Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

"It seems he's been hired by some real estate group over in Johto, so he didn't come," Bruno recalled.

"Tch, always mingling with those shady financial groups..."

Lorelei's tone dripped with disdain, though she refrained from saying much more about the senior Elite Four member, who was far older and more experienced than herself.

"Anyway, spread the word and make sure everyone is cautious of that Joker," Goodshow concluded, wrapping up the meeting.

...

Johto Region, Cianwood City

Stephen had been holding Anders captive for some time now.

"Stephen-kun, how's it going?"

Seeing Stephen emerge from the basement, Giovanni asked with mild interest.

Stephen had made further modifications to the seaside house. The first floor was equipped with diagnostic instruments and microscopes, the kind you'd typically see in a medical lab. As for things that couldn't see the light of day... those were hidden away in the secret basement.

"Not very durable—didn't last more than a couple of rounds before croaking."

Stephen shrugged, spreading his hands in helplessness.

Of course, part of the issue was his own. He'd overlooked the difference in physical resilience between people in the Pokémon world versus those from the pirate world. After all, one relied on their Pokémon to fight, while the other fought themselves. Stephen's instinctive use of pirate-world methods had inadvertently pushed Anders to his limits—and beyond.

"No choice. Looks like we'll have to grab someone else," Stephen sighed, pulling out a stack of wanted posters.

"Uncle, could I trouble you to track these folks down?"

"Hah! Piece of cake," Giovanni smirked, growing increasingly curious about what new tricks Stephen might come up with next. However, he was careful to avoid selecting any Team Rocket members from the wanted list—no point in fighting one's own.

...

Recent Headlines

Goldenrod TV:

 ["The Pokémon League is entering the era of Dragon Master Lance. Many Gym Leaders have expressed their admiration for him and predict he will dethrone Champion Agatha within two years to become the Indigo League Champion."]

Professor Oak's Pokémon Lecture:

 ["I recently discovered a new species of Pokémon. They're far more aggressive and temperamental compared to others of their type. I wouldn't recommend them for beginner trainers. For now, I've decided to classify them as 'Dark' types. That's all for today—go out and catch some Pokémon, everyone!"]

Mauville TV:

[ "Devon Corporation president's son, Steven, is showing incredible promise. Hoenn's strongest Gym Leader, Norman, said Steven is impressive but still favors his disciple, Wallace."]

Street Interviews:

 ["We spoke to several trainers who all witnessed Lance apprehending criminals firsthand. It's clear—evil will always meet justice!"]

Despite these headlines seemingly overshadowing the Joker and Lance incident, the Indigo League wasn't at ease. Reports indicated that Joker's activities had become increasingly frequent. Multiple wanted criminals were taken down and captured by him, often in plain view of witnesses.

While the League managed to suppress news on major channels, they couldn't control public chatter. As Joker's actions intensified, his reputation—at least in Johto—began to grow significantly.

Indigo League Headquarters.

"President, we've been receiving complaints from viewers about why we're not covering news related to Joker," the director of Cianwood TV sighed to Goodshow.

Just last week, Joker had defeated a C-rank wanted robber, Kira, in broad daylight before a crowd of citizens in Cianwood City. However, the local TV station chose not to report it, causing frustration among the public.

"Ah... thank you for your efforts. Don't worry—we'll think of something," Goodshow reassured. In truth, though, he was at a loss. After all, he couldn't just gag the entire population.

The silver lining was that Joker hadn't done anything too extreme—yet. For now, they could still keep things under wraps.

"How amusing..."

Agatha smirked as she held up a newspaper.

"There's even a Joker Fan Club now."

Cough!

Lorelei nearly spat out her tea.

"What!?"

Was the world so chaotic that she couldn't understand it anymore?

Lorelei snatched the paper from Agatha's hand.

The front page showed a group of young girls, around ten years old on average, holding up signs and posters with hearts and "Love" scribbled all over them in support of Joker. Lorelei instantly looked like a disapproving elder.

"They say it's because they think Joker is more effective at fighting crime than the League," Agatha added matter-of-factly.

Lorelei bit her lip.

"Don't let Lance hear that."

While she shared Lance's zero-tolerance approach to criminals—summed up in three words: No mercy given—Lorelei was slightly more level-headed, perhaps owing to her affinity for Ice-types.

"President! Joker has appeared in Goldenrod City! Not only him but also Shadow, led by S-rank wanted criminal Elena!"

The sudden news caused even Agatha, known for her composure, to frown slightly.

Shadow!

That word carried a weight equal to Team Rocket. If Rocket was Kanto's largest crime syndicate, Shadow was Johto's.

"Are Rocket and Shadow fighting each other?"

Goodshow leaped up from his chair, excited at the prospect. If Joker was there, it could mean an all-out war between the two factions.

"Not exactly. According to reports from Goldenrod Gym Leader Howard, Shadow operatives appeared at the station, stealing Pokémon from trainers. Joker intervened after that. There's no sign of other Team Rocket members so far, but we need further confirmation."

"What's the current situation?"

Lorelei asked as she headed for the exit. If Team Rocket and Shadow were in the same place, she'd gladly freeze them all.

"Initially, Howard was at a disadvantage. But with Joker joining the battle, the tide has turned in our favor," the assistant explained.

At first glance, it seemed like good news. Yet Lorelei wasn't pleased at all.

The thought of a League Gym Leader needing help from a Team Rocket member to hold the line made her blood boil.