I threw myself out of bed with a grunt, feet hitting the floor before my brain fully caught up. I dragged myself to the door, rubbing the exhaustion from my eyes as I reached for the handle, curious to see what the hell was going on outside.
But just as my fingers wrapped around the door handle a glowing red screen flickered into existence in midair, right in front of my face. I instinctively let go of the handle, blinking at the message burning across the screen in bold digital letters.
[NEW URGENT MISSION!]
Another line of bold digital text appeared in a flicker.
[THE PORT IS UNDER ATTACK! PROTECT THE PORT FROM THE EVIL IN THE REGION BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!]
I stared for a few more seconds, then slowly turned on my heel and walked right back to bed.
"Cool," I muttered, adjusting the pillow beneath my head. "Good luck with that."
The red screen hovered silently above the room, casting a soft, eerie light across the ceiling. A quiet tension hung in the air, like it was waiting for me to move, to respond. But I didn't.
Eventually, the screen gave a small flicker, then vanished into the air with a soft digital sigh.
But then
Ping.
The screen snappednback to life once again this time right in front of my face.
[NEW MISSION!!]
[THE PORT IS UNDER ATTACK BY THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADAPTED POKÉMON IN THE REGION!!]
[SAVE THE PORT BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!]
[REWARD: 100,000 POKÉDOLLAR!!]
I cracked one eye open just enough to read it. Then shut it again.
"I already have enough money to last me days," I muttered under my breath. "And if I really need more, I can just defeat some trainers. Not like it's too hard."
It wasn't that I didn't care. Yeah i was worried about the port. Nobody deserve to be caught in something like this. But I wasn't the only person with Pokémon in the whole region. There were much more stronger trainers out there. Smarter, faster ones. Hell, maybe even ones who wanted this kind of attention.
Besides, I was getting real tired of feeling like some kind of attack dog sent to bite and bark every time some screen dangled a reward in front of me.
I rolled over, dragging the blanket over my head like a shield. The glow of the red screen still slipper through the fabric. I could even feel it watching, waiting for me to bite the bait but I didn't.
The red light kept bleeding through the thin fabric of the blanket, pulsing softly like a heartbeat in the dark. I tried to ignore it. But it was relentless.
Eventually, the hue shifted red giving way to a calm, oceanic blue. The soft glow slipped through the folds of the blanket I was buried beneath, painting streaks of faint light across the bedsheets and floor.
"You fuckers came again, huh? My answer won't change so don't even bother!" I muttered under my breath, voice filled with no sleep and frustration.
With a sharp flick of my wrist, I threw the blanket aside. The chill of the air bit at my skin, but I didn't care. I groaned in annoyance and sat up, but the second my eyes landed on the words written across the glowing blue screen suspended in front of me, every ounce of fatigue drained from my body.
My blood boiled. My hands clenched so hard I thought I might bleed my own hand. Rage flared through my chest like a wildfire, so hot and sudden that I genuinely wanted to reach out and smash that digital screen until nothing remained of it.
"Why do you—No! No, I don't— I…" I choked.
The words tangled together in my mouth, snarled like threads pulled too tight. I had so much to say, so much I wanted to scream, but it all collapsed into nonsense. Meaningless syllables. Broken noise.
In the end, I could only bring my hand to my mouth and stare.
[Mission: Protect the port.]
[Reward: A clue about the real culprit who killed your family.]
The room was silent. The blue light painted my face, flickering against the shadows. My hand lowered slowly as I stared at the screen, heart thudding hard enough to shake my ribcage.
"…How?"
That was all I managed to say.
The screen remained motionless for a beat, like it was watching me. Then, the words shifted.
[Alex Carter, we know everything. We've seen what has happened since the moment time began. Your past is no exception.]
I narrowed my eyes. "If you know so much, then why the hell are you using me?" I growled, pushing myself to my feet. "Why not handle it yourself, if you're so goddamnpowerful?"
[....]
The screen remained silent in response to my comment, but that was enough for me to understand what was happening. They can't move by themselves. They need me to do their job for them.
A small chuckle escaped my mouth. Whether it was out of anger or something else, I didn't know, but before I could understand it, my coat was already in my hands and then on my shoulders. The red leather fabric slipped across my back. My fingers found my hat on instinct, putting it onto my head as I stormed across the room.
The screen responded almost smugly.
[We're guessing that means you've changed your mind?]
I didn't answer right away. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed Dash's Pokéball, clicking it to my belt next to Aria's and Oddy's.
I flung the door open.
"Don't act like you ever gave me a choice in the first place you fucking piece of shits," I spat.
And then I slammed the door shut behind me, hard enough to make the frame rattle.
My steps echoed heavily against the wooden floor as I moved down the dim corridor, each footfall a dull thud beneath the weight of my thoughts. They swirled without pause. fragments of anger, confusion, exhaustion stayed with me but everything came to a stop when I spotted the faint hum and flicker of blue light.
Rotom
"Alex Carter!" it chirped, zipping toward me with anxious energy. "We thought you had already gone to sleep!"
I stepped past it without slowing, my eyes drawn toward the open lobby ahead. Empty.
"Where are the others?" I asked, heading for the doors that led outside.
"They've left to help the people at the port, Alex Carter!"
I stopped in my tracks.
The muted light of a TV screen caught my attention from the far end of the lobby. I turned toward it. The broadcast showed a view of the harbor just outside the Gym: smoke rising from the decks of several docked ships, flames flickering along the edges of containers, and amidst the chaos, an unnatural number of figures in matching suits and purple masks.
"Just like Route 25..." I muttered.
I bit my lip and turned for the doors of the hotel. The cold night air bled through the seams, carrying the light scent of salt and smoke.
"What could they even want from the port?" I murmured, scanning the road for a taxi, any vehicle.
Before I could step off the sidewalk, Rotom floated directly in front of me, blocking my path.
"Alex Carter do you really really have to go to the port?!" it said, its usual static hum now shaking slightly with distress.
"Rotom, this isn't the time for jokes," I said, brushing it gently aside as I stepped into the open air. "We need to find a way to get there. Fast."
"Alex Carter, I'm not joking!" Rotom buzzed in front of me again, nearly panicked now. "The port is dangerous and I told Professor Cherry I'd protect you! So please, don't go!"
I stopped. A annoyed sigh escaped my lips as I turned to face it. The wind tugged at the end of my coat. "Rotom… look at it this way. You want to protect me, right?"
"Of course!"
"And I want to protect the people at the port. So, if I go then you get the chance to protect me. That's fair, isn't it?"
Rotom's screen dimmed slightly. "But… Professor Cherry said—"
"Forget what the professor said," I cut in, a half smile forming as I turned my back to it. "We've got a port to save."
I scanned the street again, eyes darting toward the distant sound of sirens. No taxis. No cars. Just the night. Just the tension rising.
Then—
"Hey, kid!" a voice called out behind me. "Are you the one named Alex?"
I turned towards where the voice came from. The night suddenly felt sharper as ı looked at this blue eyed stranger...