While waiting for the Quartz Conference, Ash had accumulated twenty lottery draws. Occasionally, he'd enter the System Space to try his luck — but so far, his luck had been terrible. Every time, the roulette gave him a pile of useless junk. Even the few decent items he had drawn were buried under mountains of garbage-tier ones.
"It's not even worth it," he sighed. "Might as well save the rest for something worthwhile."
He glanced at his stats window.
Attribute Points: 4,000
Mainstream Draws: 8
Random Draws: 20
Ash rubbed the back of his head and muttered with a wry smile,
"I swear, out of all the people who've ever crossed worlds, I've gotta be the poorest one. A 'traveler' this broke? Must be a new record."
He scrolled through his list again — and then froze.
"Wait a second… holy crap—! System, tell me this thing actually works the way it says it does!"
Before him, the roulette shimmered, revealing something that nearly made him jump out of his chair.
Ding~!
[All items produced by the System are guaranteed authentic.]
Ash rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, don't give me that quality talk again. You said the same thing before you handed me a pair of socks, remember? Socks, seriously? Who programmed you, a troll? Don't try to sweet-talk me now — I've seen your 'premium' garbage."
Still, despite his complaints, the item before him wasn't just good — it was game-changing.
It was a Golden-tier item —Copy Foresight Card.
Just seeing its description made his pulse quicken.
Copy Foresight Card (Gold):
Allows the user to foresee the world selected by the Copy Card before entering it. Grants full knowledge of the environment, timeline, and power system. Single-use item.
And below that… another item shimmered black.
Identity Fusion Card (Black):
Fuses the user's core identity with a compatible counterpart in another world, granting recognition by that world's rules. Prevents the user from being treated as an anomaly. Single-use item.
Ash's eyes gleamed. "Oh, now we're talking."
The Copy Foresight Card could tell him where the next copy world would be — giving him a massive advantage. The Identity Fusion Card, meanwhile, would let him enter that world seamlessly, blending in with its laws and people.
In short: no more showing up as a "glitch" or an unregistered existence.
In every dimension, an alternate version of him already existed — but they were merely avatars, living out their own lives with no memory of the real Ash. They were him, yet not him. Their experiences and emotions all flowed back to him eventually, since he was the main body — the one true Ash Ketchum.
For example, even Sabrina had avatars in other worlds.
In another dimension — the one scholars called the "Index World" — her counterpart was Mugino Shizuri, known as the Meltdowner.
(Author's note: This setup is mostly for convenience — giving Ash an "identity" in each world without endless exposition. Don't worry, it'll all connect naturally later.)
After using sixteen draws, Ash finally hit the jackpot: both the Copy Foresight Card and the Identity Fusion Card dropped.
Ding~!
[Would you like to use the Copy Foresight Card?]
He held the golden card in his hand, feeling its pulse of energy. "Yeah," he said with a grin. "Use it."
A flash of golden light consumed the space. The card dissolved into pure data and streamed directly into his mind.
Ash winced slightly as the flood of information hit him — but his immense mental strength absorbed it easily. Gone were the days when a data burst like this would leave him clutching his head in pain.
Moments later, he opened his eyes, and a small smirk tugged at his lips.
"So… the first Naruto world, huh? Interesting. Around the end of the Konoha Crush Arc, right before the explosion arc begins."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Good. With my Kaleidoscope form, I'll be able to protect myself easily. And if I focus on training my Chakra and Ninjutsu, I can enhance my Aura control even further… maybe even evolve it permanently."
A spark of excitement lit up his eyes. This wasn't just another world to explore — it was an opportunity to expand his power.
But he also knew the rule: once the mission ended, he'd have to return to the Pokémon world.
Still, that didn't bother him.
After all, Ash Ketchum wasn't just a Trainer anymore — he was becoming something far greater.
After leaving the System Space, Ash lay in bed beside Cynthia, her golden hair spilling softly across the sheets. He blinked awake and glanced at the alarm clock — barely half an hour had passed.
Bored, he sighed, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it quietly. Out of habit — and care — he used his psychic power to create a thin barrier around Cynthia, so the smoke wouldn't reach her as she slept peacefully.
Taking a slow drag, Ash exhaled toward the ceiling and spoke silently in his mind.
"System, tell me… how is this world different from the anime I saw in my previous life?"
A clear chime echoed in his head.
Ding~!
[The main timeline of this world is modeled after the Pokémon world seen in the host's previous life. Originally, it existed only as a two-dimensional plane. However, due to the host's presence, this world has been reconstructed into a three-dimensional reality. Therefore, many events may deviate significantly from the original storyline.]
Ash flicked some ash into the tray, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"So… this isn't the same Pokémon world I used to watch, but a version that's been rewritten because I'm here. Interesting."
He took another puff, deep in thought.
"Then what about that Floating Gem I found and fused with before? Are there only one of those in each world… or could there be several?"
Another ding responded.
[There may be multiple such gems in one world. It depends on the degree of rule repulsion within that world's dimensional structure. If the world's rules allow it, there could be two or even three Infinite Gems coexisting in the same realm.]
Ash's eyes lit up. "So the Pokémon world I'm in right now might not just have the Floating Gem… there could be others too?"
The thought alone made his heart race. Infinite Gems — artifacts capable of bending reality itself — were the kind of treasures that made even him, a seasoned dimensional traveler, feel the pull of greed.
Ding~!
[Correction. The host currently resides in a world governed by strong dimensional laws. This world can only tolerate the lesser energy signature of the Floating Gem. The rest of the Infinite Gems are likely being repelled into other dimensions.]
Ash let out a low groan and rubbed his temples.
"So basically… the others might not even exist here. Great."
Still, a small spark of hope flickered in his chest.
"But then again… rules can break. If there's even a one percent chance another gem slipped through…"
He smiled faintly, eyes gleaming. "That's enough for me."
Even in disappointment, Ash's mind was already spinning with possibilities. After all — in every world, every rule, and every limit — there was always a loophole waiting to be found.
...
TN:
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