Kairos followed this train of thought and quickly came to a solid conclusion.
He already knew that both Ancient and Future Paradox Pokémon didn't belong to this world. With that in mind, his world exploration progress wouldn't be affected by these beings from other dimensions. It would simply depend on his understanding of everything native to this world.
As he mulled this over, a series of messages appeared before him.
[World Exploration 100% Reward Distribution:]
[1. Legendary Game Creation Module "Genesis Engine" (Fragment) x1!]
[Description: A powerful module piece that transcends normal capabilities. Collecting all pieces can unlock the ability to create or modify basic world rules, bring legendary scenes and Pokémon to life, and even control time and space!]
[(Current Status: Fragment 1/?, functionality severely limited. Can only perform high-authority local data overwriting and minor rule adjustments, with massive resource consumption.)]
[2. Emotion Points: 30,000 points!]
[3. Special Item: "Portable Advanced Garden"!]
[Description: A folding ecological module from system space. When set up, it forms a stable small ecosystem with controllable time flow (maximum 1:10 ratio). Features greatly enhanced energy concentration, making it ideal for rare Berry cultivation, Pokémon rest, and housing Pokémon that need specific environments. Bound to host and can be stored at any time.]
The generous rewards perked Kairos up immediately.
Though he'd only received a fragment, the described effects sounded incredible. He just hadn't expected the system to split modules into pieces for rewards.
The huge sum of 30,000 Emotion Points was substantial too. Emotion Points were the currency he used to purchase items and upgrades from the system.
As for the Portable Advanced Garden, it was basically a mobile Pokémon breeding facility. Its value was clearly sky-high.
However, despite receiving all these rewards, Kairos hadn't forgotten his earlier questions or the situation he'd pieced together.
Since Future and Ancient Paradox Pokémon didn't belong to this world, what kind of force had brought them here?
He had a strong feeling this wasn't just some accident.
On top of that, if he hadn't been seeing things, when he'd rushed to the banquet to step in, he'd spotted those Future Paradox Pokémon arriving through Ultra Wormholes—rifts in space-time that connected different dimensions.
How could Ancient and Future Paradox Pokémon be linked to Ultra Wormholes?
Though coming to this world had answered some questions, new mysteries kept piling up.
These thoughts raced through Kairos's mind. He shook his head slightly and set aside these concerns for now.
At least this world should be safe for a while.
As for the matter of Ancient and Future Paradox Pokémon, he could keep investigating later.
With a thought, he prepared to examine the Legendary module fragment and Portable Garden's details more closely.
The system prompt box appeared again.
[Legendary Game Creation Module "Genesis Engine" (Fragment) loaded successfully.]
[Special Item "Portable Advanced Garden" stored in system space, can be opened at any time.]
[Emotion Points: 30,000 points, credited.]
---
Just as Kairos was claiming his rewards in the underground world, something sinister was unfolding on the surface.
In the distant surface world, above a desolate wasteland polluted by metallic debris and chaotic energy, space itself began to twist.
A circular vortex appeared out of nowhere. Its edges flickered with unstable purple-black arcs, like ink dropped into water. The portal opened silently above a broken elevated bridge.
The vortex's interior was unfathomably deep, as if connecting to some unknown void.
If Kairos were here, he would recognize this vortex instantly. It was the Ultra Wormhole he'd just been thinking about!
A flash of light appeared at the vortex's center. A figure stepped out gracefully and landed on ground covered with rusted metal and energy crystals.
It was a man, tall and composed. He wore a well-tailored white uniform with strange patterns. Golden lines traced along the edges, giving the outfit both an elegant and futuristic look.
His features were handsome, almost delicate, with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Most striking was his green hair, which looked pretty unusual.
The moment he steadied himself, a teeth-grating sound of scraping metal came from behind several twisted metal piles nearby.
Several Future Paradox Pokémon with fierce forms emerged. These creatures radiated cold, chaotic energy. Iron Jugulis with mechanical limbs moved like startled predators, their crimson electronic eyes locking onto this suddenly appearing intruder.
Their metal limbs began to sway and emit low hums. They were clearly about to attack.
However, facing this threat that could wipe out an elite League squad from this world, the green-haired man's smile didn't waver in the slightest. It even carried a hint of contempt.
He didn't even glance at those Future Paradox Pokémon ready to strike. He simply raised one black-gloved hand with casual ease. Then he lightly pressed it against a nearby waist-high black stone covered in strange blue patterns.
Hum!
The blue patterns on that stone suddenly blazed to life. A formless, intense wave of energy swept the area in an instant!
The next moment, an even stranger scene unfolded.
Those Iron Jugulis and mechanical creatures that had already assumed attack positions suddenly froze. Their crimson electronic eyes flickered violently several times, as if someone had hit pause. The charging hums cut off abruptly.
They stood rigid in place. Though the red light in their eyes remained, that violent urge to attack had vanished.
It was replaced by a state like standby mode, as if waiting for commands.
They lowered their heads, showing submission to that stone—or rather, to the man pressing it.
Only then did the green-haired man leisurely withdraw his hand. The blue glow on the stone dimmed accordingly.
He surveyed the surrounding wasteland covered in metal and lifeless energy. His brow furrowed slightly, and that smile faded a bit.
"Progress on destroying the world barrier..." he muttered to himself. His voice carried a note of dissatisfaction.
"Strange, why is it so slow? These hunks of junk are seriously underperforming."
His gaze turned toward the distance. There he could vaguely make out the faint light reflected from the underground city's dome, like a glaring scar on the earth.
"Looks like we need to apply more pressure on those insects barely clinging to life underground."
The green-haired man shrugged. With a flick of his wrist, several devices appeared in his palm. They shimmered with dark purple energy and were shaped like twisted keys.
He casually tossed them. These key-shaped devices flew like living things, shooting precisely toward those Future Paradox Pokémon in standby mode.
The moment the devices touched their metal shells, they melted in like mercury.
ROAR!
Several roars, far more violent than before, suddenly erupted!
Though the Iron Jugulis and mechanical creatures showed no obvious change in size, the chaotic energy swirling around them surged instantly. Dark purple eerie patterns appeared on their metal shells. Their crimson electronic eyes blazed with savage light.
The oppressive aura they gave off was orders of magnitude stronger than before!
Then, the green-haired man watched these Future Paradox Pokémon he'd "enhanced" with satisfaction. He spoke in an appreciative tone:
"That's more like it..."
"Go, give those folks underground a little surprise. Let them understand that hiding in their shells won't change their fate."
Those enhanced Future Paradox Pokémon let out even more violent roars. They transformed into several dark purple streaks of light and shot fiercely toward the distance, carrying an aura of destruction!
The green-haired man stopped watching them. He turned instead to face the still-open Ultra Wormhole.
He straightened his cuffs, as if reporting to some invisible presence:
"Number Three reporting. World Seven erosion progress obstructed. Have taken measures to accelerate world barrier destruction process. Expect expandable fissures to appear after next attack wave. Awaiting progress update."
Having said this, he stepped into that purple-black vortex and disappeared.
The Ultra Wormhole rapidly contracted and vanished behind him.
Only this wasteland covered in death and metal remained, along with the faint roars echoing from the distance.
---
Kairos had no idea what had just happened in the surface world.
After claiming his rewards, he stretched lazily.
Since progress had hit 100% and the game had been released, this world's business was wrapped up for now.
As for now, it was time to head home.
He glanced at the dimensional communicator—a device that let him travel between worlds—and activated it.
Hum!
The familiar sensation of slight spatial tremor came with the dimensional communicator's flaring light. A moment later, Kairos stood in his Cerulean City villa bedroom.
His figure landed solidly on the floor. Chandelure floated behind him like a shadow, its ghostly red flames swaying. It seemed pretty happy about being home.
"Finally back."
Kairos let out a soft breath. He really wasn't a fan of the air in the underground world—that mix of motor oil and rust. The air in this world was way fresher.
No wonder everyone says we need to protect the natural environment.
After returning, his gaze immediately went to that specially made warming tank in the corner of the room.
Inside the tank, clear water slowly circulated.
Omanyte was floating quietly in the water's center. Its soft head tentacles swayed slightly. Two dark eyes curiously observed the suddenly appeared Kairos and Chandelure.
Compared to its just-revived state when he'd left, the current Omanyte looked way more alert. Its shell was shinier and seemed much sturdier.
"Yo, looking good."
Kairos walked to the warming tank and lightly tapped the glass wall with his finger.
"Omanyte~?"
Omanyte made a confused cry. Its body clumsily turned a circle in the water, seemingly trying to see who was outside.
It recognized Kairos's aura. Several tentacles began dancing happily, gently patting the tank wall as if greeting him.
Though still pretty naive, it had already figured out who had brought it back to this world.
Seeing Omanyte adapting well, Kairos felt his mood lift.
He extended a finger and tapped Omanyte through the glass:
"Get used to things. Later I'll take you to see the ocean. It'll probably be pretty different from what's in your memory, but it's still the same sea, haha."
After checking on the newborn little one, Kairos walked over to sit at the nearby computer desk.
The rewards he'd gotten in the underground world—he could examine them properly now.
The first thing he checked was that Portable Advanced Garden.
He'd only glanced at it earlier. Now he could look into it thoroughly.
As his consciousness reached into the system inventory, a palm-sized hexagonal metal module appeared in his selection. It gave off a soft green glow. He pulled it out directly.
"Materialize."
Hum!
With a slight vibration, the metal module appeared in his open palm. It felt warm to the touch and carried a strange sense of life.
Following his intention, the module's surface lit up with a soft glow. It projected a gentle light screen onto the open space before him.
The light screen expanded, forming a massive virtual space projection.
This projected space was clearly divided into several areas. It appeared to cover over a thousand acres—an extremely large area.
The space contained four distinct zones: a sunlit plain covered in green grass, a humid area filled with strange plants forming a rainforest, a dry, scorching desert, and a small section covered with thin frost that gave off cold air.
At the edge of each area were things resembling control panels, with lots of data displayed.
[Portable Advanced Garden deployed.]
[Status: Stable (sufficient energy)]
[Time Flow Control: Currently 1:1 (standard flow rate). Can be adjusted up to 1:10 (10 days inside, 1 day outside).]
[Ecological Zones: Four basic environments preset, Plain, Rainforest, Desert, Cold Zone. Host can spend Emotion Points to expand or customize new environments.]
[Current Cultivation: None]
[Current Resident Pokémon: None]
Kairos's eyes immediately lit up.
Ten times time flow rate? This meant growing Berries inside—one day outside meant they could grow for ten days inside!
This would be perfect for cultivating rare Berries, or letting Pokémon that needed special environments for training or evolution stay inside. The results would be amazing.
When Chandelure or Gengar got tired, they could also go in to rest. After all, the time flow rate was different inside.
Right...
He suddenly thought of that World Seed still sitting in system space.
Since this thing was supposed to grow into a World Tree, could it be planted here?
With a thought, that seed appeared in his hand. It gave off an ancient aura, its surface covered in profound patterns.
The moment the seed appeared, the surrounding space seemed to freeze for an instant.
Kairos had long since gotten used to this. He walked before the virtual projection's plain area and tried placing the seed into that soil.
Hum!
The seed did indeed go in directly, but then something happened.
After a soft sound, it was like hitting an invisible barrier. The seed bounced straight out of that soil and fell back into Kairos's hand. Not even a speck of dirt clung to it.
The patterns on the seed's surface flickered slightly, as if showing disdain.
"Tsk."
Kairos pressed his lips together, though he wasn't too surprised.
As expected, it wasn't that simple. Looks like successfully planting this thing would require stricter conditions. It wasn't just a matter of having good soil.
He put the World Seed back.
However, even if he couldn't plant a World Tree, surely he could plant something else?
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones