In the Westvale League, the Pokémon Centers in second-tier cities usually have a Miss Joy stationed there. However, the Jenny family, involved in the police system, has fewer members in comparison.
Everywhere you go, the Joys and Jennys look almost identical. Except for their own family members and a few like Brock who have a special knack for telling them apart, outsiders can't figure out who's who. This has led to suspicions that they might be some kind of special Pokémon.
As bizarre as it sounds, in a world where human-Pokémon marriages aren't unheard of, such rumors have sparked a global debate. To clear the air, the Joy and Jenny families had to publicize proof of their humanity. They opted to livestream the entire process from pregnancy to childbirth, with certain areas censored, of course.
The evidence showed that they are indeed human, with a full-term pregnancy just like anyone else, and similar reproductive traits. The only peculiarity is that their children are always daughters, who resemble their mothers closely.
It's as though they have a built-in system for producing female offspring. With such solid evidence, plus the influence of the two great families, this storm eventually calmed, at least on the surface.
Nonetheless, people still occasionally discuss the extraordinary genetic traits of these families. Now with Lusamine bringing it up suddenly, could there be more to the story?
"Are you suggesting there's a secret behind the Jenny and Joy families' similar appearances through the generations?" Carl asked skeptically. Lusamine appeared surprised.
"I didn't expect there was something you didn't know!"
Carl shrugged helplessly. The world is so complex after the merge; how could he know everything? Like, who would've thought Lusamine had a sister? This kind of plot could fill a million-word novel.
Wait a minute. Carl suddenly recalled something. Lusamine was quite shocked when her sister got pregnant again, suspecting it was a Pokémon's child. It was later revealed to be a misunderstanding due to the Life Lake's water. From what she said, this water indeed could make a woman pregnant, like how Lusamine's sister used it to have Lillie.
"Do the Joy and Jenny families use the Life Lake water?" Carl asked tentatively.
Lusamine paused, "You knew that, didn't you? Trying to tease me?"
"Just heard of it, not very clear," Carl replied, seeing it was better to play along.
"Alright," Lusamine explained, "Originally, these two families were indeed associated with a certain legendary Pokémon, hence their special relationships with some Pokémon groups. To keep the bloodline pure and reproduce quickly, they used Life Lake water."
"But later, perhaps due to resistance, the water lost its effect, so they started marrying outside. Yet their genes are strong, usually resulting in daughters who look nearly identical to their mothers."
"This isn't a secret among the big families and the league's upper echelon, but nowadays it's hard to find such Life Lake water."
Lusamine lowered her voice, leaning close to Carl's ear, "Actually, Lillie's birth was also thanks to the Life Lake's water."
Carl could smell a faint fragrance on her, unsure if it was perfume or her natural scent. He couldn't help but ask, "Then what about Mohn? If your sister could have a child on her own, why get married?"
"It's not that complicated," Lusamine shook her head, "She liked him for some reason."
Carl gave a knowing look.
"What's with that look?" Lusamine asked, unsatisfied.
"Nothing, just thinking you have good taste," Carl chuckled, "Go on."
"Of course I do," Lusamine said, pouting. "Mohn might look ordinary and his family is average, but he's indeed knowledgeable. Even my parents were impressed and agreed to the marriage."
"Later, they got married and had children, everything seemed normal. But at the Aether Foundation, I realized Mohn was engrossed in research and ignored the family."
"I wanted to confront him, but my sister stopped me, revealing a secret that something was wrong with Mohn."
Carl's eyes widened at this unexpected news. So that's why Lusamine's sister used the water for childbirth.
"If that's the case, why not divorce instead of using that method to have children?" Carl asked, puzzled.
"I don't get it either," Lusamine sighed, "I really don't know what charm Mohn has that makes my sister so devoted."
"She mentioned Mohn was normal at first, but after being injured by a man who suddenly appeared during his research on ultimate power, he became like this."
"But I don't believe it."
Carl thought this might be true; otherwise, Lusamine's sister wouldn't have looked so despondent.
Yet, who was that man from the ultra rift? To act so ruthlessly?
He couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
What kind of grudge is that? It's worse than murder.
"Do you want your sister to completely forget Mohn?" Carl asked Lusamine.
"Yes, he's missing, it's painful to remember him. When he returns someday, it's not too late to regain her memory."
Lusamine spoke with calm determination, implying it was purely for her sister's sake.
"Alright, but if your sister blames someone afterward, you're on your own," Carl reminded.
Lusamine's eyes brightened, "You can really do it?"
"Would I take on a job I can't handle?" Carl grinned, turning to Hoopa, "Open a portal, please."
"Hoopa, ready~"
Hoopa threw a ring, waved its hands, and as two beams of light flashed, the space began to ripple.
The ultra beast felt something was off and immediately tried to escape with Lusamine's sister through the previous portal.
But the next second, another of Hoopa's rings lit up, and they collided right into it.
"Well done!" Carl praised.
Hoopa had anticipated the ultra beast's trick and set a trap beforehand.
"Hoopa's amazing!" Carl laughed, giving a thumbs-up.
Little Hoopa, encouraged, spun around in mid-air, boasting, "Hoopa's the best!"
"Want to visit my place?" Carl waved the keys, "Last time was too rushed, today's perfect for a proper look."
Hoopa's rings stopped, eyes wide, "Really?"
Since being sealed in the desert city, she hadn't even been able to visit the outskirts. If not for occasionally falling asleep, her playful nature would've driven her mad.
"Of course, I don't have those restrictions," Carl said, patting the Poké Ball at his waist.
Though the Punishment Urn borrowed power from the creator god, it was ultimately a human creation. For someone who could communicate with the World Tree, temporarily disabling the seal wasn't difficult.
"I want to go! Hoopa hasn't been to a new place in a century!" Her six rings jingled, circling the ruined temple madly. This once-rural, now urban place had every brick touched by her.
Lusamine just finished adjusting her cloak when she saw Carl stepping into the golden ring. She hurried after him, catching a glimpse of Hoopa closing her eyes and diving into the ring like an excited swimmer.
Meanwhile, the villa living room was chaos. Lillie knelt on the carpet, supporting her pale-faced "mother," calling out repeatedly. Ten minutes ago, the four of them had just set up the Mahjong table when suddenly...