The Sky Grows Harsher
The winds were no longer welcoming.
They screamed.
They tore across the floating platforms with unpredictable force, shifting directions without warning. The higher Elior climbed through the rounds of the Flying Championship, the more dangerous the battlefield became.
Standing on a narrow platform barely wide enough to stand on—
Elior looked ahead.
"…This wind is different."
It wasn't natural.
It felt controlled.
Across from him stood his next challenger—
A tall, composed trainer with a calm but piercing gaze.
Sylpha.
Her long hair flowed effortlessly in the storm, as if the wind itself obeyed her.
"You adapted quickly in your last match," she said.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"But this… is where most fall."
Elior smirked slightly.
"…Then I'll just have to keep rising."
The signal flashed—
BEGIN!
Sylpha didn't hesitate.
"Go—Zephyra."
A flash of light—
A graceful, elegant flying Pokémon appeared.
Zephyra
Unlike previous opponents—
It didn't rush.
It floated.
Perfectly balanced.
Elior's Move
"Skyrend—go!"
Skyrend took flight instantly.
The wind hit harder this time—
But Skyrend held steady.
Better than before.
"…Strange," Elior muttered.
Zephyra hadn't attacked yet.
It simply moved—
Slow.
Graceful.
Yet—
Every time Skyrend tried to approach—
The wind pushed it away.
Sylpha spoke quietly:
"The sky isn't something you ride…"
A pause.
"It's something you command."
Suddenly—
"Zephyra—Gale Field."
The entire battlefield changed.
Wind currents aligned.
Shifted.
Controlled.
Skyrend tried to move—
But every path was blocked by invisible pressure.
"…What is this…?" Elior whispered.
It wasn't an attack.
It was control.
Absolute control.
"Air Pierce."
Zephyra moved.
Instantly.
It struck—
Clean.
Precise.
Skyrend was pushed back violently.
Elior clenched his fist.
"…Not again."
He remembered his last battle.
The same feeling.
Overwhelmed.
Outmatched.
"No…"
His eyes sharpened.
"…This isn't the same."
Last time—
He learned to follow the wind.
But now—
The wind itself was controlled by someone else.
"…Then we don't follow it."
Skyrend looked back slightly.
Elior's voice became firm.
"We break through it."
"Go straight!"
Skyrend charged forward—
Against the current.
The pressure was intense.
Almost crushing.
But it didn't stop.
Breaking the Flow
Sylpha's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
"Zephyra—tighten the field."
The wind compressed harder.
But—
At the last moment—
Skyrend twisted sharply.
Creating its own current.
A small one.
But enough.
Turning Point
Elior smiled.
"…You don't control everything."
"Now—attack!"
Skyrend struck—
A direct hit.
Zephyra was pushed back for the first time.
Sylpha's expression changed slightly.
"…So you found it."
A faint smile.
"Good."
High-Speed Exchange
The battle intensified instantly.
Wind vs wind.
Control vs instinct.
Zephyra moved like a dancer—
Perfect.
Precise.
Skyrend moved like a storm—
Wild.
Adaptive.
"Gale Collapse!"
A massive pressure wave hit—
Skyrend was forced downward.
Crashing onto a platform.
Hard.
Elior's eyes widened.
"…Skyrend!"
It struggled.
Almost unable to stand.
Sylpha raised her hand.
"Finish it."
Zephyra prepared its final attack.
The wind gathered—
Sharp.
Deadly.
Elior's Resolve
"…No."
Elior stepped forward.
"…We're not done."
His voice was steady.
Stronger than before.
"Skyrend… stand."
A pause.
Then—
Slowly—
Skyrend rose.
Wings trembling.
But determined.
"Go… one last time!"
Skyrend launched forward.
Not perfectly.
Not smoothly.
But with everything it had.
Zephyra attacked simultaneously.
Both moves collided—
A massive explosion of wind.
Silence
Smoke filled the sky.
The wind calmed for a moment.
Then—
Two figures fell.
Decision
Zephyra hit the platform—
And didn't move.
Skyrend landed—
Stumbling—
Barely standing.
WINNER — ELIOR
Sylpha recalled her Pokémon.
She looked at Elior—
Not disappointed.
Respectful.
"…You don't control the sky."
A pause.
"But you refuse to be controlled by it."
She turned away.
"That's why you won."
Elior exhaled deeply.
"…That was close."
Skyrend stood beside him.
Stronger.
More experienced.
High above—
Watching everything—
Aero.
His expression serious now.
"…Now you're getting interesting."
The wind howled louder.
The next battle would be even harder.
And the journey continues