Far away in Kanto, Ace had no idea what was happening.
Right now, he was sitting by the bed, explaining the current situation to Zinnia.
After Ace rescued Zinnia, Rayquaza had integrated a surge of Dragon-type energy into her body as a sign of its recognition. This made Zinnia a semi-successor.
Why only "semi"?
Because Zinnia hadn't undergone the full successor inheritance ceremony; she hadn't yet received the blessings of all the Dragon-type Pokémon.
Knowing this, Ace asked Zinnia to stay and train at the Dragon Shrine to earn the Dragon-type Pokémon's approval and become a true successor.
To Ace's surprise, Zinnia refused.
"You don't want to be a successor anymore?" Ace asked, puzzled by her refusal.
Hadn't becoming a successor always been Zinnia's dream? Now that her wish was within reach, why was she backing away?
"I don't care for an identity that's been handed to me as charity," Zinnia said, rising from the bed. She then knelt before Ace, bowing her head. "You saved my life. From now on, I will do anything you ask. I also ask that you and the Dragon God together save this planet."
Ace scratched his head. What was this turn of events? Had he just gained a follower?
While Ace was bewildered, Zinnia looked up at him. She was aware that when she was critically wounded, it was Ace who had shielded her from Rayquaza's Dragon Pulse. If the attack had hit her directly, even if she had survived, she would have been half-dead.
Zinnia hadn't forgotten this life-saving act.
As she looked at Ace, a different kind of feeling stirred in her heart. She didn't know what it was, but she knew one thing: she would help Ace, no matter what!
Ace thought for a moment before speaking to Zinnia. "I heard you initially wanted to lure out Rayquaza. How did you plan to do that?"
"It was like this…" Zinnia stood up, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to explain her original plan.
From historical documents, she had learned that the ancient battles between Kyogre and Groudon had previously drawn Rayquaza to intervene. Her plan was to inform Team Magma and Team Aqua about the two super-ancient Pokémon, provoking a new battle between Kyogre and Groudon to make Rayquaza appear.
Would this cause the deaths of innocent people? Zinnia didn't care. Her heart had become cold the moment Shiana died.
Ace already knew all this; he was just using it as a starting point for their conversation.
After listening to Zinnia's plan, Ace "thought" for a moment, then said, "Zinnia, I want you to continue with this plan. Any problems?"
"No problem," Zinnia replied instantly, not asking why Ace, who had already found Rayquaza, would still want to provoke a battle between the two super-ancient Pokémon.
As long as it was what Ace wanted, Zinnia would do it. It was as simple as that.
Compared to protagonists like Ash, who are "friends of justice," Zinnia's way of thinking was more like that of a villain. As long as the goal could be achieved, the means didn't matter!
Ace and Zinnia talked for a long time. The next day, Zinnia left the Meteor Falls in a hurry.
Ace, on the other hand, was called over by the Elder.
"Elder, what's up?" Ace asked as he walked into the Elder's house.
The Elder sat in her chair, looking at Ace with a sigh. "Ace, what did you send Zinnia to do?"
"Oh, it's about that." Ace smiled, then said, "Elder, let me tell you about it…"
Ace pulled up a chair and explained his plan to the Elder.
At first, the Elder's brow was furrowed, but as Ace spoke, her expression gradually softened.
In the end, she sighed, "Starting a battle between the two super-ancient Pokémon… so many people will lose their homes and lives."
"That's the League's problem," Ace said calmly. "Since they hold their positions, there are certain things they must handle properly. Besides, to put it bluntly," Ace looked directly into the Elder's eyes, "we're just acting as a catalyst. Even without us, given enough time, they would eventually learn about all this. It's just a matter of time."
The Elder was silent, having been swayed by Ace's words.
Rayquaza's predicament was a deep humiliation for the Meteor tribe. Were they not angry about it? No, they were furious.
But what could they do? This was the consequence of being weak. Despite their anger, they were helpless.
Even when they simply tried to reclaim Shiana's relics, they were shown the door. This was reality, a bloody reality!
So, even though the Elder was worried about Zinnia's safety, she said no more after Ace assured her that Zinnia would be fine.
After a simple breakfast, Ace also left Meteor Falls.
After his conflict with the Devon Corporation, Ace was now preparing to leave Hoenn as soon as possible. More importantly, he wanted to focus on raising his Gible and evolving it.
"I'll take it easy for a while."
With his Aerodactyl in Mega-Evolved form, Ace flew toward the Kanto region, planning to take a break and process his current gains, to properly settle down.
...
Three days later, Ace floated in the air in a daze, looking at his house below.
What should have been his home was now almost entirely covered by a giant tree.
As Aerodactyl slowly descended, Ace realized the massive tree had grown in his berry orchard!
"What's going on?!" Ace anxiously rushed into the berry orchard. The foundation of his future fortune lay in these berries; nothing could go wrong!
But as soon as Ace entered the orchard, he froze.
All the berry trees had grown to be over three meters tall, and their branches were laden with all kinds of berries.
"This is impossible!" Ace exclaimed in disbelief. He walked up to a Pamtre tree, picked a Pamtre berry, and took a huge bite.
Instantly, his eyes widened.
He looked at the half-eaten Pamtre berry, feeling that the berries on this tree tasted even better than the ones provided by the system!