A light drizzle fell over Celadon City, the sky gloomy and overcast...
Caleb made his way through the cemetery unimpeded to little Amber's gravesite, an umbrella shielding him from the rain.
Due to the weather, the graveyard was nearly empty, except for an old graveyard keeper who squinted at Caleb through a haze of cigarette smoke as he passed.
To confirm his suspicions, unravel the mystery surrounding Amber, and complete his hidden mission as soon as possible, Caleb snatched a shovel from beside the graveyard keeper's hut.
"Mimikyu, keep watch for me," Caleb instructed, "Warn me if anyone comes."
Mimikyu nodded and hopped to a nearby vantage point, standing guard.
The rain had softened the earth, making digging effortless. A single thrust of the shovel struck something solid.
Unlike in modern times, cremation wasn't common here. Amber's grave held a small coffin. Caleb quickly unearthed it, then steeled himself before prying open the lid.
But there was nothing inside. Just as he had expected, the coffin was completely empty.
Caleb's expression darkened as he absorbed the sight. One of his theories had been confirmed, and the answer to another lay hidden within Fuji Manor...
Suddenly, he remembered Dr. Fuji's warning from yesterday:
"The estate is quite large. Best not to wander around, especially the basement. Amber-chan is afraid of the dark..."
'The basement...'
Before he could ponder further, Mimikyu let out a sharp cry of warning.
Caleb turned to see the old graveyard keeper charging toward him, wooden club in hand.
"You rotten brat, dressed all proper but out here doing something like this?!" the old man bellowed, "Damn you!"
Caleb scrambled to explain, "No! It's not what it looks like—!"
"Save it! I've been around long enough to spot scum like you! Lucky I followed, or you'd have gotten away with it!" The old man brandished his club in one hand while fishing out a black white and yellow Poké Ball with the other... a Great Ball...
Caleb's eyes widened, 'What the–? A random old man in a backwater cemetery just casually pulls out a Great Ball?!'
The old man's face hardened, "Old partner, let's teach this brat a lesson!"
With a dramatic flourish, he hurled the ball skyward.
A blinding flash of white light later, a towering, two-meter-tall Tyranitar loomed over Caleb and Mimikyu, its menacing presence shaking the ground beneath them.
Caleb's jaw dropped, 'What kind of hidden boss is this?!'
Sweating, he raised his hands, "Look, sir, I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm an investigator from the Kanto League. I'm here to look into a grave robbery case. See for yourself, the coffin is empty!"
The old man scoffed, "Save it. If you've got something to say, say it after you beat me in battle!"
"Damn it!" Caleb cursed under his breath.
The old man was serious...
Caleb scooped up Mimikyu and made a break for it, but a sleek figure swooped down from above, blocking his escape...
It was a Pidgeot... Its sharp beak glinted with deadly intent as it locked its piercing gaze on Caleb.
Trapped, Caleb turned back to see the old man crossing his arms, his expression reading: Fight me or don't even think about leaving.
'Fine. If I have to...'
With a resigned sigh, Caleb locked eyes with Mimikyu, then loudly instructed, "Double Team, then close the gap!"
Mimikyu burst into motion, its small body splitting into a dozen identical copies, all charging Tyranitar at once.
The keeper bellowed, "Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!"
The hulking behemoth roared, gathering a swirling black beam in its maw before unleashing it in a wide arc, and obliterating the Mimikyu copies.
Caleb remained unfazed, his next command sharp and precise, "Left flank! Destiny Bond!"
The old man instinctively glanced left... but it was a diversion.
The real Mimikyu lunged from directly in front, deliberately throwing itself into the path of the Dark Pulse.
Its Disguise shattered instantly.
But before the attack could land fully, Mimikyu's Destiny Bond took effect, a ghostly tether snapped into place on Tyranitar's chest.
Mimikyu refused to retreat. Unprotected now, it took the full force of Tyranitar's attack head-on and collapsed.
But at the same time, the Destiny Bond activated.
A second later, Mimikyu collapsed, knocked out by the attack's residual force.
Simultaneously, dark energy seared around the Tyranitar. The behemoth roared in pain, then its legs buckled in pain before its massive body crashed to the ground, immobilized.
A familiar notification flashed across Caleb's interface:
[Mimikyu's level has increased!] x16
[Level Up Bonus: HP restored!]
The HP boost from sixteen consecutive level-ups yanked Mimikyu back from the brink of unconsciousness.
Caleb smirked, 'Not my first time exploiting the system...'
A glance at Mimikyu's stats showed its level had skyrocketed...
[LV. 18 → LV. 34]
'Holy crap. That Tyranitar had to be at least level 60...'
At his loss, the old keeper's eyes widened in surprise. He studied Mimikyu, then Caleb, before finally remarking, "In all my years, I've never seen a kamikaze tactic like that. You've got guts, kid."
Caleb responded with a strained smile, "Yeah... Desperation does that to a man..."
The old man continued, "But it's got a glaring weakness. If your opponent knows you and your Mimikyu, this trick won't work."
'No sh*t.' Caleb barely held back an eye-roll, 'This kind of one-shot gamble is only effective against unsuspecting opponents like this crazy old man.'
Aloud, he simply said, "True."
The old man studied him, then glanced at the empty coffin, "So... you really are a League investigator?"
"Yes." Caleb nodded firmly.
"I believe you." The old man paused as distant sirens wailed.
Caleb stiffened.
The old keeper scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah. I might've called the cops earlier, thinking you were a grave robber. But since you're with the League, I'm sure you can explain everything to Officer Jenny, right?"
Caleb's eye twitched, "Suuuure. No problem."
The old man, either oblivious or utterly shameless, cheerfully waved as Caleb was escorted into a police car by Officer Jenny, without saying a single word in his defense...
...
Tyranitar and Pidgeot...