The sky never fully healed.
Even after the Anchor stabilized, faint fractures still pulsed above Neo-Grid City—like scars that refused to fade.
Ben stood silently, watching them.
Behind him, Charizard had returned to its normal form, but its breathing was still heavy. The battle wasn't just physical… it had drained something deeper.
Sarah stepped closer. "Your sync level… it's still rising."
Ben glanced at his hand. Faint light lines—like circuitry—ran across his skin.
"…I can feel them," he said quietly. "The other anchors."
System Interface — Expanded
[SYNC HOLDER: BEN — STATUS UPDATED][ANCHOR LINK: 1/???][PASSIVE ABILITY UNLOCKED: RESONANCE SENSE][NEW DIRECTIVE: LOCATE SECOND VARIABLE]
"Second variable?" Sarah frowned. "You weren't the only one?"
Ben shook his head slowly. "No… and that's the problem."
Elsewhere — Unknown Zone
Far beyond the city, inside a collapsing parallel realm—
A boy stood alone.
Same age.
Same confused expression.
Same glowing marks on his skin.
But his eyes—
Cold.
Emotionless.
Around him, destruction reigned.
A Tyranitar rampaged through broken terrain. A Salamence circled overhead, its wings slicing through unstable air currents. Both Pokémon radiated distortion energy—but neither attacked the boy.
They obeyed him.
The system flickered near him too.
[SYNC HOLDER: UNKNOWN][ANCHOR LINK: 3/???][SYNC MODE: FORCED DOMINANCE]
The boy raised his hand.
The collapsing realm… froze.
Then slowly began to reshape itself.
"Stability is inefficient," he muttered.
"Control is absolute."
Back to Neo-Grid City
Ben suddenly staggered.
A sharp pain shot through his head.
"—ghh!"
Sarah caught him. "What happened?!"
"I saw… him…" Ben breathed heavily. "Another Sync Holder."
Charizard growled low, sensing the disturbance.
"He's already connected to more anchors than me," Ben continued. "And he's not stabilizing them…"
Sarah's eyes widened.
"…He's forcing them."
Implication
Silence fell.
Then—
"That means…" Sarah said slowly, "if he keeps doing that…"
Ben finished the thought:
"…He could overwrite reality itself."
Training Shift — Immediate
"No more waiting," Ben said firmly.
"We need to increase sync—and fast."
Sarah nodded. "Then we use everything we have."
She opened her storage case.
Inside—
Exp. Candies. Treasures. Attribute shards.
Everything they had been saving.
Ben looked at Charizard.
"…Ready?"
Charizard smirked confidently.
Power Growth Sequence
Resources Used:
Exp. Candy L ×5 → +50,000 EXP
Exp. Candy XL ×2 → +60,000 EXP
Fire Attribute Core ×1 → Boost Fire Power
Charizard Level: 72 → 78
Flames ignited around Charizard, more stable—more intense than before.
Its wings spread wider.
Its roar deeper.
The blue tint in its flames flickered again… hinting at a stronger form beyond.
"Not bad," Sarah said. "But we'll need more than raw power."
She turned.
"Doublade—your turn."
Resources Used:
Exp. Candy M ×6 → +18,000 EXP
Exp. Candy L ×3 → +30,000 EXP
Steel Essence Fragment ×2
Doublade Level: 66 → 71
The twin blades vibrated, their edges glowing with a sharper aura. The cloth binding them pulsed like a heartbeat.
Ben exhaled slowly.
"…Still not enough."
The sky pulsed again.
A distant Anchor Guardian began forming—far outside the city.
But this time—
It wasn't neutral.
It was unstable.
Decision Point
"We go there," Ben said immediately.
Sarah hesitated. "What about the other Sync Holder?"
Ben's eyes hardened.
"If we ignore these anchors, he wins faster."
He stepped forward.
"So we stabilize first."
Then—
"We deal with him."
Meanwhile — The Second Variable
The unknown boy stood atop a floating structure, overlooking a half-merged city-realm.
Three Anchor Guardians floated behind him—completely subdued.
Chains of light bound them.
The system flickered.
[SYNC LEVEL: 92%][REALITY OVERRIDE PROGRESS: 41%]
He closed his eyes.
"…One more."
Then opened them again.
Cold.
Precise.
"And I'll reach perfection."
Clash Incoming
Back in Neo-Grid City outskirts—
Ben and Sarah raced toward the forming anchor zone.
The air twisted violently.
Lightning struck upward instead of down.
Gravity shifted unpredictably.
Charizard roared, pushing forward through the distortion.
Then—
They saw it.
A new Anchor Guardian—but this one was different.
Its form was unstable—glitching violently.
And around it—
Wild Pokémon were being corrupted.
A Lucario howled in pain.
A Garchomp lashed out blindly.
Their bodies flickered like broken code.
Sarah gasped. "This isn't natural…!"
Ben clenched his fists.
"…He's already influencing this one."
Chapter Ending Tension
The Guardian turned.
Locked onto Ben.
But unlike the first one—
It didn't ask.
It attacked.
Reality itself collapsed forward like a wave.
Ben shouted—
"Get ready!"
Charizard ignited.
Doublade spun into formation.
Sarah raised her hand—
"Gardevoir—full barrier!"
The battlefield warped.
The clash began.