In the pitch-black mysterious space, Caleb stood before the giant door leading to the Instance world, listening attentively as the Infinite World system explained the key points for this Scenario...
[This Instance offers two distinct gameplay routes. Players may freely choose one to follow.]
[Please note! Each route corresponds to a different faction and will provide players with unique main quests based on their choice!]
As the voice faded, the door before Caleb suddenly split into two, its original brown color shifted dramatically; one side turned black, the other white.
[Please choose one door to enter based on your preference!]
"Black and white? As in, Pokémon Black and White?"
If nothing unexpected happened, then this Instance was likely set in the Unova region. Caleb had a rough idea now, and his gaze wandered between the two doors...
In the Pokémon games, black and white represented different themes:
Black symbolized Zekrom, the Deep Black Pokémon of ideals.
White symbolized Reshiram, the Vast White Pokémon of truth.
"Different colors, different factions, huh? So, which one should I choose?"
In the Pokémon multiverse, opposing factions usually meant the League versus villainous organizations.
Perhaps to make the Instance more interesting, the Infinite World hadn't labeled which faction each color represented. This meant players basically had to choose blindly.
Caleb was a bit speechless, but he wasn't actually too worried. Even if he ended up in the villain faction, he could simply not do the main quest. After all, he had enough points to cover the penalty for failure.
Thinking this, he stepped directly into the white glowing door.
...
*Ding-dong!*
<..Attention passengers, this train will soon arrive at Castelia City. Please take your belongings and disembark in an orderly fashion!..>
A clear, friendly female voice came from the speakers.
Caleb opened his eyes and found himself on a moving train...
The section he was on was packed with people, all of whom were now waking up and quickly scanning their surroundings. From their behavior, it was clear these people weren't natives of this world.
Caleb wasn't particularly surprised; he was quite used to this by now. He calmly turned his gaze to the large window opposite him, looking out at the spectacular cityscape of towering skyscrapers.
"Wow! So this is Castelia City? It's so beautiful!"
"I've only ever seen it on TV. I didn't expect the real Castelia City to be this impressive!"
After a brief moment of awe, the players quickly calmed down. Before the train arrived, someone spoke up and asked: "Did you all choose the white door too?"
"Yes."
"Me too."
"So that means we're all in the same faction, right? The main quest hasn't been announced yet. I wonder if our faction quests will be related..."
Being in the same faction meant their main quests wouldn't conflict. Soon, these strangers began chatting comfortably amongst themselves.
The train slowed as it approached the station. The moment it came to a complete stop, the main quest for this Instance was finally announced:
[Main Quest: In recent months, the Unova region has experienced numerous cases of missing Pokémon. These severe incidents have drawn the attention of the Unova League's higher-ups, who dispatched many excellent League investigators to look into them. However, no leads have been covered so far.
The truth behind these cases seems to harbor some hidden secrets...
You are a righteous Trainer traveling the world. Upon hearing about the events in Unova, your sense of justice compelled you to come here.]
[Quest Objective: Phase 1 - Find a way to establish cooperation with the Unova League. The next phase will unlock upon completion...
- Time Limit: 30 days!
- Failure Penalty: Half of the player's current points will be deducted!]
Caleb: "..."
All his earlier thoughts of slacking off or idling vanished instantly.
If he only had a few thousand points saved up, losing half wouldn't be a big deal since he could earn them back quickly. But he currently had over a million points. Losing half of that felt like it would send him straight to the emergency room.
A shiver ran down his spine...
As the train doors opened, Caleb didn't bother talking to the other players behind him. He directly got off, found a passerby to ask for directions to the Pokémon Center, and headed straight there.
The players left behind blinked, looking at each other in confusion. They had originally planned to find a place to discuss strategies and figure out how to cooperate with the Unova League. But before they could speak, they were distracted by Caleb's hurried figure.
After a moment, someone couldn't help but ask, "Where is he going?"
"Does he need to use the bathroom? Wait, no... Why does he look familiar? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before..." someone else wondered, stroking their chin.
"I just heard him asking a passerby for directions to the Pokémon Center... Should we go check it out too?"
This suggestion was quickly agreed upon by everyone.
The city was in the midst of summer, and the midday heat was brutal. Rather than staying out under the scorching sun like idiots, it was better to head to the trainer-friendly Pokémon Center and enjoy some air conditioning...
...
~Unova Region, Castelia City, Pokémon Center~
While Caleb was using the videophone at the Pokémon Center to contact Cynthia, Nurse Joy watched as a group of sweaty individuals flooded in like refugees...
Having never seen such a scene, Nurse Joy looked alarmed, but forced a smile and asked, "Excuse me, is there something you need help with?"
A player who treated the Instance like a game and Nurse Joy like an NPC chuckled and said, "The NPCs here are so smart! They're just like real people!"
Nurse Joy looked utterly bewildered by these words, her mouth opening and closing, unsure how to respond...
Caleb watched the scene in silence.
On the other end of the phone, Cynthia noticed the commotion but didn't think much of it. She just said seriously: <..I have matters to attend to here and can't come over for now, but I'll put you in touch with a friend who'll be visiting Castelia City..>
"A friend?" Caleb was curious.
Humming in affirmation, Cynthia smiled faintly and said: <..A very capable friend. I think she'll be very happy to meet you..>
Hearing this, Caleb was taken aback. He couldn't figure out why Cynthia's friend would know him.
Cynthia didn't explain further. After a few pleasantries, she hung up...
Caleb then called Lily. She thrilled to hear that he finally came back and immediately said: <..Nii-san, do you need money? We happen to have a branch office in Castelia City! If you're short on funds, you can just go get some from there!..>
'This little sweetheart is really thoughtful...' Caleb thought.
Lily had also gotten busy lately, so she couldn't come over in the next few days either. Caleb didn't mind. He just told her to take care of herself, drink plenty of water, and come later when she had time.
Lily had a lot on her plate. Besides being the Gym Leader of the Mahogany Gym, she also had to run all over the region to check on the various factories and branch companies. She hadn't had a proper night's sleep in ages.
Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, Caleb felt a pang of heartache. After asking after her well-being, he ended the call so Lily could go rest.
He spent the afternoon at the Pokémon Center, waiting for Cynthia's friend to arrive.
With nothing else to do, and surrounded by trainers from all over the world, Caleb took the opportunity to ask around about the Unova Pokémon disappearance cases. Unfortunately, no one knew anything.
The other players didn't wander off either. Like Caleb, they stayed at the Center, chatting idly with other trainers...
...
As dusk fell and the trainers inside the Pokémon Center began to doze off, a sound like the whirling of helicopter rotors suddenly echoed from outside...
The noise jolted everyone awake, and they all turned toward the door.
Immediately after, the door of the Pokémon Center opened, and a young woman with golden hair, blue eyes, and an elegant, dreamy aura walked in.
One player recognized her immediately, his eyes widening in shock as he exclaimed, "That's... Caitlin! What is she doing here?!"