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"Gardevoir! There's a boulder ahead turn left!"
"Now to the right! Use Psychic to clear that fallen tree!"
Kai's ice boat sped down the mountainside, carving a path through the thick snow. Each ti an obstacle appeared, his Pokémon responded instantly to his commands either shattering barriers or adjusting their course with near-flawless precision.
The cold wind howled past his ears, his hair whipping wildly as they accelerated downhill.
Even though he had started this race with full confidence, he could feel the adrenaline surging through his veins this was more than just a simple race now.
It was a battle of skill and instinct.
And he wasn't going to lose.
Whoosh!
A trail of kicked-up snow followed both ice boats as they hurtled down the slope.
For most of the race, Danny and Kai were neck-and-neck.
At tis, their boats glided side by side, each trying to edge ahead by the smallest margin. Other tis, one of them would gain the lead, only to be overtaken again in a matter of seconds.
Danny's ice boat had one major advantage weight.
Since Danny's team was heavier, they generated more downward force, making their ice boat sink slightly into the snow and increase in speed.
But Kai's team?
Kai's boat was much lighter. Haunter wasn't even physically touching it he floated just above the boat, laughing mischievously as the wind rushed past them.
This ant that on straight paths, they couldn't accelerate as quickly as Danny's team.
But what they lacked in weight, they made up for in manoeuvrability.
The mont an obstacle appeared, Kai's team could dodge effortlessly.
And whenever that happened, he took the opportunity to surge ahead!
As the race neared its climax, the environnt changed.
They had crossed the snowline the icy terrain transitioning into a rocky, winding trail.
Instead of smooth ice, they were now grinding against solid ground the rough terrain scraping away at the ice boats with every passing second.
Kai glanced back.
Behind them, a thin trail of ice shards stretched along the path.
His heart raced.
The boats wouldn't last much longer.
Above them, Sabrina observed from her gondola, watching the race unfold through the glass window.
At this point, it was impossible to tell who would win.
But in her heart, She never had any doubts.
Her attention was entirely on Kai.
And she never doubted that he would be the one to reach the finish line first.
As they entered the last stretch, a massive forest appeared ahead.
This was the mont that decided everything.
Danny already knew this part of the course this forest was too dense to pass through directly.
The only option? A long detour around it.
And so Danny steered his boat to the left, following the established path.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw sothing shocking.
Kai wasn't turning.
Kai was heading straight for the trees.
Danny's heart leapt to his throat.
"What the—!?"
Danny's blood ran cold.
Does he not realize the danger!?
If he hits the trees at this speed he's done for!
Panic surged through him, and he shouted, "No! Turn! You can't go through that forest you'll hit the trees!"
But Kai didn't flinch.
He kept his course dead straight.
His grip tightened on the ice boat's edges, and his gaze remained focused ahead calm and unwavering.
Then It happened.
Kai's boat hit a natural ramp a jagged rock formation tilted slightly upward.
The mont his ice boat touched it—
It soared into the air.
Danny's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
"No way… He's not seriously trying to—!"
Kai was going for an aerial shortcut Using the mountain's height and their downhill velocity to fly over the forest entirely!
But the gap was massive.
Danny had raced here for years he knew the forest was hundreds of ters wide.
Even with montum, Kai's boat was going to fall short.
He was going to crash straight into the treetops!
Danny clenched his fists.
His fingers dug into the ice of his boat.
"It's over!"
But Kai was perfectly calm.
As he felt the boat begin to drop, he casually turned his head upward And locked eyes with Sabrina in the gondola.
He grinned.
A confident, mischievous smile.
Then, he spoke softly but his words carried absolute certainty.
"Haunter. Let's fly."
Suddenly—
A strong gust of wind surged out of nowhere!
It swept beneath the boat, catching it mid-air and pushing it forward!
Danny's jaw dropped open.
"What!?"
His mind reeled.
Where did that wind co from!?
How was Kai still flying!?
And then It hit him.
His Haunter.
Kai had used Haunter's Psychic powers to manipulate the air itself, lifting them across the forest like a ghostly gust of wind.
Danny could only stare in complete shock as Kai's boat soared over the entire forest.
Seconds later—
The ghostly wind vanished, and the boat landed perfectly on the ground.
BOOM!
A burst of snow and ice shards exploded into the air as Kai skidded across the final stretch.
With one final push of montum, his boat glided smoothly across the finish line.
He had won.
Sabrina stepped off the gondola, approaching them gracefully.
Danny turned toward Kai and pulled out a small badge.
"Congratulations. You've officially conquered the Navel Gym. As proof of your victory, I present you with… the Sea Ruby Badge."
Kai examined it.
It was made of a pearly white seashell engraved with a red Pokémon claw mark. At its centre, a polished glass gem shimred in the sunlight.
It's not as intricate as the Pink Flower Badge, but it's still a fine keepsake.
He took the badge, placed it in his case, and nodded.
"Thanks, Danny."
He turned toward Sabrina, and the two began walking away together.
Danny watched them leave, standing there in silence for a long ti.
He sighed and shook his head.
"That guy… is sothing else."
He turned away and headed back toward the beach.
"Ti to catch so waves."
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