~Resistance Base~
Two days had passed since the attack incident...
When Caleb arrived at the control room, Reika, Kai, Nozomi, and the others were already there.
A pale blue panel hovered before them, displaying footage from yesterday's press interview with Giovanni...
Reporter: "Mr. Giovanni, can you reveal what exactly happened that night? Was it the Resistance? Does their rebellion have anything to do with the Mewtwo incident?"
Giovanni's sharp gaze pierced through the camera as he replied coldly: "I have always given these people a chance, hoping they would repent and cease their anti-social actions... actions no different from terrorism."
"...But regrettably, they have failed my expectations. I've realized that my mercy only emboldens them further. From today onward, I will issue a regional warrant for the Resistance."
At this point, the corner of Giovanni's lips curled into a smirk: "Additionally, anyone who provides information on the Resistance will receive a reward of 20 million and an opportunity to work at Rocket Corporation."
The moment these words left his mouth, the interview site erupted in gasps and cheers.
Everyone knew the benefits of working at Rocket Corporation were immense. Even a lowly security guard would be treated with respect on the streets.
Not to mention the prestige of being a full-time employee. Joining Rocket Corporation meant securing an iron rice bowl, no worries about food or shelter, and the envy of relatives during family gatherings...
Who wouldn't want to climb the social ladder?
The crowd was euphoric.
In stark contrast, the atmosphere inside the Resistance base grew heavy after Giovanni's speech. No one spoke. The air was so still, that each person's breathing could be heard clearly.
Lost in thought, Caleb walked forward and took a seat beside Kai. A meticulously built card castle sat on the table, a product of Kai's boredom.
Over the past two days, Caleb had pondered deeply... The more he learned about this world's background, the heavier his heart became.
This world was rotten to its core.
'Is there even any hope left?' he mused.
Even if they killed Giovanni and overthrew Team Rocket, could the people of this broken era who are assimilated to its corruption ever return to the peaceful coexistence between humans and Pokémon from seventy years ago?
The answer was obvious...
The rules and order had already been established. To forcibly change them would require decades if not centuries.
Caleb didn't have that kind of time. Moreover, the Resistance's current strength and resources paled in comparison to Team Rocket's. Even if they succeeded in overthrowing Team Rocket and rebuilding a League system, controlling the grassroots populace would be an immense challenge.
What if some gang leader who is dissatisfied with the new League decided to stage a 'Pallet Town Uprising', overthrow the government, and crown himself king?
As the saying goes... "The spectator sees most clearly, while the player is lost in the game..."
Born in this chaotic era, Reika and the others had inevitably been influenced by its mindset.
Caleb saw things clearly. Their goal had always been to kill Giovanni and overthrow Team Rocket, but they never considered the other demons lurking beyond.
In that case, wouldn't it be better to tear everything down and start anew? After all, destruction precedes reconstruction...
After a brief deliberation, Caleb voiced his thoughts to the group.
Reika's expression turned grave as she listened. She truly hadn't considered these complexities. So she questioned, "Then what should we do?"
"Simple." Caleb flicked the card castle Kai had spent half a day building, sending it crashing down, "Tear it all down and start over."
Nozomi blinked, "Just us?"
After years of relentless suppression by Team Rocket, the Resistance was already on its last legs. Bluntly put, they were barely clinging to survival.
In such a state, forget saving the world... even daily life had become a struggle.
Caleb shook his head and replied, "No. We need to find more allies."
At this, Kai looked up from his cards and said, "But other regional Resistance groups aren't faring well either. They can't possibly come to our aid."
"I'm not talking about the Resistance," Caleb clarified, "I mean the Legendary Pokémon controlled by various villainous organizations... like Dialga and Palkia in Team Galactic's hands."
As soon as he finished speaking, his quest panel popped up:
[Side Quest Triggered!]
[Quest Objective: Rescue the Legendary Pokémon enslaved by the villainous organizations!]
[Completion Progress: 1/?]
*Ding!*
[Congratulations! You have successfully liberated Mewtwo!]
[Completion Progress +1!]
[Reward:
«Note: Collect three SSS-Grade Item Fragments to synthesize one SSS-Grade item. SSS-Grade items are not limited to Pokémon-verse objects!»
[Mewtwo has temporarily joined your faction as an ally!]
Caleb froze, then opened his inventory. At the very bottom lay a shimmering golden fragment...
Meanwhile, Reika, who was deep in thought, suddenly looked up and asked, "Are you suggesting we find Dialga and use it to travel back in time to stop Team Rocket before everything happened?"
Kai gulped, his mind racing. Then he pointed out, "But if the past changes, wouldn't we disappear?"
"No, that's not how it works," Nozomi slowly shook her head, "According to quantum mechanics and the multiverse theory, any alteration of the past from the future creates a new timeline. This is what we call a parallel world. But nothing here would change."
The victorious timeline and the defeated timeline... Time would fork at that juncture, leading to two different futures.
As an Infinite Player, Caleb understood this far better than the others. But for now, time travel wasn't his goal.
The reason he wanted to rescue Dialga and Palkia was to locate Arceus, The Original One. Before that, however, he needed to visit the Tree of Beginning to check on Mew's current status.
With just Mewtwo, Dragonite, Lucario, and Mimikyu... facing both Dialga and Palkia simultaneously would be nearly impossible.
Before heading to the Sinnoh region, Caleb needed to bolster his faction's strength as much as possible. If he remembered correctly, the Tree of Beginning only appeared in 'Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'.
It was located deep in the mountains near Pewter City and Mt. Moon, close to the Rota Kingdom...
....
Caleb didn't set off immediately to find the Tree of Beginning...
The path ahead was shrouded in darkness, filled with unknowns and dangers. So, he decided to stay put and wait for Mimikyu's Iron-Kyu armor to complete development before departing.
During this time, Team Rocket's regional warrant was in full effect. Tempted by the exorbitant reward, people outside were scouring every corner for traces of the Resistance.
The virtual game shop serving as their cover had been searched multiple times. Tension permeated the base, suffocating everyone with unease...