Lian evaded Kyogre's Ice Beam this time not by countering with a move but through a burst of speed, swiftly dodging away from the attack.
Speed bursts significantly enhance evasion against various ranged moves. The sudden increase in velocity can disrupt opponents' predictive aiming, making it highly effective unless facing lock-on type attacks.
After successfully avoiding the Ice Beam, Lian ignored Kyogre altogether, knowing well that the colossal Pokémon couldn't catch up to him.
Moreover, he was currently no match for Kyogre; without using Speed Burst, he would have inevitably taken the full brunt of the Ice Beam, resulting in an instant defeat.
Despite being Fire Type, due to his flying attribute, Ice-type moves dealt double damage to him. Considering Kyogre's terrifying Special Attack ability, Lian could not withstand such an impact.
He rapidly flew towards the island, knowing that at present, Kyogre could not directly enter and could only unleash tsunamis. Thus, the island temporarily remained safe.
Seeing its Ice Beam avoided, Kyogre trembled in fury, causing the entire ocean to roar as massive waves surged relentlessly.
Whoo-whoo!
Kyogre let out an enraged roar, but Lian had already flown beyond its attack range and was no longer visible due to Kyogre's limited underwater field of view.
Lian gently placed the terrified mid-level Trainer on the ground, ensuring temporary safety amidst other trainers nearby.
Shortly after, Charmy flew over, landed beside them, and gratefully said, "Thank you."
Lian responded, "No need for thanks. You're my brother; it's only natural to save you."
He now fully embraced this bond, despite his brother being weaker and less accomplished than him. It was the first time Lian felt what it meant to have a sibling.
In his previous life, Lian was an only child, with parents who passed away early, leaving him feeling quite lonely. Consequently, he often sought solace in materialistic pursuits, drifting aimlessly through life until his sudden transmigration.
Now, although transformed into a Charizard and no longer human, he found himself with family. This new experience evoked a peculiar sensation for Lian.
When the sense of imminent danger arose earlier, Lian felt genuinely anxious, fearing even a moment's delay. Throughout the flight, he continuously pushed his speed to the limit.
"What's your name? I'm now called Lian," he spoke, using the species' language to utter his name from his previous life.
"I am currently known as Charmy, given by my Trainer. Why do you have a name like Lian? It sounds quite human-like. Did your Trainer choose it for you?" Charmy asked.
Lian was speechless; "Charmy" seemed too casual, clearly indicating that the Trainer had chosen it haphazardly.
He nodded, realizing there was no way to claim he named himself—it made more sense if attributed to his Trainer.
"I truly envy your name. Mine...sigh." Charmy expressed enviously, followed by a look of resignation, clearly disappointed with their Trainer's naming skills.
At this moment, the mid-level Trainer turned towards Lian, his eyes sparkling after witnessing everything unfold at sea.
This Charizard was incredibly impressive, able to exchange moves with Kyogre and even dodge its attacks. Its size alone was remarkable, easily accommodating three people on its back. Compared to his own Charizard, this one was undeniably superior.
The mid-level Trainer glanced disapprovingly at his Charizard before shifting his gaze back to Lian and producing a Poké Ball.
Lian was taken aback as he watched the Trainer pull out a Poké Ball, noticing the intense enthusiasm in his eyes. Feeling somewhat speechless, Lian wondered if this Trainer actually intended to capture him.
"Charizard, join me! I can make you even stronger. What do you say? Come inside my Poké Ball."
Lian's head filled with frustration; how did this Trainer become a mid-level one? Surely, it couldn't be just by uttering these few words to capture Pokémon?
Slap.
Lian swiftly batted away the thrown Poké Ball. With Charmy now safe, there was no need for him to linger longer. All he needed to know was that Charmy had found her brother.
"My Trainer is in the Sebas region, so we'll likely meet again soon. Let's catch up then. I must go now," Lian said to Charmy.
"Okay." Charmy nodded.
Lian promptly unfurled his wings, soaring into the sky and heading towards land. He realized his departure had been abrupt earlier, without bidding farewell to Kalia, and didn't want her to worry excessively.
However, communicating with Kalia proved challenging since she couldn't understand Pokémon language, and Lian didn't speak human languages either.
***
As Lian headed back towards land, a significant event unfolded in the Ellie region. A coastal city, home to a gym, was attacked by the Dark Guild.
Although not the most prosperous city in the Ellie region, it had a thriving economy, which justified having a gym presence. However, with many mid-to-high level Trainers from the region heading towards the West Sea, the city's defenses were significantly weakened.
No one anticipated that the Dark Guild would be hiding within the Ellie region, daring enough to assault a city.
The gym city had some mid- and beginner-level trainers, but their overall strength was limited.
Kentra meticulously planned this attack, targeting a Red Star-ranked gym city known for its moderate combat capabilities yet decent economic standing.
Leading a group of new Dark Guild members, along with several veteran guild members, Kentra also brought the organization's deadliest weapon: an army of thirty-six Grunnosects. They launched a coordinated assault on the city in the Ellie region.
With a severe shortage of capable Trainers to defend, the city found itself virtually powerless against such a formidable force.
In no time, with Trainers defeated and no reinforcements arriving promptly, the city swiftly fell under Dark Guild's control. This captured territory was known as Oceanview City.
Oceanview City became yet another stronghold for the Dark Guild. Fortunately, they did not harm the citizens but instead used it as a new base to extensively gather resources.
Kentra's primary objective was acquiring resources; with ample supplies, his researchers could further advance their studies, reviving more fossils and transforming additional Genesects.
Kentra understood that the mid-to-high-level Trainers from the Ellie region would eventually return. When that time came, the region would undoubtedly unite its forces against the Dark Guild.
Thus, the Dark Guild had limited time and needed to transform as many Genesects as possible before those mid-to-high-level Trainers reappeared.
Kentra had already witnessed the immense power of Genesects during the city invasion. Against beginner and mid-level trainers, they were virtually unstoppable, cutting through them effortlessly like slicing through vegetables.
The lone high-level Trainer faced multiple Genesects simultaneously and was quickly overwhelmed.
With these thirty-six Genesects at his disposal, Kentra felt significantly confident.
The rise of the Dark Guild was imminent.