Release That Pokémon!

Gardevoir set the dish on the table and used Psychic to float a rice cooker over...

She scooped out a bowl of plump, glistening rice and replied, "I can also use Teleport."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Caleb gave it some serious thought and decided this was perfectly reasonable. After all, this Gardevoir wasn't a real Pokémon. Being able to use Psychic and Teleport was already impressive enough.

The meal left Caleb thoroughly satisfied, and both Mimikyu and Dragonite enjoyed themselves immensely.

The trio had nothing but praise for Gardevoir's culinary skills.

Once dinner was over, Gardevoir headed to the kitchen to clean up, Dragonite returned to the paradise to enjoy the thrill of flying, and Mimikyu accompanied Caleb as he teleported to the entertainment district...

...

"What'll you have?" Hearing the door open, Hatsumi asked without looking up...

"Already ate," Caleb replied, shaking his head.

Hatsumi lifted her head in surprise, her expression instantly turning odd, "I heard someone was impersonating me in an Instance run..."

Caleb remained unfazed, "You must've misheard." he said.

Hatsumi smirked, "Devil Drill Instructor?"

Caleb: "..."

Hatsumi: "Not bad... holding twenty-plus players hostage in the starter village for half a month. That's pretty impressive, Caleb-ge!"

Recognizing the reference, Caleb coughed lightly, his face the picture of innocence, "You're a fan of Ba-ge's streams too?" he asked.

Hatsumi twirled a pen between her fingers, then glanced at Caleb, "Haven't seen it. I heard it from players in my last Instance run. Anyway, what brings you here?"

Caleb feigned surprise, "How did you know I needed something? Can't I just be here to chat?"

Hatsumi snorted, "Please. I've seen more men than you've eaten grains of rice. Your little schemes might as well be written on your face."

Caleb eyed her appearance...

She had long wavy golden hair, fair skin, red lips, and a beauty mark near her eye... She was sexy and stunning, the type men flocked to.

Hatsumi perceived his thoughts instantly and rolled her eyes, "Stop imagining things, thanks. When I say 'seen', I mean literally. Don't forget I've been in the Infinite World for sixty years! Age-wise, I'm your grandma's generation. Whatever... immortals don't bicker with mortals. So, what do you need?"

Caleb cut to the chase: "Have you ever heard of Pokémon-exclusive Instances?"

The abrupt topic shift caught Hatsumi off guard. She hesitantly asked, "What? Pokémon-exclusive Instances?"

Caleb nodded.

Hatsumi's curiosity piqued, "You unlocked one? For Mimikyu or Dragonite?"

"Dragonite."

Hatsumi let out an impressed "Tsk tsk" before explaining, "Pokémon Instances aren't rare, but their triggers are completely random. No one has figured out the exact conditions yet..."

"...Some people unlock them while feeding their Pokémon Pokéblocks. Others just by hugging theirs. The only certainty is, these dungeons are zero risk. In fact, they're packed with rewards. Clearing one even nets you that Pokémon's exclusive item."

Caleb nodded. This aligned with his expectations.

Hatsumi studied him before adding, "I'd advise against rushing in. Don't waste this safe opportunity. You're still in the beginner phase... Instances aren't hard for you yet..."

"...Once you're past that, the difficulty spikes. That's when you use welfare Instances to buffer and power up. And by 'power up', I mean you, the trainer... A level 100 Pokémon doesn't mean squat. In fact, level 100 is where the real game begins."

Caleb understood. He hadn't planned to enter the Instance during this free period anyway.

Still, gratitude was in order. In many ways, Hatsumi had been his guide in this world.

But she waved off his thanks with a grandmotherly smile, "No need for thanks. I only told you because you're easy on the eyes. Plus, your nose and eyes remind me of my son... though he'll definitely be handsomer when he grows up! Let's see… he'd be sixty-three by now?"

Caleb blinked, "You have a son?"

Hatsumi nodded, "Yep. He was three when I died."

Caleb reminded her, "Time flows differently here. Sixty years here might be less than a year outside."

Hatsumi slapped her forehead in realization, "Right! I forgot about that!"

Caleb figured not watching her child grow up must've been heartbreaking for a mother...

But Hatsumi remained upbeat, even comforting him: "It's fine. As long as I'm alive, there's hope. One day, I'll save enough points to revive and see him grow up."

Caleb hesitated before asking, "Mind sharing how many points you've saved?"

Hatsumi summoned her panel to check, then replied, "253 728."

Caleb: "..."

She only had 736 272 to go...

Caleb struggled for words before finally asking, "How many points do you usually earn per Instance run?"

Hatsumi pondered, "Around a few dozen? Maybe over a hundred on a good run. But my main income is this shop. If I relied on Instances alone, I'd be stuck here for a millennium."

She eyed Caleb meaningfully, then said, "That's why I suggested opening a shop. Mission rewards alone won't cut it."

Caleb nodded solemnly, "I'll consider it."

Just then, customers entered...

Hatsumi hurried to the kitchen, and Caleb took his leave, teleporting straight to the commercial district...

...

The narrow path was still lined with stalls selling everything from evolutionary stones to Pokémon eggs, held items, and Pokéblocks...

After browsing, Caleb still found no vendors offering Substitute, Protect, or Toxic TMs.

Disappointed, he turned to leave... That was until a stall owner's shout caught his ear: "Step right up! Freshly hatched Pokémon egg! The Wave-Guiding Hero, Riolu! Comes with a free Luxury Ball!"

A crowd instantly swarmed the stall.

"How much?" someone asked.

The vendor spread ten fingers, "100 000 points! I just nabbed it from a hidden Instance Mission! You could alternatively trade me another rare Pokémon!"

"What're you looking for?"

"Absol. Got one?"

The asker, who didn't even have 2000 points, let alone an Absol, retreated dejectedly...

At that price, Caleb knew this Riolu was out of reach. He didn't linger, teleporting home instead.

The moment he arrived, his robotic maid Gardevoir greeted him with a curtsy, "Welcome home, Master! Your drinks are ready. Would you prefer honey peach oolong or bubble tea?"

Caleb: "..."

'Having a maid is… it'll taking some getting used to...'

His gaze shifted to the couch, where Dragonite lounged comfortably, sipping through a straw with a cooling towel on its forehead... The chonky dragon was clearly relishing Gardevoir's pampering.

'Well, this life isn't half bad.' Caleb smiled, "Two honey peach oolongs, please."

One for him, the other for Mimikyu.

Gardevoir got to work immediately...

....

Seven days flew by in a blink, and soon, it was time for a new Instance...

After bidding farewell to Gardevoir, Caleb brought Mimikyu and Dragonite to the Pikachu statue.

But the moment he selected , a prompt popped up:

[Special Instances limit trainers to one Pokémon. Please select your companion within 60 seconds!]

Caleb froze, then quickly made his choice.

Until Mimikyu learned Substitute, Protect, and Toxic, its battle style was too one-dimensional, leaving it vulnerable to counters.

Though Dragonite couldn't beat Mimikyu in a fight, its versatility made it the better pick for unknown opponents.

Sending Mimikyu home with an apology and instructions for Gardevoir, Caleb barely finished speaking before the countdown ended...

The world around him dissolved as that emotionless voice announced:

[Welcome to Survival Scenario, "Stranded"!]

~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~

~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~~

Read ahead on my P@treon...

[email protected]/MayaMatengele01