A Different Battlefield
High above the central arena of the Flying Championship, a new match began.
The winds here were sharper.
More violent.
Only the strongest competitors had reached this level.
Two figures stood across from each other—
On opposite floating platforms.
One of them—
Arms crossed.
Eyes steady.
Aero.
His presence alone felt different.
Like the sky recognized him.
Across from him stood a powerful contender—
Confident.
Aggressive.
A trainer known for overwhelming attacks.
Draven.
"So you're the one everyone's talking about," Draven said with a grin.
Aero didn't respond.
He simply looked at the sky.
BEGIN!
"Go—Stormclaw!" Draven shouted.
A large, fierce bird Pokémon appeared—
Talons sharp.
Wings massive.
Stormclaw
It roared, immediately taking control of the airspace.
Aero's Move
Aero finally moved.
Without urgency.
Without tension.
"…Go."
A flash of light—
A powerful figure emerged.
Wings wide.
Eyes fierce.
Pure dominance in the sky.
"Staraptor"
The moment it appeared—
The wind itself seemed to hesitate.
Immediate Pressure
Stormclaw charged instantly.
"Sky Attack!"
A massive attack tore through the air.
But—
Staraptor didn't move.
Not even slightly.
At the last moment—
It tilted its wings.
Minimal movement.
The attack missed completely.
Draven's eyes widened.
"…What?"
Aero spoke calmly:
"Too direct."
"Staraptor."
No command needed.
It moved instantly.
A blur.
A single strike—
Clean.
Precise.
Stormclaw was hit before it could react.
"Get up!" Draven shouted.
Stormclaw tried—
But Staraptor was already above it.
"Brave Bird."
It descended like a missile.
BOOM.
The impact shook the entire arena.
Stormclaw crashed onto a platform.
Struggling.
Barely able to stand.
Draven clenched his teeth.
"…Again!"
But before it could move—
Staraptor appeared in front of it.
Already there.
Waiting.
One final strike.
Silence.
Stormclaw collapsed.
WINNER — AERO
No struggle.
No damage.
No hesitation.
Draven stood frozen.
"…That's it?"
Aero turned away.
"You're strong."
A pause.
"But not enough for this sky."
He walked off—
Without looking back.
From a distant platform—
Elior watched everything.
His eyes narrowed.
"…So that's Aero…"
For the first time—
He felt it clearly.
A gap.
A big one.
High above—
The wind calmed around Aero as he walked.
Like it followed him.
Like it obeyed him.
Aero stopped for a moment.
Without turning—
He spoke quietly:
"…You're watching, aren't you?"
Elior froze.
A faint smirk appeared on Aero's face.
"Good."
The wind surged.
"Catch up."
And the journey continues....