Kalia rode her small bicycle, leaving Rhine City's boundaries behind. She glanced back at this city filled with floral fragrances, feeling somewhat nostalgic but knowing she must continue on the path ahead.
Just five badges so far; there were still three more to earn, including the seventh one from a Gold Star Gym. Compared to Silver Star Gyms, the strength of a Gold Star Gym was significantly greater.
In terms of Trainer hierarchy, even mid-level Trainers often find themselves outmatched by Gold Star Gyms' prowess. This means that becoming a mid-level Trainer does not guarantee obtaining a Gold Star Badge.
Collecting all eight badges typically signifies reaching the power level of a High-Level Trainer. However, merely having the badges is insufficient; passing an additional assessment is required to officially attain that rank.
Earning eight badges grants entry into the League Competition, but achieving the status of a High-Level Trainer demands more than just participation.
The allure of the Pokemon Academy for aspiring Trainers lies in its systematic training approach, making it easier to progress towards becoming a High-Level Trainer.
Honestly, for civilian Trainers, the most challenging hurdle isn't enhancing their Pokemon's capabilities but rather passing the Trainer assessments. Many Trainers get stuck at this stage.
This explains why the number of mid-level trainers sharply drops compared to beginner trainers, creating a significant disparity between these ranks.
Some beginner Trainers could even defeat mid-level Trainers but struggle to advance themselves to that rank.
Riding her bicycle, Kalia gradually left Rhine City behind. With a map as her guide, she steadily progressed along the route.
After several hours of cycling,
Kalia felt tired and leaned against the side, preparing for a brief rest and some water. Despite it being September, the weather was still quite hot.
Gulp, gulp.
Having taken a drink and rested momentarily, Kalia mounted her bicycle again and continued on her journey.
The wilderness in Sebas region is generally safe, especially with Kalia's Pokemon providing protection, making her less concerned about wild encounters.
As Kalia rode further, she suddenly sensed something amiss; the surroundings were unusually quiet, devoid of any Pokémon sightings, unlike before when they were plentiful.
Sometimes intuition is crucial. Feeling uneasy, Kalia promptly braked and stopped, sensing that something wasn't right along this stretch of road.
Bam.
Remaining cautious, given her recent encounter with the Dark Guild, Kalia couldn't be sure what they might do next.
She released Charmeleon from its Poké Ball, deciding not to ride the bicycle anymore. Instead, she pushed it alongside while walking cautiously ahead.
"Charmeleon, you lead the way. I have a sense of unease."
As Lian emerged from his Poké Ball, he noticed Kalia's serious expression but didn't detect any immediate threat. Nevertheless, he followed closely behind her.
After traveling a short distance further, they approached a large canyon. Crossing the canyon and passing through a few mountains would bring them to Rockcliff City. Kalia planned to find a spot within the canyon to spend the night.
Suddenly, a group of individuals appeared, unmistakably members of the Dark Guild, dressed in their uniform attire featuring black and white with the Dark Guild emblem on their chests.
It was indeed the Dark Guild!
Lian was astounded; Kalia's intuition proved incredibly accurate as Dark Guild members materialized right before them, seemingly waiting for some time already.
If Kalia had continued riding her bicycle, she might not have been able to react swiftly enough to their sudden ambush.
Quickly preparing for battle, Lian stared at the group of Dark Guild members, feeling apprehensive. They were not just facing a few opponents, but over ten individuals. With each likely having three Pokémon, that amounted to around thirty to forty Pokémon in total.
Kalia immediately tossed her bicycle aside and released Grovyle and Ninetales, getting ready for combat.
There was no escape with such overwhelming numbers; they couldn't outrun them, especially knowing that the adversaries likely had Flying-type Pokémon, making it impossible to flee on bicycles.
"Kalia, I didn't expect you to be so vigilant," Babu spoke up as he stepped forward from the group.
Their initial plan was for a surprise attack, swiftly seizing Kalia's backpack before she could react. However, they were caught off guard by her walking instead of riding, accompanied by a Charmeleon nearby.
Babu's scheme failed, but undeterred, he brought out his entire team, confident that with their numbers, Kalia wouldn't stand a chance to escape.
"You must be here for the Z-Ring, right? Too bad, I've already handed it over to the research institute; it's not with me anymore." Kalia wasn't naive; the enemy's intentions were clear - they wanted the Z-Ring.
Although lying isn't ideal, when dealing with enemies, such considerations don't apply. After all, opponents won't adhere to fair play, especially ruthless organizations like the Dark Guild.
"What?" Babu was taken aback, never expecting Kalia to have given the Z-Ring to the research institute. This development was disastrous.
With the Z-Ring falling into the hands of the research institute, it essentially meant it was now under the control of the Sebas League. His chances were slim to none, as retrieving such a crucial item once it's in possession of the Sebas League would be nearly impossible.
Even the Dark Guild's President couldn't help here; despite their strength, they were still an underground organization and couldn't possibly confront a regional powerhouse like the Pokemon League.
"The Z-Ring is no longer in my possession; seeking me out won't be of any use," Kalia stated, carefully observing Babu's reaction.
"Ah! Who told you to hand it over to the research institute?!" Babu yelled, his voice cracking with despair. He couldn't fathom the wrath of the President if the Z-Ring truly became unrecoverable, as it might lead to his own demise.
The guild had paid a hefty price to obtain this artifact from the Pokemon Academy, only for Kalia to swiftly pass it on to the research institute—utterly infuriating!
"Attack! This mess is all your fault. Capturing you might earn me some forgiveness from the President," Babu shouted loudly.
"Think twice! I'm an officially registered beginner Trainer with the Pokemon League. If I disappear, the Dark Guild will face severe consequences!" Kalia declared fearlessly.
However, consumed by anger, Babu could no longer maintain rationality. The Dark Guild's rules were strict, and losing such a crucial Z-Ring, with no chance of retrieval, was unacceptable.
Although he wasn't directly responsible for Kalia obtaining the ring, his initial failed operation led her to give it away to the research institute.
"Charmeleon, prepare for battle!"
Kalia didn't anticipate her actions would provoke such anger from Babu. Judging by his reaction, it was clear he believed there was no chance of retrieving the Z-Ring, leading to his fury.
It seemed she had inadvertently worsened the situation. However, Kalia never intended to hand over the Z-Ring to him anyway. After experiencing the power of Z-Moves, allowing such strength to fall into the hands of the Dark Guild could only enhance their capabilities.
Lian immediately prepared for battle as the group of over ten Dark Guild members released their Pokemon. Thankfully, some members only had two Pokemon, while very few possessed three.
It was evident that even Dark Guild members did not have many Pokemon at their disposal. Training and nurturing multiple Pokemon is inherently challenging, let alone managing several simultaneously.
Despite this, the combined number of opposing Pokemon still exceeded thirty, with most being duplicates of similar species. These included dark-type Pokemon like Murkrow, Sneasel, Mightyena, and Houndoom, as well as poison-type Pokemon such as Golbat and Ekans.
The skill levels among Dark Guild members varied greatly, ranging from strong to weak. Nonetheless, if they all charged together en masse, Lian knew he wouldn't be able to withstand them.