The award ceremony was held in the middle of Violet City's central park. Around the park were the city's main Hospital, Pokemon Center, the Battle Hall that hosted the tournament and Violet City's Pokemon Gymnasium, where I’d fight Falkner for the Zephyr Badge the following day. Cape would still be out, but he shouldn’t be needed at all. The third badge’s match was still a three on three, and if things got rough Mesa would be more than enough to bail us out.

  I didn’t expect a lot of the ceremony, but the city had gone all out. The citizens and travelers showed up by the hundreds early in the morning on a work day. The park and the streets nearby were packed. George, Yael–who’d been chosen to receive the bronze medal–and I stood to the side while the mayor gave his speech about the great tournament the city had and how it would have one as good again next year.

  A lot of people looked at us, waved, and took pictures. It was a little intimidating being watched by so many eyes. George was delighted by the attention. Yael, as far as I could see, was cool with it. Finally the mayor called us one by one in reverse order, Yael, George, and finally me. We took our positions at the podium and the mayor passed one by one to deliver our medals and give us some words, different versions of how incredible our matches and pokemon were. He praised my Heracross when he gave me the gold medal.

  Afterwards we were leaving when some reports stopped us. They asked some questions and, trying to not look disrespectful, I took three before leaving. How was my team so strong? Training and focus. Did I think my age gave me an advantage? Yes, I did. Were they going to see me at the Silver Conference? Yes. That was the gist of it at least. Eating breakfast at the Pokemon Center with the others was another interesting experience.

  The grace period of having just fought a tournament had ended apparently. Trainers were constantly coming up to our table to ask for photos and autographs. It didn't bother me, but it did extend the meal. Almost all of those who came were twelve or thirteen years old, the ones who knew that this would probably be the only year they could ask before they returned to school. I took a lot of pictures and signed a lot of stuff.

  Foreseeing that the rest of the day would continue like that if I stayed in the city, my team and I decided to go to one of the clearings outside the city. The others from Project, Dendra, Katy, Jess, Ronald, Emilia, and the twins Rebecca and Anderson followed us.

  The rest of the day was a mixture of light training in the form of games and idle conversations. In those conversations I was reminded that the twins would be staying in Violet to wait for their Gym matches, which sucked, and that Katy, Ronald and Emilia would be going east, to Olivine. Jess and I would continue to Ecruteak, now with Dendra and Aiden, if he still wanted to. The dragon trainer had messaged us that he would be ending his training with Akashi today, since the older trainer would be leaving for Blackthorn, where he’d train while waiting for the Silver Conference.

  It was weird to think that to win the Conference I would have to fight Akashi or someone who defeated him.

  The pokemon we’d released were having fun splashing about on a little lake nearby. Mesa and Mountain were keeping an eye on everyone. Valley ran around with the twins' many electric types, exploring the forest around and its pokemon. Jungle used his vines to make swings for the younger ones to use, like Dendra’s Teddiursa and Katy’s Eevee. Cape–still quite sluggish from his battle yesterday–was sitting by my side, resting. I turned to him for a moment.

  “Did you become bigger?” I asked.

  He stopped to judge our heights and then shrugged. The Heracross’ eyes were higher than they were supposed to be when we both sat on the ground. He’d grow of course, and not only him. All of my pokemon grew and many other pokemon of the others too. A few were more apparent than others, but they’ve all grown. All that fighting forced their bodies to adapt to the brutal fighting. Mountain and Cape had grown the least, by mere slivers, Mesa and Jungle had grown by entire centimeters and Valley had grown the most. I barely noticed her on my shoulder when we met. And while she’s been steadily growing since, after two days she’s now the size of my head. Pokemon were really incredible creatures.

  The rest of the day was as normal a day as it could get. After we had lunch, me and my team made a list of everything I would need to buy for us with the money for the tournament. Food and treats, a new strategy game and children’s books for Mesa, a bigger and heavier ball for Valley, a new book for Cape’s photos, etc. We walked back to the city and I went shopping with Valley. After a successful shopping trip, we had dinner with everyone at the Pokemon Center, and spent the rest of the night with my team in my room, rehashing what we knew about Falkner and his teams until it was time to sleep. All in all, a good day.

  Falkner’s gym was tall, but not as tall as everyone expected.

  His gym was–as were all the others gyms–built in a unique way that reflected its Leader’s type. Goldenrod’s arena had been expansive for Whitney’s high mobility normal types, Bugsy used Azalea’s small gym to make bug inspired traps. Falkner wanted space to fly, but not too much space. Those who didn’t know him or his family– who’d held gym for decades now–could be confused, but I’d guessed what he wanted. He and his clan wanted restriction.

  Falkner’s pokemon didn’t fight soaring across the air like a Salamance. Reflecting his own upbringing, they fought with extreme precision and control. They flew, attacked and defended only the necessary amount to win. There’s no need for big, impressive and outlandish moves–unlike a certain crazy bug. For him and his, an Air Slash could end a fight as well as any Earthquake.

  I shook my head and passed the open double doors to emerge at the flying gym’s arena. The crowd on the stands became agitated, they talked and pointed. Somehow, those people had found out that I’d be fighting today and had flocked here, expecting to see something as impressive as that finals match. I think they’ll leave disappointed.

  I stopped in the middle of my platform and glanced around at the inside of the gym. I’d seen Falker’s gym many times as we cut Johto in the middle by going from Goldenrod to here. We’d watched many gym matches I download for us to learn from. They were mostly three and four badges, but also a famous few five badge matches.

  I passed a pokeball from my belt to my hand as Falkner appeared on the other side of the arena and prowled to his place. I spun the pokeball in my hand and thought about the incoming match. I’ve worked with Valley and Mountain for this match since both didn’t fight in Goldenrod. However, with the Cryogonal taking a grand part in yesterday's tournament, Valley should go first.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Citizens of Violet City, a new challenger approaches.” He said, sweeping his wristbanded arms to the sky. “He searches for our approval. He searches for our admission to Johto that he’s a great enough trainer to take away what is ours,” Falkner hoisted something from his belt and held it high between his index and middle fingers for all to see. It’d be difficult to see what the small object was, but the giant screens above the battlefield zoomed in on it. “The wing shaped badge, Zephyr!”

  The people from Violet City seemed to like that speech if the shouting and clapping was anything to go by. Falkner basked in the sound for a moment before putting his arm down and securing the badge to his belt once again while nodding to the arbiter. The young man dressed in the blue and black of the gym announced us to the public and asked if we were ready.

  “I’m ready.”

  “My pokemon are ready to fly.”

  “Gym leader and Challenger, please release your pokemon.”

  We released our pokemon into the field. Falkner’s aim went high, mine went low and the match started with a surprise.

  Across all the matches I’ve seen the flying master had never released this pokemon. The purple scorpion-like creature skated the air towards the ground and landed with a huff, before letting a pink tongue lull out of its mouth as it glared mischievously at Valley. On this side, a Minccino seemed happy to just be here. I, however, knew that Valley was a diabolical creature inside.

  “Ready… fight.”

  Gligar swooped forward with a flap of his bat-like wings, his pincers scraping the ground, ready to pierce his opponent. Valley grinned at the incoming attack. Her eyes flashed pink and her opponent faltered for a few seconds. It was enough time for a wind vortex to smash into his surprised face. The purple pokemon was swept back. Valley let out a brief sneer before pursuing him.

  Gligar recovered in the air, opened its wings and turned towards the approaching normal type. The aerial pokemon spewed a dozen purple glowing barbs. Valley had to dance between them, but her size made it easy and she reached him just as the scorpion pokemon landed on the ground.

  The Minccino tried to deliver a one-two Pound combo but her foe pirouetted away in a flash of blue and landed behind her.

  Quick Attack shot the grinning purple pokemon, pincers first, at Valley’s back. She spun around and was able to deflect the tips of Gligar’s hands with her own before being slammed by its blunt parts. She struck the ground, flipped back with a wince and landed already launching the normal type stars of Swift. Seven stars spread out and curved towards the pokemon.

  Gligar charged through two of those stars with another Quick Attack, leaving the others to explode behind him. Valley jumped back to get distance and unleashed another Echoed Voice. This time, the vortex was made wide enough to cover his whole purple body. The ground type bore the weakened vortex with his eyes closed and when he opened them to strike, Valley had vanished.

  The bruised Gligar froze, and the ground under him blasted open, and a grey blur shot out. Valley slammed a shining punch as she flew towards the sky. Gligar flew back and smacked backwards into the ground. He tried to turn around to flee, but the smirking normal type looked back at him in the air above him. She opened her mouth and screamed, blasting another Echoed Voice at the head of her prone opponent. Gligar’s head slammed into the ground. His body reacted to the hit with a flap and he fainted.

  Interesting enough, Falkner hadn’t warned Gligar about Dig. I’d told Valley that if she was going to use Dig so openly she needed to immediately attack since a trainer could just warn their pokemon. Apparently Falkner wasn’t interested in that.

  Falkner recovered his pokemon and released the next one. Dodrio, the three headed bird pokemon, appeared in the middle of his field. The pokemon paced around as two of its heads discussed something, the last one had its eyes glued on Valley.

  I nodded, appreciating the big size of Doduo’s evolution. This line was popular with beginners since the two heads, and then later on three heads, gave trainers a quick and easy advantage over others.

  Pokemon usually acquired the skill to use two moves simultaneously at roughly five badges. Doduo and Dodrio could use, respectively, two and three moves without training. We’d already fought a few green Doduo, but I was interested in seeing what a well trained Dodrio was capable of.

  The battle started and the Dodrio disappeared. The big bird was suddenly above Valley, ready to stomp her. The Minccino expected that however.

  We knew that at some point Falkner was going to use that move. Preparing for that, Valley had trained with Cape. The result of that training was in front of me. The small pokemon dodged the first and second stomps, stepped away from a Peck and dodged a second one before opening her mouth and releasing a tunnel of wind in the middle of Dodrio’s body. The flying type took the close hit and skipped back a few steps but was quickly on Valley again.

  Its glowing three beaks darted back and forth, trying to pierce the small grey pokemon like steel-tipped lances. Valley, however, was great at dodging and darted away and under their attacks, dodging everything while delivering Echoed Voice when possible.

  Enraged, the Dodrio performed a mighty jump that put its high above its opponent and released eighteen powerful stars of grey energy at the Minccino and the area around.

  Valley squeaked in a way that sounded like a curse, and buried its head on the ground. Its limbs glowed as she dug deep into the ground. The stars touched the dirt floor and exploded the upper layer of the area. Dodrio landed and its three heads divided itself to look around. I was questioning if Valley had really escaped when the bird turned its body to the right and jumped to the side, dodging a wind vortex. A tired Valley took her body out of a hole and provoked the Dodrio with only a stare and a smug smile.

  Two heads glared at her. The third head on the left scoffed and the Dodrio sprinted straight at the normal type.

  Valley, surprisingly, crouched down and jumped high above, imitating the three headed pokemon. The Minccino, however, did nothing with that and was now falling, and her trajectory would put her right in the middle of the heads.

  Dodruo hesitated. There was a second of indecision between them before the three beaks glowed. Valley knew what she was doing though. The Minccino turned its back to the drooling flying type, curled up into a ball and released an Echoed Voice that pushed her down a missile towards the three headed pokemon. Dodrio adjusted for the increase in speed, ready for anything else. Their six pairs of eyes curved up in victory.

  I was about to say something when Valley once again surprised. She released a second and more powerful Echoed Voice.

  The Minccino’s body shot down past the three heads thanks to the second boost and smashed its own shrunken body into the body of the Dodrio. Its three heads squawked as the two bodies slapped the ground and rolled in two directions. The two pokemon stopped after a few meters, both knocked out.

  The arbiter announced the draw, and Falkner and I returned our fainted pokemon. That was… an interesting way of winning. My hand itched to write a way to use that tactic safely but I held it off and focused on the match.

  Now, what pokemon should I use next, Mesa or Jungle?

  I’d thought about just using Mesa and ending it, but Jungle would be evolving soon. Fighting this battle might push him just enough so that he’d evolve before we reach Ecruteak.

  I looked down at my belt and released Mesa pokeball and grabbed Jungle’s. I looked up and across the arena and saw Falkner doing the same. He also changed his chosen pokeball just as I changed mine. The flying master caught my eyes and shrugged his shoulders with a slight smile.

  Huh, that’s different.

  I ignored him and threw out my pokeball. A big Bulbasaur with dark green skin appeared in front of me crouched. He blinked once and then stood up, ready to battle. On the other side of the battlefield, a giant purple and grey silhouette with wings appeared looming over the now–in my eyes–small grass type. Its massive jaw opened up to show rocky fangs and drops of droll dripped down its bigger chin. The Fossil Pokemon looked down at the wide eyed Bulbasaur.

  Well, I guess Aerodactyl is a flying type pokemon.

  Supporters: Marco, First drunkren immortal, TaakeTheNoble, nicoxyz, AJ, Jamie Kilday, Drew K, Kcx1, Dustin, Allute, JM, Wombato, My name is Klondike, Justin, Yona Ksr, Cameron DuBose, balder harbo, Cody Adam Carroll, Taylor C Stewart, Blaze, Halleffy Santos, Dirk Gent Lee, QuakDoktor, iDogei, AJ Schillinger, Kolerog, Omega, Thomas Hendrix, Ash, Pedro Eugenio de Lima, Earthy, Lirannasja, Tom, Joel Artes, David Lawson, cricketswarm, Durnam Davis, Liam, kyle hirshson, WeepingDragon, Joshua Gray, Dylan Cope, Luke Scoggin, Shatter, ABU-UBAYYAH SALLAU ABA-HURAYRATA, Docnox.