Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

After witnessing the wonders of the Jewel of Life, Will swallowed hard several times before barely managing to suppress the shock in his heart.

"Ahem~ So, Stephen, now that we've obtained the Jewel of Life, where are we heading next?"

 Karen removed her hand from stroking the fur of her houndoom and asked, "Back to Alola?"

Stephen stroked the smooth body of his Vaporeon with one hand and, after a moment of contemplation, replied:

"Let's head to Hoenn first. Will has always wanted to catch a Gardevoir, hasn't he? Let's go look for one."

Will was so moved upon hearing this that he was nearly brought to tears.

"Finally… you thought of me!"

Ring a ring a ring!

 At that moment, Stephen's phone started ringing.

"Woof woof~"

 Sina picked up the phone from the coffee table and brought it over to Stephen.

"Thanks, Sina," Stephen said as he patted Sina's head and took the phone.

Maria and Rose, who had just gotten up, lay back down again, a slight look of dissatisfaction flashing in their eyes.

Seeing the name "Uncle" displayed on the screen, Stephen pressed the answer button, placed the phone in the center of the group, and switched to speakerphone mode.

There was no need to withhold anything in front of these two companions.

Though it was an unintentional gesture, it caused Karn's gaze to momentarily freeze, and a faint, involuntary smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Will looked at Stephen with admiration.

 He felt that he could never be as thoughtful as Stephen when it came to dealing with people.

["Stephen, I've found the information you asked me to look into."]

 Giovanni's voice came through the phone.

"Zorua?"

If there was anything Stephen had recently asked Giovanni to investigate, it could only be this.

 After all, Karen was currently eager to get this Pokémon.

["Yes, it took some effort, but I finally found something."]

["Have you heard of the name Grings Kodai?"]

Stephen thought for a moment, but Karen was quicker to respond:

"The business tycoon from the Unova region?"

As someone born into a family tied to the business world, Karen was particularly sensitive to the names of major entrepreneurs.

At that moment, Giovanni stood outside the laboratory in Team Rocket's secret base. While speaking on the phone with Stephen and the others, he watched through the glass as numerous scientists worked on the Mewtwo Project.

"That's right. My men discovered that recently, this guy has been hunting down a Zorua."

Upon hearing this, Karen frowned and asked in confusion:

"Kodai is the most renowned business tycoon in Unova. Nearly the entire media industry in Unova is under his name. Why would he go to such great lengths for a Zorua?"

If Kodai were after legendary Pokémon like Reshiram, Zekrom, or the Forces of Nature, Karen could understand.

 But Zorua, at best, was just a relatively rare Pokémon, like Riolu. Was it worth all this trouble?

["Exactly. That's why I also find it strange."]

 Even Giovanni himself was puzzled by this.

"Perhaps… it's not an ordinary Zorua, but a special one," Stephen suddenly said.

Indeed, the Pokémon world wasn't short of unique individuals that stood apart from their species.

The most typical example was Ash's Pikachu. While other Pikachus had the abilities Static or Lightning Rod, his Pikachu had a 50/50 chance ability: becoming stronger when facing strong opponents, yet weaker when facing weak ones.

 It could give Arceus a shock therapy session, yet still lose to a Level 5 Snivy.

["Are you going, Stephen?"]

"Yes. Karen needs this Pokémon right now, and if it truly is a special Zorua, we absolutely can't miss the opportunity."

Giovanni took one last look at the scientists in the lab before turning to leave with his Persian.

"Kodai's company, Kodai Network Group, is located in Nimbasa City in Unova. I'll have my people keep an eye on him. They'll all be at your disposal."

"Thanks, Uncle."

…

After hanging up the call, Stephen patted Will on the shoulder.

"Sorry, Will, but we have to make a trip to Unova first."

 "It's fine. Karen needs Zorua right now. And if that particular Zorua is special, we can't let it fall into anyone else's hands," Will replied with a smile.

However, it was clear that his smile was a bit forced.

 After all, both Stephen and Karen knew that Will was eager to strengthen his team's combat power.

It was already late at night.

 Karen returned to her room, and both Stephen and Will went to bed.

 While Will hugged his pillow and snored, Stephen picked up his phone and sent out a message.

 ...

 ...

The next day, the three of them boarded a private jet arranged by Giovanni and flew from Sinnoh to Unova.

Nimbasa City—the second-largest city in Unova, second only to Castelia City.

 Unlike Castelia, which is famous for its business district, Nimbasa is known as a tourist city, famous for its abundant entertainment options.

The city boasts attractions such as the stadiums where various ball games are held, the amusement park with its iconic Ferris wheel that has earned it the title of couples' sanctuary, and the Musical Theater, where famous artists often perform.

 Countless entertainment facilities are located in this city.

Oh, and by the way, Nimbasa City's Gym Leader is Elesa, the most famous young model in Unova.

However, the trio was in no mood to watch a fashion show.

After getting off the plane, the three of them headed straight to their target destination—the headquarters of Kodai Network Group.

Situated in the bustling center of Nimbasa City, the area was crowded with passersby and tourists.

 Lost amidst the sea of people, the trio went unnoticed.

"Stephen-sama."

 A voice called out behind the trio.

Without turning around, they already knew it was someone sent by Giovanni.

 Moreover, the voice was familiar—it was Proton, the executive who had previously participated in Team Rocket's mission to take over the Aether Foundation.

"Giovanni-sama has purchased a villa across the street for you three to stay in temporarily. During this time, we will keep a close watch on Kodai. If they make any moves, we will notify you immediately," Proton said as he walked past them, blending in perfectly with the crowd like an ordinary passerby.

As he passed behind Stephen, he discreetly slipped a key into Stephen's pocket, hidden from view by onlookers.

"Talk about being loaded. He just outright bought a villa for us," Will exclaimed, clicking his tongue.

"Do you have any idea how much profit the TM's bring to the Team Rocket? A house like that is a drop in the bucket," Karen scoffed, her expression showing a hint of pride.

Will shrugged. "Look at you, all proud. Someone who doesn't know better might think you're the one who invented the TM."

"While we wait, we'll continue our training. It's perfect timing—Umbreon's power-up is entering its final phase," Stephen said without much objection.

He recalled that Cynthia owned a vacation villa somewhere in Unova. As a twice-reincarnated individual, why shouldn't he have a few properties of his own?

...

Meanwhile, two days later, on Lily of the Valley Island, the site of the Sinnoh League Conference and headquarters of the Sinnoh League—

 Dragon Master Lance's voice echoed through the meeting room.

"This is just a broken rock!"