After attacking for a while, Zapdos departed as numerous Dark Guild members arrived. Facing such overwhelming numbers of Pokemon, it wisely chose to flee.
In Misty City, amidst the ruins, on a vacant patch of land...
Zapdos descended from the sky, interrupting a battle between a Charmeleon and an Ursaring. Standing nearby was Julian, accompanied by another Pokemon.
Unchanged in appearance, Julian observed Zapdos's arrival and asked, "Any luck? Did you find an entrance to the Dark Guild?"
Zapdos emitted several cries, and surprisingly, one of the Pokemon beside Julian responded with human speech—it was a Tyrogue.
"Zapdos says that the Dark Guild took its offspring into the Dream World. To locate them, we must enter the Dream World; their presence is no longer detectable here."
This Tyrogue was Julian's third Pokemon, unexpectedly captured due to its unique ability to speak human language.
Tyrogue, being humanoid, has a structure similar to humans, making it relatively easy for them to learn human speech.
Thanks to Tyrogue's translation, Julian could communicate with Zapdos. His determination to find the missing little Zapdos was unwavering; ever since Zapdos saved him, he had been relentlessly searching for the lost Pokemon.
"Dream World? Never heard of it," Julian shook his head, acknowledging his limited knowledge and unfamiliarity with such realms.
"However, I have a friend who is incredibly knowledgeable. Just recently, she attended the Ruby Pokémon Academy, so there's a chance she might know about it," Julian added.
In truth, Julian wasn't certain if Kalia would be aware of the Dream World, but he hadn't challenged any gyms for quite some time and felt compelled to leave.
His Pokemon had significantly improved, fueling his eagerness to challenge gyms again and earn more badges.
Julian then discussed with Zapdos their plan: He would return to the human city to gather information on the Dream World, and once he found out more, he would reconnect with Zapdos.
"At last, we can finally leave this place."
***
Rockcliff City, known for its numerous mountain peaks, featured many buildings constructed at high altitudes, with some even directly carved into cave dwellings.
From afar, Lian took in the panoramic view of Rockcliff City before descending near its outskirts.
Kalia jumped down, tidied her disheveled hair, and breathed deeply, squinting with a content smile. "Having a Flying-type Pokémon truly makes travel much more convenient."
Rockcliff City was a haven for Fighting-type Pokémon enthusiasts. After returning Lian to his Poké Ball, Kalia approached the city entrance, presented her identification, and smoothly entered Rockcliff City, noticing countless Fighting-type Pokémon along the way.
Rockcliff City is considered the most righteous city in the Sebas region, where residents aspire towards justice, earning it the title of "City of Justice." The people here are exceptionally healthy, avidly engaging in fitness and combat training, which explains the abundance of Fighting-type Pokémon. Trainers often train alongside these Pokémon, enhancing their physical prowess together.
As Kalia walked through the streets, she could feel the vibrant spirit of the city. Everyone appeared lively-eyed, with steady strides and smiles on their faces.
Kalia had never been to Rockcliff City before, so she needed to find accommodation. After reviewing the city map, she located a Pokémon Hotel nearby.
As Kalia headed towards her destination, she was suddenly drawn by a unique Fighting dojo along the way.
The dojo's slogan emphasized fostering bravery in Pokémon through martial arts training, and it claimed suitability for any Pokémon. From outside, numerous Pokémon could be seen inside the bustling dojo.
Kalia released Torchic from its Poké Ball; over time, it had grown significantly both in size and weight, mainly due to limited battle experience.
She felt that enrolling Torchic in this dojo might help develop its fighting skills. Currently, Torchic exhibited excessive timidity, which hindered its progress considerably.
Considering Torchic evolves into a Fighting-type Pokémon, starting its combat training now would lay a solid foundation, undoubtedly benefiting its future development.
Additionally, improving Torchic's timid nature was crucial. While not expecting it to become fiercely aggressive, at least developing basic combat awareness was essential.
With this thought, Kalia decided to visit the dojo first before searching for accommodations later. If suitable, she would enroll Torchic here for training.
Currently, Torchic was too weak, and the Pokemon Kalia encountered were significantly stronger. As a result, Torchic had no chance to participate in such battles, leading to slow progress.
She feared that by the time she obtained all eight Gym badges, Torchic might not even have evolved into its final form.
Upon entering the dojo, Kalia observed the spacious area filled with numerous Trainers and their Pokémon receiving guidance from dojo instructors. Most of these Pokémon belonged to the Fighting type, suggesting some trainers shared Kalia's intention to develop their Pokémon's character.
Among various Pokémon, some inherently possess timid natures, hesitating during battles and unable to fully unleash their true potential.
"Hello, how may I assist you?" As soon as Kalia entered, a young man clad in white martial arts attire approached her with a friendly smile. His robust physique was evident through his clothing contours.
"My Torchic is quite timid, and I'd like it to undergo combat training to change its disposition," Kalia explained her purpose. A Pokemon with a Brave Nature can be highly advantageous in battles, as overly cautious ones often fail to unleash even half of their true potential.
"Ah, this Torchic here. After evolving into Combusken, it becomes both a Fighting and Fire-type Pokemon. It inherently possesses Fighting capabilities, making it naturally skilled for combat. The timidity likely stems from frequent bullying during its early days," the young man deduced after just one glance at the Torchic.
"Pip."
Torchic huddled tightly in Kalia's arms, seeking comfort as if she were its warm nest. Occasionally, it would open its eyes briefly to peek around but dared not look too long.
Kalia wasn't sure about Torchic's experiences in the Dream World, but it indeed seemed plausible that it had been bullied by other Pokemon. Fighting-type Pokemon are typically adept at battling and passionate about physical training, rarely exhibiting timidity.
"When I captured it, it kept running away, unwilling to fight. That must be the reason. What are your fees for training?" Kalia inquired.
The Fighting Dojo seemed quite reputable, and Kalia felt it was worth giving it a try. Perhaps Torchic could indeed develop a courageous heart instead of acting like a withdrawn child, constantly hiding in her arms.
"Not expensive at all. For training one Pokemon, five hours per day cost only fifty Alliance Coins, totaling to just fifteen hundred for a month," the young man explained.
Kalia nodded; it indeed seemed reasonable. If effective, the benefits for the Pokemon would be significant, potentially influencing their entire lives.
"Here's what I propose: I have four Pokemon that I'd like to train together. Could you offer a discount?" Kalia decided to enroll all her Pokemon for training.
Since she planned on training them, having all her Pokemon participate made sense—some might even learn new Fighting-type moves.
"Certainly! Please list your Pokemon. If any are significantly large, there may be additional fees for specialized training areas." The young man smiled, ready to note down Kalia's Pokemon details.
"Charizard, Grovyle, Ninetales, and Torchic," Kalia responded accurately.
"Hmm, Charizard and Ninetales are relatively large, which might require special training facilities..."