Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

Surrounded by a group of influential figures, Rihua felt an unsettling experience that left her feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles.

Lance was the first to break the silence.

"As the first person in the house to encounter Joker two nights ago, do you know the purpose of his intrusion?"

Rihua hesitated, recalling the event. She opened her mouth several times but couldn't bring herself to speak.

If Joker wasn't lying, his intentions were indeed good—he suspected Aldus, a member of the Elite Four in the Indigo League, or rather the family of the Johto Region's wealthiest person, Mr. Caishen, of ulterior motives.

The wild Pokémon locked in her family's storage room were unlikely to seek revenge on humans, let alone coexist peacefully as domesticated Pokémon. It was laughable.

After Joker's explanation, Rihua found herself agreeing. Someone of Aldus's caliber should have easily understood this basic principle.

But how could she say that aloud? Accusing one of the Elite Four would undoubtedly cause irreparable damage. Besides, Mr. Caishen was someone her father was eager to befriend.

"I... I don't know. I just wanted to check on the Pokémon in the storage room, and that's when I ran into Joker and his companion."

Rihua lowered her head, forcing out the words.

"I see..."

Lance wasn't a psychologist, but his experience told him that Rihua was hiding something. At the very least, she wasn't telling the full truth.

"When you ran away the day before yesterday, did Joker approach you? The Houndours he released seem to be from the same pack as the one you took with you. Based on their habits, they tend to live in groups."

Lance's sharp observation didn't let Rihua off the hook.

"What happened to the Houndour you took? Normally, it should have reunited with its pack, but Joker took the other three Houndours..."

Lance's words struck a nerve, and Rihua's face turned pale.

Of course—she remembered now!

The other three Houndours had been saved by Joker, and this morning, they were at that doctor's house.

While the three Houndours might have sought her out after she fainted and were then rescued by the doctor, their behavior towards him was far too affectionate.

Even if the other Houndours didn't harbor the same hatred for humans as her own, they should have at least been wary. How could they act so close?

If she had to think of one person the Houndours might trust, it would be their rescuer—Joker!

This could only mean that the doctor and Joker were the same person!?

Lance noticed the fleeting change in her expression and narrowed his eyes.

"It seems you do have information we don't know. Care to share?"

Rihua clenched her teeth. "I… I don't know. I don't know..."

At that moment, she finally understood why Stephen had sent her away.

But she couldn't betray him!

The atmosphere in the hall shifted as everyone realized something was amiss.

Caishen noticed the discrepancy as well.

"Rihua, the injury on your arm—was it treated by Joker?"

Her father, Ritsuki, frowned, staring at the bandages on her left elbow.

"No! It wasn't!"

Rihua quickly hid her arm behind her back, but her panicked reaction only deepened their suspicions.

Aldus, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

"If Miss Rihua refuses to speak, perhaps my Alakazam can assist?"

His Alakazam stepped forward, and the meaning was clear to everyone: he intended to use Hypnosis.

Rihua's face turned pale as a sheet.

She knew all too well the horrors of Hypnosis. Under its influence, any hidden secret would be laid bare.

"Father!"

She turned to Ritsuki for help, but his answer shattered her hopes.

"Permission granted."

Rihua's pupils lost focus.

Why... Why?

Unfamiliar with political intricacies, she failed to grasp the situation. Her Houndour had nearly bitten off Aldus's arm two days ago, leaving her father in a precarious position within Johto's business circles.

This was his way of making amends.

"No!"

Two unexpected voices objected.

One was the kind-hearted Goodshow.

The other, surprisingly, was Lance.

Goodshow frowned deeply.

"Mir. Ritsuki, using Hypnosis on a person is extremely dangerous."

Not everyone had the plot armor of Ash Ketchum, who could endure Thunderbolts and Flamethrowers without a scratch. For ordinary humans, the power of Pokémon was overwhelming.

Allowing Psychic energy to invade the brain was risky. Done improperly, it could leave someone brain-dead.

Goodshow had long opposed such interrogation methods, even for criminals.

Lance added, "She's not a criminal. There's no need for this."

While Lance despised Team Rocket and similar organizations, fully supporting harsh methods against them, Rihua wasn't a criminal. He refused to use such means on her.

It showed that Lance, uncorrupted and far from implementing any human eradication plans, still had a strong moral compass—at least when Team Rocket wasn't involved.

"Enough," Goodshow interjected.

"The child just got home, and we're all bombarding her with questions. This isn't right. Let her rest and get some sleep."

As the head of the League, Goodshow's words carried weight.

The others reluctantly rose to leave.

"Rihua, from now on, you're forbidden from leaving the house—or even your room," Ritsuki said coldly.

Without a word, Rihua ascended to her room on the second floor.

...

"Ah, the things you see when you live long enough," the dragon elder chuckled as he stepped outside.

"This has certainly been an eventful day."

"This isn't something to take lightly," Goodshow sighed.

The Joker incident was an embarrassment for the League, and Goodshow was particularly unsettled by Joker's growing popularity among the public.

"Lance, he's openly challenging you. Don't let him get the upper hand," the dragon elder teased, half in jest.

Lance simply huffed in irritation.