The mountain range where the assessment was taking place grew narrower the deeper one traveled into it.
The central area was the largest section of the entire mountain range, containing forests, swamps, peaks, and wetlands. The vast majority of Pokémon in the mountain range made their homes there.
To venture deep into the mountain range, the primary challenge was traversing this massive central area. The core region at the heart of the mountains was less than one-fifth the size of the entire range.
David's previous temporary camp had been located near the edge of the central area, still quite far from the core region.
To reach their destination as quickly as possible, they had accelerated their pace, relying on Kirlia's Teleport to swiftly bypass dangerous areas and difficult terrain along the way.
It was fortunate that after evolving, Kirlia's energy consumption when using Teleport had decreased significantly, though it still couldn't use the move as effortlessly as a Gardevoir could.
However, occasional use throughout their journey no longer placed much strain on it.
David chose to ignore any Pokémon they encountered along the path unless they initiated an attack.
Even when he occasionally spotted other participants, he didn't bother engaging them unless they were mission targets.
By maintaining this steady pace, after traveling for most of the day, David and his group arrived at the inner edge of the central area shortly after 1 PM.
"Let's go, Kirlia. We're heading over there."
After surveying their surroundings, David spotted a small grove near a lake not far away.
There, they could prepare lunch and rest properly.
Now that they had reached the edge of the central area, the core region was almost within sight, so there was no need to rush as much as before.
They simply needed to find a suitable spot to set up their tent on the outskirts of the core region before sunset.
To be honest, only David could traverse nearly the entire central area and reach the core region in just half a day.
If it were other participants, even three times that amount of time might not be sufficient.
One must understand that not everyone possessed David's physical capabilities, which could only be described as superhuman, allowing him to walk dozens of kilometers with a heavy load without pause.
Moreover, David had Kirlia, and this little Psychic-type was simply a blessing for wilderness exploration.
Many difficult or dangerous locations that others would have to spend hours detouring around could be easily crossed with just a single Teleport from Kirlia.
She had saved David an immeasurable amount of time throughout their journey.
All things considered, from the start of the assessment until now, the time spent traveling to reach this position near the core region was still less than two days.
At most, about a day and a half. For others, it would probably take double that time.
This was why David had felt comfortable staying at that temporary camp for several days previously.
Soon, upon arriving at the edge of the lake, David released Zorua and Riolu as well, preparing to make lunch.
"Riolu, head into the woods and gather some dry branches for firewood."
"Zorua, go to the lake and fetch some water."
"Kirlia, you help me out here."
David selected a temporary resting spot and then systematically assigned tasks to his Pokémon.
Upon hearing David's instructions, Riolu and Zorua, who were beside him, walked toward the woods and the lake, respectively.
Kirlia, who remained with David, used Confusion to retrieve pots, bowls, ladles, and a water purifier from the backpack and set them up.
David checked their remaining food supplies. There was still one bag of leftover beef for hot pot.
Combined with some hawthorn berries he had collected in the forest earlier, the main course for lunch was already decided.
After Riolu and Zorua returned with the water and firewood, it wasn't long before a rich aroma of meat filled the air, and a large pot of beef stew was ready.
David had also retrieved a can of vacuum-sealed vegetables. There were many such cans among the supplies he had acquired previously, and after keeping a few for himself, he had given all the others to Ursaring and his companions.
When the vegetables were added to the beef stew, this meal looked not only delicious but also highly nutritious.
A large pot of vegetable beef stew, a bowl of fruit salad, plus some crackers and jam constituted their lunch.
This was already quite a feast by wilderness standards.
"Lunch is served!"
David took out bowls and chopsticks from his backpack, and upon hearing his voice, his Pokémon immediately gathered around, happily enjoying their meal.
However, before everyone could finish eating, a loud commotion from not far away shattered the cheerful atmosphere.
David immediately set down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and observed the situation.
Looking in the direction of the noise, it appeared to be coming from the opposite side of the lake. The lake wasn't particularly large, with the banks only about a few dozen meters apart.
In the woods across the way, the light from Pokémon moves still flashed intermittently.
"Kirlia, let's Teleport over to check the situation."
David gauged the distance from their location to the opposite side of the lake, then spoke immediately.
Kirlia nodded. A straight-line distance of at most thirty or forty meters was nothing to her.
At this point, Riolu and Zorua didn't even need to return to their Poké Balls. In an instant, a powerful wave of Psychic energy enveloped them all.
"Kirlia!"
Accompanied by Kirlia's soft cry, their figures vanished from their original spot, leaving behind only the half-pot of steaming beef stew.
The next second, David and his group materialized on the opposite side of the lake.
After gently shaking his head to recover, David quickly surveyed their surroundings, found a concealed spot with a good vantage point, and immediately led Zorua and the others to hide.
The side effect of Teleport was like this—sometimes it would make one feel slightly dizzy, but the sensation would pass after a moment. After these past few days, David had grown mostly accustomed to it.
After taking cover, David cautiously peered out to assess the situation.
In the woods at this moment, two groups of people had already engaged in an all-out battle. The more numerous group, which held the advantage, consisted precisely of targets David had been painstakingly searching for.
People wearing uniforms and emblems from two or three different schools were mixed together, and their numbers far exceeded the opposing side's.
The other, smaller group all wore the same school uniform. They were clearly students from the same school and were being steadily forced back due to the numerical disadvantage.
All told, there were probably about twenty to thirty people involved. The larger group had over twenty participants, while the smaller group had fewer than ten.
Those confident enough to venture into the core region naturally wouldn't be weak in terms of strength.
The starter Pokémon of these participants were basically at the veteran level or on the verge of reaching it.
Each person had released two or three Pokémon, and dozens of Pokémon were engaged in a chaotic battle.
Coupled with the restrictive rule that—