"Oh, you know Professor Oak?"
"Yes, I do."
"Did Professor Oak send you here for an assessment?"
"No, I just wanted to come and see. And in a while, I plan to go to Mahogany Town to train with Pryce for a period."
"Pryce? The Gym Leader of Mahogany Town? I heard he has a terrible temper."
"He and Professor Oak knew each other when they were young. I'm going with Professor Oak's letter of introduction."
"Is that so? So you're quite impressive then?"
"Average, only one or two somewhat stronger Pokémon."
Norman and Ace chatted casually as they walked, and in a friendly atmosphere, they quickly became acquainted.
Soon, the two arrived at the League's main gate. The guards at the entrance recognized Norman, so they naturally said nothing, their gaze turning to Ace.
Just as Norman was about to explain, Ace directly pulled out his Pokédex and handed it over, proactively stating, "I'd like to inquire about the requirements for becoming a Gym Leader, to see if I meet them."
"This Pokédex is presented to Acemit. May you remain true to your initial resolve and become an excellent Trainer."
The Pokédex's electronic voice sounded, and the guard returned the Pokédex to Ace.
However, hearing Ace's purpose for being there, the guard stifled a laugh and waved them through, indicating they could enter.
Ace nodded and followed Norman through the gate.
"Good thing I came with Norman, otherwise, with that excuse, I probably wouldn't have gotten in."
Ace put away his Pokédex, feeling secretly fortunate.
If he had come alone and tried to enter with such a reason, he would probably have been directly rejected by the guards.
After all, the position of Gym Leader was akin to a civil servant of the Pokémon League.
It paid well, had good benefits, and special holidays, making it a "iron rice bowl" kind of job.
It wasn't something a twelve or thirteen-year-old kid could easily take on.
But with Norman accompanying him, the guard would subconsciously assume they knew each other, and since Norman was only an assessment away from becoming a Gym Leader, giving face to a future Gym Leader by letting a "clueless" kid in to get some information wasn't a big problem.
This was the disparity of reality!
Ace followed Norman into the building on the left. Upon entering the lobby, Norman gestured for Ace to inquire at the counter, while he waved to Ace and went off to deal with his own Gym Leader assessment matters.
Ace also waved to Norman, then seriously went to the counter to inquire about the process of becoming a Gym Leader.
With his connection to Norman, the staff member didn't brush Ace off but instead gave him a document and explained the process.
A Trainer wishing to become a Gym Leader needed to pass a series of assessments from the Pokémon League.
The assessment involved the applicant battling League Trainers, and none of their Pokémon could faint during the battles.
However, before that, the League would also conduct a series of evaluations on the applicant, and only after passing these evaluations could they proceed to the final battle assessment.
But in Ace's memory, the only exception was Gary Oak. The Chairman of the Pokémon League, having witnessed Gary's battle with Ash, saw Gary's abilities and also because he was Professor Oak's grandson, allowed Gary to take over as the Viridian City Gym Leader, replacing Ash who had passed the exam but couldn't serve due to injury.
"Tsk, in a nutshell, it still depends on your connections," Ace clicked his tongue, thinking of the youngest Gym Leaders in the Hoenn region.
The two kids, Tate and Liza.
Don't let their age fool you; their background was also strong, otherwise, they wouldn't have been allowed to serve as the Gym Leaders of Mossdeep City.
"I see. Looks like it won't be possible anytime soon."
Ace returned the document to the staff member, somewhat helplessly saying, "I'll try harder in the future. But can I wait for Uncle Norman for a bit?"
"Yes, you may."
The staff member gave a professional smile and didn't restrict Ace's movements.
Ace nodded, then left the building with Crobat.
Stepping out of the building, Ace glanced at the patrolling security personnel and casually walked towards the research facility.
No security personnel stopped Ace, and he surprisingly smoothly arrived at the research facility's main entrance.
Pushing open the large door, Ace looked inside.
He saw many researchers recording data in front of a row of machines, and behind the machines was a completely sealed glass room.
The glass room occupied a vast area, and it was foggy inside—that was the ozone released by Rayquaza, creating a relatively stable environment for it to sleep.
"Who are you?"
The open door startled the researchers who were busy recording data.
"Oh, I was just looking around."
Ace scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Sorry to disturb you."
"This isn't a place for children. Please leave quickly."
The staff member tried to shoo Ace away, but Ace ignored him and quickly walked into the research facility. He glanced at Rayquaza sleeping in the ozone, then exclaimed in surprise, "A Pokémon I've never seen before!"
"You little rascal, why aren't you listening!"
Seeing Ace disregard his warning, the male researcher immediately got angry and rushed to Ace's side, flicking Ace's forehead.
"I know, I know. I just got a bit excited seeing a Pokémon I've never seen before, didn't I?"
Ace said, rubbing his head pitifully, then made a face at the male researcher and quickly ran out of the research facility.
"Haha, Earl, your temper is still so short. He's just a child, don't overreact."
Other researchers laughed; they clearly didn't mind Ace looking at Rayquaza.
"You don't know a thing!"
The researcher named Earl said angrily. These newer researchers had no idea what Rayquaza represented, and as a researcher who knew the full story, he deeply understood that this matter absolutely could not be leaked.
That was why he was so sensitive.
However, none of them realized that Ace, in the future, would be the mastermind behind the destruction of the entire research facility!
"Side Quest (Imprisoned Rayquaza) completed. Quest Rating: A. Quest Reward: 1000 Gold, 10 Quest Points."
"Subsequent quest has been issued..."
"Side Quest (Release Rayquaza): Help Rayquaza break free from its restraints and advance the plot. Quest Reward: 500 Gold, Quest Points awarded based on quest completion rating."
Ace stood in the plaza, looking at the received gold and quest points, then at the subsequent quest, and smiled faintly.
"The Jade Orb... I'll just take it after the research facility is destroyed by Rayquaza."
Ace thought silently, then waved to Norman, who had already walked out of the main gate.
For the next quest, he would need Norman's help, so he had to manage their relationship well first.