The calm didn't last.
It never did.
Even as the second Anchor stabilized, the sky above Neo-Grid City pulsed again—this time not with cracks…
But with waves.
Like something massive was breathing behind reality itself.
Ben stood still, eyes locked upward.
"…This one feels different."
Charizard growled low.
Not in fear—
In warning.
System Alert — Escalation Tier
[ANCHOR DETECTED: THIRD NODE][STATUS: DORMANT → AWAKENING][ANOMALY: MULTI-LAYER OVERLAP][THREAT LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC]
Sarah's scanner flickered violently.
"I'm getting multiple readings from the same location… that's not possible."
Ben narrowed his eyes.
"…It's not one anchor."
A pause.
"…It's several… stacked together."
Location — The Null Zone
At the edge of the city—
Where previous distortions had torn space too many times—
Reality had thinned.
Buildings flickered in and out.
Gravity shifted randomly.
Sound echoed before it happened.
"This place…" Sarah whispered. "It's like the world's breaking down."
Ben nodded.
"It's where the barriers are weakest."
And right at the center—
A massive distortion sphere pulsed.
Black.
Silent.
Hungry.
Unexpected Presence
But they weren't alone.
A group stood near the edge of the Null Zone.
Trainers.
Five of them.
All with active Pokémon.
All watching the distortion.
"Who are they?" Sarah asked.
Before Ben could respond—
One of them stepped forward.
A girl, slightly older, sharp gaze.
"You're the Sync Holder, right?" she said.
Ben tensed. "Who are you?"
She crossed her arms.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is—we've been holding this zone together before you showed up."
Her Pokémon stepped forward—
A powerful Metagross, its metallic body gleaming even in distorted light.
"We're not here to watch the world end."
Temporary Alliance
Sarah leaned closer. "They've been stabilizing manually…"
Ben nodded slightly.
Impressive.
But—
"…This is different from before," he said. "You should leave."
The girl smirked.
"You first."
Before tension could rise further—
The sphere pulsed.
Third Anchor Awakens
The black distortion sphere collapsed inward—
Then exploded outward.
Not violently—
But silently.
The entire Null Zone froze.
Time stopped.
Sound vanished.
Even thought slowed.
Ben felt it instantly.
"…This is stronger than the others."
System Override Failure
[WARNING: SYSTEM RESPONSE DELAYED][ANCHOR TYPE: UNKNOWN / MULTI-CORE][SYNC INTERFERENCE: CRITICAL]
Three shapes emerged.
Not one Guardian.
Three.
Each different.
Each unstable.
Each overlapping with the others like shifting layers.
Sarah's voice barely came through:
"…How do we even fight that?"
Multi-Core Threat
The first Guardian pulsed with raw destructive energy.
The second distorted space itself.
The third—
Did nothing.
Just watched.
Ben's instincts screamed.
"…That one's the real core."
Battle Begins — Team Engagement
The other trainers moved first.
"Metagross—Meteor Mash!"
"Hydreigon—Dark Pulse!"
"Excadrill—Drill Run!"
Multiple attacks launched simultaneously—
Hitting the outer Guardians.
For a moment—
They worked.
Energy clashed.
Distortion pushed back.
Hope flickered.
Then—
Everything reversed.
The attacks bent.
Twisted.
Returned.
"Watch out!" Sarah shouted.
The blasts slammed back into the team.
Explosions erupted across the zone.
Ben Steps In
"Enough."
Ben's voice cut through the chaos.
He stepped forward.
Charizard beside him.
Doublade floating at his flank.
"Sarah—support them."
"Got it!"
"Gardevoir—full stabilization field!"
A stronger psychic wave spread outward, helping the injured trainers recover.
Tactical Shift
Ben focused.
Three Guardians.
One real.
Two defenses.
"…We split their attention."
Charizard roared.
Doublade spun into position.
"Charizard—engage left!"
"Doublade—disrupt right!"
"I'll take the center!"
Clash of Layers
Charizard clashed with the destructive Guardian—flames vs raw energy.
Doublade cut through spatial distortions, stabilizing fragments with precise strikes.
Ben moved forward—
Toward the silent one.
The real core.
Interruption
Just as he reached it—
The air froze again.
A familiar presence appeared.
The Second Variable.
Standing between him and the core.
"…You're getting faster," the boy said calmly.
Ben didn't stop walking.
"And you're getting predictable."
Rising Stakes
The boy gestured.
The two outer Guardians surged with power again.
"You think this is just about stabilization?" he asked.
Ben's eyes narrowed.
"…It isn't?"
The boy smiled faintly.
"This anchor… is a gateway."
Revelation
The third Guardian pulsed—
And for a split second—
Something appeared behind it.
Not a Pokémon.
Not a world.
Something else.
Something vast.
Something watching.
Ben froze.
"…What is that?"
The boy's voice dropped.
"…The source."
Chapter Cliffhanger
The Null Zone trembled violently.
The gateway began opening.
The three Guardians synchronized—
For the first time.
The system glitched—
Then screamed:
[CRITICAL ALERT: EXTERNAL ENTITY DETECTED][THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN — BEYOND PARAMETERS]
Sarah looked up in horror.
"…Ben…"
He didn't respond.
His eyes were locked on the opening gateway.
"…This isn't just our world anymore."
The Second Variable stepped back slowly.
"…Now you understand."