Looking at Ace, who still refused, the president of the Pokémon League sighed in the end.
Since Ace had decided not to join, the president couldn't force him.
He stood up, said his goodbyes, and with the people behind him, left Ace's cabin.
Ace also stood up and saw the group off the premises.
Returning to the scorching sun, the president wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked back at Ace, and suddenly spoke. "Ace, you're from Sinnoh, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Ace nodded. With the League's resources, it was easy to find out where he was from, so there was no need to hide it.
"Then this news must be true."
The president said to Ace, "According to the news from Sinnoh, your parents are looking for you. As for the reason, I don't think you'd want to know."
The expression on Ace's face froze, then he managed a forced smile. "Okay, I understand."
The president gave Ace a meaningful look, said nothing more, got into the car, and quickly left.
Ace stood at the gate, letting the sun scorch him. He sighed and closed his eyes.
After a moment of silence, Ace opened his eyes and said to the yard, "I'm planning a trip to Sinnoh and don't want to bring too many Pokémon. Who wants to come with me?"
The moment the words left his mouth, his Pokémon swarmed around him, lining up to be chosen.
Ace hesitated for a moment before finally choosing Crobat, Garchomp, Combusken, and Larvitar.
The Pokémon who weren't chosen looked dejected for a moment, but after Ace explained a few things to them, they immediately perked up and no longer cared that they hadn't been picked.
In a previous main quest, Ace had received a small Pokémon transfer device that was currently linked to the Pokédex in his hand.
This meant that as long as someone was operating it on his end, Ace could transfer his existing Pokémon to himself at any time and place through his Pokédex.
With this in mind, the Pokémon no longer minded and generously gave this opportunity to the three newcomers.
As for Crobat, it was Ace's first Pokémon, and since the effects of its Toxic Wings weren't yet up to Ace's expectations, it still required continuous training under his supervision.
After packing his things, Ace departed that very night, heading to the nearest airport to buy a ticket for Sootopolis City.
The plane flew swiftly, not landing steadily in Sootopolis City's airport until ten the next morning.
Stepping out of the airport, Ace took a deep breath of the sea air. Compared to the scorching heat of Kanto, the temperature in Sinnoh was still quite low.
Ace tightened his coat, redeemed a map of Sinnoh for ten gold coins, looked at the map on his electronic watch, adjusted it, and began walking toward his destination.
Ace's arrival was no secret to the League, and similarly, a certain struggling organization quickly took action upon learning the news.
"I feel like I haven't been this relaxed since I had to sneak away last time."
Walking down the streets of Sootopolis City, Ace held a bag of takoyaki. He speared one with a wooden skewer, popped it into his mouth, and then speared another for the Crobat on his shoulder.
Crobat took the takoyaki and began to chew.
It certainly remembered that time. It was just a Zubat then, and Ace didn't have the strength he had now.
The two of them, alone and dependent on each other, were constantly on edge even while walking at night, terrified of encountering a powerful Pokémon they couldn't handle.
But now, as it looked out, even the Gliscor that Ace had used it to escape from back then would be an easy opponent. Crobat felt it could easily defeat it in four moves, at most.
After a leisurely stroll out of the rapidly developing Sootopolis City, Ace recalled the route from his memories and headed toward the hometown of his body's original owner.
Ace's hometown was a poor mountain village located in a ravine near Veilstone City. Its remote location and inconvenient transportation meant the village could never develop.
Ace was born in such a place. As the youngest child, his poor family couldn't afford to raise him.
Instead of letting Ace fend for himself, it was better to sell him off—at least he wouldn't starve.
Ace smiled faintly, a hint of mockery in his expression. Maybe that's what his parents were thinking at the time.
The money they received from selling Ace would allow the impoverished family to breathe a little easier.
Perhaps it would even help arrange a marriage for his older brother, who was eighteen or nineteen at the time.
So, no matter how much the twelve-year-old Ace resisted and fought back, he couldn't change anything.
In the two years that followed, Ace was constantly on the brink of danger, all for a single bite of food.
It was impossible for Ace not to feel resentment.
Now, his parents were looking for him. Ace knew exactly why.
The past had to be put to an end, and at the same time, Ace needed to welcome his brand-new future!
Celestic Town. Outside a simple house, a golden-haired girl was training with her Pokémon.
Soon, an elderly woman with a head full of white hair, which made her look especially old, walked out of the house.
She quickly walked up to the girl and said, "Cynthia, there's something you need to do. Or rather, something only you can do."
"What is it, Grandma?"
The girl, who was Cynthia, having separated from Ace, stopped her training and wiped the sweat from her face, asking Carolina, "If it's that urgent, I'll have my Dragonite take me right away."
"That Ace has come to Sinnoh."
Professor Carolina sighed, then said with a bitter expression, "So now you know why I need you to go."
The expression on Cynthia's face froze, and she fell into deep thought.
This Cynthia was no longer the naive girl from before. The changes in her family had forced her to mature quickly, and the future Sinnoh Champion's gallant demeanor was already beginning to take shape.
"I'm not going."
Cynthia finished her thought and said to Carolina, "Grandma, there's no need to get involved in this. Just let it unfold naturally. The League is definitely interfering, and if we rush in, we'll only drag ourselves into it. Besides, those people underestimate Ace. If they're looking for trouble, they have no one to blame but themselves."
With that, Cynthia resumed her training, sweating profusely.
And in front of her, ten Pokémon surrounded her, each one's powerful aura already a testament to their strength...
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