Chapter 12 — The First Administrator
CRACK.
The black crystal split down the center.
Everyone in the underground chamber froze.
A cold wind swept through the enormous room.
The four surrounding crystals began glowing.
Blue.
Gold.
Red.
Rainbow.
Then the fifth crystal pulsed.
Black.
Jin instinctively stepped backward.
The large Pikachu moved in front of him.
"Pika!"
[Stay behind me, Master.]
Jin frowned.
"No."
He stepped beside Pikachu.
"If something comes out of that thing, we face it together."
Ash nodded.
"That's right."
Cynthia's hand rested on Garchomp's Poké Ball.
Steven prepared Metagross.
Leon reached for his Dynamax Band.
Serena's Sylveon moved closer.
Even the alternate Ash prepared for battle.
Astra, however, wasn't preparing to fight.
She was staring at the crystal.
Her expression was one of absolute disbelief.
Jin noticed.
"Astra."
She didn't answer.
"Astra!"
She finally looked at him.
"Don't attack."
"Why?"
"Because..."
Her voice trembled.
"...I know who that is."
The Man Inside
The crystal opened.
A figure slowly emerged.
He looked human.
A man in his late twenties.
Dark hair.
Pale skin.
A long black coat covered his body.
Several strange symbols were engraved across his clothing.
His eyes opened.
They were silver.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked directly at Jin.
And smiled.
"You're late."
Jin stared.
"...What?"
The man stepped forward.
"You took longer than expected."
Jin's eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?"
The man looked at Astra.
She immediately stepped backward.
The man's smile disappeared.
"You."
Astra said nothing.
"You survived."
Astra finally spoke.
"Apparently."
The man looked back at Jin.
"My name is..."
He paused.
"...was."
The System suddenly flickered.
[IDENTITY RECOVERY ATTEMPT]
Processing...
Processing...
ERROR
NAME DATA CORRUPTED
The man laughed.
"Even now?"
Jin stared.
"You don't remember your name?"
"I remember it."
He touched his chest.
"The island doesn't."
Jin frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I gave it away."
The Original Administrator
The man walked toward the central console.
The machine recognized him.
[ADMINISTRATOR SIGNATURE DETECTED]
Previous Administrator
Authority: 100%
Status: ARCHIVED
Jin's eyes widened.
"Archived?"
The man smiled.
"Your System has a sense of humor."
Astra finally stepped forward.
"You shouldn't be here."
The man looked at her.
"Neither should you."
Astra clenched her fists.
"You were erased."
"No."
He shook his head.
"I was imprisoned."
Jin looked between them.
"Someone want to explain?"
Astra took a deep breath.
"His name was Aster."
The man nodded.
"That's what they called me."
Jin looked at him.
"Aster."
The original Administrator smiled.
"Yes."
Jin pointed at the machine.
"You created Dimensional Island?"
Aster nodded.
"I built the first version."
"Why?"
"To connect worlds."
Jin looked at the four crystals.
"With these?"
"Eventually."
Aster walked toward the four crystalline structures.
"The four powers were discovered independently by different civilizations."
He pointed to the blue crystal.
"Mega Evolution."
The golden one.
"Z-Power."
The red one.
"Dynamax."
Then the rainbow crystal.
"Terastallization."
Jin nodded.
"But why combine them?"
Aster's expression became serious.
"I didn't."
Everyone froze.
"What?"
Aster looked toward the black crystal.
"The four systems were never supposed to be combined."
Jin remembered the previous battle.
"Then why did the Eraser attack them?"
Aster answered:
"Because it wasn't trying to steal their power."
"It was trying to destroy their connection."
The Real Purpose of Dimensional Island
Cynthia stepped forward.
"Then what is this island?"
Aster smiled.
"An anchor."
Jin looked around.
"The island anchors dimensions?"
"Exactly."
Aster walked toward the central machine.
"Imagine reality as an ocean."
He pointed toward the four crystals.
"Every Pokémon world is an island."
Then he pointed toward the black crystal.
"And Dimensional Island is the lighthouse between them."
Jin slowly understood.
"So the island isn't opening portals."
"Not originally."
Aster nodded.
"It's preventing worlds from crashing into each other."
Clemont stared at the machine.
"Then why can we travel between dimensions?"
Aster smiled.
"Because the island can create controlled bridges."
"Controlled."
"Exactly."
Clemont's expression changed.
"Which means whoever is forcing dimensional portals open..."
"Is damaging reality."
Aster nodded.
"Correct."
The Three Doors
Jin remembered the prophecy.
"The three doors."
Aster looked at him.
"You've seen the prophecy?"
Cynthia nodded.
"An ancient Sinnoh tablet mentioned them."
Aster sighed.
"Of course it did."
Jin asked:
"What are they?"
Aster walked toward the center of the chamber.
Three enormous circular structures appeared on the floor.
The first was blue.
The second was silver.
The third was black.
[THREE WORLD GATES DETECTED]
Jin stared.
Aster pointed at the first.
"Door One."
The blue gate activated.
It showed countless Pokémon worlds.
"This is the World of Pokémon."
The second gate activated.
Silver light spread across the chamber.
Jin saw something strange.
Cities.
But they were enormous.
Advanced technology.
Flying vehicles.
Pokémon and humans living alongside machines.
"This is the World of Tomorrow."
Jin stared.
"The future?"
Aster nodded.
"One possible future."
Then the third gate activated.
Blackness.
Nothing could be seen.
Not even stars.
Aster's expression became grim.
"And that..."
He paused.
"...is the World Beyond Pokémon."
Everyone became silent.
Ash stared into the darkness.
"What is there?"
Aster shook his head.
"I don't know."
Jin looked at the gate.
"Then why does it exist?"
Aster looked directly at him.
"Because something is trying to come through."
The Fifth Power
Jin's System suddenly activated.
[DIMENSIONAL POWER CORE]
Compatibility: 100%
Current synchronization: 47%
Previous Administrator synchronization: 0%
Administrator Jin recognized as compatible host.
Aster looked surprised.
"You've already activated it."
Jin nodded.
"During the battle with the Eraser."
Aster's expression changed.
"You shouldn't have been able to."
"Why?"
"Because the Dimensional Power Core requires an Administrator who can maintain connections without dominating them."
Jin frowned.
"And you couldn't?"
Aster smiled sadly.
"I tried to control everything."
Astra looked away.
Jin noticed.
"So that's what happened."
Aster nodded.
"I wanted to create a perfect world."
He looked at the four power systems.
"Perfect stability."
"Perfect control."
"Perfect peace."
"And?"
"I failed."
The Fall of the First Administrator
Aster explained what happened.
He had attempted to connect multiple worlds.
At first, it worked.
Then the worlds began influencing each other.
Pokémon crossed dimensional boundaries.
Energy systems overlapped.
Mega Evolution appeared in worlds that had never developed it.
Z-Power began reacting with Dynamax energy.
Tera crystals appeared in places where they shouldn't exist.
The dimensional barrier weakened.
Then something arrived.
The Eraser.
"It wasn't born in any Pokémon world."
Aster's voice became quiet.
"It came from outside the dimensional structure."
Jin asked:
"Why?"
"We don't know."
"What does it want?"
"Nothing."
Jin frowned.
"Nothing?"
Aster nodded.
"That's what makes it dangerous."
He looked at the black gate.
"It doesn't conquer worlds."
"It doesn't rule them."
"It simply removes them."
Astra finally spoke.
"That's why the Null King existed."
Aster nodded.
"The Guardian was created to stop it."
Jin looked toward the chamber entrance.
"And it failed."
"Yes."
Aster's Warning
Jin looked at Aster.
"Why did you call me Administrator Jin?"
Aster smiled.
"Because that's your designation."
"My designation?"
"Every Administrator receives a dimensional identity."
Jin frowned.
"But I wasn't born here."
"I know."
"Then how can I have one?"
Aster looked at him.
"Because you weren't selected after arriving."
Jin froze.
"What?"
"You were selected before you arrived."
Silence.
Jin's heart began pounding.
Astra looked shocked.
"You knew?"
Aster shook his head.
"No."
He looked at Jin.
"The island recognized you the moment you entered this universe."
Jin remembered waking up in the mansion.
Pikachu saying:
Master.
The System identifying him.
The island accepting him.
It suddenly made sense.
"I wasn't randomly transported."
Aster nodded.
"No."
Jin stared.
"Then who sent me?"
Aster looked toward the black gate.
"That's the question."
A Disturbing Discovery
Clemont suddenly shouted.
"Wait!"
Everyone turned.
Clemont was staring at his scanner.
"I've found something!"
Jin walked over.
"What?"
Clemont showed him the readings.
"There is an energy signature embedded inside Jin's dimensional identity."
Jin frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Clemont enlarged the data.
"It's not from Dimensional Island."
Aster's expression changed.
"It's not from any Pokémon world."
Jin stared.
"Then where?"
Clemont shook his head.
"I don't know."
The System interrupted.
[FOREIGN DIMENSIONAL SIGNATURE DETECTED]
Origin: UNKNOWN
Classification: NON-POKÉMON
Relationship to Administrator: DIRECT
Status: DORMANT
Jin stared at the word.
NON-POKÉMON.
He suddenly remembered his old life.
His bedroom.
His computer.
His collection.
The Pokémon games.
The anime.
The fanfiction.
His final thought before sleeping.
It would be nice if I could experience reincarnation.
His eyes widened.
"Wait..."
Aster looked at him.
"What?"
Jin whispered:
"My original world."
Everyone became quiet.
Jin continued.
"I wasn't from a Pokémon world."
Aster nodded.
"I know."
"Then..."
Jin looked at the third gate.
"Is that world..."
He swallowed.
"...my world?"
Aster didn't answer.
The System did.
[WORLD THREE]
Possible origin match detected.
Probability of dimensional relationship: 99.7%
Jin's heart stopped.
"My world..."
The large Pikachu stepped beside him.
"Pika..."
[Master...]
Jin looked at her.
"I thought I'd left it behind."
Aster shook his head.
"You didn't."
He pointed toward the black gate.
"It followed you."
The New Enemy
Suddenly—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire chamber shook.
The three gates began malfunctioning.
The blue gate flickered.
The silver gate distorted.
The black gate opened wider.
Aster's face changed.
"That's impossible."
Jin turned.
"What?"
Aster stared at the black gate.
"It shouldn't know we're here."
The System sounded an emergency alarm.
[CRITICAL ALERT]
Unauthorized dimensional access detected.
Three gates attempting simultaneous activation.
World One: OPEN
World Two: OPEN
World Three: OPEN
Dimensional collision probability: 91%
Time until convergence: 18 minutes.
Jin's expression hardened.
"What happens if they collide?"
Aster answered:
"The three worlds will overlap."
"And?"
"Reality won't know which version is supposed to exist."
Cynthia's eyes widened.
"Then every Pokémon..."
"Could be duplicated."
Steven finished the thought.
"Or erased."
Jin looked toward the three gates.
"We have eighteen minutes."
Aster nodded.
"Yes."
Jin turned toward everyone.
"Then we close them."
Aster shook his head.
"No."
Jin looked at him.
"We can't close them."
"Why not?"
"Because they're already connected to their worlds."
Jin frowned.
"Then what do we do?"
Aster looked at the black gate.
"We stabilize them."
Clemont immediately understood.
"Using the Dimensional Core."
Aster nodded.
"But there's a problem."
Jin sighed.
"Of course there is."
Aster looked at him.
"Only the current Administrator can activate it."
Jin stared.
"So I have to do it."
Aster nodded.
"Yes."
The System appeared.
[DIMENSIONAL CORE ACCESS]
Administrator authorization required.
Would you like to begin synchronization?
Jin stared at the prompt.
Then he smiled.
"Let's save three worlds."
The large Pikachu stepped beside him.
"Pika!"
[Let's go, Master.]
Ash stepped forward.
"We're coming too."
Cynthia nodded.
"All of us."
Jin looked at the assembled Trainers.
Then toward the three gates.
"Everyone..."
He raised his hand.
"Prepare for the biggest battle Dimensional Island has ever seen."
The three gates began to merge.
And from the black gate—
A silhouette appeared.
Not the Eraser.
Something much larger.
Something Jin recognized.
A shape from the world he thought he had left behind.
The System flashed one final warning.
[UNKNOWN ENTITY APPROACHING]
Origin: WORLD THREE
Classification: —————
Threat level: UNMEASURABLE
Connection to Administrator: CONFIRMED
Identity:
[JIN]
Jin froze.
"...What?"
A second figure stepped through the black gate.
It had his face.
His voice.
His memories.
And it smiled.
"You finally found the Pokémon world."
The three dimensional gates trembled at the same time.
The underground chamber beneath the mansion fell completely silent.
In front of Jin stood a man who looked exactly like him.
Same black hair.
Same eyes.
Same voice.
Even the tiny scar on his left eyebrow—the one Jin had received years ago in his original world—was there.
The only difference was the expression.
The other Jin looked tired.
Not physically tired.
Something deeper.
As if he had spent years running from something that no one else could see.
Large Pikachu stepped in front of Jin.
"Pika."
[Stay behind me.]
Jin stared at his counterpart.
"Who are you?"
The other Jin smiled faintly.
"I was hoping you'd ask something easier."
Ash immediately reached for a Poké Ball.
Cynthia's Garchomp lowered its body.
Steven's Metagross' eyes glowed.
Serena moved closer to Bonnie and Clemont.
Even Aster, still weakened from his imprisonment, looked shocked.
Astra whispered:
"No…"
Aster looked at her.
"You know him?"
Astra shook her head.
"No."
Her eyes remained fixed on the second Jin.
"I know what he is."
The second Jin slowly turned toward Astra.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Recognition.
"You're still alive."
Astra's face became pale.
"You shouldn't know me."
The second Jin smiled.
"I know everyone."
The system suddenly screamed.
[WARNING]
[WARNING]
[IDENTITY CONFLICT DETECTED]
Two Administrator signatures detected.
Primary Administrator: JIN
Secondary Administrator: JIN
Synchronization: IMPOSSIBLE
Dimensional Collision Risk: 87%
Jin's eyes widened.
"Two Administrators?"
Aster immediately shouted:
"Jin! Don't let him touch the Administrator Core!"
The second Jin looked toward Aster.
"You still call it the Administrator Core?"
Aster froze.
The stranger continued.
"That name disappeared a long time ago."
Jin stepped forward.
"What happened in your world?"
The stranger didn't answer.
Instead, he looked around the chamber.
At Pikachu.
At Ash.
At Cynthia.
At the countless Pokémon gathered behind them.
Then he looked toward the dimensional gates.
His expression became strangely sad.
"I finally understand."
Jin frowned.
"Understand what?"
The stranger looked directly at him.
"Why you were chosen."