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Mienshao's defeat was not due to injuries causing unconsciousness but rather from complete exhaustion of stamina. Pokemon have limited energy reserves, despite being substantial, they still have boundaries.
In particular, after sustaining severe injuries, their stamina depletes rapidly, as seen with Mienshao. If Lian had relied solely on conventional tactics, he likely wouldn't have won against Mienshao, and conversely, Mienshao couldn't have defeated Charizard either.
"I've won."
Kalia murmured to herself. Throughout the battle, she only occasionally offered guidance, rarely giving direct commands. However, her timely advice proved highly effective; without it, when Mienshao leaped towards Charizard, Charizard might not have reacted swiftly enough.
Her numerous insights, based on observing the overall situation, turned out to be accurate decisions. Ultimately, Charizard emerged victorious, albeit with some injuries that weren't too concerning.
As the level of competition increases, the role of the Trainer becomes more crucial. However, this does not mean shouting commands at the Pokemon; instead, it often involves guiding them to make the most appropriate choices at critical moments.
This distinction highlights the gap between beginner, mid-level, and high-level trainers. Beginner trainers tend to prefer loudly issuing orders.
Takeshi regained his composed expression, but internally, he struggled to remain calm. This wasn't his first defeat; he had lost many times before, often daily, which ultimately honed Mienshao's terrifying evasive skills.
Mienshao was not Takeshi's only Pokemon, nor his strongest, as he possessed more powerful ones. However, Mienshao held a special place of pride for him, and he firmly believed no other Pokemon could defeat it.
But now, finally, there stood one that could overcome Mienshao. Although type advantage played a role, a loss is a loss, with no excuses to be made.
Takeshi retrieved the box containing the Fighting Badge. Kalia's victory revealed his own shortcomings—he needed further cultivation and extensive training.
"Perhaps it's time to stop suppressing Mienshao's growth," Takeshi thought silently. To prepare Mienshao as the gym's third Pokemon, he had refrained from letting it battle, instead focusing solely on rigorous training to enhance its evasive abilities. While this approach improved Mienshao's combat prowess, it significantly slowed down its overall development.
Takeshi decided to replace Mienshao with another Pokémon for gym defense duties. It was time to stop suppressing its growth; Mienshao's potential was immense. Once its overall abilities improved alongside its martial prowess, it might even pose a challenge to Legendary Pokémon.
"Here's your Fighting Badge." Takeshi retrieved the badge shaped like a clenched fist and handed it to Kalia.
"Thank you, Gym Leader." Excitedly, Kalia accepted the badge, now possessing six badges in total. With this achievement, she could prepare for the mid-level trainer evaluation.
"You're quite strong. Would you be interested in training with me for a while? I can teach your Pokémon authentic combat techniques," Takeshi suddenly proposed. The Sceptile showed exceptional talent, but his offer was spontaneous, wanting to assess Sceptile's true potential.
Given her victory over him, Kalia was destined for significant success, at least as a High-Level Trainer if not more.
"Gym Leader, I appreciate the offer, but I may not have the time. I need to focus on preparing for my upcoming evaluation," Kalia responded initially with delight but then shook her head. The evaluation required mastering numerous skills, and despite studying diligently every day, she still lacked confidence.
She still needed to practice Z-Moves and provide her Pokémon with more real combat training; time was running short. If she also pursued combat training under Gym Leader Takeshi, there would be insufficient hours available.
"You can have your Pokémon train with me instead. That Sceptile shows exceptional fighting talent; I could teach it advanced combat techniques for a while," Takeshi suggested. Given that Sceptile defeated Medicham, its innate fighting abilities were remarkably strong, and he didn't want such potential to go wasted.
Under Kalia's guidance alone, Sceptile might never truly experience genuine combat skills. However, if trained by him for just a month, it could undergo a significant transformation. Although unlikely to reach his Master Mienshao's level, it would undoubtedly surpass Medicham significantly.
"Really?" Kalia's eyes lit up at the prospect. Training only Sceptile wouldn't interfere with her Z-Move preparations, as she only had the Fire Z-Crystal, not the Grass Z-Crystal.
"Do you agree?" Seeing Kalia's expression, Takeshi knew she was inclined to accept. Such opportunities were rare, and he believed Kalia wouldn't pass it up easily.
Takeshi primarily decided to assist Kalia this time because he didn't want Sceptile's talent to go wasted and wanted to explore its true potential.
"I need to ask Sceptile first." Instead of immediately agreeing, Kalia chose to consult with her Pokémon. If Sceptile declined, there would be no point in proceeding further.
Kalia then released Sceptile from its Poké Ball; the frost inside had gradually melted away, leaving only residual traces behind.
After explaining the situation to Sceptile, it promptly nodded in agreement. As a fervent enthusiast of combat techniques, the opportunity to learn advanced moves was not one Sceptile could pass up.
"From now on, bring Sceptile to the gym every afternoon," Takeshi instructed before resuming his next battle challenge.
Kalia nodded and left the Fighting-type Gym, having successfully obtained another badge during this visit.
"Six badges now." Kalia pinned the new badge onto her shoulder, where six gleaming emblems showcased her progress towards becoming a mid-level Trainer.
Kalia now needed to prepare for her upcoming assessment while also starting Z-move training, which would require significant time.
In the afternoon, Kalia brought Sceptile to the gym. During this period, Takeshi did not accept challenges; it was his dedicated personal training time.
Sceptile stayed with Takeshi for combat training, and Kalia picked him up promptly in the evening, establishing a daily routine of dropping off in the afternoon and retrieving at night.
Considering the Gym Leader's numerous responsibilities, he couldn't dedicate the entire day to Sceptile's combat training. However, one afternoon plus some evening hours proved sufficient.
Two days passed.
In a desolate area near Rockcliff City, where few people ventured but wild Pokémon thrived, lies an untamed territory.
Kalia arrived here, surveying the vast surroundings, ready to commence her Z-move training.
It was crucial to master the Z-move swiftly. With the successful execution of Breakneck Blitz under her belt, she felt confident about unleashing a Fire-type Z-move as well.
Lian flapped his wings, surveying the area. This location was quite suitable, as it rarely saw any visitors. If not for Lian flying Kalia here, ordinary people would have difficulty reaching it on foot.
Finally able to train Z-Moves, Lian felt a slight surge of excitement. Mastering these moves would be akin to acquiring ultimate attacks.
Based on game mechanics, when Lian uses Flamethrower, combining it with the Inferno Overdrive Z-Move, its power could reach 175.
Flamethrower itself has only 90 base power, but with the Z-Move enhancement, it increases by a staggering 85 points, making it incredibly formidable.
The most crucial aspect is that Z-Moves guarantee a hit, thanks to the inherent Z-power effect. All Z-Moves possess this guaranteed hit feature, which can only be countered by specific resistance moves or defensive maneuvers like Protect.
Having access to Z-Moves equips Lian with a powerful trump card. At critical moments, leveraging his Special Attack capabilities, he could confidently engage even Legendary Pokémon!