Violet City rose from the trees like a forgotten fortress.
Kael stood at the edge of the eastern gate, staring across the cobblestone streets and old tiled rooftops. Unlike the coastal calm of Cherrygrove, Violet had weight—a sense of age. The architecture whispered of ancient clans and weathered towers. In the distance, the Sprout Tower loomed tall, its wooden frame swaying ever so slightly in the breeze, as if breathing.
Echo stood beside him, nose twitching at the new scents of the city—spiced incense, roasted nuts, the faint perfume of Bellsprout blossoms that lined the garden paths.
They didn't speak. After the shrine… after Arden… neither felt the need.
The Pokémon Center was nestled between a traditional dojo and a bubbling fountain plaza. He checked in, healed Echo, and asked the nurse about Gym challenges.
"You'll want to visit Falkner," she said, smiling. "He's in the Gym near the western ridge. He prefers morning battles, so you're lucky you got here early."
He gave a polite nod, but his mind was elsewhere. On the symbol. On Arden's warning.
You carry echoes…
He didn't know what that meant yet—but he was starting to understand that his journey wasn't going to follow the standard League path.
Still, if he wanted answers from Morty in Ecruteak, he'd need to pass through the League system. Gym badges weren't just tradition—they were permission. Proof of readiness. And Falkner was the first test.
The Violet City Gym was built into a high tower of pale stone, crowned with dark-blue shingles that gleamed like raven feathers in the sunlight. A carved Pidgeot above the archway spread its wings wide in welcome—or warning.
Inside, wind howled softly through slatted windows as he climbed the spiraling interior ramp. The arena was suspended high above the tower's base, open to the sky, with woven platforms that shifted slightly underfoot.
Falkner waited at the center, his long coat fluttering in the breeze.
He turned as Kael approached, his sharp features calm, eyes like a hawk's.
"You're here for a battle," Falkner said—not asked.
Kael nodded. "I'm Kael, from New Bark."
"I am Falkner, keeper of the skies." He gestured to the battlefield. "Two Pokémon each. Let the winds judge our strength."
Kael exhaled and took his place. Echo stepped forward first, ears perked. Falkner released a Pidgeotto, its feathers sleek, eyes burning with disciplined focus.
"Let the battle begin!" called a referee from the corner.
"Pidgeotto, Tailwind!"
Wind surged across the field, lifting the bird higher, its form blurring.
Kael didn't flinch. "Echo, Quick Attack—cut through!"
Silver fur flashed. Echo vanished and reappeared behind Pidgeotto in an instant, but the Flying-type veered midair, dodging cleanly.
"Gust!"
A whirlwind slammed into Echo, knocking her back.
Kael gritted his teeth. She was fast, but the winds gave Falkner the edge. He needed to shift tactics.
"Bite!"
Echo lunged again, this time waiting for the wind to pull the Pidgeotto closer before snapping her jaws around its wing. The move hit—the bird shrieked and flapped away, staggering midair.
Falkner narrowed his eyes. "Steel Wing!"
The Pidgeotto's feathers gleamed, slashing down toward Echo—but she ducked at the last second, tail sweeping beneath the bird to knock it off balance.
"Now, Tackle!"
Echo struck true, and the Pidgeotto fell.
Falkner recalled it silently. "Impressive."
Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent out his second Pokémon.
Noctowl.
Kael paused. That wasn't a typical early-Gym Pokémon.
Noctowl hovered above the arena, its red eyes glowing faintly, beak clicking in rhythmic patterns.
Falkner's expression remained unreadable. "This one came to me recently. From the outskirts of Ecruteak. It has… insight."
Kael blinked. "What do you mean?"
But Falkner didn't answer.
"Noctowl, Hypnosis."
The glowing eyes flashed—and Echo froze mid-step.
Kael shouted, "Dodge—!"
Too late. Echo staggered, blinking, then slumped.
"Echo!" He called out.
She didn't move.
Falkner didn't press the attack. Instead, he stared at Kael.
"You're not just a challenger," he said slowly. "I've seen you. In the tower."
Kael stared. "What?"
"My Noctowl is sensitive to psychic energy. It sees dreams. Echoes of the past. Your aura is marked with something… ancient."
Kael's hand curled into a fist. "I'm looking for Morty."
Falkner nodded once. "Then you're following the right path. But it's not a Gym Badge you need. It's resilience."
Kael looked at Echo—still asleep—and felt something stir in his chest.
"Wake up," he whispered.
Her ear twitched.
"Echo… I need you."
Her silver fur began to glow.
Faintly. Then brighter.
Noctowl screeched and pulled back as Echo stirred, her eyes flashing open with a strange shimmer Kael had never seen before.
She stood—slowly, but steadily.
Kael's breath caught.
"Bite!"
With a snarl, Echo lunged and bit down on Noctowl's wing. The bird shrieked and vanished in a flash of red light. Fainted.
The battlefield fell silent.
Kael stared at Echo as she returned to his side. She looked… different. Still Eevee, but her fur had a faint iridescence now, like stardust in moonlight.
Falkner stepped forward and handed him the Zephyr Badge—a silver-winged pin shaped like a feather in flight.
"You've earned this," he said. "But more importantly—your bond with your Pokémon is unlike any I've seen."
Kael accepted the badge, heart still pounding.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Falkner held his gaze. "Morty is waiting in Ecruteak. But he's not the only one. The wind carries whispers, Kael. And your name is among them."
Back at the Pokémon Center, Kael sat on a bench outside, badge in hand. Echo lay beside him, asleep now but peaceful.
He thought about Falkner's words.
He thought about Noctowl's eyes.
And he thought about what might be waiting in Ecruteak—ghosts, answers… maybe both.
But for now, he allowed himself a moment to breathe. Just one.
Then, he opened his map and traced the road north.
Sprout Tower.
Ruins of Alph.
Then Route 36.
And beyond that…
Ecruteak.