Cynthia lowered her gaze to the ring on her finger. Though it looked unchanged on the outside, she could clearly feel something was different; like it had lost some kind of blessing.
Just moments ago, when she saw Caleb being attacked, a strange voice had echoed in her mind, saying:
[Congratulations, you've met your destined one. Now, make a wish.]
So she wished, "Don't die."
And then those lights appeared.
The live broadcast was still ongoing...
...
Caleb weakly glanced at the young man supporting him, and a wave of familiarity washed over him.
'What's going on? How is Red here?' Caleb was stunned.
He turned his head and saw several familiar faces.
Besides Red, there were Green, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Gold, Ruby, Sapphire, and a large group of other protagonists from the 'Pokémon Adventures' manga. There were so many, he couldn't take them all in.
Red looked down at the limp young man in his arms: "…"
Green chuckled at the sight and said to Caleb, "Don't worry. Leave this to us!"
With that, the group stepped forward and released their Pokémon.
Red had caught his own Mewtwo a long time ago, and now, he was a mature young man. coupled with so many other protagonists, this wasn't a battle. It was a righteous beatdown.
Red didn't even need to give orders. Giovanni and the others were already at a disadvantage.
Red stayed back and supported Caleb.
Caleb hadn't expected Red to be such a man of few words. So he spoke first, "My body can't hold on much longer."
He had completely exhausted his life force. The only reason he was still conscious was sheer willpower.
Red frowned slightly.
Caleb pleaded, "So please, do me a favor."
Red finally spoke, "Tell me."
Caleb said, "Go outside. Tell my Pokémon to live the lives they want. They don't need to follow me anymore."
Red didn't respond.
Caleb didn't press him. Instead, he glanced at the ongoing battle. Upon confirming this world was safe, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then, his body began dissolving into countless motes of light, fading into the void of Ultra Space.
Red stared at his empty hands, his brows furrowed.
...
~Kalos Region~
Mewtwo and the other Pokémon, who were clearing the Negative Energy cores, felt a sudden emptiness in their hearts, as if something precious had been lost.
He turned and saw a tear slide down Lucario's cheek.
A terrible premonition struck Mewtwo. Desperate to verify it, he looked to Zygarde.
Although Zygarde didn't know what was happening, it still nodded.
Mewtwo immediately gathered Mimikyu and the others and teleported home using the Warp Beacon.
Upon arrival, they saw an elderly woman sobbing on the sofa. Nearby, the newly hatched Dark Lugia and Larvitar were crying too.
It was Cynthia's grandmother. Mewtwo recognized her.
At this sight, Mewtwo's heart dropped.
The grandmother turned and said through tears, "That child… is gone."
Mewtwo stood frozen in place, then suddenly cried in horror: >..No… it can't be!..<
After asking for the location, he teleported with Dragonite and the others to Alola. Sensing Mew2's position, he used Teleport to reach it instantly.
>..What happened?..< he asked, seeing Mew2's injuries.
Mew2 was consumed by grief, staring blankly at the screen, as if it hadn't heard the question.
Only then did Mewtwo notice the grim expressions on everyone's faces. Panicked at being unable to get any answers, he grabbed the nearest person (the unlucky Guzma) and read his memories.
Moments later, Mewtwo's eyes filled with shock and despair: 'He's gone...'
As the eldest of the team, Mewtwo painfully delivered the news to Dragonite and the others.
At that moment, every Pokémon's eyes overflowed with uncontrollable tears.
...
Three months later...
With the help of Red and the others, Team Rainbow Rocket was ultimately defeated by the League. Giovanni and the his allies were killed on the spot by Green..
Faba, who had facilitated their arrival, was arrested and punished.
With the help of Lillie and Gladion, Lusamine established the Ultra Guardians. This was a force responsible for returning the Ultra Beasts that appeared in Alola to the Ultra Space.
After summoning Red and the others, Necrozma returned to Ultra Space.
Solgaleo, who had been captured by Cyrus with a Master Ball, reverted to Cosmog and returned to Lillie's side.
For three months, the world mourned...
Countless people had watched Caleb dissolve into light to save them. Every day, crowds gathered at his memorial to pay their respects.
Life moved forward as usual, but in many places, things felt undeniably different.
After that battle, Lance and the other Elites recognized their shortcomings. They stepped away from League affairs to focus on training.
Caleb's Pokémon, after struggling to accept the loss, eventually dispersed. Without him, nowhere felt like home. So they didn't return. Instead, most of them went their own way.
Mimikyu went back to where she first met Caleb and waited silently for his impossible return.
Dragonite, with Hydreigon, returned to the Dragon Holy Land like broken strays. Their once-proud spirits now carried only sorrow. Together, they sat by the moonlit lake, reminiscing about him.
Celebi vanished through the river of time, its destination unknown.
Mew2, having personally experienced everything, was in extreme agony. One late night, it attempted suicide but was discovered and stopped in time by Mewtwo.
Mewtwo said: >..We have to believe in him. He'll come back..<
Though it sounded like Mewtwo was convincing himself...
To prevent Mew2 from repeating its attempt, Mewtwo took it to assist Zygarde in its mission.
As for Lucario, he returned home. With Caleb gone, he had nowhere else to go. The only place the Aura Guardian wanted to be was where he had spent the most time with Caleb.
At least there, he could see traces of Caleb's existence.
He also cared for the hatchlings; Dark Lugia and Larvitar. With the domestic robot Gardevoir around, their meals were taken care of.
Cynthia would visit from time to time. She would sit on the sofa in a daze, often for hours on end.
One day, Caitlin visited Sinnoh to check on her. Seeing her friend in this state, she said, "You've lost so much weight, Cynthia. You need to take care of yourself."
Cynthia's face was pale. She only glanced at Caitlin, but said nothing.
Caitlin pressed, "He wouldn't want you to be like this!"
Hearing this, Cynthia finally couldn't hold back. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"The ring said it could grant one wish. I wished for him not to die… so why did he still leave," she whispered.
Caitlin bit her lip, stood up, and pulled Cynthia into a hug, gently patting her back.
"Everything will be okay," she murmured.
It was all she could say.