Chapter 3 – Two Heads are Better Than One!

"Map?"

"Check."

"Potions?"

"Also check."

"Food for ya and Toothless?"

"Enough for a week."

"Change of clothes?"

"Yes… well, technically yes. We only ever wear copies of the same outfit, so…"

Valka rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep a smile off her face as she addressed her son. "I mean it, Hiccup. Ya packed everythin'? Ya won't be comin' back in an hour 'cause ya realized ya forgot your sleepin' bag?"

Hiccup breathed out an exaggerated huff. "No, Mom, I won't," he insisted. "Toothless and I both checked. We have everything."

"Bago!" Toothless, standing at Hiccup's side as always, echoed.

"Good, 'cause I won't be home to unlock the door anyway," Valka replied. She twirled the keyring around her finger indicatively before stuffing them into the pocket of her coat – her new, pristine, snow-white lab coat. "Today's a first for ya and me both, son. First day on the road for ya, and first day as Professor Sycamore's new assistant for me."

"You'll do great, Mom," Hiccup assured her.

Mother and son fell into a contented silence, no more words needing to be said. They stood on opposite ends of the front porch, staring at one another, joy and sadness melding in their eyes. They took great care to examine every last detail of the person before them, as though this was the last time they would meet. In a way, though, it was – this was the last Hiccup would see of the forest-traversing vigilante that took jobs from Pokemon Rangers, and the last Valka would see of her baby son and his pet dragon.

When next they met, it would be as tidy Pokemon researcher and full-fledged Pokemon Trainer.

Valka finally turned away and shut the door, locking it with a click. So, too, did a door close on the previous chapter of their lives. It was time to move forward to the next.

"Well… take care, Hiccup," Valka said, opening her arms with a wobbly smile.

Hiccup stepped into her embrace and returned it, savoring every second of his mother's love and warmth. "Same to you, Mom," he murmured, and squeezed her a little tighter. "I'll come see you in Lumiose City."

"I'll be there, waitin' to hear all about the battles ya won," she replied.

Slowly, reluctantly, they pulled away. Valka crouched to say goodbye to Toothless, stroking his head and giving him an extra tickle on the chin for good measure. "Take care of him, little one," she implored. "Train hard. Become a real team."

"Bagoooo…" Toothless purred at her touch, before snapping out of his stupor and giving her a proper reply. "Bago!"

Valka's smile as she stepped off the porch was satisfied and fond and sad all at once. She kept Hiccup's gaze for a few moments more, a final, unspoken goodbye exchanged between the two. All too soon, though, she turned away and walked out onto the driveway, summoning Cloudjumper from his Poke Ball in a flash of light. She hopped atop the Altaria, who immediately defied any onlookers' expectations by taking off just as swiftly and elegantly with her on his back as he could without her.

Hiccup watched Cloudjumper circle to gain height, climbing farther and farther skyward until he was small enough to be mistaken as just another cloud in the sky. Then, he flew north, over the house where he disappeared for good.

Now, it was his turn. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and then began to walk. He put one foot in front of the other, each one taking him farther away from the front door, until at last he was off the property, staring forlornly at the empty house from the other side of the fence.

Goodbye, Vaniville Town, he thought. I hardly knew you.

"Well, what do you say, bud?" he asked Toothless, hoisting the backpack he carried on his shoulders. "Think it's time for us to hit the road?"

"Bagon!" Toothless cried with glowing enthusiasm, and jumped aboard – his feet planted on top of the backpack, his tiny claws holding onto Hiccup's temples and his chin resting atop the boy's crown.

Hiccup was all packed, and Toothless was snugly in riding position. They were ready.

Before they could start walking, though…

"Hiccup!"

Turning at the unexpected sound of his name being called, Hiccup's eyes widened as he saw Fishlegs leaving his own house and rushing out onto the sidewalk to meet him – followed, of course, by his Rhyhorn Meatlug. The Ingerman boy's face was flushed with exertion and he panted heavily with his hands on his knees, but Hiccup's primary concern wasn't his friend's state of exhaustion – it was the massive camper's backpack, practically the size of a refrigerator, strapped to his back.

"Uh… going for a walk, Fishlegs?" he joked through his consternation.

It took Fishlegs several seconds of gulping air before he felt well enough to answer. "Are… haaah… are you heading out on your journey?"

"Um, yes," Hiccup answered awkwardly. "I was just about to start right now."

"Oh, thank goodness…" Fishlegs gasped. "I was afraid… I was going to miss you… have to tell you something…"

Curiosity overtaking his concern, Hiccup put a steadying hand on Fishlegs' arm. "Hey, catch your breath first," he said. "Then, uh, tell me… what on Earth is so important that it has you rushing over here this early? And, ah, what's with the luggage?"

Gradually, Fishlegs' breaths slowed, and with a helpful nudge from Meatlug, he straightened his posture. "O-Okay, here goes…" he began, inhaling deeply through his nose as though to steady himself. "I w-wanted to ask you… I mean, I want to come with you!"

Hiccup's jaw dropped. Of all the things he'd assumed Fishlegs wanted to say before he left Vaniville, this wasn't it. "You want to what, now? Fishlegs, are you really serious about this?"

"Y-Yes! I thought about it all day yesterday!" Fishlegs insisted, balling his fists with an eager light twinkling in his eyes. "I got my mom's permission and packed everything we'd need for the road! Oh, and of course Meatlug is coming too – I couldn't bear to leave her behind, all alone at home. She gets so lonely if she doesn't have someone to massage her feet every night…"

"Rhyyyyy…" the Ground-and-Rock-type rumbled in agreement.

Blinking in confusion at how the explanation had swerved into a description of Fishlegs' Pokemon care routine, Hiccup raised his hands in a gesture of caution. "Okay, uh, back up a bit. Fishlegs, what even brought this on in the first place? Why do you want to go on a journey with me?"

At this question, Fishlegs blushed and nervously twiddled his fingers, glancing everywhere except at Hiccup. "W-Well, you see… this probably won't sound surprising to you, but I've never had any interest in Pokemon battles or being strong or anything like that… I've always been content just learning about Pokemon, you know? I even gave Meatlug an Everstone, b-because I knew she'd never get enough experience to battle anyways."

Hiccup nodded, indeed not surprised to hear any of this… with the exception of the last bit, which caused him to raise his eyebrows. Intrigued, he glanced at Meatlug's collar, where he could indeed see a smooth, polished stone embedded in it.

"Th-That's why I've never t-traveled before," Fishlegs continued, "I-I've always wanted to, just to go out and see all the Pokemon I've read about with m-my own eyes… b-but I never had the nerve to go on a journey, and I didn't even have any friends that would've allowed me to j-join them on theirs. So I've stayed here all my life, never venturing any farther than Aquacorde Town.

"S-So after we met yesterday, a-and we got along really well, and I saw that i-incredible battle you had with Astrid…" He paused, seemingly gathering his courage, and when he continued, it was in a stronger, bolder tone devoid of stammering. "I knew that I wanted more than anything to come with you and see Kalos and all its Pokemon for myself! Please, Hiccup? Meatlug and I won't be a bother, I swear! In fact, we can be really useful! I-I can tell you about Pokemon strengths and weaknesses, Meatlug can carry us across rough terrain, I can even –"

"Slow down, Fishlegs!" Hiccup said, overwhelmed by the increasingly fast torrent of speech tumbling from Fishlegs' mouth. Instantly, Fishlegs clammed up with a furious blush, a panicked look in his eye as though he feared he'd said too much at once.

Hiccup examined his friend's stiffened form – the nervous quivering, the sheen of sweat beginning to pool on his brow, the tightened lower jaw as he anticipated Hiccup's response – until it became too much for him. He burst into lighthearted chuckles, unable to keep the amused grin from stretching across his face any longer.

"Of course I wouldn't mind you coming with me," he assured him, and it was the perfect truth. He liked the idea of traveling with a friend – he'd been prepared to walk alone with only Toothless for company, but having a human partner to talk to and eat with would make however many months he spent on the road much less lonely. "As long as you're fine with putting up with me and Toothless' unique flair, you're welcome to come along. What do you say, Toothless?"

Naturally, the Bagon supported the proposal with an enthusiastic nod and cheery cry. He hopped off Hiccup and went right to Meatlug, sniffing inquisitively at her; she did the same, studying Toothless with deep snuffling breaths. The two Pokemon finished introducing each other and exchanged friendly growls in greeting.

"They're getting along already," Hiccup noted. "Guess that settles that. Welcome aboard, Fishlegs."

He extended his arm for a handshake, and Fishlegs was only too happy to accept, his own hand large enough to engulf Hiccup's entirely as he pumped it up and down eagerly. "Th-Thank you, Hiccup! You won't regret it, I promise!" he assured him, before releasing his hand and returning to twiddling his fingers. "So… um… i-if you don't mind me asking, where're we going first?"

Thinking back to what he'd studied of his map that morning, Hiccup's answer came easily. "Santalune City," he told him. "That's the next town over, and happens to be where the first Gym is. We have to cross the forest on the opposite side of Aquacorde, though, which I'm hoping we can do by tonight."

"Ooh, a Gym, how exciting!" Fishlegs gushed. "And Santalune Forest, even more exciting! My parents never wanted me going past Aquacorde, so I've never been! I wonder how many Pokemon I can find there that I've never seen before!"

His excitement was contagious, and Hiccup found himself being swept up in it as he, too, imagined what sights and experiences were awaiting him in the world beyond Vaniville. There was a whole region out there to explore… and he was starting today. It was almost too good to be true.

"Well, if we're all in agreement," he said, gesturing to the sidewalk stretching ahead of them, "then what're we waiting for?

At last, Hiccup and Toothless took the first steps that would lead them away from home. They wouldn't see it again for a long time – when they did, they would be much changed, made stronger and wiser by the time of their journey's end. But, though they'd expected to take that journey alone, their duo had become a quartet, their friends Fishlegs and Meatlug coming along to offer their support.

Hiccup lifted his face to the sky, smiling into the cloud-speckled blue. His adventure was off to a very good start.

It wasn't until the early afternoon when the newly formed duo reached the treeline marking the border of Santalune Forest.

In addition to the half-hour distance separating Vaniville from Aquacorde, it took considerable time to walk from one end of the town to the other, crowded pathways and road traffic slowing their progress further. And even after they'd finally left the buildings and roads of civilization behind, they still needed to cross Route 2 – a grassy expanse consisting of plains broken occasionally by small streams. Though the distance was short compared to the stretches of wilderness they'd have to trek through later, it still took considerable time to walk across.

Now, though, the verdant grassland gave way to an untamed wall of trees and overgrown shrubbery. Hiccup and Fishlegs pushed their way through into the cooling darkness – scarcely any sunlight pierced the ceiling of leaves, giving the forest a comforting dimness – and came upon a small clearing where the dirt went unobstructed by tangled bushes and the trees grew far enough away to accommodate a modest campsite. Exhausted by the nonstop walking, the two boys unanimously decided to make this their temporary stop, slipping the backpacks from their shoulders with relieved groans so as to stretch out their aching backs.

Hiccup jumped at the THUD and uprising of dirt that occurred when Fishlegs' weighty pack struck the ground, sounding like a small asteroid impact. "And I thought I packed a lot, even with mom making sure I only had the necessities," he remarked, again eyeing the amount of luggage his friend had been carrying. "What on earth did you bring with you?"

Flushing red again, Fishlegs bent down to fiddle with the zippers. "O-Oh, well, you know… when I decided to ask you to tag along, I thought it'd be hard to travel as a pair without camping equipment. So, um… voila, I guess."

He opened the bag's largest pocket and dragged out, to Hiccup's shock, an entire collapsible dining table, several bags of food, and even cookware. The embarrassed red tint lightened to delighted pink as he held up a soup pot and ladle with a beaming smile. "My mom gave me some of her recipes! This will be my first time trying to make it myself, b-but I've seen her prepare it enough times to accurately replicate it!"

At that moment, Hiccup's stomach let out a growl at the thought of a cooked meal. The rations in his bag were there with convenience in mind, not tastiness.

"Can I… help in any way?" he offered, hoping the request wasn't too abrupt. "If you're going to be cooking for both of us, I mean, I might as well."

"Of course! No problem!" Fishlegs replied happily. He tossed a can of something to Hiccup, who fumbled with it for a second before finally getting a steady enough grip to see what it was – a canister of Pokemon food, the advertising on the label declaring it specially designed for Ground-type consumption.

"I have to set up the table and everything first, so can you just put that in a bowl for Meatlug?" Fishlegs asked. He turned around to dig in his backpack for more supplies, not waiting for an answer.

"Uh… yeah, sure," Hiccup said, and stuck a hand in his own bag to grab his mother's special Pokemon food blend, ground up with Yache berries specifically for Toothless. A note was tacked on, detailing the ingredients that he'd have to buy to replenish his supply. I'll probably have to do that often, he figured, once I'm providing for six Dragon-types instead of just one.

"Bago!" Toothless' cry interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to the little dragon. His eyes were wide and gleaming as he pointed repeatedly to one of the trees framing the clearing, a particularly tall one with sturdy branches.

Knowing exactly what the Bagon had in mind, Hiccup took a second to mull it over before nodding. "Alright, bud, I suppose it's safe," he allowed him, but held up a finger before his Pokemon could take off. "But I want you to stay where I can see you, alright? No wandering in search of bigger trees to jump out of."

"Bay Bagon!" Toothless chirped, agreeing to the condition joyfully, and tore off across the clearing to scale the tree. As Hiccup stared after him, his tiny claws found handholds in the rough bark, allowing him to scuttle up to a high branch remarkably fast.

"Fascinating!" Fishlegs said – he'd paused in his preparations in favor of watching Toothless in action. "He can climb so easily, like a Bug-type! I guess he'd have to, if you and him do this all the time, right? But… oh, um… he's not going to… you know… when he jumps off, is he?"

Hiccup just smirked. "You'll see."

Already, Toothless had made it to the end of the branch, far enough so that it had begun to dip under his weight. He took several steps back, though not because he was having second thoughts – no, it was to get a running start. He leapt straight off, gravity dragging him straight down despite his flapping arms' best effort to stay airborne, and –

CRACK.

The Bagon hit the base of a nearby tree headfirst, his thick helmet smashing a dent in one of its roots. He got up, wobbling, but quickly regained his senses and bolted over to climb the tree again.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Fishlegs said, a hand pressed to his chest. "I've never seen a Bagon do this, so even though I was sure it'd turn out alright, it made me terribly nervous!"

"Get used to it," Hiccup replied dryly, even as another CRACK rang out when Toothless' next jump ended much the same as his first. "This is kind of our regular thing. Of course, it's no substitute for battle experience and evolution, but he likes it… and I think it helps to keep his instincts sharp, or something."

Fishlegs nodded slowly, enraptured by Toothless' speed and drive as he climbed the tree a third time. "Any practice is better than no practice, I guess… oh! Oh, Hiccup, look!"

Next to the root into which Toothless had crashed, the earth rose up and popped like a bubble in a shower of dirt, revealing a white insect Pokemon with twitching feelers and large claws. It glanced around, looking either disoriented or distressed, and started to amble away in search of a less noisy patch of forest.

It was an interesting-looking Pokemon to Hiccup, but Fishlegs was ecstatic. "That's a Nincada!" he squealed, beginning to pat himself vigorously in search of something on his person. "H-Hiccup, quick! Toss it some Pokemon food so I can take some notes!"

Completely bemused by the change that had come over Fishlegs, Hiccup popped open the can of feed he'd been holding and, gently, scattered some of the pellets along the ground in front of the fleeing Bug-type. The Nincada paused, antennae waving toward the smell of food, and nonchalantly began to eat. Fishlegs let out another squeal at this and drew several items from his pockets – his notebook and pencil, a measuring tape, and a miniature camera.

On the sidelines, Hiccup watched, even more bewildered, as Fishlegs began to study the Nincada. He began by unrolling his measuring tape and using it to examine the Pokemon's dimensions, coming within touching distance of it without it even noticing. Then, once Fishlegs had put the tape away, he started snapping pictures, taking several of the feeding Pokemon before pocketing that as well. That was when he stood up, pencil and book in hand, and began to walked around the Nincada, glancing back and forth between it and his notebook as he scribbled furiously.

Hiccup was incredulous – from the way Fishlegs performed each action one after the other without missing a beat, it was clear he had practiced this procedure many times.

"What're you doing?" Hiccup finally remembered to ask.

"Shh!" Fishlegs shushed him with an unprecedented amount of bite to his voice. "This is my Pokemon logbook – I update it every time I see a Pokemon. I'm noting its height, length, and coloration, using those metrics to guess its age and gender. I also note its general demeanor, its reaction to the food, and any other distinctive behaviors it displays. If I have different kinds of Pokemon food on me, I'll try to determine what its preferred taste is, too."

He can tell all that by watching it eat? Hiccup questioned, wrinkling his brow. Why is he writing all that down, anyway? Probably just personal curiosity… but it seems odd for someone put that much work into research for no reason.

The Nincada finished and scurried off into the bushes, and Fishlegs sat up and perused his notes with a satisfied air. "Hmm… comfortable enough to immediately take the food, but still too skittish to linger longer than necessary. Guess that's a Nincada, for you… the guidebooks say that they tend to –"

Suddenly remembering he had company, Fishlegs cast a guilty look at Hiccup and covered his mouth with his book, blushing. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to get sidetracked! This is just how I get when… well, you already know how much I love learning about Pokemon. Whenever I meet a new one, I always want to get as much data as possible. I've always wished information like this was more widely available to aspiring Trainers, you know? Not everyone can get a Pokedex, after all."

"I guess… yeah, when you put it that way," Hiccup mused, sporting a thoughtful smile. "It's definitely… impressive, seeing your passion for learning about Pokemon in action like this. Hey, if you do this for every Pokemon you meet, I wouldn't mind seeing you study Toothless, too."

"Oh, Hiccup, would you?!" Fishlegs gasped, lighting up as if Hiccup had just announced a surprise birthday party. "It'd be so great if you let me get a solid baseline for Toothless' development, considering that I'm going to be witnessing him grow and get stronger from here on out. A-And tell me everything about his diet and your flight practice regime, too!"

"How about we get some food on the table, first?" Hiccup asked, wryly. "Weren't we in the middle of something?"

Apologizing embarrassedly, Fishlegs scurried back over to the table, where he finished setting up the cookware and started to unpack foil-wrapped soup ingredients. With a fond shake of his head at his friend's quirks, Hiccup turned away and returned to his own lunchtime duty – namely, making sure that the Pokemon got their lunches. Giving Toothless his food was an old routine for him, dispensing the familiar mix of pellets and sea-blue berry slices into a bowl that the Bagon rushed over immediately for, flight practice all but forgotten in favor of satisfying his stomach.

Meatlug, though, was an unfamiliar part of that routine, to say the least. After greeting the Rhyhorn and placing an empty bowl in front of her, Hiccup hit a snag in that he couldn't get the can of feed open. He pulled and pulled on the tab, to no avail, and in frustration, he gave it a mighty yank. The lid popped open all at once, simultaneously causing Hiccup to fall on his rear and the can to fly from his grasp and send down a rain of pellets – the majority of which landed in his lap and jacket and hair.

Too busy shaking himself to clear the dizziness (and the deluge of Pokemon food), Hiccup didn't see Meatlug bounding eagerly toward him until it was too late. He screamed as the Rhyhorn pounced on him, several hundred pounds of Pokemon suddenly squashing him into the dirt while a big pink tongue scraped him clean of scattered pellets.

"N-No, Meatlug, sto– pptthhhhbbbbpptt! Ugh!" His attempts at protesting were cut off by a slick of slobber being spread over his face… and his open mouth. It took Fishlegs' help to pry Meatlug off him and drag him to his feet, where he stood uncomfortably with a sticky coat of saliva dampening his clothes.

"This is never going to wash out…" he muttered.

"This is my fault… I should've warned you to be careful," Fishlegs cringed. "Meatlug gets enthusiastic at mealtimes…"

"Hoooorn…" Meatlug herself growled contentedly, licking her chops as she savored the taste of her unorthodox meal.

The sheer ridiculousness of the situation hit Hiccup just then, with the juxtaposition of the remorseful Fishlegs and the oblivious Meatlug in front of him, and the annoyance melted away with an upwelling of warm amusement. It spilled from him in the form of laughter, which soon had Fishlegs joining in as he, too, reflected on the silly incident.

"It's no problem, Fishlegs. And sorry, Meatlug," Hiccup assured them. Bending down to rub the Rhyhorn's snout, to which she gave a blissful rumble, he went on, "We're just not used to traveling with each other yet. I'm sure that once everyone's gotten to know one another and we get a sort of rhythm going, our journey will be all the smoother for it."

"R-Right!" Fishlegs agreed, hopeful. "That said… Hiccup, now that the Pokemon have been fed, would you care to help me with our own lunch?"

About time, Hiccup almost said, but the sarcasm was likely just his empty stomach talking. After quickly taking a tissue from his bag to wipe his hands clean of any leftover spittle, he joined Fishlegs at the table, where he was instructed to measure out the vegetables and other ingredients that Fishlegs diced. The Ingerman boy was insistent that all the components were properly proportioned, the importance of which Hiccup understood very well – he remembered what his mother's dishes were like before she learned how to properly cook. The memories sometimes kept him up at night.

Soon enough, though, the ingredients had been piled into the soup pot and soaked in broth, and the pot was bubbling heartily on the portable stove. Fishlegs was humming as he hovered over the pot, stirring occasionally, and Hiccup relaxed against the side of a tree, watching Toothless continue the important business of launching himself out of trees. Meatlug was napping, her steady snores tickling his ears pleasantly, and the forest air was so fresh in his nostrils that a single deep breath was enough to fill him with lethargic calm.

We have to get used to traveling together, he thought again, the edges of his mouth tweaking upwards lazily. Between being out in nature, watching Toothless and Meatlug, and how much fun it was to work on lunch with Fishlegs… I think I won't have any trouble getting used to this.

CRACK. Another massive dent was driven into the side of a tree as Toothless crash-landed onto it. As usual, his partner was no worse for wear, the impact only motivating him all the more to try again and repeat it, eternally chasing that moment when he'd suddenly get better at staying airborne.

Hiccup had always been content to watch his Pokemon train, but now it served a foreboding reminder. We lost to Astrid, and our first Gym is waiting for us just outside of this forest, he told himself, frowning. Before we get there, I need to take the time to train Toothless' moves… polish them up, make sure his speed and power are as good as they can get. I can't slack off.

Especially since Toothless is going to have to carry this by himself.

Halfway up his tree, the Bagon in question abruptly froze mid-climb, catching Hiccup's attention. "What is it, bud?" he called. "See something?"

"Bago!" Toothless dropped from the trunk and landed on his feet, scrambling to his Trainer's side. Frantically, he pointed an arm in what seemed to Hiccup to be a random direction – the trees and bushes guarding the way deeper into the forest all looked the same to him.

"There's nothing there, bud," Hiccup said, confused.

But Toothless only pointed all the more urgently at the same group of shrubs, despite Hiccup's confusion – which didn't last long. A rustling sound suddenly reached his ears from somewhere further into the forest, his eyes flying wide when he noticed. At the same time, Meatlug snapped awake and began to growl, agitated enough to start pawing the ground aggressively.

"I-I don't think it's nothing!" Fishlegs quavered, abandoning the soup in favor of this potential danger. "S-Something's coming, a-and it s-sounds big! Y-You don't suppose there are Ursaring in these w-woods? Or G-G-Ghost-types…?"

The fact it might be a large and hostile Pokemon hadn't occurred to Hiccup, and his blood ran cold at the suggestion. "Toothless, get ready for a fight if necessary," he warned.

"Bayyyy…" the Bagon snarled, the hiss of a prepared Ember curling from his maw.

The bushes started shaking, then thrashing, as something rapidly approached. Then, they burst open with a flash of orange, and –

"BAGO!"

"CHAR!"

Toothless let the Ember fly, and the orange Pokemon spewed one of its own in retaliation. The flames canceled each other out with a burst of light, which illuminated the clearing enough for Hiccup to clearly see the newcomer for the first time – a Charmander, which now stood its ground with a snarl on its muzzle. Toothless stepped forward to meet its snarl with his own. Neither one looked like they'd particularly appreciated the other's impromptu attack.

"Good job, Hookfang, you got him!" a familiar voice came from the bushes, now rustling once again. Before Hiccup could even open his mouth, a much larger figure popped out, yelling, "Poke Ball, go!"

That and a flash of red was the only warning Hiccup got before something hard slammed into his forehead, knocking him to the ground with a shout. Pain flared through his head, and he hissed through his teeth as he clutched at the sore spot, opening his eyes to see… a Poke Ball sitting innocently in his lap, a single speckle of blood standing out against its white bottom half.

"D-Don't worry, Hiccup, it's not s-serious!" Fishlegs was there, kneeling at his side as he splashed the contents of his water bottle over a cloth that he pressed roughly to Hiccup's forehead. Groaning, Hiccup grabbed the cold fabric and held it firmly against the throbbing cut on his head, lifting his gaze to glare daggers at the interloper through the water drippling past his eyes. The sight presented before him was that of an unpleasant, and unfortunately familiar-looking, Trainer.

"Ugh! What a freakin' ripoff!" Snotlout Jorgenson was complaining vehemently. "I hear a powerful Pokemon in the forest, push my way through branches and thorns and poison ivy, and all I find when I get here is Fishface and his dumb new pal!"

Spikes of annoyance shot through the stinging pain, driving Hiccup's blood pressure far past the normal level. Clenching his free fist, he struggled to his feet and indulged himself in a rare moment of genuine anger.

"Why would you do that?!" he snapped. "Last I checked, I look nothing like a Pokemon, thank you very much!"

But his point flew right over Snotlout's head, fixing Hiccup in a furious glare of his own. "Why would you do that?!" he retorted, jabbing a finger at Toothless, who was still squaring off with the Charmander. "All those noises were either your dumb lizard or Fishface's lazy rock monster, I don't care who! What matters is that you got me running all over the forest looking for a Pokemon I thought could help us out in our Gym rematch, which turned out not to even exist! You know what that is?! That, morons, is false advertising!"

"Well, I'm so sorry," Hiccup shot back. "Pokemon or not, you don't just throw Poke Balls on impulse at the first thing that catches your eye. Try looking for a change, why don't you?"

Tentatively, Fishlegs stepped into the proverbial flames of their argument. "Um, S-Snotlout? D-Did you just say that y-you and Hookfang lost at the Santalune Gym? Doesn't th-that one, um… use Bug-types?"

A poisonous look sent Fishlegs scurrying back with a yelp. "Shut up!" Snotlout insisted, briefly glancing away before refocusing his glare. "Hookfang and I were… having an off day, okay?! And anyway, why should you judge? You spend so much time pampering that Rhyhorn, you don't know the first thing about battles!"

"Neither do you, from what we saw yesterday…" Hiccup muttered before he could stop himself. Maybe a bit unnecessary, he thought with a tiny pang of regret, but Snotlout was really asking for it.

Snotlout turned back to him, but the furious look was fading, becoming a smug sneer. "Oh yeah? From what I heard, you didn't exactly do much better than I did against that chick, either! Sucks, doesn't it?"

Okay, Hiccup wasn't expecting that barb to hit so close to home. He clenched his jaw and took a breath before answering indignantly, "I'm only just starting my League challenge – she's good enough to have already entered one. I don't mind that I lost to her… in fact, it's given me something to work towards. At least I'm willing to admit it."

"Just starting? HA!" Snotlout crossed his arms imperiously and barked out a laugh. "And you got creamed by the very first Trainer you challenged? Oh man! You sure you're good enough for this whole Pokemon battle business?"

Hiccup's brow twitched. "And how many Pokemon Leagues have you challenged, Snotlout?"

The Jorgenson boy opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly unable to come up with a sufficient rebuttal. "Th-That…!" he spluttered, before shaking himself and retorting, "That doesn't matter! I'm Snotlout Jorgenson, the future best Trainer alive, and I can beat anybody, anywhere, at any time!"

Something about that boast inspired a dark spark of ambition to flare deep within Hiccup, and before he knew what he was doing, he spoke out with a bold dare – "Then how about beating us right here, right now?"

He hadn't, exactly, meant for a challenge to slip out in his irritation, but as soon as it was out of his mouth, he decided that he wanted this. He wanted to show Snotlout a thing or two, to shut down his boasts and prove himself as the more capable Trainer. He wasn't going to win an argument with someone so arrogant – let a Pokemon battle settle definitively what words would not.

"You're on!" Snotlout, predictably, accepted, his face stretching into a victorious smirk. "Thought you'd never ask, scrawny! Hookfang, get ready!"

The Charmander broke off the staring contest and ran to his side, waving its tail flame in an intimidation display. "Chaaaaarmander!"

"How about you, bud?" Hiccup asked, shooting his partner a knowing look. "Want to show them what you can do?"

Toothless, likewise, took a battle-ready position closer to his Trainer and growled deeply with resentment. "Bagooooo!"

Each wearing a determined snarl, Hiccup and Snotlout – new rivals – faced each other down. It wouldn't be the last time, Hiccup knew. Both were aiming for the same light at the end of the tunnel, and the competition wouldn't end until they'd both reached it.

But for now… it was Hiccup's first battle on his Kalos journey, and he swore to himself right then and there: he wouldn't be losing this time.

AN:

Took me a while to get this chapter just the way I liked it. Originally the battle with Snotlout would've taken place at the end of the chapter, but I ended up choosing to save it for next so I could focus on Hiccup and Fishlegs. The chapter would've been too cluttered, otherwise.

Fishlegs, for the most part, is going to be a supporting character that helps Hiccup train, advises him on how to care for and battle against new Pokemon, etc. I do have some ideas for a character arc for him, but it's going to relatively slow-paced and built up to gradually. In short, he's not going to do a whole lot of significance at first.

Now that the "the journey begins" scene is out of the way and Hiccup and Fishlegs are firmly established as traveling buddies, I can start to set up some more exciting stuff. The start of Hiccup's rivalry with Snotlout, and a Gym battle in Santalune, await! Please review, and I'll see you again soon!

Next time: Pokemon Training? Snot a Problem