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After Kalia's promotion, she started paying attention to the battle matchups displayed on the large screens and also closely watched some intense double battles involving skilled Trainers.
For instance, Aurora's matches were not to be missed by Kalia. Although Aurora swiftly concluded her battles, Kalia managed to identify her second Pokémon: a Bouffalant, proficient in offensive moves.
The combination of Ghost-type Chandelure with Normal-type Bouffalant formed a formidable duo. Fighting-type moves can effectively counter Normal-type, but they have no effect on Ghost-type Pokémon, rendering them ineffective.
To counter Ghost-type, aside from Dark-type, only other Ghost-types pose a significant threat; however, their moves also have unlimited effectiveness against Normal-type Pokémon.
While it may not be a perfect defense setup, Aurora's third Pokémon must undoubtedly be exceptional, likely forming a complementary defensive system with these two.
Aurora's Bouffalant was incredibly strong, especially with its signature move, Head Charge—a devastating headbutt attack.
However, Kalia noticed that Aurora's Pokémon team wasn't ideally suited for doubles battles. This could be attributed to the lack of focus on doubles teams at the Pokemon Academy, which might be considered a weakness for Aurora.
Currently, Aurora relied heavily on her Pokémon's individual strength to overpower opponents, lacking notable coordinated strategies for doubles battles.
Of course, it was possible that Aurora might be concealing some hidden tactics, but given her straightforward nature, it seemed unlikely.
In contrast, mid-level trainers were different; many had experience with double battles, enabling their Pokémon to coordinate effectively, granting them a significant advantage.
The second round of matches continued steadily. Julian also took the stage against a formidable beginner trainer.
To Kalia's surprise, during the battle, Julian's Charmeleon unexpectedly evolved into a Charizard. Leveraging Charizard's immense power, he managed to turn the tide and secure victory, advancing to the top 32.
"Kalia, my Charmeleon evolved! I made it through!" After winning, Julian rushed over ecstatically, as if hitting a jackpot, his face beaming with joy.
"Congratulations," Kalia genuinely replied. Initially, Julian appeared unlikely to win, but with Charmeleon's unexpected evolution, one of his opponent's Ground-type Pokémon couldn't fully showcase its capabilities due to the presence of Charizard. Ultimately, Charizard emerged victorious.
"Now both my Ursaring and Charizard have reached their highest evolutions; only Tyrogue hasn't evolved yet," Julian exclaimed joyfully.
"Tyrogue, which Pokemon do you want to evolve into, Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan?" Kalia asked.
Tyrogue's evolution process was unique: if it focused on enhancing its attacking capabilities, it would evolve into Hitmonlee; if defense improvement was prioritized, it would become Hitmonchan. If both attack and defense were equally developed, it would transform into Hitmontop.
However, evolving into Hitmontop is generally challenging due to the precise balance required between attack and defense, making Hitmontop quite rare.
"I'd like to evolve into Hitmonlee, but how should I proceed?" After some thought, Julian felt that Hitmonlee seemed cooler, with impressive kicking moves and extended reach.
"You can focus on training its offensive abilities, practicing various attack moves, and honing its martial arts skills," Kalia suggested. Having trained at Rockcliff City's Fighting dojo, she knew that martial arts could enhance a Pokemon's attacking prowess, while improving defense requires developing resilience against attacks.
"Ah, I see." Julian nodded earnestly, appearing to understand, but it wasn't that simple. Without proper guidance, mastering martial arts was nearly impossible. However, there were exceptions - Fighting-type Pokemon, naturally skilled in combat, often possess innate fighting techniques.
Observing Julian's expression, Kalia realized he wasn't sure how to proceed. After a moment of thought, she explained, "Basically, just let Tyrogue engage in frequent fights. Not formal Pokemon battles, but straightforward brawls, which will help develop its strength."
"I get it now," Julian acknowledged, recalling how he first encountered Tyrogue during a raw brawl with another Pokemon, not a structured battle of moves. At the time, Tyrogue was battered and bruised; Julian rescued it, leading to a successful capture.
Reflecting on this, he understood it must be Tyrogue's instinctual nature - enjoying fights, where repeated engagement could refine its fighting skills and enhance its power.
"That's great." Seeing Julian genuinely comprehend, Kalia nodded and returned her attention to the ongoing competition.
As the tournament progressed, the battles became increasingly captivating, showcasing various innovative moves and strategies. Kalia witnessed a new dimension of Pokemon combat unique to double battles.
These tactics proved highly valuable; if ever ambushed in the wilderness, they could be instrumental. Reflecting on her encounter with Dark Guild members, had Kalia possessed experience in double battles, she might not have been so overwhelmed. Utilizing such strategies, she could have effectively countered their Pokemon with greater composure.
Recalling the Dark Guild, things had remained relatively calm lately, but Kalia sensed that these adversaries wouldn't give up easily. With their presence scattered across regions, it was impossible to predict when they might strike next.
With time passing swiftly, the second round concluded, selecting the top 32 Trainers while eliminating the rest. Notably, no mid-level trainers were defeated yet, as over a dozen advanced to the next stage. Conversely, beginner trainers dwindled significantly. Aside from Julian's fortunate Charizard evolution, most who barely passed the first test with just sixty points were already eliminated.
Shortly after, the third round commenced, aiming to determine the top sixteen contestants. The large screen began displaying the matchups for this stage.
Kalia glanced at the list and suddenly froze, surprised to find herself directly facing a mid-level Trainer. Although there were only thirty-two participants left, encountering a mid-level Trainer so early was undeniably unfortunate luck.
However, what must come will eventually arrive. Kalia had prepared herself for battling mid-level Trainers; it was inevitable sooner or later.
Since fate had brought this encounter, she decided to give her all. This might be an opportunity to test the results of her recent intensive training.
On the sidelines, Julian also saw his opponent's name. Perhaps by sheer luck, he faced a beginner Trainer, feeling optimistic about advancing into the top sixteen.
Julian was equally pleased with his draw. Initially, he thought his chances were slim, but now matched against an evenly skilled opponent, he believed he could win and secure a spot in the top sixteen.