Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
Feeling the gentle breeze brushing across his face, the view from such a height was truly refreshing, enough to clear one's mind.
Liam paused for a moment, quietly enjoying the sense of calm.
And just then—
"Mian~"
A soft, fluffy cry sounded from above. Liam looked up in confusion—and saw!
An Altaria with cotton-like wings was flapping gently as it descended toward the platform. On its back sat a delicate-looking girl wearing wind goggles, guiding Altaria as it landed.
"Huh? You are—? Senior! Senior! Why are you here?!"
The girl noticed Liam as well. The moment she recognized him, she panicked! Flustered and unsure what to do, her reaction affected Altaria too. Its descent wobbled—and suddenly, the girl slipped and fell off!
"Ahhh!!"
"Watch out!"
Liam hadn't expected things to turn out like this. Without hesitation, he dashed forward—wind bursting beneath his feet as a gust spiraled around him—and just in time, he caught the falling girl!
"Phew! That was close! Just a little more and… Winona, how could you be so careless?"
Holding the girl in his arms, Liam looked down at her. She was still crouched defensively with her head covered, clearly shaken.
This girl—Winona—was someone Liam had met before while traveling in Johto with Steven and Wallace. Seeing her here wasn't surprising, since Wallace had already mentioned that she was training at the Fortree Gym.
"S-sorry…"
Being scolded by Liam only made Winona shrink further, too embarrassed to even lift her head.
"Mian~ mian~"
At this moment, Altaria gently landed beside them, stretching its long neck forward and nuzzling Winona apologetically.
"Ah! Altaria, it's not your fault—it was me getting too excited…"
Sensing Altaria's concern, Winona quickly looked up, hugged its neck, and climbed back onto its back, comforting it instead.
"Hehe~ thank you, Senior~"
Only after reassuring Altaria did Winona remember Liam and thank him with a flushed face.
Liam: "…Ah, it's nothing. As long as you're okay."
Seeing how close Winona and Altaria were, Liam didn't quite know what else to say.
And just then—
"Ma~ ma~"
A few cries echoed from above. A large Tropius descended from the sky, carrying a man on its back!
"Winona! You took my Altaria out flying again! How many times have I told you—your skills aren't ready yet! It's dangerous to fly alone!"
The moment Tropius landed, the man jumped down and walked over, knocking lightly on Winona's head as he scolded her.
He looked to be in his twenties, with a well-built frame. He wore a flight suit, and a pair of wind goggles rested atop his black hair.
"Ah! Uncle Terry! Stop knocking! I won't do it again!"
Winona seemed quite afraid of him. She hugged her head and lay flat on Altaria's back, loudly begging for mercy.
"…Sigh, fine. I'll let it go this time. But your training time this afternoon is increased by one hour. Understood?!"
The man called "Uncle Terry" looked helpless but still spoke sternly.
"…Okay…"
Winona's face instantly fell at the punishment, but she didn't dare argue—just pouted in resignation.
"Sigh… honestly. Oh? We have a guest? Haha, sorry about that. Hello—are you here for a Gym challenge? I'm the Gym Leader here. You can call me Terry."
After finishing his "lecture," Terry finally noticed Liam and greeted him with a slightly awkward smile.
"Uncle Terry! What are you saying? There's no way Senior would come here just to challenge the Gym~ Senior is an even stronger trainer than you!"
Before Liam could respond, Winona suddenly spoke up from Altaria's back.
Liam: "…"
Terry: "…"
"Senior? Winona, you know this gentleman? Then… may I ask who he is? What brings you to my Fortree Gym?"
Terry looked at Liam curiously.
"Uncle Terry, you don't even know Senior?! Wow~ you're really out of date! Let me tell you—Senior is—"
"I'm just an ordinary trainer."
Liam cut her off before she could finish.
"I came here for a Gym challenge. Please battle me, Leader Terry."
He clearly had no intention of letting Winona reveal his identity.
"Eh~ Senior, you really want to challenge? Then Uncle Terry is going to get bullied! Hehe~ now I'm kind of looking forward to it~ Uncle Terry! Hurry and accept!"
Winona's eyes sparkled with excitement as she urged him on.
Terry: "…"
For some reason, Terry suddenly felt like he was about to be set up… was that just his imagination?
"Alright! Since Winona says you're that strong, and I'd like to see it for myself, I accept your challenge! Follow me—we'll head to the battlefield!"
Though unsure of Liam's true strength, Terry still needed to maintain his dignity in front of his junior. He accepted decisively, pulled Winona off Altaria's back, and led Liam into the Fortree Gym.
.....
Fortree Gym was a Flying-type Gym, and its battlefield was quite unique.
The trainers' platforms were actually two elevators that could rise into the air, allowing trainers to command their Pokémon at the same altitude during aerial battles.
However, in today's battle, those elevators likely wouldn't see much use.
Terry explained the rules: each side could use two Pokémon, with standard Gym battle conditions—victory would be decided when one side lost both Pokémon or surrendered.
As for Liam, among his current team, only Garchomp and Aerodactyl had true flight capability—but clearly, sending them out would be overkill.
So in the end—
"Both trainers ready! Fortree Gym Badge Match—begin!"
Winona now stood as the referee, her expression serious.
"Alright, I'll go first! Go, Altaria! Spread your wings and fly!"
Terry threw a PokeBall. A flash of light—and the same Altaria from earlier appeared on the field, folding its wings as it stood calmly.
"Yay! Altaria, you can do it!"
The moment Altaria appeared, Winona loudly cheered it on, making Liam's forehead twitch.
"Ahem… then it's my turn! Go, Piplup! I choose you!"
"Piplup!"
With a light cough, Liam sent out Piplup. The energetic little Pokémon landed on the field, full of fighting spirit.
"Wow~ this little one is so cute! And it has wings too~ Senior, Senior! Is this one Flying-type as well?"
Winona's eyes lit up immediately.
Liam: "…No. It's Water-type."
Winona: "…Oh. Then begin the battle."
The moment she heard that, Winona's excitement vanished instantly. Her face turned serious as she resumed her role as referee.
Liam: "…"