Chapter 9: Kalia

"The match concludes! The victor is... Tamagawa Naoki!"

Illuminated by lights from the green ceiling with white borders, the arena was filled with lush vegetation - grass, trees, and flowers dominated the scene.

Despite its verdant surroundings, the atmosphere within this vibrant battlefield felt somewhat tense.

A young girl dressed in a blue short-sleeved blouse and floral skirt crouched on the grass, silently sobbing. Her short hair concealed her face, while tears dripped onto the lawn, sliding along the blades of grass before seeping into the soil.

Footsteps approached, and Tamagawa Naoki looked at the weeping girl without any trace of sympathy. Instead, he spoke coldly, "Kalia, you've been defeated. According to the rules, you are no longer the Grass-type Gym Leader."

The sobs paused momentarily, as if his words had pierced her heart like needles. Yet, she couldn't refute them; they were the harsh truth.

"I understand," Kalia murmured, rising stiffly to her feet. A hint of tremble and defiance lingered in her voice. With rigid movements, she removed the symbol of her gym leadership and personally handed it over to him.

From today onward, Tamagawa Naoki would become the new Grass-type Gym Leader of Rhine City, severing all ties with Kalia's former role.

The spectators remained silent, feeling sympathetic for the young girl. Having inherited her father's position as gym leader at such a tender age, she now had to relinquish it graciously.

However, this outcome was inevitable. Kalia was too inexperienced; not only did she inherit the title of gym leader, but also three powerful Pokémon from the previous leader. From the start, she possessed elite Pokémon that many trainers strive their entire lives to acquire without success.

Becoming a gym leader directly after bypassing the novice trainer stage contradicted the League's initial intent, and they would not allow such a situation to persist.

Consequently, every year, the League sends evaluators to assess the strength of each gym. Those deemed unfit lose their qualification, with new gym leaders appointed by the League taking over their positions.

Kalia had become a trainer less than two years ago. Despite inheriting three formidable Grass-type Pokémon from the former gym leader, her lack of experience made her no match for Tamagawa Naoki, a highly skilled veteran trainer. The result was a decisive defeat.

According to the Pokemon League's evaluation criteria, losing one's qualification as a gym leader means forfeiting the position. Regaining the role is exceptionally challenging thereafter.

Apart from the Pokemon League appointing exceptional trainers as gym leaders, the only other way to become one was through familial inheritance, like Kalia's case.

Thus, for Kalia to regain her position after losing it, she would need a new appointment from the Pokemon League.

"I'm always open to your challenges, but first, you must obtain a Silver Star Gym Badge. So pack up and leave my gym." Tamagawa Naoki's words were filled with disdain, and he promptly ignored Kalia thereafter.

Kalia clenched her fists tightly. The cost of failure was high, but ultimately, she knew she was still too weak. She had always been aware of her issue: becoming a trainer too recently left her inexperienced despite her relentless efforts to learn quickly. Time simply hadn't allowed her to fully develop her skills.

Father, what would you have done?

Her father's face flashed in her mind - usually stoic and cold, yet warm and loving towards her.

Let's start anew.

A determination surged within Kalia; this decision was hers alone. She realized that being a gym leader shouldn't limit her ambitions. Every novice trainer dreams of becoming the regional champion, and she was no exception.

This was her initial dream; however, as she delved deeper, she realized how challenging it truly was. Following her father's unexpected death, when she inherited the gym, this aspiration gradually faded away.

Now, although losing her position as gym leader, it also meant shedding the constraints and regaining her freedom.

"Are you okay?"

Kalia's close friend, Lewis, approached and gently patted her shoulder, his face filled with concern.

Kalia shook her head, indicating that she was fine. In that moment, she felt suddenly relieved. She recalled her father's unfulfilled regret of never winning the League Championship. It was time for her to fulfill that dream on his behalf.

With newfound determination, Kalia swiftly headed towards the back door of the gym, leading to a dense forest inhabited by numerous Grass-type Pokémon. As a grass-type gym leader, both she and her father had always been deeply connected to these creatures.

However, she harbored a secret within her heart: she actually preferred Fire-type Pokémon. From a young age, she yearned to surpass her father, and upon learning that Fire-types were strong against Grass-types, she developed a special affinity for them.

But just as she turned ten, ready to choose her first Fire-type Pokémon, tragedy struck with the news of her father's sudden passing.

Upon reaching the forest, Kalia without hesitation took out three Poké Balls from her waist and released them one by one.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The Poké Balls opened, emitting red light that materialized into three powerful Grass-type Pokémon: Jumpluff, Sceptile, and Roserade.

Her father had painstakingly trained these three Pokémon, but now Kalia intended to release them all. Since she chose to start anew, she wouldn't hold onto any attachments or shortcuts.

With determination, Kalia picked up each Poké Ball, placed it underfoot, and firmly crushed them, turning them into shattered pieces.

Seeing this, Lewis rushed over, his eyes wide with disbelief as he exclaimed, "What are you doing? Have you gone mad?"

"I'm not mad." Kalia shook her head, fully aware of her actions despite her friend's questioning gaze.

Looking at Jumpluff floating in the air, she smiled gently and said, "Jumpluff, go on, be free. If not for my father's request, you wouldn't have chosen to stay with me, right? Now that I've lost my position as gym leader, there's no reason for you to remain by my side anymore."

She had watched Jumpluff evolve from Hoppip since its early days. At that time, her father was already an experienced trainer and often took her on outdoor training sessions with his Pokémon; he wasn't yet the grass-type gym leader.

Those were her happiest memories. Later, when her father gained recognition from the Pokemon League after participating in the Grand Festival, becoming the grass-type gym leader, he could no longer frequently take her outdoors due to constant challenges from trainers.

Jumpluff floated in the air, feeling the constraints disappear as soon as the Poké Ball shattered. Understanding Kalia's intentions, it affectionately rubbed its soft cotton tuft against her head before decisively flying away.

If not for the bond formed during their shared childhood and the constraint of the Poké Ball, Jumpluff would not have obeyed Kalia's command. Its true master was always her father, not Kalia.

Kalia crushed the second Poké Ball underfoot, releasing Sceptile. This Pokémon had originally been her father's starter, Treecko, and had evolved alongside him. It was the longest-standing companion to her father and also witnessed her birth.

Sceptile was akin to an elder figure; Kalia recalled how it often entertained her during her childhood, and riding on Sceptile's tail was one of her favorite activities.

When the Poké Ball shattered, unlike Jumpluff, Sceptile didn't immediately depart but instead looked at her, remaining motionless.

"Sceptile, I want to grow as a trainer like my father did, step by step, just as you and he once did together. So, your protection is no longer needed. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Kalia gently persuaded, speaking softly.

Though reluctant, Sceptile comprehended Kalia's intentions. Eventually, it ventured deeper into the forest, returning to nature.

Kalia turned her gaze to the last remaining Pokémon, Roserade. This Pokémon was another early Grass-type raised by her father. However, Roserade posed certain dangers with its flower-like body covered in poisonous thorns. As a result, Kalia rarely interacted with it from a young age, making it difficult for them to develop a strong bond.

With both Sceptile and Jumpluff gone, when Kalia crushed the final Poké Ball, Roserade departed without any hesitation.

Phew!

Kalia felt both relieved and somewhat lost, but since she had decided to start anew, there was no room for regret.

Lewis observed the three released Pokemon, shaking his head, "What a pity, such exceptional creatures. So, what's your plan moving forward?"

Training a Pokemon is incredibly challenging, especially nurturing a formidable battle-ready one. The cost is substantial, requiring comprehensive training across various aspects while closely monitoring their diet.

"Challenging gyms, collecting badges, and participating in the League tournament!" Kalia stated with determination, outlining her immediate goals.

Lewis smiled, "Then I'll be waiting for you in Rhine City."

***

Within the system space, surrounded by a white void, Lian meticulously examined today's battle data.

His attributes panel remained unchanged from yesterday, showing no alterations. Below it were Nuzleaf's statistics.

The level 15 Nuzleaf was nine levels higher than him and possessed eight moves. Fortunately, apart from Razor Leaf, there were no other particularly strong attacks.

When he saw the battle rating, Lian smiled contentedly. As expected, he achieved a C-grade evaluation, albeit just barely at C-. Still, it wasn't bad.

As he reviewed each piece of data, he finally reached the output difference reward section, which once again held significant weight. However, analyzing the detailed combat information also made Lian feel somewhat relieved yet cautious.

During this battle, he couldn't afford any mistakes. Throughout the fight, Nuzleaf only managed to inflict damage on Lian with one Astonish move. Even that single ordinary Astonish attack caused him to lose 168 Stamina points, considering his total stamina was slightly over 200.

Despite the close call, his performance was truly commendable. The first Ember hit Nuzleaf, causing only 148 damage, while Nuzleaf boasted a staggering 460 Stamina.

Following a typical battle sequence, Lian would need four Ember attacks to defeat Nuzleaf, while Nuzleaf only required two Razor Leaf or other moves.

The second Ember skill was unexpectedly advantageous as Lian deliberately targeted Nuzleaf's weakness, increasing the damage to 222 points and dropping its Stamina below one hundred.

At that point, Nuzleaf could not have withstood a third Ember attack, although Lian wasn't aware of this at the time; likely, only Nuzleaf itself knew.

Coincidentally, Lian entered Blaze Mode just then, giving him confidence that one more hit on Nuzleaf would secure victory.

Ultimately, his prediction proved accurate, and he defeated Nuzleaf hidden beneath the leaves.

The combat rewards were quite substantial this time, totaling 379 Combat Points. Including the remaining 3 points from before, Lian now had a total of 382 Combat Points, surpassing all his previous accumulations combined.

With these Combat Points, Lian could significantly enhance one of his abilities beyond its current level.