The 1,400 Trainers who left would never see their Pokémon again. As for the 1,400 Pokémon left behind, each had their own feelings about it.
Some Pokémon were heartbroken and deeply saddened, needing time to heal their emotional wounds.
What troubled them wasn't the separation from their Trainers—Pokémon, by nature, were more accepting of such things than humans.
They were simple beings. As long as they knew their Trainers would be fine even after parting, they could find solace. They might take some time to adjust, but they wouldn't grieve forever—they would silently offer their blessings.
What truly made these Pokémon sad was that their Trainers had chosen not to take them to the 101st floor.
From the Pokémon's perspective, if the situation were reversed, even if they had to face the risk of death, they would still send their Trainers home.
That was what they had always done in Aincrad.
Yet, their Trainers had failed to do the same for them—even though the 101st floor wasn't truly "home."
The little ones looked pitiful. Nearly half of them chose to "log off" and return to Pokémon Island.
Some, however, were oblivious to their Trainers' unwillingness to risk their lives for them. Others may have realized it but simply didn't mind.
The Pokémon that didn't log off continued on with the main group, determined to see SAO through to its end.
Among the 3,400 players who remained, at least 2,900 were of mid-to-low skill levels.
This led most players to believe that the upcoming battle was doomed.
After all, it had already been made clear that the final boss was "even stronger." That alone was enough to make the less determined Trainers retreat to the real world.
So, the majority of players preferred to take their time, growing stronger before challenging the boss together.
But some were impatient.
Like Zack.
Using "gathering intel on the boss" as an excuse, he led a small guild team to search for the boss's location.
To unlock the teleport gate to the 101st floor, they first had to locate and defeat a hidden boss on the 100th floor.
However, no one knew where this boss was, nor how to find it.
The 100th floor had no "labyrinth area"—it was all open wilderness.
Fortunately, since the 100th floor was at the top of Aincrad's floating spire, its area was relatively small. Even a grid search wouldn't take long.
On June 3rd, Zack heard from the Trainer Association that they had found the boss's location.
He rushed to the marked coordinates immediately.
But when he saw the boss, he was utterly baffled.
The boss's name was [Kobold Lord].
That's right—the same first-floor boss.
Who would have thought that it had returned to guard the teleport gate to the 101st floor?
No one dared to attack right away. It was obvious that this Kobold Lord had to be enhanced or updated.
But Zack couldn't resist testing it.
The gateway to the 101st floor was right there—he was itching to move forward. Besides, he had a Corridor Crystal in his left hand, ready to use at any time. He wouldn't get one-shot.
"If nothing else, I can at least test its strength and bring back some intel."
Zack never expected to beat the boss on his first try—especially not alone.
He set the bar low—just gauge the boss's general stats.
With that in mind, Zack flung his massive scythe at the Kobold Lord.
Slash.
The spinning blade sliced the Kobold Lord clean in half.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the 'Kobold Lord.']
[Congratulations! You have obtained: 'Teleport Crystal to the 101st Floor.']
"…"
Zack stared at the crystal-clear blue crystal in his hand, lost in thought.
Did Aincrad bug out after being cleared?
Wasn't the boss supposed to be stronger?
Zack suddenly realized—the Kobold Lord was only Lv.10.
It was literally the exact same as the first-floor boss.
At Zack's current Lv.100, he had effortlessly one-shot it. The fight never even reached its second phase.
When Zack brought the teleport crystal back to town and gathered the remaining players, everyone fell silent.
"So… is this some kind of joke left behind by Kayaba?"
Shoumi frowned, deep in thought.
After everything in SAO, she believed that man was capable of anything.
"No, this was meant as a 'filter.'"
Kirito spoke after a brief pause.
Kayaba was his former idol—he had studied the man extensively. If Kayaba had set things up this way, there had to be a reason.
And that reason was a selection process.
"A selection?"
Asuna blinked before realizing, "You mean… for the Trainers and 'failures' who left?"
"Yeah, exactly."
Kirito nodded, 90% sure of his theory.
"It's a filter—to eliminate those who weren't willing to risk their lives to bring their Pokémon to the 101st floor."
"But what's the point of that?"
"Maybe…" Kirito rubbed his chin, hesitant. "The 101st floor holds a 'reward' for those of us who stayed behind."
His reasoning came from something Izuna had told him earlier:
"Think carefully before making your choice."
What kind of choice did he mean?
Izuna was part of SAO's system data—a highly unique part. He had to know something about the 101st floor. That's why he gave Kirito that warning.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
Zack didn't care about the selection process.
All he cared about was whether he could see Azumarill again on the 101st floor.
The moment he finished speaking, Zack crushed the teleport crystal.
A blue swirling teleport gate appeared before the players.
"Let's go."
Zack stepped in first.
One by one, every remaining player followed suit, Pokémon by their side.
101st Floor: Pokémon Paradise
This floor wasn't anything particularly special.
It was simply a beautiful natural park with no wild enemies.
Pokémon of all types could thrive and play here in their ideal environments.
The design wasn't extravagant.
The first 100 floors were Kayaba's masterpiece, while this one had been rushed at Dak's request. Many landscapes were reused from lower floors.
But that wasn't its purpose.
This floor wasn't meant for sightseeing.
Its true purpose was to provide players with a place to say goodbye to their Pokémon and make their final choice.
But—this floor had an easter egg.
And only by discovering it could players trigger the final choice.
"Hera!~"
"Nyu~"
"Meow~"
Before the players could react, their Pokémon rushed toward a small valley ahead.
"Heracross, where are you going?"
"Follow them."
"This is their home. They know the way—we just have to keep up."
The 'failures' clutched their [Broken Diamond Pacts].
These were Poké Balls that had turned gray and locked.
Now, the red light on their buttons was flashing.
"Let's go. Let's see what's ahead."
Zack led the group deeper into the valley.
They soon reached a vast grassland.
At the center stood a massive stone monument.
And waiting below it—
Hundreds of Pokémon.
"Bubble!"
Azumarill rushed toward Zack.
Zack instantly recognized his beloved Pokémon.
"I'm sorry… I was too careless back then."
He pulled Azumarill into a tight embrace.
For the first time, he finally said the words he had always wanted to say.
At this moment, Zack was no longer the feared SAO killer, but just a boy who had once embarked on an adventure with his Pokémon.
[Would you like to restore the 'Broken Diamond Pact'? (Requires mutual consent from both the Trainer and the Pokémon)]
"Azumarill?"
Honestly, Zack didn't quite understand why this Diamond Pact mattered so much at this point.
He figured he would be leaving Aincrad soon anyway.
But deep down, he had a lingering obsession—he wanted to bring this journey to a proper close. Without the Diamond Pact, this adventure could never be truly complete.
"Bubble~"
Azumarill nodded.
The gray Poké Ball quickly shifted back to its original red and white color. The once locked button automatically released, allowing Azumarill to re-enter.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Diamond Pact]
[Memories are pearls; friendship is a diamond.]
At that moment, Zack deeply understood the meaning of those words.
For the other "failures", simply being willing to come here was enough to make up for their past mistakes.
One by one, they earned their Pokémon's forgiveness and restored their Broken Diamond Pacts.
Only then did they finally have the presence of mind to turn their gaze toward the massive stone monument before them.
(End of Chapter)
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