Route 22 was different.
The moment I stepped beyond the city's western gate, the air shifted. Trees loomed taller, grass rustled without wind, and the ambient sounds of Pokémon cries were scattered off-beat, like notes from a broken melody.
[Biome Entered: Route 22 – Edgewood]Wild Pokémon Threat Level: Moderate to HighSystem Alert: Data Irregularities Detected
I paused. That last part wasn't normal.
"Charmander," I murmured, "stay close."
The fire-lizard, ever loyal, walked at my side, flame tail glowing brighter than usual. I crouched near a thick bush and activated Scan Mode.
Target: Mankey [Lv. 6]Drop Potential: Power Claw, Rage FragmentStatus: Stable
Target: …ErrorUnable to Render Visual. Partial Entity Detected.
My eyes shot toward the error line. In the distance, just past a crumbling log, a flickering haze distorted the grass. Something shifted between visible and invisible. It wasn't just cloaked it was… broken.
"What in Arceus' name is that?"
New Quest: Investigate the Glitched EntityOptional Objective: Capture or AnalyzeWarning: Unknown behavior. Proceed with caution.
I moved closer, heart pounding.
The air near the distortion crackled. The world's colors pixelated for a second like someone had hit pause and the frames skipped. The glitched Pokémon came into view for a flicker blocky, wrong. Not like the usual Cobblemon models. Its edges weren't Minecraft-style they were shattered polygons.
"Charmander, back!"
Too late. The entity turned toward us.
??? Appeared!Level: UnknownType: UnknownStatus: UNSTABLECombat Possible: YES / NO (flashing)
It lunged.
Charmander instinctively threw a burst of Ember, but the flames distorted midair flickering as if rewound and fast-forwarded simultaneously. The thing whatever it was shrieked in a garbled mix of Pokémon cries and static.
The UI glitched.
System Error: Rendering ConflictEmergency Override Unlocked – ADMIN TOOL: CODE STABILIZER
Use Now? [Y/N]
I didn't hesitate. "YES."
The air shimmered. My hand glowed. The floating UI expanded into a hexagonal grid and fired a pulse of energy toward the glitched creature. It howled if you could even call it that and then shattered into light.
Entity DispersedData Fragment Acquired: [Corrupted Core x1]
"Echo of something not meant for this world..."
Charmander panted beside me. I dropped to a knee, sweat beading on my brow.
"What… the hell was that?"
New System Function Unlocked: Debug ScanYou have glimpsed the Code beneath the World.Your journey is no longer just about catching Pokémon.Now, it's about uncovering the truth behind your presence and the cracks only you can see.
Quest Updated: The Code Beneath – Track the Glitches (0/3)
I stared at the Corrupted Core glowing softly in my inventory. Its shape flickered between a stone and a swirling cube.
The system wasn't just for crafting. It wasn't just a gimmick.
It was a warning.
And I had just answered it.