Kris shuffled back and forth, eagerly bouncing in place as her mother stood at the door. Her mother put a hand on her head, a familiar but silent warning to knock off whatever she was doing. Kris stopped bouncing but the smile on her face left little doubt what she was feeling.
"Thank you again, Mira." Crystal flicked her hair over her shoulder. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"It's not a problem, Crystal." Mira's smile was soft. "I'm just now getting around to clearing out Casey's room, and she left me more than enough knick knacks to go through. But that kid said she wanted this to go to Kris."
Kris lost her smile at that. Casey was years older than she was and had left for her journey with her trusty chikorita–well, meganium now. The older girl had always been nice, if blunt, and would play catch with Kris when the older kids would rather just throw it over her head. New Bark Town had felt boring after she'd left for her journey but she had done well for herself. With only two years as a trainer, she had finished in the Top 32 and had landed a position in Azalea Town.
Kris sniffled softly. She really missed Casey. New Bark just wasn't the same.
She vowed to visit her when she got her own pokemon and fought her way to Bugsy's Gym in Azalea.
Kris felt her mom nudge her. Another silent warning they'd long developed.
"Thank you, ma'am," Kris said quickly.
"Ma'am?" Mira pushed up her glasses. "I'm not quite that old."
Mira was definitely old enough to be a ma'am, but Kris knew better than to say that. The older woman smiled. "You two have a good day now, tell Spencer that my fool husband wants him over to watch the Electabuzzers beat the Magmarines this weekend."
Kris covered a snort with a cough. As if the Cherrygrove Electabuzzers would ever beat the Cinnabar Magmarines. She was an Electabuzzer fan too, as most people were in New Bark, but she could acknowledge that her team sucked.
Crystal said her last goodbyes and Mira was on her way. Kris waited for the door to close before letting out the words that were making her burst. "Can I have it now? All my homework is done and the floors are swept. I cleared a spot for it and everything!"
Her mother held up a hand to stop her. "Your father will be home soon and he wants you outside. When you're done, you can have it."
Kris pouted. "He's not back yet! Please? I'll just run up and put it on my shelf."
Her mother hesitated, wringing her hands. "You promise to listen to your father? If he has to call you more than once…"
"I promise!" Kris vowed.
The elder Davis stuck her arm out and offered the delicate glass in her palm.
Casey had had a fascination with collecting things. Before she had left, it was common knowledge amongst the citizens of the town that the largest selection of baseball memorabilia in New Bark and an array of weirdly shaped or colored rocks took up half of Casey's bedroom. Kris had always been far more fascinated with the collection of intricate figures the girl used to line her top shelf. Fragile knick knacks shaped into the form of various pokemon with astounding detail. The kingdra even had a scar down its scales, just like Gym Leader Claire's!
Casey's collection was accrued over years of searching and bartering. Even the removal of one from its spot seemed blasphemous.
But this one especially.
The small, detailed figurine the size of her thumb felt heavy in her palm despite weighing almost nothing. If put under direct sunlight it would appear almost yellow, as appropriate for an electabuzz. The delicate gift was shaped to be an electabuzz holding a baseball bat. The mascot of the Electabuzzers had been Casey's favorite pokemon, as she was so willing to espouse.
Kris smiled. It wasn't a limited item or rare in any sense, she could order one off the team's website. It wasn't even that expensive.
But it was Casey's.
And now it was hers.
Kris was quick to put it into her pocket. Her hands were sweaty and she refused to risk Casey's priceless gift shattering because she was careless. As if some higher power was taunting her, Kris flinched and fumbled the figurine as the back door was thrown open. Her hand hastily finished shoving itself into her pocket. She ran her fingers over the cool glass, confirming it was still in one piece.
Her mother balked as the rubber doorstop halted the wooden door in its path to put a hole in her wall. Crystal turned, hair whipping into her face and adding to her furious expression. The bipedal pokemon that had opened the door did its best not to wince. "Don't slam the door open! How many times do you need to be told?"
A flash of green hair preceded a snicker in the back entryway. "Careful, Hitmonlee, she'll exile you to the shed."
Spencer Davis stood next to the door. "What? No welcome home for your husband?" Kris faked a loud gag as her mother gave her father a quick kiss. Her father barely made a sound as he lunged for her. Kris squealed as he put her in a headlock. "Who are you gagging at, huh?"
"No one," She denied with a giggle.
Her father hummed. Kris gasped as he hoisted her into the air suddenly, hands under her armpits. "Oh, would you looky here? Did you get taller?"
Kris kicked her feet uselessly. "No, dad! Put me down! I'm way too old to carry."
He chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. You're still a baby to me."
Kris frowned. "I'm ten!"
"That's true." She finally felt her feet touch the ground only for her father to put his hand on her head. "I think you might be taller than Hitmonlee now."
"You said that last time," Kris pointed out. "And only by an inch."
Her mother cleared her throat to grab their attention. "Alright, both of you get outside before you destroy the hallway."
Spencer's eyes flashed briefly but he nodded. "Sorry, hon. Come on, Kris, we've been exiled to suffer in the elements."
Kris heard her mother shuffle as she followed her father.
It was a nice enough day. The sun made the small gusts of wind seem pleasant rather than chilling. Spencer beckoned her forward and she jogged to catch up.
Her father's pace was steady as he glanced back, an expression Kris didn't understand tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had that easy, confident stride he always carried himself with. It never failed to make Kris feel like she was chasing something just out of reach as she ran after him. They'd been running together for months now, though their efforts never seemed to sync quite right. Maybe today, she'd be faster. Maybe she'd be able to catch up and not have to suffer the poke he always jabbed into her ribs when she stopped so much shorter than he did.
Kris pushed harder, urging her legs to move faster, feeling the familiar burn in her calves. Her father slowed, letting her almost catch up for a moment before picking up the pace again and leaving her behind. This wasn't a race, not really, just cardio her father insisted on.
She didn't much like running, honestly. She'd rather do gymnastics classes like Casey used to, but her father had scoffed and said running was better and threw her a pair of track shoes.
The wind rushed past her ears, her thoughts running empty in the wake of her pounding footsteps. She could do this. She could. It was only a matter of time before she found her rhythm, before she caught up with him.
But then the ground came out from under her.
The world seemed to tilt and spin as she stumbled, her foot catching on an uneven divot in the path. Her body was in free fall before she even realized it, and then the sharp impact of earth against her back was all she could focus on.
Kris managed a sound that was eerily close to a death rattle as the air was forced from her lungs. She laid there for a moment in a silent scream before inhaling deeply and gasping for air. When she was finally breathing and sitting up straight, she had to flap out the dirt that had made its way under her shirt collar.
Her father was there, suddenly, standing over her with a lifted eyebrow. "Forget how to walk?"
"That hurt," Kris said, sniffling despite her best efforts. She knew she had some scratches but her leg hurt the worst. She tried to shrug it off, the pain in her thigh would go away soon enough.
"Come on, walk it off. Let's finish so Hitmonlee can help you with your sparring before dinner." Her father checked his watch. "We barely left the house. Honestly…"
Kris sniffled but went to her feet. Her ankle throbbed a bit and her knee was skinned, but she was probably okay. Her thigh really hurt though, like it had been stabbed by tiny needles. She paled as her hand went to her pocket in stark realisation. She winced as her hand put pressure on what she was now sure were lacerations on her leg. With a muffled sob, she pulled the shards of Casey's gift.
The glass figure was in dozens of pieces, the only surviving part still recognizable was the head that still vaguely resembled an electabuzz.
Her father looked her over. "Let's go."
"But…" Kris made to object.
"What was that?"
Kris wiped her tears. "Yes, sir."
.—.—.
The path to Violet City was dark.
No lights brightened the path into the city as she approached at dusk. The sun was barely a sliver on the horizon and the trees shadowed the road with twisting branches. Kris could hear the far calls of murkrow and hoothoot, calling their nightly songs and signaling that the day was over.
She'd heard talk of a pond outside of the city with a strong population of pokemon she could challenge. The pond turned out to be little more than a mud puddle without a pokemon in sight. So, her day was shot and the walk back was humbling.
Violet City was quieter than she had thought it would be. The night before had been city-living as usual. She passed under the wooden beam that signaled the official end of the Route and still the city was quiet. Chatter of pokemon seemed deafening in the eerily silent city. She distantly heard a voice speaking from a few streets away, amplified by speakers she couldn't see, before an explosion of sound assaulted her.
Cheers rang up around the city and an orchestra of applause reverberated through the streets. Chants she didn't understand were taken up and the name 'Li' was repeated more than a few times. Large clomping steps were the only warning before a parade of people rounded the corner. The few onlookers, trainers much like her, were equally as confused.
A tall platform on the back of a wagon was pulled forward by two mudsdale. A kindly man stood atop the float, his purple robe billowing in the evening breeze. He waved to the gathered people with one hand and ran his other through his long white beard. Dozens of people followed the cart, throwing flowers and coins and practically themselves onto the platform.
The man smiled all the while.
It wasn't until they got closer to her that Kris realized she was in the road and looking down the snout of an annoyed duo of mudsdale. Two arms grabbed her around the waist and pulled her out of the way so the wagon could continue forward without her trampled under hooves and wheels.
Kris gulped as she processed what had happened. She turned to her savior with wide eyes. "Thank you!"
The person to pull her from the road, a man far younger than the man on the platform, backed away. "No problem. Are you alright, kiddo? You looked a bit stumped there!"
The crowd and float both disappeared as they rounded another corner, vanishing into the city with a cacophony of sounds that echoed on the buildings around them. "I'm fine."
The man laughed. "I get it, not everyday you meet a celebrity. You might want to refrain from stopping on the road, but who can blame you?"
Kris furrowed her brow. "He was a celebrity? I've never seen him before."
The man stopped laughing. "What! The old man? No! Sure, he might be the newest Elder of the Sprout Tower and the most popular Sage in Violet City history, but he's really got no star power outside of this city."
Kris blinked. "Then who…"
"Me!" He jerked his thumb to point at himself. "You don't recognize me?"
She took a small step back and gave him a once over. Tall, clean cut, white athletic wear with a red stripe down his pants, a whistle around his neck. Kris shrugged. He looked vaguely familiar but no name jumped to mind. "Sorry."
He huffed. "Well, how about this? 'It's me, the Poké Dude!'"
Kris almost rolled her eyes, but she could actually place that quote. "The Show Me Show?"
He grinned. "You got it in one!"
"You're Primo." Kris was surprised. She expected some d-tier blowhard, but Primo was super well known. His radio show was increasingly popular and his acting credits were long. He also hosted good advice segments for rookies with guest stars, usually former trainers.
Anyone who could get Blue Oak as a guest star had some serious name recognition.
Primo nodded. "Always good to meet a fan, kiddo. Now, I know you'll want an autograph and a picture–who wouldn't? –but I have to ask that you wait until another day. Today is Anointment Day. You understand, I'm sure. Breaking the taboo could stain my image! Although, people do love the rebellious type…"
…well, she understood about half of that.
"Sorry, what's Anointment Day?" Kris asked.
He tilted his head before lighting up. "Oh! You must not be from Violet. A trainer then? That's awesome. Well, from me to you, welcome to Violet City!"
Primo carried on with an increasing level of importance. "You see, Anointment Day is something of a holiday. The former Elder of the Sprout Tower passed away–poor sod, struck down in his prime–but the Tower always needs its Elder. So, the Sage Council conferred and elevated Sage Li to Elder!"
"That was the man on the float," Kris realized.
"Exactly, kiddo. You catch on fast! When an Elder is appointed, the Sage Council declares Anointment Day. Violet City sleeps easy tonight as the Elder does his ceremonies. And, more importantly, no man or woman may pursue or commit themselves to their works before the new Elder emerges from the Tower and neither can they indulge in their vices until the Sages start accepting challenges again! It's an old tradition, you see . Run by the Sprout Tower tomorrow, if you want. The Aspirants will tell you more about it if you ask and you can even run the challenge."
Violet City was only a few Routes away and yet so different from New Bark Town. It was like an entirely new world she had never known.
Primo turned to her and shook his head. "So, unfortunately, I won't be able to give you the autograph and picture you wanted. You understand, kiddo."
Kris nodded, though she wasn't really heartbroken over not getting a picture. Primo was cool, sure, but she wasn't a rabid fangirl.
Primo exhaled a breath in relief. "Thank you, uh…?"
"Kris."
"Thank you, Kris." Primo beamed. "I love all of my fans dearly, but they can be overzealous at times. I appreciate your understanding."
Kris nodded again before glancing at her shoes hesitantly. "Um, so…can I ask you for some advice about training? Or is that taboo?"
Primo laughed. "Education is always exempt to that particular taboo, to the displeasure of Violet's schoolchildren. A few tips would be fair, I think."
Kris smiled. "I wanted to know more about Falkner."
"Falkner!" Primo echoed the name cheerfully. "A good man and a better trainer. Flying-types are a bit tricky aren't they? Is it a pidgey, is it a delibird? Yes, Falkner is particularly tricky for a rookie."
"But…" Kris prompted.
"But," Primo repeated. "Falkner is a very busy man. He doesn't have the time to train a menagerie of pokemon for every rookie. Every season, he has at most four pokemon he designates as his rookie team. He's used three this year, would you like to guess?"
"A doduo," Kris recalled Tuscany mentioning it once. "A pidgey and pidgeotto?"
"Many rookies don't consider a doduo. Great guess, kiddo, but you're one off." Primo checked their surroundings. "A skarmory, not a pidgey."
That was a tough line-up. Skarmory were flying armor, pidgeotto were quick, and a doduo could pack a real punch. Maelstrom and Kesagake were in for a ringer, but they could prepare accordingly now.
Kris brushed her hand against the pokeballs attached to her belt.
Her's versus his, two-on-two. One winner, one loser.
It was going to be tough, but they could do it.
Primo put a hand on her shoulder. "Kiddo, you got some fire in ya'! It has inspired me! I'm thinking of a brand new segment for my show that I need to put on paper. No, I need to call the producer!"
Kris blinked and the man had taken off down the street.
"Best of luck with Falkner, Kris!" Primo called out and he, too, dipped behind a street corner and was gone.
Then she was once again alone on the street in a too-quiet city.
This time, at least, her thoughts were focused solely on Falkner and exactly how her pokemon were going to dismantle him.
.—.—.
Battles remained sparse throughout their time in Violet City.
It was frustrating, but she couldn't do much to fix it. So, she focused on training her team. She was pretty sure that didn't violate the taboo.
She really hoped so.
Maelstrom was shaping up as more and more of a threat. His Water Gun was impressing her with its pressure and range. From point-blank range, it could carve into a stone. Ice Fang was a process. As she suspected, the motion and idea was already ingrained through Bite. However, the move also made the totodile uncomfortable in the jaw. The steep temperature drop was a hurdle, but her starter was weathering it well. She had initially shoveled ice trays into his mouth–which was quite a sight–and let the cold rest. It got him used to the cold quickly and chewing on the ice hastened Ice Fang along.
Kesagake, on the other hand, found slightly less success. The bear cub was trying to perfect Swift but could never whip up more than two stars. Kris thought that was already impressive but the pokemon was less than pleased. The teddiursa had been reluctant to work on another move until she had truly mastered Swift, but Kris knew that the continued frustration was getting to the cub. She decided to start her on Lick.
It was a ghost-type move and that energy was notoriously tricky to work with, especially for inexperienced pokemon, so it would be just as slow going as Swift. Kris was hedging that having two difficult moves would allow her cub to focus on the other when one became too frustrating. And Lick could be pretty handy in a pinch, not to mention the ideas she had for its application.
Lick was deceptively straightforward.
She had initially thought the move released saliva saturated in micro doses of toxins from tongue to target. It had confused her as to why it was a ghost-type move rather than a poison-type one and how it could possibly cause paralysis. The answer lay in the truth of the move. The user didn't release toxins. No, thr pokemon gathered the ghostly energies and condensed them. The energy coated their mouth with mucus-like consistency. The mucus, or rather, ectoplasm would then be applied to the opponent and would do as it was intended and drain their life force.
Kris was excited by the opportunities a move like that afforded. Could Kes spit the ectoplasm rather than coating her tongue? An experiment for the future. The teen typed a note into her pokegear so she didn't forget. Kris couldn't help but smile at the thought of experimenting with Kes, with any of her pokemon really.
Training was only half repetition. A good fighter needed to have moves ingrained in them so deeply that they didn't waste a second reacting on the battlefield. So, repetition. However, the Champions didn't simply take their mantles by spamming Dragon Pulse. Original techniques, the amalgamation of theoretical and practical ideas, were the pillar of pokemon training. The basics were important, but there came a point in every trainer's career that they outgrew the beaten path and created their own.
Kris, for one, couldn't wait for that day to come.
.—.—.
The Sprout Tower was a grand sight.
One hundred feet tall and Johto to its core, it rose above Violet like Mt. Silver in a sea of molehills. The three-tiered tower swayed in a manner that resembled a bellsprout, the pagoda bobbing more noticeable at its peak. The flexibility allowed the tower to weather the worst of calamities. It was a genius design attributed to the earliest of Violet City's Sages. The same design inspired many of the protections on Indigo's highrises–the ones that couldn't employ a full team of psychics needed something to stop a rampaging rhydon from toppling the city's skyline.
It stood as one of Indigo's Seven Marvels.
She took it in. The style, the scale, the history.
It was as Johtonian as she was, more even.
Almost unconsciously she had started on the path towards the tower.
The grounds were uniform. Grass only a few inches tall, the few small shrubs that dotted the entrance were perfect squares. The bubbling stream that separated the path from the main city had only a footbridge to allow passage. The wood didn't even creak as she walked across it. Green gave way to yellow as carefully raked sand replaced the grass near the base of the tower. Smooth stones dotted the meticulously decorated sand rather than a true walkway. Kris carefully hopped from one stone to another like a frog on the world's worst lily pads until she finally landed onto the final concrete landing.
Just as she landed, a laugh almost put her off her balance. An older man with a long white beard was watching her with a smile on his face. She flushed as she recognized him.
Elder Li looked exactly as he had the day before, as though he had simply jumped in time. The yellow robe over his right shoulder was the only difference she could spot in the Elder's appearance. "Good morning."
He chuckled softly. "Good morning, young lady. I take it you are here to challenge the tower?"
Kris cleared her throat and spoke. "I am. I'm going to challenge Falkner and want to test my pokemon here first."
The Elder hummed, looking at her as though he had heard that a thousand times over. He probably had. "You happen to be on time then. I have only just sent an Aspirant to toll the bell. I suspect we'll have more of you trainers here within the hour."
Kris smiled and glanced up at the tower. "So, do I start at the bottom and battle my way up?"
The Elder smiled sagely. "Not quite yet. I have yet to confer with the shika for the you care to join me?"
"Shika?" Kris wracked her brain. "Who is that?"
Li simply walked away, beckoning her to follow.
She followed.
Kris matched his steps one for one. They rounded the back of the Sprout Tower and continued to the trees and into the forest.
The Elder kept a small smile on his face as they trekked. He stayed silent and for that Kris was thankful. She wouldn't have the first clue what to talk about. It wasn't until the old oaks and maples gave way to young birches in a clearing that she realised what they were looking for.
There were dozens of them. All varying in sizes and shades and ages. Brown fur blended and blurred until each was indistinguishable from the next. The smallest ones noticed them first. The fawns with more creme than russet in their pelts and only small buds atop their heads pranced towards them happily. The rest followed slower but just as happily.
The gathered stantler were more herd than horde, not scrambling over the others like she had expected. The fawns made attempts to lick at her fingers as the adolescents butted each other out of the way to get to Elder Li, but the rest were patient. Kris giggled as a fawn butted its head against her leg. Without its antlers, it reminded her of Wax's playful slaps when they roughhoused.
"These are the shika?" Kris asked.
Elder Li silently nodded and handed her a small package tied together with a strip of twine as he opened an identical one. The stantler watched them both with anticipation as they spotted the packages of crackers they held. Strangely, only the fawns tried jumping to grab them. The rest of the stantler waited patiently, eyeing the crackers but not approaching.
"Hold them for a moment. The Nara eats first, always." Elder Li chuckled as the rowdiest fawn slammed its head into his shin. "The shika have been here for as long as the Sprout Tower has, often they would wander the streets in search of food and make quite the mess. The Nara tempers them. They pay heed to her in all things." Kris yelped as a fawn snatched a cracker she had held too loosely. Elder Li laughed. "Except for the babies, who listen to no one. It comes with time, I suppose."
Kris looked into the sea of brown fur and antlers. "Which one is the Nara ?"
The snapping of tree branches made Li look into the trees. Kris followed his gaze and was forced to take a step back. Another stantler walked into the clearing and the shika dipped their heads as one.
The Nara looked down at them.
It was massive, seven feet at the shoulder with the largest antlers Kris had ever seen on a pokemon. Branches and foliage collected in the pokemon's antlers as they brushed through the lowest reaches of the woods' canopy and wove together. Its once-brown fur was aged with a silver hue and white predominated its face.
Elder Li bowed his head deeply and Kris followed suit.
The slow clomp of hooves was the only warning before Kris was bumped on the head. She raised her head and found herself face to face with the stantler. She met its eyes and was struck at the shine within them. This stantler, she decided, was ferociously intelligent and far more dangerous than any pokemon she had ever faced before.
Slowly, she raised one hand and displayed the cracker in her grasp. The Nara was motionless. For one heartbeat, Kris was afraid she had offended it. In the next, the old stantler huffed a breath out of its nose that washed over her face and took the cracker from her hand gently. Just as it had taken the food, the rest of the stantler surged forward.
Elder Li laughed as he handed crackers by the handful. The young and old of the herd plucked crackers from his hand with vigor. Unlike the rest of the herd, the Nara stayed planted. Hooves dug into the dirt as it looked her up and down. Slowly, it dipped its head low. Kris was quickly met with the sight of its antlers in front of her. The massive antlers rattled as the pokemon shook its head.
Gently, led by a compulsion she knew not, Kris began pulling the debris entangled within the great horns. Only when she had pulled the last branch free did the Nara stand again. It shook its head vigorously before snorting softly.
The stantler monarch planted its feet and nuzzled Kris' arms. She giggled and ran a hand down its neck. Kris was distantly aware of a bell chiming through the city as she fed the great stantler another cracker.
Elder Li watched with glittering eyes. "She likes you."
She very much liked her too.
"Today's challenge is approved. The Nara is in a good mood." The man looked at her expectantly. "Care to try your luck ascending the heights?"
She met his eyes. "Absolutely."
.—.—.
The dozens of perches along the Sprout Tower served to make it more benevolent than looming as Kris entered the first floor of the three-storied spire.
Three floors to climb–three challenges to overcome.
The inside was as expansive as the outside. The ceiling sprawled high above her head, a few hoothoot sequestered in the rafters and dozing peacefully. She was welcomed with a bow from a boy in robes that couldn't be much younger than her. A gaggle of similarly aged boys and girls wore identical robes around the floor.
"Greetings. I welcome you to Kōfuku-ji, the Sprout Tower." He rose to meet her eyes. "I am Jin, an Aspirant under Sage Chow. If you wish to ascend the tower, I shall be your first obstacle. Should you defeat me, you will be permitted to ascend to the second floor."
Kris palmed Maelstrom's pokeball. "Lead the way."
They opposed each other in the room's battlefield as they entered their boxes marked by chalked white lines. Jin swaggered into his position and bowed one more time before releasing a pokeball from within his robe's sleeve. Digital red came together as a bellsprout appeared.
Kris had almost forgotten how much the Sprout Tower adored that evolutionary line. The pokemon swayed back and forth, its thin stock not showing a hint of unease even as Maelstrom appeared. The totodile's tail swished and he hissed at the pokemon across from him.
And so, the challenge began.
"Vine Whip."
"Water Gun!" Kris countered.
Two thin vines shot out at Mael as he retaliated with a high-pressured burst of water. The bellsprout squealed as the water hit it in its head. It reeled backwards yet its vines lashed at the totodile with precision. Maelstrom hissed as the vines struck him.
"Wrap," Jin said.
Bellsprout swayed in rhythm with the pagoda as its vines tried to wrap themselves around Maelstrom's midsection.
"Bite, tear those vines apart!" Kris shouted the order, and it cut through the otherwise silent room.
Her starter's fierce jaws snapped onto the closest vine. Dark energy made his largest fangs gleam in the low light of the tower. The vines withered as they were crunched in two. Bellsprout squealed as it withdrew the damaged appendage.
"Get close and use Ice Fang!" Kris followed up quickly.
"Razor Leaf!" Jin ordered, looking uneasy for the first time.
Maelstrom was faster.
Bellsprout managed a few sharp leaves that flittered towards the water-type. With a quick pivot, Maelstrom leaped forward and, with a flash of his sharp teeth, lunged in for a decisive attack. The croc latched onto the Bellsprout's thin stem. The plant pokemon shrieked then fell still.
Jin didn't wait to recall his pokemon and the flytrap pokemon disappeared in a crimson haze.
Kris's face lit up with a wide smile as she rushed over to her victorious totodile, who was thumping his tail happily. She scratched at the loose scales on his back–he could never quite reach those–and rubbed his neck gently. The croc crooned happily.
Jin walked up to her with a respectful nod just as she returned Mael to his pokeball. The boy was missing his previous swagger but he was smiling nonetheless. "Nice battle," he said, offering a handshake.
Kris shook it. "You too. I can go to the second floor now?"
The Aspirant nodded. "You may. I can lead you up, if you like."
Jin was quick to lead her to a set of wooden stairs that circled the giant spine-like pillar located in the center of the tower. Before she ascended the stairs, he spoke up. "If I could say something?"
Kris blinked. "Sure?"
"The skill jump between floors is steep. Us Aspirants weed out the tourists and the real trainers go on to challenge the Sages." He patted his pokeball belt. "If you can beat one of them then you're more than ready for Falkner. Best of luck, Kris."
"Thanks, Jin."
The boy smiled and Kris thought she was the faint shade of red on his cheek. It was pretty warm in the tower. It must be tough to be an Aspirant and have to run around and do all the menial jobs.
The second floor was identical to the first down to the chalked battlefield. The only difference? She couldn't see her own shadow. The entire floor was even more dimly lit than the first. She had to continue blinking and squinting until her eyes finally adjusted.
A man older than Jin but far younger than Elder Li approached her. Similar to Jin, he bowed and introduced himself before offering her battle. Except…
"Three-on-three?" Kris repeated. "I only have two pokemon."
"The rules are cemented, I'm afraid." Sage Edmund perked up. "Might I suggest a bellsprout as your next companion? They are a noble creature, in tune with the world in ways we seek to replicate."
Kris bit the inside of her cheek. Jin had warned her it was a steep jump. Could she find another pokemon? Yes, but could she train it to be a suitable battler before she left Violet City? And if the second floor called for three, what would the third call for? That was not to mention she wanted to avoid capturing a pokemon for short-term gain.
Maelstrom and Kesagake. She was sure they were ready for Falkner now, she just wanted to prove it. "Am I required to have three pokemon?"
The Sage paused. "Well, I suppose you don't need to. However, it is unwise."
Kris brushed her hand against her belt. The metal of her partners' pokeballs felt warm. "I want to continue the challenge."
He watched her for one long moment before silently taking his position across the field. "If you insist, then we shall let our partners duel and show their resolve. I will release first."
Kris was not surprised by the bellsprout that appeared. It was slightly taller than Jin's and its leaves colored a brighter green but a bellsprout all the same. She thought Mael could use a little breather so Kesagake appeared with a growl. The teddiursa flicked an ear and planted her feet as the bellsprout used one of its stems to wave a hello.
Kris cleared her throat as Edmund gestured for her to take the first move. "Kes, get close and use Slash."
"Vine Whip, Bellsprout, then Wrap it up." The Sage ordered.
Kris blinked. Was that every bellsprout's first move? "Slash the vines if they get close."
Bellsprout whistled as two vines dove towards Kes. The bear cub growled as she cut through the appendages with ease. They withered as the grass-type squealed and reeled back. Kes capitalized and charged forward with a glow on her claws.
"Poison Powder," Edmund said. "Then Razor Leaf."
Kris frowned as Bellsprout exhaled a purple haze of powder. The poison was quick to spread across the field. Kesagake took a deep breath before the haze reached her, but particles started clinging to her fur like burrs. Leaves with razor edges gathered near Bellsprout as it whipped up a small breeze.
"Sweet Scent," Kris ordered. She hoped the move would help clear out the poison faster. If not, it might throw off the grass-type. An opaque haze bled from the bear's fur and mixed with the purple Poison Powder as the air grew heavy. "Swift!"
Bellsprout shot the Razor Leaf at the same time Kes sent two golden stars streaking forward. Kesagake did her best attempt at dodging, but small cuts appeared on her as the foliage dug into her fur. The Swift, on the other hand, sent the grass-type sprawling into a heap that it did not rise from.
Edmund returned his pokemon and immediately released another.
Kris identified the second bellsprout and blinked. Really?
"Fern here is a tad more suited to battle than Bellsprout," Edmund said. "Ready?"
Kris nodded and they continued. "Kes, get close. Slash, then Bulldoze if you need to."
The cub hurtled forward with shocking speed. Edmund blinked rapidly at the change of pace and even Kris was taken aback. The teddiursa had never moved that quickly before.
"Fern, Stun Spore and Power Whip." Edmund instructed hastily.
Fern stepped backwards and released a dusty powder into the air. It squealed as an annoyed bear thundered at it. Kes charged forward with a single goal in mind. Her speed carried her to the bellsprout through the Stun Spore and the dust clung to her, mixing with the purple powder already there and making a vile concoction of status-altering…
Kris made an 'oh' sound. Bellsprout's Poison Powder had activated Kes' Quick Feet ability. That's why she was so much quicker. The normal-type huffed and puffed as she lunged. The grass-type shrieked as a series of Slashes were unleashed upon it. A Power Whip knocked the bear in the chest and threw her back.
Kes regained her footing just long enough for her opponent to strike her with another Power Whip. The cub was a tough cookie, but that was as much as she could take. She stumbled before collapsing. Kris returned her just before she hit the ground.
"You did amazing, girl." The teen palmed the pokeball before exchanging it for another one at her belt. "It's up to you, Mael."
Her starter hissed as he appeared. His blue scales looked cobalt in the dim light, but his eyes were the same as always. Ready. He spotted his bellsprout opponent (for the second time) and thumped his tail.
Edmund nodded his head. "Continue?"
"Of course." Kris eyed the man's bellsprout. It was weakened, Mael had this. "Repeat of last time. Water Gun then Ice Fang."
The second part turned out to be unnecessary. Fern was on its last legs and the totodile's Water Gun sent it sprawling into a heap. But it was a determined little thing. It rose again, shaking horribly and somehow still conscious.
Edmund could see where the battle ended but left one last gift. "Poison Powder."
"Mael, stop it!" Kris ordered hastily. The bellsprout was a heartbeat quicker. Purple powder cluttered the air once more as another Water Gun sent the grass-type into unconsciousness.
Edmund returned his pokemon with a quiet consideration.
Mael sneezed as purple powder worked its way up his snout. Kris squinted. They had a time limit, but it was still doable.
Edmund hummed. The Sage retrieved his final pokeball from his robes calmly. A crimson light heralded their final opponent. It hooted as it appeared and took to the air. Kris tracked the hoothoot as the owl circled her starter from above.
Battle commenced for the final time.
"Let's make this a good one," Sage Edmund said, his voice calm and eyes focused.
"Water Gun," Kris commanded.
Hoothoot were no pidgeot. Their best form of speed came from swooping, not complicated maneuvers. The owl flapped its wings frantically. The force of the attack sent it skidding back, visibly shaken and feathers ruffled.
Sage Edmund remained steady. "Hoothoot, Hypnosis."
Without warning, Hoothoot flipped its head around its back and locked eyes with Maelstrom. Its large, saucer eyes glowing a soft purple. A psionic wave of energy surged from Hoothoot and pulled at Maelstrom's mind. Kris watched as the water-type's movements slowed, the hypnotic gaze taking hold of him and made all the easier by the poison pumping in his system.
"Mael, no!" Kris shouted, watching as her starter's legs wobbled. It was clear he was fighting the psychic power, but Hoothoot's gaze only intensified. Maelstrom's body trembled. His eyes grew heavy and his limbs shook with exhaustion, the battle was very quickly becoming more about his will to stay awake than his ability to fight. He fought back, shaking his head and managing to stay on his feet.
"Hoothoot, finish this please. Take Down." Edmund said the words almost mournfully.
"Come on, Mael! You can do it!" Kris urged, desperation creeping into her voice.
Maelstrom was twitching, visibly attempting to push through the haze in his mind, but his movements were sluggish, and his body swayed nearly in time with the pagoda they stood in. He growled again and charged forward despite the fog in his head. A Water Gun shocked the normal-type as it struck it square in the face.
"Bite!"
With a bellow of defiance, Maelstrom leapt at Hoothoot, his sharp teeth sinking into the owl's wing. Hoothoot squawked, its wings flapping harder to shake off the attack. The movement made the croc bite down harder. The force of the totodile slamming into Hoothoot sent the two pokemon reeling and plummeting from the air. They hit the ground with a thud, Maelstrom still latched onto the owl's wing.
"Finish it! Ice Fang!" Kris' voice went up an octave as she shouted the command.
Maelstrom lunged with a cyan hue on his most prominent fangs. The flying-type screeched. Feathers flew into the air and the battlefield went silent.
A blue crocodile stood and roared.
Kris's heart was still racing, but relief washed over her as she rushed to Maelstrom's side. She knelt down and practically squeezed him till his eyes bulged. "You did it, Mael! You were amazing!"
Maelstrom gave a soft growl of victory, his entire body sagging with exhaustion.
Sage Edmund cleared his throat as he approached. "That was…impressive."
Kris smiled, massaging Mael's neck and making him croon. "That was an incredible battle."
"Yes, it was." Another voice cut into the serenity of the floor. Edmund bowed deeply as Elder Li approached. "Very incredible indeed."
Kris returned Maelstrom to his pokeball and brushed off the dust that had landed on her shorts. "Thank you, sir."
The Elder of the tower ran a hand through his white beard. "You have defeated Sage Edmund and are allowed to ascend to the final floor, if you wish. Your opponent, of course, would be myself."
Oh, how that tempted her. She wanted to throw down the gauntlet there and rise to the final challenge of the Sprout Tower. She could see it now; the day she triumphed over Elder Li and went on to take the Zephyr Badge from Falkner.
However, today was not that day.
Kris shook her head. "I want to, but my team is worn out. They're not ready for another battle so soon."
Elder Li smiled. "Correct you are. I do believe the Nara had a good read on you, young lady. You are going to be strong, of that there is little doubt."
Kris smiled at that. Yes, they would be. "Thank you. Can I challenge the tower again when my team has gotten stronger?"
The Elder of the Sprout Tower Sages shook his head. " Kōfuku-ji is not a place for training strength. We invest in harmony and balance so we may understand the connection shared amongst all living things. We battle because battle is part of nature, but we do not seek to hone it."
She would admit to being disappointed. She had wanted to challenge Elder Li. If Edmund, a Sage of low renown, was an indicator, the battle would have been amazing. Still, it had been a thrilling run.
"You are heading to battle Falkner, I take it? The first step towards the Silver Conference?" The Elder asked. Kris' eyes blazed and she didn't need to answer. "Let me leave you with this, then. Any trainer who intends to pursue power ought to hear them."
"Strength, when tempered by wisdom, becomes unstoppable. When tempered with recklessness, it becomes volatile. May you continue to grow and may your journey always be guided by such wisdom, Kris." Li bowed his head respectfully and left towards the inner reaches of the Sprout Tower.
Kris clenched her hand around her starter's pokeball. It was pleasantly warm for holding a cold-blooded pokemon.
Strength. They were cultivating it. Slowly but with great progress. The Silver Conference was a year away. No one knew her or her pokemon. Not yet. She had one year to make an uproar so massive everyone in Johto knew her name. It would start slowly, one person at a time.
Falkner didn't know her name.
He would.
.—.—.