Chapter 6 – Heathering the Storm!
"The challenger is out of usable Pokemon; the victory goes to the Gym Leader, Viola!"
Hiccup barely even heard the referee's judgement as he took his first numb steps onto the battlefield, crossing the short distance between himself and his unconscious Pokemon almost automatically, hardly any thought given to what he was doing. He bent down to kneel upon the scorched earth and delicately retrieve Toothless' body – and only then did a small flush of relief dispel some of the numbness. Feeling his partner breathe as he slept peacefully in his arms brought a hopeful warmth back to his heart.
Without a word, Hiccup set Toothless down in his lap and reached into his jacket for an object he rarely used: Toothless' Poke Ball. Upon pressing the button, the sphere enlarged and opened, drawing Toothless safely into its confines as a stream of benign red energy. Sighing, Hiccup pocketed the Poke Ball again, immediately feeling incomplete without the Bagon physically at his side.
Sorry, bud, he thought, mournfully. I… really thought we could do it.
The sound of approaching footsteps brought Hiccup back onto his own feet. Fishlegs was there, his watery eyes blinking a question at him that their owner was too nervous to speak out loud. Having forgotten that Fishlegs had been watching the Gym battle in the first place, it was a reminder to Hiccup that he had a friend apart from Toothless to rely on for support, and that knowledge brought a tentative smile to his face.
"Yeah, I'm good, Fishlegs," he said. "Guess I was just overzealous, thinking I could win with only Toothless…"
"We only had a day's worth of training," Fishlegs replied, a shy smile of his own brightening his complexion. "A little more work, and I don't doubt that Toothless will be strong enough to win next time! A-And don't forget that you learned a lot about this Gym by challenging it! You can apply that knowledge to y-your training!"
Ready to reply in the affirmative to the Ingerman boy's idea, Hiccup closed his mouth when he spotted Viola approaching, wearing the same friendly expression as she had when they'd first met. He found that he couldn't quite look her in the eye – the same faint, awkward shame of being addressed by the Trainer who'd beaten him that he recognized from his duel with Astrid – and averted his gaze uncomfortably when she stuck out her hand in a clear offer to shake.
"Good battle, challenger!" Viola chirped. "You definitely have potential – like I said before, you handled Surskit really well. And having the nerve to challenge my Gym with only a single Pokemon? That's pretty fantastic, if a little unusual."
Hiccup at last raised his head to look at her directly – even though she didn't ask directly, he could still see a curious glint buried under the friendly pep talk.
"I'm trying to become a great Dragon Tamer," he finally admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "If I could catch a second Pokemon, I would, but… yeah, I'm pretty much stuck with just Toothless."
Viola's eyes widened with recognition, the subtle hint of confusion clearing. "Oh, I see. Dedicating yourself to your favorite type of Pokemon… that's a fantastic way to train! I see your problem, though: Dragon-types aren't exactly the most common Pokemon in the world, so unless you get lucky and find somebody willing to trade, you're stuck with just the one."
She grinned, suddenly looking a whole lot more excited. "Fantastic!" she said again. "Hiccup, feel free to come and challenge me again whenever you feel ready. I'm very interested to see what tactics you come up with in our next match, and honestly, I'd really like to see you beat me with just a single Pokemon without type advantages. I think it'll be a fantastic battle!"
Somehow, hearing this earnest proclamation – a Gym Leader encouraging him so enthusiastically to defeat her – lightened Hiccup's spirits, gave him motivation to go out there and give it his all. He wanted to live up to her expectations, to give her that "fantastic" battle she was hoping for. At last, he stuck out his hand and returned her handshake, managing a small, excited smile.
"I'll be back, then," he promised. "Next time you see us, Toothless and I will be strong enough to win."
Viola looked a combination of satisfied and delighted, and Fishlegs gawked at him with something like awe.
When Hiccup left the Pokemon Center later that day, around noon, he was in a much better mood than he probably should've been, considering what he'd been there for. It had taken Nurse Joy much longer to heal Toothless than it had previously, since the Bagon had a bit more to be healed than simple scrapes. No, Toothless had been injured – nothing outside the parameters of the average Pokemon battle, of course, but it was still much more serious than anything he'd had to go through before. Even after Toothless returned from treatment with nary a scratch and in perfect health, Hiccup should've been worried sick, even after the fact.
But when Hiccup walked out the Pokemon Center doors for the second time that day, it was with an unmistakably confident stride. He swung his arms freely and tipped his head upwards to greet the sunny sky, a feeling like a solid hunk of iron stabilizing him and giving purpose to his march. Toothless was at his side, of course, clinging to his shoulder and bearing a steel in his eyes that mirrored Hiccup's newfound motivation to a tee.
They'd just lost a Gym battle, and come out of it in worse shape than ever, but neither of them were left discouraged. No, they were invigorated. This was the first roadblock on their journey, the first of many that Valka had told them about, and they had to overcome it. They would overcome it.
It's just like Mom said, Hiccup reflected. The way to becoming a master Dragon Tamer – and teaching Toothless to fly – is to pick ourselves up after defeat and keep going. This is only the first hurdle we need to clear, so from now on, Toothless and I really have to get our butts in gear and do some proper training.
Fishlegs, as usual, was at his side, chattering at a mile a minute. "…and then when I asked around the Pokemon Center, several people told me to head east out of town, toward Route 23. A lot of Trainers use it as a training ground!"
"That sounds as good a place as any," Hiccup accepted. "Let's head there right away and pick up where we left off in Santalune Forest. I thought that'd be enough for the Gym, but it wasn't near enough… so we really have to be ready before we ask for a rematch."
"Do you have any idea of what you and Toothless are gonna work on?" Fishlegs asked, cocking his head curiously.
"Well, there's that new move you mentioned…" Hiccup started, and then trailed off. He hadn't thought much about Toothless' training beyond that, but now that he was, a new move didn't sound like it'd be enough. Images began to float through his head the more deeply he mused – images from the battle with Viola, particularly of moments where Toothless had struggled badly.
… Slowly, a proper plan started to take shape.
"Our biggest problem was mobility," he continued anew. He cast his eyes back to the sky as he spoke his thoughts aloud. "Surskit could modify the battlefield for its own use, and Toothless had a hard time catching up. And Vivillon can fly… we can't reach it with physical attacks at all. And then there's its Gust… that's our second biggest problem, I think. It repelled Toothless like nothing."
"Bay…" Toothless cooed mournfully at the reminder of his shortcomings.
"Good assessment, Hiccup!" Fishlegs complimented him, nodding vigorously. "I promise, Meatlug and I will ensure that you two are perfectly prepared for your second attempt at that Gym badge! Ooh, hurry up! I can't wait to get started!"
Indeed, as Fishlegs began to pull ahead, Hiccup noticed the buildings growing fewer and farther between as the street underfoot transitioned from proper pavement to a well-worn dirt path. Ahead, he could see the trail extending deep into the wilderness that surrounded Santalune, where a single road sign stuck up out of the grass with a conspicuous "Route 23" advertised on it. He picked up the pace, a little bit of Fishlegs' excitement beginning to pump through his veins, too.
They stopped a good way away from the city, the buildings only slightly visible behind a landscape of grassy hills and patchy groves of trees. A large pond dominated the area they found themselves in, the dirt path curving around its shore where it then continued northwards, the same general direction in which Lumiose City lay. Hiccup's mind couldn't have been further from that distant metropolis, the next step in his travels after Santalune – it was filled with the notion of getting past this step.
"Okay, bud, this is it," he said as Toothless jumped off his shoulder, landing in front of him and looking up to give his undivided attention. "We need to find a way to improve your mobility to match Surskit's. After that, we have to come up with a strategy to fight Vivillon… and it's only as I'm saying this that I realize I don't have any ideas for either of those things. Perfect…"
"Bagoooo…" Toothless' purr was sympathetic.
Maybe it would've been worth starting to think about this at the Pokemon Center, Hiccup scolded himself with a roll of his eyes. Upon surveying the area, he spotted an area on the other side of the pond where the soil had turned to mud, reminding him of how Surskit's Water Sport had given it such an advantage. I wonder if we can dry it out with Ember? Might be worth doing some more drills to focus its power… that might increase the temperature enough to –
A rustling sound from somewhere off to his left disturbed Hiccup's train of thought, and he sighed, irked. "Fishlegs, could you quiet down a bit?"
"Um… Hiccup, I didn't say anything," came Fishlegs' reply… from his right.
His body gave a start, a jolt of fright, at the realization, and he whirled around to confront the tall grass that he now saw was thrashing as something moved about inside. Instinctively, a shout for Toothless' attention built in his throat, but before he could grab the Dragon-type's attention, the grass parted, and something small shot out in a blur of red and a flash of gleaming metal.
"T-Toothless!" Hiccup finally managed to say, the Pokemon's appearance startling it out of him.
It did the trick – Toothless heard him and instantly leapt aside as the attacker slammed its forearms into the ground where he'd been standing. Glaring out from under a domed helmet adorned with a blade, the red-and-black Pokemon pulled its arms free to reveal a pair of smaller knives that it brandished threateningly at Toothless. He didn't falter, though, instead standing his ground and growling his own threat at the enemy.
"Oh, wow, a Pawniard!" Fishlegs exclaimed, before having second thoughts and reigning in his fascination. "A-Ah, I mean… be careful, Hiccup! It looks like it wants a fight!"
"Niaaaaa!" the Pawniard shrieked as if to confirm, and its blades glowed as it rushed Toothless again.
"BAGO!" the Bagon snarled in return, spitting an Ember with particular vehemence. It wasn't like the more condensed fireballs he'd learned to produce, though – it was wild and unfocused, and it struck the ground at the Pawniard's feet with a roar of flame that drove the creature back.
Finally, Hiccup managed to brush his shock aside and get his legs working again, running to stand between Toothless and his assailant. "Whoa, bud, stand down!" he yelled, extending a hand toward his partner as a signal to be calm. Once he was sure Toothless wouldn't attack again, he turned to the Pawniard and did the same. "Hey, nobody wants to fight here. We're friends, I promi–"
"Pawni!" the little knight-like creature hissed, and lunged from the side, attempting to get to Toothless. Hiccup was quick to block it, though, and it stopped in its tracks, waving its blades angrily.
It's not trying to hurt me or Fishlegs… so it just wants to battle Toothless? Hiccup guessed, frowning. This Pokemon was very odd. Even its appearance was distinct enough to nag at him, and he wrinkled his brow in confusion. I could swear I've seen this Pokemon before… recently, even…
Fishlegs seemed to share in his confusion, coming to Hiccup's side while scratching his head. "Hang on, what's a Pawniard even doing here? They aren't supposed to be native to this area – they're more common around…!"
The grass abruptly rustled again, frightening Fishlegs out of his explanation with a high-pitched squeak, but what burst out wasn't a Pokemon – it was a girl, jet-black hair slightly askew and pretty green eyes wide with alarm. However, that was short-lived, as the second she spotted the Pawniard, her features relaxed and she reached down to scoop the bladed Pokemon into her arms.
"Don't do that again, Windshear," she scolded in soft, yet firm, tones. "How are we supposed to cooperate if you run off every time you spot a Pokemon you want to battle?"
The Pawniard said nothing, resigning itself to sulk like a child in its Trainer's grasp.
Shaking her head, the girl turned to Hiccup with remorse clouding her eyes. "I'm so sorry for what my Pokemon just put you through," she apologized, bowing slightly. "I should have been watching her more closely."
Hiccup took a step forward to assure her, but she flinched at the movement, and he frantically backed away. "Hey, I'm not mad!" he protested. "Look, I… I'm just glad no-one was hurt in this, um, misunderstanding. And, uh… thanks for helping? I don't know how long I could've kept both Toothless and your Pawniard from going at each other's throats…"
The girl, thankfully, gained confidence from his bumbling speech and smiled at him. "I'm Heather, and this is my partner, Windshear," she introduced herself, adjusting her grip on her now subdued Pokemon. "We saw you exit the Pokemon Center a few minutes ago and decided to come say hi, but Windshear got it into her head that she'd rather have a battle… hence why she got away and attacked. Sorry again."
Hiccup briefly floundered to say something in return, flustered by one detail of her speech. "You, ah… you came all this way to meet us?"
Her distracting smile widened. "Yes. Aren't you the same boy we saw earlier? The one who said he was training for the Kalos League?"
An epiphany hit Hiccup just then, and it was so obvious that he cursed himself for not figuring it out sooner. He had seen this girl and her Pokemon before – he'd bumped into them upon first arriving in Santalune. She was the same one who'd wished him luck, and whom Fishlegs had raced after for notes on Windshear.
Remembering that Fishlegs was still there, too, he turned around and found the Ingerman boy goggling at him in… surprise? Fascination? Either way, Hiccup did a double-take at the odd gaze being leveled at him and realized that he'd completely forgotten to acknowledge his friend, let alone introduce him. Feeling heat rise in his cheeks, he hastened to do so, with an apologetic glance in Fishlegs' direction.
"A-Anyway, I'm, uh, Hiccup, and this is my partner Toothless…" he started – Toothless stopped glowering at Windshear long enough to give a reluctant hello – and then gestured to his companion. "…and this is Fishlegs and Meatlug."
Heather smiled and gave a little wave to each of them in turn. "Pleased to meet you, Hiccup and Toothless," she replied politely. "You, too, Fishlegs and Meatlug."
Fishlegs waved back and, curiously, edged closer. "Are you aiming for the Kalos League, t-too?" he wondered. "Is that why you followed Hic– uh, us?"
Heather chuckled softly, amused by the question. "I'm just a Trainer on a journey, same as you," she replied. "As for why I followed you guys… I wanted to ask you, Hiccup, if you succeeded in beating the Gym Leader, and if you'd battle Windshear and I. We're… kind of new, and we've never battled a Gym badge holder before."
"Pawn pawnia!" Windshear spoke up, waving her blades emphatically.
Hiccup paused, cheeks heating up with embarrassment at what he would have to say. "Uh… no, I didn't win at the Gym," he confessed. "That's why Fishlegs and I are here, actually. Training for our next go."
When Heather asked to hear more, Hiccup ended up summarizing the whole thing – the battle itself, the reason he only used Toothless, his ultimate goal by extension, and finally his assessment of what Toothless needed to work on. She listened intently to every word, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on him, and at last gave a thoughtful nod upon his conclusion.
"Challenging a Gym with only Toothless… even with your reasoning, that's a bold move," she remarked. Hiccup's breath hitched when she winked playfully at him – he was an awkward teenager with a grand total of one friend, not used in the least to compliments from a pretty girl.
"I admire the fact that you're willing to commit to that challenge, though," she continued, more seriously. "And I might have a few ideas to help you along, if you're interested. Do you mind if I assist you?"
"R-Really?" Hiccup blurted, then backpedaled immediately, flushing as he rephrased his initial reaction into something less skeptical-sounding. "I-I mean… if it isn't any bother, I'd welcome the help… but why?"
She chuckled again. "Well, for one thing, it would satisfy Windshear's desire to spar," she said, and the Pawniard cried out in agreement. "But also because I just want to. Trainers are supposed to help Trainers… don't you think?"
That wasn't a sentiment Hiccup had heard before. Except for Fishlegs, most of what he'd heard and experienced of Trainer-hood was of competition and trying to be better than everyone else. Peers were foes to be beaten, not allies to confide in… or so that was the impression he'd always had. But Heather's words were so sincere and her soft smile so disarming that Hiccup couldn't find it in him to disagree. Trainers are supposed to help Trainers – it sounded so much like something Valka would say, a message that aligned with her (and, of course, his) training philosophy.
Naturally, he ended up nodding in agreement. "If you say so," he smiled back. "I'll be counting on you, then, training buddy."
Speaking of which… "Fishlegs, you don't mind sitting this one out, right?" Hiccup asked, feeling sheepish at the request. "I know you already agreed to help, but I'd like to give Heather's methods a shot. Is that okay?"
The other boy nodded, much less reluctant than Hiccup had expected. "No problem! There's no harm in accepting knowledge from all kinds of sources, after all!" he enthused. "And this way, I'll be free to observe both of your Pokemon! Train away, my friend!"
He shuffled off to lean and get comfortable against Meatlug, who yawned and settled down once she understood she was no longer needed. Hiccup and Heather watched him go, the latter blinking with baffled amusement. "First the Pokemon Center, now here… he really likes studying Pokemon, doesn't he?"
"He wants to be a Pokemon researcher… I think," Hiccup replied, hesitating a moment. "Anyway, before we start… um, mind cluing me in on what kind of training you have in mind?"
"Well," Heather hummed, striding away to put space in between them. "You mentioned that you were trying to teach Toothless a new move, right? Why don't we start with that?"
"Right," Hiccup answered, interested to hear more of what Heather had planned. "We were working on Rage and hoping to turn it into something more powerful so we could better deal with Vivillon and its Gust."
By now, Heather was at just the right distance from him to turn the field they shared into proper grounds for a sparring session. She reached into her vest, revealing another Poke Ball, and informed him, "If that's the case, then I have the perfect Pokemon for the job. I'll use him for this next session so you can kill two birds with one stone – excuse the pun. Go, Oswald!"
The Pokemon that emerged from the thrown capsule ended up being a small bird with glossy black feathers and a crooked yellow beak, its head feathers styled like a wizard's hat, from under which gleamed a pair of beady red eyes. The bird landed, giving Hiccup and Toothless a gentlemanly tip of its "hat" before folding its wings neatly.
"It's a Murkrow, the Darkness Pokemon! Dark-and-Flying-type!" Fishlegs blurted before Hiccup could ask. "They're attracted to shiny things and collect them, and people believe it's bad luck to spot one at night! It can also learn Gust! If my hypothesis is correct, then this is why Heather's chosen it as your training partner!"
"That's exactly it. You have a good eye on you, Fishlegs," Heather marveled, then returned to Hiccup as the Ingerman boy chuckled bashfully at the compliment. "I'll have Oswald use Gust, and it's Toothless' job to resist him. You can practice Rage while you're at it."
Hiccup nodded, determined, and Toothless dashed forward onto the makeshift battlefield. He spread his claws, inviting the opposing Pokemon to take his best shot. The field was perfectly set for a mock battle.
"Ready when you are," Hiccup announced. "Right, bud?"
"Bago!" Toothless declared in kind.
Heather didn't waste any time beginning the next test. "Oswald, use Gust!"
The Murkrow vaulted into the sky with a beat of his wings, which now took on the same blue glow that Hiccup had seen on Vivillon, and instantly churned out a violent gale with a furious caw. "KRAAAAWWWW!"
Toothless was overwhelmed, straining to keep his defensive stance for only a few moments before the Gust pushed him too far, flipping him over and sending him crashing into the dirt. Oswald ceased the assault, allowing Toothless to climb back onto his feet with a scowl.
"Remember to use Rage to guard against the wind," Hiccup advised his partner. "It stood up to Surskit's Bubble Beam and was almost enough to resist Vivillon. If you can keep your footing in this Gust, you can do it in the Gym, too."
His muzzle clearing at Hiccup's reasoning, Toothless nodded and marched forward to try again. This time, he lowered his head and summoned his Rage, his eyes and helmet taking on a red glow.
"Another Gust, please!" Heather instructed.
Whipped into a frenzy by Oswald's wings, the wind rushed forward like a river and slammed solidly into Toothless. This time, though, the Bagon was ready for it, planting his feet apart and pointing his head into the current. His Rage acting as a shield, it took all of Toothless' strength to stay put – but he did stay put, holding firm against the raging Gust.
For all of five seconds, anyway. He attempted to take a step forward, moving in slow motion as though walking through water, and the shift in weight ultimately did him in. As soon as he slipped, the wind took him, blowing him back to crash amidst a cloud of dust.
Hiccup wanted to make sure Toothless was okay, to ask if he was tired after training so hard with Windshear, to offer him a break. But one look into his partner's eyes as he stood back up made it clear to him. Toothless still had it in him, and he wanted to keep going.
"Come on, bud," he encouraged him instead. "The more Gusts you take, the stronger you'll get. Let's see if you can stay on your feet a little longer this time!"
"Bagon!" Toothless agreed. Already, Rage's effects were acting on him, his crimson aura intensifying. Hiccup felt a smidgen of hope inside of him grow brighter – he wasn't just counting on Rage's unique properties to help Toothless fare better against Gust, but also that they would be the foundation for the more powerful move he was building toward.
For the next several minutes, Hiccup, Heather, and their Pokemon continued with this constant back-and-forth. Oswald would use Gust, Toothless would stand firm and attempt to use Rage to guard against the tremendous force pushing against him… he would last for a moment longer than his previous try, and then his strength would give out. Every time he was bowled over, though, he returned to the fray, giving his fiercest dragon roar as a demand for Oswald to hit him again. The effects of Rage continued to increase, his helmet practically burning with crimson light, but there wasn't any notable change that indicated he'd unlocked something new.
Growing discouraged from the lack of progress, Hiccup look upon his partner and his growing exhaustion, and called, "Hey, bud? You've been at this for a while… maybe it's time for a short break?"
But, stubbornly, Toothless didn't listen, throwing his weary self right back into Oswald's next Gust. "BAGO!" he snarled, and unfortunately, Hiccup recognized the tone – the tone of somebody so convinced they could keep leaping off roofs that they'd refuse to stop until the next one actually resulted in injury, earning them both a serious scolding from Valka and Cloudjumper.
"Toothless, come on…" Hiccup moaned, exasperated at the reappearance of Toothless' stubborn streak. But when he happened to glance at the intense look in the Dragon-type's eyes, he paused, reconsidering.
As thick-headed as his Pokemon could be sometimes, the desire, the determination and need in those narrowed eyes told Hiccup that this wasn't just ordinary defiance. Toothless really wants this, more than I do, he observed, stunned by the epiphany. Ever since Fishlegs proposed the idea of teaching him a new move, he's been so enthusiastic about training. Maybe it's because he's only ever had the same four moves? Does he see this as a chance to get closer to evolving?
The instant he thought of it, he knew he was right. When Toothless was bowled over for the umpteenth time and landed in front of him, and he saw his fearsome expression wane into doubt, Hiccup made his decision. He pulled Toothless back to his feet and gave him an affectionate rub on the snout, his smile rekindling the light in the Bagon's eyes.
"You got this, bud. I believe in you," he told him. "Now get in there and show Heather and Oswald what you're made of."
Emboldened, Toothless gave him a quick lick across the cheek in thanks and did just that, lowering his head in silent invitation. The Murkrow obliged him, and once again, a howling river of wind swept across the field, Toothless smack in the middle of it. This time, he found it within himself to take several slow, deliberate steps forward, no longer merely resisting the Gust but plodding onwards in spite of it.
"Come on, bud…" Hiccup muttered, clenching his jaw as he prayed for success. He may have spoken too soon, as just then, Toothless began to falter, sliding backwards despite how he dug in his heels.
"Toothless!"
Jumping out of his skin at the unexpected voice, Hiccup whirled around to gape at Fishlegs – whom he was ashamed to admit he'd forgotten after getting so invested in training. The boy on the sidelines paid no attention to him, though… his focus was on Toothless as he continued to shout something, despite the way the deafening wind snatched his words.
"Concentrate, Toothless!" he hollered. "Put all the energy stored up from Rage into your helmet, and charge forward! Smash through that wind with your head!"
It sounded like gibberish to Hiccup, who blinked, flabbergasted, at the outburst. "Fishlegs, what're you –"
A roar from Toothless cut him off. Whatever Fishlegs was getting at, it seemed to have inspired Toothless, who was no longer sliding and once again striding onwards against the relentless windstorm. The red light of Rage suddenly began to converge upon Toothless' helmet, concentrating itself until it had intensified to pure white. Then, he rushed toward Oswald, who let out a caw of shock and shut off the Gust. With the oppressive wind ceasing so abruptly, Toothless overbalanced and fell on his belly, the light fading and his head returning to normal in what was, unfortunately, an anticlimactic finish.
Not that that mattered to any of the onlookers.
"Yes!" Fishlegs jumped up, cheering, so ecstatic that he left his notebook in the grass. "Hiccup, Hiccup, you pulled off a new move! That was Headbutt!"
We did it, Hiccup thought amidst his friend's gushing. After only a day and a half of training, we actually did it.
"Bagon bay bago!" Toothless came running over with a joyous cry, jumping up and down and practically bursting at the seams with excitement. Hiccup couldn't help but laugh, his partner's infectious attitude making his spirit soar, as he bent down to scratch him under the chin.
"Fantastic job, bud," he said as his fingers rubbed against the smooth scales along Toothless' jaw. "All that work we did on Rage finally paid off."
"Bagoooo…" the Bagon cooed, leaning into his touch blissfully.
When Hiccup stood up from the celebratory pampering, it was to find Fishlegs standing next to him, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and beaming, his eyes flicking from Hiccup to Toothless and back again. He gave the impression that he was caught between wanting to congratulate Hiccup and to examine Toothless, to which Hiccup gave an amused snort.
"Thanks for… whatever that was that inspired Toothless," he said, wryly. "So, uh, speaking of which… how did you know that would work?"
"Oh, well… you know," Fishlegs suddenly went from ecstatic to bashful, tapping his fingers together with a tiny, pleased grin. "I-I've just read a lot about Pokemon moves, is all… I had a suspicion that Headbutt was the next logical step, based on how Toothless' Rage was progressing, and I… um… just made an educated guess?"
Heather suddenly interjected, prompting him to face her. "You haven't forgotten about us already, have you?" she teased, one eyebrow raised while her Murkrow fluttered onto her shoulder to perch.
"O-Of course not," Hiccup hastened to assure her, mentally kicking himself for stammering. "We've been training for this only since yesterday, and it's thanks to you that Toothless was able to do this. So… thanks, Heather. And Oswald."
"Murk, murkraw," Oswald replied, dipping his head in salute. He repeated the gesture when Toothless waved and growled his own thank-you.
Giggling sweetly, Heather replied, "You're welcome, Hiccup, but we haven't finished yet. Didn't you mention something else you and Toothless were aiming for before you went back to the Gym?"
"Right," Hiccup confirmed. "We were trying to improve Ember so we could counter Surskit's Water Sport."
She nodded to herself, appearing to consider something as she returned Oswald to his Poke Ball and returned to her sparring position, where Windshear was waiting. The Pawniard stared up at her Trainer with an eager light in her yellow orbs, clearly anticipating her turn to fight.
"You, uh… do you have an idea about how to do that?" Hiccup asked.
"The same thing you did with Oswald," she replied with a tiny smirk. "Your Pokemon will only be motivated to improve its moves against a real opponent, in my experience. Anything else is just target practice."
As if that was her cue, Windshear raced onto the field and took a combat-ready stance, scraping her blades together and then pointing one directly at Toothless. It was an obvious challenge, backed up by the way she raised her head with smug superiority, her eyes glittering in a silent taunt. In response, Toothless dashed forward without Hiccup's bidding, posing in a defensive position as if to shield him and hissing in a threatening tone.
"See? Toothless is looking more invested already," Heather pointed out, then gestured to her Pawniard. "See if Toothless can hold back Windshear's Psycho Cuts. We'll increase the power at a steady rate until one of our Pokemon gets tired."
"Pawnia!" Windshear punctuated her Trainer's advice by slashing her ringing blades in an outwards X motion.
"Bagawww!" Toothless snarled, attempting to outdo her by pawing at the dirt and dropping his jaw to show his single fang.
"Sounds good to me," Hiccup agreed, steeling himself. They'd already had one success today, and that fueled his desire to achieve a second. "Toothless, get ready to use Ember when she fires."
As fire began to gather in the Dragon-type's mouth, Heather nodded at him approvingly before beginning the gauntlet. "Windshear, use one Psycho Cut!"
With what looked to Hiccup like too much zeal, Windshear swung her arm upwards in a slicing motion. The movement sent a pinkish-purple crescent of energy hurtling forward, which Toothless responded to instantly with a blast of flames. The Ember caused the scythe to falter and lose some of its shape, but not fade completely. Toothless was visibly surprised for a second too long, and didn't think to try again before the Psycho Cut sent him skidding backwards.
"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, as Heather raised a hand to her mouth, horrified at the nasty hit.
They needn't have worried, though – Toothless lowered his claws, having used them to guard his face, and marched back into his original position with a glare at Windshear. The Pawniard glared back, though hers was smugger on account of the blow she'd scored, and prepared herself to attack again.
"Nice job hanging in there, bud," Hiccup praised his starter, then called out to Heather, "We're good! Give us another one, we're ready this time!"
On his request, Heather ordered another Psycho Cut. The energy blade cut just as fiercely through the air as the last when launched from Windshear's arm, and this time Hiccup had Toothless fire a pair of Embers. The two worked where one had failed, dissipating the Psycho Cut before it could reach him.
"We'll continue at this power level until Toothless can counter with one Ember. Okay?" Heather asked, to which Hiccup gave a thumbs-up and told her to bring it on.
Just like their previous session, the exercise continued for some time, and for a while of exchanging projectiles, Toothless' progress remained stagnant. Hiccup watched intently, swiftly concluding that this training session was much different than the one before, and not just because of the moves being used. No, as his partner met every one Psycho Cut with the required two Embers, it was obvious that there was a budding rivalry between him and Windshear. There was tension borne from anger and resentment in their movements, and they fought all the harder because of it – especially Toothless, who should've already been weary from his previous spar but was hanging on through sheer gumption.
He doesn't want to lose to Windshear, Hiccup interpreted, watching him regard Windshear with the same flash of competitive anger every time he repelled a Psycho Cut. The Pawniard always reciprocated it with a death glare before she attacked again. The way he rushed out so quickly when she challenged him… he must want to get back at her for attacking us out of the blue. That's what's motivating him to keep going.
Toothless was improving, even though his attacks themselves weren't getting stronger. The spirit of competition was keeping his stamina from totally emptying, allowing him to last much longer than Hiccup had believed he could.
Just as he mulled this over, another dual Ember burst a Psycho Cut into nothingness, and Windshear stomped a foot with obvious irritation. Her subsequent Psycho Cut was fueled by that ire, succeeding in crashing against Toothless before he could completely repel it. The sight of him struggling to right himself put her in a better mood, lifting her head with a haughty air and making a "come here" gesture with her blade to goad him.
Though Heather scolded the unnecessary rudeness, its effect on Toothless was unmistakable. Still cringing from the sting of the blow when he saw Windshear's taunt, Toothless shook off the pain and stomped forward, invigorated by annoyance. He barked a goading cry of his own, as though announcing to his sparring partner that she'd have to do better. For a fraction of a second, Hiccup considered intervening, wanting to avoid the session turn into an actual brawl, but the next Psycho Cut was on its way, and Toothless' mouth sizzled sharply before he let fly with a responding Ember.
Hiccup stopped himself before he could protest, something about the move's execution catching his attention. The sound of the flames gathering on Toothless' tongue… seemed louder somehow, and the expelled fireball burned more brightly than usual. It struck the Psycho Cut and did what previous Embers couldn't: demolish it in one shot, yellow-white flames mixing with fading purple light.
What was that? He should've been delighted that Toothless had at last succeeded in meeting Heather's challenge. He would've been, if he hadn't been so preoccupied by the unexpected flashiness of it.
However, Heather seemed not to notice. "Great improvement, you guys!" she praised, and turned to Windshear without waiting for a response. "I think it's time to up the difficulty, girl. Again!"
A pink glow began to emanate from Windshear's blades. She was gathering power, a dark glee burning in her eyes as she no doubt anticipated a devastating hit. "Pawwwwn…"
A quiver of fear coiling unpleasantly in his gut, Hiccup quashed it and told Toothless warningly, "Okay, bud, give it the best Ember you've got."
Nearby, Fishlegs yelled out his support. "Almost, Toothless! You beat Gust, so beating Psycho Cut should be d-doable, too!"
For some reason, hearing Fishlegs' encouragement reminded Hiccup of what he'd told Toothless to do earlier, the advice that had inspired Toothless to turn Rage into Headbutt. He looked upon the little Dragon-type now, standing there with flames crackling once again in his mouth, and wondered if the same method would apply here…
Windshear's stance changed, the only warning that she was going to attack, and Hiccup threw caution to the wind to test his theory.
"Toothless!" he called out, "Don't release that Ember right away! Concentrate on building your flames! Build them up as hot as you can, and then fire them all at once!"
"Niiiaaaaaa!" Windshear screamed as she let the Psycho Cut fly; it was larger than before, with an edge that carved a thin trench through the soil as it flew along the ground.
However, just as Hiccup had asked, Toothless didn't fire right away – trusting in his Trainer, he first took the time to gather his flames in his mouth, charging up more and more energy until he was visibly shaking with the effort of holding onto it. The Psycho Cut was on top of him in mere moments, pink-purple light thrown onto his body as it bore down on him. Toothless' jaw snapped open, and the projectile exploded.
As smoke blew across the field to fill his vision, Hiccup wondered if Toothless had been too late.
However, when the smoke cleared and the light faded, Toothless was perfectly fine. No, not just fine – he looked triumphant. Opening wide with a victorious cry, he belched out a projectile that wasn't simply a red-orange Ember, but a blast of pink flame with a white center, wreathed in crackling sparks.
Hiccup was dumbfounded. Another new move…?
A high-pitched whoop of unrestrained jubilation pierced his ears – Fishlegs, positively over the moon with surprise and amazement. "I can't believe it! I mean, I anticipated it happening eventually, but never this soon! Do you know what that was?! That was Dragon Breath, Hiccup! Toothless learned Dragon Breath!"
Dragon Breath…? The word echoed in Hiccup's head, barely making any sense to him. Though Fishlegs was rambling on in the background, something about what he'd just exclaimed struck a chord in Hiccup, and his mind traveled back to the discussion they'd had in Santalune Forest.
"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!" he'd said, the giddiness in his voice ringing back to Hiccup as clear as day.
The initial shock ebbed away, allowing the realization that he'd accidentally taught Toothless a second new move to hit him in full. A Dragon-type move was huge for them, a milestone not just in terms of their journey, but Toothless' development. He was a true Dragon-type now, boasting the magnificent powers to back up the title. An upwelling of euphoria bloomed to life in a dizzying rush that left him feeling giddy.
That was still nothing in comparison to what Toothless was feeling, though. Eyes wide with child-like delight, he abandoned his spar with Windshear entirely in favor of dashing right over to Hiccup's side. With his chest puffed out and head held high, he proudly showed off his new talent by burping out a small Dragon Breath blast, too pleased with himself to notice how Hiccup had to duck under it. Hiccup had to duck when Toothless proudly showed off his new talent by burping out a small Dragon Breath that sizzled over Hiccup's head and made his scalp tingle.
"Whoa, bud, easy!" Hiccup chastised him, rubbing his scalp where he could still feel the fizzing sensation of the energy missing him. He couldn't remain exasperated for long, though – not when Toothless was so darn happy, beaming up at him with a giant, sunny grin.
He picked his partner up under the arms, earning a coo from the dragon hatchling as he swung him up to eye level, gazing at him with an incredulous smile. "Bud, you are just full of surprises today, aren't you."
"Bay-go!" Toothless agreed even as Hiccup reached back to set him comfortably on his shoulder, where he latched on and made himself at home as usual.
A pressure on his other shoulder made him jolt – Heather was there, pulling her hand away and placing it at her hip, her expression playful. "So, I take it you're satisfied with my assistance, then?"
"More than satisfied," Hiccup responded without hesitation, the excitement welling up anew and melding with newfound gratitude. He reached out and grasped Heather's hand, looking into her eyes and chattering, "You have no idea what it means to us that Toothless was able to do this. It's more than just a new move, it's like… like he's finally taken his first real step toward evolving into the Pokemon he wants so badly to become. Thanks so much, Heather… and Windshear, of course."
Heather's mouth was open in a startled 'O', green eyes wide, and Hiccup finally noticed through his Fishlegs-like state of ecstasy what, exactly, he was holding. Frantically, he let go and looked toward Toothless. "Uh, you too, bud," he said with an awkward cough. "What do you say to, um, Windshear for helping out?"
In answer, Toothless slid down his body and waddled over to where Windshear glowered behind her Trainer's leg. With only the slightest trace of reluctance, he chirped at her and offered his paw in thanks, the anger once directed at her completely absent. The Pawniard was taken aback at first, then she reached out and tapped his claw with the flat of her blade, a reluctant blush visible under her helmet.
Finally, Heather responded, "That's very sweet of you to say, Hiccup. I'm glad I was able to help you make some small headway on your journey. But we still have plenty of time left in the day… and Windshear still has yet to have a proper battle. Why don't we –"
"Test out Toothless' new moves!" Fishlegs blurted out, abruptly appearing at their sides to grab their shoulders and shake them. "Don't worry, I've got it all planned out. A series of combat drills with Heather's Pokemon should be all I need to accurately gauge Toothless' efficacy. Oh, I can't wait to get started! Should we start with Dragon Breath target practice on an aerial opponent, or how about…"
The Ingerman boy continued to babble in full analysis mode as he went to retrieve his notes, leaving Hiccup and Heather to goggle at each other briefly before chuckling to themselves and agreeing that his idea was, indeed, a sound one.
"More practice with your Murkrow would actually help a lot," Hiccup reasoned. "With Dragon Breath our only ranged attack, we're going to struggle with Vivillon unless we can figure out a way to reliably hit it."
"I agree," Heather answered. "As long as Windshear gets her turn before Toothless passes out from all the exercise he's gotten today."
"Fishlegs has Oran berries for that," Hiccup waved her concern away. "So, deal."
Hesitantly, he extended his fist with a questioning look at Heather. She, too, seemed unsure, but the awkwardness between the two soon melted away as she bumped her fist against his. They laughed, together revelling in the start of a blossoming friendship.
The sun was low on the horizon, turning the sky a splendid orange, as three Trainers returned to the Santalune City streets from the outskirts. All were exhausted from a full day of constant drills and mock battles (one of them less than the others), but their expressions were lighthearted as they reflected on the productive time spent with their Pokemon. The only one who retained a slight frown was Hiccup; his mouth was bent into such a shape from the speculative thoughts circling around his mind.
"You got a handle on Headbutt and Dragon Breath really quickly, bud," he murmured, "but we weren't able to hit Oswald at all. We might have to take a little more time off before we're ready to battle Viola again…"
Heather heard him and gave him a friendly nudge. "Toothless did really well today. He just needs a way to deal with flying targets and he'll be set for your rematch."
"Sh-She's right! You and Toothless were…!" Fishlegs began, only for a harsh growl to cut him off. He clutched his stomach and grimaced. "O-Oh, s-sorry about that… I d-don't usually have dinner this late, is all…"
Indulging in a good-natured chuckle at his expense, Hiccup turned to Heather in sudden inspiration. "Why don't you join us for dinner at the Pokemon Center?" he inquired. "You more than deserve it after everything you've done for us. What do you say?"
She averted her eyes shyly, and in the pause that ensued, Hiccup was aware of Fishlegs gawking at him again. Why does he keep doing that?
"It's very kind of you to offer," Heather replied at last, playing with a strand of hair, "but I'm expect–"
Suddenly, a sharp chiming sound rang out from somewhere close, startling the three of them. Sighing, Heather rolled up her left sleeve, revealing a small device with a flashing blue screen wrapped around her wrist.
"Is that the newest model of Holo Caster?" Fishlegs' voice was hushed with awe. "I've wanted one for forever… mine's awfully outdated."
"Yes," she answered him, sounding dejected. "I'm terribly sorry, Hiccup, but I have to take this and get going."
A bit disappointed, Hiccup nodded nonetheless, understanding. "Don't worry about it. You have your own journey to get back to, after all."
"Right…" she replied, her smile turning sad. "Anyway… good luck with your rematch, Hiccup. And I'll… see you around soon?"
"Of course," Hiccup returned with certainty. Two traveling Trainers, journeying across the same region? It was a given they'd meet again. "Take care of yourself. You too, Windshear."
She girl and her Pawniard both waved shortly, then did the same to Fishlegs, before running off and turning down a fork in the road, one that led in the opposite direction of the Pokemon Center. Hiccup raised his hand to wave back, only to drop it again when he realized she was already gone.
He didn't dwell on it for long – Fishlegs was staring at him again. When he noticed, the Ingerman boy simply turned back to the street, a murmured word escaping his lips that Hiccup couldn't catch.
"Uh, what was that?" he asked.
Fishlegs ignored him, instead running a few paces ahead and pointing down the street frantically. "Come on, Hiccup! We need to fill our bellies, and Toothless needs a check-up after how much he worked today!"
"Bago bagaw!" Toothless exclaimed, hurrying swiftly after Fishlegs. At first Hiccup thought he was just eager for food, too, but then he saw how his head was turned upwards – overhead, there were a pair of bird Pokemon fluttering back to their nighttime roost, after which Toothless had decided to give chase.
Shaking his head exasperatedly, Hiccup caught up to Fishlegs and remarked, "He's going to sleep like a Snorlax tonight. I'm surprised he still has energy left at all…"
"I do admire his tenacity," Fishlegs mused, keeping a curious eye on the Bagon who now hopped in place as if to try and follow the birds skyward. "And, come to think of it, his jumping prowess. That's an unusual height for a primarily terrestrial reptile…"
Hiccup quirked an eyebrow at the unusual remark. "What do you mean? Toothless has always been able to jump like that."
"I should've predicted that, though, after observing your daily rituals," Fishlegs rambled on. "The constant climbing and leaping that your flight routine involves must have led Toothless to develop his legs considerably. I wonder if that's a trait common to all Bagon over the course of…"
Wait… our flight practice?
A single thought manifested at the front of his mind like a materializing Ghost-type, drowning out Fishlegs' vocal speculations. He'd never dwelled on it much before – it was more or less a game under the guise of "training" – but their routine flight practice really had benefited Toothless, hadn't it? It just hadn't been in the way that they were hoping it eventually would.
Abruptly, all remaining concerns that had been nagging at him since the end of the day's training, the one worry that he hadn't prepared for, went away. His head cleared, and he at last saw a possible answer staring him in the face. It was so simple… perhaps he didn't need any additional preparation for the Gym after all.
"Hiccup?" Fishlegs' voice came from behind him – he hadn't noticed that he'd outpaced and walked ahead of his friend. "What is it? Have you figured something out?"
Feeling more relaxed than he'd been all day, Hiccup answered, "I'll tell you later, Fishlegs. Let's just get settled at the Pokemon Center."
He was ready for Viola. He'd challenge her for the badge tomorrow.
AN:
I had no idea that it took until Legends Arceus for Gust to become a part of Murkrow's moveset. Learn something new every day, even if it's about one of your favorite Pokemon.
Anyway, this chapter was heavily oriented toward training in order to introduce a new oft-appearing character, Heather, and also so that you wouldn't have to read two Gym battle chapters back-to-back. Incidentally, the script for this chapter was very short and easily summarized, and when it came time to actually write, it ended up becoming much longer than I thought it would. I hope this one wasn't too tedious to read through.
I think I'm going to enjoy writing Heather from this point on – I have some really fun things planned for her role in the story and how she interacts with the main cast.
So, with Hiccup having made significant progress with Toothless and a possible plan in the works for Viola's Bug-types, the rematch is upon us! Before that, please review, and thank you for reading!
Next time: Kill it with Dragon Fire!