Half a month passed in the blink of an eye...
After learning of Caleb's plan, Nozomi practically took root in the laboratory. Aside from bathroom breaks, she never stepped foot outside.
"Done… whew!" she excitedly embedded a pale blue circular core into Mimikyu's cloth, not even turning her head as she asked, "What color scheme do you want?"
Caleb, who had been reviewing data, stood up and walked over.
Mimikyu stood blankly amidst a pile of scattered metal scraps. Milky-white nanofibers, which were like spider silk, extended from the core on its chest, enveloping its small body and forming a standard Iron Man-style Pikachu suit in red and gold.
Under the bright lights, the armor's surface gleamed faintly with a metallic sheen, which appeared far more luxurious than Mimikyu's previous cloth.
Caleb thought it looked great. Showing it off in front of other players would definitely make an impression...
He nodded, saying, "This is perfect. It looks good like this."
"Good, because you can change the colors yourself anyway," Nozomi said, stretching tiredly after finally completing her task.
Yawning, she admired her handiwork and continued, "Let me explain the functions of this nano-suit."
Caleb gestured for her to continue.
Nozomi pointed at the delicate circular core on Mimikyu's chest and slowly explained, "This is the storage device for the nanofibers. Normally, they're kept here. When transforming, the fibers extend outward to cover Mimikyu's entire body, forming the armor."
"...The suit's functions are linked to Mimikyu's neural network. You can issue corresponding commands, just like directing a Pokémon to use a move, which will let Mimikyu activate or deactivate the armor at will. I've installed a lightweight energy propulsion engine in this suit. It significantly boosts Mimikyu's move power, physical durability, and strength."
"...More importantly, the armor grants it flight capabilities, allowing it to adapt to extreme environments and resist harsh weather like cold, heat, or sandstorms. Beyond that, the suit also has a transformation function. It can extract Mimikyu's self-awareness to morph into any form it's seen before. But unlike Ditto's transformation, it can't use the moves of the Pokémon it mimics."
As she spoke, Mimikyu's body glowed white. Its small form rapidly changed within the light... Moments later, a chibi Mimikyu version of a little boy appeared before them.
The boy had black hair and dark eyes, with a round and chubby face, which looked adorably cute.
Caleb: "…"
'Isn't this me from the last Instance?'
Nozomi glanced between Mimikyu and Caleb. Curious, she asked, "Is this… you?"
Caleb nodded... For some reason, he felt weird about this.
Mimikyu, now in mini-Caleb form, tilted its head thoughtfully before glowing white again.
When the light faded, a little girl with long golden hair stood in front of Caleb.
Caleb: "…"
Nozomi murmured, "This face… seems familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere…"
Caleb shot Mimikyu a look, and it immediately reverted to its original form, standing obediently.
Before Nozomi could recall where she'd the face, Caleb changed the subject, "What about energy? How do we recharge the suit if it runs out?"
"Simple... just use electricity. Do you have an Electric-type Pokémon?" Nozomi asked.
Caleb didn't, but Dragonite knew Thunderbolt. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Would Thunderbolt work?"
"Yeah." Nozomi nodded, slumping into her chair like a limp fish. Weakly, she added, "Alright, my job's done. The rest is up to you."
Caleb nodded, then picked Mimikyu up. The moment he touched it, a notification popped up:
[Congratulations! You have obtained
[Due to equipment changes, Mimikyu's stats have been updated! Please check the Pokémon panel for details!]
Holding Mimikyu, Caleb opened its info screen:
«Mimikyu [Armor Form] (Activated)»
- Level: 100
- Gender: Female
- Type: Ghost/Fairy
- Ability: Disguise MAX
- Egg Move: Destiny Bond
- Known Moves: Scratch, Astonish, Copycat, Double Team, Wood Hammer... Mimic, Feint Attack, Shadow Sneak... Slash, Shadow Claw... Play Rough, Hone Claws, Pain Split... Swords Dance, Thief...
- Note: This is a special form. This Pokémoncannot hold any items...
Aside from the new suffix in its name, Caleb immediately noticed the change in its Ability:
«Disguise MAX»
- Normal Form: The disguise shields it from one attack.
- Armor Form: A special state when equipped with nano-armor. Immune to all weather effects. Can completely block three attacks.
...Additionally, if the opponent fails to hit Mimikyu within five minutes during battle, the block count resets +1. In this form, Mimikyu's Physical and Special Attack power increases by 20%, and it gains the ability to fly...
Caleb's first thought after reading this was that Mimikyu is about to become unstoppable!
Enemies would need three hits just to break its Disguise. During that time, Mimikyu could freely use Swords Dance to max out its Attack. Add flight capabilities and the power boost from the Gigantamax Killer title…
Two titles flashed through Caleb's mind:
- The Ultimate Weapon...
And
- The Dragon Slayer...
'Is this the power of technology? So the poor evolve, while the rich mechanize!'
The borderline broken description left Caleb exhilarated. He turned to Nozomi, intending to thank her sincerely, only to find her fast asleep in the chair, her eyes shut tight.
Her pink hair was a mess, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she had exhaustion written all over her face. To complete this armor for Mimikyu, she hadn't slept for days... She even forgot to eat.
Caleb softened his movements, letting Mimikyu perch on his shoulder as he gently carried Nozomi back to her room. He laid her on the bed and tucked her in.
Before leaving, he tore a page from a notebook and scribbled a few words on it. With that done, he headed to the ecological zone...
Recently, another batch of injured wild Pokémon had arrived at the base. They were rescued by Kai from a gang at the docks.
Reika was tending to them. She glanced at Mimikyu on Caleb's shoulder and understood. Standing, she asked, "You're leaving now?"
Caleb nodded, then looked at Mewtwo who was floating mid-air. Mewtwo instantly Teleported to his side.
Everything that needed to be said had been discussed over the past half-month. The Resistance had long since accepted Caleb as family, especially the Pokémon.
In an era where Potions were banned, his Viridian ability was nothing short of a miracle...
Latias, Latios, and the other Pokémon in the ecological zone all gathered around him. Even Darkrai turned its head, staring intently.
Caleb patted Latias and Latios and said to them, "I'm leaving. Protecting this place is up to you now."
"Woo woo…" Latias whined reluctantly but nodded firmly.
Latios was visibly moved. After a long silence, he gently nuzzled Caleb's palm.
Caleb thought for a moment, then took the Soul Dew from his inventory and placed it in Latios's claws.
Latios and Latias stared blankly at the teardrop-shaped gem...
Looking at the reaction of the Eon duo, Caleb felt he didn't need to explain... they likely recognized it.
The Soul Dew, from the movie 'Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias', possessed the power to protect cities. But if used by someone with evil intentions, it could summon a tidal wave to destroy everything.
In the games, it boosted Latios and Latias's move power. But in the Anime, its effects seemed far greater. Though unclear on the specifics, Caleb knew giving it to Latios was the right choice.
With Team Rocket cracking down on the Resistance, they'd need every advantage if trouble arose in his absence...
"Let's go." Caleb said, then gave Reika one last look.
"Be careful out there!" Reika urged worriedly.
Caleb nodded. With a glance at Mewtwo, the trio vanished in a flash of Teleportation...