Pokemon: Skybound

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Early the next morning, after a simple breakfast, Kai and Erika, accompanied by Gardevoir, Scizor, Eevee, and Erika's Leafeon, stepped into an unnamed mountain range.

Although technically inside the mountain already, Charicific Valley lay deep within its heart. They still had a long way to go before reaching their destination.

At first, the two were able to follow a relatively broad mountain path. But after circling around two peaks, the trail beneath their feet grew increasingly narrow and rugged steep inclines with sheer cliffs below. A single misstep could easily result in a fatal fall.

The scenery around them was dominated by barren boulders, with hardly any vegetation. Just looking at it gave off a sense of danger.

That was exactly why the two had chosen to bring out their Pokémon companions. With them close by, even if something unexpected happened, they would be safe.

As for why they didn't simply ride on a Charizard or Dragonite to fly straight to the summit as Kai had explained before climbing mountains like this was not only training for their Pokémon, but also for themselves.

Kai led the way across a high, naturally formed stone bridge. When he turned to see Erika carefully making her way across, he instinctively reached out his hand.

"Be careful. These rocks are unstable watch your step."

Erika smiled gently and, without hesitation, took his hand. He helped her across with a light tug.

Once she was standing safely on the other side, they naturally let go of each other's hands as though nothing had happened at all.

Their mutual feelings were unspoken, hazy yet sincere. Deep down, both longed for something more intimate.

Of course, that brief handholding was just a small moment. Neither dwelled on it and instead continued forward. As they ventured deeper into the mountains, Kai occasionally took out his PokéGear to check their position against the map, making sure they didn't lose their way.

Just as they crossed another small ridge and were about to take a rest, a woman's voice suddenly called down from above.

"You two down there with those Pokémon, I doubt you're just ordinary hikers. Are you Trainers?"

Looking up, they saw a woman standing atop a massive boulder, gazing down at them.

She appeared to be around twenty-three or twenty-four perhaps younger. Her thick green hair was tied into a wild ponytail, and she wore red knee-high boots, a miniskirt, a midriff-baring top, and held a strange, staff-like item that looked almost like a sword cane. Her whole vibe screamed "wild and unrestrained."

Because she was standing so high up, Kai's line of sight happened to catch an unintentional glimpse under her skirt…

He swore it wasn't on purpose! It really was just bad timing!

Clearing his throat, Kai quickly averted his eyes and awkwardly asked, "Um… may I ask who you are?"

The woman chuckled, then leapt from her perch!

She twisted mid-air several times, landing lightly on a lower ledge, then again on another rock, gracefully descending until she stood directly in front of Kai.

Her agile movements were comparable to Aya, the Kunoichi from Fuchsia City.

Before Kai could say anything, the woman suddenly leaned in close and sniffed him.

This action made Erika frown immediately.

"Hehe…" the woman straightened up with a grin. "I smelled something familiar on you. You own a Charizard, don't you?"

She can smell that?

Some kind of Houndoom nose?

Kai nodded. "Yeah, I do have a Charizard."

Up close, she was actually quite attractive. She wore bright gold hoop earrings, and her toned body hinted at years of training. Combined with her hairstyle, her wild nature was even more apparent.

Seeing him confirm it, the woman smirked knowingly. "Hmph. I can always sniff out a Charizard Trainer. Oh, right forgot to introduce myself. I'm Liza, a Charizard Trainer!"

Liza?

So it really is her…

In Kai's memory, there was indeed a woman like this in Charicific Valley. She had a powerful Charizard and had once given Ash a very hard time.

Before setting out, Kai had even wondered if they'd run into her. To think they really did!

Kai gave a friendly nod. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kai, and this is Erika."

"So it is you!" Liza's eyes lit up. "Charmaine mentioned you. She said your Charizard is amazing! I've been wanting to meet you and now here we are!"

"Oh?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "You know Clair?"

"Of course! We're great friends. I visit her often, and she stops by here, too."

Erika glanced at Kai subtly.

She wanted to ask: Who's Clair?

And you've "wanted to meet" for a while?

She also noticed something curious Liza didn't mention what type she specialized in. She only said she was a "Charizard Trainer."

Could it be that her only Pokémon is Charizard?

Given the name of this valley, Erika was beginning to connect the dots.

Before Kai could speak again, Liza said excitedly, "If you don't mind, how about coming with me to Charicific Valley?"

Kai and Erika exchanged a glance. Though it was their first time meeting her, it was obvious that Liza was someone who warmed up quickly to others.

"Of course." Kai smiled and nodded. "Actually, that's exactly why we're here to visit Charicific Valley."

"Huh? That's your destination?" Liza asked, surprised. "I thought you were just passing through. So what's the occasion?"

"I heard the Charizard there are incredibly strong. I wanted to test my Charizard's strength and see how he compares."

"Ahh, I see!" Liza laughed heartily. "Then you've come to the right place! The wild Charizard in Charicific Valley may be untamed, but they're some of the toughest around. You know, not long ago, another Trainer left his Charizard here for training too."

She was probably talking about Ash, wasn't she?

Last time Kai saw him, Ash's Charizard wasn't with him anymore. Timing-wise, it made perfect sense.

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