Walking at night is extremely dangerous.
Especially with certain nocturnal creatures; if you happen to encounter them, there's a good chance you'll be deemed food.
Ace initially thought his luck was bad when he randomly received Zubat as his initial Pokémon.
But as time went on, Ace could only sigh in profound realization: having Zubat as his initial Pokémon was absolutely fantastic!
Because Zubat needs to use Supersonic for both localization and perception, the unfurled Zubat was flying directly above Ace's head, not put away in its ball.
Utilizing Supersonic to detect obstacles and creatures ahead, Zubat had already helped Ace evade numerous dangerous areas.
If it were any other Pokémon, it probably wouldn't be able to perform as excellently as Zubat, which was precisely why Ace's attitude changed so quickly.
However, as time went on, Zubat descended, landing on Ace's shoulder.
Just as Ace was a little puzzled, in his line of sight, Ace saw a line of text appear above Zubat's head.
"Excessive use of Supersonic, Zubat is exhausted. Suggest supplementing with food."
Ace understood. He quickly took out some food and water from his backpack.
The well-fed Zubat took flight again, beginning to scout the terrain for Ace.
Flying and stopping like this, Zubat consumed four meals in a row, practically eating half of Ace's reserve food.
"As I thought, human food doesn't provide much energy for Pokémon in terms of nutritional value."
After Zubat landed for the fifth time, Ace couldn't help but exclaim, then remembered the 100 gold coins he received after completing his first task.
The system store opened, and a dazzling array of goods appeared before Ace.
But Ace didn't even look at them, jumping directly to the Pokémon food section.
"Normal Pokémon Food: The most basic ration, can replenish Pokémon stamina. One can contains fifty pellets, mediocre taste, priced at one gold coin."
"High-Grade Pokémon Food: Specially formulated ration, can be customized according to the host's Pokémon's taste, catering to specific Pokémon. One can contains fifty pellets, priced at five gold coins."
"Basic Energy Cube: Customizable, contains large amounts of energy. Long-term consumption can slightly increase a Pokémon's specific attribute. Recommended for bulk purchase, ten gold coins per pellet."
"Intermediate Energy Cube: Customizable, contains large amounts of energy. Long-term consumption can increase a Pokémon's specific attribute. Recommended for bulk purchase, twenty gold coins per pellet."
"Advanced Energy Cube: Customizable, contains large amounts of energy. Long-term consumption can significantly increase a Pokémon's specific attribute. Recommended for bulk purchase, one hundred gold coins per pellet."
The higher-tier Energy Cubes were simply beyond Ace's consideration at the moment. He immediately spent ten gold coins to buy two cans of High-Grade Pokémon Food.
Soon, two customized cans of food, based on Zubat's taste, appeared in Ace's backpack.
Ace took out one can and examined it. The can was made of tin, and a rattling sound could be heard when gently shaken.
On the surface of the can, a Q-version image of a Zubat was drawn, with a line of text below it: Shelf life one month.
Pulling open the can, an enticing aroma wafted out, making Ace involuntarily swallow.
If Ace reacted this way, let alone Zubat.
It dove headfirst into the can, opening its mouth to quickly eat the pellets of Pokémon food.
After eating ten pellets in one go, Zubat finally raised its head contentedly.
Through Zubat's status panel, Ace found that Zubat's intimacy had also risen from an initial 150 to 160, directly increasing by ten points!
Ace put the can away. This time, when Zubat took flight, it no longer had to descend frequently to eat something to replenish its stamina like before.
Even until dawn, Zubat showed no signs of exhaustion and remained full of spirit.
Through this, Ace gained a clearer understanding of this kind of Pokémon food from the system store.
As the sky gradually brightened, Ace, who had walked all night, finally recalled Zubat.
Visibility improved during the day, so Ace no longer needed Zubat to lead the way.
After letting Zubat enjoy another full meal and recalling it to its Poké Ball to rest, Ace used the sun to determine his direction and quickly walked towards his destination.
...
In the afternoon, in Canalave City of the Sinnoh region.
A small boy, covered in grime and carrying a half-person-tall backpack, finally arrived in the city.
This small boy, needless to say, was our Ace.
The mud on Ace's body had already dried, but mixed with the Gliscor's feces, the smell was quite unpleasant.
This could be seen from the people around, who were covering their noses and scattering away.
Canalave City did not yet have solar panels providing electricity. At this time, Canalave City was just a port city near the sea, with fishing as its pillar industry.
Ace cautiously walked to the side, surveying the city, and quickly found a place to sell his items.
However, Ace hadn't even entered before he was driven out by the security guard at the door.
A messy, dirty, and foul-smelling guy like him would scare off other customers if he went inside.
Ace was helpless. He could only carry his backpack, find a public restroom, and use the tap to clean off the grime on his body first.
This cleaning took over an hour.
When Ace came out again, wearing his soaked clothes, he went around and found several similar shops.
It took several attempts to finally get rid of those items.
Of course, Ace definitely took a loss, but in a hurry to escape, Ace didn't care much and sold everything cheaply.
With the money, Ace's first priority was to buy a boat ticket to Kanto.
The boat ticket purchase went smoothly, and no one questioned why a child as young as Ace was traveling alone to Kanto.
This was also why Ace rushed to Canalave City. If he had delayed, once the powerful family from the main quest reacted and started pursuing Ace, it would have been impossible for Ace to leave Sinnoh so easily.
After confirming that the ferry would depart at ten in the morning the next day, Ace used the remaining money to buy two sets of clean clothes and had a hearty meal with Zubat.
Then, Ace, dragging his weary body, found an inn. After paying for the room, he directly collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Having walked this whole way, Ace's nerves were highly strung. If he didn't get some proper rest, Ace felt like he would break down.
However, before sleeping, Ace released Zubat.
It's better to be safe than sorry.
If anything truly happened, Zubat would be able to warn Ace immediately, giving Ace time to react.