Pokemon: Skybound

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The Orange Islands, located south of Seven Island, earned their name many years ago due to their abundant and delicious citrus fruits.

With their tropical climate and picturesque scenery, the region is ideal for surfing, snorkelling, and other water activities.

Every day, tourists flock to the islands from all over the world to enjoy their paradise-like atmosphere.

The Pokémon of the Orange Islands, shaped by their unique environment, exude a distinct island charm.

Even Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy on these islands, basking in the region's abundant sunlight, appear more robust and sun-kissed than their counterparts elsewhere.

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High above, Kai's Charizard folded its wings as it descended, landing gracefully on one of the bustling islands of the region.

Kai leapt off first, turning to help Sabrina dismount. After such a long flight, their bodies were stiff from maintaining the same position, and they were relieved to finally stretch their limbs upon reaching their destination.

As Sabrina stood on the sandy beach, she stretched lightly, taking in her surroundings. The waters before them were shallow and crystal clear, while a dense grove of coconut trees framed the landscape behind them.

Despite the idyllic beauty, the area was eerily quiet, with not a soul in sight.

"Where are we?" Sabrina asked.

"This should be Mikan Island in the Orange Islands," Kai replied, patting Charizard's head. "It followed the navigation perfectly. If we're in the right place, there's a bustling town just beyond this grove, and on the other side of the island is an official Orange League gym."

Sabrina, unfamiliar with the Orange League or smaller regional tournaments, frowned slightly. "I'm surprised. I didn't think such a small cluster of islands would have its own Pokémon League."

"Well," Kai explained with a grin, "unlike the Indigo, Johto, or Hoenn Leagues, the Orange League isn't international and isn't governed by the Pokémon League Association. It's run by a local organization called the Southern Cross. It's small, and instead of a Champion, trainers can earn the title of Honorary Trainer by defeating the Head Trainer after collecting four gym badges."

"Southern Cross? Head Trainer?" Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "Sounds impressive. Are they strong?"

Kai shrugged. "Compared to Kanto, the Orange Islands' trainers are a bit lacking, but the gym leaders and Head Trainer here are no pushovers. If they entered the Indigo League, they'd likely make it to the top 32."

Sabrina gave him a sceptical glance. 'Are the top 32 considered impressive?'

Kai's matter-of-fact tone made it hard to tell whether he was praising the Indigo League's high standards or pointing out the Orange League's mediocrity. Still, Sabrina now had a general understanding of the region.

"Didn't expect you to know so much," she remarked.

Kai chuckled and pulled out his phone, waving it in front of her. "Most of this I just looked up. Gotta be prepared, right?"

Sabrina smirked at his playful boastfulness.

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Seeing that the area was free from distractions, they decided to rest on the beach before heading into town. Sabrina unpacked her travel gear and clumsily set up a small stove to boil water, while Kai released all his Pokémon, including the three legendary birds.

The peaceful beach quickly turned lively, and Sabrina's attention was drawn to Moltres and Articuno as they spread their majestic wings.

"What beautiful flames… and those wings are stunning!" she murmured in admiration.

Having already seen Kai's Zapdos and knowing he had captured Moltres, she wasn't entirely surprised. What caught her off guard, however, was the sight of Articuno.

"I can't believe you've collected all three," she said, her tone tinged with awe.

Kai followed her gaze to the trio of legendary birds, his expression one of pride and satisfaction. The vivid contrast between their elemental colours, flames, ice, and electricity, was breathtaking. Together, they formed a rare and mesmerizing sight.

"Catching them wasn't the hardest part," Kai admitted. "What's truly challenging is finding their habitats. I was lucky to know where they were, which made it easier to gather them."

He paused, then added, "But don't underestimate their strength. Moltres may seem calm now, but that's only because Zapdos and Articuno teamed up to subdue it."

Intrigued, Sabrina leaned in. "Oh? What happened?"

Kai's eyes lit up as he launched into the story, gesturing animatedly. "When the battle started, Moltres unleashed a massive firestorm, turning the entire valley into a blazing inferno. The heat was intense like being in a fiery hell! I had to use Zapdos's Thunder combined with Articuno's Blizzard to extinguish the flames and soak Moltres. That's how I managed to weaken it enough to catch."

As he recounted the events, spittle flew from his mouth, some landing on Sabrina's face. Wiping it off with a small smile, she teased, "So… that's when you caused the volcano to erupt?"

Kai froze, momentarily speechless. Sabrina poured him a cup of hot water and placed it in his hands.

"Don't dwell on it," she said gently. "You succeeded in capturing it, didn't you?"

Kai smiled again, his confidence returning. "You're right. As far as I know, aside from a few brief instances, no one else has ever managed to gather all three legendary birds."

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Meanwhile, the three legendary Pokémon settled into separate corners of the beach, avoiding each other. While they bore no hostility toward one another, their inherent pride made them reluctant to share space.

Watching them, Kai scratched his head. "Getting them to work together is going to be a challenge. They're all so stubborn."

Among the trio, Moltres and Articuno were evenly matched in strength, though Articuno's Ice-type disadvantage made it a weaker opponent in direct combat.

Zapdos, on the other hand, was the youngest and least experienced of the three. Despite this, it was fiercely determined to prove itself, especially after its previous battle with Articuno, and had grown significantly stronger since then.

Zapdos had played a pivotal role in the fight against Moltres, earning its place in Kai's roster. However, teaching the trio to cooperate and unlock their full potential as a team would be his next great challenge.

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