From the moment Lian effortlessly defeated Milotic, Kalia's fate was sealed as becoming a mid-level Trainer. Now, she simply had to wait for others to complete their assessments and then receive her certification.
The distinction between a mid-level and beginner trainer lies in the fact that mid-level trainers are highly valued by the League, serving as its backbone with considerable status.
High-level trainers are relatively rare, whereas mid-level trainers, although not numerous, still number in the hundreds. If the League could organize these mid-level trainers, harnessing their collective Pokemon, it would create a formidable force akin to an army.
In ancient times, such vast Pokemon armies existed; however, without Poké Balls, captured Pokemon varied greatly in quality, limiting their ability to unleash the true terrifying potential of each creature.
If modern-day mid-level trainers were united into a well-trained military force, commanding their respective Pokemon in battle, there likely wouldn't be any entity across the continent capable of standing against them.
Even legendary Pokemon couldn't match this force, unless they possessed truly extraordinary abilities like Zapdos, capable of overwhelming devastation.
However, each Trainer is an independent individual with their own thoughts and aspirations, making it challenging to organize such a formidable army. Currently, there's no need for this unity unless faced with a catastrophic event someday.
Soon, the mid-level assessment officially concluded.
Only six Trainers passed, which was remarkably low, likely the smallest number in recent years. Just one out of every nine participants succeeded.
With these results, the League welcomed six new mid-level trainers. Although not many, barring any unforeseen circumstances, mid-level trainers typically remain active for several decades due to their age. Over time, this accumulates a significant number.
Under envious gazes, Kalia and the other five successful candidates received their mid-level trainer certificates, officially joining their ranks.
"I'm now a mid-level trainer." A short-haired Trainer, tears welling up in his eyes, knew all too well how many times he had attempted the mid-level assessment before finally succeeding, having experienced disappointment at each attempt until now.
Becoming a mid-level Trainer marked entry into a new tier. Beginner Trainers were just at the starting point, while achieving mid-level status truly signified stepping across the threshold of becoming a serious Trainer.
Kalia felt quite excited too.
Although she had been a Trainer for only about half a year, it was filled with numerous experiences. Now, she finally achieved the rank of mid-level Trainer.
Her father, Karley, despite being a Gym Leader, never reached the mid-level Trainer rank before his untimely demise. Achieving this milestone fulfilled one of her father's unaccomplished wishes.
With this accomplishment, Kalia is now closer to participating in the League Competition. Having become a mid-level Trainer, her next goal is to reach high-level status.
Once she becomes a high-level Trainer, she will have the opportunity to compete in the League Competition and potentially become the League Champion.
Of course, as her understanding deepens, Kalia realizes that participating in the League Competition and becoming the League Champion are on entirely different levels. She doesn't expect herself to become the League Champion in her first competition; such an expectation would be unrealistic.
***
"Congratulations on becoming a mid-level Trainer. Your journey as a Trainer has just begun; keep up the good work." Mandia personally handed Kalia her mid-level Trainer certificate and badge.
"Thank you."
Kalia solemnly accepted the certificate and badge, knowing that from this moment forward, she was recognized as a mid-level Trainer, deserving respect from most individuals.
As a mid-level Trainer, she would be acknowledged wherever she went, even qualifying to become a Gym Leader.
Many gyms across regions have Gym Leaders with mid-level Trainer capabilities, not just Sebas' gym but also those in the Ellie region. High-level Trainers generally overlook the limited resources offered by being a Gym Leader.
High-level Trainers typically strive for even greater achievements, unwilling to confine themselves to a single gym. Without exploring the world and encountering diverse powerful trainers, it's challenging to further develop their skills.
Of course, there exist private gyms where the Gym Leaders may surpass mid-level Trainer strength. However, these private gyms are often unrecognized by the League.
Private gyms are rare, primarily focused on profit, yet they tend to have exceptionally strong Gym Leaders targeting top-tier mid-level Trainers.
After defeating eight gyms, there typically aren't many more official gyms to challenge. This leaves only the advanced-level assessment as the next step. However, newly minted trainers with eight badges often fall short of readiness for the advanced exam due to their Pokemon not having fully matured yet.
Private gyms capitalize on this gap, providing mid-level trainers with continued goals and challenges while generating revenue through entrance fees. Although these private gyms lack official recognition, they offer genuine quality training opportunities, giving mid-level trainers something to strive for. Consequently, the League has consistently chosen not to interfere.
There's logic behind every existence; private gyms provide fresh objectives for Trainers who have earned all eight badges. While challenging a private gym requires payment, it is usually insignificant for mid-level trainers, easily recouped after completing a few missions.
In essence, any Trainer capable of challenging a private gym already possesses the preliminary skills needed for the advanced-level examination.
However, Kalia still had a long way to go before reaching that stage.
Nonetheless, becoming a mid-level trainer signifies gaining a certain social status and easier access to earning money. As long as one doesn't frivolously spend, they can generally afford resources for nurturing their Pokemon, along with personal necessities like food, clothing, and accommodation.
After the assessments concluded, everyone dispersed. To Kalia's disappointment, Mark did not successfully become a mid-level Trainer.
However, Mark only failed in the practical combat evaluation but confidently assured her that he would pass on his next attempt.
Mark also expressed his congratulations to Kalia as they returned together to Rockcliff City before parting ways.
As a newly minted mid-level Trainer, Kalia planned to head to Totem City, where most mid-level Trainers congregated.
Different levels of exposure lead to distinct growth opportunities, and Rockcliff City primarily housed beginner trainers. Only by moving to Totem City and battling more mid-level Trainers could she quickly adapt and improve.
Mid-level Trainers typically engage in 4v4 battles, meaning Combusken would now join the fray. Although Combusken was still developing, its inclusion added pressure for Kalia.
She even began contemplating whether to capture her fifth Pokemon. Learning from her experience with Combusken, Kalia decided her fifth Pokemon should not be too weak, as training them would take too long. Given her rapid progress, the growth rate of weaker Pokemon simply couldn't keep up.
The best approach would be to directly capture a stronger Pokemon and gradually build their bond over time. While increasing intimacy might be challenging initially, the saved training time would compensate for it significantly.