Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the wooden walls of Sprout Tower, casting golden beams across the swaying battlefield high above the ground. The entire tower creaked gently with every movement, its massive central pillar rocking back and forth like a living thing.
Kai planted his feet against the shifting floorboards, breathing hard as sweat rolled down his face. Across from him stood his final hope—Sandshrew.
The small Ground-type crouched low, claws scraping against the timber floor as it stared down the elder's Notctowl.
The large owl Pokémon stood perched atop one of the wooden rails, wings slightly spread, its crimson eyes sharp and unshaken despite the fierce battle. Sunlight poured over its feathers, making it look almost untouchable.
The elder adjusted his stance calmly, robes swaying with the tower's motion."So… are you ready?" he asked.
Kai wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, determination blazing in his eyes."We were born ready! Sandshrew, use Rollout!"
"Shrewww!"
Sandshrew launched forward instantly, leaping into the air before curling tightly into a spinning ball. The moment it struck the floorboards, it shot across the tower like a cannonball, rattling the entire room.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The wooden planks cracked beneath the sheer force of the attack as Sandshrew ricocheted off support posts, gaining speed with every bounce.
The elder remained calm while he assessed what was happening.
"Notctowl, dodge it."
Notctowl spread its massive wings and took flight gracefully, weaving through the sunbeams pouring through the tower windows. Sandshrew blasted underneath it, missing by inches.
"Again, Sandshrew!" Kai shouted immediately.
Sandshrew slammed into one of the tower's angled walls before rebounding off it at an even sharper angle, spinning faster and faster. Dust and wood splinters sprayed through the air behind it.
The elder's eyes narrowed.
"Notctowl… use Hypnosis."
Notctowl's eyes glowed an eerie crimson. Rings of psychic energy spiralled outward, cutting through the sunlight toward the speeding Sandshrew.
Kai's heart pounded.
He knew this play was a gamble. Not sure if it was going to work.
The red rings struck Sandshrew head-on, but Sandshrew didn't stop.
"What?!" the elder exclaimed.
The Ground-type burst straight through the Hypnosis attack, still spinning wildly as it bounced off the floorboards and launched skyward toward Notctowl.
Kai's eyes widened with excitement.
"That's it! Take it out!"
For the first time in this battle, the elder raised his voice.
"Notctowl, use Confusion!"
Blue psychic energy exploded from Notctowl's eyes, catching Sandshrew in midair only inches away. The spinning Pokémon froze in place, rotating violently against the invisible force.
With a sharp cry, Notctowl hurled Sandshrew across the room.
CRAAASH!
Sandshrew smashed into one of Sprout Tower's support beams hard enough to shake the entire structure. The whole floor shook violently as dust rained from above.
"Sandshrew!" Kai shouted.
For a moment, everything disappeared behind smoke and falling splinters.
Then— A spinning blur burst from the dust cloud.
Sandshrew was still curled up. Still spinning faster than before.
It hit the floorboards rolling, shredding grooves into the wood as sparks flew beneath it. The tower felt as if it were trembling from the force of the attack.
Kai grinned.
Rollout had reached maximum power, thanks to Sandshrew's perseverance.
"This is it…" he muttered. "One last hit!"
"Go, Sandshrew!"
Sandshrew became a blur racing across the swaying tower floor before launching high into the air once again, sunlight flashing off its spinning body.
"That won't work!" the elder shouted. "Notctowl, use Confusion!"
Psychic energy wrapped around Sandshrew once more, halting it midair for just a second.
"Push through, Sandshrew!" Kai roared.
"Hold it back, Notctowl!" the elder commanded.
The two Pokémon struggled against each other as the entire tower creaked and swayed around them from the force of their attacks.
Then — CRACK!
The psychic force shattered apart.
"No…!" the elder gasped.
Sandshrew blasted through the Confusion attack like a meteor.
BOOOOM!!
The full-powered Rollout slammed directly into Notctowl's chest. A shockwave burst through the room, blowing dust and loose boards across the tower as feathers scattered everywhere.
Notctowl cried out in pain as both Pokémon crashed hard onto the wooden floor.
Silence filled the tower except for the soft creaking of the massive pillar below.
Kai stared forward, barely breathing from the intensity.
Notctowl struggled to rise, wings trembling as it forced itself upward inch by inch.
Sandshrew slowly uncurled nearby, wobbling slightly but still standing strong.
"Come on…" Kai whispered.
Notctowl pushed itself halfway up — then collapsed face-first onto the floorboards, unconscious, leaving it unable to battle.
For a moment, the only sound was the wind blowing through the tower windows.
Then Kai clenched his fists and shouted in triumph.
"W-We — We did it!" Kai yelled, jumping into the air, punching it in excitement.
Sandshrew let out a breath and turned to face Notctowl, acknowledging it as the strongest opponent it had faced so far.
"That was an impressive battle, Kai." The elder said as he withdrew his Notctowl back into its Poké Ball.
"You did a fine job, Notctowl. Get some rest now."
Kai ran over to Sandshrew and picked the small Pokémon up, spinning it around in joy, with Sandshrew loving every second of it.
The elder stopped a respectful few feet away, looking down at the pair of them with that soft, creased smile.
"I have stood at the top of this tower for a great many years, young man," he said. "I have battled a great many trainers. I have not seen Rollout used like that before. Not against a Flying type. Not against my Noctowl." His head tilted a fraction. "And certainly not by a trainer without his first badge."
Kai didn't know what to do with that.
"I, uh." He swallowed. "I — thanks. Thank you. We just did our best." Kai said.
"Yes," the elder said. He was clearly trying not to laugh now. "Yes, I had gathered."
Kai's mouth tugged sideways. He slowly got back to his feet, Sandshrew still in his arms. Sandshrew rolled itself up onto his shoulder almost without thinking, claws hooking back into the jacket where they belonged.
"Stay there a moment, please," the elder said, holding up one finger. "I have something for you."
He turned and walked back across the boards to the small wooden shrine at the rear of the hall — the same shrine he'd taken his Poké Balls from at the start of all this. He bent, slid open a small drawer Kai hadn't noticed, and came back across the floor holding something small and flat in one palm.
A disc.
It was thin, circular, glossy — about the size of a coaster. The casing was a soft, warm yellow, with a small pictograph etched into the centre in black. It caught the sunlight as the elder offered it across the boards on his open hand.
"This is for you," the elder said. "TM 70. Flash."
Kai blinked.
Kai took it, holding it for a moment as the casing cooled against his palm.
"Flash," he said.
"It is not a battling move, in the usual sense," the elder said. "But you will find, young man, that there are places in this region a trainer cannot pass through without light." His old eyes crinkled. "Dark caves. Deep tunnels. The roads under the mountains are not friendly to those who walk them blind. I believe it will come in very handy for you."
Kai turned the TM over once in his hand. He thought, with a small interior jolt, of the dark cave he'd already crossed once. Of how much he'd hated it. Of Falkner's gym beyond it, and Union Cave somewhere past that, and—
"Yeah," he said. He swallowed again. "Yeah, I — thank you. Honestly. Thank you." Kai said, feeling overwhelmed from the battle.
"You are most welcome." The elder bowed — properly this time, from the waist, the way the monks downstairs had bowed at the end of their matches.
"Congratulations on your victory, Kai. It is well-earned."
Kai bowed back. It felt awkward and slightly too deep, but Sandshrew bobbed its small head along with him from his shoulder, which made it a bit better.
"I wish you the best of luck on the rest of your journey," the elder said, straightening. "Falkner is a fine Gym Leader. He will test you. But after what I have just watched, I think you will find a way."
"Thanks," Kai said. "Really. Thanks for — all of it."
The elder smiled one more time, and then his hands disappeared back into his sleeves, and he turned and walked, slowly, settled, back to the small shrine at the rear of the hall.
Kai stood there for a second.
The sunlight through the high windows. The drifting feathers from Noctowl still settling on the boards. The faint smell of wet wood and incense.
Sandshrew bumped its head, once, hard, against the side of his jaw.
"Yeah," Kai murmured to it. "Yeah, I know. Come on, buddy."
He clipped the TM carefully to the inside flap of his bag, where it wouldn't get knocked about, and turned for the stairs.
His legs were shaking a bit from all of the excitement.
His first real challenge was over, and somehow he had come out on top.
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Ok, that's the end of this chapter. Please like a review and help promote the story! Now that the Bellsprout tower is complete, onwards to the first gym!