"Ray! Wake up! You're going to be late for school!"
His mother's voice rang through the door like a morning spell. But it wasn't the loudness that stirred Ray from his slumber—it was the sudden movement of something warm, alive, and breathing beside him.
A flickering glow danced on the walls. Nestled against Ray's side was none other than his newly summoned card partner: Charmander.
The little fire lizard snoozed peacefully, curled into a cozy ball with its tail tucked to the side, the flame at the tip flickering gently. Most would worry about a fire breaking out from such a thing—but Pokémon like Charmander could control their flames down to the degree. They wouldn't burn what they didn't want to.
In fact, the blanket Ray had slept under was completely intact—not even singed.
"Five more minutes…" Ray mumbled, turning over.
"Charrr…" Charmander yawned beside him, then gently tapped Ray's cheek with a tiny claw. The meaning was clear: Get up, lazy human.
Ray groaned. "Alright, alright. I'm up, sheesh…"
He sat up, hair a mess and eyes still foggy with sleep. But when he saw the little fire lizard gazing up at him with quiet determination, he couldn't help but grin.
"Morning, partner," he said, reaching over to ruffle Charmander's head.
Ten minutes later, Ray was dressed, his school uniform a bit crinkled but presentable enough. A slice of toast in one hand and a berry for Charmander in the other, he headed to the kitchen, where his parents were already sipping morning tea.
"Did you sleep well?" his mother, Amelia, asked with a knowing smile.
"Well enough," Ray replied. "Having a lizard with a flaming tail as a blanket was... weirdly comfortable."
His father chuckled. "Get used to it. That tail will be your campfire, torch, and battle cry from now on."
Lily peeked around the hallway with a spoon still in her mouth. "Make sure he doesn't burn anyone!"
"Charmander's not reckless," Ray said. "He knows what he's doing."
"Char!" Charmander puffed out his chest proudly.
After a few more bites and a quick goodbye, Ray slung his bag over his shoulder. Charmander trotted alongside him like a loyal guardian.
The sun had just risen above the rooftops of their quiet neighborhood. The air was fresh. The streets hummed with students making their way to class. But as Ray approached the school gates, a large figure blocked his view.
"Yo, Ray! About time you showed up!"
A plump, round-faced boy with thick glasses and a wide grin waved at him. His hair was a puffball mess, and his schoolbag was twice the size of his back.
Ray grinned. "Glen! I thought you'd already be inside stuffing your face with snacks."
Glen Cooper, Ray's best friend since childhood. A card geek, monster encyclopedia, and full-time snacker. He wasn't particularly athletic—or clean—but he had a photographic memory and a heart of gold. His father was a mechanic and his mom ran the local monster bookshop. It was thanks to Glen that Ray even knew how card classes were ranked.
"Nah, man. I wanted to see if you really summoned your card or if it was just hype," Glen said, squinting behind his thick glasses. His gaze landed on the orange lizard walking beside Ray—and his jaw dropped.
"Whoa… what is that?" Glen blinked, adjusting his glasses like he was making sure he wasn't hallucinating. "That doesn't look like any beast I've seen in the card manuals."
Ray smirked proudly. "He's called Charmander. A Fire Lizard species—completely custom."
Glen gawked. "Custom species?! You created a full beast from scratch? That's nuts, man! Most people barely get past the backstory check, and you're out here inventing entire evolutionary biology!"
Charmander tilted his head, giving Glen a curious sniff.
Ray chuckled. "He's my partner. And trust me, he's just getting started."
Glen puffed out his chest, adjusting his tie that was already half-loose. "Well, I may not have invented a whole new creature like you, Ray, but I've got something solid too."
He reached into his grimoire pouch and tapped the symbol glowing faintly on the side. A swirl of blue and silver energy spiraled upward before forming into a floating figure about the size of a large dog. It resembled a mechanical owl—its metallic feathers glinting in the morning sun, eyes glowing softly with rotating gears inside.
"Meet Hexowl—Mechanical Type, Support Subclass," Glen said proudly. "Custom fusion using a partial blueprint I found buried in the Old Circuit Archives. Took me three tries to get the story right, but it finally passed review at last!"
Ray leaned in, impressed. "A support beast? That's rare for a starter. Most go for something flashy and offensive."
"I am a scholar, you know," Glen said, pushing his glasses up again. "Hexowl specializes in battlefield analysis, mana stabilization, and precision scanning. Not strong on the frontlines, but it boosts reaction time and mana efficiency of allies by nearly 12% in low-pressure combat scenarios."
Charmander gave the owl a once-over and let out a short, approving grunt. "Char."
The owl blinked back, then let out a series of light mechanical chirps that sounded oddly polite.
Ray laughed. "They're getting along already. Looks like our cards are as compatible as we are."
Glen grinned. "Now just imagine what our team could look like in a few months—firepower and strategy, side by side."
He paused for a moment, scratching his cheek. "Though I am still figuring out how to level it up properly. It absorbs tech shards and knowledge imprints, but those things are rare unless you raid dungeons or hack old archives."
Ray smirked. "Well, that just means we've got some adventuring to do."