Deep within the tranquil shadowy forest, a blazing crimson figure streaked through the trees like a meteor...
The wild Pokémon inhabiting the area barely caught a glimpse of the figure before feeling a wave of scorching heat rush past them, disappearing as swiftly as it had come.
The Book of Answers had not only provided the exact location, but had also thoughtfully included a real-time map. The map clearly marked the target point's position and the distance between it and Caleb.
Caleb glanced at the rapidly decreasing distance and spoke to the Entei beneath him, "We're almost there!"
"Roar!"
Entei acknowledged, its body turning as it gradually slowed its pace.
Team Rocket's base, where they imprisoned the kidnapped children, was located deep underground, its entrance hidden within the trunk of an exceptionally thick tree.
Caleb and Entei crouched in the grass, only their eyes visible as they observed their surroundings.
After confirming there were no Team Rocket guards outside, Caleb took out a Poké Ball.
"Lucario." he called softly.
Given the tacit understanding between them, no further explanation was needed. That is, Lucario could understand his thoughts without words.
Lucario closed its eyes, used its Aura to probe deep underground, then shared the images it perceived.
Through this shared vision, Caleb saw the situation inside Team Rocket's base: Children held captive and subjected to brainwashing training, Team Rocket members in uniform standing guard in the corridors, and an old acquaintance Caleb had met before... Ariana.
After confirming that Ariana was the only high-ranking officer present, Caleb had Lucario withdraw the shared vision. He then released Dragonite and Mimikyu from their Poké Balls and said to Entei, "Let's go all out!"
As the saying goes, 'Everything changes over time...' He was no longer the cautious undercover agent infiltrating Team Rocket from before.
Now, he was like a wolf hunting its prey! Against Ariana alone, Caleb felt that just Mimikyu was enough to wipe out her entire team. And that wasn't even accounting for the fact that he now had an Entei in his party.
Dragonite blasted the massive tree apart with Dragon Rage, exposing the elevator shaft leading deep underground.
Entei took the lead, leaping down first, with Caleb and Lucario riding Dragonite close behind. Mimikyu transformed into Armor Form, activating the turbine engines on its back as it followed Dragonite.
Faced with such a sudden assault, the ordinary Team Rocket members stood no chance. Before Caleb even needed to act, Entei, leading the charge, instantly knocked them unconscious.
By the time Ariana received the alert, Caleb had already blown open the door to her room.
When she saw who it was, her pupils instinctively contracted as she exclaimed in shock, "It's you!"
"Hey, long time no see!" Caleb said while commanding Mimikyu to snatch the communication device from her hand and smash the nearby computer in the process.
Ariana's heart raced. She couldn't understand how, after just one year, the aura around him had changed so drastically. It was like he was a completely different person.
With her communication tools destroyed, she could no longer contact the outside world or inform Team Rocket's current shadow leader, the Masked Man, about what was happening here.
Ariana forced herself to stay calm and looked at Caleb, asking, "What do you want?"
Lucario had already taken Entei to rescue the children imprisoned here. Glancing in that direction, Caleb said, "Simple, just answer my questions."
"Go ahead." Ariana replied steadily.
Caleb looked at her and asked, "Where is Giovanni now?"
"I don't know." Ariana paused, seeing the clear disbelief in his eyes, then continued, "I really don't know. Back then, Giovanni left in a helicopter and never returned..."
After the Kanto League launched a full-scale manhunt for Team Rocket remnants and with no sign of Giovanni, she had no choice but to relocate to the Johto region with the other executives and pledge allegiance to the Masked Man.
'She doesn't seem to be lying...' Caleb thought.
At that moment, Lucario and Entei returned, leading a group of children under ten years old to the doorway.
Caleb received a notification:
[Request 1 Completed! Entei's Favorability Increased!]
Hearing this, he turned to look at Entei, only to find Entei already gazing back at him.
"Arbok, use Smog!" Ariana suddenly commanded, taking advantage of Caleb's distraction to stealthily release her Pokémon.
A flash of white light, and Arbok opened its maw wide, spewing a thick, dark smog. The entire room was instantly engulfed in the black haze, obscuring everyone's vision.
Ariana seized the chance to escape, moving toward the door as she recalled its position. But just as she was about to slip out, she felt a powerful hand clamp firmly onto her arm.
Being a seasoned operative, she reacted instantly, barking, "Arbok, use Crunch!"
A purple streak shot through the smog toward them.
Caleb swiftly withdrew his hand and remarked, "Tch. I really don't want to kill anyone again."
During his months in the 'Collapsed World' Instance, he had been forced to shoot and kill several people who had tried to harm him.
But this Instance was different, this was his designated world. He truly didn't want to spend his days fighting and killing. Couldn't everyone just settle things peacefully with Pokémon battles?
Ariana didn't understand what he meant. In her memory, he was just a smooth-talking, somewhat clever League investigator. But at this moment, she could sense an unmistakable killing intent in his words.
She couldn't fathom what had happened to him in this past year.
What Ariana would never realize was that while only a year had passed for her, for Caleb, it had been nearly four years.
Three years in the 'Transformation and Substitution' Instance, and Months in 'Collapsed World'.
His mentality and strength had undergone a complete transformation.
After dodging Arbok's Crunch, Caleb issued the order, "Dragonite, clear the smog with a gust."
Hearing this, Ariana's heart sank. Instinctively, she turned and bolted for the exit, only to find a massive crimson figure blocking her path.
That was... Entei!
By now, the smog in the room had dissipated. Mimikyu and Dragonite stood on either side of Caleb as he stepped forward.
"Last chance. Tell me everything you know about Ho-Oh." He said.
A chill ran down Ariana's spine. She knew there was no escape. With Entei and Lucario ahead and Dragonite and Mimikyu behind, her Pokémon stood no chance against them.
'A wise man knows when to yield...' Thinking this, Ariana let out a soft sigh and said, "I'll talk."