Caleb didn't know what Amber and Mew2 had talked about, and he didn't ask. However, just that after leaving Amber's room, Mew2 gave him a long, heartfelt hug.
Caleb's gaze drifted past Mew2's shoulder and met the eyes of Mewtwo standing behind it...
Mewtwo stared deeply at him, giving Caleb a strange feeling.
>..You know, I don't think I've ever hugged you like that..<
Mewtwo suddenly said telepathically.
'That isn't necessary.' Caleb thought.
Mew2 had only been alive for less than a year. Even if it had developed consciousness early on, it's still too immature compared to Mewtwo.
"It's still a kid," Caleb said to Mewtwo, while still embracing Mew2.
Mewtwo hummed silently. His expression drifted for a moment, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories, and he murmured: >..I wish I had met you earlier too..<
...
After returning to the present timeline, Caleb threw himself back into the main quest...
As expected, the next day, some photos taken by tourists, they were all over the internet, along with headlines likeb; <..Mysterious Man Appears in Alola, Suspected to be Mewtwo's Trainer!..> flooded the news across all regions.
Unfortunately, the lighting had been poor, and the person's face was obscured in shadow, making it hard to identify.
Caleb saw the news, but since his identity hadn't been exposed, he didn't pay it much attention.
Even so, a few people who knew him well pieced it together, namely Cynthia and Lily.
By then, Caleb and Caitlin had already arrived in Opelucid City, where the first disappearance case had occurred...
...
"Why come here all of a sudden?" Caitlin asked, puzzled, "That hotel values guest privacy; they don't have cameras in the rooms."
Her implication was that they'd already exhausted all the possible leads here.
Caleb was deep in thought. Hearing her comment, he casually asked, "So what clues did you find?"
Caitlin shook her head, "Initial suspicion is that the culprit used Psychic-type Pokémon to commit the crime."
"Makes sense," Caleb frowned and glanced at the blonde girl beside him, "But aren't you supposed to be busy? You're an Elite Four member..."
He'd seen how Lance, Lorelei, and Cynthia were constantly running around, swamped with work.
"Of course I'm busy!" Caitlin briefly showed a girlish expression, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous smile, though she kept a serious tone, "Ahem, but accompanying you on your investigation is also very important work."
Caleb: "..."
Maybe because she was already in the mood to slack off, Caitlin didn't have high expectations for this trip. Still, she dutifully led Caleb to the hotel where the incident occurred.
They took the elevator upstairs and opened the room with a keycard.
Caitlin looked around, "Well, this is the place."
Caleb stood beside the wooden bed and surveyed the room, then asked, "Do you know the exact time the incident happened?"
Caitlin turned to him and said, "Of course, it was around midnight on July 21st. Why do you ask?"
Caleb grinned and pulled a red and white Poké Ball, "To find clues, of course!"
What could be faster than going back in time to catch the thief in the act?
With companions like Mewtwo and Celebi, he didn't need to be as cautious doing missions as before.
As for whether it would mess up the timeline... He'd simply interrogate the thief, then have Mewtwo wipe their memory. No one would know they'd ever been there.
That's called efficient use of resources...
With a bright flash of white light, the tiny Forest Guardian appeared before them.
"Bi!" Celebi chirped happily.
Caleb expertly pulled out a Pokéblock from his inventory and fed it.
Seeing this, Caitlin suddenly remembered the legends about Celebi, she asked in surprise, "Can this little one really let people travel through time?"
After all, it was just a legend. As a native of the Pokémon world, Caitlin didn't have the player's omniscient perspective. She didn't know everything about Celebi. Not to mention, she has never even seen a trainer with one before.
Caleb just smiled lightly, "You'll know once you experience it yourself."
With that, he patted Celebi's little head.
"Bi!"
A dazzling green light suddenly erupted from Celebi, filling the room. In the flash, their figures vanished from the room...
...
When Caitlin opened her eyes again, the sky outside the window was dark. She instantly realized they had gone back three months in the past...
Caleb checked the time on his panel and said, "Let's wait a bit. It's 11:48 PM now. It'll be midnight soon."
Caitlin hummed in agreement, still immersed in the shock of time travel. She stared at Celebi in the darkness, hardly able to believe the legend was true!
Caitlin was quiet, so Caleb didn't speak either. In the dim room, only their breathing could be heard. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting a square patch of light on the floor...
Time passed as they waited. The patch of light on the floor had even noticeably shifted. Finally, a sound from a third party broke the silence in the room.
In the darkness, Caleb and Caitlin opened their eyes simultaneously.
Before them stood two tall figures.
One was a human, the other an Alakazam from the Kanto region.
The man hadn't noticed the two people behind him. He'd been tailing his victim for a long time and finally found this opportunity. His attention was entirely on the six Poké Balls on the bed.
At that moment, Caleb and Caitlin sprang into action. Their roles were clear.
Caitlin's eyes glowed blue as she used telekinesis to restrain the man.
Meanwhile, Caleb swiftly released Mimikyu from her Poké Ball.
Fully trained to max level, Mimikyu instantly suppressed the Kadabra. A surprise Shadow Claw from the darkness struck its weak point, knocking it out instantly.
"Great teamwork!" Caitlin beamed. The case that had troubled the League for so long finally had a breakthrough.
Caleb picked up Mimikyu and looked at the terrified man held by psychic force. Under Caitlin's gaze, he pulled out another Poké Ball.
A white light flashed, and Mewtwo appeared in the room.
Caitlin's eyes widened instantly.
"It was you?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, "That person in Alola?!"