December 9th.
The air was growing colder by the day.
Although it hadn't started snowing yet, the mornings were already coated in a thick layer of frost. The world outside shimmered in white, reflecting the wide-open landscape.
By noon, the sun would burn off the frost and the temperature would rise slightly. But after sunset, the chill would return.
The challenge arena.
A Staraptor soared high above, its eyes locked on Floragato below.
Several Eevee and an Alolan Ninetales stood nearby, their expressions serious as they watched Floragato at the challenge center.
With a powerful flap of its wings, the Staraptor unleashed a blinding flash of white light before dashing like lightning toward Floragato.
This was Wing Attack!
Beside Floragato, the Staraptor moved, and Lin Feng issued his command.
"Floragato, use Quick Attack to dodge!"
"Meow ha!"
The landing point of Wing Attack was clear after the flap. Though Floragato was still inexperienced, days of training had at least taught it this much.
Recalling the first time it had been struck by Staraptor's wings, a white flash passed before its eyes. Floragato channeled its energy, a faint glow surrounding it.
Spotting the Staraptor's landing point, the Floral Fairy moved with incredible speed, dodging effortlessly.
But it did not relax. Its mind raced, eyes scanning the area behind it.
Having dodged multiple Quick Attacks, Floragato now needed to anticipate the move Staraptor would use after Wing Attack.
Aerial Ace!
This was the most difficult part of Lin Feng's Sky Challenge. It was the nightmare of nearly every challenger.
After Wing Attack missed, the Staraptor would quickly spin 360 degrees in the air, extending its sharp talons for an Aerial Ace strike.
Most Pokémon could not anticipate this on their first attempt. Even experienced challengers familiar with Staraptor's patterns often failed, either because their Pokémon reacted too slowly or their Trainer couldn't time commands perfectly.
Watching the Staraptor pivot, Lin Feng's expression grew serious.
At that moment, instead of retreating, Floragato charged directly at the Staraptor!
Lin Feng did nothing to stop it, merely observing as the Floral Fairy raced toward the avian.
As Floragato's body threatened to be fully exposed to the Staraptor's talons, Lin Feng finally shouted, "Now, Floral Fairy, use Grassy Glide!"
"Meow ha!"
Floragato's gaze sharpened and its body lowered. As the Quick Attack glow faded, a green aura seemed to wrap around its side.
Encased in this energy, its body became sleek, sliding like a green glider, narrowly avoiding the Staraptor's razor-sharp claws.
At the closest moment of contact, Floragato could almost see the Staraptor's piercing eyes.
Then the bell rang.
Lin Feng checked his stopwatch and smiled.
Thirty seconds!
In less than three days, Floragato had passed the first stage of a challenge that most ordinary Trainers could not complete. This was no small feat!
It's important to note that most challengers' Pokémon usually had some battle experience.
Floragato, freshly hatched, had none.
Moreover, its training wasn't limited to Quick Attack and Grassy Glide.
In other words, its success depended entirely on the effort it had put in over the past few days!
"Meow ha!"
Floragato exhaled lightly, excitement shining in its eyes as it watched the Staraptor fly back to the tree.
These past few days had been grueling.
It had faced this Staraptor dozens of times, failing more than ten times a day during Sky Challenges.
Each failure was a lesson, each attempt refining its skills for the next challenge.
"Meow ha~"
Floragato bounded excitedly over to Lin Feng.
"You did amazing!"
Lin Feng quickly handed it a new Rare Candy. As Floragato ate it, its energy level jumped to 24–26.
"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur!" (Amazing…)
Even Ah Wu, who had been trailing behind, exclaimed in surprise.
Nearby Eevee watched in awe as Floragato finally dodged Staraptor's Aerial Ace.
Floragato's desire to grow stronger and evolve in time for the Sky Challenge had been obvious to everyone.
That was why, at the start of the challenge, the playful Alolan Ninetales and Ah Wu sometimes brought along Ah San and Ah Wu to watch.
From repeated failures to eventually dodging the Aerial Ace, they witnessed all of Floragato's progress.
"Do you guys want to give it a try too?"
Lin Feng lifted Ah Wu's front paws and petted its thick mane, unable to resist asking.
"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur…" (It'll hurt if I get hit…)
"Bulbasaur!" (I want to try, I want to try!)
"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur…" (I want to try…)
"Watch me closely…"
Each Pokémon had its own thoughts.
Alolan Ninetales nodded, Ah Wu nodded, and Ah San shook its head. Clearly, some of them were eager to test themselves.
Perhaps they also wanted to prepare for future challenges against Rayquaza.
Having already left the warmth of the house, Lin Feng didn't mind. He smiled and nodded.
"All right, then you three can have a go."
Using his Aura, he communicated with the Staraptors perched in the trees, summoning several to join.
At the same time, he looked at the eager Ah Wu, rubbing its nose. "You go first~"