Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

While everyone was still discussing the matter, the scene on the screen suddenly changed.

Rustboro City, Hoenn.

Steven stood outside the entrance of a luxurious restaurant, holding a sign above his head with both hands.

Written across it were the words:

”A Warm Welcome to My Good Brother Asher and His Wife on Their Visit to Hoenn!”

A gigantic heart had also been drawn beside the message.

”Steven.”

Wallace stood beside him holding an identical sign, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

”Do we really have to stand here holding these?”

”Of course! This is Brother Asher’s first time bringing my sister-in-law to Hoenn for a vacation. As their host, I must welcome them with the highest possible standards!”

Steven confidently raised the sign even higher.

”I wrote this sign personally. Just look at the handwriting. Can’t you feel my sincerity?”

Wallace lowered his gaze to the sign in his hands and remained silent for three seconds.

”...You colored that heart with a fluorescent marker, didn’t you? It reflects the sunlight.”

”Exactly! That way, they’ll be able to see us from a distance!”

”They might turn around and leave the moment they see it.”

[VIP Chat Group]

[Steven]: Hahahahahaha! As expected of me! My parallel-world counterpart is incredibly sincere!

[Wallace]: Steven, you call this sincerity? This is visual and psychological pollution.

[Steven]: What do you understand? This is the highest form of etiquette between brothers! My parallel-world counterpart did the right thing! I need to learn from him!

[Asher]: Steven, if you ever hold up that sign in the real world, I guarantee you’ll never see your collection again.

[Steven]: ...Brother Asher, you’re so cruel.

[Leon]: It looks like Steven and Asher are extremely close in this episode too. This is practically miraculous. Do the two of you genuinely share some kind of special bond?

[Asher]: Impossible.

[Leon]: But Steven was the first one to find you in the real world, wasn’t he? How do you explain that?

[Asher]: Do you think I wanted this? I never expected to encounter him either!

[Steven]: This is the bond between us, Brother Asher! We’ll be good brothers for life—no, for several lifetimes!

[Asher]: Screw off.

[Steven]: Right away~

The video continued playing.

Elesa walked down from the dock with her arm linked through Asher’s.

The moment she saw the glittering sign with its fluorescent heart, she asked:

”Honey, is that Mr. Steven?”

”That’s him.”

Asher’s expression was blank.

”...No one else would do something like this.”

When Steven spotted them approaching from a distance, he immediately shoved his sign into Wallace’s arms.

”They’re here! They’re here! Wallace, hold this for me!”

Then he charged toward them like a silver-gray whirlwind.

”Brother Asher—!”

When Steven was still three meters away, he spread his arms wide, preparing to give Asher a moving embrace worthy of two brothers finally reuniting.

Asher shifted half a step to the side.

Steven sailed past him, stumbled several steps, and barely managed to stop before crashing into a wooden mooring post beside the dock.

”Brother Asher, why would you do that?”

Steven turned around with an aggrieved expression.

”We’re brothers reuniting after a long separation. Shouldn’t we embrace?”

”Burn that sign first, and then I might consider it.”

Asher remained expressionless.

”But I wrote that sign myself! Do you have any idea how long it took me? I spent twenty whole minutes coloring in that heart!”

”That’s even more reason to burn it.”

Beside them, Elesa covered her mouth as she laughed, her shoulders trembling.

”Mr. Steven, it’s been a long time.”

She gave him a slight nod.

”Greetings, Sister-in-law!”

Steven immediately adjusted his tie and performed an exceptionally formal gentleman’s bow.

”Welcome to Hoenn!”

Elesa froze at his sudden display before smiling and waving her hand.

”You don’t need to be so formal. I’m only here for a vacation.”

”That simply won’t do!”

Steven straightened and adopted a serious expression.

”This is my sister-in-law’s first visit to Hoenn. As Brother Asher’s closest friend, I must arrange everything perfectly! I’ve already reserved your hotel—the finest ocean-view suite in Rustboro City, on the top floor, with an unobstructed three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the sea! Tonight’s welcoming banquet will be held at this five-star restaurant!”

Wallace finally approached from behind and nodded to Asher and Elesa.

”Mr. Asher, Madam Elesa, welcome to Hoenn.”

”It’s been a long time, Wallace.”

Asher nodded to him.

Elesa politely returned the greeting.

”Mr. Wallace, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”

”You flatter me.”

Wallace gestured toward the entrance.

”Let’s go inside. The sun is rather strong out here.”

Wallace led the way, and the group crossed the restaurant lobby toward their private dining room.

He opened the solid wooden double doors at the end of the corridor.

”This is the room. Please come inside.”

The private room was enormous.

Delicate appetizers had already been arranged on the table in the center. Several oil paintings depicting the scenery of Sootopolis City hung on the walls, and a grand piano stood in one corner.

Elesa sat beside Asher and had just spread her napkin across her lap when she felt something near her feet.

She looked down.

A powerfully built Crawdaunt was lying beside her chair. It held a bouquet between its two claws and looked up at her.

Crawdaunt presented the bouquet to Elesa, saluted with one claw, and then withdrew from the private room.

Elesa placed the flowers beside her and turned toward Asher.

”Are all restaurants in Hoenn like this?”

Asher picked up the glass of water on the table and took a sip.

”Steven probably arranged it. This guy always finds some new stunt to pull on me.”

The moment Asher finished speaking, the door to the private room gently opened.

A Metagross floated inside.

Several silver serving trays hovered around it, each holding an exquisitely prepared dish. Metagross placed the trays in front of the four guests one after another before floating over to Steven’s side.

Steven remained perfectly composed.

”This is all about creating an impressive atmosphere. How many Trainers in all of Hoenn can say that a Champion’s ace personally served them their soup?”

Elesa remained silent for a moment.

She looked at Asher, then at Wallace, and discovered that both men appeared equally unfazed.

For some reason, she suddenly felt as though she were the only person who didn’t belong.

Asher patted her arm.

”His thought process has always been like this. You’ll get used to it.”

Steven spread his napkin across his lap, lifted his glass of red wine, and raised it toward Asher.

”Brother Asher, Sister-in-law, this toast is for the two of you. Brother Asher has helped me so much over the years, and now that you’ve come to Hoenn for a vacation, I must fulfill my duties as your host. I’ve already arranged everything else for your trip.”

Elesa paused.

”Mr. Steven, isn’t that a little too much...?”

”You don’t need to worry, Miss Elesa.”

Wallace put down his utensils and elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth.

”Steven’s private fortune is approximately equal to six months of the Devon Corporation’s net profit. The last time he wanted to excavate a particular stone, he spent thirty million without even blinking.”

”It was more than thirty million,” Asher added. ”After discovering the stone was fake, he not only chose not to pursue the seller but spent another fifty million just to acquire the genuine one.”

”That was because the man genuinely possessed the real stone.”

Steven placed his wineglass down.

”Besides, he tried to flee afterward. I had to chase him through three different cities before I finally managed to buy it.”