Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

Credits: NovelReader

"Joker is nearby, isn't he? Why have you come to Sinnoh? What's your purpose!?"

 Cynthia's demeanor shifted entirely from the girl-next-door vibe she had when discussing history with Sheena earlier. Though still youthful, she now displayed a hint of the future Valkyrie of Sinnoh she would become.

Karen remained silent, simply raising her hand to issue a command to Houndoom.

Houndoom let out a chilling growl from its throat, then unleashed another pillar of fire, which split into five streams mid-flight.

Fire Blast!

Seeing this, Lucario raised both arms high, almost like a formal salute. In the next instant, a pale blue, semi-circular shield materialized around its body.

Protect!

The Fire Blast hit the semi-circular shield head-on. While completely blocked, the resulting impact was undeniable.

The explosion of fire lit up the night sky above the small town. Many townsfolk, who had just turned off their lights and prepared for bed, turned them back on. Some even stepped outside, curious to see what was happening.

"Everyone stay inside! There are criminals!"

 Cynthia shouted a warning:

 "It's Joker!"

There was no denying the weight of the name "Joker."

To be fair, before the Olivine Gym incident, the average person hearing the name "Joker" might have been tempted to approach out of curiosity. After all, Joker had taken down countless criminals, and his heroic actions during the Goldenrod Station incident had saved thousands of lives.

These feats had earned him titles like "Robin Hood" or "Phantom Thief" among many admirers. In the Johto region, he even had a significant fanbase.

However, after the Olivine Gym incident, Joker's reputation had taken a nosedive. Now, his name was no different from that of the Team Rocket—a pure criminal.

Noticing the townspeople's wary attitudes, Karen frowned slightly behind her mask.

Though she knew Stephen didn't care about his reputation, it still irked her. The real culprits were the Caishen family, yet Stephen was the one taking the blame.

"Extreme Speed!"

Suddenly, a fierce wind rushed toward Houndoom, striking it squarely in the face.

It was Cynthia's Lucario!

"Arf!"

However, even after taking a direct hit, Houndoom only stumbled slightly. It neither lost its balance nor was sent flying.

"What!?"

 Cynthia was inwardly shocked.

Even among the Gym Leaders of the Sinnoh League, very few Pokémon could take a direct Extreme Speed from her Lucario and remain so unfazed—no more than three, at most.

"My Pokémon are built to take hits."

 Karen smirked slightly.

"Flamethrower!"

"Bullet Punch!"

Cynthia made a quick decision, opting for another high-speed move.

Lucario reacted first, landing a swift right hook on Houndoom's cheek. However, it wasn't enough to stop the Flamethrower from being unleashed.

Houndoom's head snapped to the side from the punch, but it retaliated by sweeping a ferocious flame toward Lucario.

"Lucario!"

 Cynthia cried out in concern.

Lucario crossed its arms in front of its face, shielding its most vulnerable area from the flames. It quickly retreated to escape the Flamethrower's range.

When the flames subsided, Lucario's deep blue fur was left scorched in several places, showing burn marks all over its body.

"Why have you come to Sinnoh? What are you planning?"

 Cynthia demanded again.

Though she wasn't yet the Champion of the Sinnoh League, she was still a proud resident of the region. The thought of Joker—a criminal so notorious that even the Indigo League's headquarters feared him—appearing in Sinnoh filled her with unease.

What's more, the fact that she didn't know where Joker himself was only made her more anxious. The unknown was the most terrifying thing.

"I have no obligation to tell you,"

 Karen replied expressionlessly.

"Sheena, is there anything in Michina that Joker might be after?"

 Seeing that the masked woman refused to answer, Cynthia turned to Sheena for advice.

Sheena, who had been standing behind the protective line, was momentarily stunned.

"Michina is just a small place. There's nothing valuable there… Wait!"

 Suddenly, Sheena thought of something and exclaimed urgently:

 "I need to get home!"

 The Jewel of Life she had hidden at home!

If there was anything in her possession that could draw the attention of criminals, it could only be that.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

 Karen ordered Houndoom to block Hina's path.

There was no way she would let a woman capable of summoning gods leave her sight.

"Take to the skies, Garchomp!"

At this moment, Cynthia had already withdrawn Lucario and sent out her ace, Garchomp.

With this move, the gap in strength became immediately apparent.

...

Deep within the ancient ruins.

"Huh! Is this a crown? Hehe, let's try it on."

Will picked up a rusty crown, put it on his head, and mockingly pointed at the air, saying:

 "My beloved subjects, you may rise~"

Unable to stand it, Stephen walked over and gave him a solid kick to the rear.

As Will clutched his backside and yelped in pain, Stephen's attention was drawn to an unassuming staff placed in the corner.

What caught his eye was the top of the staff, which resembled a flower bud about to bloom.

After fiddling with it for a moment, Stephen discovered a button at the base of the flower bud.

Click—!

The instant he pressed the button, the petals of the flower bud unfolded on their own.

A palm-sized gemstone radiating an ethereal green light emerged. Its glow illuminated the entire underground ruin, dreamlike and mesmerizing.

"Whoa!"

Startled, Will, still rubbing his backside, jumped up.

It was stunningly beautiful!

"Let's hurry and reunite with Karen."

Stephen smiled as well.

Finally, they had succeeded.

...

After sending out Cynthia's ace, Garchomp, Karen was increasingly pushed onto the defensive.

In the original storyline, Karen's strength was among the top tier of the Elite Four.

She was even on the verge of breaking into Champion-level strength.

With Stephen's help, her current abilities far surpassed what she had achieved at this age in the original timeline.

If Karen still couldn't reach Champion-level heights in the future, Stephen felt they both might as well give up on life.

But compared to Cynthia, she was still slightly outmatched.

After all, even among Champions, Cynthia was a standout.

If it were Diantha instead, the battle would have been much easier.

While Cynthia was keeping Karen occupied, Sheena had already rushed home.

Opening her safe, she saw the gemstone glowing faintly.

However, compared to the one Stephen had found in the ruins, this gem's radiance was far dimmer—a difference as stark as fate itself.

"Thank goodness, the Jewel of Life is still here."

Sheena breathed a sigh of relief.

What she feared most was falling victim to a diversion tactic, with the Jewel of Life being stolen while she was away.

Clutching the Jewel of Life to her chest, Sheena stepped outside and shouted toward Cynthia, who was still engaged in battle:

"Cynthia! It's fine! The item is still here!"

Though Cynthia had no idea what the Jewel of Life was, hearing Sheena's reassurance allowed her to relax a bit.

But confusion quickly followed.

If the item wasn't stolen, then where had Joker gone?

Cynthia glanced at the opposing Houndoom, which was now on the brink of collapse.

Forget it—she'd just capture the opponent and interrogate them directly.

"Garchomp! Dragon Claw!"

Cynthia raised her elegant arm.

Garchomp's right arm lit up with a fierce green glow, the entire limb resembling a peerless blade as it slashed furiously toward Houndoom.

"Dark Pulse!"

Under Karen's command, Houndoom tried to counterattack.

But it was futile—Houndoom was completely out of stamina and couldn't keep up with Garchomp's speed!

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang out.

Both Karen and Cynthia's expressions changed dramatically.

A single Umbreon had appeared out of nowhere, leaping between the dragon and the hound.

Her heavily muscled right paw was raised, blocking Garchomp's Dragon Claw.

"Didn't expect to meet you here."

A voice came from the side.

This marked the first meeting between Stephen and Cynthia.

The wheels of fate had begun to turn.

PS: I read some notes. The author wants Cynthia as the first romantic partner.