22
The peace of the morning was shattered not by a scream, but by a sudden, heavy pressure that felt like the sky was descending. The birds in the forest didn't just stop singing; they fled in a panicked cloud of wings.
The Return: Latios and the Shadow of the Soul
A streak of blue light, faster than any jet, tore through the canopy and skidded to a halt in the center of the camp. It was Latios. He didn't come with the playful giggles of his sister, Latias. He came with the cold, calculating gaze of a guardian who had seen civilizations fall.
Latias shimmered into existence beside him, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
"The Shard has sung," Latios's voice boomed in my mind, cold as a mountain peak. "It sings of the Sea and the Sun, bound to a human who cannot even control her own breath."
He looked at May. The Soul Dew Shard was still orbiting her, glowing with a frantic, indigo intensity. Latios's eyes flared pink with psychic energy. He didn't see a girl; he saw a ticking time bomb of Primal energy.
"Whoa, easy there, Big Blue!" I stepped between them, my heart hammering against my ribs. "She's learning. We're working on it!"
"Learning is for the long-lived," Latios countered. "The 'Vigor Strain' in her is waking. If she cannot hold the resonance, she will become a beacon for the Blue Orb. I will not have my sister's gift wasted on a vessel that breaks."
He lunged. It wasn't an attack to kill, but a Luster Purge—a flash of pure light designed to strip away illusions and test the soul.
[Chat Log]
IceCreamQueen_C: JAKE! Latios is much more aggressive than Latias. He's testing May's mental anchor!
DragonTamer_Lance: If she loses control now, she'll level the woods!
"Kage! Raven! Defensive Wall!"
Kage swung his charred ironwood stick, the Sun Breathing rhythm steadying his hands. Raven projected a dark-type Protect to dampen the psychic blow. May, surprisingly, didn't panic. She reached out and grabbed the Soul Dew Shard mid-air.
The amber in her eyes met the blue of the shard. A calm, chilling wave of energy swept through the grotto. The Luster Purge didn't explode; it absorbed into the shard.
Latios stopped. He hovered an inch from May's face, his aura sensors twitching. After a long silence, he gave a sharp, clinical nod. "She has the anchor. For now. Do not let her drift, Singer."
With a thunderous crack, the twins took to the sky, leaving a trail of prismatic light behind them.
The Arrival: Rustboro City Gates
We reached the outskirts of Rustboro by sunset. The city was a sprawling marvel of stone and steel, the headquarters of the Devon Corporation looming over the skyline.
But we weren't greeted by a welcoming committee. Standing at the massive stone gates was Roxanne, the Gym Leader, flanked by two polished Nosepass. She wasn't wearing her usual teaching outfit; she was in full battle regalia, holding a tablet that was scrolling through my latest stream clips.
"Jake Calison," Roxanne said, her voice echoing off the city walls. "The League has issued a 'High-Energy Alert' for your party. Normally, I'd offer a tour of the academy, but Steven Stone has requested a 'Controlled Evaluation' before you're allowed into the city center."
She looked at May, then at the scorched bandana around the girl's neck. "You've been playing with Fire and Stone in my woods. Here in Rustboro, we deal in hard, cold facts."
[Chat Log]
StoneLover: Roxanne doesn't play around. She's the League's top analyst!
GymBro_Chuck: A Controlled Evaluation? That's code for 'We're going to hit you until we see what you're made of.'
"Wait," I said, my Nat 20 Charisma trying to find an opening. "We just survived a Legendary test and a Team Aqua ambush. Can't we just get a hotel room and some room service?"
"The 'room service' is a 3-on-3 battle on the Academy's main stage," Roxanne replied, her Nosepass beginning to hum with magnetic force. "The Champion is watching. The fans are watching. And more importantly, the Devon Corporation's sensors are watching. Show me the 'Titan' resonance, Jake. Or the gates stay closed."
I looked at my team. Jerry adjusted his scarf, Tammy sharpened her claws, and Kage tightened his red sash. May just grinned, her knuckles still crackling with the remnants of the Sun Breathing heat.
"Alright, Roxanne," I said, turning to Lens. "Chat, you heard the lady. Title the stream: 'The Trial of Rustboro: Breaking the Stone.' Let's go live."