The soft, electric hum of Popsicle’s cheeks had done wonders for my bruised ribs. When I finally opened my eyes, the heavy ache in my chest had faded into a dull, manageable stiffness. The sunlight of Prisma was streaming through the rge windows of my master suite, casting a warm glow over the dark wood floors.

  I looked down. Popsicle was still dead to the world, her small frame curled tightly against my side, her lightning-bolt tail wrapped securely around my leg.

  I smiled, carefully untangling myself from her grip. I slipped out from under the covers, making sure not to wake her, and quietly stepped out onto the wide balcony of my suite. The morning air was crisp and perfect. Down below, the sprawling expanse of Prisma was already waking up.

  'Cryo,' I called out mentally, resting my hands on the balcony railing. 'How much time do I have before the Skarmory touches down in the real world?'

  [Due to the current 4x time dition within the Training Area parameters, you have approximately two hours of localized Prisma time before you need to sever the connection,] Cryo responded instantly. [However, I must remind you that you have two unprocessed absorptions residing in your inventory. It is highly recommended to integrate them into the System before engaging in combat on the isnd.]

  I let out a sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. Cryo was right. In the chaos of the jailbreak and the fight with the corrupted Hydreigon, I had completely forgotten about the two Pokémon I had absorbed. Because I didn't use Paradise Balls, they were stored purely as energy.

  "Alright," I muttered to myself. "Let's get this over with. Bring them here."

  I stepped back from the balcony railing, giving the open space of the terrace plenty of room. With a wave of my hand, the System purged the stored energy. Two pilrs of bright light struck the wooden deck.

  When the light on the left faded, the Liepard from the Team Psma thugs stood on the polished wood. The System had worked its magic, evolving her into a demi-human form.

  She was slender and incredibly athletic, with sharp, elegant features. Her hair was a deep, luxurious purple with distinct yellow spots woven through the strands. A pair of sleek, dark cat ears twitched nervously on top of her head, and a long, whip-like tail curled defensively around her legs. She was wearing a sleek, form-fitting dark purple bodysuit that looked perfectly suited for a rogue or a thief.

  Her golden eyes darted around the terrace, taking in the luxury, before finally locking onto me. She immediately dropped to one knee, her head bowed in a posture of complete submission.

  "Awaiting orders, Master," she said, her voice smooth but entirely devoid of emotion.

  I frowned, my heart twisting a little at the sight. Team Psma didn't treat their Pokémon like partners; they treated them like disposable tools.

  "Stand up," I said gently, walking over to her.

  She hesitated, her cat ears fttening against her head, before she slowly rose to her feet. She wouldn't meet my eyes.

  "You don't have to do that here," I told her, keeping my voice calm and even. "I am not Team Psma. My name is Landon, and this pce is called Prisma. It is a sanctuary. Because I absorbed you directly without a Paradise Ball, you are permanently locked to this dimension. You can't leave. But inside here? You are entirely free. You aren't a tool, and you aren't going to be forced to fight my battles or steal for me."

  Her golden eyes snapped up to meet mine, wide with utter disbelief. Her tail flicked nervously. "Free? But... I belong to you."

  "You belong to yourself," I corrected her. "You have a choice to make. Cryo can build you a custom habitat—your own private home, exactly the way you want it. Or, you can join the new City of Prisma that is currently expanding inside Iono's three-mile skyscraper territory. It is entirely up to you."

  The Liepard girl stared at me for a long time. The rigid, defensive posture in her shoulders slowly began to melt away. For the first time, a small, genuine spark of life entered her eyes.

  "The city," she said softly. "I... I think I would like to blend into the city. Watch people. Figure out what to do with myself."

  "The city it is," I smiled.

  I turned my attention to the second pilr of light. As it faded, the sheer mass of the being that materialized made the heavy wooden deck groan in protest.

  Tyranna was tall—easily over six and a half feet—but her appearance had completely shifted from the massive male dinosaur I had pulled from the real world. Her System-generated form reflected her true self. Her skin was a vibrant, crimson red, textured with fine, barely visible scales that caught the morning sunlight. Her hair was a shock of stony white, tumbling down her back like a waterfall of crushed marble.

  But despite her imposing size, her posture was entirely broken.

  She was hunched over, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her torso, desperately clutching the long, shimmering white cloth that had woven itself from the rope around her neck on the beach. It draped over her like a protective veil.

  She didn't roar. She flinched, her eyes darting around the terrace in absolute terror before locking onto me. She took a trembling step backward.

  "Are... are you going to absorb me?" Tyranna whispered, her voice shaking so badly it barely carried over the breeze. "Like... like Mother?"

  My chest tightened. The memory of that horrific beach fshed in my mind. Her mother wasn't just a monster; she was a colossal, serpentine monstrosity armored in obsidian scales, thrashing the ocean with ten massive, pulsating purple tentacles. That toxic, ancient creature had called her own daughter useless and tried to steal the soul-bind right out from under her.

  "No," I said softly, taking a slow, very careful step back to give her space. "I'm not going to absorb you, Tyranna. I pulled you out of that portal to save you from her."

  Tyranna swallowed hard, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the shimmering cloth. "She's... she's really gone?"

  "She can't ever reach you here," I promised her. "My name is Landon. Because of how I saved you, you are locked in this dimension now. It's called Prisma. It's safe. Just like I told her," I gestured to the Liepard girl, "you have a choice. You can live in the new City of Prisma around the other girls, or you can have your own private space where no one will bother you."

  Tyranna looked out over the edge of the balcony, taking in the vast, peaceful expanse of the habitats. Her shoulders trembled.

  "I just want to be safe," Tyranna whispered, looking back at me with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Somewhere quiet. Where nothing can sneak up on me."

  "I know exactly what you need," I said gently.

  'Cryo,' I projected mentally. 'Transport Liepard to the new City of Prisma. For Tyranna, set up a secluded, peaceful valley entirely surrounded by high, unscable mountains. Give her a sturdy, safe cabin right in the center with clear sightlines.'

  [Habitats generating now. Teleportation sequence initiated,] Cryo confirmed.

  The Liepard girl gave me a deep, respectful bow before dissolving into light.

  Tyranna looked at me, loosening her death grip on her white cloth just a fraction. "Thank you," she breathed out, her voice filled with a desperate, heavy relief. A second ter, she vanished in a pilr of light to finally get the rest she deserved.

  The terrace was quiet again. My family was growing faster than I ever anticipated, but pulling girls like Tyranna out of nightmares made all the danger worth it.

  [Warning. The Skarmory is beginning its final descent. You must return to your physical checkpoint,] Cryo alerted me, the blue interface fshing across my vision.

  "Alright," I murmured. "Time to go to work."

  I walked back into the bedroom. Popsicle was stretching, her soft, round Pawmo ears twitching as she woke up. I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

  "I have to go back," I told her softly. "Be good while I'm gone."

  She blinked her bright eyes, her static-charged cheeks fring warmly. She sat up, adjusting her custom Pawmo Paw Print Dress, and gave me a confident nod. "Go punch the big bad guy, Landon. I'll be right here."

  I smiled, closing my eyes and letting the warmth of Prisma fade away.

  When I opened them again, the heavy, rhythmic beating of the Skarmory's metal wings was deafening. The dark, cramped interior of the passenger carriage came back into focus.

  Across from me, Jennifer was gripping the edge of her seat, her knuckles white as the carriage tilted sharply downward. Anabel was securing her tablet, her face pale but entirely determined. She caught my eye as I shifted in my seat, giving me a short, respectful nod. The stream had done exactly what it was supposed to do.

  "Brace yourselves," Looker's voice crackled through the intercom, cutting through the mechanical roar of the bird. "We are touching down."

  With a heavy, metallic screech, the giant Skarmory smmed its talons onto the reinforced concrete of the isnd's hidden runway. The carriage violently decelerated, pressing us hard against our leather harnesses before finally rolling to a smooth stop.

  The massive steel doors of the carriage hissed open, letting in the salty, humid air of the remote ocean.

  I unbuckled my harness and stood up, the dull ache in my ribs reminding me of exactly why we were here. I looked at Anabel and Jennifer.

  "Welcome to the gauntlet," I told them.

  I stepped out of the carriage and onto the tarmac. The training arc had officially begun.