Pokémon: Ralts
Gender: Female
Level: 1
Ability: Synchronize
Shiny Ability: Telepathy
Nature: Modest
Potential: Excellent
Egg Moves: Misty Terrain
Skills: Growl, Confusion
Note: Telepathy: Can connect with the trainer's mind, understanding every thought without the need for verbal commands.
(Fold)
The information for the shiny Ralts appeared before Ace. As he looked at her, the words she spoke still echoed in his mind.
Ace gently patted Ralts's head and smiled. "That's right, I'm your trainer."
"Understood. From now on, my power is with you, and your destiny is shared with mine." Ralts lowered her head and hugged Ace tightly.
"A Ralts that can communicate is indeed a rare and convenient ability," Ace thought. He then took out a Poké Ball and recalled Ralts.
But just as he was about to put the Poké Ball away, Ralts shot out of it and appeared beside him.
"Master, I don't like being in that thing. Please let me stay by your side."
Ace glanced at the unique Ralts and nodded. "Alright."
Ralts immediately gave Ace a heartwarming smile and followed him toward the restaurant.
By now, the top 16 competitors had all been decided. With no more matches for the day, many people had gathered in the restaurant to eat dinner or exchange notes.
"Did you just catch that Ralts?" Cynthia asked, taking a seat at Ace's table after ordering her own meal. Ace was eating dinner and occasionally feeding a small bite to Ralts.
"Yeah, she just hatched. A bit clingy," Ace said between bites, glancing at Ralts, who was covering her face with her hands, looking incredibly happy. "Just like you used to be."
"Pfft!"
Cynthia, who was eating, choked on her food. After a few coughs, she finally recovered and looked at Ace's impassive face. "I'm not clingy! I was protecting you!" she defended.
"You don't need to explain it to me," Ace said, stroking Ralts's head. Despite the two red horns, Ralts's head was very smooth, giving him the same satisfying feeling as petting a cat, which was easy to get addicted to.
Ralts also enjoyed Ace's touch, closing her eyes in pleasure, but she cast a slightly mischievous look at Cynthia across the table.
After finishing his meal, Ace quickly vacated his seat and left the restaurant. He began to prepare food for his Pokémon and then released them from their Poké Balls. Crobat, Gabite, Larvitar, Victreebel, Blastoise, and Ninetales—these were the six Pokémon Ace had prepared for the finals.
"Everyone, this is Ralts. She just hatched not long ago and is now one of our companions. Please take care of her," Ace said, introducing Ralts while preparing the food.
Ralts, seeing so many Pokémon appear, felt a bit shy. She held onto the corner of Ace's jacket and hid behind him, peeking out at the others. The other Pokémon smiled back at her, and knowing she was a newborn, they would naturally look out for her.
Soon, Ace finished preparing the food for each of his Pokémon. Each one took their bowl and began to feast. Ralts also had her own portion. She took a bite and was instantly captivated by the delicious taste, forgetting everything else and starting to eat the special Pokémon food Ace had prepared for them.
While his Pokémon ate, Ace went and sat on a nearby bench. He pulled out a Ralts training manual from his bag and began to read it carefully.
After they finished their meals, the Pokémon put their bowls away and then gathered around Ace, either sitting or lying down. Ralts used her Confusion to float over to Ace and sat down beside him, looking at him.
Her Telepathy instantly connected with Ace, who was immersed in his book. In the next moment, a flood of thoughts poured into Ralts's mind.
"The use of Confusion isn't limited to just squeezing or pushing; a more nimble application would increase the Pokémon's agility..."
"Ralts is similar to a mage; its physical strength can basically be ignored..."
"The utilization of the Fairy-type..."
"Strategic arrangements for Teleport..."
"Developing multiple types of attacks to broaden its coverage..."
"Methods to improve its poison resistance..."
"Using its body structure to its advantage..."
"..."
Too many thoughts flooded her mind. Ralts clutched her head in pain. Despite the agony, she didn't disconnect, instead using the massive amount of knowledge to improve her own knowledge base and her ability to organize and process information.
Time passed in this way until night fell and the streetlights came on. It was only then that Ace emerged from his state of deep study. Noticing that Ace had finished, Ralts immediately disconnected from the telepathic link and collapsed onto the bench, falling into a deep sleep.
"What's wrong with her?" Ace put his book away and poked Ralts's cheek with his finger. When she didn't wake up, he had the system scan her.
"Scanning... Scan complete!"
The system quickly provided the answer, and Ace learned what Ralts had been doing.
"She's really trying hard," Ace said with a smile. He picked up Ralts and then recalled his other Pokémon to their Poké Balls.
Ralts snuggled into Ace's arms, her expression relaxing. She mumbled something and burrowed deeper, falling into a comfortable sleep. Ace, seeing that her level had risen from one to two, was touched by her efforts. He knew that gaining experience purely through accumulating knowledge was a very slow way to level up, far less effective than an actual battle. Yet, Ralts had persevered, absorbing the knowledge from Ace. This kind of tenacity made Ace look at her in a new light.
"Get some good rest. I hope you have a nice dream." Ace stroked Ralts's head and carried her into the inn he had rented.
Tomorrow were the matches for the top 16 and top 8. Ace needed to rest early and save his energy because none of the people who had advanced from all over the world were easy opponents!