Chapter 28: Preparing for Departure

Having defeated Treecko, Lian completed today's combat evaluation and anticipated receiving decent Combat Points as rewards.

Kalia observed the fallen Treecko without anger but rather astonishment that Charmander could defeat it seemingly effortlessly.

Even without her guidance, Treecko possessed considerable strength. Yet, despite Charmander's limited battle experience, it managed to triumph over Treecko head-on.

While attribute advantage played a role, this victory clearly demonstrated Charmander's significant prowess.

For the first time, Kalia realized how little she understood about Charmander beyond its proficiency with Ember. Previously, during tests, Charmander had shown average abilities except for Ember usage. Such capabilities should have made defeating Treecko challenging, yet now it seemed otherwise.

"Let's take Treecko for treatment first." With no time to ponder further, Kalia swiftly picked up the unconscious Treecko and headed towards the Pokemon Center.

Lian followed suit, finding staying in their room quite dull. Now that Kalia had earned her badge, their next step would likely be heading to the next gym.

Lian eagerly anticipated his next gym challenge. With such strong Gym Leaders and their powerful Pokémon, defeating them would undoubtedly yield significantly more Combat Points than usual battles. Even better if he could achieve victory without any damage to his Pokémon.

As for novice Trainers, Lian had little interest; their skills were often lacking, and their Pokémon even more so, typically consisting of common species like Pidgey or Rattata.

With low base stats and levels, engaging with these Pokémon was less beneficial compared to battling higher-level Grass-type Pokémon.

On his way, a sudden realization struck Lian: since he could effortlessly defeat Treeckos now, why not challenge higher-level Grass-type Pokémon?

Defeating stronger Pokémon would be far more advantageous than taking on weaker ones. The key benefit would be accelerating his own growth while simultaneously boosting his combat ratings.

Most Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon in Kana Forest were Level 10 or higher. Even Beedrill, known for its speed, might not necessarily outpace him, as Treecko already reached its speed limit—a condition wild Pokémon cannot match.

"If I specifically target high-Stamina Grass-type Pokémon, my combat rating should skyrocket. Then, by choosing some lower-Stamina Pokémon, I can efficiently grind levels."

As Lian contemplated further, he realized this strategy made sense. Engaging in battles wouldn't exhaust him too much; his first fight aimed to avoid wasting combat rating points, which he didn't mind sacrificing. Subsequent battles could be swiftly resolved with just one Ember move, making it incredibly effortless.

Previously, Lian had defeated over a dozen Bug-type Pokémon in a single day, but at that time, he was naive, and as a result, the system did not calculate any combat ratings, leaving him feeling deceived.

Now, with daily meals, rest, and even opportunities for occasional laziness, life was quite comfortable. Allocating some time to level up, earn high combat ratings, and enhance his strength would only prove beneficial.

Lian may have been lazy, but he wasn't foolish. His leveling progress was too slow, and considering Treecko's combative nature, future challenges were inevitable. If he didn't strengthen himself, there was a risk that Treecko might evolve before him, creating a significant base stat gap and potentially leading to defeat.

Upon evolution, Treecko becomes Grovyle, boasting a speed base stat of 95. Unless Lian also evolves, surpassing Grovyle's speed will be challenging.

With Treecko engaging in numerous battles each day and already three levels ahead, if Lian remains around Level 10 when Treecko evolves, it would be utterly embarrassing.

Upon arriving at the Pokemon Center, Treecko was quickly treated and recovered, as its injuries were not severe.

Soon, Kalia returned to their room with both Pokemon and firmly stated, "Treecko, Charmander, from now on, you two must not fight anymore. Remember, you are both my partners, and I don't want either of you getting hurt."

Treecko lowered its head, feeling quite dejected after being defeated. It had always believed Lian was weaker than it, but reality proved to be harshly different.

Lian pursed his lips; he definitely wouldn't initiate fights with Treecko again. However, the issue lay with Treecko itself - this feisty creature loved battling, and there was no telling when it might challenge him once more.

"Alright, today I'll go shopping for some supplies. Tomorrow, we're leaving Kana City and heading towards Pearl City," Kalia announced.

Lian's eyes lit up. Moving on to the next city? He wondered what local delicacies Pearl City might offer and whether its name suggested a coastal location near the sea.

Being water-averse, Lian hoped that if Pearl City indeed bordered the ocean, he wouldn't find the experience too uncomfortable.

***

Kalia purchased some sleeping bags and essential items for their journey. Although Pearl City wasn't far from Kana City, they couldn't continuously rush without breaks. Training Pokemon would be a priority, necessitating occasional nights spent outdoors.

Pearl City was located just beyond a forest and several rivers, teeming with various wild Pokemon. On foot, it would take about a day to reach Pearl City, or half a day by bicycle. However, Kalia didn't plan on riding; instead, she intended to walk and engage wild Pokemon in battles along the way.

While Pearl City's gym specializes in Water-type Pokemon, which is advantageous for Treecko, one must never underestimate any red-star Gym. The training of Pokemon requires constant attention and dedication.

Plans often don't go as expected, though. Late that evening, Kalia received news: Pearl City's Gym Leader, Moran, had suddenly departed for an offshore matter, temporarily closing the Water-type Gym until her return in two weeks.

"Offshore?" Kalia was surprised but remained unfazed. With the Pearl City Gym temporarily closed, there was no need to head there immediately.

The third red-star Gym was located in Falcon City within the Sebas Region, known for its flying-type gym—a challenge Kalia had planned to save for last.

However, given the current situation, they would have no choice but to head straight to Falcon City first. It was quite distant from Kana City, requiring traversal through the Kana Mountains and crossing several rivers before reaching their destination.

Falcon City's Gym boasted formidable strength, and Kalia estimated that with Treecko and Charmander's current abilities, they were far from ready. At least waiting until after their evolutions seemed necessary to stand a chance in the challenge.

"It looks like we'll need to spend some time training in the Kana Mountains first." Kalia felt helpless; Gym Leader Moran of Pearl City was quite impulsive, leaving for half a month without concern for potential repercussions from the Pokemon League.

Nighttime.

Lian entered the system space, pleased to find today's combat rating assessment favorable. He earned over 300 Combat Points, along with leveling up to level 9.

Charmander

Gender: ♂

Level: Lv.9

Ability: Blaze

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen

Stats: Stamina 260, Attack 144, Defense 127, Special Attack 292, Special Defense 140, Speed 288

Total Combat Value: 328

Notably, Lian's Special Attack stat had directly surged to 292, even higher than previous increases, nearing the three-hundred mark.