Caleb spent six months crossing countless mountains, rivers, and lakes.
He followed migrating Swellows from one continent to another.
He watched countless Metapods metamorphose into Butterfrees under the morning sun.
He witnessed innumerable Magikarp swimming upstream, leaping over waterfalls, and evolving into Gyarados.
The sun and moon alternated; the tides rose and fell. Beneath the dome of the sky, Caleb and Dragonite continued their journey...
A green, sword-like figure sliced through the sky, leaving afterimages in its wake. In the blink of an eye, it arrived before Caleb.
It was Rayquaza.
Since that day, Caleb often encountered this Sky Dragon while roaming above the cloud layers.
After the initial curiosity wore off, Rayquaza seemed to have grown accustomed to Caleb's presence, allowing him to fly within its territory.
As far as Rayquaza is concerned, the entire sky was its territory...
Actually, when Caleb first left the initial area, he thought he would never see Rayquaza again. But on the second day after he followed the migrating Swellow to the warmer south, he saw Rayquaza's figure streaking across the sky.
From then on, a strange tacit understanding formed between them. That being whenever Caleb arrived in a new region, Rayquaza would follow not long after.
For Rayquaza, this was an extremely simple matter. It could sense the specific location of any creature in the sky based on air currents.
"You went out to space to eat meteorites again?" Caleb asked telepathically.
Rayquaza let out a low growl from its throat.
Besides Rayquaza, over these six months, Caleb had also encountered other Legendary Pokémon.
For example, a certain electricity-emitting Black Dragon particularly enjoyed controlling a thundercloud and running around everywhere.
Or the Swords of Justice training hard in the mountains: Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo.
The Keldeo of this world was an especially enthusiastic and combative little heroic colt. On the day they met, it chased after Caleb, demanding a battle.
Caleb had no choice but to stay there for a few days, using his Pokémon to battle it one by one.
The result was that Keldeo lost very badly.
At first, it could still gain some advantage against the inexperienced Hydreigon. But under the companionship and guidance of Caleb, Hydreigon improved rapidly, widening the gap between itself and Keldeo.
In the final battle before Caleb left, Keldeo comprehended Secret Sword and transformed into its Resolute Form.
That battle was also the only one Keldeo won. Of course, this was also related to Caleb intentionally holding back.
Afterwards, Caleb continued his journey, while the little colt Keldeo stayed behind to accompany the other three Swords of Justice...
...
Caleb used his Viridian Power to heal the minor wounds on Rayquaza's body...
Just as he was about to speak, he felt Rayquaza's mood become grave.
Caleb was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong?"
Rayquaza let out a low growl and dove into the clouds.
"Let's follow and see!" Caleb said to Dragonite.
'Something that could make Rayquaza so tense... could it be that the personification of land and the Lord of the Vast Sea are fighting again?'
"Wuu!" Dragonite responded, its body swerved sharply downward, plunging into the thick clouds.
Just then, Caleb heard a strange roar in his ear.
At the same time, Dragonite emerged below the clouds.
Rayquaza hovered high in the air, gazing at the scene below.
Caleb followed its gaze and saw ripples like lake water undulating in the air.
Immediately after, a massive blue figure emerged from the mirror-like air and charged towards another Pokémon on the other side, which had a pale purple body and theropod characteristics.
Layers of smoky dark clouds spread across the sky, blotting out the sky and sun.
It was a clash between the Guardian of Time, Dialga, and the Master of Space, Palkia.
Rayquaza turned its head and let out a roar towards the ground.
Only then did Caleb notice that the surrounding space was beginning to gradually collapse and dissolve as the two dragons battled.
Rayquaza watched the fiercely fighting Dialga and Palkia with its golden pupils, its body eager, seemingly wanting to go over and stop them.
Caleb: "..."
He used his Viridian Power to persuade Rayquaza: "Don't do it!"
There were two of them, and only one Rayquaza. If those two teamed up against Rayquaza, it would be really awkward.
Moreover, these two weren't Groudon and Kyogre... They were First-Class Deities wielding the authority of time and space. They were no less powerful than Rayquaza.
Hearing this, Rayquaza looked over with a disapproving gaze.
Caleb immediately understood its meaning.
It said: >..If I let them keep fighting, everything here will be destroyed..<
Caleb: "Alright then, let me handle it. You don't have to interfere."
A big question mark appeared above Rayquaza's head.
Caleb didn't explain. Instead, he reached into his inventory and took out a pink doll item.
This was an item he had obtained from the Transformation and Substitution Instance.
- Clefairy Doll: A thrown item. An item to attract wild Pokémon's attention. Allows absolute escape from battles with wild Pokémon. Can be used an unlimited number of times...
Caleb gently patted Dragonite. Dragonite immediately understood and flew over...
...
In mid-air, Dialga, having just used Roar of Time on Palkia, was preparing to press its advantage when it saw a pink doll falling from above...
Its attention was instantly and uncontrollably drawn to it. It couldn't help but follow the pink doll down to the ground, lowered its head, and gently sniffed the scent on it.
Caleb breathed a sigh of relief, 'Good thing the Clefairy Doll worked.'
Just then, Palkia on the other side also saw this. Without a word, it opened its mouth, condensing a purple energy sphere containing terrifying power.
That was the Master of Space's signature move, Spacial Rend.
Seeing this, Caleb decisively threw a Clefairy Doll at it.
Palkia's casting was interrupted. Like Dialga, it landed on the ground, eagerly grabbing the pink doll in its claws, unable to put it down.
But there was only one Clefairy Doll. Using it on Palkia meant the effect on Dialga's side was lifted.
Caleb turned his head and saw Dialga standing dazed on the ground, seemingly not yet snapped out of its previous state.
But soon enough, its attention was captured by Caleb in mid-air.
Dialga seemed somewhat easier to talk to than Palkia.
Thinking this, Caleb released his goodwill towards it, while simultaneously activating his Viridian Power, healing its injuries while attempting to communicate with it...