Chapter 9: Ten-Four, Good Buddy

Based off an idea I got most very recently. Hope you enjoy!


There's hardly anything in this world that is how it appears to be. Even the weakest and most plain creatures can surprise you.

And Team Go-Getters is full of surprises...


It was the night before Team Go-Getters was scheduled to head back to Berk. Everyone was sleeping rather soundly, except for Snivels, who was sitting by a few lit candles with his long nose stuck in a book.

Buddy the Type: Null, however, was tossing and turning in his sleep. Not that he was having a nightmare, but it was a rather peculiar dream.

He could hear someone speaking to him from somewhere in a foggy area. He wanted to call out, but his helmet prevented him from speaking. He'd been unable to say a word since the day he was forced to don the uncomfortable headgear that confined his uncontrollable powers - the powers he'd gotten from the Type Plates, and Arceus, when he had been created.

Buddy's eyes darted this way and that, searching through the fog to find the source of the voice that was calling him.

Finally, a figure emerged from the fog, a white creature with a golden cross-like wheel and streaks of gray.

Buddy had seen this creature before. This was Arceus, the creator of the Multiverse and all things alive.

Archon tilted his head up a little, speaking slowly and solemnly.

"Son."

Unable to respond verbally, Buddy sank to his knees and bowed.

"I sense conflict within you," Archon said. "And fear. You worry you may never live up to your full potential. Remember, Archia and I created you for a reason. Our power to change our own types, and the powers of the Type Plates, they all flow within you. You were still young, inexperienced."

Buddy rose to his feet, his eyes downcast in shame.

"It took me a long time to learn how to control my own powers," Archon said comfortingly. "Not every Legendary and Mythical Pokémon starts out great and powerful. They need to learn, to adapt. Now, it's your turn."

Buddy still averted his eyes. There were many things he wanted, and one of them was to never let his father down.

Archon stepped forward and lifted Buddy's head with one of his golden hooves so he could look his son in the eye. If Arceus had mouths, Archon would have smiled. He knew what Buddy was thinking, he could see it in his eyes. "You have never let me down, son. No matter what happens, I will never regret creating you. Don't ever forget that."

Buddy didn't have time to give any form of response before the dream faded away and he woke up, panting heavily through his helmet.


Snivels barely took the time to blink as his eyes scanned the writing upon the pages of his book.

Well, it wasn't technically his book. It had been lent to him by Adhesive.

He was still sitting quietly, nearing the end of his book, when Blaze walked by, only to stop and stare at what her friend was doing. She took one look at his hunched-over manner and bloodshot eyes and asked, "Have you been up all night?"

"Is it morning?" Snivels asked without taking his eyes off the book.

"Yes," Blaze answered simply and bluntly.

"Then I've been up all night," Snivels concluded, his voice heavy with realization. That didn't stop him from turning the page and continuing to read the book he was holding. He remained there even when the room filled up with all the other team members, their confused and concerned stares going unnoticed by the Pokémon bookworm.

Adhesive flew over to the sleep-deprived Servine, duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "I take it you followed my reading recommendation."

"Why else would I be sitting here, reading this book?" Snivels asked, turning the page again.

That earned him a look of surprise from Hiccup. "You stayed up all night reading that one book?"

Snivels finally looked up from the book he was reading. "No." He gestured behind himself to a stack of eleven more books. "I stayed up all night reading the whole series." He closed the book and placed it on top of the stack. "Whoever Cressida Cowell is, she has talent, but, personally, I'm not a fan of this book series."

"Join the club, Snivster," Adhesive said empathetically. "The film franchise is way better. Except the second movie, I don't like how that one ended."

Snivels shut his tired eyes. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but I'll believe it." Then he slumped over. "If anyone needs me, I'll be..." He didn't get the chance to finish before he fell over onto his stomach, fast asleep and snoring lightly.

Amber caught sight of her sleeping mate. "Guess I'm carrying him," she said, unsure of whether she should be frustrated or delighted about that fact.


The flight back to Berk would probably have been more fun if Hiccup wasn't dreading what would be awaiting him. If only there was some way to permanently escape Snotlout's oafishness, the twins' stupidity, and his father's expectations for his son to be something he had no wish of becoming.

Also, a certain Servine napping on the back of an amber-colored Charizard was mumbling a bunch of things in his sleep.

"Poor Toothless, he's so tiny..."

The Night Fury glanced over at Snivels at the sound of his name, but frowned when he heard the word "tiny."

"Why am I not surprised Snivels talks in his sleep?" a slightly amused Astrid asked no one in particular.

"It only happens when he's in deep sleep," Amber replied, looking over her shoulder at her slumbering mate. "And I mean deep. I'd be surprised if he woke up before next Thursday."

Shifting a little, the napping Snivels mumbled out, "Green and purple...where's the red?"

The situation remained that way for the rest of the flight. Snivels would inexplicably say odd things like, "There are no Vorpents," or things that sounded downright crazy, such as, "Stormfly doesn't change colors."

They were lucky to not get a welcoming committee when they finally reached Berk. Splice had clearly done his job right, no one had seemed to notice the team had been absent the whole time they'd been at the Ice Caves.

But no one was expecting a pair of odd dragons lying down next to their house in Raven Point.

Hiccup and Toothless landed first, approaching the pair with looks of recognition. "We know these guys," said the rider as all his friends touched down behind him and the Night Fury. "They helped us when Berk was covered in lightning storms."

Adhesive flew around the pair of dragons, eyes wide in amazement. "Really? The Chimeragons? That's so cool!"

Believe it or not, this was the first time anyone on Team Go-Getters had heard the dragons' name.

"Chimeragons?" Astrid repeated, her tone of voice a mix of confusion and a hint of boredom.

"We needed a name that sounded cool and was easy to pronounce," Adhesive explained. "You should hear a four year old try to say 'Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus'."

Mildly amused, Kickin' Hawk muttered under his breath, "You should hear yourself try to say it."

Bahamut and Tiamat gave draconic chuckles before spreading their wings and flying off into the mountains, where their cave was.

Amber shifted so Snivels was resting in her arms instead of on her back. "We should get him into bed," she said to no one in particular. Then, to Adhesive, "You can explain more inside."


The four trainers sat around the table, Blaze and Ninjark standing behind their respective trainers while the Cosmoem duo stayed within Brandyn's pocket, unmoving. Of course, Snivels was still asleep upstairs. Even the roar of an angry Thunderdrum couldn't wake him up.

Adhesive laid his iPad upon the wooden surface, the screen displaying the image of a Chimeragon along with a select few other dragons that had characteristics of more than one species.

"Project Hybrid is something the Ultra Guardians have been working on for a while," the Poipole explained. "Basically taking two or more different species of dragons and combining their abilities and attributes into a single form."

Ninjark raised a hand to signal he had a question. "Okay, so, how did you get two different kinds of dragons to..." He made an awkward hand motion as he tried to find the most appropriate way to finish the sentence. "You know..."

Adhesive shook his head. "It certainly wasn't easy. Wild hybrids are possible, but with so many individuals of each species, the chance of two different kinds of dragons actually coming together with each other is relatively remote." He tapped the screen of his iPad to enhance one of the images. The dragon shown had qualities that unquestionably resembled those of the Deadly Nadder, but it had four wings instead of just two. "Our first successful hybrid was bred in captivity only a few years ago. We called it the Deathly Galeslash, half Deadly Nadder and half Stormcutter. The individual shown here was named Stormjumper. Came up with that myself."

Hiccup looked rather concerned. "So, you guys just went and made new dragons?"

"Kuro's orders," Adhesive said bluntly. "Nobody ever argues with him. He's been in cohorts with Fjord and Archon since before the Viking-Dragon War began."

"What did you guys use to make the Chimeragon?" Blaze asked. Whether it was out of curiosity or suspicion, nobody could tell.

"One of the dragons we used was a Night Fury," was Adhesive's answer. "The rest is classified."

Elsewhere in the forest, Buddy was putting his self-given training session into action. From where he stood, he had a lot of work to do if he was going to reach his full potential. Perhaps if he tried sharpening up his skills, he'd be able to utilize new strengths while in battle.

The Type: Null was actually standing directly in front of the trees Astrid used when practicing her axe throwing. The gashes she left were rather deep, but the tall plants remained standing, hopefully for a long time to come.

Sparks of fire flickered around Buddy's claws seconds before he unleashed his Flame Charge, wisely steering away from the trees and colliding headfirst with a medium-sized rock. When he bounced off, the flames dispersed, but he charged right back, his helmet shining like silver as he struck the rock with Iron Head. This time, the rock cracked and crumbled under the pressure. A quick strike from Crush Claw had it reduced to countless tiny pebbles.

Turning back toward the trees, Buddy charged up the aura of an Air Slash, from which several of the crescent-shaped auras were launched. Each aura hit a tree, none of them striking the same area as another.

Finally, Buddy stopped, turning his head to look over himself, only to sit down in disappointment when he realized that nothing about him had changed. The helmet remained on his head, sturdy and ever so restraining.

What is it gonna take to finally gain control of my powers?


Most of the dragons and Pokémon had to be moved outside due to the number of team members being larger than it was when they left Berk. Hiccup could hardly keep track of them all. It seemed there were enough creatures for them to make their own little village. But for that, they'd need a bigger island.

That aside, there was something that Hiccup had been keeping in the back of his mind that he needed to address. Like an itch he couldn't scratch.

He found Astrid practicing with Stormfly, the darts the Nadder launched from her tail piercing the soil beneath them as they flew past. Just like her rider with her trusty axe, Stormfly's aim was true.

Their training stopped when the spines came dangerously close to impaling Hiccup. Stormfly landed behind him, crooning apologetically as Astrid dismounted her. "Don't tell me Snotlout and the twins are causing trouble already."

Chuckling at his wife's little joke, Hiccup replied, "Actually I wanted to talk to you."

Sensing that the couple wanted to be alone, Toothless padded over to Stormfly, wagging his tail playfully. Stormfly squawked in reply, and the two dragons romped off into the forest to begin a game of chase.

Hiccup stared after the retreating dragons for a moment before turning back to look at Astrid. "I think it's safe to say neither of us want to know what'll happen if everyone in the village finds out about..." He trailed off, shifting awkwardly. "You know, you and me..."

Astrid knew full well what he meant, but it was frustrating that he was still too shy to just say it outright. Nonetheless, she answered, "We can take off the rings. Leave them here, at the house, whenever we need to go to the academy, or the village. They'll be waiting right here when we come back."

"But we can't hide it forever," Hiccup reminded her. "I mean, unless we actually packed up and moved to another island, far away from here, with limited contact with Vikings. You and I both know what's expected from married couples on Berk, and I don't want to put too much pressure on you."

Of course it was about her. Why wouldn't it be?

"I can handle pressure," Astrid said, her voice carrying a full load of confidence. Then, to emphasize her point, she slugged him in the shoulder. "Just don't worry about me so much."

Hiccup wasn't one to make promises he couldn't keep. It just wasn't the Go-Getter way. "I always worry about you. I mean, we've been through a lot together, and..."

Astrid easily cut him off with a kiss. It was meant to be a simple peck, but the familiarity and affection made her linger a lot longer than she intended to. That turned out to be a good thing, because when Hiccup gathered enough of himself to kiss her back, it actually made her heart flutter.

When they parted, Hiccup finished his sentence. "You haven't changed one bit."

Not that he wanted her to, because he loved her just the way she was.

And she knew it.


Brandyn had the fortune to come across the perfect spot to sit down and watch the sunset over Berk. It was his first time being outside the Ice Caves at this particular time of day ever since the boating accident where he lost his parents.

This was going to be great. He even swore he could feel Ra and Camazotz shifting ever so slightly from within his pocket as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

The sound of footsteps made Brandyn turn around. He couldn't help but smile as Heather silently sat down next to him to watch the sunset as well. Still without speaking, the raven-haired girl slid her arm around his shoulders. In response, Brandyn slid his arm around her waist, holding her close.

They sat in silence like that for a long while, regarding the sun as it descended lower into the horizon. "I forgot just how beautiful the world really is," Brandyn finally murmured.

"It's been a while since I've watched the sunset, too," Heather admitted. "I heard the view on this island is quite charming."

Brandyn breathed a laugh. "It is. But not as..." He trailed off, slightly embarrassed with what he'd been about to say.

Heather looked up at him. "Not as what?" she asked.

After a quick look around to make sure they were alone, Brandyn finished, "Not as much as you are."

Ignoring the rising heat in her cheeks, Heather leaned in and kissed him briefly, then leaned her head on his shoulder as she continued to watch the sunset. Brandyn's heart did a few flips when he felt her lips brush against his, then it sank when she pulled away without giving him a chance to reciprocate.

He loved her, he knew he did. He just didn't want to go blurting it out at any random time. There was such a thing as being too lovey-dovey, after all.

But was now the right time to say it?

Brandyn's eyes shifted from Heather, to the sunset, and then back to Heather. Moments like this didn't happen very often. He opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind at the last second and went back to watching the sun disappear over the horizon.

I'll tell her later.


For the rest of the day, Snivels remained asleep.

He was still sleeping when the whole team turned in for the night. Well, maybe he had woken up had one point, and then went back to sleep when he noticed it was dark out, but who could tell?

Buddy was still out in the forest doing Arceus knows what, but no one noticed. What, with so many different Pokémon to keep track off it would be difficult to notice if one had gone missing.

Hiccup noticed after waking up from a rather spine-tingling dream.

He'd been in a dark room, with no source of light, yet he could still see the hand he was holding in front of his face.

And there was something speaking to him.

"At lASt, I'vE finAlLY foUNd YoU."

Hiccup looked every which way, hoping to find the source of the many voices. Nothing but black.

"SuCH poWErFuL emOtIOns aLl bOTtLed Up inSidE. ThEY'rE deLiciOUS. LeT Me fEEd, aND I'lL giVe YoU wHatEVeR yOU deSIrE."

Hiccup tried to speak, but his voice failed him. No! Please, just leave me alone!

"WhaT a cOInciDEnce," said the voices. "AlL thE oTHers I SpoKe tO reActED jUst tHe saMe aS yOu arE." A glowing, spherical core suddenly emerged from the darkness, levitating in front of Hiccup. "SoOnEr oR LaTEr, I wilL reGain My sTreNGth. TheN I wIll bE unStoPPablE."

Hiccup's eyes snapped open as he sat up in bed, panting quietly but heavily. He looked to his side to find Astrid lying down next to him, fast asleep. The sight of her calmed him down a bit.

No one knows how he managed to notice in that moment that a certain Type: Null was nowhere to be seen, but the moment he realized that Buddy was not in the room, Hiccup threw off the blanket and went to wake up the nearest creature he could find. And that happened to be Snivels.

The Servine was lying in one of the beds he'd made for the dragonets, which he sometimes joined them in whenever they had nightmares. He was still mumbling in his sleep, but Hiccup didn't have time to figure out the meaning behind the phrases. Something bad was going to happen, he just knew it.

"Snivs? Come on, pal, wake up!"

Even despite the rather vigorous way he was being shaken by his trainer, Snivels remained asleep. He did stir a little, but that was it.

Hiccup tried again. "Snivels!"

The response he got was not what he was hoping for.

"Thank Arceus there are no Bog Burglars..."

Seeing no other option, Hiccup finally shouted, "WAKE UP!"

Snivels did just that, along with a sudden explosion of verbal shock.

"I'm surrounded by too many plot differences, GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!"

The Servine sat up in bed, his yells startling everyone else awake. A knife came flying out of nowhere, imbedding into the wall inches away from Snivels's head. Astrid, the one who had thrown it, let out a groan of frustration as the truth of the situation quickly dawned on her. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

"Hopefully not time to get my vocal cords cut by a former Hofferson," Snivels muttered.

Blaze spoke next. "Guys, it's the middle of the night, what's going on?"

Taking note of the fact that their voices were reasonably tired, Hiccup cautiously asked, "Has anyone seen Buddy since this morning?"

"Technically, it is morning," Adhesive said, holding up his phone, the clock reading 12:38 a.m.

Hiccup shook his head. "You know what I mean."

Now more awake, Astrid dragged herself out of the bed and over to her husband. "Hiccup, he saved you from the Outcasts, I think he can handle himself."

"If he can actually take on the Outcasts, then he can definitely handle himself," Brandyn grumbled from the other bed, which he was sharing with Heather.

As if on cue, Buddy suddenly appeared, clawing his way through the window before plopping down into the ragged blankets that had been gathered at the last minute to make a bed for him.

Astrid tiredly lifted an arm to point at the Type: Null. "See? He's fine."

Physically, maybe. But Buddy was still struggling internally. Hiccup and Snivels could see it in his eyes.

That's why the two friends decided to spend the night sleeping next to the Type: Null. Toothless gazed at them in confusion before picking himself up and trudging over. The Night Fury lay down beside the three friends, draping his wing over all of them like a blanket.

Even with the extra comfort, Buddy ended up staying awake the whole night long.


Things got more confusing the next morning at the academy.

The ferocity Buddy was displaying as he swiped his claws at the practice targets and pounced on just about anything that moved was an entirely new level than what he'd been playing before.

"I've had to train quite vigorously," said Blaze, "But it wasn't anything like whatever he's doing."

Hiccup didn't have to ask to know that she was right. Buddy hadn't even been that tough during his attempt to save the young trainer from the clutches of Alvin and the Outcasts. He turned to Snivels, who was dozing off a little, and asked, "Can you talk to him?"

Snivels shook his head a little in an attempt to clear away his drowsiness. "I can try." He stood up and walked over to Buddy. "Servine, vine. Ser, Servine."

Buddy stopped when he heard Snivels talking to him in "Pokéspeak." The unintelligible grunts that was his own language provided Snivels with more questions than answers, so he decided to ask again.

The two Pokémon jabbered back and forth, their conversation a complete mystery to the four trainers. Sure, there were some key phrases and patterns they could figure out the meaning of, but understanding a multitude of full sentences was something else entirely.

"I need to harness my power," Buddy was saying. "It's the only way I can get stronger."

Snivels tilted his head a little. "What power?" he asked.

"The power I inherited from my mother and father," Buddy replied. "I'm supposed to be able to change my type, like they can. It may not seem like much compared to the Judgment that is exclusive to my parents' species, but it holds its own potential like any other power."

"I never really thought judgment could be considered a power," Snivels said, mostly to himself. "But I guess it does take a lot of skill and courage to make the right call."

Buddy shook his head. "That is not the kind of judgment I am speaking about. I mean Judgment, as in the shots of light that rain down from the sky. That's something only my parents can do."

Snivels knew about Judgment. It was spoken of many times over in the legends of Arceus, the creator of all things that existed. It took a moment for it to click. "Your parents? You mean Archon and Archia, right? I remember Folnir told us that they created you from the Life Plates."

"They did create me," said Buddy. "Therefore, Archon is my father and Archia is my mother. Ever since I lost control of myself, I have been working so hard to make my parents proud. Father's always saying that I'm no disappointment to him, that I still have time to learn, but I cannot wait any longer. I fear if I stay restrained any longer, I may never reach my full potential. There has to be something I've missed!"

Seeing the Type: Null was starting to get riled up with anxiety, Snivels rushed forward and grabbed onto Buddy's neck. "We can help you," he said. "Go-Getters look out for one another. Whatever it is you need to do, we'll be there every step of the way."

Buddy pulled away, shaking his head. "No. This is something I must do alone. Every Legendary and Mythical Pokémon before me has had to take this journey, and now it is my turn. Do not tell anyone what I have confessed, I shall do it myself when I regain my voice. Let's just hope it happens soon."

Before Snivels could reply, Buddy turned and ran through the gate and out of the academy, heading towards the forest.

Hiccup didn't wait for Snivels to explain before he mounted Toothless and followed the Type: Null outside.

This wasn't the first time Hiccup had shown great concern for a Pokémon that he considered a friend. There was the time Verne didn't come back from the breeding migration, when Tito had started thinking about evolving, and who could forget the days Snivels got jealous because his trainer was spending more time with his fiancée instead of his best friends?

Buddy could hear the wingbeats behind him, but he knew that if he looked back, he wouldn't have the heart to run away from his master. So, he kept on running.

This is my quest. I need to complete it.

No matter the cost.


So much better than the Fireworm Island episode.

Maybe I'm being a little bit judgmental, but I guess that's what happens when you start reading the How to Train Your Dragon books after you see the first movie. I never finished reading the books, but I think it's safe to say that in my opinion, the film franchise is way better.

Happy birthday to me!