At 7 PM, inside the hotel's grand buffet restaurant, Caleb leisurely flipped a spatula over the sizzling synthetic pork belly on the grill.
Deino and Mimikyu were wrestling for a spot in his lap, while Dragonite, looking pitiful with its tiny wings tucked in, sat obediently across from him alongside Lucario, waiting for its trainer to prepare its meal.
"Here." Caleb picked up the cooked meat and placed it onto the plates in front of Dragonite and Lucario before turning his attention to preparing food for Mimikyu and Deino.
By now, the territorial battle between Mimikyu and Deino had reached its conclusion, with Deino emerging victorious.
Mimikyu sighed and hopped onto another chair, resigning itself to the loss: 'Ah, whatever. No point arguing with a little one...'
Caleb scratched the top of Deino's head before placing a few pieces of ham into his palm and holding it out.
Deino sniffed, then extended its pink tongue to scoop the ham into its mouth, letting out a satisfied chirp.
Deino's appearance was far from what most would consider cute. For trainers who prioritized aesthetics, it might not be their first choice as a partner.
At this thought, Caleb glanced down at the little dragon. As if sensing his gaze, Deino leaned over and gently licked his palm.
Caleb smiled and scratched under its chin... He wasn't the type to judge by appearances. To him, every Pokémon was a precious gift from this world to humanity, regardless of looks or temperament.
Besides, he had watched this Deino hatch with his own eyes. Apart from him, this little dragon had no family in this world.
Unlike the mindset in the anime, where Pokémon were often treated as tools bred solely for battle, Caleb respected each Pokémon's choices.
If any of his team members ever grew to dislike fighting, he'd be happy to care for them for the rest of their lives.
'Trainer' was just an ordinary profession in the Pokémon world.
What Caleb truly loved about this world was the chance to meet, bond with, and live alongside these miraculous little creatures. The chance to grow and journey together.
Countless words existed to describe the relationship between trainers and Pokémon; partners, friends, companions, family.
They were like two faintly glowing stars in the vast night sky. Upon meeting, their light would illuminate one another, shining brighter and more brilliantly together across the sea of stars.
Sitting quietly beside the table instead of joining them, Entei silently observed the harmonious scene.
In the distance, Felix, now a tour guide instead of a Bug Catcher, also watched Caleb intently.
The same face, the same demeanor, the same Dragonite and Mimikyu... Logic told him it had to be a coincidence. After all, he had personally witnessed that person's burial.
Yet, for some reason, a voice in his heart roared uncontrollably: That's him! The strongest Bug Catcher who took you on battles all summer long!
Driven by impulse, Felix found himself walking toward Caleb before he even realized it. By the time he snapped back to his senses, he was already standing right in front of him.
Caleb looked up, puzzled, then asked, "Can I help you?"
Felix opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words. After a brief mental scramble, he settled on a casual question, "Where are you from? You remind me of a... friend I lost."
Caleb: "..."
'Well... It seems when the Instance was canceled last time, it somehow portrayed me as dead...'
Not that reuniting with Felix was an issue. As long as he avoided mentioning the Infinite World, he'd be fine.
Straightening up, Caleb replied seriously, "That 'friend' was me."
Last time, Felix hadn't given him a chance to explain, and by the time Caleb thought to clarify, Felix had already hurried off.
At first, Felix didn't react. Several seconds later, his eyes widened in shock...
...
Meanwhile, the other players dining nearby whispered among themselves as they observed the scene:
"What's going on over there? Why does it look like the tour guide knows him?"
"Think they've got some shady deal going on?"
"More importantly, what did Entei even see in him? Look at his team, he doesn't even have a full party of six. Is it just because he's good-looking?"
"Maybe. I heard a rumor that players have hidden stats like Charm and Luck, stuff we can't see."
"Honestly, looks are part of luck too. If you're ugly, even NPCs won't give you the time of day. A friend of mine had that problem..."
"By 'friend', you mean yourself, right?"
Amid the chatter, Gyeol and Ye Fan also turned their attention toward Caleb.
As renowned figures on the leaderboard, the two knew each other well, having collaborated in several large-scale event Instances before.
Unless their main quests conflicted, players generally had no reason for hostility.
"What do you think?" Ye Fan asked.
Gyeol narrowed her eyes. She certainly didn't buy the idea that a pretty face alone could attract Entei.
That left only two possibilities:
One, the player was hiding his true strength... Two, he possessed an item or title that drew Pokémon to him.
She shared these theories with Ye Fan.
After a moment's thought, Ye Fan dismissed the first one.
If strength was the factor, the current No. 1 and No. 3 ranked players were both present. There was no way an unknown rookie would outrank them.
"Then it must be the second," Gyeol concluded.
Ye Fan gave a slight nod. After studying Caleb for a few more seconds, he looked away.
Compared to Entei, who had already chosen its trainer, locating Suicune and Raikou was far more pressing.
"Tomorrow, I'm leaving the tour group to track down Eusine," Ye Fan stated.
His meaning was clear: Suicune was his target.
Gyeol smiled, saying, "Then I'll go after Raikou."
Only after all three Legendary Beasts' quests were activated and completed would the final Mythical Pokémon Contest begin.
Until then, players couldn't attack one another without facing severe penalties from the Infinite World...
....
After dinner, Caleb and Felix walked back to their rooms together...
From Felix, Caleb learned about what had happened after his 'death', including the developments with Pokéblocks and Lily.
Mr. Stone had kept his promise, transferring a portion of the Pokéblock profits to Lily's name and enrolling her in the best Pokémon school.
Apparently, she was doing well.
Caleb's mind flashed to the little girl who couldn't tie her own hair, chasing after him and calling him 'Onii-chan'...
Just as he was about to open his door, Felix suddenly spoke up: "Hey, brother Caleb!"
Caleb turned, puzzled.
Felix scratched his head with a goofy grin, then said, "Welcome back. I mean, everyone missed you."