Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

The video continued playing.

Unova League Headquarters, Champion’s Office.

Miori sat in the office chair, her legs dangling over the edge and swinging back and forth.

Three stacks of documents, each nearly half her height, were piled in front of her.

Luxray lay dozing beside her feet, occasionally flicking its tail.

"I finally understand why Grandpa Alder was in such a hurry to retire."

Miori stared expressionlessly at the documents.

"What Champion? I’m just a glorified office worker."

Emolga poked its head out from atop hers and prodded her ear with its tail.

"Emolga~"

Miori continued processing paperwork for another half hour.

Then, without warning, she slammed her pen onto the desk.

"No! I’m going home!"

Her shout startled Luxray so badly that its ears shot straight up.

"I didn’t become Champion so I could sit here signing paperwork!"

Miori stood up and planted both hands on the desk.

"I became Champion so Mom and Dad could see how successful I’ve become—not so I could turn into a corporate slave!"

Emolga raised one paw in agreement.

"Right?! You agree too!"

Miori grabbed the Champion’s cape from the desk and flung it over her shoulders.

"Come on, we’re going home! I’m going to show Dad just how impressive his daughter is now!"

Miori strode toward the door and yanked it open.

Shauntal was standing outside.

She held another stack of documents in her arms, a gentle smile on her face.

"Miori, these are the supply allocation documents that require your signature this week. There are forty-seven in total."

Miori’s smile froze.

"Aunt Shauntal."

Her voice became exceptionally calm.

"I’m going home to visit my family right now. Could these documents perhaps—"

"No~"

Shauntal’s smile remained gentle.

"These must all be signed before the end of the workday. Otherwise, the entire Unova League’s supply chain will grind to a halt next week."

Miori took a deep breath.

She stepped back into the office.

Closed the door.

Then walked over to the window and pushed it open.

"Hydreigon, get me out of here."

Miori released Hydreigon and immediately climbed onto its back.

"Quick, quick! Before anyone catches us!"

Shauntal stood outside the office, listening to the commotion coming from within.

She adjusted her glasses.

"She really is exactly like Mr. Asher."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Lt. Surge]: Miori has only been Champion for a few days and she’s already running away? Her tolerance for pressure is way too low. Look at how many years Alder endured it!

[Alder]: Ahem. This old man only endured it because I had no other choice. If I’d found a suitable successor earlier, who would willingly keep doing this job?

[Bertha]: She’s still young. Everyone needs time to adjust. Though Miori’s adjustment period certainly was rather short.

[Lucian]: From a psychological perspective, this would be classified as "stress-induced avoidance behavior caused by a discrepancy between expectation and reality."

[Flint]: Speak normally.

[Lucian]: The life of a corporate slave.

The video continued playing.

Nimbasa City, outside Miori’s home.

Hydreigon landed steadily in the courtyard.

Miori jumped down from its back, straightened her collar, took a deep breath, and pushed open the front door.

"Dad! Mom! Your daughter—the new Champion of the Unova League—is home!"

The warm family reunion Miori had imagined never came.

The house was completely silent.

The living room was empty.

"Mom? Dad?"

Miori called out.

No response.

Emolga poked its head out from atop hers and pointed one paw toward the hallway.

"Emolga, emolga, emolga~"

"You think they might be in their room?"

Miori frowned.

"At this time of day, Mom should be at the training grounds teaching students, and Dad should be lying on the sofa drinking tea and reading magazines."

She headed farther down the hallway.

The farther she went, the more something felt wrong.

At the end of the hallway, the bedroom door was slightly ajar.

A faint rustling sound came from inside.

Miori had never heard a sound like that while she was home before.

Her mind instantly raced through countless possibilities before arriving at a conclusion.

There’s a thief in the house.

Miori’s heart skipped a beat.

Then fury immediately surged through her.

In broad daylight!

Under the clear blue sky!

Someone had actually broken into her house!

And they had even dared enter her parents’ bedroom!

The furious Miori immediately reached out and shoved the half-open door aside.

"You audacious thief! You actually dared steal from the home of Miori—!!!"

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Asher had his left hand braced against the mattress and his right hand resting around Elesa’s waist.

Elesa’s eyes were half-closed, her cheeks flushed red, both arms wrapped around Asher’s neck and her lips slightly parted.

The posture and atmosphere between them made it extremely obvious that they had been thoroughly caught up in the moment and were only one step away from things getting considerably more heated.

The sound of Miori pushing open the door startled both of them.

Asher and Elesa turned their heads simultaneously.

Three pairs of eyes met.

Time seemed to stop.

Emolga fell straight off Miori’s head.

Plop.

It landed on the floor, covered its entire face with all four paws—

Then opened a gap between them and continued peeking through with one eye.

The corner of Miori’s mouth twitched violently twice.

Then she spun around and covered her face with both hands.

"DAD! MOM! I’ve only been away from home for a few years! Are you already this desperate to have a second child?!!"

The intimate atmosphere inside the bedroom instantly froze—

Then vanished like a balloon being punctured.

Asher quickly pushed himself upright.

For once, a suspicious trace of red appeared on his face.

"Ahem. Mio, you’re back... Well, your mother wants another child. I’m simply respecting a woman’s wishes."

Elesa had also sat up by now.

The blush on her face hadn’t completely faded, but she desperately tried to maintain her usual tone.

"Mio, why didn’t you tell us you were coming home...?"

"Your father and I were just thinking that while we’re still young, we could give you a little brother or sister."

"That way, when you’re too busy being Champion someday, you won’t have to be lonely all by yourself."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Misty]: ?

[Cynthia]: ?

[Daisy]: What did I just see?! What did I just hear?!

[Nurse Joy]: Miss Elesa and Mr. Asher... in broad daylight... (〃* /ω *〃)

[May]: I shouldn’t be looking... I shouldn’t be looking...

[Iris]: I-I-I-I didn’t see anything!!

[Steven]: In broad daylight too. Brother Asher really is a man who gets things done.

[Wallace]: Steven, tone it down. If you keep mocking him to his face, you’re practically volunteering to get beaten up.

[Diantha]: Poor Miori probably feels like the sky has collapsed again.

[Lorelei]: She came home right after becoming Champion to share the good news, but before she could even announce it, she received a preview of her future little brother or sister.

[Flint]: What the hell is a "preview of her future little brother or sister"? You really have a way with words.

In the real world.

Nimbasa City.

Elesa sat on her sofa with her face buried in a cushion, leaving only her two bright-red ears visible.

The video was still playing on the screen, but she no longer dared look at it.

Every single frame of that previous scene continued replaying inside her mind.

It wasn’t until someone knocked on the door that Elesa finally lifted her head from the cushion.

Barefoot, she walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Skyla stood outside carrying a cake, a smile on her face.

"Good evening~"

Skyla lightly swung the cake in her hand.

"By the way, when exactly are you and Asher planning to—"

Elesa grabbed Skyla and yanked her inside before slamming the door shut.

"...Finish that question and I’ll electrocute your hair into an afro."

"With your face that red, nothing you say sounds threatening."

Elesa buried her face back into the cushion and released an exceptionally muffled wail.

"Why does this world insist on tormenting me like this..."

"You’re going to end up marrying Asher sooner or later anyway."

Skyla cut herself a slice of cake and placed another in front of Elesa.

"The sooner you accept it, the sooner you can enjoy yourself. Look at how happily Misty and Cynthia are living now."

"That’s different! They already have their memories! I still don’t!"

Skyla blinked.

"So what you’re saying is... once you get your memories back, you’ll stop resisting?"

Elesa’s fingers tightened slightly around the cushion.

She remained silent for a long time.

Then—

She gave the tiniest of nods.

"I knew it!"

Skyla slapped the table and sprang to her feet.

"Come on, come on! Eat some cake and build up your strength. Once you get your memories back, I’ll go shopping for new clothes with you! The kind that’ll make Asher’s eyes light up the second he sees you!"

"Skyla, could you please stop sounding so excited..."

"Nope. You’re my best friend!"