Although Caleb really wanted to catch Giratina and take it with him, he couldn't do that.
Giratina was the embodiment of antimatter and was responsible for maintaining the order of the Distortion World, the counterpart to the real world.
If it stayed away for too long, the Distortion World would inevitably fall into chaos, which would then affect the stability of the real world.
Thinking of this, Caleb smiled and said, "My Distortion World is tiny, so it can't accommodate you."
>..Oh, alright..<
Though a little disappointed, Giratina didn't press further.
Watching this scene, Arceus spoke gently: >..I never imagined there would be such wondrous power beyond our universe..<
It gazed at the patch of empty air where Caleb had just pulled out the live fish, a trace of confusion flickering in its eyes.
....
Early the next morning, after checking on Terrence and Hatsumi's progress for a while, Caleb went to the open area behind the Lord's Hall to have breakfast with his Pokémon.
It had been a full day, so the cooldown on his Lord skill, 'Friend Out of Thin Air', had officially ended. Caleb casually decided to summon a good buddy to help him out.
But just as he activated it, a world announcement popped up:
*Ding!*
[Attention all players: the number of surviving players in the Instance has dropped below 1000. The event 'Chaos Era Domination' has officially begun!]
[From now on, the coordinates of all territories will be revealed on the map for players to view freely.]
[The last surviving player and their allies will receive a reward: 100,000 points!]
[The player who conquers the most territories will receive the MVP-exclusive reward for this event: 1x SSS-grade item random draw!]
Caleb licked his lips. SSS-grade items were seriously good stuff!
His item, Rewind, was so ridiculously overpowered, yet it was only S-grade.
Aside from Rewind, he had two other SSS-grade items in his inventory: the Book of Answers and the Warp Beacon.
Setting aside the Book of Answers' three question opportunities per Instance, the Warp Beacon alone was incredibly broken. It allowed instant teleportation anytime, anywhere, regardless of distance or situation...
At that moment, Lily stepped out of the dimensional rift, and the first thing she saw was her big brother wearing that silly, goofy smile.
As a certified bro-con, the girl didn't find it strange at all. Instead, a thought flashed through her mind: 'It has only been a few months, but Nii-san has gotten even more handsome!'
Seeing who it was, Caleb became even happier. He walked up and gave the girl a hug.
After they parted, he asked, "Did you get the letter I sent you?"
Lily hadn't had time to answer before she noticed the several Pokémon floating behind Caleb... ones that absolutely shouldn't be here.
Mewtwo was one thing, but what about those other two?! Even though she has always known her brother wasn't ordinary, Lily was still shocked by this sight.
Back when she was investigating Celebi, Lily had studied various regional myths and legends.
If she wasn't mistaken, that terrifying-looking one was the legendary ruler of the Distortion World, Giratina.
And that other Pokémon, glowing with a sacred milky-white light… Lily noticed the eighteen tablets circling its body.
Following his sister's stunned gaze, Caleb glanced back and explained, "Oh, they're friends I met in another world. They're just here to help me out for a while. As for Mewtwo, he is currently traveling with me."
Lily was the future Champion of Hoenn... So after the initial shock, she quickly regained her composure. Looking at Caleb, who appeared so calm and unruffled, she genuinely felt a surge of pride in her heart.
'Onii-chan is absolutely amazing!' At this moment, Lily really wanted to throw herself into his arms like she did when she was little. But she wasn't a child anymore, so she simply curled her lips into a reserved smile.
Only the tightly clenched hands hidden behind her back revealed just how happy she truly was.
Due to her childhood experiences, Lily wasn't very good at expressing her emotions. The period when Caleb was with her had been the happiest time of her entire childhood.
After Caleb left, Lily became increasingly quiet, a trait that influenced her battle style. So much so that after becoming Hoenn's Champion, she was often described by outsiders as powerful, calm, and a silent queen who strikes with deadly precision...
Of course, Caleb didn't know any of this, because the adult Lily always acted differently around him.
After catching up, he led Lily toward the Lord's Hall.
But Lily remembered what Caleb had just said about Arceus coming to help. She hesitated for a moment, then softly called out, "Nii-san…"
Caleb turned, "Hmm? What is it?"
"Is there anything you need me to do?" This girl always wanted to help her big brother.
Caleb made a vague sound, then answered without really addressing her question, "I heard from Lorelei that you've been so busy with the company, that you even forget to eat. Is it really that hectic over there? If you're tired, you don't have to do anything."
After all, his original reason for creating the game studio was simply to give Lily something to do, all to keep her from getting bored in that unfamiliar place.
"Of course not!" Lily instinctively denied it, then met Caleb's concerned gaze, "I mean… it's not that tiring. Lorelei and Lance have helped me a lot, and Cynthia-nee also comes by often to help."
Seeing this, Caleb didn't say more. He gently patted her shoulder and said, "Don't think about all that while you're here. Just treat it like a day off!"
Lily smiled happily, "Okay."
But as it turned out, the more you hoped for peace, the more trouble came your way.
Caleb hadn't even sat down yet when he received a notification that several enemy forces had entered his territory.
He didn't need to check to guess what was happening. Now that the event had officially started, his coordinates were exposed to everyone, and those small groups of Pokémon soldiers were clearly scouts sent to gather intel.
But before he could even act, a loud rumbling sound erupted from the city outside...
"What's going on?" Lily blinked in surprise and instinctively looked up at Caleb.
Caleb hadn't yet explained the Instance situation to her, but given the sudden situation, he could only say apologetically, "Some clueless idiots came looking for trouble."
He didn't ask Lily to stay behind. He knew her too well. There was no way she'd sit still and do nothing.
When the two stepped out of the Lord's Hall, they saw this scene: a fierce sandstorm raged through the territory. Amid the thunderous crashing of collapsing buildings, Onix, Digletts, and Bunnelbys burst out from underground, rampaging and destroying the buildings within the territory.
The tavern collapsed. Pokémon merchants in the commercial district panicked and scattered in all directions after being attacked. NPC residents of the territory were buried under the raging sands and quickly lost their breath.
Seeing this, Caleb was furious.
Sensing his anger, Mewtwo and Dragonite charged out without needing orders. The 300k Salamence in the barracks launched a full-scale assault, delivering the fiercest possible counterattack against the invaders.
Several Digletts that couldn't escape in time were instantly torn to shreds, dissolving into motes and vanishing into the air.
The rest of the enemy Pokémon soldiers sensed the danger and quickly used Dig, fleeing deeper underground, leaving behind only a chaotic wasteland of ruins on the surface...