against the polished grid. Engines rev, the roar of Extreme Gear filling the air. You fasten yourself onto your board, eyes shifting to your competition. Sonic, Jet, Storm — all lined up, focused. But then your gaze stops cold.

To your left stands Wave the Swallow. Only… not like before. Her body is massively inflated, balloon-like, her rounded frame towering over the starting line. Yet she’s perfectly stable, balanced on a customized piece of Extreme Gear wider than any standard board. The “Airburst Gear,” reinforced with stabilizer fins and vent ports, hisses with compressed air. Despite her exaggerated shape, she moves with confidence, goggles flashing in the floodlights. She notices your stare immediately.

Wave: “Hmph. What’s the matter? Never seen genius engineering in action before? Don’t act so shocked — this is my masterpiece. Every ounce of pressure, every bump, every hit… it all goes straight into my system. The bigger I get, the stronger I ride.”

She smirks, tapping the side of her board as a vent hisses, a little burst of compressed air spinning the turbine at the rear.

Wave: “Go on, keep gawking. But remember: when you’re too busy staring, I’ll be flying past you at top speed. This is the Airburst Gear — my own design. It doesn’t just handle my… improved frame — it weaponizes it. Sonic and Jet can keep chasing wind all they want. I’ll be pumping up with every collision, while you fall behind.”

She leans forward, the board’s stabilizers locking into place. You hear the countdown begin. 3… 2… 1…

Wave (under her breath): “Let’s see how long you last, rookie.”