'To be fair, that's true...' Caleb thought.
Hatsumi let out a deep sigh and said, "Sigh, let's just head in and see. If teaming is allowed, we'll reconnect."
At the moment, it didn't seem likely. If everything was truly randomized, there was no guarantee they'd be placed in the same region.
And since players couldn't communicate using the chat function within the Instance, and with a map that large, trying to locate a specific player would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
Unless they happened to spawn in the same area from the start...
Caleb didn't say much. He casually sent an 'OK' emoji sticker, closed the chat interface, then glanced around at the six Pokémon who were all perked up and listening intently to him.
Then he saw their serious expressions.
Caleb couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Relax, don't be so tense. We're not going to war. We're just playing a little game."
Only then did the Pokémon ease up a bit.
"Back into your Poké Balls for now." Without returning them to their Poké Balls, Caleb couldn't bring them into the Instance.
The six Pokémon immediately lined up obediently and, one by one, turned into beams of red light and returned to their Poké Balls.
Only then did Caleb open the event interface and press the red button to enter the event.
The next second, everything in front of him began to change rapidly...
A notification sounded in his ear:
*Ding!*
[Welcome, player, to the world of the large-scale event "Chaos Era Domination"!]
He found himself in a dark void. Not far away stood a simple wooden door, like Doraemon's Anywhere Door.
[Before entering the event, you may choose your landing location!]
As soon as the voice finished, a pale blue holographic panel appeared before Caleb. The panel displayed five options:
1. Moonlight Plains: A plains region with balanced resources across the three major categories. Recommended for novice players...
2. Cyan Rock Highlands: A highland region rich in mineral resources but lacking in wood. Recommended for players seeking a challenge...
3. Sea of Trees: A forest region rich in wood resources but lacking in minerals. Recommended for novice players...
4. Happy Farm: A farm region rich in food resources, with abundant rice and fruit trees, but scarce wood and minerals. Recommended for novice players...
5. Random: Everything is randomized...
- Note: Players who choose this option will receive a random City Lord skill at the start!
"Chaos Era Domination… City Lord... Is this Instance's gameplay what I think it is?"
Ore, wood, food; these three resource types were clearly staples in simulation management games.
'So, is this a Scenario where players start from scratch to build a territory and then wage war against tens of thousands of other players?'
Caleb imagined the scene and immediately got excited, "If that's the case, then I'm no longer exhausted!"
Though not an expert, but as a fan of strategy simulation games, he had some personal insights when it came to choosing a starting location.
However, he still didn't know what role Pokémon would play in this type of Instance.
Caleb gave it some thought and focused on the five options in front of him. That was the most important thing for now. As for the role of Pokémon, he'd find out once inside.
As everyone knows, to develop a territory, the most important thing is population. And to gain more population, the prerequisite is having plenty of food resources.
In strategy games, food is used to recruit population, wood is used to expand territory and build facilities, and mineral resources are used to develop technology within the territory.
'To build a perfect city, all three resources are essential...'
Thinking this through, Caleb's gaze lingered on the Moonlight Plains, which offered balanced resources. But he quickly looked away and mentally ruled out that option.
The reason was simple... He didn't like places that were too ordinary and lacked challenge. That left the mineral-rich Cyan Rock Highlands, the wood-rich Sea of Trees, the food-rich Happy Farm, and the final Random option.
His gaze swept across the four remaining options and finally stopped at the words 'City Lord skill' behind the Random choice.
To be honest, none of the given options really satisfied him.
'Since that's the case, I might as well let the Instance decide for me!' Caleb thought to himself.
He reached out and decisively selected the final option: Random...
The next second, the blue panel shattered instantly, and a crisp, pleasant voice rang out:
*Ding!*
[Your landing location is "Glazed Volcano!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the City Lord skill 'Friend Out of Thin Air'!]
«Friend Out of Thin Air: City Lord exclusive skill, 'I Have a Friend'. Upon use, it randomly summons a Pokémon World NPC with whom the player has had prior interaction to provide assistance...
- Duration: 24 hours.
- Cooldown: 24 hours.
- Note: Only effective during this event...»
"What the hell kind of name is 'Friend Out of Thin Air'..." Caleb was speechless at the name of this City Lord exclusive skill, but its effect was actually quite good.
"summons a Pokémon World NPC with whom the player has had prior interaction to provide assistance."
He recalled the NPCs he'd met since entering Infinite World: Lorelei, Lance, Steven, Cynthia, Ash, Lily, and a bunch of miscellaneous passersby.
If he could summon Lance and the others to help out, Caleb would be thrilled. After all, he'd worked for the Kanto League a few times in the Pokémon world.
But that was just wishful thinking...
"Had prior interaction" wasn't the same as "became friends with the player."
Which meant there was also a chance he'd summon one of those Youngsters from Oldale Town…
That was definitely not what Caleb wanted to see.
With the starting region selected, he stepped through the wooden door floating in the void and officially entered the Instance.
After transporting him, the wooden door slowly disappeared into the air.
Caleb glanced back, then turned to check out the surroundings, only to see a Meowth appear in front of him.
Above its head was a bold label:
Meowth's eyes welled with tears, "Lord, you've finally returned!"
This must be the NPC assigned to guide him through the beginner tutorial.
Caleb thought to himself and replied aloud, "Yes, I've returned."
Meowth chattered on, "While you were away, our territory was attacked again by a bunch of nasty Spearows and Rattatas… Oh my goodness! I just want to kick their butts with a boot!"
Caleb: "…"
'Why does this Meowth sound like one of those dramatized voice reading programs?' He thought, then said helplessly, "Take me back to have a look first."
Meowth: "Yes, Lord! This way, please!"
With that, Meowth turned around and began leading the way.
Only then did Caleb have a chance to take in the surroundings.
All around was a lush forest, the sky a clear blue, and yellow wildflowers swaying gently by the roadside in the breeze.
Not far away stood a massive volcano, though it looked like it had been dormant for quite some time...