Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

The video began playing.

The Lily of the Valley Conference, at the main stadium on Lily of the Valley Island.

Tiana stood in the center of the battlefield, her short black hair gleaming beneath the spotlights.

Across from her stood her final opponent of the tournament, a boy wearing a baseball cap.

He had only one Pokémon remaining—Aerodactyl—while Tiana’s Garchomp was still completely unharmed.

The boy already understood that the girl before him was an insurmountable mountain, but he still wanted to fight until the final moment.

”Aerodactyl, use Rock Slide!”

Aerodactyl beat its wings, causing more than a dozen rocks to rain down from above.

”Garchomp, use Dragon Claw and destroy them all.”

Green light surrounded Garchomp’s right claw.

It rapidly twisted and darted through the rain of rocks, its claw leaving countless afterimages in the air.

In less than three seconds, every rock had been shattered into fragments that clattered across the battlefield.

The boy gritted his teeth.

”Aerodactyl, use Supersonic!”

Aerodactyl opened its mouth and released visible rings of sound.

”Dig.”

Garchomp plunged headfirst into the ground.

Supersonic swept across the surface and struck nothing.

The next instant, the ground beneath Aerodactyl suddenly exploded.

Garchomp burst from the earth directly below it, green light surrounding its right claw.

Dragon Claw.

The attack struck Aerodactyl directly in the abdomen.

Aerodactyl released a cry of pain before plummeting vertically from the air and crashing into the battlefield.

The referee raised his flag.

”Aerodactyl is unable to battle! Garchomp wins! The winner of this year’s League Conference is—Tiana from Celestic Town!”

Deafening cheers erupted throughout the stadium.

Tiana recalled Garchomp, offered the audience only a slight bow, then turned and walked toward the competitors’ tunnel.

The announcer’s voice echoed from the loudspeakers.

”Congratulations to Tiana for winning this year’s Lily of the Valley Conference! This ten-year-old Trainer from Celestic Town overwhelmed every opponent from the preliminary rounds to the final, claiming the championship with a perfect record and becoming the fastest Trainer ever to win the title in Sinnoh League history!”

Inside the competitors’ tunnel, Tiana took out her communicator and called Cynthia.

It rang five times.

No one answered.

She called again, but there was still no response.

”What is Mommy busy with now...?”

Tiana muttered to herself before calling Asher.

His phone was switched off.

Tiana stared at the cold notification displayed across the communicator’s screen and took a deep breath.

She pushed open the door at the end of the tunnel, walked directly outside the stadium, and released Salamence.

”Salamence, let’s go.”

Salamence tilted its head and released a low growl.

”Roooar~” (Isn’t there still an awards ceremony?)

”The organizers can hold the ceremony by themselves.”

Tiana climbed onto Salamence’s back and tightened the straps of her backpack.

”I won the championship. Now it’s time to take care of what truly matters.”

Salamence spread its blood-red wings and traced a dark-crimson path above the stadium as it flew north.

[Regular-Seat Chat Group]

”The announcer is still reading the script onstage, but the contestant has already flown away. Is this the fastest departure in League history?”

”Honestly, there was never any suspense about Tiana winning. She crushed everyone from beginning to end, so she might as well go find her parents first.”

[VIP Chat Group]

[Diantha]: She didn’t even attend the awards ceremony before flying away. She truly is Cynthia’s daughter.

[Cynthia]: ...

[Diantha]: Could you stop responding with ellipses all the time? Say something!

[Cynthia]: But I don’t know what to say...

[Professor Carolina]: I like Tiana’s style. One glance is enough to tell that she belongs to our family! @Cynthia, granddaughter, when are you going to give me a great-granddaughter to look after?

[Cynthia]: Grandma, could you please stop saying things like that in the livestream?

[Professor Carolina]: Your grandmother is getting old! I can’t afford not to be impatient!

[Cynthia]: ...

[Lisia]: Come to think of it, the difference between Tiana and the other contestants wasn’t small at all. It felt as though they weren’t even competing on the same level.

[Korrina]: Honestly, I suspect Tiana never used her full strength during the Conference. Her approach was extremely restrained and seemed entirely focused on ending every battle as quickly as possible.

[Volkner]: Then what exactly were her opponents even fighting for?

[Flint]: Lasting five exchanges against Tiana would already be an achievement worth bragging about for the rest of their lives.

The video continued playing.

Tiana returned to Mount Coronet.

The blue-and-pink rift above the summit had grown even larger since her previous visit.

Light spilled between the clouds like the sky had opened an eye of mismatched colors.

Tiana sat upright on Salamence’s back and stared at the rift for a long time.

She pressed a hand against her chest.

The pulling sensation had returned.

It was stronger than before, as though something were urging her to hurry.

”Salamence, faster.”

Salamence beat its wings forcefully and increased its speed again.

Just as they were about to reach the boundary of Mount Coronet’s restricted zone, a familiar figure appeared ahead.

A Garchomp hovered in midair.

Her mother was seated on its back.

Cynthia.

Tiana patted Salamence’s neck, signaling it to slow down.

The two Dragon-type Pokémon gradually approached each other before landing on a rocky platform at the edge of the restricted zone.

Tiana jumped down from Salamence’s back.

”Mommy.”

Cynthia dismounted from Garchomp, her long blonde hair slightly disheveled by the mountain wind.

”What are you doing here?”

Tiana bit her lip.

”Daddy is over there. I’m going to help him.”

”No.”

Tiana’s mismatched eyes widened slightly.

”Why?”

”The space-time rift above Mount Coronet is continuing to expand,” Cynthia replied calmly. ”The League has extended the restricted zone across the entire summit. All unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entering.”

”But I’m your daughter.”

Tiana’s voice was resolute.

”I can’t watch both of you place yourselves in danger while I continue hiding behind you.”

Cynthia looked at her for a long moment before speaking.

”Tiana, this isn’t the time for you to throw a childish tantrum. Even if I allowed you to enter, what would you do once you passed into the restricted zone? How exactly do you intend to help your father?”

Tiana opened her mouth but couldn’t immediately answer.

”Your father is maintaining the barrier at the edge of the rift,” Cynthia continued, her voice remaining steady. ”Placing ourselves in danger is part of the responsibility we accepted. But you are still young. There is no reason for you to risk your life over something like this.”

Tiana remained where she was, her hands hanging at her sides.

Her fingers slowly tightened around the edge of her skirt.

The mountain wind passed between them, stirring the dust and loose stones across the ground.

[VIP Chat Group]

[Diantha]: Cynthia is only saying those things because she doesn’t want Tiana to face the same danger as Asher.

[Mallow]: But Tiana worked so hard to become Champion, only for her mother to tell her that she isn’t needed. That must hurt.

[Lana]: I don’t think Tiana will give up so easily.

[Lillie]: Because she’s Tiana.

The video continued playing.

Tiana raised her head and looked directly at Cynthia.

”Mommy, do you think I’ll only get in your way?”

Cynthia froze.

”That isn’t what I meant...”

”But Mommy, I’m not a child anymore.”

Tiana removed a Poké Ball from her waist and held it tightly in her palm.

”During this journey, I met many people. I learned a great deal and gained many things.”

”Those experiences helped me understand more clearly what I want to do—and what I’m capable of doing.”

”I have accomplished everything within my power, all so I could prove that I deserve to stand beside both of you.”

Cynthia looked into Tiana’s eyes.

They were the same mismatched eyes she had possessed as a child, but the light within them had changed.

She was no longer the three-year-old girl who rode Garchomp around while blowing up mountains.

She was no longer the little tyrant who ran wild throughout the League headquarters.

Her voice wasn’t loud now, but every word struck with the permanence of a chisel carving into stone.

”So, Mommy...”

Tiana raised her arm and pointed the Poké Ball toward Cynthia.

”As the Champion of this year’s Lily of the Valley Conference, I formally challenge you to a battle.”