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 b 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 come up with a pn, haven't you?" Karen smirked mischievously, gncing 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 time and space. But we can come up with a way to stop them from appearing."
The key? A woman with the power of melody—someone capable of communicating with Legendary Pokémon telepathically.
...
Meanwhile, Technical Machines (TMs) began selling in the Alo region, attracting a massive influx of tourists. Already a renowned vacation spot in the Pokémon world, Alo's GDP skyrocketed.
However, the prices of high-power TMs left many visitors hesitating.
For example:
Fmethrower: 30,000 Pokédolrs
Fire Bst: 35,000 Pokédolrs
Earthquake: 35,000 Pokédolrs
Brave Bird: 30,000 Pokédolrs
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-Sp (5,000 Pokédolrs), Magical Leaf (5,000 Pokédolrs), or Fire Fang (10,000 Pokédolrs) were very popur.
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 Metal Cw 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 ndscaping. Same technique, an entirely different league.
The first two regions to partner with Rainbow Corporation and open TM stores were Gar and Paldea—two rebellious regions within the League.
This was mainly because Gar and Paldea were geographically closest to Alo.
A few days ter, 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 me to send a private jet to take you to Michina?"
Michina was a famous tourist destination in the Sinnoh region, home 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 something. 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 complemented 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 retionship, no woman liked being reminded of her age.
"Don't worry, we've pnned multiple strategies. We'll be fine," Stephen reassured her with a smile.
To avoid suspicion, the trio pnned to take a commercial flight to Hoenn, then board a ship to northeast Hoenn toward Sinnoh.
...
Elsewhere, in the Indigo Pteau...
Nanu, who had cimed he was on vacation, was being escorted by Goodshow to the League headquarters to meet 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 some 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 met 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 moment, Lance was training his Dragonite, sticking a bright red TM beled "Fire Bst" onto its rge, round belly.
As the Indigo League's poster boy, Lance had easy access to TMs. The moment Alo began selling them, he had ordered a batch of Fire-type TMs to deal with Ice-types—the Dragon's bane.
"Dragonite, huh..."
Nanu gnced at Lance's Dragonite, which was not only unusually rge but also incredibly intimidating.
He suddenly recalled something Lusamine had mentioned 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 members would allow it.
"We can't afford another loss! Don't embarrass the Indigo League again!"
...
Meanwhile, Stephen and his group arrived in the Hoenn region and immediately 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 me?" Karen asked.
"For Umbreon," Stephen replied, gncing 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 mention the Bewear, which seemed to have divine luck on its side.
As the first member of Stephen's team, Umbreon had become the weakest member.
This had made Umbreon increasingly anxious.
Karen had noticed this and had insisted on keeping the team moving, ensuring Will didn't dey 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, meanwhile, started wondering—was he just extra baggage?