Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

The scene changed.

Outside Vermilion Gym, Raina placed the Thunder Badge inside her Badge case beside the Boulder Badge.

She tilted her head and studied them for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.

"That makes two."

Eevee lay on top of her head, swishing its tail back and forth.

"Eevee, Eevee."

"You think they don’t look symmetrical like this? It’s fine. Once I collect all eight, they’ll naturally become symmetrical."

"Eevee."

"What do you mean, ’What if you don’t collect all eight?’ Could you show a little more confidence in my career as a Trainer?!"

Eevee patted her forehead with one paw, offering some reluctant encouragement.

Raina puffed out her cheeks, lifted Eevee from her head, and held it in front of her.

"You’re not getting any snacks tonight... No, you’re not getting any snacks for the entire week."

Eevee’s ears immediately drooped.

"...Eevee."

"It’s too late to apologize now."

Eevee wriggled free from her hands, jumped back onto her head, and used its tail to mess up her bangs.

"Hey! Eevee!"

[Regular-Seat Chat Group]

"Eevee: You can take away my snacks, but I can ruin your hairstyle. Mutually assured destruction."

"Raina’s snack threats don’t work on Eevee anymore! Hahahahaha!"

"Eevee has already learned how to fight back. This little one is going places."

"So where is Raina heading next? Can someone analyze it?"

"The classic Kanto route is usually Pewter → Cerulean → Vermilion, but Cerulean is Raina’s hometown. She probably won’t return this soon."

"I agree. When you leave home for the first time, you usually want to travel somewhere far away. She’ll probably visit another city first."

"I’m betting on Celadon City. Erika’s Gym specializes in Grass types, so Raina’s Water types would be at a disadvantage. That would make it more challenging."

"What kind of demon are you? Do you want to watch Raina’s Pokémon get crushed by Grass types?"

"People also thought the Electric-type Gym would crush her. How did that turn out?"

"Exactly! All you type-advantage fanatics should kneel! You’ll never understand the thrill of winning despite a terrible matchup!"

[VIP Chat Group]

[Acerola]: Where will Raina go next~? I’m so excited~~

[Ash]: Wherever she goes, it’ll definitely lead to another amazing Gym battle!

[Gary]: After she crushed Vermilion Gym that badly, the next Gym Leader must be under quite a bit of pressure.

[Erika]: ...Please don’t put pressure on me.

[Iris]: Hahaha! Erika is already getting nervous!

[Erika]: I’m not nervous. I’m only considering which team I should use in case Raina really comes to Celadon City next.

[Roxanne]: Um... I’ve actually been wondering the same thing.

[Max]: Wait, Raina is currently in Kanto. Hoenn is still extremely far away, so why are you nervous, Roxanne?

[Roxanne]: It is wise to prepare for possible future problems... What if she eventually comes to Hoenn?

[Brock]: Roxanne’s concern isn’t unreasonable. At Raina’s current rate of growth, visiting Hoenn after completing the Kanto League is merely a matter of time.

[Elesa]: Roxanne, please stop. If you keep talking, I’m going to start feeling nervous too.

[Gardenia]: Waaaah...

[Glacia]: Gardenia, why are you starting too?

[Dawn]: Don’t cry, Gardenia! Raina might not even come to Sinnoh!

[Gardenia]: You don’t understaand...

[Bianca]: Gardenia is crying in advance! Hahahahaha!

[Barry]: I’m fining all of you! Could you Gym Leaders show some courage?! What’s so frightening about a ten-year-old girl?! The worst that can happen is that you lose! Even if you lose, lose spectacularly!

[Volkner]: Easy for you to say. You aren’t a Gym Leader.

[Nanu]: Ahem. This kind of attitude isn’t healthy. You should learn from Lt. Surge. Even after losing, he was still shouting at the top of his lungs.

[Lt. Surge]: My voice is naturally loud!

[Blaine]: Hehehe. Surge is as energetic as ever.

[Lt. Surge]: Blaine, you’re laughing because you just watched me lose. What will you do when Raina reaches your Gym?

[Blaine]: These old bones of mine stopped fearing defeat a long time ago.

[Professor Oak]: Blaine, you’re only that calm because you have plenty of confidence in your own strength, aren’t you?

[Blaine]: Oak, some things are better left unsaid.

[Elesa]: I keep telling you that all of you are far too nervous. Watching Raina challenge Gyms is clearly something to enjoy~ Her Gyarados has such lustrous scales, and Blastoise’s muscular build gives it a powerful presence. Both are exceptionally expressive.

[Valerie]: Raina also has good taste in clothing. Her white dress and her current traveling outfit are both lovely~

[Skyla]: Blue belt. No explanation needed.

[Viola]: I finished editing the screenshots of Blastoise’s Mega Evolution. Who wants them?

[Valerie]: Me, me, me!

[Elesa]: I want them too!

[Jasmine]: ...Could the rest of you at least consider whether this is an appropriate time for that conversation?

The scene continued.

After Gyarados and Blastoise finished receiving physical examinations at the Vermilion City Pokémon Center, Raina pushed open the doors and stepped outside.

The sun was shining brightly, and a breeze blew in from the harbor, carrying the faint scent of sea salt.

She stretched widely before taking a map from her pocket and spreading it across the steps outside the Pokémon Center.

"All right. Where should I go next...?"

She sat cross-legged on the ground and moved one finger across the map.

Eevee poked half its head out from above her hair and studied the map with her.

"If I leave Vermilion City and travel this way, I can reach Celadon City, but I’ll have to pass through Rock Tunnel."

Raina frowned.

"Rock Tunnel is extremely dark, and there are lots of Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon inside. It won’t be easy to cross."

"Eevee, Eevee, Eevee."

"You’re right. We could also visit somewhere without a Gym and train there."

Raina bit her finger thoughtfully.

"This is Lavender Town... Does Lavender Town have a Gym?"

She took out her Pokédex and searched through it.

"Lavender Town doesn’t have a Gym, but it does have Pokémon Tower... Hmm. That might be worth visiting."

"Eevee."

"Then we could go this way..."

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Raina stared at a small blue point on the map and fell silent for a moment.

"...Mom."

She quietly whispered the word.

Then she shook her head, folded the map, and stood up.

"I’ve decided."

Eevee tilted its head at her.

"I’m not going back to Cerulean City yet. It isn’t time for me to return."

Raina patted the two Badges attached to her backpack.

"I promised Mom that I would come back and challenge her after I became strong enough. I only have two Badges right now. If I return, she’ll definitely say, ’You’re being too impatient,’ or ’You aren’t ready yet,’ or ’You just missed home, didn’t you?’"

She puffed out her cheeks.

"I refuse to let her be right."

"Eevee~"

"What was that ’Eevee’ supposed to mean? Were you saying, ’You obviously do miss home’?"

Eevee turned its head away.

"Eevee, explain yourself!"

Eevee refused to communicate.

[Regular-Seat Chat Group]

"Eevee exposed her! Hahahahaha!"

"Raina: I don’t miss home. I merely believe that it isn’t time to return yet."

"That look in Eevee’s eyes—it sees through everything."

"She claims she doesn’t miss her mother, but the moment her finger touched Cerulean City on the map, she froze. This is the stubbornness of a ten-year-old child."

"Stop stabbing me in the heart, person above. My tears are already prepared."

"Hold on. Why doesn’t Raina take the Cinnabar Island route? The Cinnabar Gym specializes in Fire types, so defeating it with Water types should be easy."

"You want a ten-year-old child to travel directly from Vermilion City to Cinnabar Island? Do you have any idea how far apart they are?"

"...Fair point."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Daisy]: Raina insisting that she doesn’t want Misty to realize she misses home is so adorable.

[Misty]: That child... She’s just too stubborn to admit it.

[Violet]: Inherited.

[Lily]: Definitely inherited.

[Misty]: Will the three of you stop?! It has nothing to do with me! At the very least, she didn’t inherit her stubbornness from me!

[Ash]: Um... Misty, when Raina left home, the parallel-world version of you was crying while claiming that the wind was too strong.

[Misty]: Ash... You’re currently in Pallet Town, aren’t you? Deathly smile.

[Ash]: I’m in—Aaaaaah! Pikachu, why did you shock me again?!

[Pikachu]: Pika, pi! Pikachu!

If you have a death wish, don’t drag me down with you!

[Brock]: Ash, you really don’t understand a girl’s heart.

[Ash]: Why does a girl’s heart have to take so many twists and turns?

[Delia]: This child can’t even understand the twists and turns of his own mother’s heart.

[Ash]: Mom! Why did you suddenly appear again?!

[Delia]: Because this is entertaining.

[Caroline]: I suppose I’ll say something too.

[May]: Mom?!

[Caroline]: The broadcast is so enjoyable that I couldn’t resist.

[Caroline]: All of you should stop teasing her. Misty is already embarrassed enough.

[Dawn]: Aunt Caroline is here too! I finally get to meet May’s mother!

[Johanna]: Dawn! Pay attention to the broadcast and stop shouting!

[Dawn]: Mom, you’re here too?!

[Johanna]: I’ve been here the entire time. I simply didn’t feel like speaking earlier.

[May]: Exactly how many mothers are in the VIP Seats now?

[Delia]: Me.

[Caroline]: Me.

[Johanna]: Me.

[Daisy]: I may not be a mother, but I’m her older sister.

[Violet]: I’m also her older sister.

[Lily]: Same here.

[Daisy]: We may not be mothers, but we watched Misty grow up.

[Misty]: That’s enough from all of you!

[Wallace]: Steven, where do you think Raina will go next?

[Steven]: I don’t know. Regardless of where she chooses, the Gym Leader there is probably struggling to decide which team to use.

[Erika]: Please stop narrating my thoughts.

[Koga]: Steven’s observation was painfully accurate...

[Sabrina]: ...

[Blaine]: ...

[Bruno]: That is the resolve a Gym Leader should possess! Every challenger must be treated with respect, even if the opponent is only ten years old!

[Lance]: Bruno, you’ve already spoken more today than you did throughout all of last year.

[Bruno]: Because my spirit has been ignited!

[Volkner]: Bruno, you’ve been ignited too? Shake my hand!

[Bruno]: A handshake isn’t enough. How about a sparring match between Fighting types and Electric types?

[Volkner]: Bring it on! I’m not afraid of you!

[Aaron]: Wait. One of you is in Kanto and the other is in Sinnoh. How exactly are you going to spar?

[Volkner]: ...

[Bruno]: ...

[Flint]: You can fight with words through the screen.

[Raihan]: I’m familiar with that. Leon and I argue through screens every day.

[Leon]: Raihan, shut up.

[Raihan]: See? Exactly like that.