One day later.
Aerodactyl carried Ace, whistling through the sky, finally stopping at the location of Meteor Falls.
This was a massive cave formed by the impact of a meteorite, and deep within the cave, there was a waterfall, from which Meteor Falls got its name.
Aerodactyl carried Ace into the cave. As soon as they entered, Ace heard the thunderous roar of water.
From a wall inside the cave, a waterfall surged down, splashing water everywhere.
The damp air rushed forward, making the approaching winter chill even more biting.
As Aerodactyl slowly descended, Ace noticed a wooden suspension bridge spanning the deep pool formed by the waterfall, connecting two cliffs.
Under Ace's command, Aerodactyl didn't stop there but immediately rushed towards an even deeper part of the cave.
Upon entering this deeper cave, Aerodactyl found an open space to land and didn't venture further into the deeper caverns.
After landing, Ace could already see several ancient-looking houses scattered throughout this part of the cave.
"Is this the Draconid Village?"
Ace smiled slightly, then recalled Aerodactyl.
"I mean no harm. Could you please not be so hostile towards me?"
As Ace spoke, several people with various Dragon-type Pokémon by their sides emerged from the shadows.
Ace quickly scanned the group, noticing that most of them were Salamence, but there were also many Dragonite, Garchomp, and Hydreigon.
"The true homeland of dragons, it lives up to its name," Ace thought to himself, and his next subconscious thought was: So much dragon meat. If I ate them all at once, what level of physical strength would I achieve?
"Outsider, why have you come here?"
As Ace was surrounded, an old woman in a cloak, with long white hair meticulously cascading to her heels, stepped forward and questioned Ace.
The old woman was very old, but her face had remarkably few wrinkles. If you ignored her white hair, someone might even believe her to be in her fifties.
In reality, the elder was Zinnia's grandmother and the matriarch of the entire Draconid Village, her age far beyond youthful years.
"To witness the legendary Draconid Village, and also to train here for a while."
Ace looked at the elder, smiling as he said, "Grandma, Zinnia told me about this place. In exchange, I helped her with a small favor."
As Ace's words fell, the elder instantly understood Ace's meaning, while the surrounding residents began to murmur amongst themselves upon hearing Zinnia's name.
Ace's words conveyed two things: first, that he was harmless, and second, that he knew Zinnia and their relationship was quite good.
The elder wasn't foolish. Ace being able to speak Zinnia's name indicated that he knew Zinnia. If they weren't friends, Zinnia wouldn't have shared information about the Draconid Village with Ace.
"Come with me."
The elder said to Ace, then led him further inside.
The other residents dispersed, temporarily accepting Ace, the outsider.
"The Dragon God has been freed, hasn't it?"
As they walked deeper into the Draconid Village, the elder suddenly asked Ace.
"Yes, it's freed. It should be arriving in the Hoenn region by now."
Ace nodded. He didn't hide anything from this elder. After all, his mission was to gain the elder's approval, and only by completing this part could he activate the next stage of the quest.
The elder fell silent for a moment, then finally sighed softly, muttering as if to herself, "The Lorekeeper is dead. I wonder when the next Lorekeeper will be born..."
"What's a Lorekeeper?"
Ace suddenly interjected, "Sounds pretty impressive."
The elder turned to look at Ace, shaking her head. "It has nothing to do with you. If you wish to train, the upcoming Dragon's Den is very suitable for you."
"Don't leave me hanging, Grandma," Ace said with a smile. "It's not good to string people along like that."
But the elder didn't respond. Instead, she silently led Ace to the entrance of a cave surrounded by numerous Dragon-type Pokémon.
"The Dragon's Den has complex terrain, making it very suitable for Trainers like you to train. If you need anything, you can find me in the village."
The elder briefly explained to Ace, then walked away without looking back.
Sigh, it seems this side quest won't be easy to complete, Ace thought to himself. However, since he was here, he might as well make the most of it. Looking at the large number of Dragon-type Pokémon ahead, Ace took a deep breath, tossed a Poké Ball, and Crobat directly shot out, suddenly charging towards a Deino.
The Deino, at the outskirts of the dragon group, also noticed Crobat's presence. It sharply raised its heads, and both heads simultaneously unleashed Dragon Pulse, firing left and right towards Crobat.
The sudden battle piqued the interest of the other Dragon-type Pokémon.
However, they didn't interfere. Instead, they retreated, leaving space for Deino and Crobat.
Crobat's two pairs of wings flapped alternately, making a sharp turn and diving rapidly, dodging the Dragon Pulse. At the same time, it unleashed a U-turn towards Deino.
Deino grinned, looking very excited. It suddenly charged forward, launching a Dual Chop towards Crobat.
If that hit solidly, it would likely take Crobat out in one blow!
But Crobat was an old Pokémon of Ace's, rich in battle experience. Without needing Ace's instructions, its wings crossed, and its body began to spin rapidly. Simultaneously, a metallic sheen spread across all four of its wings!
"Clang!"
A sound like metal striking metal rang out. Crobat used the acceleration from U-turn and the rotation to add continuous attack power, delivering a fierce Steel Wing slash directly to Deino's left head.
Crobat was sent flying back, but Deino's left head shook uncontrollably for a moment, trying to shake off the dizziness.
"Toxic."
The recoiling Crobat adjusted its body, quickly stabilized itself, and suddenly opened its mouth, spewing a stream of venom.
Deino's right head tried to dodge, but its left head was still dizzy, dragging half its body along and showing no intention of moving.
Subsequently, to the frustrated look on its right head, the Toxic venom poured down on it, and Deino immediately fell into a severely poisoned state.
"Double Team."
But just as Deino was about to counterattack, the sky was suddenly filled with countless Crobat illusions. Its two heads immediately looked bewildered: How were they supposed to attack now?
"X-Scissor."
But while Deino was bewildered, Crobat's true body instantly lunged behind Deino, slashing continuously with its wings, directly sending it flying.
Deino tumbled twice on the ground, feeling extremely aggrieved. Just as it tried to stand up, the damage from Toxic surged through it.
Its body went limp, and Deino collapsed to the ground, having lost its ability to battle...