The title screen didn't show Ho-Oh or Lugia. Instead, it was a silhouette of a Fearow, its wings shredded into digital ribbons, eyes glowing a flat, crystalline red. The music was a slowed-down, distorted version of the Lavender Town theme, pulsing with a heartbeat-like bass that made your thumbs twitch. You pressed Start.
The screen flickered, a jagged tear of static cutting through the familiar GameBoy Color startup chime. You shouldn’t have bought a cartridge with "RAPTOR" scrawled in Sharpie from a flea market bin, but the curiosity was a heavy weight in your chest. Pokemon Raptor Ex Exe
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: The title screen didn't show Ho-Oh or Lugia