"Terrence, bro, I really can't thank you enough!"
Hayate excitedly ran over and gave Caleb a big hug.
He thumped his chest and said, "Let's add each other as friends after leaving this Instance! If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word!"
Caleb pushed him away, only to be immediately embraced by the equally excited Walter and Tristan.
Caleb: "..."
With a dark expression, he pushed the two grown men aside, only to be hugged from behind by Luna.
"Ahhh! I knew I wasn't wrong about you! From the very first day we met, I could tell you were a top player! I was absolutely right!" Luna exclaimed excitedly.
Caleb's face darkened as he pried away her wandering hands that had been groping his abs.
He took two steps forward to stand beside Dragonite and Lucario, saying, "Weren't you all going back to the Infinite World for a big feast? Why aren't you leaving yet? Not hungry anymore?"
Hayate rubbed his stomach and laughed heartily, "Almost forgot! We'll get going then!"
Setsuka gave Caleb a meaningful smile and mimicked Luna's tone, "See you later, big shot!"
With that, their figures vanished into thin air, leaving this world behind...
After Tristan and Walter also departed, the entire 'Deserted Island Survival' Scenario was left with only Luna and Caleb.
Caleb was checking Dragonite's injuries when he noticed Luna hadn't left yet. He glanced up at her and asked, "Still not going?"
Luna's eyes were filled with concern as she hesitated before speaking, "You... are you really going out there to confirm the current timeline and location?"
Caleb gave an affirmative hum, "The main quest is already complete. I only have three days left."
Luna: "Do you need my help?"
Caleb shook his head, "No need. Your Pokémon can't fly anyway. I'll rest here a bit before heading out."
"Alright then." Luna pulled up her system panel while saying, "Be careful out there."
Caleb nodded at her, and the next second, Luna's figure disappeared before his eyes.
Caleb returned to the campsite he'd built in the eastern zone with Dragonite and Lucario.
Lucario gazed at him with reluctant eyes, knowing their moment of parting had arrived.
Caleb took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely come back for you."
Lucario nodded silently...
With time pressing, Caleb couldn't guarantee he'd be able to find land within these three days.
He didn't linger on the island any longer. Once Dragonite had recovered some stamina, they departed the island together, flying toward the rising sun.
Lucario stood on the seaside cliffs, its gaze firmly fixed on Caleb's retreating figure as it grew smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared from view...
....
On the boundless azure sea, Caleb frowned at the massive shadow moving beneath the water's surface...
"So the Gigantamax Lapras had followed after all, huh?" He pursed his lips and said to Dragonite, "Fly higher up!"
"Wuu!"
Dragonite had also noticed the underwater shadow.
It flapped its wings, ascending until they reached an altitude of about 300 meters above sea level before stopping.
But the enormous figure beneath the waves never surfaced to attack them. Seeing this, Caleb felt slightly relieved.
Fortunately, like Groudon, Lapras couldn't fly.
With the immediate threat from Lapras mitigated for now, Caleb turned his attention to searching for land.
But unfortunately, as far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but endless ocean... not even the silhouette of a solitary island.
Soon, night fell.
The moment the sun dipped below the horizon, the gigantic figure underwater burst through the surface.
The Gigantamax Lapras looked up at Dragonite in the sky whilst gathering a thick column of water in its mouth.
"Dodge it!" Caleb crouched low, gripping Dragonite tightly as he commanded.
Dragonite grunted and swiftly banked sideways as the Max Geyser grazed past its tail.
Due to the Dynamax move's effects, the weather over the sea shifted to rain, with cold droplets beginning to fall...
After over ten consecutive hours of intense flying, Dragonite was nearly exhausted. Caleb hadn't eaten all day either.
Frowning, he summoned his panel. With just a thought, he could leave this Instance immediately. But... what would happen to Lucario if he just left?
Without hesitation, Caleb closed the panel. He looked at Dragonite and asked, "Can you keep going?"
Though utterly exhausted, Dragonite forced itself to nod...
Below them, the Gigantamax Lapras continued its relentless attacks.
Peering downward, a bold idea suddenly struck Caleb, "Dragonite, land on its back!"
"Wuu?"
Dragonite questioned uncertainly.
"Don't worry, it'll be fine."
Lapras were naturally meant to carry people, and after Gigantamaxing, the shell used for carrying passengers became even larger. It was reportedly capable of holding up to 5000 people.
Braving the Max Geyser, Dragonite descended onto Lapras's back. The moment they landed, Caleb immediately used his Viridian Power to sense Lapras's thoughts, yet, he felt nothing... not even the most basic emotions like joy or anger.
This meant... it was likely similar to that Eternatus, an artificial construct created by the Infinite World's system.
Lapras turned its head to stare intently at Caleb standing on its back. Caleb met its gaze. But the next second, the idiot Pokémon gathered another Max Geyser in its mouth and fired it at its own back.
Caleb fell silent for two seconds before quickly grabbing onto Dragonite and getting off Lapras's back. Then he repeated the maneuver, landing on its back again.
Lapras immediately used Max Geyser again.
Caleb: "..."
After about twenty repetitions of this process, Lapras's gigantic body finally dissolved into scattered light particles amidst the rain.
Caleb and Dragonite hovered silently over the now-empty sea, exchanging glances.
The Gigantamax Lapras threat had been resolved.
"Wuu..." Dragonite scratched its head, letting out an innocent-sounding cry.
Caleb licked his parched lips. In his haste to leave, he had forgotten to bring any berries from the island.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's keep moving forward. We'll find somewhere to rest first."
Dragonite nodded and flapped its wings, taking to the skies once more. This time, Caleb's luck finally turned. He spotted a small island up ahead.
They descended on the beach, where Caleb knocked two coconuts from a palm tree and had Dragonite split them open with its claws. The pair each drank from a coconut, quenching their thirst.
After drinking his fill, Caleb suddenly didn't feel sleepy anymore. On the other hand, the exhausted Dragonite lay down on the sand to sleep.
Meanwhile, Caleb went into the ocean to wash up.
After a week without bathing or changing clothes, he practically looked like a wild man.
Not wanting to be mistaken for a dumpster-diving beggar if he found civilization, he stripped to the waist and began washing his clothes in the seawater...