Having earned the qualification to challenge the Gym Leader, Kalia sat eagerly in the front row of the spectator area, awaiting the start of the battle. However, after waiting for some time,
"The Gym Leader is not accepting challenges today. Please return tomorrow," announced one of the Gym Leader's disciples apologetically.
"Do we need to re-attempt the trial tomorrow?" asked a Trainer, concerned that having to redo the trial would be frustrating.
"No, you don't."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't have to retake the trial, it was manageable. The Gym Leader's unavailability wasn't unexpected; considering their status, forcing them to appear could risk displeasing them and jeopardizing the chance to earn the badge.
Although Kalia felt the Gym Leader seemed somewhat impulsive, coming back tomorrow wouldn't be an issue. It merely delayed her by a day, but she should still obtain the badge then.
Subsequently, Kalia and the other Trainers left the arena. Those who passed the trial were generally strong and confident in obtaining the badge, making the delay insignificant.
The crucial aspect was avoiding another round of trials. Although they had succeeded this time, the maze battlefield posed significant challenges. Attempting it again might not guarantee success due to its unpredictable nature.
Upon returning to his lodging, Lian was released from his Poké Ball. Although he didn't get to challenge the Gym Leader, he wasn't in a rush. However, today's battles provided him with some valuable insights.
The Machamp managed to simultaneously execute Brick Break with both hands; if it hadn't used both hands, the outcome might not have been just a simple retreat.
Lian pondered that since Machamp could perform Brick Break with both hands, this skill could potentially be mastered through training.
However, mastering such a powerful technique undoubtedly required rigorous practice and dedication, indicating it was not easily attainable.
This skill resembled Lian's Flame Splitter but differed significantly. While Flame Splitter weakened the move's power to gain quantity, Machamp executed two identical moves concurrently, which posed a high level of difficulty. Typically, focusing on one move at a time is essential, making Machamp's technique akin to multitasking.
Even though Lian had ample fire energy, attempting to cast two Flamethrowers simultaneously would be impossible for him currently, as he lacks the ability to multitask effectively.
Nonetheless, this presented an intriguing direction for training. Lian had considered it before but dismissed the idea. Mastering this skill could significantly enhance his combat capabilities.
Imagine if Lian unleashed two Air Slashes simultaneously, but his opponent only anticipated one; they would undoubtedly fall victim to the unexpected second attack.
With Lian's current Control Rating, he was ready to give it a try. He planned to experiment with this technique once he entered the system space later that evening.
After lunch, Lian summoned Sceptile from its Poké Ball, intending to discuss its future direction - whether focusing on Special Attacks, Dual Blades style, or pure close combat.
Kalia rested nearby, engrossed in her book, while Sceptile emerged, unsure of why Lian had called for him.
"You wanted to see me? Is there something you need?" asked Sceptile.
Their relationship had significantly improved since their recent double battle training sessions, occasionally leading to casual conversations.
Lian sat down and said, "Since you enjoy fighting so much, I can help take your skills further. What are your thoughts?"
"Can you really make me stronger?" Sceptile questioned, surprised. Although Lian's strength far surpassed its own now, the idea that he could enhance Sceptile seemed unlikely.
"Certainly, but first, what approach do you prefer? Focusing on Special Attacks or honing your close combat abilities?" Lian inquired. Sceptile's choice was crucial as it would guide how Lian strategically improves its ability values.
Currently, Lian didn't lack Combat Points, and investing in Sceptile's abilities seemed quite advantageous. With the Float Stone, its agility became exceptionally impressive, allowing it to easily dodge or block attacks from opponents of similar levels. The main drawback was its low physical attack power.
Sceptile hadn't anticipated this question from Lian but understood what he meant, feeling somewhat conflicted.
When learning combat training initially, Sceptile discovered its affinity for fighting and practiced regularly, improving rapidly due to its innate talent in this area.
Upon obtaining the Float Stone, its battle skills underwent a significant transformation, especially when combined with combat training. It could effortlessly evade and defend against any opponent.
However, Sceptile later realized that its strength was insufficient, often requiring multiple moves to defeat an opponent. Special moves undoubtedly remained its strong suit.
Observing Sceptile's expression, Lian recognized its dilemma: on one hand, its attack ability value was relatively low, currently only around 700—much lower than his own; yet, on the other hand, it possessed exceptional talent in close-quarters combat.
"I can enhance both aspects for you, but you must promise me one thing," Lian said. Sceptile could indeed undergo Mega Evolution, but it wouldn't willingly get close to Kalia without some nudging from him.
By doing so, Lian would clearly observe the increase in bond points, and knowing how to boost them, he could rapidly elevate their connection.
This way, they could swiftly achieve Mega Evolution, and improving Sceptile's abilities wouldn't require much combat value—likely no more than a few thousand at most. While significant before, now it was merely pocket change for Lian.
Honestly, both Ninetales and Sceptile were somewhat lacking in strength. Sceptile was still decent with its base stats, but Ninetales relied heavily on weather manipulation, leaving it limited otherwise.
Lian felt there might be ways to unlock unique capabilities for Ninetales, similar to Sceptile's natural talent for combat, ideally developing a powerful ability of its own.
"What is it?" Sceptile asked.
"Get closer to Kalia."
"You don't need to tell me; I would have done that anyway. But can you really help me improve?" Sceptile remained skeptical.
"Trust me, you'll see the difference tomorrow," Lian confidently replied.
Later, Lian joined Kalia, spending time reading together, finding it less monotonous this way.
Kalia, being just a young orphaned girl who had lived alone since childhood, was indeed pitiful. Without her Pokemon companions to confide in, she might have retreated into her own world long ago.
Glancing at Charizard beside her, Kalia felt slightly uneasy as it had been acting strangely lately.
"Charizard, thank you." Unexpectedly, Kalia expressed gratitude, perhaps sensing Lian's intentions.
Lian was taken aback by Kalia's keen perception, but this could be beneficial, potentially accelerating the increase in bond points.
Later that evening, within the system space:
Lian reviewed the battle data, determined not to go back on his promise to enhance Sceptile's abilities.
Sceptile's abilities paled in comparison to Lian's; its current attack ability stood at only 750, while Special Attack reached 940, and speed approached 1300.
To pursue a dual-attack strategy, raising both of Sceptile's attack abilities to their maximum became essential. Lian disregarded the Combat Point expenditure for now, knowing well that before reaching the ability limit, each point of ability cost merely 5 Combat Points - quite affordable.
Spending over two thousand Combat Points, Lian increased Sceptile's attack ability from 750 to 1027, a substantial boost of more than 200 ability points.
Simultaneously, Sceptile's Special Attack ability value increased to 1,175. With the Strength Lens already enhancing its Special Attack significantly, this upgrade added another two hundred-plus ability points.
Both attack abilities now surpassed one thousand, although not matching Lian's level yet, they were still impressive values. Unfortunately, it seemed the system couldn't allow other Pokemon to surpass their ability limits and boost their base stats.