Chapter 23 – Toby or Not Toby
Last time on "Flight of a Legend"…
The suspicious stranger that approached Volan and the others after Thrin's battle, in fact, turned out to be Diantha, the Champion of Kalos. She had heard of Volan and Thrin due to their heroic deeds in Unova. After chatting with her for a while, they learned more about Mega Evolution and acquired holo-casters through which they could communicate with Diantha in the future. Meanwhile, Sera tried and failed to challenge the Lumiose Gym, and ended up reluctantly tagging along with Calem and his friends…
-.-.-.-.-.
"That's it, Piper!" encouraged Volan, calling up to the Fire-and-Flying-type that now soared high above him. "Now use Peck on the way down!"
Piper, who had previously boosted her speed with Agility, folded her wings and came down from her lofty height so fast that white lines of disturbed air could be seen around her. Her beak flashed with light and then dimmed to a steady glow, and she rammed it home into the tree branch she'd been aiming for.
The branch, already half-broken and weighed down with berries, snapped easily from the force of Piper's Peck attack. It thumped to the ground, scattering its fruits everywhere. Piper let out a tweeting victory call, and Claire hopped out of Thrin's arms to gather up some berries to pop in her mouth.
"Great work!" Volan complimented Piper as she settled down to rest atop the broken branch. "I think we're getting better with the teamwork, definitely, and you seem to be executing your moves much more easily."
"Fletchindah," Piper replied, appearing flippant but obviously pleased.
"There still seems to be room for improvement, though," continued Volan, thinking back to how he'd commanded her in their training session. She still seemed to hesitate whenever he ordered a move, like the trust between Pokemon and Trainer wasn't wholly there.
"It'll be fine," Thrin assured him, picking up on his inner doubts. "All you two need to do is work a little harder and spend some more time improving, and you'll be working like a proper team in no time at all."
"She's right," Trevor agreed. "Why not teach Piper a new move? That could really help the two of you get more in sync with each other."
That was a very good idea, so Volan nodded, "Thanks, Trevor. I'm sure I have a technical machine or two that could be helpful."
Technical machines, or TMs for short, were useful devices that provided additional knowledge for Pokemon attempting to learn moves that would otherwise never come naturally to them, or be simply difficult to master. For example, not all Fire-type Pokemon could learn Flame Charge in the wild, but with the help of a TM, they could be taught to manipulate their flames in a way to utilize the speedy move.
Reaching a hand into his backpack, Volan dug out his collection of TMs. It had expanded since his time in Unova, many of which had been bought in Aquacorde Town or won in local tournaments. Seaching through them, the Gurei boy managed to find a handful that might end up being useful.
"Here's a few," he commented, which prompted Piper to fly down to land in the dirt next to him. "Let's see… Steel Wing and Acrobatics will be easy, because according to my books, Fletchinder can learn them just through regular battle experience. But here's an interesting one."
He held up the dark-colored disc, its surface reflecting sunlight as he turned it around in his hand. "It's called Thief. It's a moderately powerful Dark-type move. We could catch some foes off guard with this move, and even steal any items they could be holding."
Giving Pokemon items to hold in battle wasn't a very common strategy, but he'd seen the odd Focus Sash or Quick Claw in official battles on television. Not to mention, some Pokemon like Conkeldurr and Marowak actually wielded weapons – Piper might be able to steal those as well. And now that he knew Mega Evolution was a thing, and might turn out to be something he'd face in the future, he'd like to see if this move could be a way to prevent it from happening at all.
He relayed his reasoning to Piper, who agreed with him. She wouldn't mind a move that'd allow her to hit more types for super-effective damage, and she seemed intrigued when he mentioned they could test out whether or not they could steal Mega Stones with it mid-battle.
"Dang," remarked Thrin. "That's smart. I hadn't even thought of that. Will it work?"
"Only one way to find out," Volan answered. "Let's start practicing right away, Piper!"
"Chindaaaaah~!" Piper sang enthusiastically, wheeling into the air to get herself ready for more training.
"Hey, Edgar," Volan called out to the Murkrow, who was perched in a nearby tree. "Can you help Piper learn this move? You're the only Dark-type we've got on hand, so you could teach her how to harness and wield the energy properly."
That made sense to Edgar, who had been about to protest that he didn't know the move in question himself. But getting a non-Dark-type to get a feel for the energy involved wouldn't be too hard, he reasoned. He spread his wings and joined Piper in the air for their next training exercise. Both he and Volan gave the Fletchinder their own bits of advice – Volan reading the instructions displayed in his Pokedex upon slotting in the TM, and Edgar drawing from his own experiences.
"Well, while you guys do that," Thrin said, walking over to another portion of the field they were staying in, "I'm going to do some training with Claire! Now that she's officially my Pokemon, I want to see what she can really do!"
"Froak!" Claire agreed instantly, launching herself out of Thrin's backpack and landing on the ground in front of her.
"I'll battle you if you want," Trevor offered. "I haven't really battled with Flabébé yet, so I'll use her."
The tiny Fairy-type was delighted to hear that she'd get to battle, and quickly zipped into position.
Quickly, the portion of field they had settled themselves in on Route 5 had become a frenzy of action. Volan was off by himself, calling out instructions and words of encouragement to Piper whenever she failed to pull off the new attack or made an improvement. Beside him, Majesty the Combee watched with interest as the two birds and their Trainer worked tirelessly. Elsewhere, though still nearby, Thrin and Trevor had a quick mock battle with Claire and Flabébé in order to get used to using them in battle.
When they were finished, they went back to watch Volan continue to train Piper. It still seemed as though Piper was struggling with her new move. The Gurei boy encouraged her to aim for the umpteenth tree branch in a row and attack it once more with Thief. As the two bystanders watched, the Fletchinder streaked forward, then threw out her talons at the last minute to strike the tree branch. It snapped off no problem and joined the broken twigs of various sizes now littering the ground around the tree, but there had only been the barest spark of Dark-type energy there.
"Alright, you're getting the hang of it!" Volan encouraged. "Only a few more tries, and we'll probably get it!"
"Fletch," Piper scoffed softly. "'Probably', he says."
Edgar flew over and flicked her on the beak with a talon. "Ay, enough of dat negativity. Maintainin' a positive attitude keeps things serendipitous, see?"
"If you're going to keep practicing," Thrin cupped her hands around her mouth and called over to her brother and his Pokemon, "you should do it on a different tree. At the rate you're going, it's going to run out of limbs."
To see what she meant, Volan cast his gaze over at the tree he'd been having Piper strike at, and only now saw how many of its branches had been clipped and fallen to the ground. Wincing at its pitiful state and nodding understandingly, the Gurei boy motioned for his fliers to come along as he retrieved his things and went over to join back up with Thrin and Trevor.
"I think we should keep going," the latter stated, slinging his camera around his neck. "We still have a ways to travel before we hit Camphrier Town."
"That's true," agreed Volan. "Piper, we'll continue our training later, okay?"
The Fire-and-Flying-type flicked her head to show she understood before being drawn back into her Poke Ball.
"And Majesty," Volan added, "We'll find time to train too, don't worry."
She bowed slightly and allowed herself to be reabsorbed as well. That only left Edgar, who comfortably settled down on his master's shoulder with a contented caw.
Thrin returned Akuma and Claire while Trevor did the same with Charmander, but once again, Flabébé refused to comply. She darted around the red streams of light and stuck to the orange-haired boy's neck first chance she got, prompting a sigh out of him.
Smiling with amusement, Volan and Thrin waited until the resigned Trevor had walked into the middle of them to continue their journey. They strolled at a leisurely pace down the dirt path, passing by patches of tall grass and trees, and felt the terrain starting to slope gradually upward as they progressed farther into Route 5. At one point, when they were about halfway up the first hill, Volan happened to glance to his side and noticed what looked like a roller-skating park off in the distance.
They stopped to rest once they'd reached the first plateau, but from the looks of things, there were still several more upward inclines to traverse. Fortunately, the hilly landscape was supposed to drop back down when they got close to the next town. That would make the last leg of their hike a little more bearable.
But only moments after they started up their former pace and were about to work on climbing the next hill, the sound of an explosion reached their ears. Smoke suddenly rose into the air from beyond the crest of the hill, closely enough for the acrid smell to reach their noses quickly.
"Ordinary battle, or trouble?" asked Thrin.
"I suppose we're going to have to find out for ourselves either way," replied Volan. He led the way up the next incline.
When they got to the top, taking their final steps at a run, they saw what all the commotion was about. It was indeed an ordinary battle – that is, it would have been if it weren't for the participants. On one side was a completely unremarkable-looking Trainer, who brought out his Poke Ball to reclaim a fainted mammalian Pokemon with a ringed tail. But the other Trainer was what really made him stop and look twice. It was none other than his dear old chum Toby, who had his arms crossed and a victorious grin plastered on his smug face while another unfamiliar Pokemon stood at his heels.
"I won and you lost!" Toby crowed. "Sorry, kid, but you're going to have to get a lot stronger than that if you want to beat me!"
The Trainer seemed to shudder for a second, fighting back either a sob or a protest, and then took his Poke Ball and went off down the hill, in the same direction from whence Volan and his companions had come.
Toby did a comical double take when he saw that he had more company – or it might have been comical if Volan wasn't already scowling at the sight of his arch-nemesis. The shock quickly disappeared from Toby's face, though, and he pulled up his baggy pants with an ecstatic grin.
"Well hey, it's Bird Brain and his pals!" the greasy-haired teenaged Trainer called out with a casual wave hello. "Did you see me completely dice that big-talker? Pfft, and he thinks he has what it takes to win the Kalos League."
"And you do?" challenged Volan, arcing a skeptical eyebrow. "Speaking of talking big…"
A flash of irritation briefly darkened Toby's otherwise inoffensive smile. "Um, duh. Don't you remember, I beat you last time we fought! If a Shelmet like you can make it into a League, then I can win it easy-peasy."
Abruptly, Toby blinked and studied Volan more carefully, apparently only really noticing him as of now – or at least, what was different about him. "No way, since when did you wear a cast? Broke your arm, Bird Brain?"
"Don't give me that mock sympathy," he snapped at his nemesis. "And if you're going for the Kalos League, you'll find it an uphill battle if you go about it with that cocky attitude of yours."
"Last I checked, you need badges to enter a League in the first place," Thrin pointed out. "Earned any of those lately?"
Their hopes of watching Toby deflate like a Qwilfish were immediately dashed when he did the opposite in response to Thrin's challenge, puffing his chest out with pride as he thrust out a badge case containing a sparkling Bug Badge.
"Got this from Santalune City only a couple of days ago," he bragged shamelessly. "Bug Badge, losers. And if that's the best Kalos has to offer, I can make it as far as Championhood with both arms tied behind my back!"
"You're like a Drifblim, Toby," Volan smirked. "Full of hot air."
Matching his smirk perfectly, Toby retorted, "You must be dumber than I thought to be spouting bullcrap to someone stronger than you. Guess I have to beat some sense into you just like back when we were kids, huh?"
He held out a Poke Ball, an unmistakable invitation to battle. "Come on, Bird Brain," he taunted. "I'll even let you choose one of your sad little friends to fight me with in a double battle. That way at least your misery will have company!"
Wordlessly, Volan turned to Thrin and Trevor. He knew that neither of them had a very high opinion of the jerk in front of him, so he wasn't surprised to see that both had equally fierce expressions that promised a world of pain for Toby if they got picked to battle.
When Volan looked at her, Thrin took a determined step forward. "Come on, Volan, let's go. You know that he doesn't stand a chance against our teamwork."
But Trevor seemed adamant as well – in fact, more so than even the times he'd helped them battle the Team Flare grunts.
"Trevor?" he asked the other boy. "I've fought with Thrin plenty of times before, but do you want to give it a go?"
"Y-Yes!" Trevor replied. Normally his eyes were wide with worry, but now he had narrowed them determinedly. "I might not be training hard for the Kalos League like you and Thrin, but I'll do my best!"
That decision made, Volan and Trevor stood side-by-side and prepared to face their unsavory foe. Seeing that his opponents were apparently ready, Toby grinned with anticipation and backed off a considerable distance so that their Pokemon would have plenty of room. He slouched slightly when he got into position, tossing his chosen Poke Ball from hand to hand with casual confidence. To him, the winner of this battle had already been decided. He wouldn't be losing to Bird Brain or the pipsqueak beside him.
"Here's my first Pokemon!" Toby declared, lobbing the capsule.
It opened up with a rush of blue light to reveal a Pokemon Volan recognized immediately on sight – a Timburr. It was a greyish Fighting-type with a large nose and cocksure smirk, and it carried around a hefty log that served as its main weapon. This one looked exceptionally strong, though, if Volan's memory of the other well-trained Timburr he'd fought in the past was still intact.
"Wallop here is one of the best Pokemon I've found in Kalos!" boasted Toby. "And my other Pokemon might not have a perfect win streak like he does, but it's still plenty powerful enough to take you down, Bird Brain."
Dramatically, Toby stuck out his arm and pointed straight at Volan and Trevor. "Go and get 'em, Gulp!"
The unusual Pokemon that had been with Toby before waved its leaves and moved forward with a series of strange, swaying strides. Its stem-like body wiggled with every move, making its bright yellow head look dangerously unbalanced, but it never once lost control. Small bruises and cuts could be seen marring various parts of its body, probably from the battle it had won just prior to this. It appeared to be a Grass-type of some sort, but Volan wasn't sure. He took out his Pokedex and pointed it at the thing.
With a whir as it expanded, the computerized encyclopedia confirmed, "Bellsprout. Insectivora mandragora. A Grass-and-Poison-type Flower Pokemon. One of the first plant-like Grass-types discovered with the ability to use its roots as feet, Bellsprout was at first the subject of much scientific debate over whether or not it was plant or animal. It was even said to be related to the mythical mandrake plant before it was officially classified. Bellsprout is highly toxic and produces acid that it is able to spit at its prey. It catches insects blindingly fast, and uses this same acid to digest them. Its body is extremely skinny, but it uses its flexible form to its greatest advantage when avoiding attacks. Specimen is female with a power level of sixteen. Known moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap, Poison Powder. Ability: Chlorophyll."
"Beeeeeellsprout," she moaned out in an odd voice that somehow matched her constantly wiggling stem perfectly.
"See?" laughed Toby. "Even after battling that wimp from earlier, Gulp is still good to go! Now let's see what dumb Pokemon you've got for me to pummel this time, Bird Brain. Unless you want to Shelmet out of here."
Gritting his teeth at the vile Unovan insult, Volan took a ball of his own from his belt. "Let's show no mercy, Piper!" he cried.
She appeared with a dramatic flash of her wings and fearsome cry, small embers sparkling around her before burning out instantly. Her keen eyes narrowed upon sighting the two Pokemon before her, instantly understanding that this was a proper battle. She'd fight with all she had to prove her strength to these ignorant new opponents!
"F-Flabébé!" called Trevor. "You fight too, a-alright?"
The Fairy-type that floated close to his shoulder appeared delighted at the chance to battle, and she fluttered forward with a soft, excited squeak. When she got into position, she clutched her flower while it bobbed back and forth with a sudden energy, born from her eagerness to fight on her Trainer's behalf.
"V-Volan," Trevor said, drawing the Gurei boy's attention briefly. "Flabébé has an advantage against that Timburr, so can you have Piper focus on the Bellsprout?"
"Got it," Volan replied.
While they were strategizing, Toby was taking the time to assess the Pokemon he was now up against. To say he was underwhelmed would have been an understatement.
"Oh man!" he barked out a laugh. "Classic, Volan, just classic. Another stupid bird and a girly little pixie the size of my nose! You never fail to disappoint, do you?"
Now it was Volan's turn to give Toby a taunt. "If you're scared, Toby, we won't think any less of you if you run away. Then we'll know who the real Shelmet is around here."
That did it, exactly as he thought it would. Toby's eyes blazed, any semblance of fake politeness and nonchalance wiped away to make way for anger. Enough was enough, now was the time to get serious.
"Wallop, Gulp, show these idiots what happens when they mouth off to us! And don't you dare lose!" he bellowed.
"Burr!" the Timburr, Wallop, grunted as he streaked forward with his log held at the ready.
"Beeeell!" cried Gulp, a pair of vines sprouting from just behind her head and shooting forward.
"That looks like Low Sweep and Vine Whip!" warned Volan.
"R-Right!" Trevor stammered, who resisted flinching in fright. "Flabébé, d-dodge it!"
However, the ever-nervous boy's command came too late. He'd wasted precious time being surprised, and both Piper and Flabébé were slammed by the attacks. Wallop's log swung through the air and smashed into Piper's wing with a dull *thwack*, causing the Fire-and-Flying-type to flutter awkwardly while a blue aura flashed around her, and Gulp's vines lashed at Flabébé one at a time, dealing a duo of blows that left her reeling.
"Suck it, wimps!" Toby crowed. "Wallop, hit the bird with your Rock Throw! Gulp, poison the fairy!"
Gritting his teeth, Volan remembered that Low Sweep tended to hit the opposing Pokemon in a way that decreased its speed, which was exactly what he'd witnessed happen to Piper. Fortunately, though…
"Get back up to speed with your Agility!" he yelled.
"Fleeeet-chindaaaah!" cried Piper. She now glowed red as she boosted her speed stat, suddenly regaining the proper use of her wing. She sped away in time to avoid the heavy stone that the Timburr lobbed at her, soaring into the deep blue sky above.
Meanwhile, Gulp's bulb-shaped head inflated like a balloon, and she opened her mouth to forcefully exhale a dense cloud of dark purple dust at Flabébé. Based on the volatile bubbles spontaneously forming and popping within the mixture, it definitely had toxic properties.
"Use Fairy Wind to disperse it, Flabébé!" called Trevor.
"Fla bey!" she chirped, and sent a fierce, sparkling gust at the Poison Powder that tore it apart in only a second.
Now, it was time for the counterattack. "Piper, give that Timburr a taste of your Peck!" Volan ordered.
"And Flabébé, hit the Bellsprout with Tackle!" Trevor added.
The two Pokemon struck as one – Piper rocketing down from the skies to ram her glowing beak into Wallop's chest while Flabébé steered her flower solidly into Gulp's head, the only part of the gangly plant she could reliably attack. Both enemy Pokemon cringed and fell to their knees, but didn't go down.
"Strength and Wrap!" commanded Toby.
Shaking off the damage they'd sustained, Wallop and Gulp sprang into action. The Fighting-type swung his log again, but this time it was outlined with a thin red aura to indicate its strength… no pun intended. The Grass-and-Poison-type once again extended a pair of vines, but the way they coiled on their way toward Flabébé showed their intention of crushing rather than whipping.
"Counter with Peck!" Volan shouted.
At the same time, Trevor cried, "Use your Vine Whip!"
Piper's beak flashed with light, and she did a swift loop in the air so that she could meet Wallop's timber at exactly the opposite angle from which it was swung. The resulting impact generated enough force to actually tear the weapon from Wallop's grasp, while Piper flew past him and curved upwards to soar back into the sky, having barely lost any momentum from the collision.
Flabébé unleashed two of her own vines from the flower she rode on, shrieking a high-pitched note as she sent them at her foe without mercy. Her vines and Gulp's vines met halfway and spiraled around each other, soon becoming tightly entangled as the two furiously tugged against the other.
"Piper, help Flabébé get the upper hand!" Volan directed.
"Don't let them do that!" countered Toby, appearing frustrated at the helpless situation he was in. "Wallop, get your log back and use Rock Throw before they can attack Gulp!"
Luckily for the Timburr, his weapon hadn't fallen far from him when Piper had attacked. As the Fletchinder let out a strident cry, snapping her wings closed and stooping down towards a preoccupied Gulp, he grabbed his log and immediately slammed it into the ground, causing decent-sized chunks of rock to fly up upon impact. With yet another swing of the log, the Fighting-type sent the stones – five in total – barreling toward Piper.
"Incoming on your left!" Volan warned her. "Use Ember on the ground!"
The air around the battlefield wavered as hot puffs of flaming gas struck the ground beneath Piper and heated up the area, producing an updraft that boosted her up out of the way of the flying rocks. Rather, they flew harmlessly into the grass around Flabébé and Gulp's struggle, exploding harmlessly into fading clouds of dust.
"Now, get that Bellsprout with Peck!" he shouted.
"Fleeeet… chindaaaaah!" shrieked Piper, and dive-bombed the sentient plant once again, this time with her beak taking on a deadly glow.
Flabébé released her vines with only a second to spare, allowing Gulp to let out a victorious cry and send her vines forward – before Piper plowed into her like an avian bullet, throwing her the length of the battlefield. With a strangled moan, the Flower Pokemon struggled to rise, feeling the injuries both from her battle now and from the one she'd previously waged.
"Arceus damnit, Gulp, I told you you're not allowed to lose!" Toby harshly chastised her. "Get up and use Wrap on the bird!"
"S-Sprooooout…" Gulp groaned, awkwardly wiggling her body into a proper standing position before unleashing her vines once more.
Too quickly for Piper to react, the green tendrils zipped past her and curled around her sides. Although her wings weren't bound, allowing her to hover, she was still stuck in place and couldn't move any farther away from Gulp. To make matters worse, the Wrap attack would do continuous damage over time as it constricted her, as evidenced by the way the area around her beak was starting to turn blue.
"That's it! Now let's give it a nice big Low Sweep as its reward for messing with us!" laughed Toby, like the bully he was.
"Timburr tim!" Wallop grunted, and ran forward with his log held high.
"Trevor!" called Volan.
"O-On it!" the orange-haired boy replied. "Flabébé, stop that Timburr with Tackle!"
The antagonistic sprite darted forward unusually quickly for something that should've been slowed down by wind resistance against her flower. Scowling ferociously at her opponent, Flabébé ducked her head and swooped down in preparation to ram herself into Wallop's gut.
The Muscular Pokemon acted on reflex, though, using his prepared attack to swat Flabébé away from him. Once she'd been repelled, Wallop concentrated once more on his previous target and moved to smack the trapped Piper.
At Volan's side, Edgar cawed in distress as he saw his teammate trapped with nowhere to avoid the incoming move. But he needn't have worried – Volan had a plan, observing shrewdly that Gulp's vines were currently stretched taut against a futilely-struggling Piper.
"Piper!" he yelled up to her, breaking her out of her growing panic. "Go straight toward it with Quick Attack!"
This time, there was no hesitation, no disobeying his orders. Piper was desperate at this point, with tight vines crushing her torso so that she could no longer breathe, and she knew that following Volan's command was the only way to get free.
Absorbing white light into her body, she threw her wings back to propel herself at Mach speed directly at the Bellsprout – who, in her stunned state, was completely unable to twist her flexible body away from it. Her vines instantly went slack from the shock of the impact, allowing the Fire-and-Flying-type to tackle her even farther across the field.
For only a second, Volan allowed himself a smile at her willingness to work with him in a time of crisis. They were getting better together, he was sure of it.
Free once again, Piper allowed herself a moment of rest to pant heavily and catch her breath. However, she wasn't safe yet, as Toby still had another Pokemon able to fight.
"Rock Throw!" he shouted.
Letting out a determined yell, eager to get payback from when she smacked away his prized timber, Wallop batted three good-sized stones at her, which whistled softly as they streaked forwards on their trajectories toward their mutual target. This time, Piper was in no position to avoid the massively dangerous Rock-type move.
But luckily, Volan wasn't alone in this fight.
"Flabébé, destroy them with your Fairy Wind!" ordered Trevor, taking the initiative now that Volan and his Pokemon were in danger.
"Laaaaa-BEY!" shrieked Flabébé. With a wave of her flower, she conjured a wave of sparkling air that slammed against the incoming rocks and shattered them to dust.
Gritting his teeth, Toby appeared hesitant. No matter his boasting and his insistence on an easy victory, his opponents were powerful and wouldn't make things easy for him. The solution was obviously more power, then overwhelm them with the sheer strength of his Pokemon.
"Growth and Bulk Up!" he snapped at the combatants.
Both Gulp and Wallop were encased in a rising red aura, with the former stretching to a couple of inches taller in height while the latter flexed his muscles and made them bulge. Now with increased attack power, they were in the perfect position to simply sweep Volan and Trevor's Pokemon as Toby had erroneously figured they'd be able to do from the start. Either he needed to put more work into training, or he just needed better Pokemon…
"Watch this, Bird Brain!" the bully shouted angrily to his would-be victim. "I'm about to show you what a weakling you are and always have been! Vine Whip and Strength, go!"
"Belllll!" Gulp moaned, shooting out her vines yet again.
"Burrrrr!" hollered Wallop, his log faintly glowing red.
Suddenly, a spark of anger flared up in Piper's eyes. This time without Volan's urging, she launched herself forward at Wallop, emitting a terrifying war cry. "CHINDAAAAAH! HI-YAAAAH!"
She threw one of her talons out in front of her as she approached the opposing Pokemon, and dark energy exploded out from the tips of her claws to engulf her foot like a purple glove. She kicked out at Wallop's log with a force that exploded violently around them, filling the immediate vicinity with black smoke. It was Piper who came flying out, with the addition of a rectangular object dangling from her still-glowing claws.
"Piper," Volan breathed her name, awed by the results of the flashy display. "We did it! You've learned to use Thief!"
"Chin fletch chindah. Sorry about striking out on my own like that," the Ember Pokemon apologized. Then, she dropped down to a hover right in front of her master and continued, this time perfectly legibly, "I think I understand now. I should place my full trust in you from now on."
Initially shocked beyond belief that he was all of a sudden hearing Piper's voice loud and clear, Volan got over it quickly and drew strength from the realization of this newfound bond he'd formed with her. He grinned, knowing that there was no way he was going to let Toby beat him this time.
Speaking of which…
"Wh-What the… that, that Pokemon just stole Wallop's log!" Toby gaped, absolutely dumbfounded at this development. "That is not fair, dude! Since when did you start fighting dirty?"
"Legitimate attack, idiot," Volan bit out, the annoyance at his long-time rival coming back with a vengeance.
Face reddening, Toby's surprise gave way to anger as he retorted, "Well then, you're just asking for it at this point! Get his Pokemon with Rock Throw and Poison Powder!"
"Agility!" the Gurei boy shouted in reply.
"And you use Fairy Wind!" Trevor said to Flabébé.
Her body glowing red as her speed increased, Piper blurred out of view, dodging the stones that Wallop furiously tossed in her direction. However, the acceleration prevented her from stopping and changing direction right away when she saw the cloud of Poison Powder being exhaled directly in her path, and this caused her to fly right into it. She emerged from the purple dust with significantly clumsier wingbeats, eyes squeezed shut with pain as the poison made it into her system.
But before Toby could take advantage of the Fletchinder's weakened state, the Fairy Wind came tearing across the battlefield and slamming solidly into Wallop and Gulp. They both got up from the impact, but it was obvious from the way they staggered to their feet that their stamina was running out. Gulp was the most severely injured, carrying new wounds in addition to the ones she'd already been carrying into this bout.
"Don't tell me you can't handle a fairy and a bird!" Toby accused his Pokemon, outraged that he'd been driven into this corner instead of having won already. "Come on, you two, step up your game!"
Gulp moaned lowly and wobbled in place, her condition making it difficult for her to stay upright. Wallop had no such problem, even with the bruises and scratches covering his body, but without his piece of timber he was far less threatening.
"Use Rock Throw as cover!" demanded Toby. "Then use that to get your log back!"
"Burr burr Timburr!" cried the Fighting-type, forming several stones from orange-yellow energy gathered in his hands. The second he'd sent the rocks flying in all directions, but generally toward his foes, he dashed for the large piece of wood that now lay abandoned elsewhere on the battlefield.
As much as Volan wished he could direct Piper around the rocks and have her attack the Timburr, there was no way he could do so in such a short amount of time – he'd have to prioritize making sure she actually avoided the projectiles first. So he instructed her to dodge them, keeping one eye on the songbird Pokemon as she looped around the ballistic rocks while he kept the other trained on Wallop as he retrieved his weapon.
"Flabébé, use Tackle on that Bellsprout!" Trevor commanded.
However, while Wallop was currently preoccupied, Gulp was not. On Toby's orders, she retaliated with a Vine Whip that spun Flabébé back in the direction of her master, momentarily dazed from the strike. Then another set of vines coiled out with the intention of binding the smaller creature.
"Stop that Wrap attack with your Ember!" yelled Volan.
"Help's on the way!" Piper chirped to her ally.
Swooping under the last of the rocks, she closed a bit of the distance between her and Flabébé and shot several fiery clouds at the Grass-and-Poison-type. The embers struck the extending vines in a number of spots along their lengths and immediately incinerated them to nothing, eliciting a squeal of pain from Gulp.
"Keep using Ember!" Volan continued.
"Don't get hit!" warned Toby.
Piper advanced on the Bellsprout, shooting puffs of fire from her beak. Despite her injuries, though, Gulp was still very nimble, able to twist her sinuous stem-like body out of the way regardless of how sluggish her movements had become.
With Piper taking care of the one Pokemon, Volan shot a significant look at Trevor and nodded. Picking up on his cue, the shorter boy took a step forward and called, "Hit the Timburr with your Fairy Wind!"
"Fla bey!" squeaked Flabébé in response.
The Single Bloom Pokemon swung her flower and conjured another wave of pixie dust that slammed into Wallop's back, right as he picked up his log and readied it to defend himself. Stung badly by the effective attack, he tumbled head-over-heels and just barely managed to stand again. His steps as he walked back into position were shaky and painful.
The same could not be said for Gulp, however.
With a blast of flame, one of Piper's bursts of fire connected with Gulp's head and exploded, sufficient to send the flytrap-like Pokemon down to the ground. Scorched and battered, she simply could no longer take the abuse and lay still.
Irritated to the point where a strangled growl of frustration made it through his gritted teeth, Toby recalled Gulp into her Poke Ball. "You're paying for that!" he swore to his opponents. "Wallop, crush them with your Strength!"
The Fighting-type held his log high over his head and charged, bellowing a war cry as he did so, his weapon infused with potent red light.
Somehow, Volan and Trevor together found the confidence to stand their ground and meet Toby's aggressive action unflinchingly. Perhaps it was the fact that the match had turned in their favor, and that their two Pokemon held greater collective power than the single one left on Toby's side.
"Tackle!" ordered Trevor.
"Peck!" Volan finished.
It was Flabébé that hit their last remaining opponent first, while Piper took the time to add additional force to her attack by flying up and gaining some altitude. The Fairy-type slammed into Wallop with enough strength to stagger him, but not stop him completely. That was when Piper struck next, her beak smashing against Wallop's chest and blazing past him as if he hadn't even been there. After receiving this attack, the Pokemon could do nothing but clutch at his stomach, double over, and collapse to the ground with a soft thudding sound.
Volan and Trevor had won the double battle, leaving Toby defeated and themselves deeply satisfied.
"Nice job, Flabébé," the latter congratulated his Pokemon. He genuinely seemed comfortable around the Fairy-type this time – it was probably the elation he felt in their victory that had such an effect on him.
"Bey la fey!" she chirped in reply, darting close to him so she could rub her tiny face against his with obvious affection.
It was right then that Trevor remembered his usual attitude to her intimate habits, and went stark white while fumbling for her ball. He found it and recalled her without delay, his face gradually going back to its original color.
But Volan, on the other hand, had his needle-sharp glare focused on Toby alone. "Had enough?" he challenged "You lost, so does this mean you'll leave us alone now?"
Cringing in horror for a second, Toby quickly regained his composure and returned his other Pokemon, turning up his nose in an unfettered expression. "Pfft, lucky shot, Bird Brain. If I'd been using my more experienced Pokemon, I'd have wiped the floor with you."
"Keep telling yourself that," Volan sneered back, unconvinced.
"So you beat my two weakest Pokemon, big deal!" the bully continued to brag, wiping his nose smugly. "That victory was a fluke and you know it. In fact, if Gulp wasn't being such a wuss, we'd still have won. So really, you didn't beat me at all!"
"That doesn't even make sense!" Trevor protested. "You're just being a sore loser."
"And what do you know about it, kid?" he taunted. "You've been a Trainer for what, less than a week? If my Pokemon are too weak, it's not my fault I lose, get it? Like I said, if I had my better Pokemon with me, then I'd have lost. You're only actual Trainer material if you beat someone at their best."
"Do you even hear yourself when you talk?" Thrin asked rhetorically. "If you're going to place blame on your Bellsprout, at least take some responsibility for forcing it to fight when it was already injured."
Despite her impeccable point, her words didn't have an effect on him. He simply chuckled and casually lobbed Gulp's Poke Ball into the air, saying, "Hey, if you really care about this wimp so much, take care of it yourself."
Blue light streamed from the capsule, releasing its battered inhabitant. However, this time the cerulean glow lingered on Gulp's body before finally flickering away. There was no doubt about it – she'd been officially released from the Poke Ball. Barely conscious, Gulp wobbled to her feet and blinked at her surroundings dazedly, wondering what she was doing back out in the open.
"There you go," Toby shrugged. "I'm not keeping a Pokemon around that drags me and my real team down like that."
See, Volan had known that Toby was a serious jerk (and that was putting it in the nicest terms possible) ever since he'd encountered Rudy in the Castelia Sewers on his travels through Unova. He was aware that Toby was willing to stoop low enough to abandon a Pokemon for petty reasons like, say, being unable to learn a difficult move, as he'd done to the then-Sandile. Sure, it made him angry, but it was a vague feeling – like knowing you should be mad, but not actually experiencing the emotion yourself.
And today, he was finally seeing it for himself.
"B-Bell?" stammered Gulp. The idea that she was being rejected woke her up, filling her rest-deprived body with energy that only fear could supply.
"Don't look at me like that," Toby scolded her, turning his back. "I tried to make you into a Pokemon worth using, but there are obviously better Pokemon out there that I could be using. You're free now or whatever. Just get off my back."
In that moment, Volan realized what was exactly so familiar about Gulp. She looked astoundingly similar to Hydreigon – No, it's Goryn now, he reminded himself. The Grass-and-Poison-type had that same desperate expression that screamed Give me another chance, I promise I'll do better next time. Volan knew it as the one that always flickered across Goryn's faces whenever he thought he'd screwed up enough to get booted from Volan's team.
The resemblance was enough to make his heart wrench with pity for Gulp, and his veins burn with fury at his rival for driving her to such a state of panic.
"BELL!" Gulp cried as she watched Toby start to leave. She'd done her best! Was that not good enough for the Trainer that had promised to make her strong? Didn't he realize that it was hard for her to fight two battles in a row without rest?
Apparently not, because he reacted to her further protests with rage. He turned around and tossed another Poke Ball, and within the space of a second, Gulp was sent tumbling away to land unconscious in the grass with a strike from the tail of Volt the Raichu.
"One more Tail Whip," he spat contemptuously, "just to make sure she doesn't try to follow us again."
"Rai rai!" the Electric-type laughed cruelly, and whipped her long tail at the helpless Bellsprout one more time.
Volan's eyes blazed at the display, filling him with a maddened desire to make Toby pay for his actions in blood.
"Edgar! Piper!" the Gurei boy yelled their names in a sizzling voice.
No command was needed – both birds knew what he wanted them to do. Each letting out a defiant screech, the two Flying-types dove at Volt's head and struck her with a Peck, driving her away before she could hurt Gulp any further. They hovered there, giving the Raichu a combined glare that dared her to make another move, type advantage or no. Meanwhile, Trevor slipped in to carefully claim the still Bellsprout, then drew back behind the Gurei siblings so as to protect her from further harm.
Toby snarled with annoyance at the way Volan and Thrin stood up to him, but decided not to press the matter further – apparently, this wasn't worth getting into another fight for. He simply reabsorbed Volt back inside her ball, and elbowed his way past the brother and sister with more force than was necessary. They stumbled a little from his shove, but otherwise didn't move, keeping their heated glares on his retreating back until he'd been lost from view.
"That son of a Bisharp," cursed Thrin, as soon as he was gone. "I knew he was bad ever since we met Rudy in Unova, but that was the most despicable thing I've ever seen. Treating a Pokemon like that, honestly!"
"I was thinking the exact same thing," Volan agreed. He gestured for Edgar and Piper to come back and continued sarcastically, "Glad to see he hasn't changed his ways at all in six years. Believe me, before all's said and done, I'm going to make sure that both Bernice and Rudy have their chance to kick his ass all the way back to Unova."
The Gureis were silent for that moment, stewing in their mutual hatred for the bully they'd just fought and inadvertently feeling closer to one another in sharing this intense emotion together. They'd both heard the phrase "misery loves company" before, but it also seemed to be the case for their righteous anger. Perhaps it was any strong emotion that could apply here.
"Hold on, what was it you just said?" asked Thrin, turning her questioning gaze on her brother.
Taken slightly aback, Volan thought back to his last statement and repeated, "Uh, I said that eventually there'll be a chance for me, Bernice, and Rudy to get back at Toby for what he's done to us… why?"
A new light was gleaming in Thrin's eyes – the light of inspiration. Volan didn't know what was going through her head, that is until she turned around and stared at Gulp contemplatively… then it all made sense to him.
The Bellsprout, despite being so near to them, looked very small and lonely as she crouched weakly in the grass. Her body was hunched with the effort of keeping herself aloft. It was clear that she couldn't take any more abuse than she already had. Thrin only approached her after getting onto her knees, shuffling forward so as not to make the recently abandoned Grass-and-Poison-type feel too threatened.
"Hey, Gulp," she greeted her softly. "You know, no matter what Toby said, I think you did a pretty good job in that battle."
She did not get any sort of reply, other than Gulp slightly raising her head so that she could peek up at the Gurei girl.
"I'd like you to come along with me and be part of my team," Thrin invited. "Toby doesn't know what he's talking about. You're no weakling. So I suppose what I'm saying… is that you can come enter the Kalos League with me and prove that your old Trainer is wrong about you."
Gulp raised her head even higher, stretching out to almost her full height, with what looked like new hope dawning behind her eyes.
"So what do you say?" Thrin continued kindly, giving her a patient smile. "Want to show the whole world what an awesome Pokemon you really are?"
It was impossible for Volan to know exactly what was going on inside Gulp's head. She'd already had to endure one of the worst acts of cruelty a Trainer could possibly inflict on their Pokemon, and not even a minute afterwards, she was being offered the complete opposite – a new future and a chance to start again under the guidance of a kind and welcoming Trainer, without even getting some time to finish processing the shock of her abrupt abandonment.
It must be pretty overwhelming for Gulp, Volan thought. Good for her, though. I can't believe Thrin's doing this, but at the same time I'm glad she is.
At last, following a good few seconds of anticipation, Gulp gave Thrin her answer.
"Bellsprout bell!" she uttered. Her bulbous head bobbed almost uncontrollably up and down on her comparatively spindly body.
"That's a yes," Piper confirmed for Volan. "And hey, this is my first time translating for you, 'cause now you can understand me and all."
"First time fer everyting, now ain't dere?" remarked Edgar, raising a wing.
Delighted at Gulp's acceptance, Thrin eagerly shimmied her shoulders to get her backpack off and quickly took out an empty Poke Ball. She thrust her arm forward, holding the capsule out to Gulp button-side first.
"Let's work as a team toward our goal, okay Gulp?" asked the Gurei girl.
"Beeeeell!" Gulp cried happily. "I'll try to make you proud!"
Using her leaf to give the button a single tap, she did not resist as the ball popped open and sucked her inside as a globule of scarlet energy, closing with a *click*. It wiggled for several seconds in Thrin's open palm before settling down and dinging cheerfully.
Trembling with excitement, Thrin turned the capsule over so she could peer through the transparent bottom at the Pokemon that was now contained inside. Volan crouched down and leaned forward, and she obligingly tilted her hand forward to provide him with a better view. Seeing Gulp the Bellsprout relaxing inside the sphere calmed him somewhat, taking a little of the edge off the rage he felt towards Toby.
When he backed up into his normal crouching position, Thrin hurled the Poke Ball skyward with an energetic cry of, "Come on out, Gulp!"
In the seconds it took for her newest partner to materialize, the younger Gurei had already unclipped Akuma's and Claire's capsules from her belt and sent them out as well. Once all three of her Pokemon were standing before her, she took the wounded Bellsprout in her arms and held her before the other two.
"Gang, this is Gulp!" she introduced. "She's going to be traveling with us from now on, so make sure to work together on our travels."
"Nice to meetcha!" Akuma giggled.
"Froakie," added Claire. "Likewise."
"Now hold still," Thrin instructed Gulp, shifting her so that she was now seated in her lap. "I'm going to use a healing potion to treat your wounds. That'll do the trick until we can get to the Pokemon Center."
Once Gulp was fixed up (temporarily, at least), it was high time the group started moving on. They still had more than half of Route 5 to travel, after all. Camphrier Town awaited them – and it was there at the historic site that they could begin investigating Mega Evolution for the professor.
We also have to keep a sharp eye out for Team Flare, Volan thought grimly. And Diantha said she'd contact us if she found anything important…
There was a lot to remain aware of, but Volan shoved it to the back of his mind for later. Now, it was time to enjoy the rest of their relaxing stroll up and down the hills of Route 5.
-.-.-.-.-.
A reviewer pointed something out to me in the last chapter, regarding the badge requirements to access the Lumiose Gym. I did not make a mistake, it was intentional.
I'm going to explain this just so that there's no confusion – Volan and Thrin have expanded their collection of TMs since moving to Kalos, so they can teach their Pokemon a much wider variety of moves.
This chapter went on for longer than I anticipated. I'll need to be careful about chapter length in the future. But anyway, Thrin gets a second new Pokémon! That dumbass Toby had better watch out, because now he's got two 'mons with a grudge against him.
Gulp: "Bellsprout bell! Please give us reviews!"
Insectivora mandragora = "insect-eating mandrake"
Next chapter: Ye Olde Camphrier Towne
Chapter Question #19: What's your favorite Gen 6 Pokemon?
Noivern and Hawlucha are tied for mine, mostly because of their badass designs and incredible viability in-game. (But of course, having starring roles in the anime doesn't hurt!)
-.-.-.-.-.
Volan's Kalos Team:
Edgar (Murkrow, male)
Ability: Super Luck
Piper (Fletchinder, female)
Ability: Flame Body
Moves: Peck, Ember, Agility, Thief
Majesty (Combee, female)
Ability: Honey Gather
Thrin's Kalos Team:
Akuma (Vivillon, male)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Claire (Froakie, female, shiny)
Ability: Protean
Gulp (Bellsprout, female)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves: Vine Whip, Growth, Wrap, Poison Powder