When Lian arrived at the museum, it was too late; the thief had already escaped, leaving behind numerous stolen ancient artifacts.
The theft attracted many onlookers, and the museum authorities had promptly reported the incident to the police. Now, Totem City was under lockdown as they searched for the burglar.
"Let's head back, it's getting really late," Kalia checked the time, realizing it was indeed very late. With an important competition tomorrow, she couldn't afford to disrupt her sleep schedule. The museum situation no longer concerned her now.
"Agreed." Julian also felt sleepy.
Upon returning to their accommodation, the museum continued its frantic search for the thief, tirelessly working to recover the precious lost items.
***
After returning to his Poké Ball, Lian spat out the Red Orb and debated whether to give it to Kalia. However, if he did, she might return it to the museum.
Considering this, Lian decided to keep it for himself. He understood the orb's significance and purpose; giving it back to the museum could mean it would remain there indefinitely. It was best to pretend the fossil had already been shattered, as the orb now belonged to him.
Lian placed the Red Orb within his Poké Ball, as carrying it on his person wouldn't be practical. The Poké Ball served as a spatial item, making storage convenient.
For now, the orb had no immediate use. He didn't know where Groudon was slumbering, let alone how to awaken it. All he could do was leave it to fate; should he encounter Groudon, then so be it; otherwise, the orb may remain unused indefinitely.
Lian could sense the terrifying energy contained within the orb, but since it belonged to Groudon, he couldn't utilize it directly.
In the middle of the night, Lian entered the system space.
From the first battle earlier that day, Lian earned a significant amount of Combat Points, reaching over 54,000.
He also noticed an increase in his level, now at Level 39. This rapid progression was possible due to Lian consistently visiting the Dream World every day.
After reaching level 39, Lian's Special Attack ability surpassed 1,700 points, and his Speed ability approached 1,600.
Just one level away from forty, he anticipated that at level forty, the system might also upgrade. Of course, this was merely speculation; he would find out for sure when the time came.
"First, let's visit the Dream World."
Upon entering the Dream World, Lian headed straight towards the river, intending to meet up with Zapdos for their usual monster-hunting session to level up together.
However, upon arrival, he found no trace of Zapdos. Feeling uneasy, as Zapdos typically arrived promptly, it seemed highly unlikely that it would suddenly skip their meeting.
"There must be something wrong."
Lian had a foreboding sense and quickly began searching for Zapdos. He knew Zapdos should be nearby; it rarely strayed far, even if injured, preferring to wait here for him.
As Lian searched, unbeknownst to him, Zapdos was being pursued by members of the Dark Guild.
Kentra, accompanied by a loyal guild member, infiltrated the Dream World. They located the young Zapdos and launched an assault using seven or eight Pokemon under their command.
Realizing it was outnumbered, Zapdos immediately tried to escape. It had no intention of falling back into the hands of these individuals, recalling those times as its darkest moments.
Kentra sprinted at full speed, leading his Pokemon to chase after the little Zapdos. This time, there was no sign of that detestable Charmeleon; they couldn't let such a golden opportunity slip away. With additional guild members present, despite their Pokemon being in weaker stages, sheer numbers were on their side, totaling eight Pokemon altogether.
Without that damned Charmeleon around, once they caught up, capturing the little Zapdos would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing it.
However, Zapdos' speed surpassed all the pursuing Pokemon's abilities, given its immediate evolution upon birth.
At full flight, Zapdos effortlessly outpaced Larvitar and the others, with only Sneasel managing somewhat faster speeds. The remaining Pokemon struggled to keep up, even falling behind Kentra himself.
"Guild Master, we can't catch up!" the guild member lamented helplessly. Zapdos had visibly grown larger since their last encounter, showing remarkable development. It seemed more prudent to focus on strengthening their own Pokemon first.
Kentra agreed, realizing they couldn't match Zapdos' pace. While Zapdos could reside continuously in the Dream World, improving daily, they relied on Lunar Feathers for brief access, which became increasingly taxing over time.
"Guild Master, I have a suggestion: Why not leave our Pokemon here in the Dream World? They can grow stronger independently without wasting Lunar Feathers. This way, our Pokemon might surpass Zapdos' strength more quickly, don't you think?" proposed the guild member.
Zapdos' growth was rapid while residing in this world, and relying solely on Lunar Feathers to enter the Dream World meant their Pokemon would never catch up to Zapdos's development speed.
Therefore, temporarily leaving their Pokemon within the Dream World seemed like the best choice. They could return periodically, recall their Pokemon using Poké Balls, and bring them back to reality.
"You make a valid point; let's give it a try," Kentra agreed after some thought. Although releasing the Pokemon from their Poké Balls eliminated their confinement, as long as they didn't return to the balls, there was no need to intentionally destroy them. This way, upon his next visit, he could still capture them with Poké Balls and take them back to the real world.
Kentra had formed deep bonds with his Pokemon over the years, making it highly unlikely for them to run away. Despite being the guild master of the Dark Guild, he treated his Pokemon exceptionally well.
Considering the limited supply of Lunar Feathers, Kentra knew they couldn't stay indefinitely in the Dream World. Leaving their Pokemon here made sense, allowing them to grow swiftly through collective battles. With any luck, they might soon become dominant forces in this region.
With that decision made, they left their Pokemon in the Dream World. Realizing they couldn't catch up to Zapdos, it was best not to pursue further. Time within the Dream World was precious and shouldn't be wasted.
After leaving the eight Pokemon behind, Kentra handed a Lunar Feather to Larvitar for safekeeping, ensuring they could directly teleport to its side upon their next visit.
"Let's depart now," Kentra said. "Allow our Pokemon to grow independently in the Dream World while we attend to matters in the real world."
"Agreed." The guild member rejoiced; over these past few days, the guild master had been excessively absorbed in the Dream World, even calling him in at times, neglecting reality completely. Now, finally, there would be time to address real-world affairs.
Meanwhile, Lian managed to locate Zapdos. Surprisingly, it didn't appear injured but was continuously flying away. When Lian called out, Zapdos stopped.
"Why were you running?" Lian asked, puzzled. There seemed no sign of any pursuing Pokemon, so why did it keep fleeing without joining the group? This delay forced him to search extensively, wasting valuable time.
Zapdos halted, glanced back, confirmed no Pokemon were chasing it, and then flew over to Lian.
"Those people from earlier returned; many Pokemon were chasing me."
"Not just one person?" Lian wondered if the Dark Guild's guild master had brought multiple members into the Dream World.
The Dark Guild seemed quite formidable, possessing at least two Dream Systems. However, having more individuals enter the Dream World consumes Lunar Feathers faster, and even then, their Pokemon start anew each time.
"Don't worry, you're now faster than them. They can't catch up to you easily. Just be cautious," Lian reassured Zapdos with a wave of his hand.
With his level significantly higher, Lian planned to move to a new training location, preferably close to where he initially entered the dreamland.
Previously, his strength was insufficient, but now with a higher level, it was time to engage in battles there, which would accelerate his growth rapidly.
Soon, Lian and Zapdos ventured towards their previous destination, ready to face stronger Pokemon. There was no need to fear injuries, as the system ensured quick recovery even after losing combat capability.
As for the Dark Guild members, Lian decided not to concern himself with them immediately. If encountered, he'd certainly teach them a lesson, but until then, he preferred to focus on other matters.
***
The next day at the Combat Hall.
The double battle competition had not yet commenced; yesterday determined the top sixteen contestants, and today would narrow it down to the top eight and four finalists. The semifinals and finals were scheduled for the afternoon.
Kalia arrived early, seemingly unaffected by the serious incident at the museum yesterday.
"Wow, you're here so early," Julian greeted Kalia while having his breakfast, joining her after a short moment.
They chatted casually as they awaited the start of the competition. There was still ample time before the matches began, with the preliminary rounds scheduled around 8 a.m., followed by breaks after selecting the top eight and four contenders.
Inside his Poké Ball, Lian played with the Red Orb, observing its intricate patterns unique to Groudon.
Groudon is an ancient Pokémon that eventually went dormant, typically sleeping underground near magma regions. While Steel Fire Mountain might seem like a likely place for Groudon's slumber due to Heatran's presence, the Kana Mountains could also be possible, although Moltres seemed to reside there previously.
It's possible that Groudon might be slumbering in the Ellie Region as well, but finding it would largely depend on luck. Moreover, awakening it could potentially lead to disastrous consequences like droughts.
As time passed, the tournament commenced. The intense battles between the top sixteen vying for the quarterfinal spots captivated everyone, even silencing Julian, who focused intently on the matches.
The first match featured Aurora against a mid-level Trainer. Upon seeing his opponent, the mid-level Trainer appeared visibly uneasy.
Aurora's prowess was undeniable; although she may have lacked extensive experience in double battles, her Pokémon were undeniably powerful.
In the preliminary round, she had scored over two hundred points, showcasing the strength of each Pokémon and their seamless synergy.
Throughout several battles, Aurora consistently achieved crushing victories. No matter the opponent's strategy, absolute power rendered any tactics futile.
Her team comprised Bouffalant with its Head Charge move, Chandelure using Flamethrower, and most crucially, Machamp with the No Guard Ability.
The combination of her Pokemon and their Abilities allowed Aurora to almost effortlessly bypass any defensive moves. With Light Screen, Chandelure's Infiltrator Ability could penetrate it, and against Smokescreen, Machamp's No Guard Ability enabled direct targeting, rendering defense futile.
In the first battle, despite her opponent giving their all, they suffered a crushing defeat and were immediately eliminated.
Aurora's formidable strength instilled fear in other Trainers, positioning her as one of the top contenders for the double battle championship.
Apart from Aurora, only two mid-level Trainers seemed capable of challenging her. As for Kalia, with her relatively weak Grovyle and Ninetales, being just a beginner Trainer, most spectators believed she would likely stop at reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals.
If faced against a mid-level Trainer like Sunny, she would undoubtedly suffer a devastating loss. By specifically targeting Charizard, once defeated, Kalia would have no means of counterattack—a critical weakness in her team strategy.
As the tournament progressed, it was finally Kalia's turn to enter the battlefield. The match-up list displayed her opponent's name: a young boy named Lucian.
Kalia entered the battlefield, and Lian descended to the ground, discreetly placing the Red Orb back inside his Poké Ball, ensuring Kalia wouldn't notice.
"Go, Charizard! Grovyle, use Pledge moves."
Lian's partner was Grovyle, and Kalia intended to test the combination of Grass Pledge and Fire Pledge, creating a raging inferno.
Lucian sent out two Pokémon: a Solrock and a Electric-type Magnezone. While these Pokémon weren't considered top-tier individually, under a mid-level Trainer, they posed a significant threat.
As soon as the battle began, Solrock utilized the rare move Skill Swap, transferring its Levitate Ability to Magnezone. This eliminated Magnezone's Ground-type weakness, effectively reducing one four-fold vulnerability.
However, despite losing its Ground-type weakness, Magnezone remained vulnerable to Fire-type attacks.
Lian and Grovyle combined their efforts to unleash the Pledge moves, generating a sea of flames that instantly defeated Magnezone. Solrock attempted to shield Magnezone from the attack, but it proved futile. The Fire Pledge is a wide-range move, emerging directly from the ground, making it impossible to block.
Lucian's Pokémon struggled for a few minutes but ultimately succumbed to Lian's onslaught. It wasn't due to any lack of strength from Lucian's Pokémon; rather, Lian was simply too powerful, especially under Sunny Day conditions.
Without addressing the issue of Sunny Day, any non-resistant Fire-type Pokémon would struggle against Lian's fiery attacks. Although Overheat was prohibited, the combined Fire-type moves from Lian and Grovyle far exceeded the intensity of Overheat when used individually.
Overheat has a base power of 130, but the Fusion Flame with Ninetales surpassed it significantly. Additionally, the Fire Pledge unleashed by Lian and Grovyle, forming a sea of flames, had a game-based panel power rating of 150.
Fortunately, mid-level Trainers typically did not field weak Pokémon, so there were no severe consequences despite their defeat.
With relentless Fire-type moves, Lian overcame Lucian, securing Kalia's victory and advancing her to the top eight. The next round would determine the final four contenders.