Chapter 270:
"Huh?"
Instantly, everyone's expressions turned to shock.
Wait—wasn't the regular Sky Challenge already difficult enough?
And now there was a Plus version?
The announcement made the twenty or so people present momentarily forget their original question—how the Pidgeot could maintain such strong winds for so long.
They didn't even know what move the Pidgeot was using.
"You can't be serious, Mr. Hayashi! You're making it even harder?"
Someone's face immediately fell.
Although the Pidgeot's attack speed and evasion were calibrated to its Pidgetto stage—that is, its intermediate level. Even back then, Mr. Hayashi's Pidgetto had already mastered Flying-type moves to an exceptional degree.
Landing a hit on it within the same strength range was nearly impossible without specialized training.
Even some Gym Leader–level Flying-type Pokémon known for their speed would struggle to dodge that Pidgetto's assaults.
Now, with powerful winds added to the mix—and those winds apparently being controlled by the even stronger Pidgeot—it was hard to imagine how difficult this would be.
Kaede explained, "This is an independent mode. It doesn't conflict with the regular Sky Challenge. When attempting it, you can freely choose which version to take."
"Of course, this version is more difficult," he continued, "but the rewards are also double those of the regular one."
That single line instantly reignited the spirits of the previously disheartened crowd.
"It's actually not bad! Challenges are meant to toughen our Pokémon anyway. Think of it as an intermediate step between the first and second challenges!"
"Right! Otherwise, the jump between the first and second is just too steep…"
"So far, only two people have cleared the second challenge—and both were veteran Trainers with years of experience. I can't even imagine how hard the third one must be…"
"Mr. Hayashi, give us a demo of how to beat the third challenge!"
"What third challenge? If we're watching, let's go all out! Show us the final boss!"
As the chatter spread, everyone's gaze eventually settled on the largest Pidgeot soaring in the sky.
It was almost twice the size of an ordinary Pidgeot.
If it landed, it would easily stand close to three meters tall.
"Huh? Watch the final challenge?"
Kaede blinked, then glanced toward the lead Pidgeot.
[Pokémon: Pidgeot]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Keen Eye]
[Potential: Gold]
[IVs: HP (27), Attack (31), Sp. Atk (31), Defense (24), Sp. Def (24), Speed (30)]
[Strength: Lv. 53–56]
[Moves: Gust, Tackle, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Tailwind…]
It was no longer the Pidgey that had once been knocked down by Milotic's Water Gun.
Now, it stood as the leader of the entire flock—its strength having grown exponentially.
Kaede waved his hand, signaling it to descend.
"Pidgeot~"
The giant bird swooped down gracefully and landed beside Kaede, who had to crane his neck just to meet its gaze.
The Pidgeot even had to lower its head so Kaede could pat it.
*How did it get this big all of a sudden?* Kaede was puzzled. Everyone's diets were pretty much the same.
The other Pidgeot ate plenty too—their size had increased somewhat, but only slightly, which was normal.
The same applied to Pokémon like Blaziken and Dragonite in the plantation.
While they were larger than average for their species, the difference was only a few dozen centimeters at most.
Not double the size like this one.
Even Champion Kazephyr's Moltres wasn't this massive…
*Could it be because it's the flock leader?* Kaede wondered silently.
In the Pokémon world, leaders of certain group-based species did grow to extraordinary sizes.
Like that colossal Lilligant he'd once heard about—towering as tall as a great tree.
Kaede couldn't even imagine how much oil a Lilligant like that could produce in a single day.
He'd really love to bring it back someday…
Nearby, as the enormous Pidgeot landed, the crowd instinctively gathered around.
"So tall…"
"So huge…"
Although they often saw the Pidgeot from the ground and knew it was large, this particular one rarely landed, making such a close look rare.
Now, standing right before it, a powerful sense of pressure radiated from the majestic bird.
A few youths who had initially wanted to touch the Pidgeot hesitated, intimidated by its sheer size and presence.
"Does everyone really want to see the difficulty of the final challenge?"
Seeing the crowd's eager and curious faces, Kaede asked.
"Yes! Of course we do!"
"I bet the final challenge must be insanely hard—probably only an Elite Four–level Trainer could stand a chance!"
"Come on, Mr. Hayashi, don't keep us in suspense! I'm dying to see it. I can't even imagine what level of Breeder you are now…"
"I want to see my ultimate goal…"
"Then…"
Seeing their anticipation, Kaede nodded. "Then please wait a moment. I need to go back and prepare."
The final Sky Challenge had no upper limit in difficulty.
According to Kaede's design, the rule was simple: withstand the attacks of all the Pidgeot for three minutes.
And that wasn't all—after three minutes, you also had to land a move on them.
You would only succeed once you defeated every Pidgeot.
Of course, each defeated Pidgeot would yield a corresponding reward.
Why was it said to have no upper limit?
Because the Pidgeot flock continued to grow stronger—and the final challenge always scaled to their full power.
Honestly, in the current breeding house, there weren't many Pokémon capable of clearing it.
Especially now that the Pidgeot had gained control over the wind itself.
But that didn't mean it was impossible.
"Let's have Gardevoir do it."
Kaede quickly made his decision.
Pokémon like Blaziken or Alolan Vulpix weren't ready yet.
Even Dragonite might not be able to dodge the relentless assaults of twenty-one Pidgeot.
As for Salamence… that was debatable.
Ultimately, among all the Pokémon in the breeding house, the one Kaede trusted most to completely evade the Pidgeot's attacks—aside from Mewtwo—was Gardevoir.
When Kaede returned inside, Gardevoir had just finished grilling meat for Mewtwo.
Hearing his request, its eyes shimmered with a deep, inscrutable light.