Lian's execution of Wrath of Fire closely resembled actual combat scenarios, earning Kanron's approval. They continued practicing relentlessly, mastering the technique through repetition while making constant improvements and adjustments.
Three more days passed.
Finally, Wrath of Fire reached its optimal state, fully aligning with Kanron's initial vision. It became akin to a pseudo-weather move; although it possessed similar sustained draining capabilities as Sandstorm, it lacked other special effects.
As a self-created move, it couldn't match established weather moves like Sandstorm, which had been refined over countless generations. Nonetheless, it was still remarkably powerful.
Despite lacking attribute enhancement effects, the sheer draining capability made it formidable. Combined with Sunny Day, its effectiveness increased significantly. Most importantly, after initiating the move, Pokemon could continue using other attacks without needing to maintain control over Wrath of Fire.
With adjustments and improvements, Wrath of Fire now summons ten massive fireballs in the sky, which is currently Lian's control limit. Over time, these fireballs continuously explode, creating intense blasts that generate numerous small flames, resembling a meteor shower as they plummet towards the ground, delivering widespread impact on opposing Pokemon.
The ten fireballs are interconnected; when one explodes, it triggers another to follow suit, leading to a chain reaction until all have detonated. This explosive process continues autonomously without needing further control; once the first fireball explodes, subsequent ones cascade accordingly.
This sequence can persist for about half a minute before Wrath of Fire concludes its release. Don't underestimate this duration - although shorter than weather moves like Sunny Day, it still allows ample opportunity for multiple Pokemon attacks.
During combat, with incessant falling flames, opponents are constantly restrained, unable to launch full-force assaults. They must divert their attention to avoid the dense barrage of fire, significantly impacting the battle dynamics.
***
When Lian mastered the Wrath of Fire, Kanron was overjoyed, with tears welling up in his eyes as he felt his lifelong dream had finally been fulfilled.
"Thank you so much, Kalia. Without your Charmeleon, I wouldn't know how much longer it would have taken for the Wrath of Fire to appear on the battlefield," Kanron expressed, filled with gratitude.
"Gym Leader Kanron, there's no need to thank me; if anyone deserves thanks, it's Charmeleon itself. His innate talent made this possible, and I should be thanking you too," Kalia smiled warmly. Seeing Gym Leader Kanron's genuine appreciation brought her immense happiness from within.
During their stay, Charmeleon learned numerous moves, including several highly valuable ones. Among these, Overheat stood out as one of the most powerful Special Attack moves in Fire-type repertoire. Despite its side effects, it remains a formidable Fire-type move, even surpassing Inferno in strength.
"Your Charmeleon possesses the strongest natural talent I've ever seen, and it hasn't even evolved yet. Once it evolves into a Charizard, it will undoubtedly become incredibly powerful," Kanron said enviously. Every Trainer dreams of having such strong Pokemon, and he was no exception.
If Kanron had access to such a Pokémon, he likely would have already showcased Wrath of Fire on the battlefield.
"I agree," Kalia smiled proudly, feeling incredibly fortunate to possess Charmeleon.
"You should be leaving soon. Before you go, I hope you can promise me one simple thing," said Kanron.
"What is it?"
"I wish for you to frequently use Wrath of Fire with your Charmeleon, so that the Pokemon League acknowledges it and creates a Move Disk for distribution," Kanron earnestly expressed. Although not all Pokémon could learn Wrath of Fire, among the numerous Fire-type Pokémon in the world, there would surely be some capable of mastering it. He believed that as Wrath of Fire spreads and evolves over time, it would increasingly appear on battlefields in the future.
"I will," Kalia nodded seriously.
***
At the library:
"Grandma Mana, I'm leaving tomorrow."
Kalia was bidding farewell to Grandma Mana, as she would be heading back to Rhine City the next day. Although it had been less than three months, for Kalia, it felt like a long time since she left, and now she's finally returning.
During these three months, despite initially abandoning everything to start anew, Kalia did experience some regret afterward. However, since she made her choice, there was no need to dwell on it further.
"You have your own path, and I always knew you'd leave someday. Just don't forget that you have a grandmother who misses you dearly. Please come visit me occasionally." While Grandma Mana felt reluctant, having lived through countless farewells over her lifetime, she simply hoped Kalia would return from time to time.
"I will definitely come back," Kalia assured her. With very few remaining family members, Grandma Mana was precious to her, ensuring she would visit regularly.
After saying goodbye to Grandma Mana, Kalia returned to her room to pack her belongings. She also took the opportunity to contact her longtime friend Lewis in Rhine City, whom she hadn't seen in quite some time.
When Kalia informed Lewis that she would be arriving in Rhine City the next day, he sounded thrilled and promised to pick her up upon arrival.
***
Late at night.
Lian checked his current level, which had reached Level 32. Advancing only one level over eight days was relatively slow; if he had spent those days at the Pokemon Academy, he would likely be at Levels 33 or even 34 by now.
Nevertheless, leveling up meant significant enhancements to his abilities, with his Special Attack ability value reaching 1,247 points.
Apart from the level increase, Lian was pleasantly surprised that the system recognized the existence of Wrath of Fire, as it appeared in the move list:
Wrath of Fire (0/30)
This indicated that Wrath of Fire could gain proficiency, much to Lian's delight. He promptly used Combat Points to max out its proficiency level.
After upgrading, Lian checked his remaining total Combat Points, which amounted to slightly over five thousand. However, considering the cost to improve his Fire-type Energy Control Rate by just 1%, this wasn't much left.
Lian decisively spent 4,000 points to enhance his fire energy control, reaching now at 48%. Among this increase, 1% was likely due to his diligent training efforts during this period, effectively earning him 4,000 Combat Points for free.
With their departure to Rhine City scheduled for tomorrow, Lian gradually learned about Kalia's past. Originally, she was the Gym Leader of a grass-type gym. However, during the annual evaluation by the League, she was defeated by a League Trainer, deemed insufficiently skilled, and subsequently replaced by another Trainer as the Gym Leader.
This led Kalia to embark on her journey as a challenger, aiming to reclaim her position. Returning to Rhine City this time clearly signified her intent to seek redemption.
However, with Lian's strength, challenging Grass-type Pokémon would be effortless, posing little difficulty.
A Fire-type against Grass-type? It's like a father effortlessly disciplining his son.