Chapter 49: Team Rocket's Attack

"I'd like to follow you for a while." Cynthia looked at Ace. "Because there's still trouble I need to resolve. Otherwise, if you run into them, you'll definitely be attacked."

"Is someone tracking me?" Ace asked calmly. Since the side quest hadn't been completed, he had guessed that other trackers would come for him.

Cynthia nodded, confirming Ace's suspicion. In Cynthia's mind, by following Ace and saving him from those people's attacks, she would be repaying her debt. Then, if she was discovered as well, she could just return to Sinnoh. It would be killing two birds with one stone.

"Oh, I see, but I don't accept." Ace nodded but refused Cynthia's request to travel together.

"Why?" Cynthia was puzzled. She had explained so much, why was this guy still refusing?

"Following me would be a bother for me, and you'll get into trouble too." Ace looked directly into Cynthia's eyes. Ace wasn't lying about this. Bound by the main quest, he had to fight Team Rocket to the end. If a real fight broke out, Ace wouldn't have the presence of mind to look after Cynthia. She might even die at Team Rocket's hands.

Don't mention that Cynthia would be the Sinnoh Champion in the future; that was later. Right now, her strength was only at the level of a rookie trainer who had just received her Pokémon. Sending her into battle would be tantamount to sending her to her death.

"Then aren't you afraid of their retaliation?" Cynthia saw seriousness in Ace's eyes, but out of goodwill, she still wanted to confirm.

"When soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we cover it with earth. There's always a way." Ace said indifferently, "And you, your strength is too low. You're simply not fit to be with me."

Ace's words were like a sharp sword, piercing directly into Cynthia's heart.

Watching Cynthia fall silent, Ace gave all the grilled steaks to his Pokémon. After they were full, Ace individually fed each Pokémon a Basic Energy Block.

Putting away his things, Ace recalled all Pokémon except Aerodactyl.

As Aerodactyl lifted him into the air, Ace looked at the somewhat dejected Cynthia and said faintly, "The outside world is very dangerous. You, a young lady, should just stay home. We're not on the same path after all."

With that, Aerodactyl flapped its wings fiercely, carrying Ace quickly away into the distance.

"This guy..."

Ace's sharp tongue completely extinguished Cynthia's desire to keep following him.

"You don't appreciate good intentions. I hope you don't come begging me when they catch you!" Cynthia said angrily, then turned to leave.

But just as she turned, she suddenly noticed several men in black clothes with an embroidered "R" on their shirts emerging from the shadows.

"Aerodactyl, carrying a large backpack. That's the target." Someone pulled out a piece of paper with Ace's likeness drawn on it.

After confirming Ace's identity, one of the men looked at Cynthia and sneered, "Miss, if you don't mind me asking, what's your relationship with that fellow?"

Cynthia instinctively took a step back. She could feel that these people were no good!

"The Power Plant should be east of Cerulean City. It'll probably be a long flight."

Ace raised his wrist and looked at his electronic watch. The watch face displayed a map of the Kanto region, showing Ace's current location.

Such an item, clearly far exceeding the technology of the current era, was undoubtedly something Ace had bought from the system store.

However, even though this thing was only the size of a watch, if sold separately, it would cost three thousand gold coins!

And when the watch was first purchased, it only had time and illumination functions. The electronic map feature was an additional one thousand gold coins, a "buy one, get one free" deal that included real-time navigation.

Of course, the system store had many more functions, but most were expensive, and Ace couldn't bear to buy them for now. Having an electronic map to guide him was already enough.

"Aerodactyl, I'm sorry to trouble you again."

Ace looked up at Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl cried out, not complaining, but steadily carrying Ace towards the Power Plant.

Unbeknownst to Ace, as he headed to the Power Plant, his appearance had already spread within Team Rocket.

Although Ace had handled the previous encounter with Team Rocket at Mt. Moon cleanly, leaving no survivors to alert other Team Rocket members, Ace had forgotten that information could be transmitted by more than just people.

When Team Rocket was operating at Mt. Moon, they had also brought some surveillance equipment for caution. After their members died, other Team Rocket members retrieved the surveillance footage. While they didn't find any battle scenes, in one of the surveillance videos, they saw Aerodactyl carrying Ace flash across the screen.

Unsure if Ace was the culprit, but adhering to the principle of "better to kill a thousand innocents than let one culprit go," coupled with Ace possessing a rare Pokémon like Aerodactyl, Team Rocket members naturally set their sights on Ace.

Previously, with Ace staying at Misty's house, they were helpless.

But now that Ace was acting alone, the opportunity had arrived!

Having locked onto Ace's location, Team Rocket members were now heading towards him. Unbeknownst to Ace, they were forming a perimeter, gradually closing in on his position.

Night gradually fell. Aerodactyl brought Ace down in a relatively open area.

Ace checked the map and found that they were not far from the Power Plant.

"Never mind, we'll go tomorrow."

Ace glanced at the side quest, shook his head, and decided to rest and adjust his condition. Tomorrow, he would enter the Power Plant to meet the legendary Zapdos.

After two hours of busyness, Aerodactyl, full and rested, lay down on the ground. Ace leaned against Aerodactyl, using the campfire's light to read a manual.

Gradually, the firelight dimmed, and the low chirping of insects around them faded away.

Ace put away the manual, picked up a few pieces of firewood, and tossed them into the campfire. The flames caught the wood and began to burn, and the firelight gradually brightened.

"Come out. What kind of skill is it to hide and sneak around?"

Ace spoke calmly, his voice carrying outwards. Aerodactyl, which had been resting on the ground, also shook itself and stood up.

"Oh, you can actually detect us. Looks like you have some tricks up your sleeve."

Figures emerged from the distance. They were accompanied by Starmie, which used their camouflage to conceal the men's presence.

If Ace had been alone, he probably wouldn't have noticed them even if they got very close.

But...

Zubat flapped its wings and descended. Under its Supersonic, visual camouflage was ineffective against it!