In an underground location within Misty City:
Kentra opened his eyes, revealing a fiery red glare, as if a volcanic eruption simmered within him. Never before had he experienced such uncontrollable rage; at that moment, he yearned to destroy everything in sight.
Glancing at the nearby indentations, only five Poké Balls remained: two Heal Balls and three Dream Balls. The original Zapdos-capturing Heal Ball had been crushed by Charmeleon's foot in the Dream World, indicating that Zapdos was still there.
Bang!
With fury, Kentra slammed his fist against the adjacent wall, rising to his feet with a menacing gaze.
"Guild Master, one of the Poké Balls seems to be missing..." A researcher from the Dark Guild approached cautiously, noticing the absence of a ball and hesitantly asked.
"Get lost!" Kentra roared angrily.
Kentra decided to postpone entering the Dream World temporarily; he needed to vent his fury first. Ah, right! He recently acquired a Z-Ring, and it would be perfect timing for one of his subordinates to deliver it now.
"Wait, my Z-Ring?" Kentra called out to the researcher about to leave, questioning them further. Obtaining this Z-Ring was no easy feat, thanks to Butomann's efforts at the Pokemon Academy. With a Dark-type Z-crystal in hand, he could unleash a Z-Move using Tyranitar.
"It should still be at the island branch; hasn't been delivered yet," replied the departing Dark Guild member, stopping and shaking their head.
"Get lost! Tell Pes to bring it here immediately!" Kentra roared again, his mood exceptionally volatile, more so than ever before.
"Yes, sir."
The guild member nodded, muttering inwardly, "What's wrong with the guild master today? Why is he so irritable? Could Zapdos have escaped?"
***
Meanwhile, at the Dark Guild's island branch:
"The guild master is furious and demands me to deliver the Z-Ring immediately. What should I do? Just what have you been doing these past few days!" Pes glared angrily at Babu, a member of the Dark Guild. It had been several days, yet no action had been taken.
"That little girl has been staying in Rhine City constantly lately. After the incident, Trainers there became more cautious, leaving us with no opportunity to strike. But don't worry, I've arranged for my subordinates to intercept her on the way to Rockcliff City," Babu responded nervously, quickly explaining the situation.
In reality, they were preparing to make their move soon. Their intelligence indicated that Kalia, the young girl, would be leaving Rhine City shortly to head towards a new city.
"As soon as possible! The guild master has been in a bad mood recently; he just gave me a severe scolding. We must retrieve the Z-Ring within these next few days," Pes expressed his frustration, visibly annoyed.
"Don't worry, this time I'm bringing over a dozen members. She won't stand a chance and will hand over the Z-Ring obediently!" Babu declared menacingly.
***
At the research institute in Rhine City:
"Ah, after studying for so many days, it turns out that those old fellows from the Ellie Region kept a crucial secret." Professor Evergreen sighed deeply.
"I knew it wouldn't be easy; there's no way they'd reveal everything," another Scientist beside him shook his head and echoed with a sigh.
The research on Z-Rings had become trapped in a whirlpool, unable to progress further. They had to abandon it, as continuing would yield no results. Without the core technology shared by researchers from the Ellie Region, deciphering or even replicating the Z-Ring was impossible.
Lacking this critical knowledge, known only to the Ellie Region's Scientists, forced them to indefinitely halt their Z-Ring research.
"What a pity," Kalia lamented. The most renowned Researchers from the Sebas region were gathered here, yet if even they couldn't succeed, achieving breakthroughs seemed unlikely anytime soon.
"Well, enough is enough." Professor Evergreen shook his head, seemingly resigning himself. "For years, the Ellie Region has surpassed us technologically. If we can't crack it now, let's not dwell on it."
"Sigh."
A collective sigh echoed among the group.
Suddenly, Professor Evergreen shifted the conversation and stated, "However, don't lose heart. Although we haven't cracked it yet, I've discovered that Pokemon possess a hidden mysterious power, distinct from Z-power. If harnessed, this could potentially be even stronger than Z-moves."
"What?"
"I had a similar feeling too. However, this is a new type of energy, and uncovering it seems several times more challenging than deciphering Z-power," one of the researchers remarked.
"Yes, the Ellie Region has been studying Z-power for countless years. To research this new force, we may require significantly longer time."
"Since the Ellie Region managed to develop Z-moves, why can't we explore new powers? Thanks to the insights gained from Z-moves, I've uncovered this hidden potential. Let's work together diligently on this endeavor." Professor Evergreen displayed unwavering determination, showing no loss of confidence despite the initial setback.
Listening nearby, Lian's thoughts suddenly sparked. In this world, it seemed that Mega Evolution had not yet emerged, and instead, Z-Moves appeared first. Could what Professor Evergreen discovered be the power of Mega Evolution? If so, there is likely a chance that Mega Evolution will eventually be fully researched.
Lian recalled that the Z-Ring could also trigger the power of Mega Stones, suggesting a possible connection between the two phenomena.
Realizing this, Lian felt slightly excited. Unfortunately, he lacked understanding of the underlying principles, and thoroughly researching Mega Evolution would likely take considerable time, with even longer needed for its refinement.
If successfully developed, Mega Evolution would undoubtedly surpass Z-Moves in strength. However, Mega Evolution appears to have limitations, as only certain Pokemon can undergo it, whereas Z-Moves are more universally applicable.
"Kalia, here's your Z-Ring back. Please keep it safe; you might have future opportunities to obtain Z-crystals. It's unfortunate those two Z-crystals weren't mine, or I would have given them to you."
Subsequently, Professor Evergreen returned the Z-Ring to Kalia.
"I understand," Kalia replied, accepting the Z-Ring.
"Professor, I might be leaving tomorrow for the next city. During my time here, I've learned so much; thank you very much," Kalia expressed sincerely.
Throughout her daily visits to the research institute, Kalia indeed acquired vast knowledge about Pokemon secrets and various intriguing facts within the Pokemon world, broadening her understanding significantly.
After departing from the research institute, Kalia returned to their residence.
Lian sat on a chair, swishing his tail, finally ready to leave Rhine City. The level of Trainers here was quite disappointing, far too weak.
In each battle, he only earned around two thousand Combat Points, less than what he used to make during his time at the Pokemon Academy, where combat ratings often exceeded three thousand points.
The next city should have more mid-level trainers, who differ greatly from beginners, possessing considerably stronger Pokemon.
In other words, with higher-level Pokemon comes increased physical abilities, resulting in combat ratings surpassing three thousand points, potentially even reaching four or five thousand.