Pokemon: This Trainer is Too Cautious!

Cynthia, also unofficially known as Shirona, was the future Champion of the Sinnoh region.

But at this moment, she was just a young girl roughly the same age as Ace.

"Budew!"

While Ace was still in a daze, the Budew that had helped Cynthia block the Surf suddenly sprang up, aggressively charging at Ace.

Although Ace didn't react in time, the Zubat beside him swiftly flapped a wing, knocking Budew away.

"Don't interfere!"

Zubat's action jolted Ace back to reality. Ignoring Cynthia, Ace turned to Zubat. "Keep an eye on them, don't let them bother me."

With that, Ace opened Weepinbell's Poké Ball.

Where you fall, that's where you get back up!

"Lapras, another Surf! Weepinbell, powder!"

Weepinbell landed on Lapras's back. As Lapras unleashed a giant wave towards the two Rhyhorn, Weepinbell immediately sprayed a large amount of mixed powder into the surging water.

The giant wave struck the two Rhyhorn again, but unlike last time, when the water mixed with a large amount of powder hit them, both Rhyhorn instantly collapsed.

"Nice, they're all asleep!"

Watching the two Rhyhorn fall into slumber, Ace silently congratulated his luck.

He wouldn't have a repeat of last time, where one Rhyhorn wasn't asleep and punched the other awake.

"Weepinbell, Acid! Lapras, Blizzard!"

With the two Rhyhorn no longer moving, Ace couldn't possibly let such a great opportunity slip by.

Acid was the first to fall onto the two Rhyhorn, fizzing as it corroded their tough hides.

The ensuing Blizzard, after the Acid had weakened the Rhyhorn's defense, directly froze them, turning them into large ice sculptures.

"It's over?"

Cynthia said, somewhat shocked, but Ace paid her no mind, continuing to tell Lapras, "Don't stop the Blizzard!"

Lapras understood implicitly, spraying Blizzard at maximum power onto the ice, which continued to accumulate.

Only after the two Rhyhorn were firmly encased in a huge block of ice did Lapras finally stop, panting.

"Weepinbell, finish them off, Vine Whip!"

Weepinbell struck the ice block repeatedly with its two Vine Whips. Cracks gradually appeared in the ice. With a grating sound that made one's teeth ache, the massive ice block completely collapsed.

Along with the collapsing ice block, the two Rhyhorn also shattered.

Looking at the dismembered Rhyhorn, Ace walked over and selected some frozen meat. The meat from two Rhyhorn would last him a long time.

Watching Ace ruthlessly kill the two Rhyhorn, Cynthia showed no unusual reaction. Instead, she had an expression of a great vendetta being avenged.

She tidied her wet hair, revealing her left eye that had been covered by her golden locks.

On Cynthia's left eye, a somewhat slender stone pierced her eyelid, directly embedding itself in her eye.

It was fortunate that the penetration wasn't too deep; otherwise, that blow would have been enough to pierce her eye and enter her brain.

By then, she would have long been dead.

"Injured?"

After stuffing the frozen meat into his backpack, Ace, now burdened by the heavy bag, walked back.

He glanced at Cynthia's left eye, causing Cynthia to instinctively use her hair to cover it.

Ace didn't stop Cynthia's action. Instead, he looked at the Budew being held by Zubat.

Although Budew couldn't defeat Zubat, it glared at Ace with intense hatred.

"So it was you."

Ace's expression showed a sudden realization. He then spoke to Budew, "You're hating the wrong person. I was just bait. As for what happened, it wasn't what I wanted. Or rather, I couldn't stop it. After all, it was either you or I die; it's fair."

Budew didn't listen to Ace's words, instead, it angrily cried out at him.

Ace ignored it and didn't stop it.

After all, its parents had died by the poachers' guns, so it had reason to hate Ace.

But Ace wasn't wrong either.

He was just bait, and bait that had been attacked by them.

Although he indirectly caused the death of its parents, Ace was simply helpless.

Neither of them was wrong; the only thing wrong was the current world.

"I'll heal your trainer, and we'll be even."

Ace glanced at Budew, then gritted his teeth and walked up to Cynthia. Under her fearful gaze, Ace pulled back her hair and roughly yanked out the stone still embedded in her left eye.

The intense pain nearly made Cynthia faint, but then, Ace's hand covered Cynthia's injured eye.

The next moment, Cynthia felt the pain rapidly disappear.

When Ace removed his hand, Cynthia was astonished to find that her left eye could see again!

She blinked hard, then touched her left eye, discovering that the horrifying injury had completely healed!

Just as Cynthia was about to thank Ace, she saw him turn around, pack his backpack, recall Lapras and Weepinbell, and walk deeper into the cave with Zubat.

"Wait! Ace! Wait for me!"

Cynthia quickly chased after Ace with Budew. When Ace heard Cynthia call his name, he stopped.

"You know me?"

Ace turned, frowning at Cynthia. Deep in his eyes, a hint of killing intent flashed.

No matter if Cynthia was a future Champion, right now, she was just a child.

While killing her would cause a series of troubles, Ace felt it was worth it, at least for now.

Deep within the cave, no one would know.

Ace could kill her and dispose of the body; who could possibly link Cynthia's death to him?

"Ace Smith, a child from a small village in the Sinnoh region, later sold by his parents to Goson (a poacher), then escaped Sinnoh and came to Kanto."

"Who exactly are you?!"

Ace's eyes narrowed, his killing intent growing.

"My name is Cynthia."

Cynthia didn't seem to mind Ace's killing intent. She continued, "My parents were also Goson's buyers. The three Pokémon I currently have were all obtained through poaching. Although I truly dislike it, this is the truth. So I've been trying my best to make amends to these three Pokémon, hoping they won't mind me as their trainer."

"And then?"

Ace didn't relax his vigilance. He remembered the previous side quest's 'aftermath'; if he guessed correctly, it must have referred to Cynthia.

"Actually, I understand you."

Cynthia began, "I came to Kanto to meet you, and also to apologize. It's because people like my parents exist that poaching continues to be a problem, and it's because of this that you suffered such hardships. Truly, I am very sorry."

Cynthia bowed deeply to Ace. At this moment, she was completely defenseless. If Ace wanted, Zubat could instantly bite her neck, draining her blood!