EPISODE 21: Flight!*

From the doors comes a man with blue fuzzy hair, covering his left eye. His eye color is black, but for others, it may seem like dark blue. Entering the arena, his hair is blown by a gentle breeze known as Zephyr. For both of us, the man seems unfamiliar, however seeing the man, Charlotte couldn't resist the urge to explode with zest.

"Falkner. Back so soon?" The referee queries then shakes hands with the man afterward.

"Thank you, Denny, I'll take it from here. You may have your lunch period." He responds in a jocular manner. Hearing his words, the referee gladly leaves the Training Arena, leaving the three of us.

"Falkner!" Charlotte beams with pep, rushing towards him with her eyes sparkling.

"Falkner? Who's Falkner?" Virgo questions with the man being unfamiliar to her and me.

"You don't know who Falkner is?! He's the Flying specialist of the Johto Region." Charlotte clears.

"Indeed. I am Falkner, the elegant master of flying Pokemon. My father was the previous gym leader of the city, but he has made the decision to travel overseas, hence I was proclaimed the new gym leader.

And who are the three of you? Especially the one with the scar, have I not seen your face in one of the PPD's watchlist before?" Falkner's introduction turns into a suspicion. He looks to me, pondering at my looks. His grave stare gives me chills as I think of an excuse to counter his rising suspicion.

"PPD watchlist? That must be another person... Definitely not me." I respond with a smile of an alligator. Falkner, the flying specialist, however, does not believe me right away therefore he leans his head forward, closer to me, as he examines me further.

"Must be eyes. Never mind, I'm quite drowsy today." Falkner's rising suspicion towards me declines. He then yawns afterward.

"Excuse me, Mr.Falkner. If I may, please have a Pokemon Battle with me. You see, I want to become a bird master like you, and what could be better than learning from you?" With respect, Charlotte begs.

"A Pokemon Battle? Why, of course. If it is for training, I will gladly accept your challenge. As a gym leader, it is my duty to help and give advice to trainers like you. Shall we begin?" Falkner gladly accepts.

Lunch period will have to wait longer because this is a match that I am not willing to miss. A battle between two flying expertise will surely entertain me and Virgo. Once again, I am merely a spectator. Virgo on the other hand will be using this opportunity to improve her battling skills by taking down notes.

"Ready when you are. We will have a one on one Pokemon Battle. The match ends when either side no longer has any Pokemons to battle with. Staraptor, take it to the skies!" Falkner tosses out his Pokemon, intimidating me and Virgo. If I were to challenge him, I'd be dead meat right away.

Staraptor is a grayish-brown, avian Pokémon similar to a large bird of prey. It has small, red eyes and a thin, yellow beak with a black tip. There is a circular white patch on its forehead, which is smaller on the female. Larger white markings cover the front of its throat and chest, separated by a black ruff encircling the shoulders. A red-tipped, black crest extends over its head, nearly reaching the tip of its beak.

[Staraptor! The Predator Pokemon. A flying type, and the evolved form of Staravia. Staraptor's ferocious nature means that it has no problem challenging larger opponents.] Seemingly curious about such fine Pokemon, I decided to scan it with my Pokedex.

"Golbat, fly with me!" Unexpectedly, Charlotte chooses her Golbat over Dodrio. I was expecting her to use a newly evolved Pokemon, but it looks like Charlotte has plans of her own.

"Golbat? But she has a Dodrio." Virgo complains.

"Perhaps, she's willing to fight with flight. Since Staraptor can fly and Dodrio cannot, Charlotte wants to even the match by choosing a Pokemon that could fly as well. It's just a hunch though." I assume, watching the match carefully.

The match begins, and Falkner humbly gives the first move to Charlotte. She takes the opportunity as a chance to strike by commanding Golbat to use Air Slash. Before the attack hits the bird of prey, Staraptor immediately dodges, zooming behind Golbat. It is as if Staraptor is a bullet train, maximum velocity runs through its vessels.

This is my first time to see such a fast-paced Pokemon. If he was to know my identity as an agent, I clearly have no chance of defeating his Staraptor with my Pokemons, pushing me to rely on my aggression instead.

"Staraptor, Brave Bird!" Falkner makes the second move. His Staraptor extends its cunning wings and beamed through the sky with a yellow tail following it. It is as if Staraptor is a comet, setting a collision course to Golbat. No mercy, that is Staraptor's middle name. It and his trainer makes sure Golbat has no opportunity to strike or unleash a move.

However, brave bird is a move with a price. In return, it has dealt recoil damage to the bird of prey. Charlotte is in complete confusion, not knowing what move to call out next. Flinching, Falkner is given another opportunity to strike. He commands Staraptor to use Aerial Ace.

Charlotte responds quickly to the attack, asking Golbat to dodge it. The two Pokemons fought in the air in a ferocious and ravening manner. Each trying to triumph over one another. At the end of the match, Golbat drops from the sky, carrying its fainted body.

Even in defeat, the match was quite entertaining for us, and for Charlotte, it was a thrill for she has learned a lot of new things from the elegant master of bird Pokemon. With humility, the gym leader bows and shakes hand with Charlotte.

"Quite an exquisite battle we had. You need to train harder in order to achieve the title of a bird master. Take this defeat as a step forward to success." Falkner suggests.

The end has arrived, and our business in the training center is over. Now, it is time for the three of us to focus on our growling stomach. A late lunch in the city will definitely satisfy our bellies. Just by watching the two matches today, my knowledge on Pokemon Battling has increased despite having no talent towards it...