{T/N: Stones and Reviews, please...}
...
Groudon stared straight at Caleb and let out a deep, gruff roar of gratitude.
Then it slowly turned and began trekking toward distant Mt. Pyre.
Kyogre left after Groudon. To be precise, it left with Caleb.
As the deity of the sea, Kyogre naturally possessed the ability to control ocean currents. It created a bubble large enough to hold an adult and, right in front of Steven and the others, enveloped Caleb before diving into the ocean with him.
Caleb didn't resist. After all, Hoenn's crisis had already been resolved. Steven could handle the rest.
With the quest complete, there was no need for him to stay. Besides, he had never planned to form deep ties with Steven. To this world, he was just a passing traveler.
With that thought, Caleb relaxed inside the bubble, letting Kyogre carry him through the endless blue sea as he enjoyed the sights...
Tentacools bobbed up and down, Shellders nestled in colorful coral reefs, Staryus were half-buried in the sand, and a leisurely school of Finneon drifted by. These were all beautiful scenes rarely seen on land.
Caleb released Dragonite, Lucario, and Mimikyu from their Poké Balls.
Kyogre glanced at them and thoughtfully conjured a separate bubble for the chubby Dragonite.
Caleb turned to the silent Mewtwo, asking, "You okay?"
Mewtwo hadn't entered Kyogre's bubble, and instead, used its psychic powers to repel the surrounding water. But as they descended deeper, the increasing water pressure made Caleb worry whether Mewtwo was comfortable.
Mewtwo shook its head, signaling it was fine.
Kyogre eventually brought Caleb to its underwater cavern.
Caleb: "…"
While being invited to a Legendary Pokémon's home was an honor, Kyogre's dwelling wasn't exactly cozy.
The surroundings were pitch-black, and the temperature was bone-chilling.
Caleb couldn't take it anymore. Making up an excuse to bid Kyogre farewell, he recalled his team and teleported back to Kanto using the Warp Beacon.
He checked his remaining quests: The main quest, "Save the World"... Hidden quest, "Aura Guardian (Stage 3)"... And the side quest, "Liberate Controlled Pokémon/Legendaries"...
The main quest was already 90% complete, the remaining 10% just required waiting.
Having dealt with Kanto's affairs, Lance and Lorelei were already on their way to support other troubled regions.
The side quest was the same.
The only one left was the hidden quest... transferring Aura to the Tree of Beginning... But in this timeline, the Tree of Beginning wasn't petrified, and Mew was alive and well, meaning no external Aura was needed.
After some thought, Caleb decided to set the quest aside for now and headed to Celadon City, where Team Rocket members were being held.
There, he found Meowth, Jessie, and James.
As expected, the time reversal caused by the Reverse Clock only erased humanity's memories, not Pokémon's.
So the moment Meowth saw Caleb, his eyes lit up, "You finally came nyaa!"
In the previous timeline, by this point, the trio had already been secretly feeding intel to Ash. Lance was aware of this, so he hadn't punished them, and rewarding them handsomely instead.
Caleb relaxed slightly and said, "It's all handled."
Jessie and James, who had not retained their memories, looked between Caleb and Meowth in confusion, asking, "You know this guy?"
Meowth hesitated, glancing at Caleb.
Caleb shrugged and said, "Explain it to them. This was their own wish, wasn't it?"
Before the Reverse Clock activated, Jessie and James had anticipated the memory loss, so they had asked Caleb to tell them everything if it happened.
"Understood," Meowth sighed, then began, "It's a long story nyaa…"
By the end, Jessie and James were stunned.
Finally, James spoke first, his expression earnest, "Even though I don't remember all that… thank you. For everything you've done for us."
Caleb glanced at Meowth, then asked, "What are your plans now?"
Jessie and James exchanged looks.
James rubbed his neck sheepishly, "I'm thinking of studying to become a Pokémon researcher."
Jessie pondered, "I'm not sure what I can do…"
Her original dream was to be a Pokémon nurse, but that had fallen through.
James suggested, "How about being my assistant?"
"No way!" Jessie huffed.
Meowth facepalmed.
Caleb thought the most fitting jobs for Jessie would be a Breeder or Pokémon nutritionist, but he could only give suggestions, the choice was hers.
"Preparing nutrient meals for Pokémon… That does sound nice," Jessie mused.
"Then good luck to you all!" Caleb smiled, standing up.
Meowth sensed something and asked, "You're leaving nyaa?"
Meowth knew Caleb wasn't from this world, but facing goodbye still made him reluctant... After all, they had fought side by side.
Thinking of Lance heading to Unova, Caleb nodded, "Soon."
"Will we see you again, nyaa?"
Caleb considered it a bit, then replied, "Probably not."
This wasn't his dedicated world, and the odds of randomly returning were slim.
Hearing that, Meowth's expression fell.
Caleb comforted him, "Don't be sad. Even if we don't meet again, I'll always remember you."
....
After parting ways with the trio, Mewtwo emerged from its Poké Ball.
Caleb knew that it was time to say goodbye to Mewtwo, too...
>..I'll never forget you, Caleb..<
Mewtwo said solemnly.
"You're really not coming with me?" Caleb asked.
Mewtwo gazed at the world, silent for a moment: >..This is what I owe them..<
In the last timeline, countless lives had been lost by its hands, human and Pokémon alike. The guilt had driven Mewtwo to the brink of suicide.
So upon rebirth, it had sworn an oath to protect this world until Lance's generation passed and a new era began...
"Alright. Then… goodbye, my friend." Caleb understood. He stepped forward and hugged Mewtwo.
Mewtwo's lips pressed together: >..Goodbye..<
Caleb thought for a moment, then took out a Poké Ball from his inventory and handed it to Mewtwo, "Take this. At least you'll have a comfortable place to sleep in the wild. Just be careful not to lose it."
Mewtwo nodded obediently.
Caleb chuckled, suddenly at a loss for words. His bond with this Mewtwo wasn't like a Trainer and Pokémon, it was more like brothers-in-arms who had fought side by side.
Some things didn't need to be said aloud. He had known from the start that this Mewtwo wouldn't leave with him. The weight it carried was too heavy.
With a quiet smile, he bid Mewtwo one last farewell and turned onto the road ahead, leading to unknown places.
Mewtwo stood motionless, clutching the red-and-white Poké Ball, watching Caleb's retreating figure.
In its heart, Mewtwo resolved: 'Once I've seen Lance and the others to their rest, I'll come find you.' .
After enduring so many years alone, what were a few more decades?