David stared at the Smooth Rock in front of him like it was a golden ticket to retirement. His heartbeat thudded in his ears. His palms were sweaty—though that might've also been because the cave was a sauna of buried loot, nervous tension, and bear breath.
But then he glanced over his shoulder.
Oh right… the bears.
Roughly twenty Teddiursa were behind him, their round little eyes locked onto him like cuddly bouncers. One of them even licked its paw menacingly. David's smile tightened. He couldn't exactly walk off with half the treasure pile while surrounded by suspicious bear cubs.
Not unless he wanted to find out what it felt like to be torn apart by teddy bears.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
The real nightmare? Blocking the only exit to the cave were two towering Ursaring—muscles rippling, claws gleaming, and tempers probably shorter than David's wallet.
The big guys hadn't noticed him yet, still occupied with whatever territorial grudge match they had going with a swarm of Beedrill outside.
But once they were done? Yeah, they'd definitely notice one broke teenager trying to yoink a royal treasure.
The only way out was Ralts' Teleport. And David didn't have much time.
He hesitated.
Meanwhile, the Teddiursa kept munching on the energy cubes he'd offered earlier, but something shifted in the air. One of the cubs suddenly stopped chewing and looked up—eyes narrowing, sniffing the air.
Then it turned and stared directly at David.
The others followed. They all looked… suspicious.
David laughed awkwardly. "Whoa there, little guys. What's with the death stares? I'm just admiring your interior decorating!"
The lead Teddiursa stepped forward, its tiny nose twitching in warning. Its eyes flicked toward the Smooth Rock, then back to David.
Uh-oh.
They knew.
David froze, pretending he hadn't just been mentally photoshopping himself onto the cover of Alliance Monthly: Richest Teen Edition.
That Smooth Rock? It wasn't just some collectible. It was sacred. A gift. Prepared specially for the King of the Forest. The Ursarings had risked their fuzzy little lives and emptied their treasure stash to get it. This wasn't just loot.
This was royalty-level loot.
David felt the weight of their judgment like a boulder. He could practically hear their tiny voices screaming, "Touch it and you die!"
He cleared his throat and smiled weakly. "Okay, okay, I get it. No stealing the rock. Totally fair. But uh… how about a magic trick?"
The Teddiursa blinked.
David crouched down, giving his most convincing "trust me, I'm not a crook" smile. "I just want to teach you all an important life lesson. Something you won't learn in school or forest bear camp: never trust a guy with too many pockets."
Because if there's one thing life in the Mystery Zone teaches you, it's that desperate improvisation counts as a plan.
The lead Teddiursa tilted its head.
David sighed, pulled out another pack of energy cubes, and shook it in the air.
More specifically… his "special stash."
Pikachu and Ralts immediately stiffened.
The shiny gold-tinted cubes glimmered like treasure—deceptively beautiful, dangerously potent. These weren't ordinary treats. These were the cursed "Jet Cubes." Mega laxative included. Side effects may include explosive speed, high-altitude regret, and traumatic flashbacks.
Pikachu paled. Ralts whimpered. Both had suffered through these demonic snacks during "training."
Pikachu glanced at the Teddiursa, then back at David. Dude… are you declaring war on them or what?
David ignored the judgmental stares of his Pokémon and tossed the cubes toward the Teddiursa.
"Bon appétit!"
He added in a low mumble, "Good luck with the plumbing later…"
The bears pounced on the cubes instantly, the scent too delicious to resist. They unwrapped the treats and chomped down happily, unaware of the gastrointestinal terror that awaited them.
David took a deep breath.
Showtime.
He snatched the Smooth Rock with one hand, a shiny Fire Stone with the other, and shouted:
"Ralts! TELEPORT, NOW!"
Pikachu, not missing a beat, snatched up a random thing from the pile and launched himself onto David's shoulder.
Ralts' eyes glowed purple. Her horn shimmered with energy. A surge of psychic light exploded around them. In a flash of violet light and a dramatic shua sound…
They vanished.
The cave went still.
A second later, one of the Teddiursa looked up from its cube.
It blinked.
Then it blinked again.
"…Huh?"
Where had the shiny rock gone? Where was that weird human? Did they just imagine him?
The rest of the bears stopped chewing. Then they looked at the empty spot where David had been.
And realized.
He. Had. Played. Them.
One pointed to the empty rock pedestal.
Another sniffed the air with growing rage.
They had been duped. Bamboozled. Scammed by a hoodie-wearing criminal !
The lead Teddiursa slowly dropped his cube, blinking in stunned silence.
[Teddiursa: Shocked.jpg]
Did that two-legged con artist really just vanish? With the gift meant for the king? The one their leader had nearly gotten stung to death by Beedrills to get?
And what was this sudden… stomach cramp?
In unison, all the Teddiursa clutched their bellies and let out a collective whimper.
[+50 Negative Emotion Points from Teddiursa…]
[+60 Negative Emotion Points from Teddiursa…]
[+70 Negative Emotion Points from Teddiursa…]
David's karma tab was officially off the charts.
But hey.
At least he was rich.
****
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Mystery Zone...
Back at the camp, Luna was hunched over in teacher mode, trying to drill basic math into a very confused Charmander. She tapped the notepad in front of him and asked patiently, "Okay, Charmander. You have five energy cubes. David borrows one. How many do you have left?"
Charmander furrowed his tiny brows, held up five stubby fingers… then slowly folded them all into fists with dramatic flair.
"Char! (Zero left!)" he announced proudly.
Luna stared at him like she had just aged ten years. She sighed, rubbing her temples like a weary professor on the verge of resignation. "Who the hell taught you to count like that?!"
Charmander turned cheerfully and pointed across the camp.
There, under the shade of a crooked tree, sat Tom. He was trying to teach Squirtle how to play cards using a deck that looked suspiciously stolen from a hotel minibar.
Tom looked up, puffed out his chest confidently and declared, "Hey! I may not understand math, but I do understand David!"
Luna blinked. "What does that even mean?"
Tom shrugged. "Doesn't matter. It sounds cool."
Strangely enough… it did make a weird kind of sense.
Before Luna could argue any further, a familiar flash of purple light burst in front of them. Ralts' teleportation pulse flared, and with a shua! and a puff of dirt, David materialized in the middle of camp like a smug magician returning from Vegas.
He adjusted his hoodie and waved. "Yo! Luna! Tommy-boy!"
Tom immediately shot up. "Bro! You made it back alive! Tell me you at least brought snacks!"
Luna blinked at him. "Wait—how'd it go? You actually made it through the Mystery Zone alone?!"
Her voice held a mix of awe, jealousy, and low-key panic. She had wanted to explore too, but she wasn't stupid—out there, without real strength or evolved Pokémon, you were basically an all-you-can-eat buffet for wild Beedrill.
David casually tossed something in his hand and caught it again with a grin. "It was alright. Found a Fire Stone just chillin' on the ground. No one wanted it, so I took it."
He pulled it from his pocket—an actual, gleaming Fire Stone, engraved with a subtle flame pattern that shimmered in the light.
Luna's jaw dropped. Her eyes twitched. "Found it… just lying there? No one wanted it?! Are you joking?!"
David gave her a look of pure innocence. "I swear! It was just sitting there, on the dirt. Probably stepped on it."
Luna gave him a deadpan glare that could melt glaciers.
David's expression didn't change, but his eyes did a little "help me" flicker.
Tom leaned in and grinned. "Luna, you clearly don't know our man David."
He turned dramatically to her and added, "This is the same guy who once got caught sneaking into the principal's pantry and said—and I quote—'I didn't steal the rice, it was just lying there on the table and nobody said it was theirs.'"
David raised a finger. "To be fair, no one did say it."
Both Luna and Tom gave him synchronized death glares. Internally, they were screaming. Why were they the ones stuck in training hell while David got to go full Indiana Jones in the woods?
The grudge in their hearts reached critical mass.
[Negative Emotion Value +40 from Tom…]
[Negative Emotion Value +40 from Luna…]
[Negative Emotion Value +50 from Tom…]
[Negative Emotion Value +50 from Luna…]
David tilted his head. "You guys okay?"
Luna gave him a brittle smile. "Peachy. Just peachy."
Tom nodded. "Totally fine. Not jealous at all. I love playing Go Fish with Squirtle."
Squirtle in the background was still trying to eat the cards.
David chuckled, completely unbothered. "Cool! I'll just be over here polishing my incredibly valuable stone, then."
Luna and Tom exchanged glances.
They were absolutely going to TP his tent later.
****
Just then, Ling Qi strolled over, his expression unreadable as ever. He glanced at David, who had just returned, and didn't waste time with small talk.
"I'll be coaching you three in a bit. Get ready."
Tom and Luna immediately nodded, their faces serious.
After all, Ling Qi was an elite trainer—someone whose Pokémon battles made theirs look like toddler slap fights. Having someone like him offer to coach them was like being offered a VIP pass to Pokémon greatness. Who'd say no?
David, on the other hand, didn't seem thrilled. In fact, he looked a little reluctant, fidgeting slightly.
He hesitated, then piped up awkwardly, "Uh… Uncle Ling, how about we head deeper into the Mystery Zone tonight?"
Ling Qi raised an eyebrow.
Tom and Luna turned toward David, both a little surprised. Luna was the first to speak. "Why tonight?"
He paused, glancing around.
"I mean… I may have accidentally found something ."
Ling Qi gave him a long look. "What exactly did you do?"
David blinked innocently. "Nothing! I'm cute! I don't do crime!"
The system chimed gleefully in his head.
[Negative Emotion Value +100 from Ling Qi...]
[Negative Emotion Value +100from Tom...]
[Negative Emotion Value +100 from Luna...]
He even managed a weak smile, but Ling Qi wasn't buying it.
His eyes narrowed. "Then what's that in your hand?"
David froze, then glanced down at the stone with flame patterns resting in his palm.
"Oh, this? Uh… I found it lying on the ground. No one wanted it."
The moment the words left his mouth, the familiar voice of the system rang in his ears:
[Get negative emotion value +100 from Ling Qi…]
[Obtain negative emotion value +200from Ling Qi…]
[Get negative emotion value +300 from Ling Qi…]
Ling Qi gave him a look full of suspicion—and something close to disbelief.
"Picked up on the road? No one wanted it?"
His tone dripped with skepticism.
"I've been around for over thirty years," Ling Qi continued, voice flat. "I haven't even picked up a single coin off the road, let alone a secret treasure. And you… found a Fire Stone worth nearly 800,000 just sitting there?"
David coughed lightly and pretended to look at the sky. "Y-Yeah. Totally. It was just sitting there, minding its own business."
Ling Qi was still staring. "Where did you find it?"
David coughed and casually looked at the clouds. "Well, the Ursarings didn't say it was theirs."
"Ursaring?" Ling Qi asked sharply. "Where exactly did you find it?"
David hesitated for a moment. "Uhh... the Ursaring cave."
The moment he said it, the entire camp fell into stunned silence.
Luna blinked. "The Ursaring cave?"
Tom's mouth dropped open. "Dude... did you rob a bear?!"
David tried to defend himself. "No! Not rob. More like... strategic foraging."
Luna facepalmed.
Ling Qi stared at him like he was trying to decide whether to laugh or cry—or throw David back into the forest and let the Pokémon deal with him.
Ling Qi's eyes drifted to Pikachu, still perched on David's shoulder, nonchalantly tipping his cap. If it weren't for that Pikachu, Ling Qi wouldn't have believed it for a second.
Still, he let out a long exhale. "You're lucky. If there had been a strong Ursaring there, you might not have made it out."
David didn't respond. He just scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
Truth be told, he had felt the heat. The cave hadn't just been crawling with Teddiursa—they'd even posted Ursarings at the entrance. The only reason he'd managed to grab that stone and escape in one piece was thanks to Ralts' Teleport and the… "dietary sabotage" of the energy cubes.
Ling Qi, after a moment of silence, nodded.
"Alright. We'll move tonight."
Tom and Luna blinked.
"You mean it?" Luna asked.
Ling Qi crossed his arms. "Yes. If that stone you took was that important to those Pokémon, then once they realize it's gone, they'll come looking for it. And we're not going to wait around here for that to happen."
David let out a quiet breath of relief. Finally, someone saw reason.
Ling Qi continued calmly, "Even if they were only average Ursarings, the last thing we want is a whole angry pack charging in. You never know when you'll stumble into something stronger."
David nodded quickly in agreement, finally relaxing a little. After all, Ling Qi wasn't just a casual trainer—he was an elite. If even he was willing to get out of there, then yeah, maybe David wasn't overreacting after all.
He looked down at the stone again, that beautiful, fiery little treasure that nearly got him mauled. Then back at Pikachu, who gave him a look that clearly said: Don't ever do that again.
David chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, yeah. Lesson learned…"
****
Once Ling Qi walked off, Tom and Luna crept over like a couple of nosy siblings who'd just found out their neighbor might be hiding treasure under the floorboards.
"David!" Luna leaned in, her voice barely hiding the excitement. "Did you seriously go into that Ursaring cave?"
"Yeah bro," Tom added, practically bouncing. "Did your Pikachu actually fight an Ursaring?"
David was about to answer when Pikachu—still perched dutifully on his shoulder—suddenly froze. Its ears twitched, eyes wide with a look of existential dread.
Because in that moment, Pikachu imagined it: surrounded, helpless, in the dark cave, with a dozen Ursarings closing in from every direction.
His tiny body shuddered.
The expression on his face was the same as someone who'd just woken up and realized they were sleeping in the middle of a Machamp women's wrestling team.
He shook his head wildly, squeaking out a silent "nope nope nope!"
David grinned and reached into his arms, gently lifting out Ralts.
"You guys are forgetting something important," he said, holding the little Psychic-type like a prized doll. "I've got Ralts. Teleport is a beautiful thing."
Tom and Luna blinked.
"Oh right…" they muttered, looking a bit unconvinced.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "That cave… only had one Fire Stone? You didn't grab anything else?"
David raised one hand solemnly and said, "I swear—on Pikachu's life! I just picked up that rock. Nothing else."
Pikachu immediately froze.
"Pika!?" his face screamed in horror.
[[Shocked.jpg]]
What. The. Heck.
Why are you swearing on my life? What did I do?! Swear on your own pathetic soul, you two-legged liar!
[Negative emotion value +50 from Pikachu…]
[Negative emotion value +60 from Pikachu…]
Tom and Luna exchanged another glance, then both nodded slowly. The fact that David swore on his own Pokémon's life seemed convincing enough. Even if Pikachu looked like it had just been personally betrayed by a family member.
"Alright then," Tom said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's battle. You and me."
David took one look at him—cargo shorts, bug net, and a goofy grin—and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah… no thanks," David replied lazily.
Tom looked confused. "Why not?"
"Because," David said, scanning Tom like he was sizing up a Magikarp for sushi, "you look like one of those Bug Catchers from Route 2. If I send out Pikachu, I'd be bullying you. If I use Ralts, I might actually lose. Not worth the XP."
Tom deflated like a popped balloon. His Squirtle, meanwhile, stood nearby puffing out its chest with the smug swagger of a spoiled celebrity's pet. Ever since it beat Luna's Charmander in a battle earlier, it had been walking around like it was the final boss of the whole Mystery Zone.
"Fine!" Luna suddenly stepped forward, her eyes shining with the fire of vengeance. "Then I'll battle Tom!"
David raised an eyebrow at her.
Luna folded her arms confidently. "Charmander and I aren't convinced about that loss. We want a rematch."
David gave her a curious look. "Wow… you've got the spirit of someone who fights uphill battles for fun."
Luna smirked.
But David wasn't done. He squinted at her like he was trying to read subtitles on a blurry VHS tape. "You're going to be one of those trainers, huh? Let me guess. Next up, you're planning to catch a Pikachu?"
Luna blinked. "Huh? What? No…"
She paused to think, then added, "Actually… I've been hoping to catch a Skitty!"
David stared.
"Skitty?" he repeated slowly, like someone just told him they prefer pineapple pizza dipped in ketchup.
"Well, yeah," Luna said, tilting her head innocently. "It's cute! It's pink! And it's got those little ears!"
Tom couldn't help but chime in with a snort. "Wow, how shocking. The girl wants the pink cat."
Luna rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for having taste. Not everyone wants their team to look like a construction site."
David just chuckled. "You know that thing evolves into Delcatty, right? It basically turns into a sassy couch cushion."
"I know!" Luna said proudly.
Hearing Luna's answer, David nearly dropped his snack.
"Oh thank Arceus," he exhaled dramatically. "For a second, I thought you were gonna say you were planning to raise a Pikachu and breed it with a Charizard or something. "
Luna blinked, tilting her head. "Why? What's wrong with Skitty? It's cute."
David's face turned serious. Too serious.
"Luna… you might not know this, but Skitty can actually breed with Wailord."
Luna's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped an inch. Her soul visibly left her body.
[[Shocked.jpg]]
She just stared at David, mouth slightly agape, as her brain conjured the mental image—the horrendous, unholy, horrifyingly scientific reality of it.
"A… what?" she whispered. "A Wailord?? Like... THE Wailord? The whale that's the size of a bus?!"
David nodded solemnly. "The very same."
Luna's face turned pale.
[Negative emotion value +50 from Luna…]
[Negative emotion value +60 from Luna…]
[Negative emotion value +70 from Luna…]
Across from them, Tom suddenly clutched his head like he was reliving a trauma.
"NO… not again," he muttered, curling up. "Gardevoir vs. Grimer.avi."
David raised an eyebrow. "Dude, what?"
Tom's face was pale. His voice, trembling.
"Gardevoir Next Door.rmvb."
He dropped to his knees, hands trembling. "Gardevoir Gets Ambushed By Grimer On Her Way To School.mkv."
His knees gave out. He collapsed like a folding chair under a Snorlax and stared up at the sky with hollow, haunted eyes. His soul had clearly checked out and gone on a permanent vacation.
David, completely unfazed, was now sitting back in a wooden chair like he was on a five-star cruise. He sipped the premium tea Tom had made earlier, nibbled on the luxury snacks he definitely didn't pay for, and took in the peaceful lakeside view.
The breeze rolled lazily across the water. The surface shimmered like glass. Birds chirped. Peace.
Meanwhile, in David's ear, his system buzzed like a generous slot machine:
[Ding! Negative emotion value +40 from Luna…]
[Ding! +80 from Tom…]
[Ding! +60 more from Pikachu just for existing near you…]
David stretched with a satisfied yawn, grinning like a man who had just invented sarcasm.
This… this was the life.
True friendship, he thought, wasn't about hugs and loyalty. It was about having people around you whose emotional trauma could be monetized like a subscription plan.
Now that was partnership.
****
But while David was living his best tea-sipping, trauma-farming life, far across the Mystery Zone, the atmosphere was… very different.
Deep in the wildest corner of the forest, where the trees grew twisted and the air was thick with unease, stood a crumbling old house swallowed by vines and time. A place so forgotten, even Pidgeys refused to poop on it.
Inside this derelict shell sat a man draped in a black robe and sunglasses, chilling on a tattered sofa like a villainous discount monk. His head tilted slightly back, eyes closed as if meditating—or plotting murder. Probably both.
All around him were caged Pokémon, each wearing strange collars that looked like they belonged in a sci-fi horror flick.
The room was silent—eerily so—until the creaky door creaked open with a creeeeak, and in shuffled a short, scrawny man with the posture of a dying Paras.
"Boss," he whispered nervously, "the Forest King… it only has a few days left."
The man on the couch didn't respond at first.
Then, with the slow menace of a horror movie jump scare, he opened his eyes.
Something in the room shifted.
A suffocating pressure slammed through the air like gravity had just doubled. The shadows seemed darker. The temperature dropped a few degrees. Even the caged Pokémon flinched.
His voice was cold, rasping, and absolutely not friendly.
"Then get ready to move."
The aura around him crackled with danger, the kind of pressure only an Elite-level trainer could emit. The sofa cushions subtly sank from the weight of it, as if the evil itself weighed fifty pounds.
"Let's see," he continued, voice like broken glass, "just how powerful an Alliance Elite's main team really is…"
The scrawny man gulped. One of the cages rattled.
The breeze outside picked up, blowing a dead leaf through the broken window.