Chapter 7 — The Four Powers of the Pokémon World
The sky was breaking.
Not metaphorically.
Above Dimensional Island, the clouds had been torn apart by the enormous dimensional rift. Purple lightning crawled across the fractured sky while strange fragments of other worlds floated inside the opening.
The Null King stood at the center of it all.
Its enormous body was surrounded by black and violet energy.
Across the battlefield, thousands of Pokémon waited.
Dragonite.
Metagross.
Garchomp.
Tyranitar.
Lucario.
Gardevoir.
Blastoise.
Venusaur.
Charizard.
And countless others.
Jin stood at the front of them.
Beside him was the island's enormous Pikachu.
"Pika..."
[Master.]
Jin tightened his fist.
"I know."
The System hovered before his eyes.
[FULL ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY]
Dimensional Island Synchronization: 100%
Pokémon Network: CONNECTED
Battle Coordination: ACTIVE
Available Regional Power Systems Detected.
Mega Evolution
Z-Power
Dynamax/Gigantamax
Terastallization
Jin stared.
"Wait."
He looked at Astra.
"You never mentioned those."
Astra smiled faintly.
"I was waiting for you to unlock this level of authority."
Jin blinked.
"You're telling me this island can use all four?"
"Not just use them."
Astra pointed toward the sky.
"It exists between the worlds that created them."
Clemont nearly dropped his equipment.
"That's impossible!"
Astra looked at him.
"Your definition of impossible is going to become rather flexible today."
Clemont stared at his machine.
"It is detecting four completely different energy signatures!"
Serena looked toward the battlefield.
"Does that mean..."
Ash's eyes lit up.
"We can use our power-ups!"
"Pikachu!"
Ash's Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.
"Exactly!"
Cynthia calmly approached Jin.
"So the island has access to Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Terastallization."
Jin nodded.
"Apparently."
Steven adjusted his glasses.
"Interesting."
Leon grinned.
"Now this is getting exciting."
Diantha looked toward the Null King.
"Let's hope we survive long enough to test it."
A tremendous roar interrupted them.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A wave of black energy exploded from the Null King.
"EVERYONE!"
Jin raised his hand.
The System reacted instantly.
[COMMAND RECEIVED]
[ISLAND-WIDE DEFENSIVE FORMATION]
Thousands of Pokémon moved.
Blastoise created walls of water.
Gardevoir and Alakazam generated barriers.
Metagross reinforced them with Psychic energy.
Steelix and Aggron formed a physical defensive line.
The attack struck.
KRAAAAAAAASH!
The island shook.
But the barrier held.
Ash stared.
"That's incredible!"
Jin exhaled.
"Okay..."
He looked at the System.
"Let's see what these four systems can really do."
The First Power — Mega Evolution
Steven stepped forward.
"Jin."
"Yeah?"
"I'll demonstrate first."
Steven removed a Key Stone.
His Metagross floated beside him.
"Metagross."
Steven raised the Key Stone.
"Let's show them."
The stone began glowing.
Metagross's body responded.
A brilliant light engulfed it.
Jin shielded his eyes.
"That's..."
Cynthia smiled.
"Mega Evolution."
The light exploded outward.
Standing where Metagross had been was a massive four-legged metallic Pokémon.
Mega Metagross.
Its eyes burned with intense blue light.
Its Psychic energy distorted the air around it.
Jin's System immediately responded.
[MEGA EVOLUTION DETECTED]
Mega Energy Synchronization: COMPLETE
Dimensional Island can now stabilize Mega Evolution.
Steven smiled.
"Let's go."
Mega Metagross launched forward.
BOOM!
It moved so quickly that Jin barely saw it.
The Null King raised an arm.
Mega Metagross slammed into it.
KRAK!
The Null King was pushed backward.
Leon whistled.
"That's one way to make an entrance."
Cynthia nodded.
"Steven's Mega Metagross is exceptionally powerful."
But the Null King recovered.
It looked directly at Mega Metagross.
Then its body began changing.
Black energy gathered around its arm.
Steven's expression hardened.
"Incoming!"
Mega Metagross dodged.
A blade of dimensional energy sliced through the battlefield.
It cut an enormous canyon into the ground.
Jin stared.
"If that hit..."
Astra answered quietly.
"It would have destroyed half the island."
Jin looked toward the Null King.
"Then let's give it something else to worry about."
The Second Power — Z-Moves
Ash stepped forward.
"Jin!"
Jin turned.
Ash held up his Z-Ring.
"Pikachu and I have an idea."
Jin smiled.
"Go for it."
Ash raised his arm.
"Pikachu!"
"Pika!"
The Z-Crystal began glowing.
Energy surrounded them.
The island's System immediately detected it.
[Z-POWER SIGNATURE DETECTED]
Synchronization established.
Z-Move authorization: APPROVED.
Jin stared.
"Wait..."
Ash took his stance.
"Pikachu!"
Lightning erupted around the two.
Ash shouted the activation pose.
"Pika... Pika...!"
Pikachu's cheeks exploded with electricity.
Ash thrust his arm forward.
"10,000,000 VOLT THUNDERBOLT!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic bolt of lightning descended from the sky.
The battlefield became white.
The Null King raised both arms.
The attack struck.
KRAAAAAAAAAA-BOOOOOOM!
A massive explosion tore through the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared...
The Null King was still standing.
But it had been pushed backward.
Ash grinned.
"That worked!"
Clemont stared at his readings.
"The energy output is astronomical!"
Bonnie jumped excitedly.
"Pikachu is amazing!"
Ash's Pikachu looked extremely proud.
"Pika!"
Jin laughed.
"Okay."
He looked at the Null King.
"Two systems down."
Leon stepped forward.
"Then perhaps it's my turn."
The Third Power — Dynamax
Leon released his Poké Ball.
"Charizard!"
"Char!"
The massive Charizard appeared.
Leon held a Dynamax Band.
The surrounding air suddenly became saturated with red energy.
Jin's System reacted violently.
[DYNAMAX ENERGY DETECTED]
Warning: Dimensional Energy Interaction
Stabilization required.
Jin raised his hand.
"System."
[COMMAND?]
"Stabilize Dynamax Energy."
[COMMAND ACCEPTED.]
The island trembled.
A massive red aura spread outward.
Leon smiled.
"Now!"
He threw the Poké Ball.
"Charizard!"
The ball opened.
Red energy erupted.
Charizard grew.
And grew.
And grew.
Until a gigantic Pokémon towered over the battlefield.
Gigantamax Charizard.
Its wings spread.
Flames erupted from its mouth.
Everyone looked upward.
Even the Null King paused.
Leon pointed.
"Charizard!"
Gigantamax Charizard roared.
"CHARIZAAAAARD!"
The roar shook the clouds.
Leon shouted.
"G-Max Wildfire!"
Gigantamax Charizard opened its mouth.
A gigantic inferno erupted.
The flames struck the Null King.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Null King's body disappeared inside the flames.
Jin stared.
"That's..."
Astra smiled.
"Yes."
"Ridiculous."
"Correct."
The Fourth Power — Terastallization
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then the flames disappeared.
The Null King was still standing.
Its body was damaged.
But it was regenerating.
Jin frowned.
"Nothing is enough."
Cynthia stepped forward.
"Perhaps we're approaching this incorrectly."
She released Garchomp.
"Garchomp."
Cynthia held up a mysterious crystalline object.
Jin's System immediately reacted.
[TERA ENERGY DETECTED]
Cynthia smiled.
"Let's try something different."
She raised her Tera Orb.
"Garchomp, Terastallize!"
Crystal energy surrounded Garchomp.
A brilliant crown appeared above its head.
Its body became covered in sparkling crystalline light.
Jin's eyes widened.
"That's beautiful."
Cynthia pointed toward the Null King.
"Garchomp."
"CHOMP!"
Garchomp charged.
Its crystalline body reflected the light of the battlefield.
Cynthia shouted:
"Tera Dragon!"
Garchomp unleashed an enormous Dragon-type attack.
The Null King attempted to block.
The attack collided.
BOOOOOOOM!
The ground cracked.
The dimensional rift above them shook.
Jin's System began screaming warnings.
[MULTIPLE REGIONAL POWER SYSTEMS ACTIVE]
Mega Evolution: ACTIVE
Z-Power: ACTIVE
Dynamax: ACTIVE
Terastallization: ACTIVE
Dimensional Energy Interaction: EXTREME
Warning.
Dimensional instability increasing.
Jin froze.
"That's not good."
Clemont looked at his scanner.
"The four energies are interacting with the dimensional rift!"
Astra's expression changed.
"Everyone stop."
Jin turned.
"What?"
Astra pointed toward the sky.
The rift was changing.
Instead of expanding...
It was collapsing inward.
The Null King suddenly stopped fighting.
Its head turned toward the rift.
For the first time...
It looked afraid.
Jin noticed.
"Why is it scared?"
Astra whispered:
"Because something is coming."
The rift became completely black.
Then—
A single eye appeared.
Huge.
Watching them.
Everyone froze.
Ash's Pikachu stopped smiling.
Cynthia's Garchomp growled.
Steven's Mega Metagross prepared itself.
Leon recalled Gigantamax Charizard.
Jin stared upward.
"What..."
The eye slowly opened.
A voice echoed across the island.
Not through sound.
Through their minds.
ADMINISTRATOR.
Jin's blood ran cold.
The voice continued.
YOU HAVE AWAKENED THE FOUR KEYS.
Astra stepped backward.
"No..."
Jin looked at her.
"You know that thing."
Astra's face had lost all color.
"I know what it means."
"What?"
She looked toward the enormous eye.
"The four power systems aren't merely battle techniques."
Jin's eyes widened.
"Then what are they?"
Astra whispered:
"They are keys."
The System suddenly appeared before Jin.
[SECRET WORLD SETTING UNLOCKED]
FOUR REGIONAL POWER SYSTEMS
Mega Evolution — Key of Bond
Z-Power — Key of Will
Dynamax — Key of Scale
Terastallization — Key of Identity
When all four are awakened within the same dimensional domain...
A fifth power may emerge.
[DIMENSIONAL POWER]
STATUS: LOCKED
Requirement: Unknown
Jin stared at the message.
"A fifth power?"
Astra nodded.
"And that is exactly what the Null King has been waiting for."
The giant eye narrowed.
The entire island shook.
Then the Null King suddenly knelt.
Not toward Astra.
Not toward the Champions.
Not toward the Pokémon.
Toward Jin.
Everyone stared.
Ash whispered:
"Why is it kneeling?"
Jin couldn't answer.
The Null King spoke.
THE FIFTH KEY HAS CHOSEN ITS ADMINISTRATOR.
Jin's System flashed.
[DIMENSIONAL POWER — AWAKENING SEQUENCE INITIATED]
Jin's eyes widened.
"No."
The island began glowing.
Every Pokémon on Dimensional Island looked toward him.
Pikachu stepped closer.
"Pika..."
[Master...]
Jin looked at his partner.
"What is happening?"
Pikachu's cheeks began glowing with an unfamiliar energy.
"Pika pika."
[I don't know.]
The glow spread across the island.
Mega energy.
Z-Power.
Dynamax energy.
Tera energy.
All four streams converged toward the mansion.
Then toward Jin.
The enormous eye smiled.
NOW...
The rift opened wider.
LET US SEE WHAT KIND OF ADMINISTRATOR YOU REALLY ARE.