>..That was your future..<
A crisp, melodious voice suddenly echoed in Caleb's mind...
Azelf opened its eyes and slowly floated into the air, continuing telepathically: >..Thank you very much for saving me..<
Caleb was taken aback, "What do you mean by 'my future'?" he asked.
A blue glow flickered in Azelf's eyes as it shook its head: >..I don't know. I cannot see what happens in between, but that was your future..<
With that, it turned and swept its gaze over Dragonite, Mimikyu, and Lucario before finally settling on Lucario.
>..As repayment, I will bestow my power upon this little one..<
As soon as Azelf finished speaking, a notification appeared before Caleb:
[Congratulations! You have received Azelf's Gift!]
[Azelf is imparting "Willpower" to Lucario…]
A beam of blue light shot from the red gem on Azelf's forehead, instantly enveloping Lucario in a radiant glow.
- Willpower: A unique power inherent to Azelf, capable of granting humans and Pokémon an indomitable will as unyielding as steel...
Moments later, the light faded, and Lucario reappeared before them. It looked down at its palms in confusion.
"How do you feel?" Caleb asked.
This was his first time encountering something like 'Willpower'.
Lucario shook its head... it didn't sense any noticeable changes in its body.
After imparting its power, Azelf's expression grew solemn. It turned its head westward, where the auras of Uxie and Mesprit emanated from. It could sense the dire situation its two companions were in.
Caleb noticed Azelf's movement. He remembered that in the anime and games, Team Galactic hadn't split up like in this Instance, they had captured Azelf first.
Uxie and Mesprit, having sensed their companion in danger, had rushed to its aid, only to be ambushed and captured as well.
Caleb understood Azelf's intentions, but going alone would only be delivering itself straight into Cyrus' hands...
After a brief pause, he spoke up, "You know Teleport, right?"
In the anime, after being captured by Team Galactic, Azelf had remotely contacted Ash and teleported him into their base.
Azelf nodded.
Caleb continued, "Can you sense Uxie and Mesprit's exact location?"
Azelf closed its eyes, a faint blue glow enveloping its body. After a moment, it opened them and nodded again.
"That makes things easy." Caleb turned to Cynthia, who nodded in agreement. He went on, "Teleport us in. We'll rescue Uxie and Mesprit, and then you can bring us back out."
Pokémon thought processes were far simpler than humans'. Azelf had originally planned to charge in recklessly to save its companions.
But upon hearing Caleb's words, the Willpower Pokémon, who had lived for countless years, wore an expression that seemed to say, 'You can do it like that?'
At that moment, the long-dormant Hidden Quest panel appeared before Caleb:
[Hidden Quest Triggered!]
[Unique Hidden Quest: Emergency Rescue - Accepted!]
[Objective: Rescue Uxie and Mesprit from Team Galactic's base!]
[Rewards: Uxie's Gift, Mesprit's Gift!]
'Oh-ho!' Caleb raised an eyebrow.
Would the gifts from Uxie, the Being of Knowledge, and Mesprit, the Being of Emotion, be 'Wisdom Power' and 'Emotion Power'?
Though he wasn't sure what these abilities entailed, that didn't stop him from wanting to collect all three Lake Guardians' gifts.
Once the plan was settled, Caleb and Cynthia decided to wait until midnight to act. They had just been through an intense battle, and their Pokémon were exhausted.
Besides, 12 AM was when humans were most drowsy... there couldn't be a better time for infiltration.
Caleb recalled Dragonite, Lucario, and Mimikyu into their Poké Balls to let them rest.
Then, he took Cynthia to a mask shop...
Surveying the rows of exquisitely crafted masks on display, Cynthia crouched down and whispered, "Are we really going to wear these Pikachu masks into Team Galactic's base?"
"Of course," Caleb affirmed, "If their security cameras catch your face, it'll be trouble. I don't mind, but I don't want them coming after you."
Even though Cynthia was strong, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Alright then," she relented, though the idea of wearing such a silly mask didn't suit her at all.
Caleb eventually picked out a Charmander mask and a Squirtle mask. After paying, they returned to the hotel to prepare for the night's operation...
Cynthia chose the Charmander mask. Standing in front of the mirror, she tucked her golden hair behind her ears and adjusted the mask.
Caleb sat on the bed, sucking on a lollipop. Watching her golden locks, he asked, "Why don't you tie your hair up? Doesn't it get in the way during battles?"
A ponytail would be much more practical. Or even a style like Misty's or Serena's from the later Pokémon XY anime.
Cynthia removed the mask but didn't answer. Instead, she asked, "Do you know how to tie hair?"
Having spent months tying Lily's hair in the Bug Catcher Instance, Caleb nodded, "Of course. Want me to try?"
Cynthia raised an eyebrow slightly before producing a blue hair tie from her bag.
Caleb hopped off the bed, his bare feet padding against the wooden floor. He pulled over a chair for Cynthia to sit on, then stood on another chair behind her and began tying her hair.
His movements were gentle and practiced. Cynthia, curious, asked, "Did you practice this before?"
Caleb nodded, the lollipop bobbing as he mumbled, "I tied my little sister's hair for a few months. It took a while to learn how to."
"Little sister?"
"Yeah, a girl no older than 5 years." Caleb didn't elaborate further, he couldn't tell Cynthia about his ability to travel between Worlds.
"Done!" he released her hair and waved at Dragonite, who was yawning on the carpet nearby.
"Wuu?"
Dragonite lumbered over in confusion.
Caleb leaped from the chair onto Dragonite's back. He wrapped his arms around its neck as he said to Cynthia, "Go take a look. I think this suits you really well."
Watching him playfully cling to Dragonite, Cynthia chuckled softly before heading into the bathroom.
The mirror reflected a young woman with rosy lips, pearly teeth, and delicate features. She no longer exuded her usual mature aura, but instead radiated the vibrant energy of youth.
Cynthia shook her head slightly, her golden ponytail swaying gently.
'It really does feel lighter than my usual style,' she thought...