Chapter 13 – Go West, Young Hiccup!
Upon their return to Camphrier Town, Hiccup and Fishlegs exchanged goodbyes with Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the latter parting ways with enthusiastic handshakes and an announcement of their newfound friendship (to which neither Hiccup nor Fishlegs were sure they agreed with consenting). They returned to the gates of Shabboneau Castle, where they presented the Poke Flute to Lord Shabboneau and were showered with praise, to their bashful pleasure. Bringing the Poke Flute to the town's west exit, the Lord woke the sleeping Snorlax and freed the path for travel once more. And, after giving the Trainers a formal and sincere thank-you, the Lord returned to his abode, their business concluded.
Thus, indeed, their sidequest finally ended, and the journey could pick up from where it left off.
Though the sun was sinking lower in the sky and there was little time for travel, Hiccup and Fishlegs put Camphrier Town behind them and began the long trek across Route 7, desiring to close the gap between themselves and the mountain pass as much as they could before day's end. They walked until their tired feet and growling stomachs informed them that it was time for rest, and they set up camp on the side of the road, where wildflowers grew freely and beds of reeds sprouted from the banks of a sparkling lake. In the near distance, yet another castle rose from the tip of a peninsula projecting out onto the lake's surface, looking like something out of a painting.
Hiccup took in the sight of the castle – the Battle Chateau, Fishlegs informed him – with admiration, though it was slightly spoiled by melancholy. The Chateau would mark the end of the easygoing, picturesque routes from here on out, as once they passed it by, the flat terrain tailored for ease of travel would soon become rough and treacherous. Its stalwart vigil over the calm waters felt like a final farewell from Kalos' populated center as they passed into its wilds.
"Toothless, hold still," Hiccup reprimanded as the dragonling squirmed in his lap. "Treating these scrapes and bruises isn't as easy as Mom makes it look."
"Bagon bay," Toothless complained, but nonetheless held himself still as his Trainer's clumsy fingers slathered cream over the injuries he'd attained over the day's events. The salve was both a disinfectant and moisturizer, preventing infection as well as ensuring his scales didn't dry out – something Hiccup thanked his lucky stars for finding on his and Fishlegs' last shopping trip. Potion bottles were handy for general purpose, but took up a lot of space.
"There you go… now go and eat," Hiccup released his partner, who immediately scrambled to join Meatlug in scarfing down his dinner. Now free to fill his own belly, Hiccup reached for his plate – only to find two that were still full. Across from him, Fishlegs sat with his meal shunted to the side, the space in front of him instead taken up by open notebooks, info cards, and the Pokedex, all of which he alternated poring over in turn.
"Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, concerned. "You alright? You haven't even touched your dinner."
"Sorry, Hiccup, I can't eat just yet," Fishlegs answered without looking up – and thus missing how Hiccup's eyebrows shot upward. "I need to get started on my Pokemon field dictionary right away. I haven't made any progress on it since we began journeying, and now Professor Sycamore is counting on me to keep at it. I want to really impress him the next time we're in Lumiose."
Having been on the road with him for some time now, Hiccup had grown used to Fishlegs being a big eater, always diligent in reminding him of mealtimes and then taking substantial enjoyment in cleaning up whatever they put together from their supplies. Now, though, he was putting it aside to begin work on his dream project-turned-assignment, and Hiccup found himself impressed… and a little inspired.
That's right, I have to start seriously considering how to approach my own goals, too, he remembered. I've got another Gym battle coming up, and I don't even have another Pokemon yet. Toothless and I need to keep at it if we're to get stronger.
With that, he pushed his own full plate to the end of the table and brought his map from out of his backpack, unfolding it across the emptied space. He brought his finger down upon the detailed representation of western Kalos, tracing a line from Camphrier Town to the mountains. From there, he drew his finger downwards and tapped the large brown blotch that indicated Kalos Canyon, then continued back up along the western coastline to Cyllage City.
His rustling of the paper must have been louder than he thought, because Fishlegs abruptly spoke up. "What are you doing, Hiccup? Need any help reading the map?"
"I'm just thinking," he replied. "We have a good idea of what the next leg of our journey is going to look like. Once we make it to the mountain pass, we continue south to the next town. Then we detour to Kalos Canyon and Wild Dragon Cliff…"
"…and after that, north along the coast to Cyllage City! That's where you'll get your next badge!" Fishlegs interjected, his excitement growing as he, too, reflected on their plans. "And after that is Geosenge Town, home to some of the most amazing relics in the region, and finally to Shalour City! Oh, I can't wait to see the Tower of Mastery and uncover more about Mega Evolution!"
"Exactly," Hiccup nodded, resting his arms on the map as he went over it again. "We'll be at the Cyllage Gym before we know it, so I need to start preparations as soon as I can. Ideally, I'll get a Pokemon from Wild Dragon Cliff to help against the Gym Leader… and to do that, Toothless needs to be strong enough to take on another Dragon-type."
"Why not a new move?" Fishlegs suggested. He picked up the Pokedex and slid it across the table toward Hiccup with an affable smile. "Here, you can access all kinds of data on Bagon with this. It should give you some ideas of where to take Toothless' training."
He… hadn't thought of using the Pokedex at all. He thanked his friend sheepishly and picked up the device – at first attempting to manually scroll through the entire Pokemon database, then concluding it'd be far simpler to simply scan Toothless and skip right to the specifics on Bagon. He pointed it to where his partner was eating and did just that, and it only took a few button presses to find the "move listing" section.
"Zen Headbutt?" he asked himself, the name sticking out to him. That had been the move Tuffnut's Scovillain had used. "Looks like it has a flinching effect… that could be useful… except that it's a pretty high-level move. Toothless might struggle to learn it at our current level…"
Searching the list more carefully, Hiccup soon settled on a more accessible alternative. "Hey, Toothless," he called out, causing the Bagon to turn with his mouth half-full. "When you're finished, how about doing a little training before bed? We can work on teaching you how to Bite."
Toothless' reply was distorted by the partly-chewed wad on his tongue, which he swallowed hastily before expressing his gusto properly. "Bay bago!"
"Sounds like a yes to me," Hiccup determined happily, already standing up and moving away from the table. "Let's go find a spot to train, bud. Watch our stuff while we're gone, Fishlegs?"
He barely heard the distracted answer that came from the pile of notes, his sights already set on the flowers growing near the lake's edge. With Toothless waddling loyally behind him, he pushed his way through the plants until he came across a nice enough target – a boulder standing about waist-high, perfect for testing Toothless' strength against.
"Alright, bud," Hiccup said, reading over the description on the Pokedex's screen before placing the machine safely in his inner pocket. "Start out by giving the rock a Leer."
Dutifully, Toothless clenched his brow, putting all his effort into sending the boulder as intense a glare as he could, and Hiccup clapped, satisfied. "Good start, Toothless. Now, keep up the Leer, but concentrate mostly on baring your teeth. Really get those jaw muscles set."
"Bayyyy… Baaayyy!" Toothless' growl sounded like it was coming from the back of his throat as he squared his jaw and flashed his fangs, the single one at the front gleaming the most brightly. Hiccup had to admit that with his missing tooth, the dragonling's snarl was particularly intimidating.
"You feel that, bud?" Hiccup asked, shifting his own jaw around experimentally to get a feel for a good biting position. "Now put those teeth to the test and bite!"
Another growl curled into the air, and Toothless pounced with maw open wide. He clamped down on the rock like a predator on prey – only to instantly relinquish his hold and let out a keening wail of pain.
The pained cry was loud, but even more startling was the sudden explosion of movement from the reeds at the edge of the water. Flushed out by the noise, the blue bird Pokemon shot skyward and angled itself toward Toothless, a scolding quack blaring from its bill.
Hiccup was forced to put his sympathy on hold in favor of action, shouting, "Toothless, quick! Try Bite again!"
Lunging at the duck-like Pokemon, Toothless actually succeeded in getting his jaws around it, clamping down on its midsection and wincing at the wing that whapped against his snout. But it wasn't really a true Bite, more of a… bite. Toothless' hold was too loose and had none of the power that constituted an actual move, and his opponent reacted more in surprise than in pain, thrashing about freely while he struggled to maintain his grip. In seconds, the bird Pokemon had regained enough sense to aim its head down and spray a Water Gun at Toothless' feet, the force of the blast pushing itself out of his jaws and into the air.
Bracing for a counterattack, Hiccup prepared to tell his partner to move… but the attack never came. The bird, sporting bedraggled feathers from its time in Toothless' mouth, quacked out a reprimand and winged its way back to the lake, where it shrank into the distance until its form was lost amidst the blue sky.
Hiccup and Toothless gave identical sighs and shared a disappointed look. "Nice try, bud," he told the dragonling, consoling him with a pat on the head. "We'll need to keep practicing before we can definitively call that a new move. Next time –"
"Hey!"
A shout rang across the otherwise tranquil lakeside, instantly putting Hiccup on edge. It was more than just a scare – he swore that he knew that voice, the anger in its tone causing bad memories to surface from the recesses of his subconscious.
His suspicions were confirmed when she pushed her way through the reeds and into the open, blue eyes narrowed in a familiar needling glower despite the blonde bangs flopping into her face. Hiccup froze under the disapproving scrutiny of Astrid Hofferson, staring dumbly at the way she scowled at him, like he'd done something unforgiveable. Had he? He had no idea. Frankly, he was still trying to get over the surprise of seeing her again.
Their last meeting already felt like forever ago, but one look into her piercing glare brought it rushing back as though it had only been yesterday. He swallowed thickly at the echoes of her uncomfortable statements that rose to the front of his mind; namely, the way she'd dressed him down for reassuring Toothless after their loss to her, believing him a lost cause because he didn't take Pokemon battling as seriously as she. It was an unnerving reminder of her attitude in general: sharp, intense, perfectionist, laser-focused on her goal.
"Can I… um, can I help you?" he finally managed to ask, lamely.
"You chased off the Ducklett I was trying to catch," Astrid accused him, folding her arms across her chest. Her brown falconer's glove stood out, reminding Hiccup that she had a Flying-type specialty. "I was just getting in position when you scared it off."
"O-Oh," he said. A sliver of guilt penetrated the fog of confusion. "S-Sorry, Astrid, I had no idea. I didn't even know that you or the Ducklett were there to begin with."
"Bago," Toothless added. Though he sounded apologetic, his posture was rigid and his gaze locked on her intensely, as though preparing to pounce if her response wasn't to his liking.
Fortunately, no rash decisions were necessary. Astrid's face briefly soured before loosening into something more neutral, her aggression subsiding and body language becoming less confrontational. Toothless, too, relaxed and backed off slightly, and Hiccup breathed an imperceptible sigh as the tension drained away.
"Okay, okay, I hear you," Astrid said with a resigned shrug. "Sorry for yelling at you. I suppose you didn't deserve it."
"You're… good, I guess," Hiccup replied, wincing at how awkward he sounded. When Astrid didn't reply right away, though, he decided that leaving her hanging would be more awkward and grasped for a new topic of conversation. "Is your… uh, your journey going well, by the way…?"
To his relief, the Hofferson girl gave an easygoing nod. "I suppose it is. These early routes aren't much of a challenge – the mountains are where Kalos really starts getting interesting. I ended up visiting the Battle Chateau in order to get a satisfying workout in."
"The Battle Chateau?" Hiccup repeated, clueless at first. Then, he glanced out at the lake and saw the castle turrets rising over the water, and it came back to him in a flash of comprehension. Right, that's what Fishlegs mentioned before.
"Yep, it's a great place for a Trainer to spend the day – weird customs, but great nonetheless," Astrid told him, then tilted her head. "Have you come to train at the Battle Chateau, too?"
"Ah, no, I –" Hiccup started to deny, only to stop, one detail of Astrid's speech sticking out enough to give him pause. "Hang on… you were there all day? H-How did you get past the Snorlax on the bridge?"
She shrugged, brushing off his exclamation. "Simple – I just had Stormfly fly me over. We weren't too inconvenienced by a little roadblock like that."
Stormfly… right, that huge Staraptor that had been with her the first time they'd met. It must have been in its Poke Ball, if Astrid had indeed spent the entire day training it.
Astrid gave him a quizzical once-over. "Actually, speaking of that Snorlax," she commented, "how did you get past it? Last I checked, there were a lot of Trainers stuck in Camphrier Town because of that thing."
"Oh, uh, right. That," Hiccup broke out of his thoughts hastily, cheeks flushing. "We… uh, I mean, Fishlegs and I… we had to go to Shabboneau Castle and do a whole thing for the owner of the place so he could wake up the Snorlax. Ended up going to Parfum Palace and… yeah, it's not really worth getting into."
"Huh," was all Astrid said. She brushed her bangs aside, not looking particularly invested.
Feeling uncomfortable, Hiccup did his best to ignore it and shrugged in what he hoped was a casual manner. "Y-Yeah, that's pretty much how Fishlegs and I spent our day… W-We would check out the Battle Chateau, but I'm, ah, more interested in getting to Wild Dragon Cliff as soon as possible. I'll finally be able to get more Dragon-types for the team."
"Oh, that sounds cool," Astrid responded, now looking mildly interested at the shift in topic. Her eyes flicked idly to Toothless and then back to him, and he got the impression she was judging him. "So, I take it you haven't found any other Pokemon aside from your Bagon to train?"
There was a definite note of disapproval in her otherwise civil tone, and he could practically read her thoughts from that alone. They had to be something similar to what she'd told him so scathingly back in Aquacorde – If you really want to earn a spot in the League, then you'd better work as hard as you can and work your Pokemon even harder. She was already half-convinced that he didn't have what it took to compete in the League tournament, and now…
Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Hiccup reached out to clutch Toothless close to his chest and stood up to look her straight in the eye. "It's true that I still only have Toothless right now," he said defensively, "but we've already improved significantly during our short time on the road. We even took on the Gym Leader in Santalune City and defeated her by ourselves. Didn't we, bud?"
"Bay-go Bagon!" he agreed with a reptilian smirk, lifting his chin superiorly.
"No kidding?" Astrid seemed even more interested, her eyes flashing and flicking over Hiccup and Toothless as if trying to gauge their strength anew. "Then that's something we have in common. My Fletchling took out both of her Pokemon without a problem, naturally. Not that I was expecting the first Gym of the circuit to be anything too crazy."
Hiccup deflated a tiny bit, Astrid's anecdote taking the wind out of his proverbial sails. His feat didn't sound nearly as impressive when she had accomplished the same. Though he still felt he could salvage some bragging rights for clearing the Gym without a type advantage, he got the feeling Astrid still wouldn't be impressed.
"The next Gym, though, won't be nearly as easy," Astrid continued. "The Cyllage Gym uses Rock-types, which I'm not quite prepared enough to take on yet. But I'm working on it."
"Hence why you wanted that Ducklett," Hiccup deduced.
"Exactly. Catching Pokemon with different strengths and weaknesses is the best way to bolster your team." Astrid punctuated that statement with a significant look aimed directly at Hiccup, her blue eyes harsh and blinking an unmistakable warning. "You'd better hurry up and do the same if you want to get any farther with the Gyms."
I get it; no need to stress it like I can't take a hint. Swallowing the flicker of annoyance that bubbled up with the internal comment, Hiccup began pointedly, "I was actually in the middle of training with Toothless before we bumped into each other…"
He stopped, his pointed answer forgotten as an epiphany abruptly burst upon his mind, immediately bringing with it a burning, tantalizing desire he'd only felt once before… in Santalune Forest.
"Actually, what do you say I show you?" he suggested – practically demanded, even, the ambitious feeling egging him on. "Another one-on-one with me and Toothless. I'll show you that we've improved since our first battle."
He was telling no less than the complete truth, putting words to his feelings without a filter. Just as he'd once ached to prove his mettle to Snotlout, a Trainer whose obnoxious attitude had brought out his competitive side, his challenge to Astrid was borne from the same need. Astrid was almost the total opposite of Snotlout – a hardcore, experienced Trainer that believed him, a rookie in comparison, unworthy of her respect – and yet she provoked the same feeling inside of him. Hewanted to challenge her. He wanted to earn that respect.
And, above all, he wanted to demonstrate to her that he was a Trainer every bit as serious, ambitious, and unwavering in his goals as she was.
Don't let her put you down, Hiccup. He took a steadying breath as he awaited Astrid's response, calling upon the words his mother had spoken to him that night for assurance. We'll beat her this time… or at least put up enough of a fight that she sees we're serious about seeing our goal through to the end.
Astrid had been regarding him with a reluctant expression all this time, mulling over his request. Only now did she sigh and unfold her arms, putting one hand on her hip and turning back to him with a hard glint in her eye. "Normally, I wouldn't choose to battle a Pokemon that I've already won against," she told him bluntly. "But, I'll admit, you gave me a decent battle last time, and you have to have learned a thing or two if you won a Gym badge with just your Bagon. So… sure, I'll battle you again. I'm interested to see what you can do."
Hiccup's heart jumped with anticipation when he saw her draw a Poke Ball from her pack, and his pulse quickened as he heard her accept his challenge. "Alright, Toothless," he looked down at the Dragon-type in his arms. "You ready for another match with Astrid?"
The question was rhetorical, of course – Toothless, who'd never say no to a battle even on his worst day, seemed extra-fired up as he broke free of his Trainer's grasp and landed on the grass in front of him, barking an eager challenge at their would-be opponent. His behavior actually got an amused smirk from the Hofferson girl as she positioned herself at an appropriate distance for their skirmish.
"Since you're going with your Bagon," she remarked, playfully tossing and catching her Poke Ball, "I'll choose Fletchinder!"
She hurled the capsule for real, and the released energy coalesced into a form that was familiar – yet also unfamiliar. The sleek, fork-tailed, red-feathered bird that emerged in a midair hover was unmistakably similar to Fletchling, but that was where the similarities ended. This bird was larger, its eyes sharper and its plumage brighter. Not only that, its primaries were now a vibrant yellow, while a cool ice-blue coated its breast and underside. Add onto that its name, Fletchinder, and the connection was obvious.
She's already evolved her Fletchling? Hiccup realized, both amazed by the concept and dreading what it meant for him. It defeated Toothless once already, so… this is going to be another uphill battle. Hope you're prepared, bud.
He tried to keep his thoughts on the positive side. Despite being larger and more powerful, Fletchinder should have the same strengths and weaknesses as its former self, so he already had an idea of what it could do. And he still remembered how it had delivered the final blow to Toothless before – Astrid wouldn't be able to trick him with the same strategies.
Yes, we can do this. Bring it on, Astrid Hofferson.
"I'll start, if you don't mind," Astrid said nonchalantly, then her demeanor turned harsh. "Fletchinder, Flame Charge!"
"Chindaaaaah!" the robin shrieked, its sleek form bursting into flames as it plunged into a divebomb.
"Toothless, guard!" Hiccup ordered, knowing that his partner was too slow to dodge this. "Use your helmet!"
Grunting, Toothless spread his legs apart and lowered his head. When the Flame Charge struck, he was braced for impact and took it incredibly well, motionless for only a second or two before he managed to push Fletchinder away. The flames dissipated as it flapped its wings to rebalance itself.
"Now, Dragon Breath!" Hiccup seized his chance to counterattack.
"BAGAWWWW!" The pink dragonfire roared from Toothless' jaws, and Fletchinder was too close to avoid it. It plummeted, trailing smoke, but recovered before it could hit the ground and leveled out on shaky wings, its eyes wide as though it hadn't expected fire to hurt so much.
Across the makeshift battlefield, Astrid was nodding, reluctantly impressed. "You've improved, after all," she commented. "Last time, your Bagon couldn't stand up to a hit like that nearly as well, and was too slow to counter it."
Her intentions were clear to Hiccup now – her first attack was a deliberate mirror to the start of their first battle, meant to test his progress. He nodded back, smiling as pride swelled within him. We aren't the same opponents she wiped the floor with in Aquacorde.
"Dragon Breath again!" he shouted, full of new confidence.
"Ember!" Astrid snapped back.
Pink and red fireballs clashed above their heads, filling the air with smoke. With the sky momentarily blotted out, Fletchinder was lost from view, leaving Hiccup and Toothless woefully blind. They searched for any flash of red within the smog, but couldn't find anything – until Fletchinder burst out from within at an unexpected angle.
"Acrobatics!" Astrid yelled, and Fletchinder's body took on a blue light as it raced for Toothless. On Hiccup's orders, the Bagon lunged to meet it head-on with a powerful Headbutt, but Fletchinder twisted away at the last second to strike a glancing blow on Toothless' side. To Hiccup's shock, it then proceeded to strike him several more times, its glowing body performing aerial maneuvers that didn't even look possible.
At last, the Ember Pokemon backed off, leaving Toothless free to stand up, his body smarting from several fresh bruises. Growling, he lifted his head skyward to track Fletchinder, now wheeling over the field in a wide circle.
"That's it, bud," Hiccup encouraged. "Aim, then hit it with Leer."
Toothless' head turned to follow Fletchinder's flight path, then suddenly leaned forward to shoot out a fearsome look. Almost like he'd fired a laser from his eyes, Fletchinder wobbled in midair as though it had taken a physical hit, distracted by the intensity of his Leer.
"Go for Dragon Breath, bud!" Hiccup shouted.
The crackling fire blasted from the dragonling's maw straight toward the slowed Fletchinder, and it would have been a certain hit – if not for Astrid's intervention. "Speed up with Flame Charge, now!"
Regaining control of itself, Fletchinder exploded with flames and, like a racecar accelerating, rocketed forward to fly past the incoming Dragon Breath. Hiccup couldn't help but suck in a breath, floored. At first I thought it was just a fast attack… but are the flames actually propelling it forward? he thought. It's too fast and too far away for ranged moves to work consistently… so it's a good thing we know how to close the gap.
Snatches of his battle against Viola flickering through his mind's eye, Hiccup grinned as he called to his partner, "Let it come! Then jump with Headbutt!"
"Bayyy…" Toothless muttered, crouching low with muscles tensed. Fletchinder swerved, still propelled by its fiery aura as it came down upon him like a small meteor. Closer… closer… and then: "BAGOOOOO!"
Helmet flashing white, Toothless sprang high, using his well-established jumping ability to crash headfirst into the diving bird – which Hiccup was now convinced had to be a Fire-and-Flying-type. The impact triggered an explosion of flames as Fletchinder's aura burst, but Toothless' natural fire resistance kept him relatively unscathed as he thumped to the ground.
"Growl! Then Flame Charge!" Astrid demanded.
A shriek pealed from Fletchinder's beak, manifesting as a hazy red wave that made Toothless shudder as it washed over him. Without missing a beat, the bird dove again with a renewed coat of fire and slammed into Toothless as he was recovering from the Growl's effects. The Bagon staggered, brought to one knee from the force of the blow.
But Hiccup wasn't watching his Pokemon. Rather, his squinted gaze was focused on Fletchinder, a dreadful understanding dawning on him to make his stomach churn. It's actually getting faster, he realized, finally noticing glowing embers spitting from Fletchinder's wings like tiny fireworks. Of course, that's why Astrid keeps using Fire-type attacks on Toothless – she's building up speed so that we can't resist when she makes the final blow.
Clenching a fist, Hiccup looked up at Fletchinder circling overhead and knew he couldn't let it fly free for longer. He needed to get Toothless up there, too.
"Flame Charge!" Astrid ordered again, and Fletchinder was definitely quicker on the draw this time – it swerved on a dime and aimed at Toothless as swiftly as a loosed arrow.
He had to do it now. "Toothless! Use Dragon Breath on the ground!"
Whether it was because Toothless understood what he was planning or just trusted him unquestioningly, the outcome was still the same. His head snapped downward and he blasted the earth at his feet with a plume of dragonfire, causing an explosion that billowed smoke and swallowed him whole. Only for an instant, though, as Toothless emerged from the top of the cloud, carried into the sky by the shockwave of his own point-blank blast.
Fletchinder passed below him, unable to change its trajectory that fast even with its increased velocity, and Toothless began to drop. Astrid's eyes widened, as though finally picking up on Hiccup's plan, but otherwise remained calm as she commanded, "Roll! Upwards Ember!"
"Fletchin!" it chirped affirmatively, and rolled onto its back to spit a fireball at the descending Toothless. It burst against Toothless' scales, but didn't slow his fall, and he slammed into the bird's back as it completed its roll. Fletchinder squawked and dipped dangerously low with the increased weight, but Toothless clung to it with an iron grip.
"Shake it off, Fletchinder," Astrid told it, still keeping her cool. Her dedication was astounding; begrudgingly, Hiccup found himself admiring it.
The Fire-and-Flying-type careened toward the ground despite its efforts to remain airborne. For all the strength that came with its evolution, Toothless was the same size as it and thrice as heavy, rendering its incredible speed and mobility useless as he crouched on top of it. When they hit the ground, Fletchinder shrilled and beat its wings uselessly against the grass, but Toothless was quick to pin it down.
This is our chance…! "Give it a Headbutt, bud!" Hiccup cried.
Just as he had once down against Viola's Vivillon, Toothless gathered his strength and began to use his head as a hammer, beating his glowing cranium against Fletchinder's prone form. Once, twice, three times his helmet crashed down on his enemy's back, each one harder than the last. Hiccup was holding his breath, so sure that this was going to be the end. Just a few more hits, and Toothless would –
A searing cry of pain shattered his budding hope like glass. Hot sparks flew up from Fletchinder's plumage when Toothless struck it next, like a hammer meeting hot metal. The sparks speckled Toothless' face, causing burns wherever they landed. In his desperation to escape, he tipped backwards off Fletchinder and allowed the bird to flutter away, still expelling cinders.
"T-Toothless! You okay, bud?" Hiccup shouted, somehow keeping the panic from leaching into his voice. The only answer he got was a pained whine as Toothless got up and pawed fruitlessly at the scorch marks.
"I guess I should let you know that Fletchinder has the Flame Body ability," Astrid informed him from afar. "Touch it carelessly, and you'll get burned. Fletchinder, another Flame Charge!"
"Bud, look alive!" Hiccup warned as Fletchinder divebombed the Bagon even faster than before. Forcing himself to put the pain aside, Toothless made to stagger out of the way, but was too slow to avoid being clipped by the bird's wing.
On Astrid's command, it was already speeding around with what felt like the thousandth Flame Charge, and there was no possible way for him to dodge it – unless, Hiccup thought in a moment of clarity, he could get up to the same level.
"Dragon Dance, quick!" he ordered. Mentally, he kicked himself for not using the move sooner – Astrid and Fletchinder were playing so fast and relentless that it would take a miracle for Toothless to boost enough to keep up with them.
Toothless started his routine of twirling and rolling, but it was already too late – Fletchinder was coming in hot. As he wracked his brain for what to do, a flash of memory came to Hiccup, and he acted on it without knowing entirely what he was doing.
"Incoming, straight ahead!" he called out… and Toothless heard him. His next twirl took him abruptly to the left, and the flaming Fletchinder breezed straight by, so close that its flames grazed only the purple aura building around the dragonling.
We can use Dragon Dance to dodge attacks! Hiccup realized, a bubble of joy momentarily lifting his spirits. What Toothless had done in the Santalune Gym hadn't been a fluke – Dragon Dance kept him in motion, so if Hiccup directed its movements, they could avoid attacks mid-dance all while boosting Toothless' speed.
Without warning, Astrid changed tactics. "Acrobatics, go!"
She must think Fletchinder is fast enough to win this now – or it's reached its limit, Hiccup guessed, but abandoned it there. He didn't have the luxury of wasting time speculating anymore. Shining with blue light, Fletchinder darted toward Toothless in an unpredictable pattern that made it impossible to determine from which direction the attack would land.
"Again, Toothless! Dragon Dance out of there!" Hiccup cried, praying that this would work.
Toothless seemed to understand that his Trainer had a different motive for calling Dragon Dance. Instead of concentrating wholly on the dance, he kept his eye on Fletchinder as best he could, doing everything in his power to avoid the blows that seemed to come from every direction. A spin here… a somersault there… miraculously, he kept ahead of the jabbing beak and lashing wings, his fluid movements combating the Fire-and-Flying-type's erratic jousts.
However, it didn't last. Though Toothless put on an impressive show, eventually he made a mistake; a hasty flip to avoid a passing strike left him vulnerable when he landed with a stumble, and Fletchinder's next pass struck true. It hit him in the back and threw him across the ground, and he just barely stood up, limbs shaking with strain.
"Acrobatics! One more!" Astrid snapped out, prepared to finish things.
Even as Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, his heart falling into the pit of his stomach, he still called a last, desperate counterattack. "Headbutt, Toothless!"
Aided by Dragon Dance, Toothless' head instantly flared with energy, and his legs launched him defiantly toward his diving opponent. But Fletchinder flitted away at the last second, coming at Toothless from below to land a devastating peck to his belly. He soared high, the light from his helmet winking out, then slammed into the dirt with an unceremonious thud.
Every loss Hiccup had experienced so far had come with some measure of disappointment, but this one carried a particularly nasty sting. Just as the start of their spar had reflected that of their previous encounter, the way it had ended was identical, too. He'd challenged Astrid to battle to show her how he'd grown as a Trainer, and not only failed to deliver, he'd choked in the exact same way as last time. And Toothless…
Waking up in his Trainer's arms, the first thing Toothless did was to look up at him, blinking a wordless apology from eyes dulled by disappointment. He felt just as bad as Hiccup did: defeated by the same opponent twice in a row, failing to defend his Trainer's honor even after giving it his all.
"It's okay, Toothless," Hiccup said. He didn't need to force a smile – it came naturally, albeit tinged with remorse. "I'm to blame, too. Don't worry about it, alright? We did our best, and I'm proud of you, bud."
"Bago," Toothless nodded, the dreariness lifting slightly. When Hiccup presented his Poke Ball with the intent of giving him time to rest, though, he heaved himself upwards and over Hiccup's shoulder, clinging there as strongly and comfortably as he normally did.
With that said and done… Hiccup suppressed the urge to wince as he turned to Astrid, bracing himself for whatever scathing comments she had for him this time.
The earful didn't come, though. Rather, the blond stayed silent and instead raised her hand to lob something at him, which he almost fumbled before grasping – an Oran berry.
"There you go. Your Pokemon earned it," she told him. Her gaze was as piercing and judgemental as ever, but her face was stoic with no sign of distaste. "That was a decent battle, considering our Pokemon have already fought each other before. Using Dragon Breath to get your Bagon airborne despite the fact it can't fly was a good move. Also exploiting its thick helmet for both attack and defense is smart."
"Uh… thanks," Hiccup replied, cautiously popping the berry into Toothless' mouth as he waited for the other shoe to drop. "You, ah… you let Toothless grab Fletchinder on purpose, waiting for him to trigger Flame Body, didn't you?"
"Not exactly," Astrid shrugged. "It was more like I just wasn't as worried about physical attacks as I'd normally be. Flame Body is a good last resort for if an opponent manages to get past its agility.
"Now, Hiccup, I want you to listen very carefully," she added, voice turning sharper, and Hiccup actually did wince. This was it, the part where she dressed him down for not meeting her expectations. Here it comes…
"You've gotten a little better, I'll admit," Astrid began, cerulean eyes flashing dangerously. "But the fact remains that you've lost to me twice – not just that, but against the exact same Pokemon, and in exactly the same way to boot. You say you're training for the Kalos League, but so far I'm less than convinced that you're taking it seriously enough to really mean it. Instead of wasting time in places like Parfum Palace, I'd suggest you get some use out of that traveling buddy of yours and spend more time toughening up. Stop sightseeing and babying your Pokemon, and kick up your training a notch, or you might as well give up your Kalos League tournament slot to someone that actually deserves it."
It wasn't the same scathing remark she'd given him in Aquacorde Town, but it may as well have been. Otherwise, you should just forget about Gym badges at all and stay out of the way of the rest of us. He heard it loud and clear, repeating to him from out of his memory, and it brought with it a sensation of rising heat – indignation. The hot feeling simmered inside him, making him want to lash out. But, with a deep breath, he quashed it, tempered it into a solid core of determination that allowed him to raise his head and meet her severe glare with a steely one.
Remember, don't let her get to you. I will be a great Trainer.
"You've made your opinion of my training methods abundantly clear last time," he told her – no sarcasm this time, just the blunt. "But regardless of what you think of me or how I treat my Pokemon, we're going to get stronger in our own way – and next time we meet, we'll be strong enough to give you a satisfying battle."
"Bago bay, Bagon!" Toothless backed him up, eyes alight with fiery determination.
She stood there, needling them, for a solid three seconds before finally letting out a harrumph. "Well, you'd better," was all she said. She spun on her heel, her back to him, and left with a last, stiffly civil statement: "Good luck at Wild Dragon Cliff. I hope you find something worthwhile there."
Pushing her way back through the reeds, Astrid vanished from view, and Hiccup blew out a sigh as the fire left him, leaving him tired and relieved. Toothless, too, slumped over his shoulder as though the exhaustion from the battle was only now swamping him.
"Come on, Toothless," Hiccup murmured, hoisting the dragonling up more securely. "We'd better get back to camp. Dinner's probably cold by now…"
Though his mouth and feet were both moving toward thoughts of food and sleep, Hiccup's thoughts were elsewhere. Astrid's harsh demeanor had shaken him before; this time, though, it hadn't been so bad. In fact, instead of inspiring doubt, her words had only ascertained his readiness for the challenges ahead.
Tomorrow, they'd reach the mountain pass. He was looking forward to reaching the Kalos Canyon and winning his next badge more than ever.
AN:
It's been over ten chapters and a Gym badge since Astrid last appeared, so I felt she was long overdue for a return.
Of course, Astrid's role here was meant as a test of Hiccup's progress. Their first battle was to show that, while he has big dreams and the potential to achieve them, he's still a rookie Trainer with a long way to go before he can. This second battle shows that yes, he's made some improvements, but he's severely limited in what he can accomplish by relying on Toothless alone. Astrid is straight-up just a better Trainer than him.
Additionally, Hiccup and Astrid's different approaches to battling and raising Pokemon are highlighted in both of their battles, and is the primary factor in how different their relationship is in this story. The way they clash – not just in battle, but in their philosophies – is slowly driving a wedge in between them that will only grow bigger as time goes on.
What do you think of the characters so far, readers? I'm very interested to hear your thoughts and opinions, so your reviews and feedback are much appreciated!
Next time: Enter the Irate Axew!
