Earth, June 10, 2023
The very day he returned to the real world, Kirito forced himself out of bed and rushed to find Asuna at the hospital where she was also recovering. That's when he learned her real name—Yuuki Asuna.
But unlike the original story, Asuna was never trapped in ALO, nor was she ever at the mercy of Sugou Nobuyuki.
Originally, Sugou had been entrusted by Asuna's father, Yuuki Shouzou, to manage RECT and develop ALO. This trust allowed him to secretly manipulate the system for his own gains.
However, this time, Kayaba had already taken all relevant research materials with him.
Even though Sugou had once worked in the same lab as Kayaba and his lover, Shinozaki Rinko, their talents were worlds apart.
Without The Seed, which Kayaba had developed, Sugou had no ability to create ALO.
As a result, he never gained Shouzou's trust, nor could he transfer players' consciousness into another virtual world.
As for Shinozaki Rinko—
She had always cared deeply for Kayaba. In the original SAO incident, she took care of his body for two years until his death, even though it made her an accomplice in the eyes of the law.
After Kayaba's body was found, Rinko faced intense legal scrutiny for harboring a fugitive. Although she was never convicted, she could no longer stay in Japan and eventually moved to the U.S.
But this time, Kayaba had anticipated everything.
To avoid implicating Rinko, he faked his own death at home.
To her, Kayaba left behind NERvGear research materials and a letter.
With these, she could secure a fortune and a top-tier research position. How she would use them, however, was beyond Kayaba's control.
His letter vaguely mentioned the existence of another world and promised they would meet again in the newly reactivated Aincrad, where he would explain everything.
To prevent the police from discovering this letter first, Kayaba had deliberately filled it with nonsensical ramblings to make it seem like the writings of a madman.
But someone who knew Kayaba as well as Rinko would undoubtedly notice the hidden truth.
...
One Week After SAO's End
By now, Kirito had recovered enough to walk, allowing him to return home to rest.
Since the SAO incident had ended much earlier than in the original story, his recovery period was significantly shorter.
And just a day after all players were freed from SAO, Kirito learned some surprising news from TV and online sources.
All 33,492 surviving SAO players had regained consciousness the moment they removed their NERvGear. Additionally, over 10,000 players—who had previously been declared brain-dead—woke up as if they had simply taken a nap.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that these players had "died" due to:
Being killed by others. Dying in boss fights or during grinding. Having their NERvGear forcibly removed from the outside world.
In short, these were all "green-name" players—those who had never committed murder.
However, several hundred people remained in a vegetative state.
Their survival depended entirely on their willpower.
Many green-name players recognized them—they were all "yellow-name" players who had engaged in questionable behavior but had not committed outright murder.
The remaining few thousand players, however, had all died.
The moment SAO ended, their bodies in the real world lost all vital signs.
It was soon confirmed that all of them had been "red-name" players—actual murderers.
Guilds like [Avengers], which had actively hunted down red-name players, were fully exposed due to financial investigations.
After carefully considering the situation and gathering input from surviving players, the authorities ruled that Avengers' actions were justified as self-defense and would not be prosecuted.
Of course, the true politics behind this were far more complex.
Among the 50,000 trapped players, many were influential individuals or wealthy heirs. These powerful figures pressured the government to protect Avengers.
This didn't mean that all red-name players lacked connections.
But their families were also targeted and pressured—some were too busy handling damage control, while others had already been arrested.
As for the freed SAO players—
Students were placed into a newly established special school to continue their education. Adults were given various accommodations based on their situation.
Kirito, however, was no longer just an ordinary player.
As one of SAO's strongest survivors and final saviors, he had become somewhat of a celebrity in Japan.
Some members of the Wanderer Guild, who held high-status positions in reality, even offered to help Kirito find a prestigious job or enroll him in a top university as repayment for past favors.
Kirito declined most offers, but some individuals were too stubborn—if he didn't accept their gratitude, they would be deeply offended.
So, after careful consideration, Kirito allowed them to construct a dojo near his home.
It was named [Uchiha-Ryuu Dojo].
Kirito dropped out of school to run the dojo, teaching the swordsmanship style he had learned from Izuna in SAO.
His goal? To make [Uchiha-Ryuu] the most famous sword style in Japan.
Many SAO survivors regularly visited—some to learn, others just to reunite with old friends.
Kirito's sister, Suguha, challenged him to a "recovery match"—after which she became his biggest fan, eyes filled with nothing but admiration.
Logging Into Pokémon Island
That night, inside Kirito's room—
He locked the door, put on his NERvGear, and picked up his phone.
[Kirito: Are you ready?]
[Asuna: Yeah. Don't let anyone find out.]
[Kirito: I know. You too.]
[Asuna: See you on Pokémon Island.]
[Kirito: Yeah.]
With that, he closed his phone, shut his eyes, and initiated the dive.
A minute later—
A blinding light flooded Kirito's vision.
Before his sight even fully adjusted, a series of message boxes appeared in front of him.
[System Notice]
[Due to your physical limitations, you cannot gain strength in this world through means such as Devil Fruits, special abilities, ninjutsu, taijutsu, or Haki. You must live your life purely as a Pokémon Trainer.]
[Warning: Do not attempt "death." If you die in this world, you will permanently lose access to Pokémon Island. Enjoy your new life.]
By the time the messages disappeared, Kirito's eyes had adjusted to the bright light.
That's right—artificial light.
Looking up at the ceiling lights, Kirito confirmed his location.
He was inside some kind of containment pod.
"Snea~"
A familiar voice rang beside him.
Turning his head, he saw a small, sharp-eyed creature peering at him.
Kirito's eyes lit up instantly.
"Sneasel! It's been so long!"
Sitting up, he pulled Sneasel into a tight hug, rubbing its fluffy cheeks.
"You've grown bigger… and heavier?"
"Nyu."
Sneasel pushed Kirito's hands away, raising its chin proudly.
Just then, two small green feline Pokémon approached him.
"Meow~"
Kirito's eyes widened.
"Wait… aren't you Sprigatito and Floragato?!"
Glancing back at Sneasel, then at the two grass-type Pokémon, Kirito finally understood.
"Meow~"
Floragato nuzzled against Kirito's hand.
Kirito smiled warmly.
"Long time no see, Floragato… well, I guess it hasn't been that long."
He stood up and turned to see Asuna nearby.
"Looks like we're among the last ones."
Kirito scanned the rows of sleep pods around him—most had already been opened and emptied.
Only a few remained tightly shut, their doors marked with player names.
"100% sensory synchronization, huh?"
He clenched his right hand and pinched the back of his left, testing the sensation. Then he took a deep breath.
"Even in the city, the air feels this fresh? Looks like this world has a great environment."
"Kirito."
A familiar voice called from beside him.
Kirito turned his head—there stood Asuna.
She wore a simple white outfit—a plain top and long pants.
Her appearance was identical to how she looked in Aincrad. Most likely, so was his.
It was nothing fancy—probably just the default "starter outfit" for new arrivals.
Standing next to Asuna was Heracross.
"Long time no see, Heracross. You've grown quite a bit since Aincrad."
"Hera!~"
Heracross raised a hand and waved in greeting.
Kirito got to his feet, walked over to Asuna, and kissed her.
"What are you doing?!"
Asuna's face flushed red as she pushed him away.
"Leaf is watching!"
She pointed at the small Sprigatito standing by her leg, gazing up at them with wide, curious eyes.
"It's nothing. Just testing the sensory synchronization."
Kirito grinned, then naturally took Asuna's hand.
Looking down at their Pokémon companions, he smiled.
"Alright, take us to see this world."
(End of Chapter)
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