The Pokéball burst open in a flash of red light, and what emerged was not what I expected.
Steelix.
The creature was massive—easily thirty feet of segmented steel-plated body coiling in the snow like some ancient serpent.
Each segment gleamed with metallic sheen, and when it moved, I could hear the grinding of metal on metal, a sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Its head alone was larger than my entire body, with jaws that could crush boulders and eyes that glowed with barely contained aggression.
This wasn't a Pokémon that had been recently evolved. This was a fully trained, battle-hardened Steelix that had probably been with its trainer for years.
'That thing is enormous,' Gible's voice came through our mental connection, and I could feel the little dragon's tension. 'I've never seen anything that big. But I won't back down. We can do this.'
"We have to try," I muttered. Ground-type was already creeping into my mind.
I pulled up my Prism Eye, and the information that appeared made my stomach drop.
[STEELIX - Level 20]
[Type: Steel/Ground]
Level twenty. More than twice Gible's level. And judging by its size and the confidence in its movements, this wasn't some wild Pokémon that had stumbled into high levels through luck.
But we didn't have a choice.
"Gible!" I called out. "Dragon Rage!"
The little dragon's mouth opened, and I saw orange energy begin building in the back of its throat. The light grew brighter, casting flickering shadows on the snow around us, and I felt the power gathering through our bond.
Draconic force compressed into a singular attack.
Gible released it with a roar that echoed across the frozen landscape.
The shockwave was massive, rippling through the air like a physical wall of force. It slammed into Steelix's armored body with a sound like thunder, and I saw the great steel serpent recoil from the impact.
Dragon Rage never missed, never varied in power. It was one of the most reliable moves in existence.
The attack dissipated, and I observed Steelix, hoping to see signs of serious injury.
But the massive Pokémon shook its head, as if clearing away an annoyance, and fixed its glowing eyes on Gible.
The damage had been significant—I could see scorch marks on its steel plating where Dragon Rage had connected—but it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
A Level 20 Steelix probably had somewhere around eighty hit points, and we'd just dealt forty. Substantial, but not decisive.
'It barely reacted,' Gible said, and I could hear the worry in the mental voice now. 'But it's too strong.'
"I know," I said quietly. "But we can't stop now."
The male Team Rocket member—the one holding the kidnapped boy—laughed. "Not bad, kid. Your little Gible's got some bite. But he'll go down easy."
"Steelix," the man commanded, his voice cold and professional. "Iron Tail."
The massive serpent moved with speed that shouldn't have been possible for something of its size.
Its tail—a segment of steel as thick as my torso—rose into the air, catching what little light filtered through the gray sky.
The appendage began to glow with metallic energy, steel-type power condensing along its length until it shone like polished chrome.
And then it came down.
"Gible, dodge!" I shouted, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew it was futile.
'Too fast,' Gible's voice came through our connection, and I felt the little dragon's resignation. 'I can't—'
The Iron Tail struck with the force of a meteor.
The impact was devastating. I saw Gible's small form get hammered into the snow, his little dragon's body bounce from the sheer force of the blow, the sickening crack of scales breaking under pressure.
Gible only had twenty-four hit points.
The little dragon landed in the snow several feet away, motionless, the crimson scales that had seemed so invincible just days ago now cracked and dented from the overwhelming force of impact.
"GIBLE!" I was running before I consciously decided to move, my feet pounding through the snow toward my fallen partner.
I dropped to my knees beside the little dragon, my hands hovering over the battered form, afraid to touch and cause more damage. Gible's eyes were closed, breathing shallow but present.
Unconscious but alive.
The relief lasted exactly one second before reality reasserted itself.
I had no other Pokémon. Gible was my only partner, my only defense, and now the little dragon was down. I was completely defenseless against two Team Rocket members with high-level Pokémon that had just proven they were willing to use lethal force.
And I was in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of Pallet Town, with no backup and no way to call for help.
I looked down at Gible's unconscious form, at the cracked scale, the way the little dragon's body lay too still, and felt something break inside me.
'I'm sorry,' I thought, gently sliding my arms under Gible's body. 'I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't ready. I'm so sorry.'
I lifted Gible off the ground. My arms strained briefly, then adjusted to the weight, and I stood with my partner held against my chest like a child carrying a wounded friend.
Whatever the system had done to my body, whatever changes the bond with Gible had created, it was the difference between standing and collapsing under the burden.
I held my partner close and backed away slowly, keeping my eyes on the Team Rocket members and their Pokémon.
The male member took a step forward, and Steelix coiled behind him like a segmented fortress. "Should've minded your own business, kid. Now you're going to—"
"Wait."
The female's voice cut through his words. She'd released the kidnapped boy, pushing him aside to fall in the snow, and now she was pulling out her own Pokéball.
"Let me handle this," she said, her tone sharp. "No witnesses. We kill them both."
The Pokéball opened, and what emerged made my blood run even colder.
Seadra.
This timeline made no sense whatsoever. We were right outside Pallet Town, and Team Rocket had a Steelix and a Seadra.
The dragon-looking seahorse materialized in a flash of light, its blue scales gleaming, the spines along its back bristling.
It was smaller than Steelix, more elegant, but no less dangerous. Its eyes fixed on me with predatory focus, and I saw its fins flare in preparation for attack.