Early the next morning, Felix, ever the dutiful tour guide, led the group to visit Ecruteak City's historic landmarks...
Today was the city's festival day. Residents would gather beneath the Bell Tower to watch the celebratory dances performed by geishas.
Caleb wasn't in a hurry to complete his quest. Casually, he strolled through the bustling crowd with Mimikyu, who had transformed into a Pikachu.
After taking a headcount, Felix approached with a troubled expression, saying, "Six people are missing."
Hearing this, Caleb glanced at the remaining players and immediately understood. He asked offhandedly, "Did they already pay?"
Felix nodded. The tour fees had been collected before departure.
Caleb shrugged, "Then it's fine. They're all adults, it's not like they'll get kidnapped. Maybe they went to visit relatives living here."
That said, he knew the real reason. With only two slots left in the Mythical Pokémon Contest and too many players vying for them, some had grown impatient.
As for the players who stayed, some simply weren't sharp enough to think of seeking out Suicune and Raikou on their own, while others had already given up. After all, even if they did earn Suicune or Raikou's recognition, they probably wouldn't stand a chance against the top-ranked players in the final contest anyway.
Rather than waste time and energy on a futile effort, they might as well stay and enjoy Ecruteak's festivities.
After all, failing this Instance wouldn't deduct any points.
Just then, the festival officially began. A group of women in traditional kimonos, with their hair elegantly styled, glided onto the stage from the left, their flowing sleeves rippling gracefully.
A gentle breeze swept through, causing the wind chimes adorning the Bell Tower to tinkle melodiously.
As Caleb watched the performance, he didn't notice Mimikyu quietly shifting forms from Pikachu into a tiny Mewtwo before climbing onto his head and settling comfortably to enjoy the show.
Mimikyu was light, weighing less than two pounds, so Caleb didn't pay it much mind.
Unbeknownst to him, this spectacle had already caught the attention of the other players:
"What the heck! A freshly hatched Mewtwo?! What's going on?!"
"Am I seeing things? Since when was Mewtwo this small? Did he customize it with Infinite World Points? Did it just hatch?!"
Carrying a baby Mewtwo, having Entei seek him out willingly… The players exchanged bewildered glances: "Just who the hell is he?"
No one had an answer...
...
Aside from the players, the sudden appearance of an unknown Pokémon also drew the notice of the locals.
Most notably, a boy in a red-and-white cap and blue jacket, clutching a Pikachu in his arms.
The boy's eyes sparkled, "A Pokémon I've never seen before!"
He pulled out a red Pokédex and pointed it at Mimikyu:
{Dex: Not in the Pokédex. There are still Pokémon unknown to mankind...}
Naturally, this commotion caught Caleb's attention. He turned and saw three familiar faces.
"Ash! You're bothering them during the show!" Misty scolded.
"Sorry, I just got too excited..." This Ash was still in his second year of traveling, having just suffered defeat in the Indigo League before continuing his journey in neighboring Johto.
Brock, the calmest of the trio, asked, "What kind of Pokémon is that?"
Only then did Caleb notice the situation atop his head. He reached up and plucked Mimikyu down.
Mimikyu just tilted its head innocently. Due to limited nanite particles, Mimikyu couldn't assume larger forms when transforming. The Mewtwo it mimicked bore a striking resemblance to Mew, complete with large, light-blue eyes.
Caleb: "..."
Keeping a straight face, he explained, "Ditto. We once encountered a never-before-seen Pokémon during our travels. This is what it looked like."
Ash's expression cleared with understanding, but that didn't dampen his excitement, "I see! Can we have a battle, then?"
"Ash!" Misty immediately shot him a disapproving look, "We're here for the festival, and they're trying to watch the performance too!"
Caleb offered an awkward but polite smile.
This Ash seemed far too young. Battling him reminded Caleb of the Achievement Title he'd earned in the 'Infernal Affairs' Instance: Child Slayer...
"Fine." Ash's face fell slightly at the rejection before he obediently followed Misty away, Pikachu in tow.
Caleb didn't dwell on the encounter. He took a seat on a nearby bench and opened his inventory to consult the Book of Answers.
Being an SSS-tier item, it guaranteed responses to any question, offering three free clues per Instance about the current quest.
Originally, Caleb would've needed to gather intel, investigate Team Rocket's hideout, and then rescue the children. But with the Book of Answers, he could skip straight to the final step, which is locating the captive children and saving them.
That way, Request 1 would be completed immediately.
As for Request 2, which is tracking down the Masked Man, that was simpler. Even without the book, Caleb knew where to find him. After all, the Masked Man was none other than Pryce, the Gym Leader of Mahogany Town. A visit there would suffice.
However, Request 3, defeating the Masked Man and rescuing Ho-Oh, was far more challenging...
Though Caleb had never met Pryce, as the final boss of this Instance, his strength was undoubtedly formidable. That last objective would have to wait.
With his plan set, Caleb took out the Book of Answers and silently posed Request 1's question in his mind.
The next second, two large words appeared on the blank page:
{..ILEX FOREST..}
Now that he had the location, there was no need to linger in Ecruteak. Caleb found Felix and informed him that he needed to leave for a while to handle some business.
Felix frowned and asked, "Where to? Will you come back?"
"Of course." Caleb paused, then added, "Once everything is settled, I'll come see you all."
Felix sighed softly, saying, "Alright. Be careful."
He didn't ask how Caleb had come back to life or why he was here now. None of that mattered. As long as he was alive...
...
While the grand festival was in full swing, Caleb quietly left Ecruteak City and boarded a train bound for Goldenrod City.
Ilex Forest lay in southern Johto, nestled between Goldenrod and Azalea Town, bordering the latter.
People described it as a forest so dense and towering, that even daytime feels like night, teeming with Bug-type Pokémon...
....
One hour after Caleb's departure.
Lance and Lorelei, having traveled all the way from Blackthorn City, finally arrived in Ecruteak...