The moment I stepped out of the glitched clearing, the forest changed again but not in the way it had before. This time, the colors felt too real. The trees were still trees, but somehow… denser. The shadows longer. Every chirp from a Pidgey or rustle of grass felt like part of a script.
New System Alert: Observer Presence DetectedWarning: Another user has partial access to system protocols.
That froze me in my tracks.
"Another user?"
Then, a voice spoke behind me calm, curious, and way too close.
"Interesting… You stabilized a Node. That makes you either a fool… or one of them."
I turned quickly, Charmander already flaring up behind me.
Standing on a moss-covered rock just ahead was a trainer. Not older than me, maybe even younger. Their hair was jet black and wind-tossed. A sleek red scarf fluttered behind them like a blade drawn mid-strike. But it was their eyes that stopped me cold deep red, glowing faintly, like twin warning lights beneath the hood of a corrupted AI.
They smirked.
??? AppearedName: RivenRole: Codewalker – Rogue Build
Interaction Options: [Talk] [Battle] [Scan]
I chose [Talk].
"You… You can see the Nodes too?"
Riven tilted his head. "See them? I've hunted them. Purged two already. You're late to the party."
He held up a Pokéball black with crimson rings, different than mine. It flickered like a corrupted item in a survival game UI.
"I'm guessing your system's cleaner. Newer. Mine's been... modified. Let's call it a 'grey build.' Not admin. Not locked out either."
I narrowed my eyes. "Then what do you want?"
Riven jumped down lightly, kicking up leaves. His gaze burned into mine not with hatred, but with curiosity. And challenge.
"There's a pattern to this glitch. Someone, or something, is leaving breadcrumbs. You're either another piece on the board… or a wildcard."
Rival Encounter Initiated: RivenIntent: AnalysisBattle Type: Friendly (Mostly)
He tossed out a Pokéball.
Pokémon: Pawniard [Lv. 9] – Modded VariantTrait: Code Split – May ignore move limits once per battle.
"Let's see if your little cobble-lizard can keep up."
"Charmander, battle stance!"
We faced off in the heart of the forest, under digital skies hidden behind pixel-perfect clouds.
BATTLE – You vs. Riven
Riven's Pawniard was faster than expected. Its movements were sharp, almost too sharp as if guided by something outside the normal turn system.
Pawniard used Quick SlashHits twice! Charmander takes 11 HP
"Charmander, Ember now!"
The fireball hit square but Pawniard's armor glitched, nullifying half the damage.
Trait Activated: Code SplitAttack absorbed into alternate layer
"Cool trick," I muttered.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Riven replied.
After a few tight turns...
Pawniard fainted.Riven smirks slightly.
"Not bad, newbie. You're not system-born. You've got... intent."
He walked closer, tossing a strange cube-shaped chip at my feet.
Item Acquired: Glitch Map Fragment (1/4)Reveals approximate location of next Hidden Node.
"That'll get you ahead if you survive what's coming. But a warning," he said, red eyes narrowing. "Not every Node can be fixed. Some were meant to break."
He turned, walking off deeper into the forest.
"See you at the next crack in reality… Codewalker."
Rival Registered: Riven – Status: Unstable Ally
I stood there for a long minute after he left, clutching the fragment and watching the flickering edge of the forest ripple like static.
There were others.
And not all of them wanted this world to be fixed.