Chapter 4 – Pokemon Training? Snot a Problem!

On opposite sides of the small forest clearing, two Trainers and their Pokemon faced off. On one side was Hiccup and Toothless, jaws set in silent determination to win. On the other was Snotlout and Hookfang, their teeth bared in defiant, angry snarls. Although this was to be a simple one-on-one battle with nothing material at stake, both sides were as serious about claiming victory as if they were in a Gym battle. Their prides were on the line.

Hiccup heard Fishlegs speak up tentatively, edging closer to the standoff on trembling legs. "Um… I-I should r-really serve as r-referee, in case a P-Pokemon gets hurt…"

"Quiet, Fishface! I don't need you to tell me when I've won!" Snotlout snapped, causing Fishlegs to clap a hand over his mouth.

Turning his attention from his rival for the first time since they declared battle, Hiccup regarded Fishlegs with a placating smile. "Hey, it's fine. We didn't need a referee when Toothless and I fought Astrid," he explained. "Actually, this would be a great opportunity for you to help me out. Could you take notes on Toothless and his moves? I'd like your input when it comes to preparing for the first Gym."

Fishlegs brightened at the idea. "O-Oh, right! I-I'd be happy to help!" he agreed, and his notebook instantly appeared in his hand.

"Hey! We're supposed to be starting a battle here, so stop talking about boring stuff and get on with it!" Snotlout demanded.

"Yeah, yeah… we're done," Hiccup rolled his eyes, his attention back on the brewing battle. "Get ready, Toothless. First step on the path to becoming the best Dragon Tamer."

"Bay-go, Bagon!" Toothless replied, shifting into a combat-ready posture.

"Pfft, yeah, in your dreams!" Snotlout mocked. "Hookfang, destroy!"

The Charmander immediately whirled around and spat an Ember, which sailed over Snotlout's head and burnt itself out when the boy ducked. He stood up again, red-faced. "Hookfang!"

Rolling his eyes, Hookfang spat out another Ember, this time at the proper target: Toothless. Thanks to the prior delay, Hiccup was more than ready for the attack and told Toothless to dodge, a maneuver he executed with ease.

"Our turn! Toothless, Dragon Dance!" he ordered.

We only have one attack that'll be effective on a Fire-type, he thought while Toothless spun himself into a series of twirls and rolls. To compensate, we'll boost our strength and speed right at the start. Hopefully that puts us at a greater advantage.

Snorting at what Toothless was doing, Snotlout sneered, "You know, to win a battle you actually have to attack back! Hookfang, get it with Scratch!"

"Chaaaar!" Hookfang growled, running forward with claws glinting.

By now, though, Toothless was finished with Dragon Dance, a powerful glow emanating from his body, and had just enough time to react to his foe's aggression. On Hiccup's command, he dodged again – his increased speed making it easier – and then came back with a Rage. Its power enhanced by Dragon Dance, he plowed into Hookfang with a vicious tackle, sending the Charmander sprawling.

"That can't be all you've got, Hookfang!" Snotlout urged him. "Get up and use Ember!"

"Counter with your Ember!" Hiccup retorted, part of yesterday's battle flashing to the forefront of his mind.

Both Pokemon spewed their flames, but although Toothless' Ember was substantially bigger, Hookfang's proved strong enough to destroy it. Wisps of smoke lingered over the clearing, thankfully thin enough for Hiccup to see through. There was a frustrated scowl on Snotlout's face, who'd no doubt been hoping his Pokemon could've at least scored a hit by now.

"Get closer and keep using Ember!" he shouted.

"Block them all with Ember, bud!" Hiccup countered.

It was an impulsive plan, one that had sprung to Hiccup's mind and sounded better than sitting and taking the flames head-on. Sure, Dragon-types resisted Fire attacks, but he didn't want Toothless to take any more damage than necessary, especially since Snotlout was clearly planning something. Hookfang was advancing as ordered, using a constant barrage of small fireballs as a cover. Toothless' Embers continually canceled out Hookfang's, but that was all he could do – stand still and defend while the Charmander marched steadily closer.

At last, the final clash of Embers exploded at near point-blank range, filling Toothless' and Hiccup's eyes with smoke, and Snotlout took his shot. "Now, Hookfang! Get in there with Scratch!"

When Hiccup's vision cleared, he was on time to see Hookfang lash out, swatting Toothless with enough force to throw him on his back. Growling, the Bagon got to his feet quickly, the royal purple glow of Dragon Dance still flickering around him and highlighting the brand-new scratch marks drawn across his cheek.

"Rage!" Hiccup ordered.

Toothless lunged while Hookfang was still in range, smashing himself into the Fire-type before he could retreat to a safe distance. Now it was Hookfang's turn to pull himself to his feet, a visible bruise darkening the blue scales of his belly.

"You gonna take that, Hookfang?!" Snotlout demanded.

"Charrrr… Charma!" the orange reptile snarled, his tail flame flaring bigger and brighter.

"See that? We're just getting warmed up!" the arrogant Trainer bragged to Hiccup, who gulped and took a defensive step backward – Hookfang looked fiercer than ever, despite the damage he'd taken. "Show them you aren't to be messed with, Hookfang! Hit it with a Dragon Rage!"

Dragon Rage?! The name of the attack rang loud and clear like an alarm bell in Hiccup's mind. "T-Toothless!" he stammered, his confidence waning. "Hurry and dodge –"

His command was drowned out by a ferocious cry from Hookfang, the otherwise high-pitched and nonthreatening sound turning into a deep roar with the purple-blue flames that gushed from his jaws like a roiling stream. Toothless jumped aside, but the torrent of dragonfire was too wide and ended up searing his leg. The keening wail that tore from the Bagon's throat as he struck the ground was filled with terrible pain, a pain that stabbed at Hiccup's heart as if it were his own.

Toothless! He wanted to shout at his partner's unmoving form, but his throat refused to utter a sound. He could only stare in anguish, his heart in his mouth, as Toothless dragged himself back to a standing position, sporting nasty burn marks on his injured leg. When he stood up, though, the red light of Rage rose from his scales, combining with the Dragon Dance boost to become a violent shade of fiery pink.

"Oh, thank goodness," Hiccup muttered, his sigh of relief flushing the tension from his body. "You still good to go, bud?"

With a single nod, Toothless stomped the ground and gave a ringing, furious cry in a show of strength. "Bagooooooo!"

"Wow, I wasn't expecting him to still be standing after that," Snotlout remarked, eyes wide, before the smirk returned to his face. "Well, he won't be for long once we're through with him! Hookfang, use Dragon Rage again!"

"Chaaar…" Hookfang growled, sucking in a breath. This time, Hiccup noticed instantly the strain in the Charmander's voice, and the significantly longer pause he had to take to ready the move. By the time the next plume of violet fire surged across the battlefield, Hiccup was already thinking a step ahead.

"Dodge this one, Toothless!" he implored. To his delight and relief, Toothless jumped out of the way of this one, the pause in Hookfang's execution more than enough to make up for his injured leg. "Now use Ember!"

Toothless' jaw snapped open instantly, and a barrage of small fireballs peppered Hookfang's scales, driving him back despite his fireproof physiology. Hiccup balled his fists excitedly – he hadn't wanted Toothless to get in close just yet, due to his bad leg, so remaining at range, for now, was the strategy.

Don't want to risk giving that Charmander an opening for another Dragon Rage – if Toothless charged in with Rage, he might not have enough time to avoid another blast, he reasoned, watching Toothless advance while Hookfang guarded his face against the bursts of flame. Rage is still our best option right now, but I'll have to wait for Hookfang to get in close, himself, for the perfect opportunity to use it.

"Ugh, this is getting annoying!" Snotlout seethed, stamping a foot in frustration. "Hookfang, get that thing off of you with your Smokescreen!"

As if inspired to move by his Trainer's command, Hookfang ducked under the next Ember instead of taking it, then began to spin with powerful lashes of his tail. Once, twice, three times – thick, acrid-smelling smoke poured from his tail with every rotation, until most of the clearing was choked by the black cloud. Coughing from the sudden taste of smoke in his lungs, Hiccup glanced around in search of Toothless, to no avail.

"Bagooooo!" From within the smog, Toothless' voice rang out, a frustrated and frightened sound. Next came the sounds of more Embers being launched in vain, with no response. The little Dragon-type was firing blindly, panicking.

Hiccup couldn't let his partner lose focus, or else they'd just lose. "Toothless, just stay calm!" he called to his Pokemon, wherever he was. "Keep still and try to find your opponent through the smoke!"

A laugh from Snotlout cut through the smoke. "Fat chance of that, losers!" he taunted. "Hookfang, your turn! Show them some real Embers!"

Dim bursts of orange light filtered through the smoke, grabbing Hiccup's attention. Some of the flaring lights were accompanied by the dull sound of an impact, but others weren't – that meant Hookfang was likely left as blind as they were, and was missing some of his shots. And there was more good news: as a single shot went whizzing by Hiccup's cheek, bringing an uncomfortable warmth with it, its passing cleared some of the smoke in its wake.

"Toothless!" he called again. "Let me know when you can see Hookfang!"

"Bay!" came the affirmative reply. There was a pause, only the sound of more fireballs hissing through the air, and a mere second later – "Bago bay!"

He sees him! Hiccup grinned, his vision clearing with the fading smoke, and didn't hesitate to command, "Now use Leer!"

"Baaaaay-go!" Toothless growled out, and a red gleam shone through the remaining wisps of smog. The sound and light of Hookfang's flames disappeared – the Charmander was briefly held captive by Toothless' intimidating death glare, backing away in fear.

"Hey! Hey! We don't cave to wimps!" Snotlout admonished him harshly. "Snap out of it and Scratch the Tauros dung out of him!"

"Ch-Char!" Hookfang answered, springing forward with claws on full display. His charge was hasty and reckless, the scare from the Leer making him forget all about defense.

This was the chance Hiccup had been waiting for. "Go for it, Toothless! Intercept with Rage!"

Toothless rushed his incoming foe without hesitation, ramming into Hookfang's flank even as his brandished claws scored glancing blows across his snout. Both Pokemon were sent skidding backwards from the impact, but Hookfang, having caught the brunt of it, had to fight to keep his balance. Toothless, meanwhile, was fine, the crimson glow of Rage returning to add a fiery quality to the light of Dragon Dance.

Snotlout's forehead was gleaming with sweat as he hastened to give his Pokemon orders, thoughtlessly calling out a move. "Q-Quick, Hookfang! Use, uh, Dragon Rage!"

The Charmander inhaled slowly, but Hiccup wasn't worried in the least – he'd seen before that Hookfang had struggled to use that move twice in a row, and surmised that it must take a lot out of the young, inexperienced Fire-type. So it was with total confidence and without fear for his Pokemon's safety that Hiccup flung out his arm and commanded the finishing blow.

"Use Rage, Toothless! One more time!" he shouted.

Brimming with a furious pink aura, Toothless charged forward as hard and fast as he could. Just as the sparks of dragonfire appeared in Hookfang's mouth, he lowered his hard head and smashed it into his enemy's stomach. Hookfang's eyes bulged with the impact, milliseconds before the force of Toothless' attack hurled him across the clearing. He bounced off a tree with a pained cry, landing on his belly in the dirt at his Trainer's feet.

Hiccup braced himself, waiting for Hookfang to get back up. But as the seconds crawled by without response, it became clear that he wouldn't.

A joyous whoop shattered the silence that had fallen with the conclusion of the battle. "The match goes to Hiccup!" Fishlegs cheered, clutching his notebook close to his chest. "Oh, that was incredible, you guys! Your combination of Dragon Dance and Rage was t-truly impressive! And exploiting Hookfang's slow recovery time - what tactical genius!"

The tension left Hiccup's body, a wave of relief and pride sweeping through his body and leaving a satisfied sense of pleasure in its wake. Him and Toothless had won.

Not just any win. Our first, he thought, the realization inspiring a giddy grin to manifest on his face. "Well, bud, we did it," he said, turning it on his partner. "Awesome work out there. You were amazing."

Toothless returned the smile, slumping tiredly as his adrenaline high wore off. "Bay bago…"

The sound of a Poke Ball opening and a flash of red prompted Hiccup to acknowledge his opponent. Snotlout was kneeling, returning the unconscious Hookfang to his Poke Ball, and for once he was quiet, eyes downcast and expression neutral. He looked… disappointed in himself, if Hiccup had to guess, and he felt a stab of sympathy for him. For all his bragging and rudeness, he was a Trainer who'd been trying his best, just like Hiccup was, and he'd put up a great fight.

Hiccup started to approach the crouched Jorgenson boy, intending to thank him for the battle. But Fishlegs, surprisingly, got to him first, thrusting out a hand nervously to present Snotlout with an Oran berry.

"H-Have Hookfang eat that when you let him out n-next," he offered with a trembling, yet kind, smile. "I-It'll make him feel better."

Snotlout raised his head and glowered darkly at the larger boy, then snatched up the berry without so much as a thank-you. As he pocketed it, he stood up and turned his dour grimace on Hiccup, who faltered in his approach. He paused, expecting to get yelled at, but Snotlout didn't say a word, apparently content to skewer him with a withering look and nothing more.

"Uh… good, ah, good fight?" Hiccup tried to keep his words lighthearted in the midst of such distaste. "It was, um… fun, and a good experience, and… let's battle again… sometime…?"

Abruptly, a finger was shoved in his face, making him flinch. He followed the length of the arm all the way to its owner, who now glared directly at him with eyes that seemed to blaze with defiance.

"Oh, we will battle again," Snotlout growled, baring his teeth. "Hiccup, was it? Maybe you just so happened to barely beat Hookfang and me today, but next time I see your scrawny butt, the outcome's gonna be way different. We're gonna thrash you so bad, you'll wish you'd never even considered entering the Kalos League!"

For a moment, Hiccup struggled to come up with something to say to that. "W-Well, I'm not going to take it easy on you," he answered at last, deciding that he didn't want to look like a cowering Wimpod in front of his new rival. "Toothless and I will be ready to take you on again, whenever we meet up next."

"Oh, is that how it's gonna be?!" Snotlout demanded, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Well, I'm gonna find a bigger and badder Dragon-type than your stupid baby lizard and show you how much better I am! Actually, no, I'm gonna do even more than that! I'll build up a whole freakin' team of super-tough Dragon-types and show you how a real Trainer does it! How do you like that, Mr. Wannabe Dragon Tamer?!"

"Um…" Hiccup was only left more baffled by Snotlout's impassioned rant, unsure how to react to such a declaration coming out of nowhere. What was he supposed to feel? Insulted that this Trainer wanted to one-up him, specifically? Intrigued at the prospect of his skills being challenged by another Dragon-type specialist? He ended up unable to say anything in return, which only emboldened Snotlout, the smuggest and most triumphant smirk yet crawling across his visage.

"Yeah, that's totally what I'm going to do!" he announced, folding his arms. "Go ahead, Hiccup! Catch all the Dragon-types you want, because none of them are gonna matter! In fact, you're gonna need nothing short of a Legendary Pokemon to beat the team I'm gonna cook up! Then, Hookfang and me will become Champions and go undefeated until the end of time!"

It was, admittedly, a very impressive boast – there was nary a shred of doubt in Snotlout's eyes, only confidence and malicious glee, so utterly convinced was he that he was going to climb to the top. Hiccup could only blink, so flabbergasted at the ridiculous claim that he couldn't find it in him to argue.

Fishlegs, however…

"Uh, S-Snotlout?" he piped up. "Wh-While I admire your… um, t-tenacity… there's a slight p-problem with that…"

"Oh yeah? Let's hear it, Fishface," Snotlout turned on him, sneering.

Though he flinched, Fishlegs nonetheless gathered himself and said straightforwardly, "Hookfang isn't a Dragon-type."

Now it was Snotlout's turn to flinch, looking as shocked as though he'd been struck across the cheek. "What?" he asked, his brow scrunching at the statement. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart kid, Fishface. Obviously, he's a Dragon-type."

"Um, no," Hiccup interjected – only doing so now, because Snotlout didn't even know his own Pokemon's type? "Trust me, I know Dragon-types, and Charmander isn't one of them."

Snotlout crossed his arms with a mocking sneer. "He's a fire-breathing lizard, stupid! How does that not qualify as a Dragon-type? Tell me that, Hiccup the Useless."

"Th-That… that's not how that… works…" Hiccup stammered, almost too dumbfounded to get it out. How was it possible for a Pokemon Trainer to know so little about their own Pokemon?

"A-Actually, fire-breathing is typically the hallmark of a Fire-type, not necessarily a Dragon-type," Fishlegs added, and then ran off with an alarmed squeak when a plume of steam began to waft past his nose. "Ah! N-Not the soup!"

Hiccup couldn't follow him – at that moment, Snotlout finished stammering out an indecisive series of unfinished words and gave a frustrated shout. "Wha– But I– That isn– aaaaargh, stop trying to confuse me!" he bellowed, before thrusting himself back into Hiccup's personal space with a renewed scowl. "Listen Hiccup, I don't care about what type you think my Pokemon is or isn't. All I care about is that I'm gonna beat you, first at being a Dragon Tamer, and then at the Kalos League, and then at the Championship!"

He suddenly paused, doubt flashing over his face. "Wait… are those in the right order…?"

Before Hiccup could so much as raise a finger to correct him, he burst out, "BAH, whatever! Snotlout Jorgenson's gonna be the greatest, and leave you losers in his dust!"

He promptly did just that, tearing off into the forest with his chant of "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!" echoing back to taunt them.

Hiccup could only stare after him, utterly vexed.

Fishlegs approached, two bubbling bowls of soup held in hands now sporting colorful oven mitts. "You know, I never thought I'd say this about a guy I really don't like," he commented in a thoughtful tone, "but I really hope he wizens up soon."

Nodding, Hiccup's reply came with a sarcastic edge. "So do I… for Hookfang's sake."

Lunch was soon over and done with – Hiccup praising both Fishlegs and Fishlegs' mother for the way his taste buds had been spoiled – and the table cleared of all mealtime necessities. It was on a blank, smooth surface he propped his elbows and approached Fishlegs with a new, more serious, topic.

Or… he tried. "So, Fishlegs…"

"Bago!" Toothless interrupted, the twinge of pain in his partner's voice instantly turning his head with a pang of alarm. The Bagon was approaching with a slight limp, favoring the leg that had suffered in his close encounter with Dragon Rage. Even now, he could see slight burn markings dulling the scales there.

Fishlegs gasped when he saw the condition Toothless was in, and immediately dove into his mountain of a backpack with his arms and his head. "Don't worry!" he assured them, voice coming out muffled. "I've come prepared for any minor emergency…!"

With effort, the Ingerman boy extracted himself from his pack and came out smiling proudly, bearing both a potion bottle and a small roll of bandages in his hands. "I made sure to pack all kinds of first-aid supplies in case we're ever out of reach of a Pokemon Center! The next town is still hours away, but this should take care of Toothless just fine for now!"

Indeed, it was a simple affair to spritz Toothless' light wounds with potion and wrap it up, and Toothless perked up significantly right after. Hiccup gave him a quick snack to help restore his energy, then sent him off to play with Meatlug. While the Bagon and Rhyhorn ran circles around the edge of the clearing in a game of tag, Hiccup turned again to Fishlegs to posit his question again.

"Hey, can you show me the notes you took during our battle?" he asked. "I'd like your opinion on what we can improve for the Gym."

The instant he asked, Fishlegs brightened, whipping out his notebook. "Yes, of course!" he answered enthusiastically. "I made sure to analyze Toothless' moves and point out anything that stood out to me! I even already have several ideas for improvements, i-if you'd like to hear my suggestions, that is!"

He sat down and flipped the book open, turning the pages with an energy that hadn't been there before. It must've been a novelty for him, Hiccup recognized, to have someone ask explicitly for an assessment of their Pokemon.

A different thought occurred to Hiccup just then – something that had already occurred to him earlier today, in fact. This time, it was accompanied by a foreboding feeling, a rising worry that caused his throat to become dry, prompting him to swallow thickly. Before Fishlegs could begin, a second question left his mouth. "Actually, before you start, do you have any information on the Santalune Gym in general? Just so I know what to look out for?"

Humming in thought, Fishlegs took a moment before speaking. "Only that the Gym is based around Bug-type Pokemon, and that the Leader tends to use two Pokemon in battle," he replied, then shot Hiccup an inquisitive look. "Any reason why you ask?"

Bug-types… that meant no advantages, but no disadvantages, either. Two Pokemon… that wasn't as bad as he'd been expecting. But the underlying worry still remained, simmering unpleasantly in his gut. He sighed and placed both arms on the table, slumping as he stared ahead at how Toothless and Meatlug frolicked, blissfully ignorant of the trial ahead.

"Toothless is going to have to fight in that Gym alone," Hiccup muttered. Beside him, Fishlegs made a soft sound, only now understanding the problem. "Dragon-type Pokemon aren't exactly common, so I knew that this would be a risk early on in my journey, but now that it's here… Toothless is going to be fighting an uphill battle, even if it is only two Pokemon in a row.

"That's why I wanted your input," he explained, looking into Fishlegs' eyes, a serious frown on his lips. "I need Toothless in tip-top shape, and his moves as strong as they're going to be, to be ready for whatever that Gym has in store."

When Fishlegs nodded, a small and cautious smile tweaking at his lips, Hiccup felt his spirits lift a little. It reassured him, slightly, to know that he had a friend in his corner, another brilliant mind to help him strategize and prepare.

"Okay, I have a few ideas," Fishlegs stated, and slid his notebook over to Hiccup, pointing at relevant notes. "Obviously, a good way to start would be to simply work on improving Toothless' strength and endurance. The latter will be especially important, considering your opponent has the advantage of numbers, so stamina training is a must. As for moves, powering up Toothless' Ember is essential, as it'll be your best move against Bug-types. On top of that, improving Ember early on will make it a great base to work from when it comes time to teach him a proper Dragon-type move!"

Hiccup digested that. "Alright… so first we do a general stamina workout to help mitigate the disadvantage of being one against two. Then, we do training specifically to improve Ember. Sounds doable…"

"And I have one more point of interest here," Fishlegs added, tapping a crude sketch he'd made of Toothless in action. "That last Rage that Toothless used against Hookfang looked different than the other Rages I've seen him do. It's only a hypothesis, but I think it's well on its way to becoming a new move entirely!"

A lot of what Fishlegs was describing was… new to Hiccup. Admittedly, before today, he'd never really considered what the process of training a Pokemon really constituted, as the only way him and Toothless had "trained" was through their flight practice. He'd known that Pokemon evolved and learned new moves, but he'd never stopped to consider how they did it, how Trainers helped them grow stronger. For a moment, he felt like he was being thrown into the deep end of a pool.

But, although the ideas being flung at him were novel and a little intimidating to Hiccup, they also made him feel… optimistic. He had a solid direction for where to take Toothless' progress for the moment, real ways to help his partner grow other than watching him jump out of trees. They could actively improve, instead of waiting for change.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called, and Toothless abandoned his game to come toddling up to him, eyes blinking a question. "What do you say to some real battle training? It'll help increase your strength a whole lot, and Fishlegs even thinks you can learn a new move out of it."

Predictably, the little Dragon-type was on board. "Bagooooon!" he cheered, hopping up and down with great enthusiasm, eager at the thought of anything that'd get him any closer to evolving.

"B-Be careful!" Fishlegs warned, glancing at Toothless' bandaged leg concernedly. "Toothless is still healing from the battle. We shouldn't go too hard in case we make it worse…"

"We'll keep the training light for now," Hiccup conceded. "We'll do what you suggested and practice some moves until they're more refined. Maybe we'll space it out throughout the day, too – move practice at every mealtime, that way Toothless doesn't wear himself completely out in one intense training session."

That calmed Fishlegs' worries, and his responding nod was even a bit excited. "I-In that case, you can use Meatlug as a training partner! She's part Rock-type, so she can take Ember and Rage all day if she has to. Right, girl?"

Meatlug herself stomped forwards, blasting air from her nostrils as if announcing she was ready to prove it. "Rhy, Rhyhooooorn!"

"See?" Fishlegs was even a bit determined now, so keen was he to be of use. He rushed away so that he was standing behind his Pokemon, backing her up for what was to be a mock battle. "Come on, Hiccup! Meatlug and I will do our best to assist you!"

Impressed, and maybe somewhat flattered, by the lengths Fishlegs was willing to go to assist him, Hiccup finally nodded with a growing smile. "Okay, Toothless, you heard the guy. Charge right at Meatlug with Rage!"

"Bago!" Toothless replied, and hurled himself at the Rhyhorn.

She didn't even blink when Toothless slammed into her, and tossed her head to push him back toward Hiccup. The effect of Rage kicked in, a red glow settling around Toothless as his power and aggression grew. His single fang glinted menacingly as he snarled, but Meatlug only flicked her head in a "bring it on" gesture.

"You can do better!" Fishlegs said, the statement sounding both encouraging and challenging. "Remember how you fought Snotlout and come at us!"

Hiccup did just that, taking a second to think about how Toothless had dealt the final blow Hookfang less than an hour before. "Toothless, this time use Rage with your head down! Hit her like you hit Hookfang!"

"Bayyyyy-go!" Toothless cried, lunging with furious gusto into his next attack. Obediently, he charged with his head down, so that his armored skull connected with a hard clack against Meatlug's own armor.

The Rhyhorn took a single step back this time before shoving Toothless away. She was still unhurt, but that wasn't the point. Already, just by altering the position of his attack, Toothless had improved, succeeding in moving the heavy Ground-and-Rock-type by the slightest amount. It was a sight that made Hiccup's spirits soar.

Of course, we should've been using that all this time! he thought, the wheels in his head beginning to turn. Toothless' helmet is his best weapon!

"Rage, again!" he ordered.

Toothless' battle cry was even more fearsome than the last, befitting the intensifying glow of Rage as he charged Meatlug once more. Again, the sound of him making contact was like stone striking stone, and again, the Rhyhorn was pushed back a pace by the force of the blow.

Hiccup continued to call the same attack, throwing himself into his and Toothless' workout, grinning to himself all the while. He felt excited, invigorated, motivated, more so than he'd ever felt. It was finally here – his journey to reach the heights he'd always dreamed of. The goal he sought was so distant, so far from his grasp, and he was only half a day's worth of progress closer.

But in that half a day, so much had happened already – he'd met a traveling companion, won his first battle, and begun training for the next. Tomorrow, there would be more training, arrival in a new city, and the promise of a Gym battle… a Gym battle, where his skill as a Trainer would finally be tested.

Yes, he'd only made a tiny bit of progress in the long run. But that progress was already greater than anything him and Toothless had achieved in years. And there was so much more left to do.

It was no wonder Hiccup found himself so motivated as he watched Toothless hammer himself against a brick wall of a Pokemon again and again. He couldn't wait to see his efforts finally bear fruit and pay off at the Santalune Gym.

AN:

I think Snotlout, like Astrid, makes sense as a rival character, but for more obvious reasons. Whereas Astrid's status as a rival ties into how her character development will go, Snotlout has always been sort of a rival archetype in HTTYD canon, always attempting to one-up Hiccup with amusing results. I want to keep that dynamic and write Snotlout as the annoying, accident-prone, but surprisingly competent rival that pops up every once in a while to pester the protagonist – think Barry from Diamond & Pearl. His goal to beat Hiccup specifically at training Dragon-types makes sense, I think, in this context, where his ego has already been bruised enough to warrant a grudge.

Don't worry, though, Snotlout will eventually become more of a genuine character. He just won't be focused on until much later.

That's enough blathering about one of my favorite HTTYD characters, though. A Gym battle is on the horizon! Has Hiccup prepared enough for it to win with only Toothless? Please review, and I hope you're excited to find out!

Next time: What's Bugging You?