Chapter 11 – Parfum and Circumstance!

Hiccup and Fishlegs stared at the twin Trainers in shock, flabbergasted by the claim that had just come from their mouths. As he relaxed his grip, Hiccup almost dropped Toothless, who slid from his arms and scampered away to perch atop Meatlug instead. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, regarded their party with smug satisfaction, their smirks growing in the stunned silence as though enjoying the fact they'd made such an impact.

"E-Emissaries to the Lord of Shabboneau C-Castle?!" Fishlegs at last stammered out, pointing a trembling finger at the pair. "Y-You two are…"

"Correctamundo," Ruffnut, the girl, flipped one of her braids over her shoulder. "The Lord himself requested we deliver his Poke Flute."

"B-But… that can't be!" Fishlegs protested, throwing a fearful glance at Hiccup in a bid for backup. "We were asked to retrieve the Flute as well!"

Hiccup, too, had objections, but he kept them to himself as he struggled to make sense of the twins' wild claims. Why would Lord Shabboneau send two parties to Parfum Palace? he thought. Something isn't adding up here…

"It be, indeed," Tuffnut, the brother, steepled his fingers together and grinned like the villain in an old spy movie. "And yes, we've heard all about you two… the misfit crew of Hiccup Hake and Fishlegs Biggerman, sent on a doomed quest to retrieve that which cannot be trusted in thy underqualified hands."

A flash of indignation brought Hiccup out of his thoughts long enough to object, "It's Hiccup Haddock, actually."

"And Fishlegs Ingerman, for your information," Fishlegs added with a huff. "And how, exactly, do you know of us? You couldn't possibly have traveled all the way from Shabboneau Castle to here after we left!"

Fishlegs is right – this is the only path to the palace, and we would've seen them pass by if they were sent after us, Hiccup remembered, thinking back to what the Lord and his attendant had said. And they couldn't have been sent before us, either, because we were the first to be asked. The butler hadn't even known what was wrong until Lord Shabboneau confessed it to us. Which means…

"How dare thee doubt the perceptive powers of the Nuts, pretender!" Tuffnut scowled, poking Fishlegs' nose with an accusatory finger. "The Nuts know all!"

"The Nuts see all!" Ruffnut joined in.

"The Nuts taste all!" Tuffnut gave a haughty sniff. "And currently upon our refined palates is the taste of two clearly inferior emissaries!"

"They're barely even qualified to be squires," Ruffnut snickered.

"Sad, really," he agreed.

Now it was Hiccup's turn to throw Fishlegs a glance, this one deadpan and skeptical. It hadn't been hard to piece together the reality of the situation, especially now that he recognized the twins from somewhere before – they'd been in the museum on the first floor of the castle when the butler had arrived to take them to the Lord. Wordlessly, he extended a hand toward Fishlegs, who realized what he intended and handed over the letter that they'd been entrusted with.

"Tell me, O Great and Qualified Nuts," he drawled as he flaunted the letter and its wax seal before them. "If you're so much more qualified than us for getting the Poke Flute back, you must have been given one of these to get into Parfum Palace. Where is it?"

He listened, but no dramatic speeches graced his ears. Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked at him blankly, then to each other, then back to him with substantially smaller grins.

"Uhhhh… the Nuts need no such formalities!" Ruffnut answered, a suspicious falter in her voice. "We were specifically requested by the Lord because, um… because of our superior negotiation skills!"

"Yeah, we were requested… pacifically," Tuffnut agreed, his grin even less convincing than his sister's. "The Lord trusts our… uh… inoculation skills."

A cool breeze whistled conspicuously across the lawn, blowing dust across the path, as Hiccup and Fishlegs stared at the twins in cynical silence.

"… Okay, fine," Tuffnut slumped, defeated. "We snuck into the throne room and eavesdropped on you, then snuck back out when the Lord's back was turned. Happy?"

"In our defense, your business was a lot more interesting than a bunch of dusty shields," Ruffnut smiled in a way that was probably meant to be placating.

There it is… Hiccup sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, a mild annoyance building in him that he didn't doubt would lead to a headache soon enough. There was no way these twins were just going to leave them alone now that their fib had been busted, meaning him and Fishlegs would have to either chase them off somehow or put up with them while they carried out their mission.

Speaking of Fishlegs… "How dare you?!" the Ingerman boy suddenly puffed up and stomped toward the twins, now the very picture of kids who'd gotten caught stealing from the cookie jar. And Hiccup didn't blame them – Fishlegs' tone was so furious that he flinched and stood stiff as his friend bore down on the twins, more outraged than Hiccup had ever seen him.

"Do you have any idea of how awful and selfish you are?!" Fishlegs demanded. His arms flailed every which way as he ranted with a passion, "You wandered the upper floors without an invitation, knowing they were off-limits! You invaded the private sanctum of one of the last living representatives of Kalos' nobility! You invaded a monument dedicated to the preservation of Kalosian history and desecrated it with your… your fingerprints and your scuffed boots, thinking nothing of the damage you could do! Your mischief and carelessness are an insult to Shabboneau Castle and the legacy of our region! That's… that's just… unforgivable!"

Even for someone who valued knowledge as much as Fishlegs, Hiccup wasn't expecting this burst of temper from his generally non-confrontational friend. He watched with morbid fascination as he laid into the twins and their (admittedly) bad behavior, scarcely noticing that Toothless had rejoined him. Meatlug growled in anger, too, for seemingly no discernable reason other than that her Trainer was so mad.

"Uh… maybe cool it down, Fishlegs?" Hiccup suggested, walking over to place a restraining hand on his companion. "You're, ah, having an effect on the Pokemon, and anyway –"

In an instant, Tuffnut lunged forward and ripped the sealed envelope straight out of Hiccup's hand, catching him completely by surprise. Too late, he shouted in protest and tried to reclaim it, but stumbled when Tuffnut leapt back out of reach, flashing a victorious smirk.

"Gracias, my good man," he taunted, holding the envelope above his head. "He who holds the letter, holds the key to obtaining the Poke Flute, and therefore the glory of liberating Camphrier Town!"

"Wha– that's not fair!" Fishlegs said indignantly. He made several grabs at Tuffnut, who danced out of the way each time. "Lord Shabboneau entrusted us with that! Give it back!"

"Is that why you're here messing with us?" Hiccup growled, his irritation coming to a head – he'd had just about enough of these two. "Because you hope Lord Shabboneau will hail you as heroes for saving the town from one Pokemon making an inconvenience of itself?"

"Heck yeah!" Ruffnut replied with complete honesty as she shared in a high-five with her brother. "That, and we just like messing with people."

Hiccup facepalmed, letting out a low groan. "Oh, for the love of…"

"Bago!" Toothless interrupted suddenly, leaping out to snarl at the twins. "Bago!"

"Rrrrrhy…" Meatlug stomped forward with a threatening rumble. It looked like Ruffnut and Tuffnut's antics were beginning to grind on the Pokemon's nerves, as well.

However, though they initially cringed back at the show of aggression, the twins weren't cowed for long. Rather, their smirks grew more devious as though they'd just hatched some dastardly plan.

"Very well, we hear your arguments," Tuffnut said with a flourish of his hand, and brandished the stolen letter for all to see. "We of the most compassionate and generous Thorston clan…"

"Don't forget humble, bro," Ruffnut corrected.

"Amen to that, sis," he replied, then continued, "We will offer you the chance to win back that which you claim as 'yours'. Simply defeat us in battle –"

"In a tag battle, both of us against both of you," Ruffnut interjected again with an evil grin.

"…and we shall graciously defer to you," Tuffnut finished, stuffing the letter carelessly into his jacket before crooking a taunting finger. "Let us determine who is worthiest of being called an emissary once and for all."

"Let's do it, Hiccup!"

Hiccup yelped, startled as Fishlegs suddenly jumped into his personal space, fists clenched and eyes ablaze with a fiery determination. He'd never seen Fishlegs this fervent in the context of battling, especially not a battle involving him directly. The theft of the Lord's letter, combined with their mutual frustrations with the disrespectful twins, was a powerful motivator, apparently.

A glance at Toothless and Meatlug determined that they, too, were itching for battle. At last, Hiccup nodded and offered his hand – his trust – to Fishlegs. "Okay… let's do it. Let's partner up and show those guys a thing or two."

Fishlegs grabbed his hand and shook it, gratitude softening his otherwise hard expression. "Y-Yes! Even though this is our first tag battle, I promise that you can count on me and Meatlug! The Poke Flute of Lord Shabboneau is on the line!"

They released their handshake and turned to face Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who snickered unpleasantly as they spread out in preparation for battle. Once they were in position, Poke Balls appeared in their grasps as if by magic.

"We'll have you know," Ruffnut sneered, "that back in our home region of Paldea, we were hailed as tag battle prodigies. You don't stand a chance."

"And just as the Paldean 'R' rrrrrolls off the tongue," Tuffnut declared, "we shall rrrrroll right over you on our way to victorrrrry!"

Ignoring the dramatic claim, Hiccup gave Toothless a confident thumbs-up. "Alright, bud, ready to battle?"

"Bagooooon!" was his answer, baring his single fang fiercely.

"You too, Meatlug!" Fishlegs prompted, and the Rhyhorn stomped forward to stand beside her much smaller ally.

The twins snickered again, and chorused "Your funeral, losers!" before tossing their Poke Balls.

"Barf!"

"Belch!"

With a flash, their chosen Pokemon were revealed – and what bizarre specimens they were. They were unlike anything Hiccup had ever seen, creatures with stocky green bodies and short, fingerless arms. What really made them stand out, though, was that each had two bulbous heads on stalks that sprouted from a cluster of leaves on their shoulders, one green and one red. Their eyes were empty sockets and their fangs were like sharp-edged seeds, and slender tongues flicked in and out of their snarling mouths like worms.

"Ssssscovill…" four voices hissed at once, sending a chill down Hiccup's spine.

"What are they, Fishlegs?" he whispered from the side of his mouth.

"Uh, let me see…" Fishlegs responded, fiddling with the Pokedex. "Here we go – Scovillain, the Spicy Pepper Pokemon. Not much is known about it… it's a Paldea-native species, and it's Grass-and-Fire-type."

"Okay…" Hiccup muttered, processing that. "So, I think we should –"

"Too slow!" Tuffnut announced, grinning maniacally. "Belch, Flamethrower!"

"Barf, Seed Bomb!" Ruffnut shouted.

Four beaked mouths opened wide, spewing powerful streams of fire and ejecting a barrage of hard-shelled seeds. Utterly unprepared for the sudden assault, Hiccup backpedaled and struggled to think of an order for Toothless, and Fishlegs flew into a panic.

"Meatlug, P-Protect! Quickly!" he shrieked.

Hearing his command gave Hiccup something to focus on, and he snapped into action as well. "Toothless, behind Meatlug!"

"RHY!" Meatlug bellowed, before hunkering down and producing a curved force field in front of her. Toothless jumped to hide behind her, and he was just in time – a second later, flames burst against the shield with a roar, and the ground trembled as explosive seeds battered the shield with concussive blasts.

"Attaboy, Toothless!" Hiccup yelled over the deafening explosions. "Now use Dragon Dance while you're safe!"

The Bagon began to build up the purple glow, free to twirl and leap as Meatlug protected him – at least, that was what Hiccup thought. The Scovillain duo cut off their onslaught and changed positions, their Trainers shifting their strategy alarmingly fast.

"Barf, on offense!" Ruffnut called. "Seed Bomb, mortar style!"

So quickly that Meatlug had yet to banish her Protect shield, the Scovillain – Barf – craned its necks skyward and coughed out three consecutive volleys. The seeds soared high above Toothless and Meatlug, arcing over the curve of the force field… then plummeted like falling bombs, complete with the ominous whistle and the threat of fiery destruction.

It's like they knew! Hiccup thought, jolts of alarm sweeping through his system. "Toothless, get out of there!"

"Meatlug, run!" Fishlegs pleaded at the same time.

The two Pokemon bolted in opposite directions, the Protect shield and unfinished Dragon Dance fading entirely as the Seed Bombs fell on their former location. More explosions rocked the ground and great clouds of smoke plumed upward, and Hiccup slammed his hands over his ears as the conflagration almost split his eardrums. As the air cleared, he lowered his arms and scanned the battlefield – Toothless and Meatlug were separated, and the Scovillain…

"Go, Belch! Sunny Day!" Tuffnut cried.

…the Scovillain were on the move, Ruffnut's retreating now that its attack was finished, and Tuffnut's stepping forward to belch – no pun intended – a dazzlingly bright orb into the air. At the apex of its flight, the orb hung suspended to cast fierce rays upon the battlefield, acting like a second sun. Its effects on Barf and Belch were immediate: they perked up as energy flooded their bodies, and their movements as they raced to attack Toothless and Meatlug were double the speed.

Defense didn't work before… gotta take the initiative! Seeing one Scovillain bearing down on Toothless, Hiccup instantly came up with a rudimentary plan and commanded, "Use Dragon Breath!"

"Bay… gawwww!" Toothless sucked in a breath and let out a snarl that sizzled with dragonfire.

"Use Zen Headbutt to kick his butt!" Tuffnut countered, and before Hiccup could even blink, the Scovillain – Belch – had ducked under the pink flames and pushed off the ground with a kick. Both its heads came together under a dome of mystical energy that it smashed into Toothless' gut, sending the dragonling skidding in the dirt.

Toothless! Hiccup wanted to yell, but he was interrupted by Fishlegs' frightened squeal. The other Scovillain had just cornered Meatlug, and, fearing an attack, he impulsively called a Protect. But the Rhyhorn was slow to generate the shield a second time, and Barf… well, barfed a nasty-looking orange bile over her stone hide.

Now offense won't work – they're faster! Hiccup clenched his teeth, frustration and fear boiling in his gut. I can't charge in willy-nilly… have to hang back, buy time to plan…

"Toothless, Leer!" he shouted, hoping the intimidating technique would halt the next attack.

Fishlegs shifted tactics too, apparently coming to a different conclusion than Hiccup. "Meatlug, charge in with Horn Attack!"

Both Pokemon acted at once, Toothless focusing a searing glare and Meatlug rampaging forward with unusual ferocity. But the Thorstons' ever-present smirks didn't bode well for them – and indeed, they executed their counterattacks with frightening synchronicity. Their forms blurring under the bright sun, Barf and Belch swapped places to confront the opposite opponents and attacked. Toothless' Leer didn't faze Barf one bit as it generated Will-o-Wisps, the ghostly torches surrounding him and scoring burns that forced a scream from his jaws. And while Belch planted himself directly in the path of Meatlug's deadly charge, she never had the chance to make contact, as she tripped on a devious Grass Knot and came crashing down, her own weight and momentum damaging her badly.

Seeing their Pokemon rendered so helpless in only an instant, Hiccup and Fishlegs shared a look of utmost horror. That was all it took for them to interpret what the other was thinking, for they each had the same realization.

"Hiccup, we need… we need a different approach," Fishlegs muttered. "I think that Scovillain hit her with Spicy Extract – Meatlug's stronger now, but at the cost of her defense. They're running circles around us."

"So far, we've just been reacting to their moves. They're catching us off guard, working together to keep us off balance," Hiccup responded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But now that we've seen most of what they can do, we can form a plan."

"What do you have in mind?" Fishlegs asked, with a worried glance at the battlefield. Their Pokemon were struggling to rise, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut had paused their assault to gloat amongst themselves.

Hiccup nodded at the Thorston siblings, the brother specifically. "Tuffnut's Scovillain seems to be the heavy hitter of the two. One of us will need to distract Ruffnut's, then while it's out of the picture, we'll go after it together."

"Perfect! And you can leave the distraction to me!" Fishlegs said with a jaunty thumbs-up. Then, he abruptly raised his voice to order, "Meatlug, use Smack Down at the right Scovillain's feet!"

"H-Horn!" Meatlug grunted and shook off her pain at her Trainer's call. Then, emitting a strained, defiant roar, she spat a blast of energy at the indicated target – it slammed into the ground directly in front of Barf and produced a plume of dirt, cutting off the Scovillain's vision.

"Great!" Hiccup praised, then called out to Toothless, "Get the other one with Headbutt, bud!"

"And you use Horn Attack, girl!" Fishlegs followed up with a voice light with cheer.

Toothless and Meatlug let out fearsome battle cries as they rushed toward Belch, now exposed and alone, with their weapons of choice held at the ready. Toothless' head shone white and Meatlug's horn lengthened and straightened – they'd make contact in only a couple of seconds.

Tuffnut flinched at the sight of the two Pokemon charging right at him and Belch, mouth agape with horror. "Gah, an ambush! Sister, this is no time to play in the dirt! Get Barf's butt over here, pronto!"

"Hey! Like you've never enjoyed a good dirt bath before!" Ruffnut snapped back, but the animosity didn't last long. "Barf, get the fat grey one with Rage Powder!"

A brief glimpse of Fishlegs' stricken face was the only warning Hiccup had before Barf burst from the settling cloud of dust, both mouths spreading an angry red powder. The spores spread out to settle over the charging Meatlug, doing no damage… but the effect they did have was immediate and potent. Without missing a beat, the Rhyhorn promptly veered off her course and aimed straight for Barf instead, her eyes burning an unhealthy crimson.

"No, Meatlug!" Fishlegs wailed, clutching his head. "Hang on for me, girl!"

Hiccup looked helplessly out at Toothless, still rushing to confront Belch all alone. And Tuffnut, bolder now that only the Dragon-type remained a threat, didn't hesitate to exploit that. "Oho, you call that a Headbutt? Belch, show that puny lizard how it's done!"

"SCOVILL!" the Grass-and-Fire-type spat, immediately lowering its heads and lunging for Toothless while projecting its psychic dome. The three heads met with a splitting CRACK, and Toothless caught the brunt of it, his helmet ceasing to glow as he flew backwards to crash painfully atop his back.

With the burn from Will-o-Wisp sapping his strength… it's far from an even match, Hiccup grimaced, internally begging Toothless to get back up.

The BANG of a detonating Seed Bomb shook the battlefield once again, and, wincing from the noise, Hiccup turned to see what kind of dilemma the din heralded. Flying from out of the smoke was Meatlug, airborne from the force of the blast, her hide stained with leftover Rage Powder and soot. She arced downwards and hit the ground next to Toothless, bathing both of them in dust. They lay there, bodies trembling and eyelids fluttering as though they were fighting to stay conscious.

Toothless…! Hiccup could scarcely believe it. Just like that, their only plan had been thwarted. Every time they'd tried to fight back, they'd been separated, outmaneuvered, or just plain overpowered with ruthless efficiency. If it wasn't so disheartening, it would've been impressive. Ruffnut and Tuffnut weren't kidding about being tag battle prodigies! Even if this wasn't our very first tag battle, I can't see how we could compete with such incredible teamwork…

The twins, meanwhile, were immersed in uproarious laughter. "Oh man, that was too easy!" Ruffnut clutched her stomach as she doubled over, cackling. "Look at them – they're just sick at how quickly they went down! Some emissaries, am I right?"

"Yeah, some emissaries," Tuffnut parroted, grinning nastily. "Now, sister, I believe it's time we administered the coup de grace to our incapacitated compadres."

"Administer away, O Brother Of Mine," she answered with a flourish.

Grinning nastily, Tuffnut leered across the battlefield and called out, "Get ready to be ousted, pretenders! You shall now have the honor of gazing upon the Tuffnut's patented ultimate combo move, served extra-spicy! Sir Belch, Grass Knot, por favor!"

To Hiccup's alarm, the grass around Toothless and Meatlug seemed to come alive, shooting up to abnormal lengths and curling like tentacles as if revelling in its sudden growth. He heard Fishlegs emit a terrified squeak through his hands as the tendrils coiled around their Pokemon with whip-like motions, pinning them to the ground as surely as rope.

"And now for the seasoning!" Tuffnut crowed. "Get ready, Ruff! Belch, use –"

A hand snatched his outstretched arm, cutting off his theatrics. "Hang on, bro," Ruffnut said, serious as she forced the arm back down. "I thought we agreed that this is my patented ultimate combo move. Remember?"

"Hey, what're you doing? We're supposed to do the extra-spicy seasoning part together," her brother protested, pulling out of her grasp. "Can't you wait, like, two minutes? Now, Belch –"

Ruffnut dragged him back toward her, glaring now. "No, I can't wait! You always take the credit for the ultimate combo move, Tuff! I'm getting sick of it!"

Some of Hiccup's fear drained away, replaced by bewilderment at the twist of fate unfolding before him. As impossible as it seemed, the twins had stopped at the cusp of victory, their foes left at their mercy, at the last possible moment… in favor of fighting each other. For a moment, Hiccup was stunned speechless as the argument in front of him escalated, unsure how to process this unfathomably foolish miracle – and then he turned to Fishlegs.

"I think… this is our chance," he whispered.

Similarly transfixed, Fishlegs tore himself away from the argument and goggled at Hiccup. "Wh-What? Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Hiccup hissed, urgently. "This is… a weird opportunity, I know, but we need to rouse our Pokemon and use this chance to counterattack before they remember who they're battling!"

Meanwhile, Ruffnut lunged forward to shove Tuffnut, scowling. "The ultimate combo move was my idea!"

Tuffnut stumbled, readjusting himself, and scowled back, "That's not how I remember it."

"Whose idea was it to capture them with Grass Knot?!" she yelled.

"Oh yeah? I came up with the idea of combining Seed Bomb and Flamethrower!" he shot back. "Face it, you're just jealous that I got the brains in the family!"

This time, she hit him. "Well, you certainly didn't get the looks, ugly!"

He struck his sister in return. "Call me ugly, will you?! Well you're hideous, repulsive, repugnant… uh… and ugly!"

"Not yet I'm not!"

"I'll take you right now!"

"Bring it on!"

"No, you bring it on!"

With identical hollers fueled by fury and indignation, the siblings went down in a tangle of flailing limbs. They grunted, snarled, and shrieked. Fists flew, boots kicked, hair was pulled, arms were bitten, and the entire brawl took place smack in the middle of the path, within an ever-growing curtain of dust. The Pokemon battle was truly forgotten, each combatant's eyes – and rage – focused firmly on the other. It was a spectacular sight to behold.

But it wasn't the most spectacular. Hiccup watched, increasingly flabbergasted as, in the most incredibly ridiculous twist of luck ever, the twins' Scovillain mimicked their Trainers and start brawling as well. As if debating over whose Trainer was in the wrong, Barf and Belch got into a shoving match that instantly blew out of control… and before anyone knew it, there were two pairs of infighting beings rolling around on the lawn in front of them.

"Are they… serious…?" Fishlegs murmured, eyebrows raised up to his hairline.

"And the weirdness continues…" Hiccup said, sweatdropping. "A-Anyway, ah… Fishlegs, you get the plan?"

"Yes, I heard you!" the Ingerman boy confirmed. "As soon as you give the signal!"

With that confirmation, Hiccup nodded and shifted his hardening gaze to Toothless. The little Bagon was still tangled up in Grass Knots; to an onlooker, he would appear in no way ready for a counterattack. But that was where they'd be wrong.

"Bud," Hiccup called, "use Dragon Breath on yourself and Meatlug!"

Toothless may not have been able to do much other than wriggle, but he could still look down – and it was there he aimed his Dragon Breath. The jet of pink fire expanded rapidly, spreading to consume the grass in front of him, around him, behind him… then his bindings, and then those ensnaring Meatlug. Amidst the hissing flames, there was a tough snap of grass being ripped through, and Toothless and Meatlug stood tall, badly battered but still fit for battle.

"Alright," Hiccup declared, pointing straight ahead at the brawling Scovillain. "Jump on Meatlug and use Dragon Dance!"

"And you use Rock Polish, girl!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

The Bagon hopped aboard his much larger ally and began to hop from spine to spine, building up his aura, while Meatlug closed her eyes as a shudder passed through her body. Her craggy armor took on a sleeker, shinier texture as though it were literally being polished, to the point where her back actually began to reflect Toothless' purple glow.

With their partners' speed boosted significantly, Hiccup and Fishlegs gave their next order in unison – "Charge!"

"RHYYYYY!" Meatlug bellowed, and began to gallop in great, pounding strides toward their opponents. The roar and trembling earth didn't go unnoticed – the twins and their Pokemon abruptly ceased their hostility and looked up in confusion, where they caught sight of the charging Rhyhorn and gasped, terror filling their eyes.

"Headbutt!" Hiccup yelled.

"Horn Attack!" Fishlegs cried.

Toothless leapt off Meatlug's head, briefly soaring high before angling himself headfirst as gravity brought him back down. His helmet's white glow combined with his purple aura to turn him into a living meteor that crashed down upon the Scovillain duo, exactly as Meatlug's extended horn rammed home. The collision created a violent burst of light that sent Toothless and Meatlug sliding backwards, wincing from effort, and Barf and Belch tumbling end over end to lay at their Trainers' sides.

Their fists frozen mid-punch from an argument already forgotten, Ruffnut and Tuffnut gawked as their Pokemon appeared, sprawled out and unmoving, in front of them. No protests or statements of denial were uttered: the evidence of their loss was right there in their faces.

"We… lost?" Ruffnut asked, baffled. "But… we were supposed to win!"

"This is all your fault!" Tuffnut accused, jabbing his finger at her. "If you hadn't stolen my ultimate combo move – ow, owowowow!"

Hiccup, relieved, let out his breath and walked onto the path to congratulate Toothless, paying no heed to the fistfight restarting in the background. Toothless was panting and bruised all over, but he was as perky as ever when Hiccup reached out for a celebratory chin scratch. "Awesome work, bud, as usual. How'd it feel working with Meatlug?"

"Bago bay, Bagon!" the dragonling chirped. His smile was strained thanks to the pain, but genuine nonetheless.

Lifting Toothless onto his shoulder, Hiccup was about to stand up when he felt something brush against his ankle. It was Lord Shabboneau's letter, slightly crumpled around the edges, scooting across the grass in the breeze. It must have been dropped by one of the twins as they wrestled. He snatched it up before it could blow away, smoothing it as best he could, and smiled; Fishlegs was sure to be happy they got it back.

But when he rose and got ready to relay the good news, he found the Ingerman boy crouched at Meatlug's side, his head low and his expression downcast. He rubbed the Rhyhorn's armored leg in soothing circles and fed her a handful of Oran Berries, not lightening up even a little when her tongue lolled out to scoop the fruit up.

"Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, head tilted in concern. "You alright? It was a rough battle at first, but… we won in the end. You did well."

"No, I didn't." Fishlegs raised his head, and Hiccup's breath hitched when he saw his irises, dull with gloom. "Our opponents had much better teamwork, and it was the Spicy Extract that allowed Meatlug to do as much damage as she did. And the only reason we won at all is because they stopped paying attention. Face it, Hiccup – we got lucky."

It was a sobering reality that Hiccup was forced to accept, and he nodded forlornly. Taking an Oran berry from Fishlegs' hand and feeding it to Toothless, he reflected on the battle they'd just won… no. It didn't feel like a victory – it felt like they'd only survived. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had orchestrated the whole thing from the start, while him and Fishlegs had only reacted to what they did, their only semblance of strategy being at the end. And they'd only had the chance because the twins had let them.

"Maybe I could've done better if I'd been more aggressive from the get-go?" Fishlegs wondered aloud, despair staining his voice. "A-As soon as they attacked… I panicked and had Meatlug use Protect. If we'd dodged and attacked instead, maybe they wouldn't have separated our Pokemon and taken the upper hand…"

"They caught us off guard, Fishlegs – there was nothing else we could do," Hiccup reasoned. "We're still new to this, remember. I don't think there's anything wrong with a defensive battle style – our opponents were just coordinated enough to exploit it. It would really help if –"

Suddenly, a metallic clatter rang through the air, putting an end to Hiccup's statement and drawing them to Parfum Palace. The gates were opening with a creak, allowing a figure to step through and onto the path. At the sight of the man, Hiccup was struck by a realization and frantically motioned to Fishlegs, who caught onto his urgency and followed him. Together, they stepped forward to greet the newcomer.

There was no doubt that this was Lord Parfum. Unlike Lord Shabboneau, who was an almost goofy caricature of a medieval king, the owner of Parfum Palace was dressed far more conventionally. His immaculate white suit flashed in the sun as brightly as his slicked-back brown hair, and though not as extravagant as kingly robes, it still clearly denoted his wealth and power. And with his straight posture and his measured, purposeful stride, he gave off an air of refinement and authority that instantly captivated everyone in his presence. Appropriate, Hiccup thought, for the descendant of the Kalosian royal family.

Lord Parfum saw them coming and broke into a wide smile, patting his hands together in dignified applause. "What an exemplary battle, you four!" he boomed. "I was on my way to lunch when I happened to glance out a window and see you battling just outside the palace grounds! What a splendid performance – especially from you two victors!"

He spread his arms out as he congratulated them, prompting Fishlegs to squeak at being addressed. "The way you strategized to defeat your opponents in unison while their guards were down – ingenious! Simply ingenious!" the Lord continued to gush. "There is nothing more entertaining than a come-from-behind victory! Tell me, Trainers, what are your names?"

"Uh… Hiccup Haddock, sir," Hiccup said after an awkward moment. The Lord really had the wrong idea about how they'd conducted that battle… though he supposed that, to a faraway onlooker, the details didn't quite matter. Fishlegs caught onto this, too, and lifted his head to speak his name after a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, at your service!" Two heads shot up to block Hiccup's line of sight, so close that he was startled into staggering back a pace. The smell wafting from the blonde locks waving in his face didn't help.

"Ah… quite," Lord Parfum replied with a sweatdrop – discouraged, no doubt, by the twins' tangled hair, askew clothes, and black eyes. With a polite cough, he turned his attention to all four of them, addressing them as a whole, "You Trainers have come at the perfect time, as it happens. I have a task for you – a problem that has eluded me for the past two days, but one that should be child's play for Trainers of such skill."

A baffled "What?" almost escaped Hiccup's mouth, but he shut it before he could blurt it out. Instead, he furrowed his brow and clutched the letter still in his grip a little tighter, mind racing. This wasn't how the visit was supposed to go – if they'd been able to approach the palace without Ruffnut and Tuffnut interfering, they'd already have given the letter and been on their way with Lord Shabboneau's Poke Flute.

But Fishlegs was already raising a tentative hand and asking, "Wh-What task, sir?"

In response, the previously dignified Lord slumped out of his perfect posture, head drooping and arms hanging at his sides. "It is my darling Pokemon partner, Furfrou," he sniffled. "The last time I saw her was two days ago, after our last grooming session. Ever since then, she's been wandering our gardens ceaselessly and refuses to come back to anyone who calls her."

That was… odd. Despite himself, Hiccup found himself sucked into the Lord's tale and asked, "It's never behaved this way before? And don't your staff have Pokemon on hand to help you find it?"

"Never," Lord Parfum whined, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. "Though she has enjoyed exploring the outdoors on our regular walks, my beloved Furfrou has never left my side. And yes, the staff and their Pokemon have searched high and low, chasing her all over the gardens… but Furfrou oft eludes them, and sometimes even fights back if they find her! The poor dear must be frightened out of her wits if she's been driven to such brutish measures… what am I to do?"

A Pokemon suddenly acting out against its owner? Hiccup had heard of such things happening before – Pokemon defying cruel Trainers – but Lord Parfum sounded so sincere in his concern for his partner. He couldn't have driven it to rebellion, at least not intentionally.

"I'm sure there's a logical reason for your Furfrou acting this way," he reasoned, trying to reassure the man. "Once it's found, you just need to figure ou–"

Lord Parfum sprang forward to grab his hands, pumping them enthusiastically as a sunny smile dispelled his previous despair. "Oh, I knew I could count on you!" he exclaimed. "To be so concerned for Furfrou, and to volunteer to save it – you are a kind Trainer indeed, Mr. Haddock!"

"N-No – I-I didn't…!" Hiccup attempted to pry himself away from the vigor with which the euphoric Lord manhandled his arms. It was only when Fishlegs gently grabbed him, as though to take him aside, did Lord Parfum relinquish him, folding his arms gracefully behind his back and beaming all the while. Nearby, Ruffnut and Tuffnut muttered conspiratorially to each other, wearing identical, avaricious expressions.

Likewise, Fishlegs leaned in toward Hiccup's ear. "Y-You can't be thinking of s-saying no to Lord Parfum! H-He's of royal d-descent!" he whispered, anxiously. "L-Look, if we do this for him, then he'll be that much more willing to give us the Poke Flute, r-right?"

Though Hiccup didn't want to be roped into yet another royal errand, Fishlegs made too much sense to argue with. He exchanged an exasperated look with Toothless, who wasn't as bothered with the abrupt assignment, and let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright," he acquiesced to Lord Parfum. "So, you want us to search your gardens for your lost Pokemon?"

"It will be simple work for Trainers of your caliber!" the man said exuberantly. "You four will scour the grounds for signs of dear Furfrou. She is fast and seems determined not to be found, but she leaves footprints and the like behind that should make her easy to track. Once you find her, employ your well-trained Pokemon to catch her. Regrettably, you may need to use force… but be careful not to harm her any more than necessary!"

Hiccup and Fishlegs nodded vigorously at the sudden sternness, and Tuffnut slid forward with a self-confident smirk. "No need to worry, Your Heinie," he assured him. "We'll get your Pokemon back easy-peasy. Like, how hard can it be to search a backyard?"

"Huh," Tuffnut grunted. "That's one big backyard."

That's the understatement of the week, Hiccup rolled his eyes at the Thorston boy. The sight before them as they exited Parfum Palace's back door wasn't of any mere garden, it was of a garden so vast that one could've built an entire second castle on top of it. A white stone bridge extended over an enormous pond from which statues of Golurk towered and led to the immense courtyard, which was divided into four quadrants by elaborate hedge mazes. Broad cobblestone paths formed a great rectangle around the courtyard, each bordered by flower beds, topiaries, and Poke Ball totems. As Hiccup proceeded over the bridge, transfixed by the grandeur all around him, he spotted a grand water feature in the center, and two statues of powerful-looking dragons standing vigil on opposite ends.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut rushed past him toward the main body of the courtyard, the bump to his side enough to snap him out of his awe and get him to rush after them. He caught up to them at the white dragon statue, but when he craned his neck to gaze upon its visage, it was with nothing but exasperation – the twins had climbed up and were either sitting on its head or dangling upside-down with their legs around its neck.

"Honestly!" Fishlegs' scolding tone reached them, him and Meatlug catching up a few seconds later. Glaring up at the Thorstons, he went on, "That statue is one-of-a-kind, a gift from the past kings of Unova to those of Kalos! It's the most detailed depiction of the Legendary Dragon of Truth in the world! Get down from it this instant!"

"Relax, Fishboy," Tuffnut called down. "If you must know, we're on the lookout for that lost Pokemon. This dragon is providing us with a convenient vantage point!"

"Yeah!" Ruffnut agreed, flipping around to catch the edge of the dragon's wing with her hands and swing from it. "It's called working smarter, not harder!"

They snickered to themselves and continued to goof off, and Fishlegs sent Hiccup a frustrated look. "Can you believe them? They're making a complete game out of this whole mission… not to mention the historical value of this garden!"

"Well, they're here whether we like it or not," Hiccup sighed. "Think of it like this – we have two extra pairs of eyes looking out for the Lord's Furfrou."

"It would help to split up in four different directions to cover as much ground as possible," Fishlegs admitted. "But I'm afraid they'll mess something up, or even hurt the Pokemon."

With a thump, Ruffnut hit the ground feetfirst next to them, smirking at the sound of Fishlegs whimpering in fright. "Nope," she stated. "Couldn't spot a single Pokemon from up there."

Tuffnut followed her – though he fell on his face, rather than his boots. "Man, what a waste of time," he complained as he dusted himself off. "Whose bright idea was it to volunteer for this stupid task?"

For the love of… Hiccup bit his lip to keep from saying the thought aloud. Instead of thinking of how irritated he was becoming, he tried to focus on the job they were sent here to do. "That means the first places we start looking are the hedge mazes," he decided, pointing out each one. "We'll each check one. If anyone finds Furfrou, shout for the others and try to chase her toward the fountain in the center. We'll work as a team to corner her."

"Aha, a coordinated hunt!" Tuffnut smirked, pounding a fist into his palm. "You got it, my fine compadre. My dear sister and I shall investigate the northwest and northeast mazes posthaste."

"We'll find that Pokemon before either of you can say 'Thorstons rule', my man," Ruffnut agreed, flashing two peace signs. Without another word, the siblings dashed off, cackling as they left them in their dust.

"There they go…" Fishlegs muttered. Hoisting himself aboard Meatlug with a grunt, he gave Hiccup a resolute nod as he, too, prepared to leave. "Meatlug and I will take the southeast maze. We're going to find Furfrou and see to it that she isn't too stressed. Right?"

"Hoooorn," the Rhyhorn rumbled comfortingly, tilting her head so that the tip of her tongue tickled the soles of his feet.

Hiccup waved as his friend rode into the garden astride the sturdy Ground-and-Rock-type. Now alone, he gave Toothless an inquiring look. "I guess that means the southwestern maze is ours, bud. Want to check it out?"

"Bago," Toothless answered. He jumped to the ground to waddle down the path directly to the white dragon's left.

"Let me know if you see anything unusual," Hiccup said, following his partner unhurriedly. "Or… can you pick up Furfrou's scent, or something? You smell any other Pokemon around?"

"Bay bay-go," was the answer, this time accompanied by a nonchalant shrug.

They continued across the cobblestones in peaceful silence, passing row after row of color-coordinated blossoms organized like a floral rainbow. As Toothless pulled ahead, Hiccup let his eyes wander across the flowers that transitioned from warm to cool colors and back again, both in appreciation for the pattern but also in hopes of spotting the tip of an ear or tail poking out from the kaleidoscope.

Come to think of it, I don't even know what a Furfrou looks like, Hiccup realized as Toothless found an opening in the hedge maze. The leafy walls closed in around him as he entered, surrounding him with green. Fishlegs still has the Pokedex – should've asked him to look it up first.

Searching the hedge maze ended up being a confusing, fruitless affair. Not only were the walls completely identical, but the paths through the hedges wound and zigzagged so much that Hiccup quickly became convinced that him and Toothless were going in circles. With every turn, he anticipated seeing something at the end of the next corridor, but he was disappointed by empty dead ends more often than not. It was all he could do to keep an eye on Toothless, who scurried through the maze without taking more than a second's break.

All the while, he strained his eyes for any flash of color, and his ears for any telltale noise. But the more they wandered, the more it looked and sounded like him and Toothless were alone.

At the umpteenth dead end, they finally stopped for a breather. Panting, Hiccup clutched his knees for support and let his deep breaths rinse away the frustration once again simmering in him. It had been a long and exhausting day: being denied passage out of Camphrier Town; sent on a delivery mission by Lord Shabboneau; sent on a rescue mission by Lord Parfum; now dealing with the twins. And it wasn't yet over.

"Come on, Toothless," he muttered, turning away from the wall. "We're just wandering in circles, and it probably isn't even here…"

A conspicuous rustle and Toothless' urgent chirps immediately proved him wrong. Whirling around, Hiccup faced the shuddering wall and tensed, ready to confront the Furfrou. "Get ready for when it comes out, bud," he murmured so as not to startle the thing in the bushes. "Any second now…"

The hedge continued to thrash, creating tiny gaps in the leaves that Hiccup strained to see through. The shrubbery was too thick to get a glimpse, but there was definitely something big moving in there. Any second now… one… two… thr–

A BURST of leaves exploded outwards, and something as tall as Hiccup was lunged forward with a terrible "YAAAHHH!"

"WAAAHHH!" he screamed back, leaping backwards as though he'd been scalded.

But he wasn't attacked… indeed, nothing more happened after the initial scare. It took several moments of listening to his own heartbeat pound through his body before he recognized the figures standing atop the carpet of discarded leaves and twigs. And when he did…

"You two?!" he yelled at Ruffnut and Tuffnut, unable to contain his pent-up annoyance any longer. "Of all the muttonheaded…! What are you doing here?!"

"Gotcha," Tuffnut laughed. "Look, Ruff, he totally thought we were the Furfrou."

"Thorstons, one; Hiccup, zero," Ruffnut leered, sharing a high-five. "Looks like you need – aaaahhh!"

A thoroughly peeved Toothless had just sank his fang into the Thorston girl's ankle, prompting her shriek. With a long-suffering sigh – he didn't have time to deal with a stubborn, protective dragonling on top of everything else – Hiccup waved Ruffnut's flailing arms aside and grasped Toothless' waist with both hands. He gave him a tug, but Toothless held on stubbornly.

"Ruffnut, stop squirming – I'm trying to get him off," Hiccup muttered, then gave his partner a weary glare and scolded, "Bud, she didn't hurt me. She just scared me. Now will you stop… biting… the…!"

Toothless loosened his jaw and came free in Hiccup's arms, and although he expressed vehemence at the Thorstons, he didn't misbehave further. Once Hiccup was sure he wouldn't act out again, he placed the Bagon back down with a comforting rub on the helmet before addressing the siblings… first making sure he got his frustration under control enough to speak to them civilly.

"Sorry about that," he sighed to the injured sister. "Toothless gets very protective."

Calming down remarkably fast, Ruffnut waved him off dismissively. "Eh, don't worry. I've dealt with worse."

"You should've seen how she trained Barf when we first started," Tuffnut chuckled mischievously, only to suffer a retaliatory punch to the arm.

"Uh… huh," Hiccup replied, privately wondering for how much longer he'd have to suffer with these two for company. "You didn't answer my question. What exactly are you doing here?"

"We snooped around our areas a bit," Tuffnut answered whilst scowling at his sister. "It was dull, I tell you. With a capital 'D'. And we didn't see the Furfrou thing."

"Not hide nor hair of one," Ruffnut added. She inspected her nails, bored. "We came over here to mess with you instead… oh, and to find the Pokemon, I guess."

"So!" Tuffnut stepped toward Hiccup, animosity totally forgotten as he brought his hands together with a clap. "Having concluded with the messing of you, we shall endeavor to assist you in the search! We Thorstons are natural-born maze-solvers. That perrito stands no chance against our expert defection skills."

"You… uh, you mean detection skills?" Hiccup hesitated to ask.

"Sure, tomato tomahto," he dismissed. With that, the twins headed down the corridor, shedding leaves from their hair and clothes as they went.

The unexpected offer to help, flowery language, and… everything else… had Hiccup staring at their retreating backs in bemusement before he resigned himself to tail them. At a growl from Toothless, still glowering unpleasantly at the twins, he picked up the little Dragon-type and hurried after his new allies. He fell into step behind them, and for a while, things were comfortably quiet as he kept an eye and ear out for Furfrou while the siblings seemed to pick pathways on a whim, never hesitating even when the corridor forked in two different directions.

Eventually, Hiccup spoke up, a particular topic on his mind. "So… you're both maze experts and tag battle prodigies, huh?"

"And we invented Tepig Latin," Tuffnut boasted. "But that's a long story."

That's… Hiccup cut off his own train of thought at the source before it could wander too far. They were already far enough from the original topic as is. "Ah, as I was saying," he began again, "If you really are such good Trainers, did you compete in Gyms in your home region? Uh… Paldea, you said it was?"

"Heck yeah we did," Ruffnut grinned broadly at him. For once, there wasn't any mischief in the smile, like she was honestly happy for a chance to brag about it. "There isn't anyone better than Tuff and me when it comes to tag battles. When we started on our journey, we were unbeatable!"

"Of course, we cannot claim that it was pure talent alone that made us so great," Tuffnut went on for her. "'Twas at the prestigious Naranja Academy where we honed our craft to perfection."

That got a surprised blink out of Hiccup, who hadn't taken the twins as the scholarly type, exactly. "So, then, what're you doing here in Kalos?" he inquired. "Did you try and win the League Championship after collecting all eight Gym badges?"

At once, the Thorstons burst into laughter. "Did we win the League Championship, he says," Ruffnut repeated, wiping her eye. "Paldea doesn't have a League tournament. Or Champion, really."

Utterly lost, Hiccup glanced from one to the other. "Then… what?"

"Allow me to educate you, young Hiccup," Tuffnut wagged his finger patronizingly. "While any Trainer in our home region can apply for Champion status after winning the necessary badges, said Champion status is… mucho aburrido."

"Huh?" Hiccup replied, still lost.

"Really, really boring," Ruffnut groaned. "There's no big tournament, no fame, no glory, no special privileges. That's why we came to Kalos, where the Champion does get all those things."

"Yeah!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "If we win the big pow-wow, we'll basically be in charge of the whole region!"

"That's… not how it works…" Hiccup tried to correct him, only to be cut off by a hearty slap on the back from Ruffnut.

"Besides, we can't compete in Paldea anymore, anyway," she told him in a chipper tone, slinging an arm around him all chummy-like. "We got banned from challenging Gyms a long time ago."

"Who knew that fighting Gym Leaders two-on-one was illegal, anyway?" Tuffnut shoved her away to lean his arm on Hiccup's shoulder with a sleazy grin.

While Toothless squirmed out of his grasp to bite at the twins, Hiccup deliberately kept his pace slow while they rushed ahead. The emotion that came over him was a strange mixture of annoyance at the twins' lack of respect for his boundaries and foreboding at what he now knew was a lack of respect for rules in general. In his head, he thanked Toothless for putting extra distance between them and him. He was starting to re-evaluate how much he wanted to associate with them… not that he'd been having a ball to begin with.

Case in point – Tuffnut's rough treatment of his sister had started a shoving match that had the twins careening into the maze walls alternately. Every time they smashed through the hedges, they crushed the foliage with huge crunching sounds that made Hiccup wince. They were supposed to be looking for a Pokemon that evidently didn't want to be found, and all this noisy roughhousing would do nothing but alert it to their presence, making it that much harder to fi–

"Froooouuuu!"

A white blur preceded by a loud howl caught Hiccup and the twins' attention instantly, and three heads swung toward the disturbance just in time for it to bowl them over. Hiccup's backside hit the cobblestone, the resulting starburst of pain coaxing a yelp from his lips. Toothless leapt forward to confront the instigator – still on the defensive from the Thorston's earlier stunt, he was more than ready to attack, lowering his head and growling a warning.

"Toothless, watch it…" Hiccup muttered as he got up. Rubbing his aching rear, he studied the Pokemon now staring them down. It was clearly some sort of canine, overgrown with matted white fur, only its upturned snout and small claws visible. In a posture that indicated it was preparing to pounce again, it yapped aggressively as though daring them to make a move on it.

"That must be Lord Parfum's Furfrou," Hiccup said, though he couldn't stop a note of doubt from creeping into his voice. Surely any Pokemon that the Lord of Parfum Palace doted on wouldn't be so dirty and scruffy-looking? Then again, it had been two days since he'd seen it last…

"I'm on it!" Ruffnut's shout startled him, and he barely got out of the way as she charged past, arms spread out as though she was prepared to [wrest] Furfrou to the ground. She lunged, and it jumped to the side, leaving her to stumble off-balance. Before she could try again, Furfrou's head fur glowed in a Headbutt attack, and it rammed her aside with enough force to knock her to the ground.

Furfrou turned, and Hiccup's heart missed a beat when he saw its narrowed red eyes trained on him, next. "Never mind, Toothless! Use Dragon Breath!"

"Bagaaawww!" Toothless answered the summons instantly with a blast of dragonfire. Furfrou was ready, though, and it jumped with a powerful flex of its legs. The Dragon Breath exploded harmlessly where its feet had been a mere second before, and it landed at a run, jinking deftly from side to side.

Trying to throw us off…! Hiccup realized as he called out once more. "Again, bud!"

Two more blasts sizzled past Furfrou, whose long legs enabled it to dodge swiftly and elegantly without breaking its stride. Before Hiccup knew it, it was nearly on top of them, and he spun on his heel frantically to avoid being tackled in the gut. Unfortunately, that meant that Furfrou was now clear to flee the hedge maze…

…that is, if it weren't for Tuffnut, who'd run back to position himself directly in front of the bend in the path. He spread his legs and raised his arms in a wrestler-like stance, the sole impediment to Furfrou's getaway.

"You're certainly a slippery one," he sneered at the dog Pokemon now barreling toward him at full tilt. "Well, I once took on three greased Lechonk with a Smoliv oil finish! It'll take more than some fancy footwork to escape Tuffnut Thorston, amiga –"

Furfrou's final leap carried it straight into the Thorston boy's midsection, where its teeth met his arm with an audible snap. That was all it took for Tuffnut to change his tune, as he put up no further resistance when Furfrou swung its neck and hurled him over its back. He hit the ground in front of Hiccup, clutching the bite wound and rolling over in distress.

"I am hurt!" he moaned. "I am very much hurt!"

But Hiccup had no time for him – Furfrou's tail had just disappeared around the corner, and he took off after it at a run. He stumbled at first as he stepped over Tuffnut's prone form, but he regained his footing quickly and hurried after the Pokemon, following the flashes of its white tail as it darted through the maze's every twist and turn. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the strain on his lungs as they started to burn.

I can't let Furfrou out of my sight for more than a moment, he thought urgently, even as he called to Toothless to keep up. If I do, it'll slip away and become who knows how much harder to find!

So focused was he on pursuing the Pokemon that, before he knew it, he was out of the maze, leaving the green walls behind for flowerbeds and open paths. The Furfrou had bolted to the left, fleeing at considerable speed down the path toward the white dragon statue, and Hiccup hurried to catch up. Already, he was falling behind – he'd never been particularly athletic, and now he was paying the price, chest heaving and ears roaring with the sound of his pulse. Furfrou had the advantage of a straight road without constant turns that would slow it down, while Hiccup forced his scrawny body along behind it.

Constant turns… slow it down… The part of Hiccup's brain that wasn't going fuzzy from strain and lack of oxygen lit up with sudden epiphany. Twisting his head as far back as it would go and spotting Toothless and the twins trailing after him, he used what little breath he had to spare and gasped out, "Toothless… guys… attack Furfrou… keep it focused on dodging… instead of running…!"

"Bago!" Understanding instantly what he needed to do, Toothless fired more Dragon Breaths that sped along the path to explode at Furfrou's left and right. The dog Pokemon caught sight of the pink flames at the last second and bounded to each side, avoiding them… but its evasive maneuvers came at the cost of its fleet-footedness.

"Oh, I see!" Ruffnut said, enlightened. "Go on, Barf, use Seed Bomb!"

"I don't, but more explosions are better than none!" Tuffnut agreed just as cheerily. "Belch, come out and use Flamethrower!"

The sounds of Poke Balls popping open heralded the whizz of flying bombs and the crackle of intense flames, both streaking past to pepper the cobblestones ahead. Furfrou was now finding itself on a minefield, where most of its energy had to be spent dodging explosions instead of fleeing outright. It was still keeping ahead of its pursuers – but it was slowing down, a sight that lightened the pressure on Hiccup's chest.

At the white dragon statue, Furfrou pranced away from a Seed Bomb and darted left again, and Hiccup, Toothless, the twins, and their Scovillain gave chase. The intersecting path turned out to be the one that led directly from the palace exit, and straight ahead of them was the very center, where an elaborate water fountain spouted.

"There!" the twins chorused. "Let's corner it there!"

Together, they continued to herd Furfrou toward the fountain… but it was pulling ahead again. Hiccup chanced a look behind him – not only was Toothless getting tired, his Dragon Breaths slowing, but Barf and Belch looked in rough shape, never having been healed from their last battle.

Not good…! He clenched his jaw and watched as Furfrou gradually left them in its dust, gaining confidence and speed as the projectiles came less and less. It was getting away, and if they lost sight of it…

But then, from behind the flowers bordering the fountain, two figures appeared to block the way.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs called, waving excitedly. "Have you found the – waaaahh!"

His enthusiasm gave way to terror as abruptly as he'd arrived, and rightly so. Because, in emerging to reunite with his friends, the timid Fishlegs had just found himself in Furfrou's path – and it didn't slow down one bit. For its freedom, the well-being of this unfortunate boy was a sacrifice it was willing to make.

AN:

I had a great time introducing Ruff and Tuff in this chapter. I wanted to demonstrate their penchant for drama and flowery words, but also their iconic flaws – general dimwittedness and tendency to fight amongst themselves. However, I figured that because they're always together, that would translate in this universe to absolutely brilliant teamwork when it comes to Pokemon battles. They're basically Lethal Joke Characters in this story, people you absolutely don't take seriously at face value until they kick your butt.

Also, yeah, they're from Paldea. Scarlet and Violet are some of my favorite Pokemon games, I really like Scovillain, and I thought it made sense with how much Spanish the two of them speak in Race to the Edge.

ANYWAY. The Parfum Palace side plot comes to an end in the next chapter as we continue further along the next significant leg of Hiccup's journey. Please review, thank you for reading, and hope you enjoyed!

Next time: Go West, Young Hiccup!