I returned to where it all began Pallet Town.
Or what was left of it.
The quaint houses were cracked open like toy sets, half-consumed by creeping vines of binary. The sky above shimmered with fragmented textures, flickering like a corrupted skybox in a broken game.
Location: Pallet Town – Anchor OriginStatus: Critical
Root Code Gate Detected – Suspended 3,000 ft Above Ground
Requirement: Cobblemon System Core ≥ 95% Integrity - COMPLETE
I could finally reach it.
A pulse beneath my feet signaled the appearance of a data lift pure blue code forming a floating elevator, leading skyward. I stepped on, and the world around me dissolved into rushing wind and silence.
As I rose above the clouds, I saw it.
A massive circular platform made entirely of glimmering data like a digital colosseum, floating in the sky.
In the center, someone was waiting.
Not an admin.
Not an NPC.
Another player.
And somehow I recognized him.
The Other One
He looked like me.
Same age. Same build. But his clothes were sleek hacked UI gear merged with black and chrome. His eyes flickered with command prompts.
"Took you long enough," he said. "They said someone else might wake up. Didn't think it'd be you."
NAME: NULLOrigin: UnknownSystem: Cobblemon-ALT Root Override
Alignment: Corrupted Survivor
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"This world? It's ours now. You're trying to escape. I'm trying to ascend.""There's no waking up. Only rewriting the rules."
He held out his hand.
"I can show you how. Forget anchors. Forget memories. We can become gods here."
Choice Detected: Accept NULL's Offer?[ ] YES[X] NO
I didn't need time to think.
"No."
He sighed, disappointed.
"Then I'll wipe your code, and recycle what's left."
BATTLE: NULL, Rogue System User
NULL didn't use normal Pokémon.
He used fractures.
A corrupted Gyarados made of wireframes and static, its mouth locked open.
A broken Gardevoir flickering between sprites and polygons, whispering lines from the Pokédex like prayers.
NULL used "Glitch Rewrite" – battlefield changes form each turn
Terrain: Pixel Dust Storm (all accuracy halved unless you are a Glitch Type)
I had to think fast. My system shimmered.
New Mode Unlocked: Dual Reality SyncYou now perceive both Cobblemon and Pokémon battle logic simultaneouslyAdvantage: Tactical Hybrid Use
Charbit dug in with Firewall Crash, protecting Glitchlia from status corruption.
Glitchlia's clones circled the corrupted Gardevoir, mimicking her broken phrases then shattered her with a synchronized Mind Spike Storm.
NULL snarled.
"You're not supposed to adapt! You're just data!"
Charbit – Synchronization Level 100%
Special Evolution Option Available: "Charmegabyte" – Fire / Data / Light Type
I triggered the change.
Charbit became Charmegabyte now a glowing, armored digital-dragon, his flame pixelated and holy. One final move.
Charmegabyte used "Final Debug"
NULL's system collapsed.
His Pokémon dissolved into unrendered models. His body flickered and cracked.
"I… I just wanted to stay…"
Then he was gone.
Root Gate UnlockedYou may now access the Final Layer
WARNING: ADMIN OVERRIDE DETECTED
A message flashed.
"USER [NULL] DISCONNECTED – CONNECTION LOST TO HOST SERVER""PREPARING FINAL RESET."
And above me higher than the clouds a staircase of code unfolded.
The final challenge was coming.
Not just a battle for my survival…
…but for the entire world's system integrity.