"Hello, everyone. We've reached episode one hundred, and to celebrate, I have a special story for you all. I hope you enjoy it."
Aiden, immersed in the Metalux creation device, began to recall his happiest moments, like being with his friend—a person he had met only recently but who, for some inexplicable reason, felt like a soulmate. Meanwhile, Podbe, curled up in a corner of Rino's bed, was also thinking about his human companion, Aiden.
Suddenly, Aiden felt himself falling into a dark hole. He floated within that void until an invisible force pulled him downward. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. Something warm and wet began to lick him—it was Podbe. The boy called his name and gave him a tight hug. "Where are we?" asked Aiden, confused. The canine wagged his tail and tilted his head, signaling that he had no idea either. At that moment, Reia's voice echoed in Podbe's mind through their telepathic bond, shouting, "Hey, you fools! Where have you brought me now?"
The white space surrounding them began to fade, giving way to darkness. "What is this place? I can't see anything," murmured Aiden as he searched for his dog. He pulled a lighter from his pocket, gathered some dry leaves and a few twigs he had found nearby, and lit a small makeshift torch. "There you are, Podbe! Look, there's a path. We need to follow it."
Both of them moved forward, guided by the flickering light of the torch, when suddenly Aiden bumped into something. "Ouch! My head!" exclaimed two voices in unison. "Who's there?" asked Aiden, raising his torch. The other person did the same, and both were so startled that they ran off in opposite directions. But a few meters later, they heard a bark. They retraced their steps and finally saw each other for the first time.
The stranger had golden skin, even his hair was blonde, and he wore green robes that seemed fit for royalty. "What are you?" asked Aiden, bewildered. "I'm not a 'what.' My name is Paltio," replied the young man, sounding offended. "And you're quite strange yourself, looking so pale, and that silver hair of yours…" said Paltio, pointing at him.
"Sorry, it's just that I've never seen anyone like you. My name is Aiden," responded the boy, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, Aiden. I don't know what a 'person' is. I'm a humanoid avocado," explained Paltio, and to demonstrate, he removed the button from his navel, revealing a half golden seed instead of a regular belly button.
"Wow, I've never seen anyone with something like that, let alone golden. Avocados are usually green, and inside they're yellow… but golden? Never," commented Aiden, amazed. "Likewise, I've never seen a guy with such pale skin," added Paltio. "And that companion of yours is my friend, a dog named Podbe." "Woof, woof!" barked the canine.
"Interesting. What a beautiful creature," said Paltio, admiring the dog. Suddenly, from his stomach emerged Golden, a being who resided within a mirror. "And so, boy?" asked Golden, looking at Aiden. Before they could respond, Toco-Toco, a cat that had come out of the mirror, appeared before them. "Oh no! It's a cat!" exclaimed Aiden, as Podbe took off, chasing after him.
"Hey, stop! Stop fighting!" shouted both boys. The cat launched its claws, but Podbe shielded himself with his hardness. "Enough already! Each of you to your side!" ordered Aiden, holding Podbe back, while Paltio did the same with Toco-Toco.
"How crazy. I didn't know dogs and cats were enemies," commented Paltio. "Tell me about it. Most of the time, they are—unless they're raised together," explained Aiden.
"Do you know where we are?" asked the twelve-year-old boy.
"To be honest, no. I was walking with my butler and my friends when I fell through a hole and ended up here with you," replied the thirteen-year-old. "Interesting. Something similar happened to me," said Aiden. "Why are you dressed like that? Are you royalty?" asked Aiden, pointing at Paltio's elegant attire.
"Of course. He is a prince, the prince of Avocadolia," interjected Golden, returning the cat to the mirror. "Ah, that explains why you're different from others and have that golden tone. Wow! You have a talking mirror!" remarked the silver-haired boy. "Yes, indeed. Though I don't like to boast about being royalty. This entity you see emerging from me is Golden, a guardian placed by his master and our creator to protect me. Right now, I'm on a quest: I must find and reassemble the scepter to free my parents and my people from the Shadow Realm."
"Wow, that's interesting, Prince," said Aiden. "As for me, I'm searching for my parents. I'm an orphan—or at least I thought I was until recently. I have a dog with powers. He has a system." "A system?" asked Paltio, intrigued. "Yes, a system grants him powers through artificial intelligence." "Artificial intelligence?" asked Paltio, astonished. "Yes, something like your friend Golden, only instead of having powers and being your guardian, it's the dog's guide. Her name is Reia," explained Aiden.
"Who are you calling a guide, boy?" interrupted Reia from Podbe's subconscious. "I see you have someone else," said Golden. "I can create a psychic link so both of them can talk." "Really? That would be great," indicated Aiden. Golden activated the link, and the voices of Podbe and Reia resonated outside the mental bond.
"Wow, this is fantastic. I didn't think there would be two people with you," said Paltio. "Well, actually, it's the voice of the dog and Reia, the AI," clarified Aiden.
"I didn't think you were an orphan… And here I am, living in luxury and complaining about my absent parents, even though they're now turned into jade by dark magic. I have them, but it's like I don't," reflected Paltio, his voice heavy with guilt. His green eyes dropped to the ground as he processed Aiden's words.
"Yes, well… I've had foster parents, but I always ended up back at the orphanage because I just didn't fit in," Aiden replied calmly, shrugging, as if trying to downplay the matter. However, his silvery gaze revealed a deep melancholy that not even the dimness of the place could conceal.
"I see," said Paltio softly, letting the silence stretch for a few seconds. In his mind, fleeting images of his real parents crossed by, reminding him how much he missed them, despite their recent lack of time together. "Maybe I will take what I have for granted," thought the prince, feeling a mix of gratitude and longing begin to swell in his chest. "I hope someday I can hug them again," he murmured, more to himself than to Aiden.
The silver-haired boy glanced at him sideways, catching the vulnerability in his voice. "Don't worry, Paltio. Everyone has the opportunity for a new beginning. No matter where you are heading, if you move forward with love and happiness, you will always find a new dawn," said Aiden, smiling with a serenity that inspired confidence.
"And what is that?" asked Paltio.
"Oh, it's a phrase the sisters at the orphanage used to say," explained Aiden, laughing a little sheepishly.
Paltio looked at him with admiration. Despite everything he had been through—and being held captive by an organization using him to create people with powers—Aiden maintained a resilient and optimistic attitude. "Thank you, friend. Maybe when we meet again, we can help each other reclaim what we cherish most," responded the prince, extending his hand with determination.
Aiden nodded and shook his hand firmly. Both knew that, though their worlds were different, they shared a common desire: to find a place where they belonged.
After the introductions, Paltio asked, "And what about you? Why are you dressed in that long gown-like thing and barefoot?" "Oh, this is a clinical robe. For now, I'm trapped by the bad guys. I don't know how I got here, but at least I feel free," Aiden replied. Paltio, the thirteen-year-old boy, felt a pang of sadness for the other teenager, who mentioned he was being used for a project to create humans with powers called Metalux.
"How about I help you find a way out?" proposed the prince. "That would be great, and I could also help you with your fight. Well, more like my dog could," responded Aiden. "Sure, I'd like that," said Paltio.
Both asked themselves the same question: "Why were we sent here?" "How about we follow that path?" suggested Aiden, illuminating the trail with his torch. "Yes, let's go," they both said, beginning to walk together.
As they moved forward, they kept talking. The five of them—Paltio, Golden, Reia, Podbe, and Aiden—formed a peculiar group. Suddenly, the path seemed to come to an end as they heard footsteps echoing throughout the area. "What could that be?" they all wondered.
Before them appeared a gigantic leg, like that of a bull, followed by a pair of horns. A monster the size of a four-story building approached. Its appearance resembled a minotaur, except its tail was like a lizard's, and its right arm was a robotic laser cannon.
The monstrous creature roared, and the atmosphere shifted from perpetual darkness to an illuminated cave. "As my friend Alita would say, 'Another cave again!'" remarked Paltio.
The monster fired its laser weapon, but the boys, small and agile, managed to dodge the attack by ducking. "What do we do?" asked Reia. "There's no choice but to fight," replied Aiden. "You're right. We'll have to defeat it to get out of here," said Paltio.
"A laser weapon… that was close," commented Aiden. "I've never seen a minotaur except on TV," he added. "I've never seen a device like that on its arm," said the prince.
"Alright, go, Podbe. Can you handle this? Is this like that anime where you choose a creature to fight?" said Reia sarcastically. "Uh, no," responded Aiden. "Ah, it's like Avocadomon, a show I watch. I never miss it!" indicated Paltio. "I want to try it too. I choose you, Toco-Toco!" exclaimed the prince, and the cat emerged from the mirror.
"Alright, guys, don't fight. We need you to work together to defeat this threat," said the two boys, while Reia and Golden backed the idea.
The cat and the dog stared at each other intensely, and though reluctantly, they decided to collaborate. Both launched into battle. Podbe used his hardness to protect himself. "There's something new about this attack, Aiden," said the boy, noticing a kind of armor shielding the canine. The monster pulled a club from its back and hurled it toward them. The dog struck the massive log, which didn't even reach the ground thanks to the protection he wore.
"Alright, it's my turn," said Toco-Toco, slicing the club in half with his claws. "How easy," remarked the cat. Enraged, the beast launched another attack, this time downward to crush them all. A massive beam destroyed the floor, but thanks to Aiden, everyone escaped in time because he created a portal. "That was awesome, man," Paltio told him. "Yeah, it's one of my abilities," replied the silver-haired boy.
"Well, if you can do that, it's time for me to show what I've got and destroy this crazy bull," said the prince. "Golden, lend me your power." "Oh, really, kid? Are you going all out? Fine, but I'll give you just enough so you don't pass out from exhaustion." Golden shared some of his power with Paltio, who shone like a star and unleashed a beam to counter the Robotic Minotaur's laser blast. "Now, amplify the power," said Paltio, destroying the monster's laser weapon.
The great bull let out a cry of pain but refused to give up. It charged toward them, trying to crush them with its hooves. "Are you okay, Paltio?" asked Aiden as he saw the golden boy kneel, exhausted from using Golden's power. "I think that's enough, Prince. Otherwise, you'll faint from the immense power," said Golden, and Golden withdrew the energy.
Aiden helped Paltio to his feet. "I'm fine," said the prince, trying to appear strong. "You put up a good fight, Paltio. It's time for Podbe to take over with the help of your feline friend."
Toco-Toco and Podbe locked eyes and then turned their determined gazes toward the beast. They charged at it. The cat extended its claws and sank them into the creature's legs, causing it to fall. As it plummeted, the cat said to the dog, "It's your turn." Podbe responded to Reia, "It's time to activate the new form of 'firehead.'"
The canine sprinted toward the falling beast's chest and shouted, "Firehead!" Suddenly, the gigantic monster began to ignite as a result of the pup's ability.
"Hey, Podbe, I didn't know you had that attack in that form," said Aiden. "Yes, a lot happened while you were gone," replied the AI. "Wow, I missed so much. I hope we meet again soon," said Aiden.
Once the beast was defeated, a black-and-white portal opened, resembling a spiderweb. A feminine voice told them, "You must enter to return to your worlds. Hurry, because the portal won't stay open for long, and that creature will return with greater strength."
"Whose voice is that?" asked Paltio. Golden had no answer. "I think I know who it is," indicated Aiden. "Don't worry, if she says so, it must be safe." "Alright, I think we should go through there," said Paltio. "Yes, I think so too," replied Aiden.
"It was a pleasure fighting by your side, even if this is a dream," said Paltio. "Likewise, but for me, it feels like something lived," both boys responded, shaking hands. "If we meet again, look for me in Avocadolia," said the golden boy as he stepped through alongside Toco-Toco, giving Podbe a thumbs-up with his paw, like friends.
"And where exactly is that?" Aiden wondered aloud, glancing around curiously at the void now surrounding them. But before he could get an answer, Paltio had already vanished, leaving behind only a faint golden shimmer that faded like a whisper in the air. The glow flickered for a moment before disappearing entirely into the portal, taking with it any trace of the avocado prince.
Aiden stood motionless for a moment, processing what had just happened. "Oh well," he murmured finally, shrugging, though a small melancholic smile tugged at his lips. "Guess I'll have to find a way," he added with determination, clenching his fists slightly as a spark of resolve gleamed in his silvery eyes.
"Well, Podbe, it's time to part ways. I hope we meet again soon, my friend," said Aiden, hugging the dog tightly. Both stepped into the portal.
Inside the laboratory machine where Aiden was being held, the boy whispered almost inaudibly: "Podbe." His trembling voice echoed faintly in the cold room as a single tear rolled down his cheek, reflecting the dim light flickering from nearby monitors. The connection he had felt with his loyal companion now seemed more distant than ever, yet also deeper—as if the bond they shared had left an indelible mark on his heart.
Paltio awoke and found himself with his friends. "Hey, I'm back!" he exclaimed. His friends looked at him and laughed. "I think exhaustion makes you hallucinate things," they said. But something inside Paltio told him that everything he had experienced was real—or perhaps a premonition of the future. With Aiden and Podbe, he hoped to see them again someday.
"Don't miss my new web series called Paltio and the Five Kingdoms, now available.