----
"We're here. This is the Violet Gym."
As he spoke, Kai and Sabrina stepped inside the Gym.
However, after approaching a Gym attendant and explaining their purpose, they were informed that Falkner wasn't there.
"I'm really sorry," said a young man in a white judo uniform, his expression apologetic.
"Our Gym Leader, Falkner, left early this morning. I'm not sure when he'll be back. If you want to challenge him today, you'll have to wait."
'What bad luck…
But there was nothing they could do.'
So, Kai and Sabrina sat in the waiting area, patiently biding their time.
Lying back on the soft couch, Kai grew bored. His gaze wandered around the Gym, noticing several other young men in the same judo uniforms as the staff member.
'Huh? Are these all Gym apprentices?'
That seemed a little odd to him.
This was, after all, a Flying-type Gym.
Were all these people really training to become Flying-type specialists?
If that were the case, shouldn't they be studying under Lance instead?
Glancing at Sabrina, Kai leaned closer and asked in a low voice,
"Hey, do you know anything about Falkner?"
Sabrina shook her head.
"Even though we're all under the same Pokémon League, Kanto and Johto are still separate regions. I've never met him, and we've never interacted."
Kai nodded thoughtfully.
That made sense.
Then again, he didn't know much about Falkner either.
Know your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle. Unfortunately, he only had some basic knowledge of Falkner.
All he had heard was that Falkner was known for his cool and stylish personality.
However, compared to his father, Walker, Falkner was often considered inferior.
Apparently, Walker was the previous Gym Leader, but he had left on a long journey, leaving Falkner to take over the Gym in his place.
A classic case of "like father, like son."
Then again, this wasn't unusual.
In Kanto alone, many Gym Leaders inherited their positions from family members.
Just look at Brock's family, Sabrina's family, and Misty's family.
All of them had taken over their respective Gyms from their parents or older siblings!
---
—A While Later—
Kai glanced at the time.
They had already been waiting for a while, and he was starting to lose patience.
"This isn't working. We can't just sit here all day."
He stood up and stretched.
"How about we go find a place to stay, or maybe check out Sprout Tower?"
Sabrina gave a small nod.
Just as they were about to leave, they reached the Gym doors—
And bumped straight into someone.
It was a young man, probably around Kai's age, but a bit shorter.
He wore a white judo uniform, similar to the Gym staff, but more elaborate in design.
His long blue hair partially covered his face, but his sharp features were still visible beneath his bangs.
Kai immediately recognized him.
Falkner.
He did have that "cool" vibe everyone talked about.
But as for being "handsome"…
'Heh'
'I don't think anyone can call themselves handsome in front of me'
Before Kai could say anything, Falkner spoke first.
"I'm Falkner. Are you here to challenge the Gym?"
'Bingo'
Kai nodded.
"That's right. I'm here for a Gym battle."
He gestured toward Sabrina.
"But she's just here as my companion."
Falkner glanced at him briefly before nodding.
"Understood. Follow me."
Falkner stepped past them and walked deeper into the Gym. On his shoulder, a Hoothoot was perched, standing on one foot.
Hoothoot resembled an owl but was rounder in shape. It had tiny wings and sharp red eyes, making it a little eerie-looking at night.
Kai recalled that Hoothoot had a special organ in its body that allowed it to sense the Earth's rotation. Because of this, Hoothoot always hooted at exactly the same time every day.
In the past, people even treated Hoothoot as a divine messenger, believing it could foretell the future.
Seeing how close Falkner and Hoothoot were, Kai figured this was his signature Pokémon, just like how Ash's Pikachu rarely stayed inside its Poké Ball.
Noticing Kai's gaze, Hoothoot tilted its head, letting out a soft "Hoot hoot" as if to greet him.
Kai smiled back.
---
—The Gym Battle Begins—
Falkner led them to an elevator, taking them to the rooftop arena. The battlefield was completely open air, exposed to the sun and sky.
Only the surrounding walls and stadium seating enclosed the space, preventing Pokémon from flying out.
The arena itself was a standard battlefield. Kai wasn't a fan of battling on rooftops, ships, or moving platforms.
These places always felt too fragile, making him hesitant to use moves like Dig that could destroy the terrain.
He preferred solid ground, where he could fight without worrying about damaging the battlefield.
Falkner stepped into the trainer's box and formally introduced himself.
"I am Falkner, the Flying-type Gym Leader of Violet City. Welcome to my Gym."
Kai smirked and replied,
"My name is Kai."
To his surprise, Falkner didn't seem surprised at all.
Instead, he said calmly,
"I already knew who you were. You're the Indigo League Champion."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You recognized me?"
Falkner nodded.
"I assumed you'd come straight to the Johto League after winning the Indigo League."
"I didn't expect you to take so long."
Kai shrugged.
"I took a detour to the Orange Islands. Spent some time there."
Falkner didn't comment further. Since they weren't particularly close, he didn't bother making small talk.
Instead, he simply said,
"Let's go over the rules. Each of us will use three Pokémon."
"Whoever's team is fully knocked out first loses."
Kai nodded.
"Sounds fair."
As he prepared for battle, the elevator doors suddenly opened again. A group of young trainers stepped onto the rooftop.
They gathered behind Falkner, standing in silent anticipation. One of the older students stepped forward, assuming the role of referee.
----
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