NOVEL NEXT Chapter 378: Chapter 378
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October 31st
It had been one month since Kirito and Asuna got together.
Inside the Forest Cottage on the 22nd Floor
"Asuna~ wake up! Today, we're taking Sneasel and Heracross to the Pokémon Matchmaking Festival!"
After freshening up, Kirito returned to the room and gently stroked Asuna's cheek, finding her still asleep.
"Mm… oh, right, I forgot… Today is the event hosted by the guild leader."
Asuna groggily rubbed her eyes before finally remembering.
Four months had passed since SAO's public beta launch, and the game had progressed to 39% completion, meaning the players had already reached the 40th Floor.
Due to the seven-day Alliance Celebration event in October, player levels had skyrocketed, allowing the current progress to nearly match that of the first two months.
However, in these four months, out of 50,000 players, over 7,000 had died.
Some took their own lives, some were slain by monsters, but at least half perished at the hands of other players.
As the player count grew, so did the number of criminals—the number of murderers had increased fivefold compared to the original SAO timeline. Worse, these individuals continued recruiting others who wavered in their morality, dragging them into their twisted games.
Given this dire situation, the 14% lower death rate compared to the original SAO timeline was actually a major improvement.
At least 500 Red Players had fallen to the Avengers and Wanderers guilds, while over 2,000 Yellow Players barely escaped with their lives but remained under constant surveillance.
The reason these two guilds had so much impact was their large player base, covering all skill levels—high, mid, and low.
Kirito's Wanderers guild had quickly become SAO's second-largest, right after the Army, boasting 3,000 members.
Since it was composed entirely of solo players, it required minimal management.
Meanwhile, Zack's Avengers had established itself as the fearsome executioners of Red and Yellow players. Though they numbered only 300 members, matching Guild Asuna's size, they were a tightly-knit force. Small seven-to-eight-person squads regularly hunted down Red Players.
Following the Alliance Celebration Event, the player hierarchy became more defined:
Upper Class (10%) - Frontline Players (~4,300 members)
Those who actively fought at the highest levels.
Guild members unwilling to participate in the frontlines were not allowed to occupy their resources.
Middle Class (30%) - Potential Frontline Players (~13,000 members)
Players striving to reach the frontlines.The Avengers guild was the only non-frontline guild given access to extra resources.This was in recognition of their role in protecting lower-tier players from murderers.
Lower Class (60%) - Casual Players
Many were just waiting for rescue or living day-to-day.However, they played a crucial role in producing food, medicine, and supplies for the upper tiers. Despite avoiding combat, they diligently leveled up their side professions.
Additionally, all Pokémon found within the first 40 floors had now bonded with Trainers.
The number of players with the "Trainer" profession had surged to 3,000, meaning only 2,000 wild Pokémon remained, primarily between the 40th and 50th floors.
After Floor 50, Pokémon could no longer be found naturally—those areas were outside the species' original spawning locations.
Inside the Cottage
Asuna was already sitting at her dressing table, fixing her appearance.
Though NPCs didn't sell cosmetics, the game had "Makeup Artist" as a side profession.
Some female players chose this profession, though it wasn't very profitable, given that SAO's player base was overwhelmingly male.
"Who would've thought Pokémon could actually lay eggs?"
Kirito chuckled as he helped brush Asuna's hair.
One week ago, members of the Trainer Association discovered something astonishing.
In the wild, a Nidoran♂ and Nidoran♀ were spotted cuddling together.
At first, it didn't seem unusual—players had previously seen wild Pokémon travel in pairs or groups.
However, the real shock came when the Pokémon's name tags displayed a '♥' symbol when standing near each other.
A curious Trainer watched them closely, suspecting they were a couple.
After all, if players could get married, why not Pokémon?
Many Trainers believed Pokémon had emotions—so why wouldn't they fall in love and find partners?
Then, something miraculous happened.
When the Trainer momentarily turned away, checking for hostile monsters, he glanced back just in time to see Nidoran♀ glowing white.
And with a gentle "pop" sound—
A small purple egg appeared behind her.
The Trainer immediately took a screenshot and rushed back to show the guild leader, Shoumei.
Shoumei, excited beyond words, personally rushed to the site—
But by then, the Nidoran pair had vanished, hiding somewhere in the wild.
Once word spread that Pokémon could lay eggs, the Trainer community exploded in excitement.
Life in SAO was mundane, so any new discovery sparked long discussions—especially something as groundbreaking as Pokémon reproduction.
Shoumei, overcome with enthusiasm, made a snap decision—
The Trainer Association would host SAO's first-ever Pokémon Matchmaking Festival.
With 2,000 members, the Trainer Association now comprised over half of all Trainers.
As such, no one questioned their authority in organizing the event.
Inside the Cottage
"I'm so curious! What will Pokémon eggs and newborn Pokémon look like?"
Asuna, now fully awake, daydreamed with excitement, clutching her cheeks.
She loved cute things—especially babies.
In her mind, she pictured holding a baby Heracross in one arm and a baby Sneasel in the other.
"Hehehe~"
The thought was so adorable that she started drooling.
"Uh…"
Watching her overly enthusiastic expression, Kirito sighed in resignation.
Given Sneasel and Heracross's personalities, finding them partners seemed… unlikely.
Still, he didn't want to ruin Asuna's excitement—so he said nothing.
...
30 Minutes Later
"Asuna, are you ready yet?"
Kirito stood at the door, soaking up the sun for the past ten minutes.
Stretching, he peeked inside.
"Wait a sec! Almost done!"
Asuna called from within.
But she wasn't dressing herself—
She was dressing up Sneasel and Heracross.
"Sneaa!"
"Too bad! Even if it's uncomfortable, you have to wear it—maybe some cute female Pokémon will fall for you!"
Asuna pinned down the struggling Sneasel, fastening a blue bell around its neck.
Additionally, she placed a flower wreath on its ears.
"Sneaa…"
Sneasel lay lifelessly on the floor.
Its cool, brooding image had been completely destroyed.
Meanwhile, Heracross remained oblivious, happily accepting Asuna's decorations.
A pink ribbon adorned its giant horn, and it even wore a frilly pink dress.
Despite being male, Asuna insisted on dressing it in a girly outfit.
Heracross didn't mind—
But if it were Sneasel, it would have run away.
"Okay! Let's go~"
Asuna proudly stepped outside with her fashionably dressed Pokémon.
"Uh…"
Kirito froze at the sight of them.
He nearly burst into laughter at Sneasel's suffering expression but barely held it in.
"How do they look?"
Asuna eagerly awaited Kirito's reaction.
"You… look great."
Kirito tactfully redirected his answer.
28th Floor – Pokémon Matchmaking Festival Venue
"Whoa! So many Pokémon!"
"I've never seen so many in one place! Just how many Pokémon exist in Aincrad?!"
Upon arrival, Kirito and Asuna gasped in awe.
The entire town was filled with Pokémon and Trainers.
Vibrant, energetic, and brimming with life—this felt like a dream world.
"This is exactly the paradise I imagined…"
Asuna whispered, eyes sparkling.
"If Pokémon were everywhere, the world would be so wonderful…"
(End of Chapter)
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