Mewtwo refused to communicate, leaving Caleb at a temporary loss...
He could only return to bed, flipping through the Resistance's archives under the dim glow of the bedside lamp.
<..Resistance Army, First Division..>
- Established: 2015 (League Calendar)
- Current Leader: Former Dragon-type Elite Four member, Lance...
<..2016 ~ Battle of Mt. Silver..>
- Lance fell in battle. The fate of the other Elite Four members remained unknown.
- The Resistance suffered devastating losses. Ash, Gary, Brock, and Misty led the remaining forces to retreat to the Orange Islands for regrouping...
<..2017 ~ Fall of the Orange Islands..>
- Ash, Gary, and others perished in battle.
- With that, the Kanto League was officially destroyed. The surviving Resistance members scattered into hiding, barely surviving to this day...
This part of the history aligned with what Caleb had heard from James. The rest of the records detailed minor events; years when bases were discovered, forced relocations, casualties, and so on.
After skimming for a while, he set the documents aside, tucked Mimikyu under its little blanket, turned off the light, and closed his eyes...
....
~Next morning~
After breakfast with his Pokémon, Caleb sought out Reika...
She was in the control room, monitoring Team Rocket's movements. Spotting Caleb, she looked surprised, "You didn't sleep in?"
Caleb shook his head and asked the question that had been bothering him the most, "What's the situation in Sinnoh right now?"
"Sinnoh?" Reika seemed puzzled but answered seriously, "That's where the Resistance's Fourth Division is stationed. Things there are even worse than here. Team Galactic's goal is to create a new world. Cyrus controls Dialga and Palkia. He's destroyed cities and rebuilt them into his so-called 'ideal world'..."
Hearing this, Caleb suspected Cyrus was playing Minecraft in real life.
None of this surprised him. But what he really wanted to ask about wasn't Team Galactic, it was the being that stood above the Creation Trio itself...
Caleb: "What about Arceus?"
Reika's expression darkened. She shook her head solemnly, "No one knows. It hasn't been seen in years."
'Then Arceus is probably in trouble too. Otherwise, with the world in such chaos, it would've stepped in to correct humanity's mistakes long ago...'
After a moment of thought, Caleb refocused on the present. He asked, "Do you have any solid plans for dealing with Team Rocket?"
Reika looked embarrassed. She replied, "No."
The Resistance had been suppressed for decades. Whether in manpower or Pokémon resources, they were no match for Team Rocket.
In this era, maintaining their ideals and preserving a sanctuary for humans and Pokémon was already a monumental struggle...
Caleb: "..."
Reika met his gaze sheepishly and said, "We might not be much help, but this place will always be your strongest support."
Caleb: "..."
'Fine. At least the food and lodging here are good...'
An awkward silence settled over them.
Caleb considered returning to his room to discuss strategy with Mewtwo. Last night, Mewtwo had left while he slept and only returned at dawn.
Caleb didn't know where it had gone... and since Mewtwo didn't offer an explanation, he didn't ask.
Just as he turned to leave, the control room door slid open. A familiar pink-haired loli shuffled in, yawning, holding a glass of white liquid.
"Mornin', Reika-nee!" The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and plopped onto a corner sofa without glancing at anyone else.
Reika sighed helplessly, "Nozomi-chan, did you stay up all night again?"
"Nope!" The girl, Nozomi, denied, curling into the couch.
She took a sip of milk, then perked up excitedly, saying, "But! My nanotech research made a breakthrough! Give me a little more time, and I'll have functional biomechanical combat armor for humans!"
"Rest first!" Reika scolded, "What if you collapse? Someone just died from gaming all night last week!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Nozomi glanced away guiltily.
Then, she finally noticed Caleb standing nearby. Her eyes widened...
Handsome men were already rare in Vermilion City's Resistance base, let alone this level of handsome.
Most men in this era followed extreme trends; dreadlocks, full-body tattoos, flashy outfits... all of which grew tiresome after a while.
But this stranger? Tall, well-built, and effortlessly attractive. He wore a simple white T-shirt and gray sweatpants. He looked clean, refreshing, and utterly striking.
It was completely different from the flamboyant regulars at the arcade.
At that moment, three words flashed through Nozomi's mind: 'I. WANT. HIM!'
Caleb had no idea what she was thinking. After the Latias incident, he simply studied the girl a bit longer.
Reika introduced, "This is the Trainer from another world."
"Another player?" Nozomi blinked, reluctantly tearing her gaze from Caleb's face. She faced Reika and asked, "Did anything fun happen while I was in the lab?"
Reika nodded toward her wristband, hinting for the girl to check the news herself.
Then, she told Caleb, "She's our lead engineer. The artificial sun you saw in the Eco Zone? That's her work."
Caleb glanced at the girl on the sofa, who looked no older than 16.
Reika coughed lightly and whispered, "Don't be fooled by her looks. She's actually 27. A rare condition stunted her growth."
Caleb nodded. He'd heard of such illnesses before...
Meanwhile, Nozomi finished speed-reading the recent headlines. Yesterday's battle still dominated the news, its popularity was millions of points ahead of the second-ranked topic.
"SHOCKING! Mewtwo Betrays Team Rocket! Vanquishes Deoxys, Then Gets Stolen by Mysterious Man?!"
Nozomi read the article aloud, then jerked her head up, staring at Caleb in disbelief before asking, "That was REALLY you?!"
Caleb: "Yes."
Hope blazed in Nozomi's eyes as she whirled toward Reika, her voice trembling with excitement, "Reika-nee! Our chance has finally come!"
Reika thought so too. Compared to the previous players, Caleb was clearly far more reliable.
Most importantly... he'd recruited Mewtwo to their side...