Terrence slept soundly inside the Poké Ball until 8 PM...
He emerged from the ball with a growling stomach, only to find Caleb already fast asleep under the covers.
The electric heater in the middle of the room emitted a soft orange glow in the dim light, casting a hazy golden veil over the entire space. The air was filled with a cozy and comforting warmth.
*Grrr~*
Terrence clutched his empty stomach and approached the bed, intending to wake Caleb. But before he could get close, a dark figure flashed from the corner to block his path.
"Lu... Lucario?!" Terrence couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
The Lucario before him stood like a loyal guard, raising its arm to bar his way.
>..Don't wake him!..<
Lucario's voice transmitted directly into Terrence's mind through Aura.
Meanwhile, Dragonite, who had been lounging by the heater, lazily opened one eye and glanced over, its warning gaze unmistakable.
Cornered by two powerhouses, Terrence suddenly felt an inexplicable wave of grievance.
Pitifully clutching his stomach, he whimpered, "I'm hungry..."
Lucario paused for a moment before turning to the desk. It retrieved two glistening Pokéblocks and handed them to the Smeargle (Terrence).
These were the snacks Caleb had prepared for him earlier...
"Thanks, bro!"
Terrence accepted them cheerfully and scurried to a corner to munch on the Poffins under Dragonite and Lucario's watchful eyes...
....
The next morning, Caleb was awakened by a series of beeping sounds...
Similarly, Terrence, who had been napping by the heater, also received the notification.
[Random Event: Snowpoint City 'Blizzard' has begun! Players near Snowpoint City can accept this quest from the Old Man's Cabin at the foot of Mt. Coronet. Completion rewards include 'Speed Enhancer'!]
- Speed Enhancer: When used on a Pokémon, it permanently increases the Pokémon's Speed stat...
«Note: Random Events will appear daily across the world with varying difficulty levels and rewards. Players should assess their own strength before deciding whether to participate...»
"Damn! This is the first time I've seen this kind of reward since joining this 'game'!" Terrence exclaimed.
"Is it that rare?" Caleb asked.
"Of course!" Terrence nodded vigorously, "The drop rate is ridiculously low. In the Infinite World, a single enhancer can sell for up to 50 000 points. Sometimes you can't even buy it no matter how much you offer!"
"Then this quest must be pretty difficult?" Caleb mused as he examined the newly added Random Event panel.
The upper left corner displayed a map marked with his current location:
Most of the map remained shrouded in darkness, with only Snowpoint City illuminated. The Pokémon Center and orphanage appeared as two yellow dots.
Near Mt. Coronet, just outside Snowpoint City, a yellow exclamation mark hovered over a small cabin, presumably the Old Man's residence where the quest could be accepted.
There was also an option to switch regions. Out of curiosity, Caleb tapped it and randomly selected
The Random Event there was:
[The Munna in the Ruins]
Just as Caleb was about to check the details, a knock sounded at the door.
He quickly closed the panel and recalled Dragonite, Mimikyu, and Lucario into their Poké Balls.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Grandma Isa asked with a kind smile.
"Very well," Caleb replied.
Isa patted his head, "Good. Breakfast is ready. Go wash up and come eat."
"Mm-hmm." Caleb nodded.
Once Isa left, Terrence sidled over and whispered, "So? Are we going?"
Caleb glanced at him and asked, "Do you think we can handle it?"
Terrence paused, recalling the level 100 Dragonite and Lucario he'd seen last night... After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Probably? Your Dragonite seems really strong."
Speaking of Dragonite, Terrence suddenly remembered an encounter from one of his past role-playing Instances...
He shared the story with Caleb, "Did you know? I once met a Dragonite in a role-playing Instance. Just like yours, it was a shiny one."
"...Let me tell you, that Instance was brutal. They put a guy with a level 60+ Dragonite at the entrance of the beginner's village as a Bug Catcher. Hahahaha, isn't that hilarious?"
"...And that Bug Catcher, just like you, also had a Mimikyu. Hahaha, he was an absolute menace, slaughtering new players hundreds of times!"
But as he laughed, Terrence's mirth gradually died. Suddenly, he turned to stare at Caleb.
Caleb blinked back at him innocently.
Terrence narrowed his eyes, "You... what's your name again?"
Without hesitation, Caleb replied, "Terrence, same as you. The Infinite World must've paired us together because of our matching names."
"Really?" Terrence remained skeptical.
Caleb leveraged his current adorable appearance and said earnestly, "Look into my eyes. Do I look like someone who would do that?"
Terrence studied the child's cherubic face, and his suspicions instantly evaporated.
He reached out with a paw to pinch Caleb's soft cheek, grinning foolishly, "Yeah, definitely not."
Caleb subtly stepped back to avoid the dog paw and said, "I need to brush my teeth. We'll talk about the Random Event later."
"Okay, I'll go back to sleep then. Call me when you're done eating!" Terrence yawned and vanished into his Poké Ball in a flash of red light.
Caleb's lips twitched in exasperation. This guy really didn't seem all that bright...
....
For breakfast, Grandma Isa had prepared golden fried eggs, two slices of buttered toast, and a glass of thick Moomoo Milk...
"Good morning, little brother!" Sylvain, Elio, and Nino greeted Caleb in unison as they sat properly at the table.
"Morning." Caleb replied.
Unlike the bratty kids he'd encountered before, these three were well-behaved and exceptionally doting toward their 'little brother'. He didn't mind helping them out while completing his quest.
Of course, actually calling them big brother or big sister was out of the question...
"Sigh, when will this snow ever stop?" Isa fretted as she gazed out the window at the relentless snowfall.
Since yesterday, this sudden blizzard had shown no signs of letting up. After a full night, the snowdrifts in the yard were already knee-deep.
Caleb glanced outside as he finished his milk, wiping the white mustache from his lips with the back of his hand. Suddenly, he suggested:
"Can we go outside later to build a snowman?"
The three doting siblings immediately chimed in: "Of course!"