Lying on the lush green grass, Lian felt quite content. Since the system upgrade, the once blank white space had transformed into a more pleasant environment. The soft ground beneath him even carried the refreshing scent of fresh grass.
Lian lifted his head to glance at the data panel floating in mid-air. His level remained unchanged at 48, but the progress bar now indicated 99%. With just a few more battles in the Dream World, he would soon level up.
Previously, enhancing burst speed cost him 30,800 Combat Points. Later, increasing the flying type Energy Control Rate to 60% required an additional 140,000 Combat Points.
Currently, he had slightly over 29,000 Combat Points left, not a significant amount, but enough to improve some abilities.
However, it was only sufficient to enhance one ability value. Currently, Lian's Special Attack stood at 169, Speed at 150, and Stamina at 118.
Among these, his Stamina ability value had already reached Limit +40, meaning each further point increase would require consuming 480 Combat Points. Based on his current balance, it was insufficient to reach Limit +50.
Therefore, Lian decided to boost his Special Defense ability value. Apart from Attack, which he hadn't focused on upgrading much, all other ability values had surpassed their limits.
His Special Defense and Physical Defense ability values were temporarily capped at Limit +30. Hence, for improving a single ability value, investing in either Special Defense or Physical Defense seemed most beneficial.
However, increasing these defensive ability values might trigger further physical changes, such as becoming larger, which could potentially impact his agility.
Agility differs from speed; typically, smaller and faster Pokemon have high agility, allowing them to effortlessly dodge opponents and keep out of reach.
Nonetheless, with Lian's Speed Burst capability, he didn't particularly need high agility. For critical moves, using Speed Burst for evasion was sufficient, and if avoidance wasn't possible, he could counter with specific attacks.
If Lian were to face legendary Pokémon in the future, accumulating Combat Points through multiplier bonuses would be crucial. Without adequate defense, it wouldn't suffice, as legendary Pokémon are not easily defeated.
Although his base stats surpassed those of legendary Pokémon, his overall development still lagged behind. Thus, enhancing his ability values became essential to compensate.
After some time, Lian increased his Special Defense ability value from 1605 to 1701 points, adding a substantial 96 points at a cost of 23,040 Combat Points—each point requiring 240 Combat Points.
He was left with just over six thousand Combat Points, which currently held little use for him, insufficient to boost any abilities further.
"Let's go, to the Dream World."
Having completed his upgrades, Lian swiftly entered the Dream World, aiming to quickly reach Level 49 and get closer to Level 50.
***
The next day, Kalia packed her belongings and prepared to depart for the Ellie region, embarking on a rescue mission.
Typically, such missions require multiple Trainers, but with high-level Trainers stationed at West Sea, mid-level Trainers deemed this task too challenging, and the Ellie region was not particularly welcoming to Trainers from Sebas. Consequently, no one had accepted the assignment.
However, Kalia's interest in Pokemon Armor persisted. She now had ample Alliance Coins, enough that if she managed her expenses wisely, they would last her a long time without needing more. Even considering the cost of raising six or more Pokemon, her current funds were sufficient. Missions had become habitual rather than a necessity.
Mounting her Charizard, Kalia set off flying towards the Ellie region.
To reach Oceanview City, she needed to cross the South Sea. This time, Kalia made preparations by researching information about the Dark Guild's occupation of Oceanview City.
Such news typically spreads quickly between regions, so with a simple search, Kalia could easily access updates related to the Ellie region.
While some information was not publicly available, Kalia found most of what she sought. After reviewing the details, she gained insight into why the Dark Guild had become so formidable.
The guild possessed a unique violet-type Pokemon with cannon-like structures on its back, resembling robotic steel-bodied creatures.
Initial analysis suggested they could be either Insect or Steel Type Pokemon. The Dark Guild currently controlled over forty such beings, displaying astonishing power. Previously, leveraging their advantageous terrain, these creatures repelled seventeen high-level Trainers.
"Violet insect-type Pokemon?" Kalia pondered aloud, examining images of these violet creatures with glowing red eyes and mechanized bodies, seemingly composed of steel.
Unfortunately, there were no videos showcasing their combat abilities; otherwise, Kalia could have gleaned more insights.
"What should I do? With over forty violet Pokemon and Dark Guild members, it's impossible for me alone to infiltrate Oceanview Tower and rescue anyone." Kalia furrowed her brow slightly.
"Violet insect-type Pokemon?" Lian heard Kalia's mutterings. It seemed the Dark Guild had this secret weapon, which likely explained how they managed to conquer Oceanview City.
Lian felt a sense of familiarity with this violet pokemon but couldn't recall its name immediately. If he could see its appearance, it would likely jog his memory.
He only knew that its base stats seemed quite high, possibly reaching Pseudo-legendary status, surpassing legendary Pokémon like Zapdos.
As Kalia pondered how to rescue the hostages, an opportunity presented itself. A news headline caught her eye, announcing the Ellie region's imminent full-scale operation against the Dark Guild.
"Mid-level Trainers from the Ellie region, led by three Elite Four members, plan to attack the Dark Guild tomorrow," Kalia read aloud slowly, processing the information.
With the Ellie region mobilizing mid-level Trainers for their assault on the Dark Guild, Kalia saw a chance to infiltrate Oceanview Tower and rescue the hostages first, thereby completing her mission.
The combined force of over 300 mid-level Trainers, along with three Elite Four trainers, should be more than enough to overpower the Dark Guild this time.
Given the Ellie region's offensive, the likelihood of successfully completing the rescue mission increased significantly, bringing a smile to Kalia's face.
As time passed, Kalia retrieved the prepared food from her bag. Strangely, Charizard had been selecting the ingredients himself lately for making Pokemon meals.
To her surprise, the dishes created with Charizard's chosen ingredients turned out surprisingly delicious.
Now that she had more funds, Kalia no longer bought pre-made Pokemon food. Instead, she visited the Pokemon market to purchase basic ingredients and prepare customized meals herself.
This way, the Pokemon could enjoy natural, unprocessed food, tailored to their individual tastes.
"Charizard, here's your meal." Kalia took out a blob-like portion of food, which didn't look appealing but tasted quite good.
With those words, she tossed the "mud" into the air.
Lian felt somewhat helpless as this seemingly muddy concoction was actually made using the system's assistance, combining ingredients known to accelerate growth. Although the taste was decent, it wasn't the most crucial aspect.
The most important feature was its ability to enhance Level progression, effectively speeding up growth—even benefiting Lian himself.
If a weaker Fire-type starter Pokemon consumed this mud, it would rapidly develop; however, the effect diminished with increased consumption.