9
I reviewed the footage on my Rotom-Phone, slowing it down to frame-by-frame. "Lens, zoom in on the Absol's flank. Right there."
A flicker of metal. A small, jagged disc was embedded in her white fur—a Neural-Link Tracker. Someone wasn't just following her; they were stressing her out to see how much 'Disaster Energy' she could leak.
"We're going back," I said, my voice losing its usual playful streamer lilt.
"Jake?" May asked, seeing the look on my face.
"She didn't just save us, May. She's being hunted. And in my stories, you don't leave a teammate behind—even if they haven't joined the party yet."
[Chat Log]
IceCreamQueen_C: That tracker... it's not League-issued. Be careful, Jake.
SilentRed: [GIF: Batman putting on the cowl]
Clone_02: A rescue mission. High risk, low material gain. Emotional logic is fascinating.
The Rescue: Sun Breathing and Masks
We found her in a clearing, surrounded by a squad of men in dark, tactical gear—mercenaries, not even Team Aqua, just low-rent poachers using a high-frequency sonic device to paralyze her.
"Lens, stream this," I hissed. "Title: The Rescue of Raven."
I stepped out of the brush. "Hey! You guys are violating about twelve Hoenn wildlife preservation acts. Also, you're ruining the lighting for my vlog."
"Buzz off, kid!" the lead poacher growled, sending out a pair of Mightyena.
"Kage, Jerry, Tammy—show them the 'Series Premiere'!"
Kage led the charge. He took a deep, focused breath, his chest expanding. This wasn't just a move; it was a technique I'd described to him from the tales of a demon-slaying swordsman. Sun Breathing: First Form. He lunged, his ironwood stick leaving a trail of burning solar fire that smelled like incense.
Jerry followed like a lightning bolt. He used Quick Attack to get behind the Mightyena, then spun mid-air, using his long tail—empowered by the Silk Scarf—as an actual Tail Whip. It cracked like a sonic boom, stinging the predators and drawing their focus.
Tammy didn't play fair. She kicked up a massive cloud of grit with Sand Attack, then vanished into the dust, her Fury Swipes coming from every direction at once. "Welcome to the jungle, boys! First lesson's free!"
Then, there was May.
She had pulled a luchador mask out of her bag (don't ask why she had it), and was currently flying through the air. "MAY-CHAMP PRESS!" She slammed into a poacher with the force of a Hawlucha, pinning two men at once with raw, terrifying strength.
[Chat Log]
GymBro_Chuck: IS THAT A FLYING PRESS?! SHE IS A NATURAL!
PervySage: The mask stays on during battle. 10/10.
The Name of the Outcast
The poachers fled, leaving behind a heavy, metallic briefcase in their haste. I knelt beside the Absol. She was shivering, the tracker pulsing a sickly red.
"It's okay," I whispered, my Nat 20 Charisma projecting a field of absolute calm. I carefully pried the tracker off. "I'm going to call you Raven. In a world I know, there was a girl who everyone thought was a bad omen. She was an outcast, a daughter of shadows. But she found a family of rejects—the Titans—and she became the heart that saved the world."
The Absol's eyes fluttered. She looked at me, then at Kage, who was standing guard like a silent sentinel. A faint, tired trill escaped her throat—a moment of acceptance—before her eyes rolled back. She fainted from the exhaustion and the toxin in the tracker.
"She's burning up," I said, picking her up. My arms shook—zero stamina, remember?—but I didn't drop her. "May, we need a Pokémon Center. Now."
"I'll carry you both!" May shouted, grabbing me by the waist and tucking Raven under her other arm. She began a dead sprint toward Petalburg that would have shamed a Rapidash.
As we ran, I looked down at the briefcase the poachers dropped. It had fallen open. Inside, nestled in foam, was a Mega Stone. But it wasn't for an Absol.
It was the Sceptilite.
[Chat Log]
StoneLover: Is that... a Mega Stone? Jake, do you realize what you just found?
IceCreamQueen_C: Keep that hidden, Jake. Things are about to get very complicated.