>..Mewtwo?..< Xerneas looked curiously at this Pokémon with its large purple tail.
Mewtwo gave a light nod and said: >..I am Mewtwo..<
Xerneas did not linger its gaze on Mewtwo for too long. After getting a general idea, it turned back to Caleb and asked: >..When do you plan to leave?..<
Caleb thought for a moment and said, "In a little while."
Since he was already here, he might as well complete that hidden quest before leaving.
Thinking this, Caleb glanced at the hidden quest panel. The quest objective had updated after his conversation with Xerneas:
[Quest Objective Updated!]
[New Objective: Wait until nightfall.]
'Nightfall? Does that mean something will happen tonight?'
Caleb couldn't figure it out, so he decided to wait with Xerneas until dark.
Xerneas had no objections to this. Although it was a Guardian, staying by this human's side also gave it a refreshing and comfortable feeling.
Caleb checked the time displayed on the panel; it was exactly 4:30 PM. Night would fall soon.
Having already traveled through this world once, he didn't feel like going anywhere else for the time being. He simply set up camp on the spot, released Dragonite and the others from their Poké Balls, lit a campfire, and started preparing dinner.
Mewtwo silently watched this familiar scene, something that only existed in its memories. For the first time in a long while, it felt a sense of warmth and contentment.
This was the life Mewtwo wanted, a beautiful life with companions.
No human could endure eternal loneliness forever, and Mewtwo, with human genes in its body, felt the same way.
However, the only companion it wanted to live with was Caleb, and it could only be Caleb.
The orange flames danced on Mewtwo's face, and its expression softened automatically at this moment.
"By the way," Caleb placed several ingredients prepared in advance by Gardevoir into the pot and turned to Mewtwo, asking, "Why did you appear in this world?"
Xerneas, who was nearby, also turned its gaze to it upon hearing this.
Mewtwo answered: >..Because your presence was detected here. So, I came..<
Hearing this, Caleb fell into thought.
Although he knew there were many parallel worlds (dimensions), he wondered if Mewtwo possessed a special ability to travel through these dimensions.
'Mmh... I don't think that's the case.'
Perhaps the expression on his face was too obvious. Seeing this, Mewtwo explained: >..Palkia sent me here..<
"So that's how it is!"
If it was Palkia, then everything made sense.
The Collapsed World was in the punishment Instance with the number L000, while this Scenario's world was numbered L002. Judging by the numbers, the distance between them did seem relatively close.
Caleb asked, "How long have you been in this world?"
Mewtwo calculated in its heart, 'One year, two years, three years...'
It seemed like thirty-eight years had passed? It didn't remember very clearly, and for it, the existence of time had long lost its meaning.
Sensing Mewtwo's thoughts, Caleb suddenly didn't know what to say, 'So, from beginning to end, this was all a missed coincidence?'
Mewtwo sensed his presence in this world thirty-eight years ago and came over, but he had already returned to the future by then. So, Mewtwo waited there for thirty-eight years.
And he, entering this Instance thirty-eight years later, traveled back thirty-eight years to find Mewtwo, and through a series of coincidences, had Arceus create a towering mountain...
Although the story's development was full of twists and turns, as long as the outcome was good, that was all that mattered.
Caleb felt a pang of regret. Fortunately, he hadn't given up and used the Super Escape Rope to leave the Instance.
However, mentioning this reminded him of the Collapsed World he had rebooted. He asked, "What happened to that world later?"
Mewtwo met his gaze and answered seriously: >..Everything is fine there. Humans and Pokémon work hand in hand. Before I came here, they had already entered a brand new era..<
"That's good." Hearing this, Caleb sighed in relief.
After all, it was a world he had worked hard for, and no matter what, he still held some affection for it.
But...
He wondered how the rebooted Team Rocket trio and the Resistance fighters were doing.
Caleb also remembered that pink-haired lolita who stayed up late crafting armor for Mimikyu.
Mewtwo watched his expression for a while and slowly said: >..James eventually became an excellent Pokémon researcher. Jessie became a Coordinator, stepping onto the stage of Contests with Meowth and her Pokémon..<
>...The Resistance fighters were born one after another decades later. Like James, they lost their memories of the previous timeline and started their respective new lives..<
"That's good."
Caleb also hoped that Instance should no longer be counted among the punishment Instances...
Xerneas listened silently to this conversation nearby.
The fire crackled and popped. Unknowingly, the sky darkened.
And at that moment, the hidden quest's objective changed for the second time:
[Quest Objective Updated!]
[Quest Objective: Meteor...]
'Meteor? What meteor?'
"Wuu?" Dragonite nearby let out a confused cry.
Caleb turned his head and saw that the Pokémon around them had all raised their heads at some point, looking at the sky. He followed their gaze upward.
He saw streaks of comets with brilliant tails streaking across the sky. This scene was like the one above Itomori Town in the Anime 'Your Name'.
The evening breeze was slightly cool. Caleb personally experienced the scene that Miyamizu Mitsuha had once seen.
The meteors streaking across the sky were indeed beautiful, but that was under the premise that they weren't flying toward the viewer.
A comet crashed into the forest. The sparks generated by friction through the atmosphere instantly ignited the surrounding trees.
Immediately after, countless dense comets gradually grew larger in Dragonite's lake-like clear eyes.
Amid the rumbling explosions of meteors crashing into the forest, Caleb vaguely guessed why Xerneas had turned into its tree form and entered hibernation.
Psychic energy flowed in Mewtwo's eyes. It slowly rose into the air, using Psychic to block the approaching comets.
Under this tragically beautiful apocalyptic scene, Caleb turned around in a daze and looked at Xerneas...
The place where the life-presiding Xerneas resided was home to far too many wild Pokémon.
Their lives were simply no match for these grand firework-like comets.
Before returning, Caleb had considered too many reasons that might cause Xerneas to turn into a tree.
Human destruction, the awakening of Yveltal...
But he had forgotten to consider the most important point; besides man-made disasters, there were also natural disasters.
Xerneas stood solemnly and gravely in place. It looked up at the sky, comets reflecting in its eyes, swiftly passing through them.
Life in the forest was continuously fading.
Xerneas noticed Caleb's gaze and looked over with reassuring eyes. It was as if saying: Do not worry, this is only the beginning of a new life.
At this moment, Caleb felt a true divine radiance from it...
...
{T/N: Check out the other Pokémon translation I just started. Though, don't expect frequent updates during this month...}