Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

The video continued playing.

Mistralton City.

The weather was beautiful. The aroma of freshly baked croissants drifted from a café on the street corner, while two Patrat chased each other along the roadside over half a cookie.

Miori sat on a bench beside the road and gave an enormous stretch.

”I can finally catch my breath. I’m a Gym Leader, an undercover agent inside an evil organization, and now I also have to be the hero chosen by the Dragon of Ideals. How did my life at ten years old end up like this?”

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

”Emolga, emolga~” (It’s all fate~)

”That may be true, but this past half month has been exhausting. Right now, all I want is to find somewhere to soak in a hot spring, eat barbecue, and sleep for three days and three nights.”

The instant she finished speaking, the communicator at her waist began vibrating urgently.

Miori glanced at the caller ID.

The name flashing across the screen caused her entire body to freeze.

[Incoming Call: Dad]

Generally speaking, there were only three reasons her father would call her of his own accord.

First, to ask how she was doing.

Second, to flaunt the fact that he was on vacation.

Third, to give her more work the moment she was finally preparing to rest.

She accepted the call.

”Dad, I don’t care what you’re planning to say this time. Listen to me first.”

Miori gave Asher no opportunity to speak.

”Do you have any idea how miserable my life has been since I started traveling? I have to challenge Gyms, work undercover inside Team Plasma, and deal with this whole ’hero chosen by the Dragon of Ideals’ business you told me about!”

”I’m only a ten-year-old girl, yet I’ve been forced to shoulder far more than any child should ever endure!! Don’t you and Mom feel even slightly heartbroken for me?”

Emolga gave her a thumbs-up from beside her.

The accusation was heartfelt, logically sound, and so tragic that anyone who heard it would grieve and shed tears.

The other end of the call remained silent for a moment.

”Are you finished?” Asher asked lazily.

In the background, waves could be heard crashing against the rocks, accompanied by the distant cry of a Wingull.

”I’m finished.”

Miori leaned back against the bench, her chest rising and falling heavily.

”Mm. Your ability to express yourself has improved. You’re better at it than your mother was at your age.”

”Thank you for the compliment—wait, no! Dad, you’re changing the subject again!”

Miori abruptly sat upright.

”I’m complaining about my suffering! Your daughter is sending you a desperate cry for help! Use that all-powerful brain of yours and figure out some way to reduce your daughter’s workload!”

”Let’s put reducing your workload aside for now.”

Asher’s tone suddenly became more serious.

”The seal at Dragonspiral Tower has begun spreading.”

Miori’s smile froze.

”...Dad, what did you just say?”

”The seal at Dragonspiral Tower has begun spreading,” Asher repeated. ”It happened earlier than expected, and the energy fluctuations it released have already begun affecting the Pokémon ecosystem surrounding the tower.”

”Wait, wait, wait!”

Miori clutched her head with both hands.

”The seal started spreading early? That’s completely different from what you told me! Didn’t you say you could guarantee nothing would happen at Dragonspiral Tower before the seal reactivated?!”

”Plans can’t always keep up with changing circumstances.”

Asher’s tone returned to its usual laziness.

”Anyway, head to Opelucid City first and find Drayden, the Leader of Opelucid Gym. I’ve already given him a heads-up. He knows many things about Reshiram and Zekrom that were never recorded in historical documents.”

”Grandpa Drayden?”

Miori remained silent for a moment.

”Dad, exactly how many people have you given a heads-up?”

”Not many.”

”How many is ’not many’?”

”Just a few Gym Leaders, a few professors, a few Champions, a few Elite Four members, a few Officer Jennys, and a few other people in Unova who might be able to help.”

Asher paused.

”Probably only around sixty or seventy people.”

”You call sixty or seventy people ’not many’?!”

”Compared with my connections in the other regions, it genuinely isn’t many.”

Asher sounded completely sincere.

”Really.”

Miori took a deep breath.

She suddenly felt that becoming a deputy captain in Team Plasma wasn’t particularly worthy of pride after all.

”Fine. I surrender.”

Miori patted her cheeks.

”Opelucid City. I’ll leave immediately.”

[VIP Chat Group]

[Drayden]: She’s coming to see me? Does that mean my parallel-world counterpart will provide Miori with information about Zekrom?

[Clair]: Mr. Drayden is the foremost authority on Dragon-type Pokémon in the Unova region. Asher’s arrangements were remarkably precise if he knew to send Miori to him for guidance.

[Lance]: Judging from Asher’s statement that he contacted sixty or seventy people, Miori’s entire journey has most likely remained under his watch.

[Lorelei]: Hmm... He’s constantly paying attention to his child’s growth without directly interfering. He truly is a dependable man~

[Steven]: That is precisely what makes Brother Asher so extraordinary! He allows his child to grow through experience, transform through adversity, and discover possibilities within the impossible!

[Wallace]: Steven, why do you sound so articulate today?

[Steven]: I spent the entire night memorizing that line specifically for this moment.

[Wallace]: ...Forget I asked.

The video continued playing.

Opelucid City was situated in northern Unova. Its northern side connected to Route 10, which led toward Victory Road and the Pokémon League.

Miori had needed to change trains twice after departing from Mistralton City before finally arriving.

Opelucid Gym had been constructed on elevated ground within the city.

From the outside, it resembled a pyramid more than a Gym, with the reliefs of a black dragon’s head and a white dragon’s head decorating its two sides.

Miori stood outside the entrance and stared upward for quite some time.

”So this is a Dragon-type Gym. It certainly feels imposing.”

She raised one hand and was about to push open the door—

But the door opened on its own.

Miori looked up and saw a powerfully built elderly man standing in the center of the Gym’s battlefield.

Drayden.

He wore a dark-brown training outfit and held both hands behind his back. His hair and beard had already turned silver-white, but his back remained perfectly straight as he stood there.

”Hello, Grandpa Drayden!”

Miori straightened herself and gave him a proper bow.

”I’m Miori, from Nimbasa City. My dad told me to come and see you.”

Drayden nodded.

”I know. Asher already gave me a heads-up. Come inside.”

Miori entered the Gym and looked around.

The interior of Opelucid Gym appeared even more ancient and austere than its exterior. Photographs of every previous Gym Leader covered the walls on both sides of the battlefield.

Drayden opened the door to a reception room and gestured for Miori to sit.

Two cups of hot tea had already been prepared on the table.

”Your father told me that you have already obtained the Dark Stone,” Drayden said directly.

Miori took the pitch-black stone from her backpack and placed it on the table. Dark-purple patterns flowed across its surface.

The Dark Stone glowed with a deep blue light beneath the afternoon sun, and the patterns across it were now far clearer than they had been inside the ruins.

”Just as I expected.”

Drayden studied the glowing stone.

”The Dark Stone is responding to you. That means Zekrom has already acknowledged you.”

”My dad already told me that.”

Miori nodded.