Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

The seven-colored light symbolizing Ho-Oh's power and the pink radiance representing the Fairy type burst forth together, revealing a newly reborn Swablu in its transformed state.

"This is—!?"

Everyone present, including Stephen, was visibly shocked at the sight before them.

Unlike a typical Swablu, which symbolizes blue skies and white clouds with its body covered in blue and white downy feathers, this reborn Swablu had wings as fluffy as clouds, now glowing with a pink hue that would be particularly detested by Dragon-type Pokémon.

"T-This... What exactly is happening...?"

Karen took several deep breaths, barely managing to suppress her excitement as she looked at the transformed Swablu.

Meanwhile, Linlin, a Fighting-type Pokémon, sensed an unsettling aura emanating from the pink-winged Swablu. Was this still the same little one that used to snuggle in her arms so affectionately?

"Ho..."

At that moment, Ho-Oh spoke again, and Zorua promptly provided a translation:

["Ho-Oh says, 'I have awakened within her a power akin to Xerneas—consider it an additional gift."]

A power akin to Xerneas... Could it be—Fairy type?

Stephen knew that Swablu's evolved form, Altaria, gained the Fairy typing upon evolution.

Did this mean Swablu had already awakened to the Fairy type? Had it changed from Normal + Flying to Fairy + Flying?

Before Stephen could take any further action, Ho-Oh suddenly used telepathy to communicate with him:

[Your Eevee... is special.]

"Huh?"

Stephen was taken aback and quickly took out a Poké Ball to summon his Umbreon.

Ho-Oh fixated on the Evolution Gem hanging around Umbreon's neck for a long time, then used its rainbow-colored light to sense something before sighing in admiration:

[I see now... You have also reshaped her body, and you even drew upon that great one's power...]

"To help Umbreon break through her limits, I had to resort to some unconventional methods."

Stephen knelt and placed his right hand gently on Umbreon's head.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ho-Oh seemed to come to a major decision. A burst of sacred blue, red, and yellow light radiated from its rainbow-colored wings and infused itself into the Evolution Gem, which Stephen had modeled after the Jewel of Life.

"This is...?"

Even Stephen himself was uncertain about what Ho-Oh was doing.

Umbreon briefly sensed the newly surging power within the Evolution Gem.

The very next moment, her body suddenly expanded!

From its original corgi-sized form, it rapidly grew to the height of a golden retriever. In less than two seconds, it reached a stature equivalent to that of the three Legendary Beasts—comparable to a fierce tiger!

No, it wasn't just the size—its entire form had become identical to the Legendary Beast, Entei!

"E-Entei!?"

Karen's pupils shrank in shock.

Indeed, at this very moment, Umbreon had transformed into none other than Entei, one of the three Legendary Beasts and a member of Ho-Oh's personal guard!

Even the actual Entei standing nearby was visibly bewildered, staring wide-eyed at its doppelgänger.

But it didn't stop there—Umbreon sensed yet another power within the Evolution Gem.

The once flowing, lion-like brown mane of Entei suddenly became rigid and spiky.

Its color shifted from brown to yellow.

Raikou!?

Sird was dumbfounded. What—what else could happen next!?

Ho-Oh's telepathic voice echoed once more:

[Just as I suspected. By channeling the sacred power I used to revive the three Legendary Beasts into this imitation of the Jewel of Life, your Eevee can accomplish this transformation.]

With these words, Ho-Oh essentially confirmed a long-standing theory—when it resurrected the three Pokémon that perished in the Burned Tower, their original species had been Eevee!

And now, with Ho-Oh infusing the same sacred power into the Evolution Gem, Umbreon could freely shift between the forms of the three Legendary Beasts, just as she had always been able to switch between Eeveelutions!

At that moment, the transformed Umbreon reverted to her original form.

"Thanks."

Seeing this, Stephen clasped his hands together in a show of gratitude toward Ho-Oh.

A few seconds later, Ho-Oh finally broke the silence and communicated telepathically once more:

[With this, we are even.]

Although Stephen had helped Ho-Oh escape from human control, the legendary Pokémon had never intended to follow him. Resurrecting Swablu and granting Umbreon the power of the Legendary Beasts was the extent of its repayment. From this point forward, neither owed the other anything.

Stephen also understood—he was not the kind of righteous Trainer Ho-Oh would favor. If it had been Ash Ketchum, maybe there would have been a chance.

...Oh, wait. No, Ash would just release the powerful Pokémon after catching it.

[I hope you will use this power to foster harmony between humans and Pokémon.]

With those solemn words, Ho-Oh spread its wings, preparing to leave with its three subordinates.

"Wait a moment!"

Stephen suddenly called out, raising his hand in a halting gesture.

Ho-Oh and its three Legendary Beasts instinctively turned back.

With a sly grin, Stephen said, "Since you've helped this much, why not go all the way? Ho-Oh, in ancient times, you resurrected fallen Pokémon to become your royal guards, right? Why not grant Umbreon the power of the ancient genes as well?"

At these words, the three Legendary Beasts simultaneously tilted their heads in confusion.

If this were an anime, there would probably be big question marks floating above their heads.

[Human, you seem to know quite a lot.]

Ho-Oh narrowed its eyes, its expression no longer as friendly as before.

"Although historical records are scarce, there are indeed ancient texts documenting this."

Stephen spoke as if he were drawing from scholarly research, though in reality, his knowledge came from being a reincarnated individual.

Most modern scholars, including Professor Oak, believed that the three Legendary Beasts had originated from the Pokémon Ho-Oh revived in the Burned Tower over a century ago.

However, in truth, even in ancient times, Ho-Oh had already resurrected deceased Eevee and endowed them with immense power, making them its Ancient Royal Guards—a rank far superior to the modern Legendary Beasts!

[If you know this, then you should also understand why I no longer grant that power.]

Ho-Oh's voice was grave.

The three Legendary Beasts were completely lost. What is our boss talking about with this human? We don't understand a word!

Stephen pressed further, "True, granting the modern Legendary Beasts the power of ancient genes would make them excessively strong and disrupt the ecosystem. But I promise that Umbreon will only use this power in special circumstances and never abuse it. How about that?"

Just like how the professors in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet warned that letting Paradox Pokémon out of Area Zero could wreak ecological havoc, unleashing the power of the ancient Legendary Beasts was no trivial matter...

Because even the weakest paradox Pokémon has quasi-divine power!

 And as for the ancient Three Legendary Beasts, there's no need to even mention their might.

 The modern Three Legendary Beasts are considered third-tier beasts at best, but those ancient ones? They're solid second-tier gods!

Even Ho-Oh thought their power was too overwhelming and, when creating its followers afterward, intentionally toned them down.

"Stephen, what are you talking about? What ancient stuff... I don't understand at all!"

 Not to mention the three dogs, even Karen and Will looked a bit confused.

"I'll explain it to you all later."

 Stephen smiled faintly and turned to Ho-Oh, saying:

"Though I'm not the kind of righteous trainer you may like, I promise I will contribute to the harmonious coexistence of humans and Pokémon. And soon, I'll have results to show. However, my identity is a bit special—there are plenty of people in both the light and dark worlds who want to take me down. So, I need great power to rely on. Please, Ho-Oh."

This time, Ho-Oh fell silent.

 It couldn't even remember how many years it had been since it last created its ancient personal guard.

 Could it be time to reawaken that power?

After a long silence, Ho-Oh's voice, which leaned toward a feminine tone, echoed through telepathy:

["If you use this power for evil, I will reclaim it."]

"Much appreciated."

Ho-Oh's body surged with boundless regenerative energy, which flowed into the evolution stone on the chest of the Umbreon.

 The color of the energy was a deep blue—symbolic of the Dragon type!

...

As they were about to part ways, Ho-Oh glanced at the sealed ceiling and blinked, wondering whether it should ask these humans to open the door for it.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a moment!"

 Giovanni's secretary, Matori, came rushing over in a flurry, stopping them once more.

"Don't go out that way! The outside is swarming with reporters, citizens, and police. If these legendary Pokémon appear out there..."

Giovanni had already gone out to deal with the media and reinforcements sent by the league, while Stephen and his group had hidden themselves.

If Ho-Oh and the Three Beasts were to leave openly, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Stephen rubbed his chin in thought before pulling out four red-and-white Poké Balls.

 "How about... you guys hide in these for now?"

Ho-Oh: ...

 The Three Beasts: ...

Though they mentally wanted to rant, Ho-Oh and its three subordinates ultimately had no choice but to obediently enter the Poké Balls Stephen prepared for them.

"When I leave the city, I'll let you out," Stephen said, glancing at the balls containing the legendary bird and three dogs.

"Stephen, that girl seems to have seen a lot... Is that okay?"

 Will pointed out something, gesturing toward Sird, who had witnessed everything from start to finish.

Sird's face subtly changed.

"It's fine. Sird is a smart girl—she won't do anything unnecessary."

 Stephen cast a glance at Sird, smiled, and said, "Isn't that right?"

Sird froze for half a second before returning the smile. "Of course, St—no, Joker-sama."

 The exchange between the two schemers was simple and subtle.

...

As the trio left Viridian City through a secret passage, Giovanni was still outside dealing with the media.

"You've all seen it. The culprit behind this tragedy is a mysterious masked individual wearing an ice mask. The battle between him and what seems to be a legendary Pokémon caused this disaster. However, further investigation is required. Please give us some time, and we guarantee to provide a satisfactory explanation. As for the losses suffered by our citizens, the Viridian Gym will bear all the costs!"

Giovanni's generous gesture instantly won the applause of the surrounding citizens.

He then walked to the devastated battlefield, surveying the smoke-filled chaos, where traces of ice and fire still lingered.

"So this is what a battle between a master-level trainer and top-tier legends looks like..."

 Giovanni muttered to himself, frowning.

"Giovanni-sama."

 Matori came up from behind, reporting:

 "Joker-sama and his group have already left through the secret passage."

"Understood. Anything else?"

 Giovanni asked without turning his head.

"Chairman Goodshow of headquarters has called, asking you to head to Indigo Plateau to explain the situation."

Giovanni wore an expression of inevitability.

 After a brief pause, he said, "Find me the contact information for Mahogany Gym Leader Pryce. I want to talk to him."

As Giovanni walked away, a Dragonite and Slowbro descended from the sky.

Dragonite carried Lance, while Slowbro carried Lorelei. Both Elite Four members dismounted.

By now, it was almost noon, and the golden sun hung high in the sky.

 Yet, as they stood in the center of Viridian City, which had seemingly transformed into an island of ice and fire, all they felt was a chilling unease.

"This is... too much, isn't it?"

 Lorelei murmured, her lips parting slightly in disbelief.

"Where are they?!"

 Lance was the first to recover from his shock, immediately searching for the culprits.

"Mr. Lance, they're already gone."

 A young girl's voice called out.

"Come help! There are many injured people!"

The Elite Four members turned to see a ten-year-old girl with rare blue-and-pink hair urgently waving at them.

...

Two hours later, on Route 1, south of Viridian City:

"Goodbye."

Stephen didn't waste any words. After releasing Ho-Oh and its three little followers, he waved his hand to say goodbye.

"Phew..."

Once the four figures gradually disappeared into the distance, Will plopped down onto the ground, looking utterly exhausted.

"Zorua has been saved, Swablu is now healthy, and we can finally catch our breath."

"Don't forget, we've completely offended Pryce."

Karen interjected.

"Ahhh! I don't want to hear it!!"

Will clutched his head and rolled around on the ground.

He had just barely managed to forget about that!

Ring a ring a ring. A ring a ring a ring!

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Stephen glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered, "Uncle, what's up?"

Giovanni's voice came through the phone: ["I just got in touch with Pryce and learned about his true objective."]

"Oh? He told you?"

Stephen raised an eyebrow slightly.

["After all, we both hold each other's biggest secrets. We know he's a master trainer attempting to capture Celebi, and he knows we're from Team Rocket. In a sense, we're keeping each other in check."]

There was a hint of amusement in Giovanni's tone.

"So he won't come after me anymore?"

Stephen asked.

["I made a deal with him. I also hope you, Stephen, can help create a device capable of capturing Celebi—because I, too, want to borrow Celebi's power."]

"Oh? Do you also have regrets from the past that you want to fix, Uncle?"

Giovanni asked curiously.

["I want Celebi to use its ability to travel through time and show me who exactly kidnapped my son three years ago!"]

Giovanni's previously calm tone suddenly became twisted with rage.

["Damn it! If I find out who it was, they're dead!"]

Stephen: …

Before Giovanni gained enough power, it was best not to tell him the truth.

Even though Pryce had lost Ho-Oh, Giovanni was still not Pryce's match for now.

...

Meanwhile, in Viridian City, emergency rescue efforts were in full swing.

Apart from the Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy families, Giovanni and his Gym staff, thre Elite Four members had also rushed over from the Indigo Plateau to assist in the rescue.

Lorelei released her Lapras and Slowbro, using moves like Life Dew and Heal Pulse to provide emergency treatment to the injured.

The Jenny squad stood on the side of the street with their Growlithe and Arcanine, looking troubled.

In front of them, a thick ice wall had trapped several civilians inside.

However, their Growlithe and Arcanine were helpless against what seemed like millennia-old frozen ice.

Their regular flames couldn't even scratch it.

What should they do?

How could they rescue the people trapped inside?

Meanwhile, Lance and Bruno had commanded their Dragon-type and Fighting-type Pokémon to move collapsed buildings and rescue citizens trapped underneath.

"Ahhh! It hurts! It hurts so much!"

A Dragonite and Hitmonchan lifted a collapsed wall, revealing a young man whose lower body had been crushed beneath it. He let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"You're safe now. It's going to be okay."

Bruno quickly stepped forward to comfort him, bending down to carry him to the ambulance.

However, the young man, sobbing uncontrollably, suddenly punched Bruno in the face and roared with anger:

"Bastards! Why didn't you come to save us sooner?! If you had come earlier… Ugh, ahhh!"

Halfway through his sentence, his agitation caused him to pull at his wounds, making him scream even louder.

Among the Indigo Elite Four, Bruno was known for having the best temper, yet he remained silent.

Lance and Lorelei, frowning, wanted to say something.

But when they looked at the young man's legs—now a mangled mess of flesh and blood—the words that had reached their throats could no longer come out.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths... Try to stay calm."

Viridian City's Nurse Joy quickly stepped forward to comfort him, assisting Blissey in checking the young man's legs.

As the examination continued, Nurse Joy's frown deepened. After having Blissey push the young man onto the ambulance, she turned to what seemed to be his grandmother or great-aunt and said:

"His condition... He may need an amputation. Please... come sign the consent form."

The elderly woman froze in shock, before collapsing to the ground with a loud "thud."

Nurse Joy hurriedly crouched down to support her, "Ma'am, please stay calm. Breathe, breathe deeply!"

"M-my poor grandson… Ahhh… What did we do to deserve this…?"

A wave of grief and sorrow engulfed all of Viridian City.

Across the street, Giovanni, who was still on the phone with Stephen, was momentarily distracted by the scene.

"You did a good deed this time, Stephen."

Giovanni suddenly spoke again.

["Huh?"]

Stephen, on the other end of the call, was caught off guard, having no idea what Giovanni meant.

Giovanni continued:

"If it weren't for you, the number of casualties in Viridian City wouldn't just be this small."

Ho-Oh's sudden betrayal had been too unexpected.

And the one fighting it had been the only Master-level trainer of this era.

To make things worse, their battlefield had been in the heart of Viridian City, one of Kanto's most prosperous cities.

If Stephen and his team hadn't intervened in time, the number of casualties wouldn't have been just a few hundred—it could have easily exceeded a thousand, or even more!

"If the League had arrived sooner, things wouldn't have turned out this way."

Someone in the crowd suddenly muttered.

In an instant, Lance, Bruno, and Lorelei's expressions darkened further.

Officer Jenny, who was leading the rescue efforts, opened her mouth to defend them.

After all, they had rushed over from the Indigo Plateau as quickly as they could.

It's not like they could Instant Transmission like Kakarot!

"Can they protect us?"

"What's the point of all the hard work we put in to pay taxes to the League?"

"My cousin was also sent to the hospital... I hope he'll be okay."

The surrounding citizens began whispering among themselves.

The Pokémon world is, after all, a simple and honest place, unlike the Naruto world's Konoha, where the villagers would directly hurl abuse and drive their heroes to despair.

But this time, given the heavy casualties, the public inevitably had some complaints.

The person who had just watched the battle, Iono, pursed her lips, scratched her head, and ultimately did not join in the public outcry against Lance and the others.

She had the most right to complain—after all, if it weren't for Joker's intervention, she would have died under the frozen assault of the Masked Man.

"Yiii—"

At that moment, a clear and sacred cry of a bird-like Pokémon echoed across the sky.

Iono, the Three Elite Four, Giovanni, and others turned their heads toward the sky.

Under the blazing noonday sun, a large Pokémon radiating a seven-colored holy light hovered over Viridian City, resembling a second sun illuminating the entire area.

"Ho-Oh!?"

Giovanni, still holding his phone in his right hand, muttered the name of this divine entity.

Directly beneath Ho-Oh, the Pokémon known as the Three Legendary Beasts—Suicune, Entei, and Raikou—lowered their heads and knelt on the ground like loyal subjects before their sovereign, as if worshiping their true ruler.

"Why has it returned?"

Giovanni furrowed his brow and murmured to himself.

From his earlier conversation with Stephen, Giovanni had already learned that Ho-Oh and the Three Legendary Beasts had been released.

But now... Giovanni looked up at Ho-Oh, its wings spread wide over Viridian City, along with its three loyal followers.

Why has it come back?

Is it not afraid of Pryce?

That old monster probably hasn't gone far yet.

Is it not afraid of being captured again?

"Yiii~~~!"

At that moment, Ho-Oh let out an even louder cry.

Under the radiant midday sun, its massive wings flashed with an even more brilliant seven-colored glow, casting their light over every person in Viridian City.

"So warm…"

Iono murmured in awe.

Meanwhile, a young man who had just been placed in an ambulance by a Blissey, preparing for amputation surgery, widened his eyes in shock.

His legs… weren't hurting anymore!?

He looked down.

His rotting, bloodied flesh was healing at an astonishing speed—visible to the naked eye.

And it wasn't just him!

All around, the ice walls that had trapped numerous citizens, frozen by Pryce's two ace Pokémon, began to melt on their own.

Before long, one by one, the frozen citizens were freed, breaking into tears of joy as they shouted:

"I'm saved! I… I'm saved!"

"Waaah! I'm alive! I'm really alive!"

The young man who had been told he needed an amputation ignored Blissey's attempts to stop him, jumped off the ambulance, and ran to hug his grandmother, jumping and shouting excitedly:

"I'm healed! I'm healed, Grandma! I'm completely healed!"

The elderly woman burst into tears, taking a long moment to process what had happened.

And then, she realized—it was all thanks to that magnificent Pokémon in the sky.

She hurriedly knelt, clapping her hands together and bowing deeply toward Ho-Oh.

"Thank you… thank you, great and nameless Pokémon."

Other survivors and citizens, some newly healed, some spared from harm, followed suit—either kneeling to bow or offering deep bows of gratitude.

Even the Officer Jennys removed their police caps, standing at attention to salute Ho-Oh, offering their highest respect.

"The people of this city are endlessly grateful."

Bruno lowered his head and solemnly thanked Ho-Oh.

If it weren't for this Pokémon, he had no idea how they would have resolved this disaster.

"Yiii—"

However, after confirming that the city no longer had any injured individuals, Ho-Oh let out one final cry.

Scattering radiant seven-colored light particles, it turned and soared toward the sunlit horizon.

And the three Legendary Beasts followed closely behind, trailing after their leader.

This act was Ho-Oh's way of making amends.

It, too, had been reckless—fighting Pryce in the middle of a densely populated city, causing many humans and Pokémon to suffer as collateral damage.

Now, it was merely righting its wrongs.

Watching as Ho-Oh grew smaller and smaller, eventually disappearing from sight, Lance murmured:

"Pokémon truly are the most beautiful creatures…"

Giovanni, too, spoke again—this time through his phone to Stephen:

"Stephen, the situation here has been resolved by Ho-Oh. Too bad—I was looking forward to watching the Pokémon League make a fool of itself."

PS: Nice power-up for Umbreon.