Nowadays...
Anyone who followed Pokémon Contests at all had heard the name Baimu.
He had entered three times and won three times. His match recordings alone had earned him repeated praise from Master Wallace, and highlight reels of his performances were still popular on many video sites.
With all that, it was no wonder the TV crew was surprised. One or two of them were even his fans!
The director watched Baimu standing calmly on the challenger's side, excitement stirring inside him.
He had only come to film a routine segment. Who would have thought he'd land such a big story?
Once the edit was done, a short clip in the preview would surely send it straight to the trending searches that night!
Meanwhile, in the arena...
The battle was about to begin.
Winona suddenly crouched, folded her hands over her chest, and called out earnestly:
"Great sky, grant me wings. Grant me the strength to stand against the fiercest winds. Then guide us through the vast blue world!"
A prayer?
Baimu didn't quite understand what she was doing, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw the excited TV crew filming it. Shota, watching from the sidelines, was just as thrilled.
He could faintly hear the crew talking below.
"Miss Winona's Sky Prayer never gets old."
"Exactly. There's a reason they call her 'the Pokémon Trainer whose bird Pokémon soar across the world'!"
Sky Prayer?
It was probably some personal ritual, like a pre-battle declaration.
As far as Baimu knew, Winona had no Psychic-type powers. Her talent lay in reading the wind, allowing her Pokémon to fly faster while conserving their strength.
It was as though all her Pokémon had Tailwind built in.
"Sorry for the wait."
Winona rose, radiant now that her prayer was complete. A