~Conference Room~
Everyone sat around the long table. Officer Jenny stood beside Alder and handed him the investigation report that had been prepared in advance...
"We haven't located Takashi yet," Caitlin said, her delicate brows furrowed, "And Team Plasma, which had been active in major cities, has recently gone quiet."
Alder didn't respond. His brow furrowed deeper as he quickly scanned the report. Then he asked, "Has anyone here specifically studied Unova's mythology and historical legends?"
Caitlin blinked, then realized what he meant, "You want to start from there?"
Alder nodded, "From the butler's testimony, both Takashi and Team Plasma are after those three legendary Pokémon. If we find the location of those Pokémon, we'll be able find Takashi and Team Plasma."
"But once we find them, what do we do with Takashi?" Shauntal asked, resting her chin on her hand.
Grimsley glanced at Alder, then shook his head at Shauntal with a sigh, "I doubt we can touch him."
Going after Takashi would trigger an immediate unified pressure from all the noble clans.
Unova's League had been in decline for years. If war broke out, they'd likely end up in a 'holding the emperor hostage to command the nobles' scenario... At that point, the League would be fully controlled by the aristocracy, and the law would mean nothing to them.
Grimsley didn't want to see that happen.
"Damn it!" Marshal, who'd stayed silent until now, slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
They were powerless. Even if they found Takashi and Team Plasma, they'd probably be forced to quietly deal with Team Plasma only. As for Takashi, his influence in Unova was too vast. The League couldn't touch him.
"So… is this really the only way?" Shauntal asked gloomily.
"No," Alder shook his head, "They've crossed a line. But now isn't the time to act."
He paused, then suddenly called out, "Caleb."
At the name, the Elite Four instinctively turned to look at Caleb.
Caleb felt a bit of pressure, but he wasn't some rookie anymore. He calmly met the Champion's gaze.
Alder's eyes showed a flicker of approval, "What are your thoughts on this?"
Caleb asked, "Do you mean finding Takashi's location or dealing with Unova's capital forces? If it's the former, I think it's pretty straightforward."
"You know where the Tao Trio are sleeping?" Alder asked.
Caleb honestly shook his head, "No, but I have a Pokémon companion with time-travel abilities. With its help, I can go back and investigate Takashi's movements."
Shauntal, a novelist with a love for adventure stories, was surprised but quickly raised a concern, "But if you change the timeline, can you still return here?"
She knew about the butterfly effect.
Every action in the past altered the future, creating a new timeline. And it would never be the original one again.
Caleb understood her concern. He explained, "No one will know I was there. And I won't make any changes that affect the timeline."
"Oh!" Shauntal's eyes lit up in understanding.
Alder nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "And the latter? What about the noble families?"
Caleb considered it for a moment, then said, "Expose what they've done to the people of Unova. Win public opinion first. Then use that as grounds to freeze their assets…"
Alder's eyes lit up, but then he frowned again, "Ah, if only it were that simple. The problem isn't just their wealth. They have countless trainers with Elite and Champion-level power."
It wasn't just the five of them. There were many more powerful Trainers out there. Many had been recruited by organizations, noble houses, or working as League investigators.
Caleb nodded in understanding. After a moment, he said, "Then we'll have to use force."
Marshal blinked, "Huh?"
Everyone turned to him.
Grimsley hesitated, "You mean… declare war?"
"No, no," Caleb quickly shook his head, "I mean go straight to their doors, beat them into submission, and take control."
"What do you mean?" Shauntal asked, confused.
Caleb explained, "Simple. Find a strong Trainer, pass them off as a noble immigrating from another region, and send them to challenge the major clans under the guise of friendly exhibition matches, at least on the surface."
Grimsley finally understood. His eyes widened in disbelief. "You're suggesting…"
"If I move fast, I can handle two clans in one day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon." Caleb said.
Shauntal gasped, hand over her mouth, "But isn't that illegal?"
Caleb raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think it's justice being served? And we'd only target clans with anti-League tendencies who've done wrong."
Skeptical, Caitlin frowned, "There's no one in the League who fits the role you're describing."
Who could possibly have that kind of power? To single-handedly take on numerous elite Trainers from across Unova's noble houses?
It was impossible. Even Alder couldn't pull that off...
"There is," Caleb said.
"Who?" Grimsley asked.
"Me," Caleb answered.
"You– this isn't the time for jokes!" Marshal scowled, clearly annoyed.
"Why would you think I'm joking?" Caleb asked, genuinely surprised.
'Do I really look that harmless?' he wondered.
"Do you know how many noble families there are in Unova?" Grimsley said gravely, "There are thirty-eight. Each one has between ten to fifty Trainers with at least Elite-level strength. Even if we average twenty per family, that's 760 trainers… Even if you're strong, can you handle that many alone?"
To that question, Caleb's answer was simple, "Of course I can!"
Players had endless potential.
He had the Viridian Power, two Mewtwos, Armored Mimikyu, a Dragonite that hit like a bomber, and a Lucario that could link with him for Aura amplification…
Even Celebi could support from the rear.
This team's strength had long surpassed that of any Elite level…
Sure enough, as soon as he agreed, a notification chimed in his ear:
*Ding!*
[Congratulations, player! You've triggered the hidden quest: Unrivaled Under Heaven!]
[Quest Objective: Challenge Unova's noble houses...
- Completed: 0/20
- Reward: ??? (SSS)]