A Relay in the Sky

Alec's POV

A few days after Noibat was born, the group was in a canyon where Noibat could practice flying. Hawlucha had brought Noibat up into the air where he could get used to flying and not having to worry about take-off and landing. "Looking good, Noibat!" Ash called out from the ground.

"Noibat's getting better," Serena commented.

"All that training is starting to pay off," Clemont added.

[Alright! When's it my turn to fly!] Dedenne called out.

"You wanna fly too, Dedenne?" Bonnie asked.

[Yep!] Dedenne said, giving Bonnie a thumbs-up. Alec just chuckled.

"That's how it's done! Now try to flap your wings!" Ash told Noibat. Noibat started to do so, but his flaps were wild and panicked. Fletchinder flew in front of Noibat and showed him. "That's it, Fletchinder! Just copy his movement's Noibat!" Ash called out. A sudden wind gust then came in and unbalanced Noibat, but Hawlucha managed to show Noibat how to stabilize himself and Noibat did so. The three Flying-types came down to land and Noibat did so flawlessly. "Ya see, Noibat? You can fly. Now all you have to do is remember that stuff," Ash said. Noibat then started crying out in joy while unleashing a supersonic. Everyone covered their ears and Ash said something to calm Noibat down.

[Don't worry, Noibat, you'll be a great flyer,] Hawlucha said.

[Yeah,] Fletchinder agreed.

"See. Fletchinder and Hawlucha are with you," Ash said to Noibat. Noibat nodded before standing in front of Hawlucha and Fletchinder.

[Thanks for teaching me,] Noibat said. Just then, the Starly evolution line flew over the group.

"What's that about?" Ash asked.

"Maybe it has something to do with that," Serena said, pointing down the canyon to what looked like a finish line.

"Well, might as well check it out," Alec said.

"Look at all the Flying-types," Serena commented, looking at all the Pokémon around the finish line.

"Maybe there's some kind of contest," Clemont guessed.

"It feels a little bit like a Rhyhorn race," Serena added.

"It's a Pokémon Sky Relay," an old man said with a Noctowl by his side.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"You mean that you came all the way out here and didn't know what this is?" he asked, a bit surprised and amused.

"Well, it's more like we saw what was happening and were curious," Alec stated. The group introduced themselves and the man's name was Ornithol.

"So, what is a Pokémon Sky Relay?" Ash asked.

"It's a flying competition made up of teams of three flying Pokémon each. These Pokémon come all-around to show that they're the big wings of the Sky relay," Ornithol answered. Looking around, they saw a few teams and even the Starly evolution line, who were by a person who was most likely their trainer. "Oh, that's Orson. He's the previous winner of the Sky Relay. Course, he's looking for back to back wins," Ornithol said, pointing to the trainer. "So, are those Pokémon with you?" he asked, pointing to Hawlucha, Noibat, and Fletchinder.

"Yeah, they're my Pokémon," Ash answered.

Ornithol looked at the three with something in his eyes. Fletchinder looked unnerved, Noibat hid behind Hawlucha, who got into a defensive stance. "They've got spirit. I like that. Why don't you enter the Sky Relay too?" he asked Ash.

"Wait, us?" Ash asked.

"I'm asking you to join me in my dream to take the victory in the Pokémon Sky Relay, see?" he asked.

"Wow. Maybe we should do it, guys," Ash said.

"Ash, are you sure? Noibat too?" Serena asked.

"Yeah! Sounds like lots of fun to me," Ash answered.

"It does. Give me a moment and I can have a team myself," Alec added.

"So that means you agree to do it? Great!" Ornithol cheered. "We'll win the Sky Relay together!"

"Hey Noibat, this is perfect for some real training," Ash told him.

[I'm in!] Noibat shouted.

"Yeah! It'll be great!" Ash cheered.

After a quick stop to the Pokémon Center, Alec assembled his team of Phoenix (Talonflame), Missile, and Harrow. After that, they went to Ornithol's house nearby, where he explained the course, using a pointer on specific spots. "Here's the starting line. The starting Pokémon wears a sash and flies the first leg of the course with the trainer giving directions from a balloon above," he started. The first part looked pretty open with some trees near the end. "The second Pokémon is here. It receives the sash at the edge of the forest and circles around the cliffs. Finally, it passes the sash off to the anchor. The finish line is back at the start," he finished.

"Okay. We're going to start the first leg of the course with Fletchinder. Hawlucha's next, followed by Noibat," Ash said.

"Phoenix, you'll be first. Missile will be second and Harrow will finish it off," Alec told his team.

[Well, may the best team win,] Harrow told the other Flying-types.

[Well, I plan on winning this,] Hawlucha said confidently.

[As if. We'll win!] Missile declared. He and Hawlucha then started butting heads.

[So much for friendly competition,] Phoenix stated.

[Yep,] Fletchinder agreed.

"Stop it, both of you!" Ash shouted as he and Alec pulled Missile and Hawlucha apart.

"I was wondering, have you completed the relay before?" Serena asked.

"I'll bet your goal has always been to be the best and win first prize and set an unbeatable record for all of time," Clemont guessed.

"Sorry, but I've never done any of that," Ornithol admitted. Everyone looked at the old man with surprise. "I've never participated in the Sky Relay even once," he added.

"But how can that be true?" Serena asked.

"That's weird. You love the Sky Relay, don't you?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. I love it more than anything, but you see…" Ornithol started.

"Noctowl is your only Flying Pokémon, isn't he?" Alec asked, expecting the answer.

"Yes," he answered. Everyone but him and Noctowl fell comedically. "That's why I was hoping for the support of strong trainers like you," Ornithol added.

"Makes sense," Alec muttered.

[Real stupid though,] Ethan added.

"The actual racing experience may have eluded me, but I haven't been watching all these many years for nothin'. So will you two help my dream come true?" Ornithol asked Ash and Alec. The two nodded and the Pokémon being used for the relay cheered. "Glad to hear it. The start is the most important part of the race. That's where you get the first chance to take the lead. Then all the other Pokémon will see your back. How we come to the point where you enter the great forest. Exceptional mobility is key. Looking ahead while flying is paramount. Any drop in speed and you haven't got a chance. The second leg is a challenging course that takes you between huge rocks. Being careful is of the utmost importance. Now the third leg is fairly easy. Pretty much a straight line. Even Noibat should do well," Ornithol explained, pointing to spots on the course.

"Noibat, no doubt we can win this," Ash said to Noibat.

"But the wind currents in the valley can change wildly before you know it. They can go from peaceful and calm to completely out of control," Ornithol warned.

"Keep an eye out for that, Harrow," Alec told him and the Pidgeot nodded.

Phoenix's POV

The day of the race came around and Phoenix stood on the starting line in between Fletchinder and a Ledyba with a black ribbon around his body. "We've got great weather here today. A perfect day for the Pokémon Sky Relay. The Pokémon have finished their warm-ups and one by one their trainers are starting to climb aboard their balloons," the announcer said. Phoenix waited patiently for the announcer to start the race.

Eventually, a man in a flight outfit stepped up to the starting line. "All teams' Pokémon proceed to the starting line. Trainers, lift your balloons high into the air," he ordered. The Pokémon got ready for takeoff and Phoenix took a quick look back to see Alec in a black balloon.

"Get ready Phoenix!" Alec shouted.

[I'm always ready,] Phoenix said.

"Go get 'em Fletchinder!" Ash called out.

[Sure thing,] Fletchinder replied.

[Hey,] Phoenix said to Fletchinder, getting his attention. "May the best team win,] he said.

[And it will be us,] Fletchinder said.

"The balloons are on their way up, and the countdown has started," the announcer said. Phoenix readied himself. The signal was giving and Phoenix flew into the air. "And the first leg is off and flying!" was all Phoenix heard as he took to the sky. He and Fletchinder took an early lead with Staravia right behind them. Fletchinder was doing well keeping up with Phoenix. Either he was getting slower or Fletchinder was faster than normal, Phoenix hoped it was the latter.

"Fletchinder, rock and ROLL!" Ash shouted.

"Speed up Phoenix! Take the lead!" Alec ordered. Phoenix gave his next flap a bit of a boost in energy and he flew past Fletchinder.

"Come on Fletchinder! Catch up!" Ash called out. Phoenix saw this and did everything he could to block Fletchinder's path, but the smaller bird managed to slip by and get in front of him when they hit the forest. Fletchinder proved he was a bit more maneuverable as he moved through the tree branches with ease, Phoenix had to take a bit more work in following him.

"Phoenix, don't try to pass Fletchinder, he's too maneuverable in these trees, focus on keeping your place!" Alec ordered.

[Understood!] Phoenix shouted back as a few Bug-types caught up, used to flying in a forest. Phoenix was able to prevent them from passing him though. He then heard a ton of crashes behind him and Phoenix risked a look to see a Hydreigon crashing through the forest. [That's not good,] Phoenix thought aloud. Hydreigon was then right on top of him when Phoenix saw a large tree and led Hydreigon into it, knocking him out. The crash though had caused a bunch of fruit to start falling, but Phoenix was lucky and managed to avoid all of them. An Altaria then went wide around the leaders and took first, putting Phoenix into third.

[What?!] Fletchinder shouted. The two birds increased their speed in an attempt to retake their places. When they emerged from the trees, Altaria was first, followed by Staravia, who somehow got ahead, then Fletchinder and Phoenix, who were tied for third at the moment.

Phoenix then saw the relay point and Missile was looking impatient. "That's your cue!" someone shouted and a Pumpkaboo popped out of the clouds on Altaria's back, unbalancing him.

"Hey! What's going on?!" Someone else asked, likely Altaria's trainer.

Pumpkaboo threw his purple ribbon around Pelipper who took a bit to fly off. Staravia threw his ribbon at Staraptor who took off immediately. [Missile! I'm coming in!] Phoenix shouted, getting his attention.

[Get ready Hawlucha!] Fletchinder called out.

Hawlucha took a bit of a running start as Fletchinder caught up and gave him the blue ribbon he had and Phoenix tossed his towards Missile, who quickly flew into it and taking-off. [That was… though,] Phoenix said, a bit out of breath.

[Agreed,] Fletchinder said, panting heavily.

Missile's POV

Missile may have been a bit behind Hawlucha, but he was positive he could make up the difference and catch up to Pelipper. Pelipper then started speeding up. "We can't keep falling behind Missile! Time to speed up!" Alec called out.

[Time for my namesake,] Missile commented. He sped up incredibly quickly and managed to pass Hawlucha and Staraptor, catching up to Pelipper quickly. It also helped that Staraptor hit a wind current forcing him off course. As Missile approached Pelipper, Missile couldn't shake the feeling that Pelipper gave him, like something was off. [See ya sucker!] Missile shouted as he started to pass Pelipper. He was then slammed to the side by Pelipper and couldn't avoid the large rock ahead of him. [What the-!] he shouted, slipping to the side and getting knocked off balance and crashing.

"Missile!" Alec shouted as Staraptor and Hawlucha passed overhead, the latter using the rocks for speed. "You alright?" Alec asked, bringing the balloon overhead.

[I'm okay, but that was a cruel trick,] Missile answered, angry with what just happened.

"Can you keep going, or do you need to rest for a bit?" Alec asked as a few other Pokémon passed overhead.

[Let's do this!] Missile shouted, getting off the ground and putting on a burst of speed. He quickly blew by the other Pokémon and hoped to catch up to the leaders.

Harrow's POV

Harrow watched in shock when Pelipper, now revealed to be Meowth from Team Rocket, slammed into Missile. "What's this? It looks like Team Alec is regaining its momentum from Team R's attack!" the announcer shouted, the scream shifting to Missile moving quickly between the rocks.

[That's it Missile! Keep it up!] Harrow shouted.

[Noibat!] Hawlucha shouted as he flew up. He landed and pulled off the ribbon. [All yours,] he told Noibat.

[Alright then,] Noibat said, flying off. Staraptor landed just behind Noibat's takeoff and passed his ribbon to Starly.

A few moments later, Harrow saw a familiar silhouette in the distance as Missile flew up. [Harrow, finish this!] Missile shouted. Harrow got on the line as Missile came up and threw the ribbon around him. After a running start so he could adjust his wings a bit, Harrow took to the sky.

"Harrow, what happened to Pelipper's team?" Alec asked as his balloon caught up.

[They were Team Rocket and were disqualified after flying off!] Harrow shouted back.

"Figures. Well, we lost a bunch of momentum because of them, so push yourself to the limit and catch up!" Alec ordered.

[On it!] Harrow shouted, moving as fast as his body would let him as he started to catch up. He flew over the cliff drop just before the finish line and saw Noibat and Starly. Starly had been able to pass Noibat and was gaining a bit of a lead, but Noibat wasn't going down easily. As Harrow was about to go past the cliff, Harrow felt the wind current go wild.

"Dive down that current!" Alec ordered. Harrow tucked in his wings and dived down, feeling the wind rush past his face. The current stopped and Harrow used his extra momentum to gain more speed. Harrow caught up to Noibat and Starly as the two approached the finish line. The three past it and the announcer didn't say who won.

"That was too close! Give us a moment to check the cameras," he said instead. Harrow, Noibat, Starly, their trainers, and the audience watched as the screen did a frame by frame to see who won. "Looks like it wasn't Noibat," the announcer said, showing Noibat was just a bit too far away from Harrow and Starly. The image zoomed in on those two and show Starly was just a tiny bit over the line than Harrow. "Starly wins by the tip of its beak! And that means Team Orison wins the Pokémon Sky Relay!" the announcer shouted.

As the crowd cheered, Harrow turned to Starly. [Well, looks like I lost. Congratulations,] he said, pulling out his wing to shake.

[Thank you, but if Swellow hadn't been knocked off you would have definitely won,] Starly admitted, accepting the shake.

[That's the way things are sometimes. Rotten luck,] Harrow stated. [Still, your team won, we lost.]

"Good work Harrow. That was really close," Alec said after he landed his balloon and came up to Harrow.

[Shame we lost though,] Harrow said. [Would I have lost though if I had achieved Mega Evolution though?] he asked himself. He had seen how it had boosted Flame, Arco, Light, and Super after using it, but he immediately shook away the thought. [No. I don't deserve to have that kind of power,] he thought. Even though Alec did have the Pidgeotite, Harrow had refused to use it.

The two went up to Ash and Noibat who was joined by the others including Fletchinder and Hawlucha. Phoenix and Missile then showed up and joined Harrow. [You did great Noibat,] Hawlucha told him.

[Th- Thank you,] Noibat said.

"You were incredible Noibat," Clemont told him

"What a close third! Don't forget you were neck-and-neck with Team Orson right until the end!" Bonnie added.

[You were pretty impressive Noibat,] Harrow stated.

Ornithol then looked at Ash and Alec. "I can't thank you two enough. You've allowed me to finally live my dream. I'm deeply grateful to all of you. It's a wonderful feeling," he said.

A little bit later, Ash, Alec, and Orson were standing on a podium in their places with their Pokémon. Orson was handed the trophy for the Sky Relay and everyone applauded. Harrow personally didn't mind getting second, and from the looks of it, Alec and Phoenix felt the same way. Missile looked a bit annoyed from the loss, but he kept it contained.