"Prepare for battle..." Caleb stood up on Dragonite's back and said solemnly.
Cynthia stood beside him, frowning as she scanned the swarm of Pokémon carrying Team Galactic members.
She took out two Poké Balls from her waist, and with flashes of white light, Togekiss and Milotic appeared on either side of her, levitating with psychic energy.
Seeing this, the players on the lake island also released their own Flying-type Pokémon.
The battle was about to begin...
Cynthia returned to Garchomp's back and charged into the enemy ranks alongside it.
"Dragonite, let's go too." Caleb pointed at the grunts as he sat on Dragonite.
"Wuu!" Dragonite responded, opening its mouth and unleashing a violent Twister composed of pure Dragon-type energy toward the opposing forces.
Compared to the first wave, this assault was clearly more ferocious.
Caleb used Scout on the Pokémon and found their levels mostly ranged between Lv. 40 and Lv. 50... They still posed little threat to the players.
Even without Cynthia's help, Dragonite alone could sweep through these flying Team Galactic members.
Watching Garchomp carve a path of destruction, Caleb guessed that the real challenge of this event lay in the boss battles after each wave of grunts.
Being super-enhanced by the Infinite World, the bosses were nearly impossible for any single player to defeat. To take them down, players had to cooperate.
But here was the catch... only one reward dropped per boss. This meant that aside from the player who landed the final blow, everyone else was essentially working for free.
Under these circumstances, getting players to cooperate was harder than climbing to the heavens.
Soon, with the combined efforts of Garchomp and Dragonite, the second wave of flying grunts was completely wiped out...
Cynthia descended slowly beside Caleb and Dragonite on Garchomp.
"Wuu!" Dragonite greeted Garchomp amiably.
Garchomp gave it a cold glance before turning its head away, ignoring it.
Caleb nodded at Cynthia, then pulled out some Pokéblocks from his inventory and handed them to Garchomp to replenish its energy. He then used his Viridian ability to restore the grump dragon's stamina.
The other players also landed, preparing for the next big battle.
A few players glanced over at Caleb from afar, as if wanting to approach and see for themselves what the legendary 'Caleb Chase' was really like.
"They seem to be looking at you," Cynthia remarked.
Caleb thought for a moment, checked the event's leaderboard, and quickly realized his identity had likely been exposed.
"Maybe they think I'm cute," he said nonchalantly.
After all, his current appearance was that of a three-year-old. No one could guess what he looked like as an adult.
Hearing this, Cynthia couldn't help but smile... She studied him curiously and asked, "Did you look like this when you were little?"
Caleb touched his face, trying to recall, then shook his head, "I don't remember."
Cynthia's gaze lingered on the kid's cheeks which were flushed from the exertion, his well-defined nose, thin lips, and those grape-like dark and bright eyes.
A thought crossed her mind, and she asked, "Will I ever get to see what you look like grown up?"
"Uh… probably not," Caleb replied awkwardly.
He was already dancing on the edge by letting Cynthia know this much. If the Infinite World detected it, he might be tossed straight into a penalty Scenario.
"Alright." Cynthia didn't press further.
Caleb stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, and looked toward the airship.
It was about time... the second wave's boss should be making its entrance.
Just then, two global announcements echoed in all players' ears:
[Ding! Mission failed at Lake Acuity! The Being of Knowledge, Uxie, has been captured by Team Galactic! As punishment, all players will lose 500 points!]
[Ding! Mission failed at Lake Verity! The Being of Emotion, Mesprit, has been captured by Team Galactic! As punishment, all players will lose 500 points!]
...
At that moment, every player at Lake Valor froze...
Someone panicked: "F*ck! Losing 500 points for failing?! Why wasn't this mentioned earlier?! This is such a scam!"
"Is that the point?! The point is that players at the other two lakes failed and let Uxie and Mesprit get captured!"
"If I remember correctly, the next part of the plot is Team Galactic using the Lake Trio to forge the Red Chain and summon Dialga and Palkia..."
As the crowd buzzed, the airship above suddenly whirred to life.
The hatch, which was previously sealed, opened once more. A figure clad in black-and-white uniform, with blue hair and eyes, descended slowly with the help of a Kadabra's Psychic.
His cold gaze swept over the players: "You are the ones trying to thwart Team Galactic's plans?"
The players below fell dead silent, staring blankly at Saturn, one of Team Galactic's four commanders. It's clear that he was this event's final boss... and his Pokémon had also received the Infinite World's enhancements.
No one responded to Saturn...
Left hanging, he grew furious and roared, "Pathetic fools! All who stand in Team Galactic's way shall be erased by the galaxy's radiant light!"
Still, no one acknowledged him.
The cringe was simply too much.
Even Team Rocket's motto, 'To protect the world from devastation...', sounded better than this.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Caleb couldn't help but feel secondhand embarrassment for him and asked, "Don't you find it embarrassing to spout such chuunibyou lines?"
Saturn nearly fumed into oblivion. He glared at Caleb and bellowed, "You insolent brat! Kadabra, annihilate them!"
The Kadabra floating midair Teleported instantly above Caleb. A surge of blue psychic energy erupted from its body, materializing into a tangible beam aimed straight at him.
Even Dragonite wouldn't survive a direct hit from this Kadabra which was enhanced by multiple stat boosts.
At the critical moment, Garchomp moved. Its speed broke the sound barrier as it flashed in front of Caleb, pure Dragon energy enveloping its claws.
With a single slash, it dispersed Kadabra's Psybeam.
Cynthia stepped forward calmly, an overwhelming aura radiating from her, the presence of a future Champion in full display.
Her gaze pierced through Kadabra, locking onto Saturn as she smiled faintly:
"You... will not lay a finger on him."