Lian followed behind Kalia and the bear child as they ventured away from the village, eventually reaching a hidden slope.
"This is my secret base, come inside." The bear child circled around to the side of the slope, gesturing for Kalia to join him.
To Kalia's surprise, after the bear child cleared some branches and undergrowth, it revealed a cave entrance. Sunlight filtered through, illuminating its slightly dark interior.
"Charizard, wait for me here," Kalia instructed, carrying Torchic as she entered the secret base with the bear child.
Kalia was astonished to find that the cave was surprisingly clean and tidy. The ground was covered with fine sand, and decorative items adorned the walls.
The bear child, clearly proud, declared, "This is my secret base; don't tell anyone else about it."
He then moved to a corner of the base, lifting a rock aside to reveal a colorful fragment of meteorite shard.
Nearby, there were also various tools, presumably used by the bear child to polish the meteorite shards into beads. It seemed this activity served as his daily entertainment.
The bear child placed the meteorite fragment before Kalia. It wasn't large, roughly the size of a head, irregularly shaped, and matched the photo provided by the Professor, displaying vibrant colors.
"That's exactly what I'm looking for. How about giving it to me for one thousand Alliance Coins?" Kalia softly asked, directing her question at the bear child.
Acquiring the Meteorite Shard seemed within reach, as the boy couldn't likely resist the allure of a thousand Alliance Coins.
"I want that Charizard instead," the bear child suddenly replied, pointing towards Lian standing by the cave entrance.
"Uh, my Charizard is my partner, and I can't give him away. However, if you like Pokemon, with this money, you could buy Poké Balls and then capture your own Pokemon." Kalia hesitated momentarily before responding.
The bear child's eyes dimmed slightly, feeling disappointed. Yet, he understood meeting Kalia was an opportunity; owning a Charizard meant she wasn't just any ordinary Trainer.
"I don't want the money. Can you find me a Pokemon, Big Sister? I want to become a Trainer," the bear child spoke up. He knew well that Pokemon were far more valuable than money, and even having Poké Balls didn't guarantee capturing a Pokemon.
His neighbor, a kid around his age, had purchased three Poké Balls but failed to capture a single Pokemon, ultimately ruining the balls in the process.
Upon hearing this, Kalia understood the bear child's intention, but becoming a Trainer with his family's modest background would be quite challenging.
Although modern Trainers are predominantly from humble backgrounds, they still tend to have better circumstances compared to average families.
Take Julian as an example; if he truly lacked funds, could his father have obtained powerful Pokemon like Charmander and Teddiursa for him? It seems highly unlikely.
Raising Pokemon inherently requires significant financial investment, making it difficult for the bear child to embark on the path of becoming a Trainer.
However, given Kalia's current strength, capturing a wild Pokemon for the bear child wouldn't be too arduous, though taming it would be another story.
Kalia couldn't simply buy a Pokemon since trading them is prohibited; capture was the only option. But any Pokemon she captures would naturally bond with her, not the bear child. Unless it were a weaker species, where building a connection might be relatively easier through nurturing.
"I can't give you a Pokemon directly, but I may find a way for you to obtain a starter Pokemon. However, the path of a Trainer is filled with hardships. Are you certain about pursuing this?" Kalia asked seriously.
Kalia pondered for a moment; considering the bear child had provided her with the Meteorite Shard, it indirectly helped Professor Evergreen. As the one responsible for assigning starter Pokemon to new Trainers, perhaps Professor Evergreen could arrange for a starter Pokemon for the bear child.
"Yes, I absolutely want to become a Trainer!" The bear child nodded earnestly, his gaze filled with determination.
"Alright then, I can assist you, but do your parents agree with you becoming a Trainer?" Kalia asked, nodding thoughtfully.
"They will agree as long as I have a Pokemon."
"Hmm, go talk to your parents first, and I'll see what I can do," Kalia responded without further hesitation.
"Thank you, Big Sister." Overjoyed, the bear child sprinted home to share the good news with his parents.
Kalia picked up the Meteorite Shard, realizing that helping the bear child was merely a small gesture. Since she decided to assist him, she planned to take the bear child directly to Rhine City, as it wasn't far away anyway.
Shortly after, Kalia met the bear child's parents and introduced herself. Fortunately, they were not overly strict, given their proximity to Rockcliff City where Trainers are quite familiar.
A few moments later...
"Louis, hop on, I'll take you to Rhine City. There's a Pokemon Professor there, and you should be able to receive your starter Pokemon," Kalia said.
Kalia climbed onto Lian's back, which had significantly widened due to his enlarged size, easily accommodating two or three people without issue.
The bear child, named Louis, appeared slightly intimidated by the Charizard before him but cautiously climbed aboard. Despite looking young, Louis was already ten years old, reaching the minimum age set by the League for aspiring Trainers. His small stature mainly stemmed from inadequate nutrition.
"Charizard, let's go."
Lian flapped his wings and took off gently, mindful not to startle the kid; one wrong move could lead to disaster if he lost his grip and fell.
This was clearly Louis's first time flying, as fear gripped him. He tightly clung to Lian's back, too scared to look down, fearing he might plummet.
Kalia smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."
She then engaged Louis in conversation to ease his fears, asking about how he obtained the Meteorite Shard.
Lian flew swiftly, aided by the short distance between Rockcliff City and Rhine City. Soon enough, they began spotting the outskirts of Rhine City.
As they descended, a gust of wind swept across the ground. Lian landed smoothly, with Louis's face slightly pale but overall managing well.
"Let's go; follow me to the research institute," Kalia said, guiding Louis within Rhine City's boundaries.
Lian folded his wings and walked alongside Kalia. Although unsure about the connection between the Meteorite Shard and Professor Evergreen's research, he had previously speculated it might be related to Mega Evolution. Since Mega Evolution hadn't yet emerged in this world, its existence was certain.
Accelerating its discovery would benefit Lian greatly. If he could achieve Mega Evolution, his base stats would significantly increase, potentially surpassing even Legendary Pokemon's values.
In his previous life, Charizard was often considered the game company's favorite, boasting two distinct Mega Evolution forms. The only other Pokémon with dual Mega Evolutions was Mewtwo.
Lian eagerly anticipated trying both forms, which should be possible as long as he obtained the corresponding Mega Stones.
Go, Professor Evergreen! It all depends on you.
Internally cheering for Professor Evergreen, Lian felt confident that he was likely the one capable of unlocking Mega Evolution.