Lance thought he might have misheard. He blinked and asked, "What did you say?"
"I want a Dragonite." Caleb repeated.
As the Dragon-type Elite Four member of the Kanto League, known as the 'Dragon Master' and hailing from the Blackthorn Clan, Lance obviously knew what those words meant.
Dragon-type Pokémon were powerful and rare, their value was immeasurable in monetary terms.
Even among the Blackthorn Clan, not every member was qualified to own a Dragonite.
Lance hesitated. But since he had already made such a bold promise, refusing now would seem inappropriate...
So he opted for a compromise, "Personally, I wouldn't mind, but the elders in my family might have objections. Still, I'll do my best to convince them."
Caleb was aware of Lance's family situation, and that Lance hadn't yet become the clan head.
He nodded, not pressing the issue, and instead asked, "What's the status of Team Rocket now?"
At the mention of official business, Lance's expression turned serious, "Team Rocket's underground base in Celadon City has been destroyed. Judging by the confiscated materials, they've suffered a major blow."
Officer Jenny stood up and bowed deeply, "And all of this is thanks to you, Caleb. On behalf of Celadon City's citizens, I sincerely thank you."
"No need for thanks. This is just what any citizen of Kanto should do!" Caleb replied smoothly, keeping a straight face while internally assessing his current predicament.
After today's events, returning to Team Rocket was likely impossible. Giovanni and Ariana were probably itching to skin him alive.
If his main mission hadn't changed, Caleb could have simply ignored external affairs and focused solely on his hidden mission.
But his main mission was still tied to Team Rocket, which left him in a tricky situation.
Caleb lowered his head to eat, his eyes drifting as he mentally reviewed everything he knew about Team Rocket...
- Team Rocket's executive roster…
- Their undercover agents within the League…
- The locations of their hidden bases…
Soon, a bold idea formed in his mind, 'If the mountain won't come to me, then I'll go to the mountain!'
And conveniently, he had the perfect tools right in front of him...
But first, he needed to identify the five undercover agents within Team Rocket. The memorial service Lance was organizing seemed like an excellent opportunity to gather intel...
...
Lance and Officer Jenny didn't stay much longer...
Lance had to report back to the League headquarters, while Jenny needed to return to the police station to handle paperwork.
Before leaving, however, Lance stopped by a phone store downstairs and bought Caleb a mobile phone, leaving his own number in the contacts.
The technology in this world was still somewhat backward, even mobile phones were old-fashioned keypad models.
After seeing them off, Caleb returned to the hospital room.
Amber had already finished lunch and was quietly reading a storybook about a Trainer and his Pikachu's adventures.
Caleb took out the pack of Poké Balls from his travel bag and released a Charmander.
Then, looking at the little girl, he said, "Amber, I have to attend a memorial service tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?"
Amber nodded, "Wherever Onii-san goes, I go."
Caleb was a little worried about Amber's condition, but he couldn't bear to leave her alone. So he decided to bring her along.
However, Caleb never acted without preparation... The Team Rocket-issued card in his possession hadn't been frozen yet, and it still held a whopping 100 000 Pokédollars.
He withdrew 50 000, tossed the thick stack of bills onto the hospital director's desk, and rented an ambulance plus two on-call doctors with the ease of a tycoon...
....
The memorial service was held in Saffron City, the neighboring metropolis...
Rumors said all four Elite Four members and every Gym Leader would attend.
At first, Caleb was a bit concerned... but when he saw Lance's guest list didn't include Giovanni's name, he relaxed.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Giovanni was probably swamped with damage control and wouldn't have time for this.
Moreover, this service was honoring the very people who had destroyed his Celadon City base.
....
~The next day~
Dressed in a black suit, Caleb attended the memorial service for the other players...
The ceremony took place in Saffron City's cathedral.
Aside from Giovanni, all seven Gym Leaders and the four Elite Four members were present, along with League officials and mayors from various cities.
Funerals in the Pokémon world followed Western customs...
A sorrowful piano melody drifted through the cathedral. An elegant priest recited scriptures, offering prayers for the three deceased whose bodies had been vaporized.
Guests bowed their heads in silence...
After watching the proceedings for a while, Caleb took Amber to a quiet corner to rest.
While tending to her, he scanned the crowd for the other three Elite Four members:
Lorelei, the Ice-type specialist, stood tall and striking, her fiery red hair tied back, her beautiful face tinged with sorrow...
Bruno, the Fighting-type master, wore a black suit, but his bulky frame strained the fabric, creating an odd, mismatched impression...
Agatha, the elderly Ghost-type expert, kept her head low, her expression unreadable until suddenly, as if sensing something, she looked up and locked eyes with Caleb...
Caleb flashed her a bright smile.
Agatha stared blankly for a second before resuming her downward gaze.
From within the crowd, Lance kept a close watch on Caleb, not out of suspicion, but concern.
"He lost all his comrades on this mission. Now he's the only survivor, forced to attend this ceremony while battling his inner demons… I hope he doesn't do anything drastic." To Lance, Caleb's smile was a mask of forced cheerfulness.
His heart ached. He approached, carefully choosing his words, "Caleb, don't worry. The League will never forget their contributions."
Caleb: "...."
He had always considered himself a decent actor, but Lance was on another level.
Clearing his throat, Caleb slipped into character and shook his head with a melancholic tone, "I was just thinking about the other undercover agents assigned to different bases… I wonder how they're doing now…"
Lance's eyes lit up, "What a coincidence! Several former undercover agents are attending this service!"
Caleb maintained his composure, "Really? Where are they? Can I meet them?"
"Of course." Lance nodded.
Internally delighted, Caleb left Mimikyu to watch over Amber and followed Lance through the crowd to another corner of the cathedral.
There, six young men and women in formal attire sat solemnly...
...
A Map of the Kanto Region for reference...
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01