"It's said that recently, many people have personally seen an extremely large Klawf in the deep canyons of South Province Area 3, to the east of Mesagoza."
(A/N: Klawf looks adorably clumsy)
Arven continued.
"Its size is several times larger than a normal Klawf, even as big as a small hill. It's clearly abnormal."
"So I think... maybe it's the effect of some Herba Mystica that has unlocked its potential?"
Before Arven finished speaking, Aiden hadn't yet opened his mouth when Nemona already reacted.
"Klawf! A Klawf several times bigger! If we could collect some of its shells and discarded claws, how delicious it would be!"
And if you add the super powerful Herba Mystica Arven mentioned...
Just thinking about it, Nemona already looked blissful, instinctively wiping away non-existent drool.
"..."
Interrupted by Nemona, Aiden almost laughed while discussing something serious but managed to keep a straight face.
Klawf sticks are a very delicious ingredient in the Paldea region, made from the naturally shed shells, claws, and legs of Klawfs, and they taste fantastic.
This is also recorded in "Pokémon Scarlet/Violet."
"If you need any help, just say so. I'd like to see what kind of effects the legendary Herba Mystica can have."
Aiden glanced at Arven and smiled.
"Hmm… I want to start by gathering some specific information about that Klawf first."
"If the situation is true, perhaps in a few days, I'll really need Brother Aiden to accompany me to South Province Area 3."
Under Aiden's encouraging gaze, Arven eventually voiced his request.
"No problem."
Aiden smiled and accepted his commission.
The strength of the first Titan Pokémon shouldn't be too strong; with his current two Pokémon, it should be enough.
"And me, I'm going too!"
Seeing she was being ignored, Nemona immediately puffed up her cheeks and shouted, raising her hand high.
"Of course, then let's just give the Gym a day off."
As a Gym Leader, it's quite normal and reasonable to be out every now and then, right?
Thinking this way, Aiden slowly nodded and agreed to Nemona.
"Then, this operation plan will be called — Path of Legends."
…
Time quickly turned to night.
Due to having a legitimate excuse to slack off these two busy days at the gym, Aiden skipped a day of streaming.
At this moment, he was on a video call with Cynthia.
Recently, the Hoenn Devon Corporation, which developed the Navigator, made new progress in collaboration with Lysandre Labs in the Kalos region.
Therefore, the holographic imaging technology first implemented in Pokémon Champions was soon applied to the Rotom phone.
Staring at the lifelike Cynthia appearing on the phone screen, Aiden couldn't help but exclaim:
"The power of technology is truly great..."
"Yes, it feels like you're right next to me."
Cynthia faintly smiled and casually brushed back her naturally hanging golden hair.
This unintentional little action didn't escape Aiden's eyes.
Looking at Cynthia who seemed so close, for some reason, his heart skipped a few beats.
"By the way, next month's Dragon-type Master Tournament will indeed be held in Mesagoza of the Paldea region. You should know about this, right?"
Cynthia didn't notice his dazed look and spoke with a smile.
"Huh? I don't know…"
Aiden snapped back to reality. He hadn't heard anyone mention this.
Maybe it's because I have nothing to do with Dragon-types.
If it were Fighting-types or Normal-types, maybe I could join in the fun.
"Hmm...?"
Cynthia raised an eyebrow and patiently explained:
"This Master Tournament will be held in mid-next month, as the last major event of the year. Famous Dragon-type trainers from all regions will participate, so it will be highly popular."
"Got it."
Aiden nodded, indicating understanding.
In the Pokémon world, dragons have always been synonymous with nobility. The title of Dragon Tamer naturally gives one a sense of superiority over other trainers.
Capturing a dragon Pokémon is even a dream for many novice trainers.
And with Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion whose ace is the formidable Ground/Dragon-type Garchomp, there's no reason not to participate.
So, does this mean I'll get to see this elusive childhood friend again?
Moreover, if it's the Master Tournament, she should stay in the Paldea region for about a week...
Thinking about this, Aiden found himself a bit nervous.
I'm such a useless guy!
While Aiden internally criticized himself, Cynthia spoke again:
"Do you remember Aunt Drasna from Celestic Town? She will participate as the Dragon-type Elite Four member from the Kalos region."
"There's also Lance and Clair from Indigo Plateau, the late bloomer Elite Four Drake from the Hoenn region, and 'the strongest Gym Leader' Raihan from Galar, all experts specializing in Dragon-types."
Saying this, Cynthia sighed involuntarily, her half-profile looking somewhat lost.
"Though I am confident in myself and Garchomp, it seems I still need to capture another dragon Pokémon to compete in Paldea."
"So, can the all-knowing Teacher Azure help me consider which Pokémon to capture?"
After smoothly steering the conversation to herself, Cynthia stuck out her tongue, revealing a mischievous smile.
Aiden furrowed his brow and immediately went online to check relevant information.
Indeed, as Cynthia said, the rules for this Master Tournament are 3v3, with at least two needing to have the tournament-limited attribute.
And among Cynthia's champion mainstays, only one, Garchomp, qualifies.
But it seems that in the Sinnoh region, there's only Garchomp as a local dragon. Surely, she can't pull out a Palkia or Dialga...
Wait, what?
It seems in the anime, Cynthia also has a Kommo-o.
As a late blooming pseudo-legendary and Dragon-type Pokémon, the training time of Jangmo-o is already considered pretty short, so it shouldn't be difficult for a champion.
With nearly a month, at least raising it to Hakamo-o shouldn't be a problem.
Moreover, although Kommo-o is a Pokémon from the Alola Pokédex, it also appears in Kitakami.
And Kitakami...
Is right above Sinnoh!
After Aiden shared his thoughts with Cynthia, she quickly nodded in agreement.
"Kommo-o? It does seem like a good choice."
Cynthia spoke, suddenly recalling something and quickly added,
"Come to think of it, you've probably never been to Kitakami, right? There are beautiful sights known as the 'Six Wonders of Kitakami.'"
"If you return to Sinnoh for the New Year, why don't we visit Kitakami together?"
"Sure, it doesn't seem impossible."
Subconsciously agreeing to Cynthia's casual suggestion, Aiden only belatedly realized.
Wait?
I thought I didn't have plans to temporarily return to Sinnoh, how did I agree...
Did I fall for another scheme?
Aiden couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious. Could this have been Cynthia's intention from the start?
But after staring into Cynthia's clear eyes for a few seconds, Aiden quickly backed down.
Impossible, right?
That's our beautiful and lovely Cynthia; she probably just casually mentioned it...
I must be overthinking it!
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