"Boom!"
Garchomp crashed heavily to the ground.
Frozen by Absolute Zero, it hadn't lost its combat capability, but Blissey's subsequent Ice Punch directly finished it off.
As Garchomp fell, Salamence, who was locked in an intense battle with Crobat, twitched its eyes.
Glancing around at the surrounding Lapras, Blissey, and the Crobat soaring above, Salamence hesitated for a moment, then let out a roar and charged towards Blissey!
Three minutes later, the unconscious Salamence lay on the ground. Ace, accompanied by Crobat and Blissey, walked to the stone platform.
He took the Keystone embedded in the platform and gripped it tightly in his hand!
"Side Quest (Depths of Dragon's Den) completed. Quest Evaluation: A. Quest Reward: 30,000 gold coins, 10 quest points."
"Subsequent quest has been issued..."
"Side Quest (Successor): Having obtained the Keystone, you are now qualified to be a successor. Find the Elder and gain her approval to become the successor. Quest Reward: 10,000 gold coins, quest points awarded based on quest completion evaluation."
"Successor? Does that mean I'm to inherit Zinnia's position?"
Ace was slightly stunned, then quickly understood.
However, Ace didn't really care. If he truly became the successor, it would mean he gained command of Rayquaza.
Besides solving the problems of Groudon and Kyogre, at most, he'd also have to deal with a giant meteorite.
But during this period, Rayquaza could become a powerful asset for him, which was a very good enhancement for Ace.
Having figured this out, Ace turned to leave. The three dragons he had defeated earlier had already recovered.
They didn't attack Ace again but instead retreated to the side, clearing the path for him to return.
"Alright, I'm off. If there's a chance in the future, let's battle again."
Ace, holding the Keystone, waved at the three dragons with a smile, then walked out with Blissey and Crobat.
The three dragons watched Ace leave, then returned to the stone platform and lay down, resting to recover from the damage they sustained in the previous battle.
Near the entrance, the stubborn Kommo-o once again charged at Ace, only to be slapped away by Blissey, performing three and a half aerial spins before falling to the side, unconscious.
"This guy, still so stubborn," Ace muttered, looking at the unconscious Kommo-o with a hint of exasperation.
Crobat also nodded. Crobat and the others were a bit speechless about this headstrong Kommo-o.
They admired its unyielding spirit but disdained its inability to recognize the gap in strength.
Ace walked out of the Dragon's Den, where the Elder had been waiting for him.
Seeing Ace emerge, the Elder nodded at him.
Ace walked past numerous Dragon-type Pokémon and approached the Elder, extending his hand to reveal the Keystone.
"Do you like this gift?"
The Elder looked at Ace, a faint smile appearing on her normally cold face.
"I like it very much," Ace replied, nodding to the Elder. "Thank you for your generosity, Grandma."
"Glad you like it. Come with me, I have something to tell you."
The Elder motioned to Ace. Ace nodded and followed the Elder to her dwelling.
The Elder's dwelling was very simple, just an ordinary small wooden house.
Ace followed the Elder into the small wooden house. The Elder asked Ace to sit down first, then poured two cups of tea for Ace and herself.
"What do you think of us, the Draconid people?"
Placing the tea in front of Ace, the Elder sat down on a chair on the other side of the table and asked Ace.
Ace took a sip of tea, then, after a moment of thought, replied, "Regarding the Draconid people, from some old books I've read, I know this place is the Dragon's Den. However, the books subtly mentioned that you are guarding something, and there's some kind of prophecy. So, I'm very interested in this place. I happened to meet Zinnia, and I obtained information about the Meteor Falls from her under the pretext of helping her."
"Is that so..."
The Elder sighed faintly, then took a sip of tea and said, "Little one..."
"My name is Ace. Just call me Ace."
Ace interrupted the Elder, telling her his name.
"Ace, is it? I'll remember that."
The Elder nodded and said, "Everyone calls me Granny Dragon. You can call me Grandma too, that's fine."
Ace nodded, indicating that Granny Dragon had truly accepted Ace.
"Do you want to know about the Successor?"
Suddenly, Granny Dragon spoke, bringing up the question Ace was most concerned about.
"Yes!"
Ace nodded, "When I came here, I heard you mention it, but unfortunately, you didn't explain it then, and it wasn't appropriate for me to ask."
"The matter of the Successor is an internal affair of us Draconid people, so it cannot be told to outsiders."
The old woman said, "However, you have retrieved the gift I gave you and passed through the Dragon's Den. You are now half one of us, so I can tell you what a Successor is."
With that, Granny Dragon began to recount the history of Meteor Falls.
Long, long ago, meteor showers continually streaked across the night sky. Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre battled, and then the super ancient Pokémon Rayquaza stopped them.
A thousand years later, another meteor fell into what is now Sootopolis City, awakening Groudon and Kyogre.
The Successor at that time stood on the Rainbow Stone and prayed for Rayquaza's return. The prayer caused Rayquaza to Mega Evolve.
After a fierce battle, Groudon and Kyogre returned to the depths, and Rayquaza returned to the sky. The Draconid people built the Sky Pillar to commemorate their god, and murals were painted on the tower walls.
The Draconid people prophesied that in a thousand years, another meteorite would collide with the world, and when that moment arrived, the Draconid people would need the Successor to summon Rayquaza again to protect the planet.
"The first meteorite fell here, and the second fell in Sootopolis City," Granny Dragon said with emotion. "The millennium is almost upon us. We need a Successor to lead the Dragon God to stop that meteorite from falling. This concerns the continuation of the entire planet. Ace, do you understand the meaning of a Successor now?"
Ace nodded silently, then exhaled and looked into Granny Dragon's eyes, saying, "Grandma, you're telling me all this because you have something you want to say to me, right?"
Granny Dragon smiled slightly and nodded. "That's right. Ace, I want you to become this generation's Successor and lead the Dragon God to save our planet!"
Ace showed a timely "shocked" expression, then lowered his head and fell into "thought"...