed, were Sonia, Bea, and Professor Magnolia!

And in Sonia's hand was a camcorder, its lens pointed directly at them!

The person who had just spoken was none other than Stephen!

Beside him stood his chubby assistant and an unfamiliar large dog Pokémon!

"You... How did you…?"

 Shielbert staggered back in terror, nearly tripping over himself.

His brother and their subordinates looked just as horrified.

"I've been sick of seeing spies since my past life."

Stephen turned his head and asked Sonia again, "Is the recording done?"

"Yes!"

Sonia nodded excitedly, baring her teeth in a grin. "This video will expose the true faces of these fake royals."

"Give me that!"

Shielbert could no longer maintain the noble demeanor he displayed at the banquet earlier. His face twisted as he threw a bronze bell, unleashing divine power toward the group opposite him.

"I originally thought Momonosuke was already the worst, but I didn't expect someone even more despicable than him."

Stephen scoffed.

As he had said before, he was no stranger to people stealing credit.

Not only had he seen it countless times in manga during his past-past life, but even in his previous life, he had witnessed the rabid Kozuki Oden fans in Wano stealing Luffy's credit for defeating Kaido and giving it to Momonosuke.

He thought Momonosuke was already despicable enough, but the two in front of him were even worse.

At least Momonosuke never planned to silence Luffy's crew after taking the credit.

"Who are you calling a fat sidekick, you two punk wannabes?!"

Will countered by throwing a precious ball, releasing a Galarian Articuno.

Under the firelight, the Galarian Articuno spread its wings, and its sharp eyes emitted two deep purple laser beams.

Freezing Glare!

Zap!

The psychic lasers effortlessly pierced through the divine power waves and struck the ground in front of a dozen people.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A powerful frost rapidly spread, and within seconds, it had frozen more than ten people into ice statues.

Galarian Articuno's signature move, Freezing Glare, came with an additional freezing effect!

"Sorry about that, Dr. Stephen. I thought you weren't going to do anything earlier."

Sonia stuck out her tongue at Stephen.

"Don't worry about it. But to be honest, if these guys weren't so disgusting, I really wouldn't have bothered."

After saying that, Stephen turned to the side. "How long are you planning to watch? King of Swords?"

Everyone followed Stepehn's gaze.

At the far end of a small path, a swift shadow appeared and in the blink of an eye, landed in front of them.

Zacian!

"So these are the two legendary heroes who truly saved Galar 3,000 years ago that Bea mentioned?"

Sonia's eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly stared at the two majestic canines.

"May I record you two? With your testimony, the video will be even more convincing!"

Sonia held up her DV camera toward the Sword and Shield siblings.

Zacian remained as aloof as ever, expressionless, while Zamazenta slightly raised its head, making its stance clear.

"Now we can finally reveal the truth to Galar and ensure that Zacian and Zamazenta receive the recognition they deserve."

Bea said excitedly, "Thank you, Doctor!"

"It's nothing. The main reason is that these guys are just too disgusting—I really couldn't stand it."

Even Momonosuke stealing credit wasn't as bad as backstabbing the real heroes.

Satan even gave his daughter to Kakarot's son to sleep with.

But these idiots? Not only did they steal credit, but they also wanted to eliminate the real heroes afterward.

Even Stephen, who had seen his fair share of scumbags, found their actions utterly repulsive.

[Hey~]

At that moment, Zacian's elegant yet commanding voice echoed in Stephen's mind.

"Hmm?"

Stephen glanced at the sword-wielding canine. This was probably the first time she had initiated a conversation with him.

[What do you want my blood for?]

Zacian's voice rang out again.

"I want to create a Pokémon."

Stephen didn't hide his intentions and stated them outright.

[You want to create a powerful Pokémon to use for yourself?]

Zacian narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at Stephen.

"No, I just want to try creating my own Pokémon—just like a dog chasing a car. Even if it catches up, it doesn't know what to do with it. I just want to do it for the sake of it."

Stephen smiled faintly.

Just like Giovanni's Mewtwo Project or the Kalos genius scientist Nikola, who created Magearna 500 years ago.

Stephen simply wanted to create a powerful Pokémon.

As for what he would do with it afterward—whether he'd use it to fulfill ambitions like Giovanni or protect a kingdom like Nikola—he hadn't thought that far ahead.

He just wanted to try.

For that reason, he hoped to obtain DNA from the strongest Fairy-type, Zacian.

Hearing this answer, Zacian was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Even though she had lived for centuries as a Legendary Pokémon, in terms of understanding human society, she was no match for Stephen, who had lived three lifetimes combined—even if they only added up to a century.

Zacian glanced at the frozen fake royals.

Though she didn't care about her reputation, as Stephen had said, these people were truly despicable—leaving them unchecked would surely lead to disaster.

Even if she didn't particularly like this human, she had to admit that he had done the right thing.

[If you ever use my power for evil, I will seal you away in darkness forever—just like that toxic dragon.]

Finally, Zacian gave her answer.

Stephen chuckled, "Deal."

PS: In the manga, those two idiots were trying to kill people. It wasn't just the author portraying them poorly.