Returning to his small house, Ace breathed a sigh of relief.
In a vast place like Kanto, finding Shiba would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
But Little Green was different. Having searched for clues for years, she had her own methods of acquiring information. Instead of Ace searching himself, it was better to hand the matter over to a professional.
And did Ace's promise to Little Green even count as a task?
If he didn't know the plot, just relying on the "big bird" clue would likely have him running his legs ragged, similar to Little Green, without necessarily finding anything.
However, Ace knew the plot, so he could easily help Little Green "find out." Therefore, Ace could leisurely wait for news at home and then, when Little Green arrived, give her the information.
Of course, directly telling her the information would be foolish. Without any supporting evidence, it would only make Little Green suspicious.
"Information on the big bird..."
Ace began to meticulously consider the next steps in his mind, simulating possible contingencies, and finally, finalizing his plan.
"Everything is ready, just waiting for Little Green's intel."
Little Green didn't make Ace wait too long.
They had agreed on a week, and on the fifth day, as Ace was swimming his usual five kilometers in the sea, Aerodactyl flew overhead, circling above him.
Ace stopped and looked up at Aerodactyl in the sky, then climbed onto the shell of a nearby Blastoise.
Aerodactyl picked Ace up, and Ace casually recalled the Blastoise that had been swimming with him.
With a flap of its wings, Aerodactyl swiftly carried Ace back to the small house.
When Ace landed in the courtyard of the house, he saw Little Green squatting on the ground, watching Jigglypuff playing with Gible.
"Why are you here?"
Ace took the towel handed to him by Chansey, looking at Little Green in confusion.
Little Green stood up, her face slightly flushing as she looked at Ace, who was wearing dragon-scale armor and whose muscles were clearly defined. She quickly composed herself.
Pulling a slip of paper from her pocket, Little Green tossed it to Ace.
"I've found the person you're looking for. They're currently training near Mt. Moon," Little Green said to Ace. "Oh, by the way, any news on that big bird?"
Ace, while wiping the seawater from his hair, opened the slip of paper. It meticulously detailed Shiba's daily activities.
This meant Little Green had found Shiba in just three days. However, since Ace wanted to challenge Shiba, she had spent an extra day and a bit recording these details, which was an added bonus.
"Come inside, let's talk."
Ace tossed the wet towel to Chansey, then opened the door, gesturing for Little Green to come in.
Seeing this, Little Green didn't refuse and walked directly into Ace's small house with Jigglypuff.
Ace settled Little Green on the living room sofa, asking her to wait while he went upstairs to retrieve some documents.
Little Green sat on the sofa, looking around the house.
The interior of the house wasn't overly luxurious; instead, it was very simple and clean. Aside from a few occasional nicks on some items, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Soon, Ace came down from the upstairs study, carrying a stack of books.
Little Green looked on, bewildered, as Ace placed the thick stack of books on the coffee table, then opened one and pulled out numerous blueprints.
"I've gone through a vast number of books, searching for large-bodied bird Pokémon," Ace said, placing several blueprints in front of Little Green. "But there are many large bird Pokémon, and you were quite young when you were carried away by one, so the 'big bird' to you might not be as big as imagined. By analogy, the Pokémon included are..."
As Ace continued to explain, Little Green's face became increasingly bewildered, and she couldn't understand many of the technical terms.
"Who am I? Where am I? Why am I here?"
Three soul-searching questions appeared in Little Green's mind. Ace had completely confused her.
"...In conclusion, my theory is that ordinary bird Pokémon can be excluded. The targets are these two legendary bird Pokémon."
Ace pushed pictures of Lugia and Ho-Oh murals in front of Little Green, giving his final conclusion.
"These two, huh..."
Little Green looked at the mural pictures, which didn't match the actual Pokémon at all, and fell into thought. Overall, Ace had helped her eliminate a lot of incorrect information and pointed her in two directions, which was already fantastic news for Little Green, who had been searching for two years.
"If you need help, let me know."
Ace looked at Little Green and said, "I understand how things are for people like us. Compared to me, at least you have a direction, don't you?"
Seeing Little Green's expression, Ace spoke, comforting her a little.
"Heh, aren't you doing pretty well yourself?"
Little Green looked up, regaining her usual mischievousness, and grinned at Ace, "At least a house this big, I wouldn't have the confidence to build it myself."
"It's just a house," Ace said calmly. "I admire you. At least in the same situation, I don't think I could compare to you."
Little Green's smile faded, and she nodded at Ace.
Standing up, Little Green waved to Ace, "I'm off, still have a lot to do."
"An extra piece of news."
Seeing Little Green about to leave, Ace tidied the books on the coffee table and, without raising his head, said to Little Green, "Go to the Seven Islands; you might find something there."
Little Green stopped, but didn't turn around, asking, "Did Professor Oak tell you?"
"Just assume he did."
"Alright, I understand. Thanks."
Little Green pushed open the door and walked out. The Jigglypuff beside her quickly inhaled, soon expanding into a huge balloon.
Little Green jumped onto Jigglypuff, and Jigglypuff slowly floated up, flying off into the distance.
As for Ace, after tidying the books, he went to the bathroom to take a shower, washing off the salt particles that had dried on him.
After washing up, Ace took his trench coat from the hanger and put it on.
"Ready to go. Target: Mt. Moon."
Ace called out to his Pokémon, then recalled them all, placing them one by one into the buckles of his trench coat.
With preparations complete, the remaining Aerodactyl grabbed Ace, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky, swiftly flying towards Mt. Moon.
"Mt. Moon... Shiba... I hope you don't disappoint me..."
Ace murmured softly as he flew through the air, the strong wind scattering his words, but unable to blow away the growing fighting spirit in his heart.
Aerodactyl sensed Ace's thoughts and let out a roar, then suddenly accelerated, transforming into a shooting star that swiftly streaked across the sky!