The sudden first attempt, although unexpected, turned out beneficial for Linden. When he had time to prepare, his anxiety would escalate, making him hesitant to try.
In contrast, during the impromptu flight, amidst his fear, he unexpectedly felt a thrill, creating a peculiar sensation.
"Relieved you're okay." Kalia genuinely worried about Linden's well-being; his pale face moments ago was quite alarming.
"Kalia, I...I want to try again."
At this moment, Linden made a decision. Since Charizard wouldn't let him sit on its back, he opted to be carried while flying instead.
He sensed some progress, though it might have been wishful thinking, as his fear seemed to lessen slightly.
Therefore, he wanted another attempt, hoping to further reduce his terror. This time, he planned to stay airborne longer, following Kalia's earlier suggestion: gradually increasing flight duration each session to acclimate and eventually conquer his fear of heights.
"Huh? You want to try again?" Kalia almost thought she misheard. Linden looked utterly distraught just moments ago, leading her to believe it would take him much longer before attempting another flight.
To her surprise, Linden quickly recovered and expressed determination to give it another go, with unwavering resolve.
"Yes, let's start quickly." Linden nodded eagerly, fearing that if he waited any longer, his courage might falter.
Lian was speechless; this request caught him off guard. Without waiting for Kalia to respond, he swiftly flew towards Linden again. This time, Linden cooperated well as Lian securely grasped his arm with his claws.
Despite being somewhat prepared, Linden still trembled with fear but quickly realized they were already soaring through the sky.
Unlike before, Linden had mentally braced himself. He forced himself to open his eyes and look down at the ground, only to feel instantly dizzy.
"Linden, you can overcome this, don't be afraid," he repeatedly told himself, yet the fear persisted uncontrollably.
Fortunately, Lian's flight speed was swift. Instead of just one circle like earlier, he completed two full circles within ten seconds. Before Linden could overthink, they were already descending back towards the ground.
"That was too fast."
Dazed, Linden felt immense relief upon touching solid ground, experiencing a sense of security. The sensation of flying seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye.
He now believed he could handle another attempt, feeling genuinely less fearful than before.
***
Time passed swiftly as Lian repeatedly lifted Linden, soaring through the sky again and again, with each flight lasting longer than the previous.
Linden's tolerance for heights gradually improved, progressing from just one circle initially to now being able to endure multiple laps with Lian's guidance.
Despite significant progress, Linden had not completely overcome his fear of heights yet. The issue likely stemmed from staying relatively close to the ground during each flight, providing him with a sense of psychological safety.
After discussing it, Kalia decided that Charizard should take Linden on flights further away, starting at short distances and gradually increasing the range.
With determination, Lian firmly grasped Linden by the shoulders and soared high into the sky, heading towards the distant horizon. As they ventured farther, the intended effect became evident.
Previously, Linden could withstand flying ten circles or more, but now his face paled once again. It was clear that this time, being much higher above the ground significantly increased his anxiety.
Lian executed a mid-air turn, heading back towards Kalia. For their first attempt, this seemed sufficient; subsequent sessions would progressively extend the distance.
Similar to before, Linden's adaptability was impressive, and he quickly started overcoming his fear of heights.
As previously observed, the farther Lian flew, the more accustomed Linden became. Although it was undoubtedly painful for him, with several instances of nearly vomiting bile.
However, the outcome proved beneficial for Linden as he could clearly feel his acrophobia gradually disappearing.
Sometimes, facing fears head-on leads to eventual comfort.
After numerous attempts, Lian once again took Linden on another distant flight, this time venturing even further. He casually set his sights on a distant peak.
Soon, they reached the summit, flying towards it swiftly. Clutching onto Linden, who kept his eyes open, they both gazed at the mountain ahead.
This particular peak held no extraordinary features; it wasn't the tallest nor the most peculiar. Lian planned to circle around the mountain once before returning.
"Whoosh!"
"What's that?"
As Lian carried Linden over the mountain peak, Linden glanced up and noticed something unusual atop the summit.
Lian also turned his gaze towards the mountain and was momentarily stunned, displaying surprise on his face. He spotted a small yellow Pokémon lying at the summit, surrounded by shattered stone walls, seemingly damaged by some unknown force.
Immediately recognizing the Pokémon, it was none other than the legendary Jirachi. Its tiny body lay amidst the broken stones; however, due to the destruction, the rubble could no longer fully conceal Jirachi. From Lian's vantage point, he clearly saw its presence.
Jirachi slept with its eyes closed, resembling a star from above. Three white ribbons adorned its head, adding to its charm as a Legendary Pokémon.
"Is that... Jirachi?" Linden hesitated, unsure. Truthfully, he had never seen Jirachi before, but upon spotting this adorable, sleeping Pokémon, its uniqueness instantly reminded him of the legends surrounding Jirachi.
Lian couldn't speak; instead, without stopping their flight, he steered them back along the same path. It undoubtedly was Jirachi, and encountering it meant they couldn't simply pretend they hadn't seen it.
Linden's expression remained astonished, as no one had confirmed his suspicion, leaving him still somewhat doubtful. Encountering Jirachi seemed too coincidental.
His cousin Link was supposedly searching for Jirachi, yet unexpectedly, it was Linden who found it instead—if this Pokémon truly was Jirachi.
After returning to the ground, it appeared that Linden's focus on Jirachi had miraculously alleviated his fear of heights, showing no signs of discomfort.
"Linden, did your fear of heights disappear?" Kalia looked at him with surprise as he effortlessly jumped down, unlike previous instances where he would collapse in distress. This time, there were no issues whatsoever.
"I..." Linden also paused, unsure if he genuinely overcame his phobia. However, during their flight with Charizard, he felt nothing, completely absorbed by thoughts of Jirachi and forgetting about his fear altogether.
"Forgetting that for now, Kalia, I think I might have seen Jirachi."
Linden's concern shifted away from his acrophobia; his priority now was to verify whether that Pokémon was indeed Jirachi.