Meanwhile, in a traditional-style house, Sterling was on the phone.
"Hey, I heard you're coming back tomorrow!?"
"What's the occasion!?"
"Want to come home for dinner?"
Sterling spoke with a bright smile.
"Dad... I'm coming back tomorrow to pick someone up and escort them to a newly discovered Insight Secret Zone."
A calm, mature female voice came through the phone.
"I'll head back right after, so I won't be staying for dinner."
The moment he heard that, Sterling immediately understood who she was talking about. His expression lit up with excitement.
"Hahaha... You two really are meant to be!"
"Maybe it's fate after all!"
"Dad... what are you even talking about?"
"I don't get it..."
Her voice carried clear confusion.
Still grinning, Sterling continued:
"Didn't I set you up on a blind date before?"
"You two got along pretty well, didn't you?"
"He's the one you're picking up!"
"You didn't know!?"
Sterling was practically beaming.
"Huh!?"
"You set me up with someone!?"
"That was a person!?"
"I thought it was a sheep!"
"He just kept going 'baa baa baa' the whole time!"
"I seriously thought he was an actual sheep..."
"So he's the one I'm picking up. Aaron, right!?"
Her voice turned exasperated, clearly still annoyed about it.
Sterling's smile froze.
His face darkened instantly as anger flashed in his eyes.
"Aaron, you brat!"
"You're dead..."
...
At that moment, Aaron had no idea his nonsense had already been exposed, nor that the one coming to pick him up would be Sterling's daughter.
The night passed quietly.
...
Aaron got up early. After breakfast, he headed to the entrance to wait, wondering who would be picking him up.
Brutus?
Or Lilith?
"Please let it be Lilith..."
Aaron thought shamelessly, instantly pushing Brutus out of his mind.
"WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"
A fierce wind suddenly tore through the sky as a figure appeared overhead.
BOOM!
The figure descended and landed right in front of him.
A green, dragonfly-like Pokémon stood before him.
Flygon.
Standing on its back was a tall, curvaceous woman with a cold expression. A stunning, mature beauty. She stared at him with icy eyes.
Aaron frowned slightly.
Why does she look like she wants to kill me?
Still, he smiled.
"Hey, I'm Aaron. You here to take me to the Insight Secret Zone?"
This woman was none other than Sylka.
She glanced at him indifferently.
"You're Aaron?"
"You look human... but act like a sheep."
Aaron froze.
"Yeah, I'm Aaron."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
She ignored the question.
"Get on."
"We're short on time."
Still confused, Aaron nodded and jumped onto Flygon's back.
"Flygon, move."
"Greee!"
Flygon let out a sharp cry and shot into the sky.
Sylka glanced back at him and noticed something unexpected.
He stood firmly on Flygon's back, completely steady, casually enjoying the view.
A hint of surprise flickered in her eyes.
The exam's top scorer... he really isn't ordinary.
The rest of the trip passed in silence.
Soon, Flygon landed on a platform at the peak of a mountain.
They had arrived.
A dozen young trainers were already gathered there, likely the participants entering the Insight Secret Zone.
Several others stood nearby, exuding powerful auras.
Among them were Brutus and Lilith.
There was also a man with short white hair, cloaked, with looks only slightly inferior to Aaron's.
Aaron recognized him instantly.
Drake.
The greatest prodigy Hualis had seen in a century, a Trainer standing at the very pinnacle of the Champion level.
Aaron jumped down.
"Aaron... took you long enough!"
Brutus's booming voice rang out as he walked over and gave Aaron a heavy pat on the shoulder.
At the same time, Lilith approached with a gentle smile.
"Aaron... it's been a while. I missed you."
Aaron forced a smile.
"Good to see you both."
He had long since given up arguing about how they addressed him.
Strictly speaking, he had saved their lives before, so they naturally treated him well.
Lilith glanced at Sylka with a playful smile.
"So? What do you think of him?"
"Not bad, right?"
Sylka had been slightly surprised that Aaron knew Brutus and Lilith.
But thinking about it, he was the top scorer. Knowing two Champions wasn't that strange.
She rolled her eyes.
"You've got terrible taste..."