Chapter 131: Chapter 131: Challenge
The Ruby City Night Market lasted for three days, and Kalia attended both subsequent nights. Unfortunately, she didn't find anything particularly noteworthy. The ability-enhancing agents were unaffordable, with each bottle costing nearly ten thousand Alliance Coins.
In the end, she only managed to purchase a Move Disk containing Weather Ball, a Normal-type move. Although classified as Normal-type, it has unique effects, altering its attributes and power based on weather conditions.
When used under normal circumstances, Weather Ball has a base power of 50. However, when combined with Sunny Day, Charmeleon's Weather Ball gains the Fire attribute and significantly increases in power. With additional boosts from its Fire-type affinity and the Sunny Day effect, the damage becomes explosive.
Kalia's main regret was not finding a Move Disk for Sunny Day, which is quite rare. Altering weather, even within a limited area, is considered an exceptionally powerful move. For Fire-type Pokémon, Sunny Day is highly beneficial but also challenging to learn.
***
Early morning, as the sun began to rise.
As Kalia stepped out, she encountered Julian, who seemed to have been waiting there since dawn.
"Good morning, Kalia! You mentioned visiting the Battle Tower frequently. Today, I also plan to challenge it," Julian waved and greeted her enthusiastically.
"Let's head there together."
Shortly after, they arrived at the Battle Tower, entering its spacious lobby. This was Julian's first visit, and he felt a mix of excitement and curiosity as he looked around.
"How many floors do you plan to challenge? Each attempt costs fifty Alliance Coins," Kalia explained. At fifty Alliance Coins per challenge, it wasn't overly expensive, considering most Trainers wouldn't typically challenge more than ten times a day.
However, occasionally, there were fervent challengers who might engage in over a dozen battles daily, resulting in significant expenses.
The fifty Alliance Coins applied only to the first three floors. For challenges on the fourth floor or higher, which were Silver Rank, each attempt cost a full hundred Alliance Coins.
That's why Kalia chose to become a floor guardian; with her competitive nature, she couldn't imagine stopping after fewer than ten battles a day. As a challenger, this would easily cost over a thousand Alliance Coins daily.
"Which floor are you on?" Julian had only heard about the Battle Tower and never visited before, so he wasn't sure where to start. He decided to see which floor Kalia guarded.
"I'm on the sixth floor, but I wouldn't recommend going there for your first time. You should try the fourth floor instead," Kalia advised cautiously. Although Julian's Charmeleon was strong, attempting the sixth floor could lead to a harsh defeat.
"If you can handle the sixth floor, why can't I? There's no harm in trying." Julian chuckled, feeling confident that the gap between him and Kalia wasn't too significant. If Kalia could manage the sixth floor, even if he lost, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
"As you wish, then." Kalia didn't press further, knowing Julian would soon understand the challenge ahead.
"You can register over there while I head up." Kalia pointed towards the reception desk.
"Alright." Julian nodded and walked over.
"Hello, may I ask if you're here to challenge the Battle Tower?" asked the receptionist politely.
Julian nodded and replied, "Yes, I want to challenge the sixth-floor Trainer."
Surprised, the receptionist suggested, "This is your first visit to the Battle Tower, isn't it? If you have considerable strength, I recommend starting from the third floor and gradually progressing upwards. This will help accurately assess your skill level for future records."
"No need, I'm confident enough to go straight to the sixth floor," Julian asserted, believing that since Kalia could fight on the sixth floor, so could he.
"Are you absolutely sure?" the receptionist asked again, having witnessed many Trainers overestimate their abilities during their first visits to the Battle Tower, only to be brutally defeated.
However, true strength cannot always be judged by appearances; it must be demonstrated in actual combat.
Additionally, challengers who feel underprepared can opt to switch to lower floors, albeit at the cost of additional Alliance Coins.
"I'm definitely sure," Julian affirmed confidently.
"In that case, please register your Pokemon here and pay the required Alliance Coins. A staff member will then guide you to the sixth floor for your challenge."
***
Meanwhile, Kalia's battle had already commenced against Moka once again. This guy was incredibly punctual, persistently challenging despite repeated defeats.
Lian didn't want to leave the Battle Tower at all; he wished he could stay indefinitely, ensuring a steady stream of Combat Points each day.
As soon as the battle began, Moka sent out his Umbreon. Although Moka consistently lost to Kalia, it must be acknowledged that he had made significant progress, learning numerous combat techniques along the way.
Despite often falling short against Kalia, his improved strength became evident when battling other Trainers. With Umbreon's exceptional defense and recovery abilities, he frequently left opponents nearly hopeless.
Since Combat Points were at stake, Lian went all out as usual. He started with Flamethrower followed by Dragon Rage, swiftly weakening Umbreon after this combo.
"Your Charmeleon is just too strong," Moka said with a wry smile. In every match, he felt the terrifying prowess of Charmeleon - its moves executed with astonishing speed; blink, and it might already be launching its second attack.
In no time, Lian effortlessly defeated both of Moka's Pokemon. If not for Moka's noticeable progress during previous battles against others, he might have questioned his abilities altogether.
After initially winning against Kalia but subsequently losing faster with each encounter, it seemed as though his performance was steadily declining.
Satisfied, Lian recalled his Pokemon back to their Poké Balls, racking up another substantial haul of Combat Points - sheer exhilaration filled him.
Meanwhile, Julian followed the staff member to the sixth-floor lounge area, where numerous challengers awaited their turns. With limited floor guardians and a high volume of competitors, waiting was inevitable.
"Please take a seat."
Julian sat down in the lounge, observing the surrounding Trainers, and greeted them, "Hello everyone."
"You're new here; haven't seen you before," remarked a regular challenger who frequented the sixth floor. He recognized all the Trainers on this level, clearly indicating that Julian was visiting the sixth floor for the first time.
"I'm indeed visiting the Battle Tower for the first time," Julian replied with a smile.
"On your first visit? Didn't you come straight from the fifth floor?" someone curiously asked.
"Yes, it's my first time here. I've never visited the Battle Tower before."
"Wow, you must be quite skilled then, daring to challenge the sixth floor on your debut."
"Not bad, I suppose. By the way, do any of you know Kalia? She should be around here too, but I haven't seen her," Julian asked curiously.
At the mention of Kalia's name, several Trainers' expressions shifted noticeably, indicating that most had been defeated by her and remembered the experience vividly.
"She's a floor guardian, while we are challengers—it's different. Speaking of which, do you know Kalia?" one of them questioned.
"Oh yes, quite well actually. Judging from your reactions, is Kalia exceptionally strong?" Julian inquired, intrigued by the change in their demeanor at Kalia's name.
"Absolutely, she's now considered one of the toughest floor guardians on the sixth floor. Most of us have lost to her, and everyone dreads encountering her. Whenever we face her, our hard-earned winning streaks often crumble instantly." The Trainer speaking about Kalia seemed visibly animated, clearly having experienced defeat at her hands more than once.
"Hardest to beat? I find her quite manageable," Julian said, somewhat surprised. He thought the overall battle level in the Battle Tower must be lower than expected. While Kalia was formidable, she didn't seem exceptionally strong. The fact that she dominated on the sixth floor indicated that the Trainers here were likely of average skill.
As Moka entered, he overheard their conversation and remarked, "You know Kalia? That suggests you're quite skilled yourself. Would you like to have a battle with me?"
Julian turned to respond, "Can challengers fight each other here? I thought battles usually involve challengers against floor guardians."
"Challengers can indeed battle among themselves, but it requires arranging a separate battlefield, making it slightly more expensive. So, what do you say? Up for a match?" Moka asked, intrigued by someone who knew Kalia, indicating they might be a strong Trainer.
Being constantly outmatched by Kalia had left Moka feeling demoralized. Defeating one of her friends could be a good start to regain some confidence.
"Sure, why not." Julian readily agreed.