Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice

"You… What do you want!?"

Joker's line sounded exactly like the kind of malicious villains from TV dramas—the ones Rihua despised. It immediately put her on guard.

"You've already guessed my identity, haven't you? Seriously, I never thought I'd make the same mistake as Kaido…"

Stephen muttered, rubbing his temples.

In his previous life, he had often mocked how Kaido could have easily avoided disaster during the Fire Festival. If only Kaido had killed Momonosuke outright instead of tying him up and delivering pointless monologues, the Straw Hat crew would never have pulled off their miraculous, plot armor-fueled victory.

And now, just two days ago, Stephen had faced a similar situation. If he had followed Will's suggestion to throw Rihua and Houndour into the sea instead of saving them, he wouldn't be in this mess.

But Stephen didn't regret it.

If he were in Kaido's place, he would have killed Momonosuke without hesitation—or at the very least, stripped him naked and handed him over to subordinates with... questionable tastes.

But Rihua? Even though Stephen didn't know her well, he couldn't bring himself to harm an 11-year-old girl.

Hearing Joker's words, Rihua bit her lip nervously. She didn't know who "Kaido" was, but she understood the meaning behind Joker's threat.

"You… Do you need a companion?" she asked after a brief silence, her voice trembling.

She knew exactly what those words implied. But in this world, there was nothing left for her to hold onto. Whether it was Aldus—one of the Four Elite of the League, who had killed Houndour's parents—or her father, who treated her as a tool to strengthen their family… everything about this world disgusted her.

If the light had abandoned her, she would rather embrace the darkness.

But Rihua was still just an 11-year-old child. Abandoning everything and stepping into an unknown world filled her with fear.

Beneath his mask, Stephen's eyes froze for a moment.

Wow, I haven't even said anything, and she's already offering to join me?

"The League must've done a terrible job keeping this girl loyal," Stephen thought.

Still, this was a golden opportunity.

After a moment of quick thinking, Stephen leaned forward and extended his right hand to Rihua.

Rihua bit her lip harder, clutching Houndour in her left arm. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out her right hand.

Whoosh!

In the next second, Stephen's black trench coat unfurled into a glider. His all-black outfit made him resemble Batman more than the phantom thief Kaito Kid.

...

At the villa's front entrance, Officer Jenny led her police squad.

"What's going on? Where's Joker?!"

The officers guarding the entrance looked at each other in confusion.

"Joker? Officer Jenny, what are you talking about? We haven't seen him."

Jenny frowned.

"But one of you reported that Joker was at the front gate!"

The guards exchanged puzzled looks.

"No… we didn't see anyone."

"Officer Jenny, which officer told you that?"

Jenny's expression shifted from urgency to confusion.

Wait a second…

Thinking back, the officer who had reported Joker had been wearing their hat so low that their face was completely obscured. And when they mentioned Joker's name, she had rushed out without checking their ID...

"Damn it! We've been tricked—it's a diversion!"

"Officer Jenny! Up there!"

Before she could finish, one of her officers pointed to the sky.

In the night sky, the wanted criminal who had caused chaos just days ago soared overhead with black wings.

In his arms was a girl—the very one the League had ordered them to guard closely: Rihua.

Jenny's face darkened. It was a trap all along.

"You're not getting away! Pidge—"

Jenny pulled out a Poké Ball, ready to release her Pidgeot. But no matter how many times she pressed the button, the Poké Ball remained unresponsive.

Inside, her Pidgeot gave an innocent look, as if to say, "Not my fault!"

"Damn it! It's that remote again!"

Despite her frustration, there was nothing the police could do now. They could only watch helplessly as the fugitive carried away the League's top-priority target.

...

Two hours later, at a seaside cabin.

"So, you brought her back, huh…"

Will, who had returned to regroup, looked at Rihua as she cooked food for her Houndour.

Even though he had expected this outcome, seeing a new member in their hideout still made him sigh.

"But are you sure about this, Stephen? You even took off your mask?"

Will noticed something unusual—Stephen had removed his mask and revealed his face. Wasn't that a bit risky?

"To be honest, I don't trust her," Will added.

"Sure, her family isn't as influential as the Dragon Tamer Clan, but they're still wealthy. Would she give up her luxurious life to join us?"

Scratching his chin like a washing machine stuck in deep thought, Will scrutinized Rihua.

"Why did you trust me when you joined?"

Stephen retorted.

Will fell silent, pouting.

"That wasn't 'trust'—you blackmailed me with that video, okay? Wait…"

Halfway through his sentence, Will froze as a realization dawned on him.

He guessed Stephen's plan.

Stephen smiled and continued, "People with shared secrets become comrades. She's not one of us yet, but by tomorrow, Rihua will be."

His gaze shifted toward Rihua.

"But isn't tomorrow a bit too soon? Let her stay here for a few days and adjust first. After all, she's just an 11-year-old kid," Will protested.

Rihua had endured a lot in the past two days, and Stephen didn't want to push her too hard. Besides, even if she had second thoughts, he had backup plans in place.

"It's fine," Rihua said calmly.

She placed a nutritious meal—made with pieces of Happiny eggs, Slowpoke tails, berries, and Pokémon food—in front of Houndour.

As Houndour happily devoured the meal, Rihua gently stroked its back and said firmly,

"As long as I'm with Houndour… I fear nothing."