Pokemon: Skybound

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At that moment, Liza let out a loud whistle. As the sharp sound echoed through the surrounding mountains, a Charizard soared in from the distance.

The Charizard circled in the air a few times before diving and landing steadily beside her.

Liza patted Charizard on the shoulder and smiled at Kai and Erika. "This is my Charizard Charla. Say hello to them!"

The Charizard, called Charla, politely nodded toward both Kai and Erika.

Kai looked up at it and noticed the pink ribbon tied to its head. Coupled with the name, it was obviously a female Charizard.

Behind her was a small balloon and basket tied with a long rope, filled with daily goods and vegetables. It seemed Liza had just come back from a town to restock supplies before running into them.

Yet...

This familiar sight reminded Kai of a similar Charizard across the ocean in Alola, where a Charizard would get up at dawn every day to deliver milk.

Different region, same destiny...

Liza was already astride her Charizard. She looked back at the pair and said, "Alright, follow me. Are you riding in the gondola, or on your own Charizard?"

Kai glanced at the small basket.

It was already half-filled with groceries and supplies. Squeezing two more people in would be too cramped.

Besides, he had his own Pokémon. No need to pile in with cargo.

"No need for the trouble. I'll ride my Charizard."

He first recalled the Pokémon he had used earlier, then retrieved another Poké Ball from his belt and released his own Charizard.

A flash of blue light, and Kai's Charizard appeared in front of Liza.

Liza examined it thoroughly and nodded with approval. "This one's well-trained. Quite large too. It's not much different from the wild ones in Charicific Valley!"

Though a trained Charizard with battle experience should far outclass a wild one, Kai knew that the Charizards in Charicific Valley were anything but ordinary. They couldn't be judged by common standards.

After Erika recalled her Leafeon, Kai helped her mount his Charizard before hopping on himself to sit in front.

Seeing this, Liza's eyes lit up.

Charizard letting its trainer ride it was normal but allowing another person to ride too? That was rare, given Charizard's typically proud temperament.

She praised, "Looks like your Charizard trusts you completely. That's impressive!"

Then, she added with a chuckle, "You know, before you came, there was another trainer who visited here but his Charizard wasn't nearly as obedient."

Kai looked at her. "You're talking about Ash, right?"

Liza blinked in surprise. "Oh? You know him?"

"Of course." Kai gently nudged his Charizard with his foot, and it rose into the air. "We're good friends. In fact, we just met a few days ago."

Their two Pokémon took off into the sky, and from the high altitude, the mountains beneath them came fully into view.

It was truly vast.

Liza flew alongside him on Charla and shouted over the wind, "Charicific Valley is just ahead. It'll still take a while. How about a race?"

"A race?"

She nodded. "The terrain here is tricky. Let's see if your Charizard can keep up with Charla!"

So that's her plan. A test.

It made sense. Since she was close friends with Clair of the Dragon Clan, and Clair had praised him before, Liza must've wanted to see his strength firsthand.

"No problem," Kai said.

Liza's face turned serious. "Then try to keep up!"

With that, Charla took off like an arrow, streaking across the sky.

What a fiery and impulsive woman...

Kai's Charizard, already itching to go, launched into pursuit at his signal.

The two Pokémon dove through the canyons. The powerful wind from their speed made Erika's hair fly wildly, forcing her to cling tightly to Kai's waist to avoid being thrown off by the momentum.

Her soft body was pressed against Kai's back he could feel everything.

Ahem... But this wasn't the time to think about that!

Liza's Charizard, being familiar with the area, flew freely. It weaved between boulders and took sudden sharp turns, often making dizzying ninety-degree pivots.

Kai's Charizard had to slow down slightly each time to navigate the twists, but it kept catching up again.

They flew past stone bridges, over rivers, and through tunnels, but no matter how hard Charla tried, she couldn't shake them off.

Liza looked back at Kai with growing surprise and respect.

Difficult to shake, indeed.

No wonder Clair, a Gym Leader and member of the Dragon Clan, held him in such high regard!

As the mountains began to open up, both Charizard burst through the ridge, and the terrain suddenly widened.

Charla slowed down.

In that instant, Kai's Charizard accelerated and pulled up alongside her again.

"Not bad at all!" Liza praised. "To keep up with Charla your Charizard really is top-notch."

Then she looked ahead. "We're here. This is Charicific Valley."

Kai and Erika looked forward.

Below them was a wide, clear river flowing through towering cliffs and an enormous canyon.

And along the river stood dozens of massive Charizard statues, carved from stone.

Their eyes stared forward, wings outstretched, fierce and solemn.

It was as if they were silently judging the worth of those bold enough to enter their sacred domain.

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