The strong wind howled. Ace stood on the back of the Tao Dragon , silently watching the scenery flash by below.
In just over a day, Ace had already rushed from the Unova region back to the Hoenn region.
Through this long period of flight, Ace also noticed the difference between the Tao Dragon and Aerodactyl.
Aerodactyl was faster than the Tao Dragon, but due to its physical condition, it wasn't suited for long-haul flights; it required rest stops.
The Tao Dragon, however, benefited from its massive size. Carrying Ace had no impact on it whatsoever. The inherently enormous energy supply of a Legendary Pokémon allowed the Tao Dragon to sustain continuous flight 24/7 without concern for exhaustion, boasting incredible durability.
That said, the Tao Dragon was slower compared to Aerodactyl.
Of course, "slow" in this context was only when compared to Aerodactyl. Compared to other flying Pokémon, the Tao Dragon would absolutely dominate.
The landscape beneath his feet changed. Ace quickly spotted Hoenn's Mt. Pyre.
Seeing the Mt. Pyre meant they were very close to Phantom Island.
Ace instructed the Tao Dragon to slow down and took out his communication device to contact Zinnia.
After confirming Zinnia was outside the island, Ace directed the Tao Dragon to fly toward her location.
Soon, Ace saw Zinnia. She was currently on the back of a Wailord, munching on dry, hard rations.
"You've already evolved into Wailord so quickly?"
The Tao Dragon flew Ace beside the Wailord. Ace looked at Zinnia's Wailord and said, somewhat surprised.
"Ace-sama, you were gone for a few days, but I spent over a full month on Phantom Island."
Zinnia looked up and spoke to Ace with a hint of grievance: "Your two Pokémon... are very strong."
As she spoke, Zinnia took out Ace's two special Poké Balls and tossed them over.
"I forgot about that."
Ace chuckled, catching the two Poké Balls. He then patted the Tao Dragon and introduced it to Zinnia: "This is the Tao Dragon, a Legendary Pokémon from the Unova region. It's now under my capture, and this will be a huge help to our future operations."
Zinnia looked at the Tao Dragon, a flash of astonishment and envy in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and reported to Ace about recent events in the Hoenn region.
After listening to Zinnia's report, Ace nodded. The clashes between Team Magma and Team Aqua would attract a lot of attention, providing cover for their actions.
"You continue your training. I have some matters to attend to."
Ace told Zinnia. Zinnia nodded in disappointment, secretly vowing to improve her strength quickly. Otherwise, Ace wouldn't take her along for certain tasks.
If Ace knew what Zinnia was thinking, he'd probably tell her she was overthinking it.
The sole reason for not bringing Zinnia this time was that Ace only had one set of equipment for their next destination, and he was too lazy to buy another.
Due to the unique destination, Ace didn't bring many Pokémon. Apart from Crobat, the Tao Dragon, Chansey, Ninetales, and Lapras, he planned to leave the rest behind, handing them over to Zinnia for sparring.
He then had the Tao Dragon take off, heading toward his destination.
Soon, the Tao Dragon brought Ace above an expanse of water.
Ace raised his hand and looked at the location displayed on his electronic wristwatch. He then took off his trench coat and stuffed it into his pouch.
Next, Ace expertly pulled out diving equipment from his pouch and quickly put it on.
That's right, Ace's destination this time was Hoenn's Seafloor Cavern!
The brutal scenes of the future had served as a warning bell for Ace. He had to consider every aspect and absolutely not allow any existence that was beyond his control!
Even the two main characters of the coming war had to be firmly grasped in his hands. There could be absolutely no more mishaps!
Equipped with the gear, he bit down on the underwater breathing apparatus.
Ace pulled out an Ultra Ball, recalling the Tao Dragon. As the dragon vanished, Ace free-fell, plunging directly from high altitude into the sea.
The seawater rushed in. Ace took a deep breath, the water filtered by the breathing apparatus, providing him with breathable oxygen.
Ace threw a Dive Ball, and Lapras leaped out, swimming beneath Ace and carrying him.
Ace patted Lapras's neck. Lapras instantly understood Ace's intention and immediately dove, swimming toward the seabed.
The Hoenn region has a large oceanic area, naturally fostering a vast number of Water-type Pokémon.
However, these Water-type Pokémon showed no hostility toward an intruder like Ace. Instead, they avoided him, unwilling to interact.
The reason for this behavior was easy to understand.
Because the ocean area was so large, the territories of the Water-type Pokémon were somewhat loosely defined.
Without the daily stress of territorial disputes, these Water-type Pokémon naturally lacked the vigilance they should have.
This was a good thing for Ace, as it saved him a lot of trouble.
Lapras carried Ace on a rapid descent. The water pressure around them gradually increased.
But with the black-tech diving equipment provided by the system, Ace completely ignored the water pressure and continued to descend quickly.
In less than five minutes, Ace saw an extremely vast, bottomless, massive trench.
No, it could no longer be called a trench. It should be called an endless, giant underwater canyon!
At Ace's signal, Lapras continued to descend. Soon, the surroundings became pitch black. Even some Water-type Pokémon were unwilling to live here, making the area exceptionally desolate.
Ace activated the illumination mode on his electronic wristwatch. The blinding light dispelled the darkness and illuminated the surroundings.
Soon, on a rock face, Ace discovered a massive cave entrance. Lapras immediately swam toward it.
Carrying Ace through a winding and dark passage, a bright spot soon appeared ahead of them.
Seeing the light, Ace and Lapras instantly knew they had reached their destination. Lapras also sped up.
"Splash!"
With a breaking-water sound, Lapras carried Ace to the surface, emerging into an inner sea within a cavern.
Ace removed the underwater breathing apparatus from his mouth and took a deep breath of the air.
It was fresh, with no sense of stuffiness.
Looking up at the glowing moss and fungi on the cavern ceiling, these were likely the culprits responsible for this wondrous spectacle.
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