Type: Flying
Shipping: FightFlightShipping
One-Shot 11: Canyon You Fly Like This?
Ash, Serena, Bonnie and the Pokémon were feeding themselves during lunchtime. They stopped by a lightly wooded area. "I want seconds!" cheered Bonnie.
("I want more, too!") squeaked Dedenne. As Serena gave more food to Bonnie and Dedenne, a Talonflame flew in. It feasted on some Pokémon food after Fennekin cleared from her bowl. Everyone became astonished to who arrived.
"A Talonflame?" gulped Ash. Fletchinder squawked to Talonflame who squawked back. It gave Serena a thought.
"That Talonflame…" she pondered. That's when they got an answer before a question could be asked.
"Hey, everyone!" shouted someone from above. Everyone looked up and saw Moira fly in in her wingsuit. She made a two-point landing in front of the kids. "I see that Talonflame's a bit hungry after all the flying." Seeing a friend, the kids were willing to greet her.
"Hey, Moira!" welcomed Serena. "More Sky Battle training?"
"You know it, Serena. By the way, what happened to you? Last I saw, you had such long hair!" Serena had a bashful look.
"I lost the Coumarie Contest and I had to start anew. It took Bonnie a bit to get attached to it." To Moira, she understood the ordeal.
"A new start… I understand." She also noticed one member missing. "By the way, where's the tinkering man?" Ash opted to answer for the group.
"Clement's getting ready for our gym battle in Lumiose City," he explained. Moira awed the idea.
"I see…" she hushed. Bonnie wanted to change the subject.
"So what are you doing with Talonflame?" she asked. Moira giggled before answering.
"Well, there's a canyon I took Talonflame to many times, ever since he was a Fletchling." Talonflame cawed in agreement. "We've gotten better with each time we needed a refresher, including after Ash and Fletchinder beat my Talonflame." Ash chuckled to the surprising victory.
"We all need a refresher at some point," Serena pointed out. "So where's this canyon?" Pointing from where she came, Moira showed the path.
"It's back that way," she said. Following her, Ash and the girls headed to a new canyon where the rock formations were random: pillars, holes, cones…
"Whoa!" gawked Serena. "And I thought Kalos Canyon was a sight to behold." A gust of wind blew across, forcing Serena to hold down her skirt and Ash to hold his lid tight.
"The crosswinds and constant shifts make this canyon a delight for Sky Battle Trainers," Moira explained. "You can imagine the hang time and speed from flying in a place like this." Ash removed his cap and felt the wind brush his hair.
"This feels awesome…" he awed. "The thrill is out there… and I'm willing to try it out!" Serena and Bonnie gawked to Ash's sudden will to challenge the canyon.
"Are you out of your mind!?" snapped Serena. "You've only had a day to try Sky Battles!" A sigh from Ash held a history he wanted to share.
"Serena, I've tried many things like skateboarding, sledding, surfing… and besides, flying is still fun. If I wanna be the best, I gotta conquer everything in front of me." Serena sighed but Bonnie saw the fire within Ash's eyes.
"Yay, go do it, Ash!" she cheered. Ash had a pair of Pokéballs, willing to bring out his Pokémon again.
"Thanks, Bonnie!" Feeding off the little blond's confidence, Ash excused himself to change into his wingsuit. He had one more item in mind. "If I'm gonna fly, I might wanna bring out my own Flying-Type Pokémon. Fletchinder, Hawlucha, I choose you!" Throwing his Pokéballs up, they opened to release his Ember and Wrestling Pokémon. The two Pokémon gazed to the canyon and felt the winds through their feathers. "Ready to tackle this, you two?" Fletchinder let out a proud caw as Hawlucha gazed with blazing eyes.
("This feels great, amigo,") Hawlucha beaked. Moira chuckled to the sight.
"Hawlucha's feeling the desire," she sneered. "I'll lead. Don't get lost!" She made a running jump with her arms out to her sides. With a gust of wind, Moira took flight with Talonflame following.
"You're not seriously going to do this," Serena pleaded.
"My Pokémon and I will be fine," Ash assured. With his arms spread, he, Fletchinder and Hawlucha ran and leaped to take flight with the crosswinds blowing them upward. Pikachu watched with the girls as Ash and his Flying-Type Pokémon pursued Moira and Talonflame. They flew over the many rock formations as they caught up to the leading pair.
"Ash, Fletchinder, Hawlucha!" she named out. "So glad you could join us!"
"Like heck we'd back down!" Caws from Fletchinder and Hawlucha confirmed to the Scorching Pokémon to continue pursuit. As the group flew high, Moira glided toward Ash.
"Let me show you some moves!" She flew away from Ash and to a formation that was like a doughnut. She pulled her arms in to dive bomb at the hole in the formation.
"Moira!" Instead of hearing Ash, Moira continued and dove through the hole before bringing her wings back up. She was a foot off the ground when the crosswinds caught her and lifted her but not before tunneling an arch. Rising back up, Ash breathed a sigh of relief before meeting back with Moira.
"Years of practice can make you do some daring moves!" Fascinated, Hawlucha spun down in a spiral before pulling up through narrow uprights. Fletchinder didn't want to go outdone as he flew through a row of pillars in and out with quick agility. Ash studied his Pokémon and wondered if he could do similar feats.
'My Pokémon are smaller so someone as big as me won't have that much control. Also, the lack of proper training might land me in the rocks. Well, I can't accomplish anything without trying it.' Giving in, Ash did the same act as Moira by folding his wings up and descending. Moira gasped to Ash's sudden and reckless start.
"Ash, don't do anything stupid!" His eyes on a hook-like formation, Ash aimed for the same swoop like Moira and the Pokémon before. He eyed the target. Talonflame cawed to Ash, believing he wasn't going to succeed. That's when Ash pulled out, spreading his wings and taking flight.
'That wasn't a good angle. Glad Talonflame called me before I hit.' Flying back, Moira sighed in relief.
"I didn't think you were really ready." Out of nowhere, a blast of wind pushed Moira upward and Ash sideways into a spin. He was out of control. "Oh no… Ash!" Moira flew down toward Ash who tried to straighten out, but couldn't before she and the Pokémon arrived. They flew to the ground and landed safely before entering a cavern. Inside, Ash and Moira had a moment to calm down.
"What just happened?" Checking the wingsuit, Moira found what happened.
"Good thing I carry some thread and needle for when freak accidents happen." Fletchinder and Talonflame clamped their beaks to hold the damaged fabric together. Moira sewn the wing back together. "Good as new!" Ash flapped his arm a couple of times.
"So that's what it was…" Moira had more.
"And it's a good thing we're away from Serena. She'd be throwing a fit considering how close you two are." This left Ash a bit puzzled.
"What does Serena have to-" Before Ash could finish, Moira kissed Ash on the lips. The Flying-Type Pokémon gasped in surprise.
("Did not see that coming,") Hawlucha beaked. Moira finished her rather long kiss.
"That was for saving me and Talonflame from Team Rocket," she remembered. Ash blushed greatly to the kiss.
"Thanks, I guess…" As Ash peered out, he spotted Team Rocket's Meowth balloon. Knowing their target, they had to act fast.
"Not again… We gotta do something." Ash eyed the two later evolution stages of Fletchling.
"Hey, Talonflame… wanna do a combination?" Talonflame gawked to what Ash meant. In the balloon, Jessie, James and Meowth flew through the sky in search for Pikachu.
"Without their tinkering twerp, getting Pikachu should be a piece of cake!" sneered Jessie.
"Just because dat tinkering twerp's not dere, dat Pikachu twerp isn't sleeping on da job." Meowth warned.
"And you know he's got a few tricks up his sleeve, no thanks to us," James moaned.
"Please, like he's a sneaky little twerp," Jessie dismissed. "What's he gonna do, fly into our basket for a pinpoint attack?" As if cued, Ash flew onto the rim of the basket.
"Now how would you have known that, Jessie?" he sneered. Turning, Team Rocket viewed Ash in his wingsuit and snickering.
"TWERP!" they shouted together.
"I guess now I unleash the sneak attack," he joked. "Use Flame Charge, Fletchinder! And Talonflame, you use Flamethrower on Fletchinder!" Ash leaped down from the basket as a blazing beam blasted the balloon to a crisp. It looked like Talonflame shot Fletchinder with his Flamethrower, the latter ablaze and easily ripping through the balloon. Embers fell into the burner as Ash flew clear of the explosion that launched Team Rocket from the canyon.
"We're blasting off again!" they cried. Ash returned to Moira, Talonflame and Fletchinder.
"That was perfect!" she cheered. "Always nice to beat them to the punch!"
"Totally," Ash agreed. Hawlucha bumped fist and wing with Fletchinder and Talonflame. "Let's head back. I bet Serena and Bonnie saw that."
"You got it." The flying quintet flew through the canyon on their way back to the two girls. Moira would leave Ash with Serena, knowing he'll be in good hands. However, she'll remember that moment she and Ash were on Cloud 9.
END of FLYING
Last up: STEEL
(Thanks to everyone who voted. The 12 Elements of AshMas couldn't be done without your help. This last chapter will finish up 2018 for me.)