Falkner

**Falkner** inherited the title of Violet City Gym Leader from his father, Walker. By the time he was fifteen, he could take the non-traveling Trainer Challenge at any gym.

## History

### The New Timeline (Past)

On Falkner's tenth birthday, his father gave him a Pidgey that hatched from an egg one of his Pokémon had laid. This was followed shortly by a Spearow, Hoothoot and Tailow. Falkner trained these Pokémon gifted to him until he was fifteen and legally allowed to get a trainer license and capture Pokémon on his own. At this point Falkner's team was powerful enough to challenge for and win a Non-Traveling Trainer League Entrance battle against any of the Johto Gym Leaders.

After Falkner had his license he started a pet project on the side of his regular training. He wanted to track down and then capture the five Legendary Bird Pokémon: Ho-Oh, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. He wasn't able to make much progress on this goal until ten months before he turned eighteen, when he succeeded in convincing the a Kimono Girl, Satsuki to help him learn about the Johto legends.

He watched his father have one final gym battle and win against a new trainer named Dan, before Falkner left for his trip to attempt the capture. Walker asked Falkner to be sure to be home by his eighteenth birthday so he could receive a special gift, which Falkner knew would be the Violet Gym Leader title.

Falkner flew on his Pidgeot to the National Park, where he met with Satsuki. There she asked him what his goal would be once he had the Legendary birds in his possession. Falkner replied that he was unsure but that, it was necessary to become his definition of a Pokémon Master. After some thought she agreed that he would not bring ruin were he to capture them, and the two proceeded to fly to her home in Ecruteak City. There they separated with plans to meet again in the morning.

In the morning Falkner woke up early as he always does and went to Satsuki's house to pick her up. When he knocked on the door, he woke up her and her four sisters. Satsuki brought him inside where he joined the sisters for breakfast, and suffered some teasing.

After breakfast Falkner and Satsuki went to the Ecruteak City History Museum, where he learned what he could about Ho-Oh and Lugia. While admiring the exhibits, a man, Koji, came up to them and Satsuki introduced him as a sage and the museum's curator. Koji promised to help Falkner, as long as he ventured into the deepest chamber of the Burned Tower and recount what he witnesses there.

The pair then left to explore the tower. Once they entered the tower the floor collapsed beneath their feet and the fell to the floor below. With the path up blocked by rubble, they decided to continue deeper into the tower as Falkner had to go that way anyways. When they arrived at the chamber, Falkner could see a large mural depicting the Legendaries and a man with some text in an unreadable language beneath it. Unsure of the meaning of the mural but having reached their goal Falkner had his Xatu teleport them back into the city proper.

When the two returned to the museum, Koji explained that the the text on the mural means "worthy." He said that he would only be able to help Falkner more if he was, before asking if Falkner thought himself to be so. Falkner replied that he could not know if he was worthy unless he tried his goal and either succeeded or failed. Koji deemed this an acceptable answer and awarded him with a Rainbow Wing, and explained the feather could be used as a compass to Ho-Oh.

One month later, he tracked the legend all the way to the summit of Mt. Silver and challenged it. Ho-Oh's first attack defeated his strongest Pokémon in a single hit, tore up the surrounding mountainside and knocked him off a cliff. He survived, but was in a coma for four days. After that, he decided to toughen up before trying again.

Falkner returned home at some point before his eighteenth birthday and Walker transferred the ownership and Gym Leader duties to him.

Falkner's first challenger as acting Gym Leader, was someone aiming for their eighth badge. Falkner defended against the trainer and proved victorious, not just in the first battle but also in the two rematches to follow.

Over the next year, Falkner performed very well and as thanks to his Pidgeot who helped him, he obtained a Pidgeotite and holder for the Pokémon to be equipped with, though he had yet to get himself a Key Stone.

Some time later Falkner and Walker took a vacation to The Duchy of Rota. While there, a young rogue Aura Guardian apprentice, Lancelot, broke into the Duchy's secret vaults and stole an ancient object, before going on a murderous rampage. Lady Ilene, who was aware of their presence, summoned them and then requested that they help apprehend the criminal.

When they confronted the youth, his Lucario, Caliburn, used his powers of aura to turn the two Flying-type specialists' Pokémon against them. It eventually came down to Walker's Skarmory battling against Falkner's Pidgeot, who was being manipulated by Caliburn. Pidgeot was proving to be to much for Skarmory, so Walker suggested that Falkner Mega Evolve his starter to try to break the hold, and then presented him with a Key Stone. Falkner was worried about it being their first time trying Mega Evolution, but eventually relented to his father's suggestion. He focused on his bond with Pidgeot and the journey that they had together before the evolution process began. The transformation successfully snapped Mega Pidgeot out of the control and the two then proceeded to use a Heat Wave that finished off both the Lucario and the rogue guardian.

After the father and son verified that they had not gone overboard against their opponents, Walker retrieved the gem that Lancelot had been holding and a moment later declared that they had to destroy it. Falkner had his Pidgeot due to honors. They then delivered the criminals to the Rotan Knights and into a cell. In the cell, Lancelot awoke and started talking about it being time Bloodliners take the world back from the humans.

Once things had finally calmed down, Duchess Ilene presented the family members a medal as thanks for stopping Lancelot. After the two asked about possible motive and consequences, everyone fell into a more relaxed state now that everything was concluded.

## Pokémon

### Badge 8 Challenge

* Heat Wave
* Steel Wing

## Equipment

### Key Stone

Falkner obtained a Key Stone from his father during the battle against Lancelot and Caliburn on his vacation in The Duchy of Rota. It is housed in a winged locket.

## Links

1. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/EP131
2. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/EP131
3. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/EP131
4. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/EP131