"What are you going to do now?" Caleb asked, looking at the scattered Team Rocket grunts scattered across the ground.
Lance furrowed his thick brows and replied, "Giovanni is dead. We'll take these men back to Kanto and lock them up."
Bruno stretched with a loud yawn, "Ahh~ it's finally over! As for me, I'll probably head back into the mountains to train with my Pokémon!"
Hearing this, Agatha, who'd been talking with her Gengar on the side, shot Bruno a sharp look, "The League still has a pile of work waiting for you to handle."
Bruno instantly deflated.
Caleb turned to Lillie, who stood nearby hugging Cosmog. He walked over and asked, "Do you have somewhere to go?"
He felt helpless about her situation. Lusamine was still in her deluded state and probably wouldn't be easily swayed by familial affection. It wasn't his place to interfere in their family matters.
"Thank you," Lillie said politely, bowing slightly. When she looked up, her eyes were resolute. "I'm going to find my brother."
Caleb was momentarily startled, then smiled in understanding, "Then go. But remember, your mother won't give up on using Cosmog to open the Ultra Wormhole. She'll probably send Team Skull after you again."
Mentioning this dimmed Lillie's spirits. She pursed her lips and said softly, "I know. But don't worry. I'll be fine. My brother is there, he will protect me."
"Then I'll take you there," Caleb said. He glanced at Cosmog, then added, "To evolve Cosmog into Solgaleo, you need to blow the Sun Flute at the Altar of the Sunne."
"The Sun Flute should be on Exeggutor Island. Oh, right," As he spoke, Caleb pulled out a pen and paper from his inventory, "Here's my number. Call me if you need help."
Lillie stared at the numbers and said solemnly, "Thank you!"
"You've said 'thank you' way too many times already," Caleb chuckled.
Lillie looked up.
Caleb turned, saying, "Good luck, little Lillie. Your mother will understand you someday."
Lillie clenched her fists and nodded firmly...
...
After thoroughly cleaning up Team Rocket's remnants, Lance, Bruno, and Agatha returned to Kanto ahead of time.
Caleb didn't go with them. Instead, he accompanied Lillie to Akala Island, where they found her brother, Gladion.
After entrusting Lillie to Gladion, Caleb left the Alola region.
He has already shared all the key plot points with the siblings. If things went smoothly, they'd soon find Mohn and inform Lusamine.
With any luck, the tragic events of 'Sun and Moon' would never unfold in this world...
Before leaving, Caleb looked at the Z-Ring Tapu Lele had given him. He didn't have the matching Z-Crystal yet, so he couldn't use Z-Moves.
There were many ways to obtain Z-Crystals, such as the Island Challenge from the anime. In the Island Challenge, trainers must complete the Grand Trials to receive Z-Crystals from the Island Kahunas.
Of course, a very small number of trainers might receive recognition from a Totem Pokémon during earlier trials and be gifted Z-Crystals by them.
But Caleb had no plans to start the Island Challenge now because something was wrong on Cynthia's end.
She hadn't explained clearly in her text message, and Caleb didn't know the specifics. He had assumed it was related to Cyrus's escape, but when he teleported to Sinnoh, he realized it was something else entirely.
Before him, wild Pokémon were fleeing the forest in droves.
"What's going on?" Caleb asked with a frown.
Cynthia's replied grimly, "We don't know. It started three days ago. Pokémon across forests, plains, and rivers have been acting strangely. All of them are fleeing their habitats in a panic."
As she spoke, several Magikarps flopped out of the river onto the bank.
Officer Jenny tried returning them to the water, but they kept jumping back out. Some even evolved into Gyarados on the spot for unknown reasons.
"Report! Massive numbers of wild Pokémon are flooding into Pastoria City!" Jenny said, frowning at the city center's alert.
Caleb stopped a passing Aipom, "Where are you all going? What happened in the forest?"
The young Aipom stammered through a jumble of thoughts, but Caleb caught the key phrase: >..The forest is dying..<
Then it darted past him and ran off.
"Strange!" Officer Jenny exclaimed, listening to another update, "Their destination isn't Pastoria City. They're passing through it and heading towards other areas!"
"It's like a mass escape," Cynthia murmured, her delicate brows knotted.
Hearing that, Caleb immediately recalled Giovanni's last words:
"This world is about to end. Can you save it?"
And the four Tapus had also asked him to protect this world.
Caleb wondered what was happening beyond his knowledge.
"Team Rocket's will shall live on..."
He wondered if these events were also part of Giovanni's plan...
...
~Hoenn Region, Sootopolis City~
The sky, which should've been bright and clear, was now choked by heavy storm clouds, as if the world itself were ending.
Steven looked up at the oppressive sky.
The air was eerily still. Not even the usual sea breeze stirred.
Wallace stepped out of the building and stood beside Steve. Sighing softly, he murmured, "The storm is coming."
...
The Kalos region had been baptized in the rainstorm far longer than other areas.
From a distance, the forest stood silent under the downpour. It was dark and ominous. The trees looked like man-eating spirits from fairy tales, wailing soundlessly in the storm.
The forest was deathly still, the vitality that should have been there gradually withering away...
...
~Geosenge Town~
Atop ancient ruins, a cutting-edge research facility had been built.
Lysandre stood before the Ultimate Weapon, his eyes burning with ambition.
Behind him, a massive bird-like Pokémon with black and red plumage was restrained by a specialized containment device.
Beside it lay a small, green, cell-like creature...
"Any sign of Xerneas yet?" Lysandre asked.
His earpiece crackled: <..Boss, our teams are tracking it with full force!..>
"Find it quickly!" Lysandre snapped, then ended the call and approached the weakened Zygarde Cell.
"You can see and hear me, right?" he said coldly, "Aren't you going to show yourself? If you don't, this world will be utterly destroyed."
No sooner had he spoken, in a distant forest, the Zygarde Core, which was recovering from its injuries, snapped its eyes open...
...
At the same time, on the edge of Kalos... Xerneas sprinted through the rain-soaked night, racing toward a distant point.
There, it sensed the breath of another Xerneas. No... more than that. Many divine presences converged there.
Maybe... just maybe… the one blessed by so many Guardians could still save this world.
Xerneas closed its eyes and kept running through the darkness.