Karen and Will both looked at Stephen with shocked expressions.
"Arceus... the Arceus from the legends who created this world?"
"Don't worry, we're not putting Arceus itself on the lab table—just studying the legacy it left behind," Stephen said, lowering his hand to signal his two companions to stay calm.
The Jewel of Life, the ultimate treasure created by Arceus thousands of years ago by combining the life energy of Ground, Water, Grass, Lightning, and Dragon types—that was Stephen's next target.
"Phew, okay, good, that's a relief..." Will patted his chest, nearly scared to death. He almost thought they were going to fight Arceus.
"But we might encounter Dialga or Palkia," Stephen added casually.
Will nearly choked on his saliva.
What difference does that make?!
Karen, on the other hand, wasn't as fazed—she had already guessed that Stephen was just teasing the clueless Will.
"Stephen, you've already co up with a plan, haven't you?" Karen smirked mischievously, glancing at Will, who looked half-dead from fright and then turned her attention to Stephen.
"Yeah, we have no chance of winning against the gods of ti and space. But we can co up with a way to stop them from appearing."
The key? A woman with the power of lody—soone capable of communicating with Legendary Pokémon telepathically.
...
anwhile, Technical Machines (TMs) began selling in the Alola region, attracting a massive influx of tourists. Already a renowned vacation spot in the Pokémon world, Alola's GDP skyrocketed.
However, the prices of high-power TMs left many visitors hesitating.
For example:
Flathrower: 30,000 Pokédollars
Fire Blast: 35,000 Pokédollars
Earthquake: 35,000 Pokédollars
Brave Bird: 30,000 Pokédollars
Even so, the Pokémon Center stores were packed daily with trainers eager to buy TMs.
While many couldn't afford the high-power moves, more affordable options like Mud-Slap (5,000 Pokédollars), Magical Leaf (5,000 Pokédollars), or Fire Fang (10,000 Pokédollars) were very popular.
For most trainers, enhancing their Pokémon's move coverage was much more important than sheer power.
For example, beginner trainers in Kanto who chose Charmander would struggle with the first two gyms. But purchasing a TM like tal Claw or Thunder Punch would make things much easier.
After all, for the average trainer, most Pokémon's levels weren't high enough to fully unleash the potential of high-power moves.
It's like comparing the Wood Release jutsu from the Naruto series: Hashirama's Wood Release could dominate the world, but Yamato's was only good for landscaping. Sa technique, an entirely different league.
The first two regions to partner with Rainbow Corporation and open TM stores were Galar and Paldea—two rebellious regions within the League.
This was mainly because Galar and Paldea were geographically closest to Alola.
A few days later, on Aether Paradise...
Stephen and his companions were preparing to head to Sinnoh to pursue their next target—the Jewel of Life.
Lusamine, visibly worried, asked, "Are you sure you don't want to send a private jet to take you to Michina?"
Michina was a famous tourist destination in the Sinnoh region, ho to many wild Pokémon.
However, few people knew that Michina's caretaker, Sheena, was the possessor of the power of Damos.
"Auntie, we're going to steal sothing. Flying there in a private jet is like announcing it to the entire world," Karen said, rolling her eyes.
Lusamine, now the president of both the Aether Foundation and Rainbow Corporation, wore a white office outfit that complented her beauty with an added touch of professionalism.
But the more beautiful Lusamine looked, the more annoyed Karen felt.
"You're a mother of two—can't you tone it down a little?" Karen muttered to herself.
Lusamine frowned slightly. Although she had Stephen call her Auntie as a way to build a closer relationship, no woman liked being reminded of her age.
"Don't worry, we've planned multiple strategies. We'll be fine," Stephen reassured her with a smile.
To avoid suspicion, the trio planned to take a comrcial flight to Hoenn, then board a ship to northeast Hoenn toward Sinnoh.
...
Elsewhere, in the Indigo Plateau...
Nanu, who had claid he was on vacation, was being escorted by Goodshow to the League headquarters to et the Indigo League's Elite Four.
Well, technically, it was one Champion and three Elite Four, since Aldus wasn't present.
But everyone was used to that.
"Everyone, this is Nanu, an ace officer from the International Police. He wants to consult you about Joker," Goodshow introduced.
Nanu, as always, looked half-asleep and drawled, "Since so of you have already fought Joker directly, I'd like to gather more intelligence for my investigation."
Lorelei pursed her lips. "I wouldn't call it a fight—I've only t him once. If you want battle experience, though..."
At that, Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha all turned to look at Lance, who was standing by the window.
At the mont, Lance was training his Dragonite, sticking a bright red TM labeled "Fire Blast" onto its large, round belly.
As the Indigo League's poster boy, Lance had easy access to TMs. The mont Alola began selling them, he had ordered a batch of Fire-type TMs to deal with Ice-types—the Dragon's bane.
"Dragonite, huh..."
Nanu glanced at Lance's Dragonite, which was not only unusually large but also incredibly intimidating.
He suddenly recalled sothing Lusamine had ntioned before: the TM for Outrage required Dragonite DNA as one of its components.
"Lance, share your experience with Nanu," Goodshow called out.
"...Fine," Lance replied, still visibly annoyed.
He had wanted to catch Joker himself, but after losing twice to him, neither Goodshow nor the League's council mbers would allow it.
"We can't afford another loss! Don't embarrass the Indigo League again!"
...
anwhile, Stephen and his group arrived in the Hoenn region and imdiately purchased tickets for a ship heading to Sinnoh.
Will had wanted to linger in Hoenn for a bit, as the Pokémon he desperately wanted—Gardevoir—was native to Hoenn.
But under Karen's sharp gaze, he reluctantly boarded the ship.
"Ralts may be rare, but they've been sighted in many regions. You can look for one in Sinnoh," Karen said, shoving Will onto the ship with a kick.
"Thanks," Stephen said to Karen as Will sulked in a corner.
"Why are you thanking ?" Karen asked.
"For Umbreon," Stephen replied, glancing at Umbreon resting in her Pokéball.
During this period, Maria, Rose, and Sina had grown rapidly thanks to their Joker Record ability. And don't even ntion the Bewear, which seed to have divine luck on its side.
As the first mber of Stephen's team, Umbreon had beco the weakest mber.
This had made Umbreon increasingly anxious.
Karen had noticed this and had insisted on keeping the team moving, ensuring Will didn't delay their trip to Sinnoh.
"Helping each other out—that's what companions are for," Karen said, deliberately emphasizing the word companions.
Stephen smiled in response.
Will, anwhile, started wondering—was he just extra baggage?
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