Type: Flying
Shipping: SkyBladeShipping

One-Shot 12: SkarScraper

Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokémon friends were continuing their journey though the Johto Region when a caw echoed from the sky. The alert had everyone turn to the sky. "What's that!?" gasped Ash. Looking up, they saw Skarmory beginning its descent.

"A Skarmory!" alerted Brock.

"Get down!" shouted Misty. Everyone hit the deck as Skarmory passed above. It turned around and landed, cawing to the group. Pikachu got in front, ready to help his friends.

("I got Skarmory!") he called out. Ash stood behind his Pikachu to tame Skarmory.

"Get ready, Pikachu!" he warned. "Use Thunder-"

"Ash, wait!" snapped Brock. Ash and Pikachu jumped and turned to the upcoming Pokémon Breeder. "Something's not right: Skarmory wouldn't attack anyone far from its perch in the mountains." Ash listened and turned back to the Iron Bird Pokémon.

"Do you think Skarmory has a trainer?" wondered Misty. Brock wasn't sure but he had nothing to prove the case.

"I don't know, but anything is possible," he mulled. Taking Misty's guess, Pikachu squeaked up to Skarmory where the Steel/Flying Pokémon cawed, sounding rather distressed. Shocked, Pikachu squeaked back to Ash.

("Its trainer's in trouble!") he relayed. ("We gotta hurry!") None of the humans were sure what the Mouse Pokémon said. Pikachu reached Skarmory and onto its back.

"Pikachu, hold on!" alerted Ash. Pikachu was on Skarmory's head before waiving the group along.

"Is Pikachu telling us that Skarmory wants us to ride it?" pondered Misty. Brock crossed his arms, thinking the same thing.

"The problem is that it only can hold one of us," he pointed out. "Misty, you can ride with Pikachu and Togepi." Misty agreed and joined Pikachu with Togepi in her arms on Skarmory.

("Let's go!") squeaked Pikachu. Skarmory flew off before Ash and Brock followed.

"Let's get going," Brock nudged.

"Right!" agreed Ash. They hurried to where they found Miki nursing a Stantler. Red orbs were in the Stantler's antlers and red around the abdomen.

"You're going to be fine, Rudolph," she eased. Skarmory landed and allowed Misty and the Pokémon to dismount. Skarmory cawed to alert Miki. "Skarmory, you found help?" Pikachu raced to Miki's side.

("A Stantler?") squeaked Pikachu. Seeing who came along, Miki watched Misty arrive with Togepi in her arms.

"Misty!" she called. "Where's Ash and Brock?" Before Misty could answer…

"Over there!" shouted Brock. Miki and Misty saw the boys coming as they saw Rudolph.

"Hey, it's a Stantler!" gasped Ash. "But what's with the red orbs?" Miki stood up and faced the boys.

"Brock, you have the first-aid?" she requested.

"Yeah," Brock acknowledged as he brought out medicine for the Stantler. He knelt to the Big Horn Pokémon and observed the abdomen. "Just relax, Stantler. I got some Potion that will ease the pain." He sprayed the Potion onto Rudolph's injury which it bucked to the irritation.

"Easy, Rudolph!" called out Miki. "It's all we can do before we take you to the Pokémon Center!" Rudolph had no choice but to grit and bear it.

"Rudolph?" repeated Ash. Miki nodded.

"No mistaking the red orbs in Rudolph's antlers," she pointed. "That's Santa's lead Stantler." Ash, Misty, Brock and the other Pokémon gasped to the realization.

"Miki, what happened?" questioned Brock.

"I don't know, but I found Rudolph like this and had asked Skarmory to find help since I didn't have any first-aid," Miki mentioned. "If anything, I bet Rudolph was attacked." Noting Rudolph's significance, Ash, Misty and Brock had suspicions growing.

"What are the chances Team Rocket did this to Rudolph?" pondered Misty. Out of nowhere, James and Meowth entered the scene behind the redhead.

"If dis was done by Team Rocket," Meowth started. "It wasn't done by us." Hearing the Alley Cat Pokémon, Misty jumped and turned to the two. Ash, Brock, Miki and the Pokémon gathered around Rudolph to protect him.

"Calm down, twerps!" urged James. "We don't attack Pokémon already hurt!"

"Yeah, right!" mulled Ash.

"How do we know you guys aren't the ones responsible for Rudolph's pain?" growled Miki.

"Like we's do someting ta hurt a Pokémon before taking it!" proclaimed Meowth.

"Like my Pikachu!?" snapped Ash. James and Meowth gawked and knelt their heads, shamed about their past biting them back.

"By the way, where's Jessie?" wondered Misty. The question made James and Meowth a bit worried.

"We lied about us finding a rare Pokémon so she's waiting to hear back from us," James briefed. "Right now, we need to get this Stantler some treatment." Ash huddled by Brock, unsure about James and Meowth's offer to help.

"Should we trust them?" he asked.

"Believe me, Ash," Brock moaned. "I wouldn't want to side with them, either… All we can do is keep a close eye." Ash nodded as they came together. "Let's have Skarmory take the Pokémon while James takes the rest of us." Everyone agreed to the plan. There, Skarmory used its claws to carry Rudolph to the Pokémon Center nearby while Ash and Miki rode in the balloon. After the short ride, Skarmory scooped Misty and Togepi while James picked up Brock. Nurse Joy took Rudolph to intensive care. Joy examined the injury while everyone waited for results. As the group waited for Rudolph, Miki stood by Ash. Her anticipation about Rudolph's condition ate at her. Finally, Joy came out with Rudolph hoofing alongside.

"Stantler is good as new!" she announced as Rudolph came to Miki.

"Rudolph!" she cheered as the two hugged.

"That's great!" awed Misty. "Santa will be happy to see his leader!" Brock came to Joy and performed his shtick.

"Nurse Joy, you may have saved Christmas this year!" he cooed as he held Joy's hands. "Now, you can perform another miracle by Valentine's Day by having me as your Cupid with the chocolates and gold that you can- Ngh!" James played the role of Misty and pulled Brock from Joy.

"Even Jessie would find that excessive!" he groaned as he dragged Brock from the Center. Ash came to the video phone, calling Santa who responded. Ash informed Santa that one of her Stantler were found and treated.

"Jolly good to know, Ash!" the jolly one sighed in relief. "I'll have one of my little helpers come and pick him up. Thank you for making sure Rudolph's in good health."

"Anything to make sure the Pokémon are okay," Ash smiled. "We'll be here for your helper." After the phone call, Ash reported back with the rest. "One of Santa's helpers will be here to pick Rudolph up." The news made everyone awe the quick effort by Ash.

"It's a good ting Jessie isn't with us," Meowth mewed.

"And why would you say that?" questioned Misty.

"Jessie would've taken Stantler and made its injury worse," James answered. Ash didn't believe his enemy's claim.

"Like how you came after Pikachu when he was magnitzed in Gringy City?" he pointed out.

"All Jessie," Meowth pleaded. Misty and Brock weren't satisfied with the answer. They stepped out with Ash and Miki staying over Rudolph. Without warning, a net came flying at Rudolph. Unable to react fast enough, Ash, Miki, Pikachu and Rudolph were netted. The others gasped in fear.

"Ash!" cried Misty.

"Miki!" cried Brock.

"Twerps!" cried James and Meowth. The last two turned, finding two other members of Team Rocket. Recovering, Ash saw them as well.

"Cassidy!" he growled.

"And Butter!" mocked James. Butch doubled over in shock.

"It's Butch!" he corrected loudly. "Get it through your skull-cracked skulls!" The others gawked to how poorly Butch responded.

"Skull-cracked… skulls?" repeated Miki.

"He needs to see a speech writer about how to properly make a comeback," Misty mulled. Togepi just laughed.

"In any case, we'll be taking that special Stantler back to Team Rocket HQ!" proclaimed Cassidy. "And that Pikachu to boot!" Feeling the fabric of rope for the netting, Miki chose to break free.

"Skarmory, help me out!" she called. Hearing her, Skarmory swooped in and shredded the net. Free, Ash and Miki stood in front of Rudolph.

"Alright, Team Rocket!" snapped Ash as Skarmory and Pikachu stood, ready to go. "We're keeping Christmas alive!"

"You stand no chance of beating us!" added Miki as someone passed over. Cassidy and Butch seemed not bothered.

"As if!" she snapped while she and Butch threw their Pokéballs. "Drowzee! Let's get them to kneel!"

"Cloyster, time to shut their shells!" added Butch. The balls came forward and… just plopped on the ground. They didn't open. Everyone seemed mystified to why Cassidy and Butch's Pokémon didn't emerge.

"Drowzee, I'm in need of help!" snapped Cassidy.

"Cloyster, you need to clam them up, not you!" roared Butch. The oddity caught everyone by surprise.

"Wait, why aren't Team Rocket's Pokémon coming out?" wondered Misty. Looking up, there was a sleigh which Santa and a Jynx rode on, carried by a trio of Dragonite. "Santa! And a helper!" Santa saw the Rockets who attacked the children.

"Cassidy and Butch!" scowled Santa. "You dare attack children!? I have a special present for you!" He chucked a gift to Butch.

"At least Santa knows his list of names that he checks twice," he scowled as he caught the gift. He undid the ribbon before an explosion caught the two. It was a trap and the two were caged, literally.

"NO FAIR!" shouted Cassidy. She and Butch shook the cage but it wasn't moving an inch. The sleigh landed before Santa came to Rudolph.

"Oh, Rudolph!" he cried. "Thank goodness that you're okay!" Rudolph neighed, thankful that he reunited with his trainer. Ash and Miki came to Santa and his returned Pokémon.

"I thought you're sending a helper to get Rudolph," Ash laughed. "Not yourself!" Miki joined in with a giggle.

"My boy, a Pokémon cannot battle without guidance from its trainer," Santa advised. "Besides, I've also called Officer Jenny so she'll be coming by to pick Team Rocket up." That told James and Meowth to depart from the area.

"And dat's our cue ta leave!" the Alley Cat Pokémon mewed.

"Until next time!" warned James before the two ran off, supposedly back to Jessie. Santa scoffed to the sight.

"They are unaware that I delivered a gift to the Police Station a few minutes before arriving," he teased. The others gasped to Santa's quick response. "Alas, come Christmas time… All four of you are getting something exceptionally special." The kids couldn't be happier about the rewards from Santa. With Rudolph back in his care, Santa flew off, waiving to the kids. "I WILL SEE YOU ALL ON CHRISTMAS DAY!" Misty and Brock watched on while waiving.

"Maybe Santa can get me the love I wanted for so long!" he wished. Misty sighed to Brock's desire.

"Not while I'm around!" she scorned. Brock got a little fidgety to Misty's warning.

"And it ain't with me," Miki denied. "Because I got my early Christmas gift right here…" In front of Misty and Brock, Miki hugged Ash around the neck and kissed him on the lips. Misty and Brock gasped in horror while the Pokémon cheered in delight. 'Ash, I want your strength to be my strength as well.' Misty began to protest the union while Brock collapsed in defeat. Miki lost to Ash when his Cyndaquil defeated her Skarmory, but now the sight of Miki's love to Ash will leave another scar… One which will carry to Christmas Day.

END of FLYING, END of VOLUME XI

(That will do it for this year. I will be back as I continue G Gundam and Food Wars, then two stories that have been wanting to do. Thank you all for your support and reaction all of 2021. When I have 12 girls for Volume XII, it will set up for 2023's All-Star Volume. So, on that note, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!)