Suddenly, the game forced a warp. You were in the Hall of Fame, but the statues were cracked. Standing at the end was the Rival, his back turned. When you approached, he didn't trigger a battle. He spoke in a text box that scrolled too fast to read, except for the final line:
Its sprite was wrong. It didn't face the opponent; it faced you , the player. Its beak was hooked like a rusted blade, and dark pixels dripped from its talons. Pokemon Raptor Ex Exe
You dropped the handheld. When it hit the floor, the cartridge popped out. It was hot to the touch, smelling of ozone and burnt plastic. You looked at the label again. The Sharpie hadn't just been written on the plastic; it had been etched deep into the casing, like it was done by a claw. Suddenly, the game forced a warp
The game began in an empty version of Pallet Town. No NPCs, no music—just the crunch of footsteps on grass. In your party, there was only one Pokémon: a Level 100 Fearow named . When you approached, he didn't trigger a battle