The primary challenge for Togetic to learn the Fly move undoubtedly stemmed from its body size, making it difficult to master this flying-type technique.
For Togekiss, mastering Fly would be effortless, but for Togetic, it posed a significant hurdle.
However, Lian found it relatively easy due to his system's capabilities. With the system at hand, learning any move was a breeze. Last night, he had already reviewed Togekiss's data, indicating that the system recognized Togetic as Kalia's temporary Pokemon.
On an open field, Lian stood alongside Togetic.
He explained to Togetic that their focus now should be on comprehending the Fly move. However, due to its larger body and smaller wings, Togetic appeared somewhat lacking in confidence.
"Don't worry; it's okay if you don't master it right away," Lian reassured him. "Just pay close attention when I demonstrate the Fly move."
Lian promptly began demonstrating the Fly move. Although he rarely used it, his mastery of flying-type energy had significantly improved. With frequent flights carrying Kalia around, his proficiency with flight moves became second nature.
With a flutter of wings, Lian shot up like a cannonball, stirring up a cloud of dust.
The crucial aspect of the Fly move isn't merely ascending; it's the impact upon descending that makes it a powerful attack. By leveraging the Pokemon's physical strength combined with the force of descent, immense power can be generated.
As Togetic watched Lian soar into the sky, envy filled its eyes. Due to its size, despite having the flying attribute, Togetic couldn't achieve significant height and struggled even more with mastering the Fly move.
Consequently, Togetic attentively observed Lian's demonstration, yearning deeply to fly and glide through the skies.
***
With great patience, Lian demonstrated repeatedly. As night fell, Kalia spread some leaves on the ground to create a resting spot for the evening.
Whew.
Lian landed softly, exhaling like a gentle breeze carrying a hint of warmth.
He turned towards Togetic, unsure if it had gained any insight. However, even a slight understanding should be enough for the system to fully teach Togetic the move.
Late at night.
Lian entered the system space and immediately checked the data panel. His own stats remained unchanged, showing no significant progress.
Advancing significantly now required substantial time and accumulation, despite the system's assistance. Even with occasional gains from combat, they were becoming less impactful. As his strength increased, future enhancements would likely demand Combat Points measured in thousands.
Examining Togetic's data, Lian's eyes lit up. Togetic did not disappoint him, justifying the considerable time he had invested.
Learning moves didn't consume much Combat Points, so Lian promptly activated the Fly move and, as usual, entered the Dream World.
***
It was now the penultimate day before the assessment deadline.
"You've completed it?" The inspector was stunned, almost disbelieving upon hearing that Kalia had finished her task and was ready for evaluation.
Mastering the Fly move with Togetic is exceptionally challenging, especially under such rudimentary conditions without access to a Move Disk.
Typically, even with a Move Disk, it takes Pokemon a considerable amount of time to learn a new move, let alone one like Fly, which doesn't naturally align well with Togetic's physique.
The inspector finally spoke, "Since you claim completion, let's proceed with the test." Earlier, Kalia had swiftly captured her Pokemon, raising some suspicion; however, there seemed no reason for her to lie, suggesting she might have genuinely achieved this feat.
Kalia appeared composed on the surface, but internally, she was slightly bewildered, unsure why Togetic suddenly mastered Fly. She even wondered if Togetic had already known the move all along and simply forgot about it.
Regardless, she had indeed witnessed Togetic executing Fly multiple times. To ensure accuracy, she made Togetic perform the move several more times before confidently approaching the inspector for verification.
Under the astonished gazes of numerous Trainers, Togetic confidently approached the front. Following Kalia's command, it leaped upwards.
Its small wings rapidly flapped, emitting a shimmering glow—the energy of the flying type at work. Without this power, given Togetic's size, it would be nearly impossible for it to fly solely relying on its own strength.
"It succeeded!"
"It's actually flying."
As Togetic soared high into the sky, all doubts vanished, and the way people looked at Kalia changed significantly.
Only after Togetic descended did the inspector regain their composure and officially announce that Kalia had passed the practical ability test. Kalia excelled in this phase, likely scoring even higher than her written exam results.
Completing the task a day ahead undoubtedly gave her a substantial advantage in the final tally.
At this point, even if Kalia were to fail the upcoming practical combat assessment, she would still qualify as a mid-level Trainer—a fact now virtually guaranteed.
Of course, considering Kalia's demonstrated prowess, no one believed she could possibly falter in the combat assessment, having witnessed firsthand the strength of her Pokemon.
With her assessment completed, Kalia didn't need to stay any longer and followed the inspector back to the designated rest area. There, she relaxed while awaiting the conclusion of all assessments before proceeding to the next round.
Meanwhile, Kalia had to part ways with Togetic, as it was solely for the evaluation purposes, and she couldn't take it with her. Moreover, Togetic did not fit into Kalia's Pokemon lineup, making its addition relatively insignificant even if she could keep it.
It's worth noting that her Combusken still needed considerable growth, and adding another Togetic might have overwhelmed her training capacity.
After much persuasion, Kalia finally convinced Togetic that she would visit again someday, allowing it to return to the forest.
Of course, this was merely a kind-hearted lie; they may never meet again, just like the other Trainers' captured Pokemon, which were impossible to retain permanently.
During the waiting period, Kalia and Lian enjoyed their time together, eating and relaxing. More participants finished their assessments, but Kalia wasn't aware of the exact outcomes. However, upon completion, fewer than ten individuals returned, clearly indicating another significant wave of eliminations.
Including Kalia, there should be exactly ten remaining. With the final practical assessment yet to come, it is likely that several more will be eliminated.
This demonstrates how challenging the mid-level Trainer examination truly is: out of over fifty participants, perhaps less than one-tenth will ultimately pass.