Chapter 15 – Double Dragon Drama!

Hours had passed after Hiccup and his party had made it to Route 8, and by now he could say one thing with certainty – he was exhausted.

It wasn't just the long trek across the rough mountain paths that made up the route – although they were a chore to navigate, which his unsteady feet and sore heels could attest to after walking for so long over bumpy rock. No, what really wore him out was Fishlegs – in complete contrast to Hiccup's haggard state, the Ingerman boy was practically skipping along the rocky trail, far too light on his feet one would think for a boy of his size and babbling a mile a minute at every vaguely interesting thing they came across. Around every corner was a new Pokemon to catalog, a new rock formation to gush over, a new kind of mineral to trip over and then pocket as a souvenir.

And Fishlegs was by no means alone. Meatlug was behaving like an overgrown Growlithe puppy, and even Toothless was having a ball as he climbed up whatever large rock was in their path, jumped off, and then scrambled for the next one. It was almost too much for Hiccup's dwindling patience to take.

Okay, it's great that Toothless is having fun, he thought, gasping for air as he trailed behind the three of them. But would it kill them to curb the enthusiasm a bit?

He stretched out his aching back and looked out at the path ahead, opening his mouth to express this to the frolicking trio aloud… only to see nothing except, well, the path. The three had pulled so far ahead that they'd disappeared around the next bend.

Fantastic. Always great to see such concern for the suffering Train–

"Hiccup!" a voice cried out from behind the protruding cliff wall. "Come and check this out! Wouldn't this make the perfect spot for our camp?!"

Camp. That was music to Hiccup's ears as he followed the sound of the excited Ingerman around the corner and emerged onto a small, open plateau. The ground fell completely away on the west side, giving them an extraordinary view of the landscape below – rock fields and crags and winding gulleys spread out as far as the eye could see, all illuminated by the afternoon sun as it continued to inch lower in the sky. And on the horizon, past the natural beauty of the mountainous topography, he spotted the distant buildings of Ambrette Town, as well as a thin, sparkling thread that marked his first faint glimpse of the ocean.

"Finally, some rest," Hiccup sighed, plopping his bag down on the ground, his rear end following it immediately after. "Yeah, this'll make a great rest stop for the day. Thanks for picking it out, Fishlegs… and, uh, letting my feet get a break."

"Well, you know…" Fishlegs chuckled, bashful. "Meatlug and I could've walked down these magnificent mountain paths for the rest of the day, but when we got to this spot, we couldn't pass it up! I mean, just imagine watching the sunset from here! And waking up at the crack of dawn to this amazing view!"

"Rhyyyyy," Meatlug growled contentedly, before letting her bulk drop to take a nap.

"Bago Bagon!" Toothless, in contrast, was as hyper as he'd been since leaving the tunnel, and hopped up and down in front of Hiccup with boundless exuberance.

"Bud, I don't know how you even have the energy to stand up right now," Hiccup drawled, but stopped himself from saying anything else sarcastic when a thought occurred to him. He dug out a Poke Ball – the Poke Ball – and commented, "Speaking of which… come out, Skullcrusher!"

It felt a little surreal to say it, and to watch the light spill from the open ball into the form of the Axew. Hiccup's newest Pokemon partner shook itself and stretched, seemingly reveling in the fresh, cool air that now flooded his lungs.

"We're going to be staying here until morning," Hiccup informed it. With an upwards glance at the position of the sun to confirm, he went on, "We still have… a couple of hours before we turn in for the night, so how about some battle training before then?"

"Yew Axew!" Skullcrusher answered, thumping its chest confidently.

"Bago bago!" Jumping in between his Trainer and teammate, Toothless fixed Hiccup with an indignant glare. "Bagon bay-go!"

Hauling himself to his feet with a groan, Hiccup bent down to give the Bagon a pat. "Of course you're coming too, bud. Both of you need to be as strong as can be before we reach Cyllage City, where the next Gym is."

"And I'll set up camp and watch you guys!" Fishlegs interjected, shaking his fists ecstatically. "I can't wait to see what Skullcrusher can do! You'll let me take notes on him for my up-and-coming Axew card, won't you?"

After he explained to Skullcrusher what Fishlegs meant, and getting a bemused shrug of consent in return, Hiccup wasted no time in positioning his two Pokemon in front of a cluster of boulders within sight of the plateau. Toothless and Skullcrusher stood side-by-side, ready and waiting for their orders, and Hiccup nodded at the duo approvingly.

"First off, Toothless," he said, the dragonling perking up at his name. "You should warm up by practicing a few of your moves. Once you feel ready, you need to keep working on Bite. If you can use it

"Bagooooo!" Toothless cried, and dashed off toward a boulder on the outer fringe of the group. In seconds he was ramming his head into it, a fierce grunt punctuating each strike.

"I like the attitude, bud!" Hiccup called after him, then turned to the waiting Skullcrusher. "As for you, let's start with just practicing your moves. I'd like to get an idea of what you can do, first, before we work on making improvements."

Skullcrusher gave a stoic nod and ran to find a boulder of its own without complaint. While he followed, Hiccup got the Pokedex back out and gave the Axew a brief scan – not only did he need a refresher on what moves Skullcrusher knew, but he also learned the crucial information that the dragon was a male.

Dual Chop, Scary Face, Rock Smash, False Swipe, he read off the device, and nodded resolutely. "Alright, Skullcrusher, start with a Rock Smash!"

The Dragon-type hollered and charged at the boulder, his tusks flashing with orange light. When he got close, he reared back and swung his head in a powerful arc, the point of his tusk smashing a solid dent in the stone.

"Excellent! Your Rock Smash is going to be key in our Gym battle, I can tell," Hiccup exclaimed. "Let's see if we can up its power. Once we do, those Rock-types won't stand a chance."

"Yew," Skullcrusher agreed, and leapt at the rock to hammer it again. It only took three more strikes with Rock Smash to send the entire thing crumbling to the ground in a pile of shards.

"Not bad, not bad," Hiccup praised, satisfied. "I think it's safe to say that you've got that move down. How's it going over there, Toothless?"

He turned his head in time to see the Bagon lunge, jaws open wide, at a boulder that already sported an array of dents and scorch marks. His teeth glowed white for the briefest of instants before he made contact, and they met the rock with an impact that barely shaved a few pebbles off its surface. Toothless clutched his jaw and whined, looking more jarred and discouraged than in true pain.

Hiccup came over and rubbed the top of his helmet, encouragingly. "Don't give up, bud – I think you almost got it that time. Keep it up and you'll master Bite before you know it."

Toothless glowered at him before turning his freshly stoked ire on the boulder, teeth flashing as he bit it again. This time, a solid chunk was chipped off, Toothless chirping with satisfaction. Assured that he had it under control, Hiccup left him to it and went back to Skullcrusher, where he picked up where they'd left off.

"Dual Chop!" he commanded, and the Axew sliced the boulder twice in quick succession, scoring deep gashes into the rock. "Now False Swipe!"

The next attack was ineffective, barely carving so much as a scratch on the boulder, but what Hiccup found most interesting was the move's execution. It seemed like Skullcrusher was deliberately holding back at the moment he made contact, like the move was meant as a feint. With that in mind, Hiccup ordered next, "Use False Swipe, directly into Rock Smash!"

Skullcrusher grazed the rock again, then immediately twisted his head the other way with much greater force, slamming the Fighting-type move into the spot that had been weakened by Dual Chop. Cracks spiderwebbed across the boulder, before joining the other one in becoming a load of rubble.

"What a cool combo," Hiccup thought aloud, grinning at Skullcrusher. "If you hadn't caught Toothless and me off guard with that move before, I don't think I'd have thought of it on my own."

Skullcrusher cracked a smile, but otherwise didn't drop his serious demeanor, much to Hiccup's amusement. So much like Dad's Pokemon…

"Okay, back to practice," he said. "Let's do False Swipe again, but this time with Dual –"

The boulder nearest him and Skullcrusher suddenly blossomed with dragonfire, a CRACK and burst of heat snapping him out of his fond memories. Once the initial pulse of alarm ebbed away, he lowered his arms and whirled, stunned, toward Toothless, who followed defiantly with another Dragon Breath that shattered a significant portion of the stone and knocked Skullcrusher onto his rump.

"Whoa, Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, flush with alarm as he raced to intercept Toothless' advance. It was clear from the Bagon's scowl and the direction in which he aimed it that the near miss had been intentional, an act so unlike him that Hiccup felt dizzy with consternation. "Toothless, bud, talk to me. Did you attack Skullcrusher on purpose?"

"Bago!" Toothless snarled, stomping his foot and baring his fang. "Bago Bagon!"

A glance backward told Hiccup that Skullcrusher was hanging back at a safe distance, perplexed but fortunately unharmed. Turning his concerned frown back on Toothless, Hiccup hazarded a guess: "Is it because you think… you think that Skullcrusher is trying to outdo you in training?"

"Bago…" Toothless huffed and looked guiltily at his feet.

"We're just practicing the moves that Skullcrusher already knows," Hiccup soothed him, "while you're trying to learn a completely new move. Of course you'll struggle more, but training isn't a contest. You know I'm always in your corner, bud. You'll get the hang of Bite in no time. So… you willing to keep working a little longer?"

Toothless stared at him coolly for several long seconds, and only averted his gaze when Skullcrusher spoke up, marching up from behind Hiccup with a placid expression. He chirped and stuck out his hand – a gesture of peace and solidarity, showing Toothless that he took no offense and that they were still allies. Toothless was sour, but took Skullcrusher's hand anyway and slunk off to resume his solo training.

Hiccup rose to his feet, frowning after his partner. That came out of nowhere… I wonder what's gotten into him.

With difficulty, he shelved the unnerving discomfort and went back to training with Skullcrusher. "Alright, so… give that boulder your best Scary Face next. Really stop it in its tracks… well, not like it was going anywhere, anyways…"

"Yeeeeew!" The Tusk Pokemon let the ghostly projection of his face fly forward with a howl. When it faded, on Hiccup's orders, he charged and lashed out with Dual Chop before his "foe" could "recover". The tusk strikes gashed the rock, and a follow-up Rock Smash proved enough to finally crumble it, fragments clattering loudly over one another as the whole thing collapsed.

"Excellent, Skullcrusher!" Hiccup exclaimed, so earnestly that the Axew fidgeted and turned light pink around the tusks. "Your power and speed are really on point. I wonder if we should do something to enhance them even further… yeah, if we taught you Dragon Dance, you'd surely –"

"BAGO!"

Out of nowhere, a streak of light seared itself across Hiccup's vision and careened right into Skullcrusher, throwing the Axew backwards with a gasp. The first thing he noticed, to his utter disbelief, was Toothless, standing solidly in front of him with arms spread wide as if to block him off from danger. The glow of Headbutt fading from his helmet, the proverbial smoking gun that confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Toothless – cheerful, loyal, all-loving Toothless – had just directly attacked his teammate in a fit of anger.

Hiccup was flabbergasted. "Toothless! WHAT has gotten into you?!" he exploded in outrage, only for the outburst to fall on deaf ears as the Bagon rushed forward to attack his teammate… again.

"AXEW!" But Skullcrusher wasn't about to take it lying down – rather, he'd reached the end of his patience and met Toothless' Headbutt with Rock Smash. The energies of both moves clashed in a frenzy of sparks, neither giving an inch until they repelled each other, each Dragon-type sent skidding backwards with irritated growls.

Before either of them could charge again, Hiccup stepped in between them and raised his hands in the universal sign for STOP. They froze in their tracks, craning their heads as if looking for a way around him, but Hiccup adjusted himself to block them at every turn.

"Alright, that's enough!" he scolded, swiveling his head to glare heatedly at each dragon in turn. "I don't know how you got it into your heads that you should try and kill each other, but this kind of behavior is unacceptable! That goes for you too, Skullcrusher, even if it was self-defense. Both of you are done with training for the day – you're going to have dinner and then go right back in your Poke Balls. Is that clear?"

Both dragons muttered under their breaths, but ultimately looked forlorn as they gazed up at him and nodded, resigning themselves to their punishment.

"O-Oh, hey, wh-what a coincidence!" Fishlegs called out extra-cheerfully, the nervous undercurrent making it sound almost hilariously fake. "D-Dinner's all ready to go! W-Would you look at that…!"

Back when Hiccup and Valka still lived in Galar, on the rare occasions when Toothless and Cloudjumper were cross with one another, his mother would place their dishes on opposite sides of the dinner table to separate them. That was exactly how Hiccup took care of Toothless and Skullcrusher; all three Pokemon, including Meatlug, cleaned their bowls alone and in silence.

While they stewed, Hiccup ended up sitting at the table with Fishlegs, voicing his grievances quietly as the Ingerman boy pored over his notebook. "Toothless is never like this," he insisted, still beside himself at the incident. "He can be really stubborn sometimes… disobeying, doing what he thinks is right regardless of what I say… but I've never seen him so… antagonistic before."

"Hmmm… let me see," Fishlegs hummed, chewing the tip of his pen. "How long have you been together with Toothless, approximately?"

"Uh…" Hiccup struggled to come up with an estimate. "Four, maybe five years since Mom and I rescued him?"

Leaning back from the table to observe the sulking dragonling, Fishlegs nodded in consideration. "Okay… so, in all that time, have you ever had any other Pokemon?"

"Um… Mom would bring home Pokemon all the time if she was swamped at work," he replied. "Plus there was Cloudjumper, so it's not like he's never shared a roof with another Pokemon before."

"No, I mean you, personally," Fishlegs corrected.

"Ah." The answer was easy, then: "No, I haven't."

"That's the problem," his friend stated, taking the pen out of his mouth and pointing with it like some kind of detective. "Toothless is used to having all your attention, all day, every day. Now you have another Pokemon to occupy part of that attention, and Toothless feels threatened. In a word – he's jealous."

Jealous? Hiccup sat back in his seat, eyebrows flying up in shock. That… hadn't been what he'd expected to hear, let alone deal with, in a hundred years. He knew Toothless – he'd cared for him, played with him, and helped him practice flying for so long, they were practically brothers. The Toothless he knew was accepting of new Pokemon once he got to know them… but it was also true that Hiccup had never kept another Pokemon, and being part of a team was probably an alien concept to him.

Toothless gets jealous. When it hit him, Hiccup leaned forward and propped his head up in his hands, feeling the full weight of that realization on his shoulders. How did I never know that before…

He thought back to the elation he'd felt when he caught Skullcrusher; it had been so liberating, finally getting a second Pokemon and seeing all the possibilities open up to him. Him, Toothless, and Skullcrusher were going to train together, brave Wild Dragon Cliff, and challenge the Cyllage City Gym, and everything would be smiles and rainbows from there. Never had he expected that Toothless, of all Pokemon, would have a problem with that.

"What do I do, Fishlegs?" he asked. "Toothless is going to have to get used to having other Pokemon on the team at some point, otherwise we're not making it to the League."

Sitting up with a smug smile on his face, Fishlegs informed him smartly, "Lucky for you, I happen to be somewhat experienced on this topic. See, this exact problem occurred when I volunteered to Pokemon-sit our neighbor's Lillipup. I got so caught up in taking care of it that I accidentally neglected poor Meatlug, and the two ended up fighting. I ultimately solved the issue by finding an activity that both Pokemon could enjoy and bond over – and, most importantly, neither was neglected."

Overhearing the anecdote, Meatlug smiled and shook her hindquarters at what must have been a fond memory for her. "Rhyyyyy…"

"Find an activity that both Pokemon can bond over…" Hiccup repeated, and looked out at the horizon in thought. "Well, I'm positive the two of them like battling… but that's what sparked this whole disaster to begin with."

"Simple!" Fishlegs stood up from the table, eyes twinkling with inspiration. "We orchestrate a scenario in which they have to work together! If we do it right, then neither will feel like the other is getting special treatment, which means…"

"… no reason to compete," Hiccup finished, his smile mirroring Fishlegs' in breadth. "Th-That could work! How about using Meatlug in our next training exercise as their opponent?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Fishlegs beamed. "She's been so energetic since arriving on Route 8, she'll be happy to get in some training of her own! Isn't that right, girl?"

"Hoooorn!" Meatlug rumbled. So enthusiastic was she at the idea, she reared onto her hind legs and, as if to show off, fired a Smack Down blast into the air. The projectile sailed overhead and landed behind a small group of stones, smashing them with an explosion that –

"Owwww!"

… didn't quite drown out the yell that came from the other side. Hiccup and Fishlegs exchanged a brief glance, confounded by what seemed to be a talking rock, before the voice's owner shuffled out from his hiding place. Suddenly, Hiccup wished they had hit a talking rock – the reality in front of them was far too unpleasant.

"Why don't you watch where you tell your Pokemon to fire next time!" Snotlout Jorgenson snapped, rubbing his backside gingerly with a half-grimace, half-snarl plastered on his mug. "Can't a guy hide behind a rock in peace around here?!"

"Snotlout…" Hiccup muttered. Already, the brash accusations of his rival were making his annoyance rise, giving his tone an edge. It had been a while since his last confrontation with Snotlout… though as the boasts and rude comments started to flood back to him, he thought bitterly that it hadn't been long enough.

Attracted by the commotion that the newcomer was making, Toothless and Skullcrusher abandoned their food to see what the fuss was about. Skullcrusher hung back warily, not knowing who this Trainer was, but Toothless recognized Snotlout immediately and toddled to Hiccup's side with a fierce growl.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'hide'?" Fishlegs asked. His expression clouded over, his shocked gape turning into a scowl as he pointed and accused, "You were crouched back there to spy on our campsite and eavesdrop on us, weren't you?"

"Pfffft, heck no! I was… I-I was, uh…" Snotlout's impulsive denial caught in his throat, as though his brain had just caught up to his mouth and came up blank. Sweatdropping, he shook his head and started again, "Okay, so what if I was?! It's a free region! You two don't own this mountainside! So… so shut up, Fishface!"

Unlike the last time they'd encountered Snotlout, Fishlegs wasn't cowed. Rather, his scowl deepened with disgust, and Meatlug picked up on his growing anger and growled threateningly. All this mutual hostility finally helped Skullcrusher decide that, whoever this Trainer was, he was no friend of theirs and needed to go away. Before Hiccup could deescalate the situation, the Axew had advanced to back him up against Snotlout.

Unfortunately, in doing so, he ended up right beside Toothless, who took the act as a challenge and twisted around to snap at him. Just like that, the Dragon-types were growling at each other, inches away from starting another fight.

Not if I have anything to say about it, Hiccup huffed inwardly, and pushed the two apart so they stood, separate, on either side of him.

"Now isn't the time, you two!" he admonished. Snotlout cast a scornful look at the Pokemon, but Hiccup interjected before he could say anything biting. "Alright, Snotlout, you're obviously here for a reason, or else you wouldn't be sneaking around. What do you want?"

"What do you think I want, Useless?" the Jorgenson boy retorted. "I've come for another battle with you! You owe me a win from last time in Santalune Forest!"

Of course it's that… Hiccup sighed irritably, rolling his eyes. Dryly, he answered, "Yeah, I think I'm good, Snotlout. Maybe some other time…"

He half-expected Snotlout to fly off the handle, to demand his rematch with double the fervor… to threaten him, even. But the Jorgenson boy did the opposite – with a quick glance at the Pokemon again, his lips curled upward in a smug sneer, and laughed in Hiccup's face.

"Oh, is the Master Dragon Tamer not feeling up to it today?" he jeered, planting his hands on his hips with the most malicious grin Hiccup had ever seen. "Or are you afraid you're gonna lose this time, because you can't even keep your measly two Dragon-types under control?"

Hiccup felt intense, angry heat rise in his cheeks. His nostrils flared and his fists balled so hard the knuckles turned white. He was this close to an eruption of temper, Snotlout's taunts hitting him in just the right spot to raise his blood pressure to the boiling point. He took a deep breath through his nose, held it, and let it out through his mouth, willing his temper to settle. Only once he'd simmered down did he speak again – calmly, but with a sizzling [undercurrent] of hot steel.

"Alright, Snotlout," he muttered. "You're on."

This was okay. This was perfect, actually. Hadn't he just been talking to Fishlegs about giving his unruly Pokemon a chance to put their differences aside? In his crusade for revenge, Snotlout had just volunteered unwittingly to be his training partner. And the more he thought about it, the more he itched to try out Skullcrusher in proper battle.

The battle ended up taking place away from camp, near the boulders that stood where the mountain path and plateau met. Hiccup stood stock-still, glaring across the improvised battlefield at the infuriating sneer of his opponent. He took another deep breath to keep himself focused. As much as he wanted to knock that smirk off Snotlout's face himself, he knew he couldn't let anger get the best of him.

"You've got two Pokemon, and I've got two Pokemon! So let's make this match a two-on-two!" Snotlout taunted, palming a Poke Ball. "Come on, Hiccup! Let's see which of your dumb lizards wants a pounding first!"

Okay, here we go. Skullcrusher's debut battle, he thought, and turned around to address his Pokemon. "Alright, first Pokemon. I choose Sk–"

However, at the very last second, he caught sight of Toothless, and the look in his eyes was enough to make him freeze. Toothless' eyes were imploring… no, pleading, radiating the hope that he'd be chosen and the fear that he wouldn't be. In that instant, Hiccup remembered just what had caused the incident that had led to this, and realized that he'd been about to make the wrong decision.

"… I choose Toothless," he amended, giving the Bagon an encouraging grin. "Go on, bud. Get out there and teach Snotlout another lesson."

"B-Bay… Bagon!" Toothless was almost overcome with gratitude, but pushed past it and charged onto the battlefield with as much zeal as he'd ever shown. Seeing him so invigorated only reinforced Hiccup's belief that this was the right thing to do.

Skullcrusher's turn will come, he thought decisively. Right now, though, Toothless needs this. He's been feeling left out and overlooked… I have to show him I still rely on him.

On the opposite side, Snotlout guffawed. "I thought you'd go with that weaksauce again! That's why I've got Hookfang right here, all ready to go! Come out and get some payback, Hookfang!"

In hindsight, Hiccup kicked himself for not seeing it coming. His eyebrows shot up at the unexpected sight of Hookfang appearing from the capsule, no longer a Charmander but a fierce-looking reptile twice as large and blood-red in color. The now evolved Charmeleon matched his Trainer's sneer and let out a deep roar, belching a stream of flame into the air for added effect.

"Well, bud…" Forcing himself to stay calm and not be intimidated, Hiccup kept his grin steady as he regarded his partner, and finished playfully, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?"

Toothless grinned right back, single fang twinkling. "Bago!"

"O-Okay, um…!" Fishlegs, acting as referee, raised his hands. "Th-This will be a two-versus-two battle between –"

"Let's blast that small fry, Hookfang! Use Dragon Rage!" Snotlout shouted, smirking like a maniac.

"Charmeeeeel!" Hookfang bellowed, and spewed forth a wave of purple dragonfire from his maw.

Though Hiccup was unsurprised by how Snotlout called the battle's start early, he did jump back instinctively by the terrifying display of raw Dragon-type power blasting toward Toothless – it had been bad enough before Hookfang evolved, but now the billowing wave was tremendously large. "Toothless, get out of there! Get behind one of the rocks!"

The Bagon leapt to the side, where a boulder shielded him from the worst of the blast. The Dragon Rage streamed past and threw harsh violet light on Toothless' body as he cowered, and once the light faded, he jumped out to face the Charmeleon head-on, snarling his defiance.

"Good work, bud! Hit back with Dragon Breath!" Hiccup ordered.

Toothless' own dragonfire blast sizzled forth, spearing straight for Hookfang, but Snotlout was ready for it. "Take it out with Metal Claw!" he countered, and the Flame Pokemon jumped right into the fireball's path, talons glinting with a metallic shine as they tore through it like nothing.

Snotlout ordered another Metal Claw, and Hookfang hurled himself forward with just as much ferocity… at Toothless this time. Hiccup ordered a retreat, which turned out to be the right call – Hookfang's claws smashed into the stone where Toothless had been standing a split second ago, punching a crater in the ground, and Hiccup shuddered at the thought of what might've happened otherwise.

His physical strength is proportionate to his size, he observed, slightly shaken. He's definitely stronger now that he's evolved. But is he faster…?

A simple plan formed, and Hiccup ran with it. "Dragon Dance, bud!"

"No you don't!" Snotlout retorted, unfortunately having an inkling of what was about to happen. "Stop that fancy footwork in its tracks with Fire Fang! And don't stop until you hit it!"

Although the beginnings of a purple aura had begun to form around Toothless as he started the dance with a graceful twirl, Hookfang forced him to stumble out of it with a wild lunge. If the Charmeleon had been scary-looking before, now he looked downright feral – fire gushing from his mouth, lighting up the sharp outlines of his muzzle, while his teeth gnashed and spat sparks with every snap. Toothless backpedaled desperately, keeping just out of reach enough for the sparks to miss his toes, but he ran out of room to move, his back bumping against an obstructive boulder.

Hookfang's heat-infused teeth caught Toothless' ankle a second later, and the Charmeleon picked him up and flung him without a second thought. Upon hearing the crunch of flesh and bone against rock, Hiccup's insides twisted in a painful knot as Toothless pulled himself back up, shaking with effort but claws nonetheless stretched out to retaliate.

Not that Snotlout was kind enough to give him a chance. "Keep up the pressure! Back-to-back Metal Claws!"

"Meleon!" the Fire-type cried. Brandishing both sets of talons, they reflected the sun like iron as he rushed Toothless down, snout twisting with rage and spite.

At that moment, two images stood out in Hiccup's mind's eye, each coming from separate occasions but otherwise functionally identical. That was all he needed – he knew what to do.

The Santalune Gym… the battle with Astrid! His next move crystal-clear, Hiccup shouted, "Toothless, use Dragon Dance to dodge!"

Hookfang's claws swung for Toothless, but this time the dragonling was ready. Moving at the last second before contact, he pitched forward and rolled under the blow. When the next Metal Claw came, he didn't skip a beat, using the momentum from his roll to carry him into a spin, and the talons made a whistle as they cut through naught but air. As Hiccup looked on with increasing [awe], Toothless executed his Dragon Dance right in the face of danger, elegantly twirling and rolling with every futile swipe. And with every successful step, every increasingly wild miss from his opponent, his violet aura grew brighter and brighter, magnifying his strength and speed with dizzying swiftness.

I can't believe we never thought of this before, Hiccup marveled, watching Hookfang chase after Toothless like it was a gag from a cartoon. Of course Dragon Dance boosts power and agility… but using the dance itself to simultaneously avoid enemy attacks while boosting at the same time… now we're so much less vulnerable.

By now, Snotlout was at the end of his patience. "Arrrggghhh, stop messing around and let us hit you!" he screamed. "Hookfang, quit your flailing around and blast it already!"

"Charrrrr…" The Flame Pokemon, panting from so much wasted effort, suddenly jumped back to put distance between himself and his untouchable target. Inhaling deeply, he released another gout of dragonfire in a rolling wave, which rapidly spread out across the battlefield. Snotlout looked distinctly smug in the purple firelight, and for good reason – even with his speed enhanced, there was no way Toothless could dodge that.

But Hiccup faced the approaching blaze without balking, knowing something Snotlout didn't – Toothless could, indeed, avoid it. "Use Dragon Breath on the ground!"

"Bagawwwww!" Toothless reared his head back and ejected a billowing mass of dragonfire directly at his feet. With a roar, the plume launched him up and over the incoming wave, deep magenta clashing blindingly with harsh violet. Once the Dragon Rage had passed, he landed deftly, muzzle twisted in a smug smirk.

"Oh, you think you're so smart!" Snotlout seethed. "Let's see you dodge something you can't see! Smokescreen, Hookfang!"

Hissing, Hookfang inhaled deeply and spat foul smoke into the air, rapidly expanding into a cloud that filled the path. Toothless shuffled backwards, uncertain, and Hiccup eyed the billowing smog in much the same way – their view of the battlefield was totally blocked off, leaving them unaware of Hookfang's presence. His next attack could come from any direction.

"Stay calm, bud…" Hiccup cautioned. "He can't see in that smoke, either. He's going to have to jump out first if he wants to hit you."

Toothless steadied, narrowed eyes flicking back and forth… and sure enough, a sign of impending attack came, a pinprick of orange light shining through the coal-black cloud. It was faint, but they caught it nevertheless. Just in time, too, as Hookfang burst out of the smoke a split second later, mouth slavering with flames.

"Now! Headbutt!" he yelled.

Helmet flashing white, Toothless lurched to meet Hookfang's Fire Fang head-to-head. The attacks slammed together with a blast of fire – and then Hookfang howled, claws flying to his mouth as he backpedaled away from Toothless in distress. Hiccup soon saw why: peeking through the gaps in the Fire-type's claws was a broken tooth, snapped clean off on Toothless' hard headgear.

Pain quickly turned to rage in the injured Charmeleon, flinging his head back with a mighty roar as his tail-light suddenly flared up with a fwoooom.

"Now you've done it, Hiccup!" Snotlout snapped. "Go and get 'em back, Hookfang! Fire Fang!"

"MEEELEON!" Hookfang shrieked, scrabbling forward in an enraged frenzy. His jaws practically overflowed with snapping flames, his three intact fangs turning into white-hot spikes that glowed the brightest in the orange inferno.

O-Oh man…! Hiccup's mind churned, having mere milliseconds to figure out a counterattack. One sprung to mind, and he grasped at it in desperation. "T-Toothless, get out of there with Dragon Dance!"

"B-Bago bago!" Toothless squeaked, wide-eyed as he found himself the sole focus of the Charmeleon's blind ire. He spun once, twice, thrice in preparation, and then…

SNAP-HISSSSS!

Searing teeth crashed together with a conflagration of embers, closing on empty air. Toothless had twirled away in the nick of time, using the momentum from his spin to hurl himself out of danger.

Hiccup allowed himself one moment to feel relieved, and then: "Headbutt! Finish it!"

"Metal Claw!" Snotlout retorted, a last-ditch attempt to grasp victory.

It wasn't to be. Still recovering his balance from that last lunge, Hookfang's swing was clumsy and only left him more vulnerable than before. Toothless ducked neatly under his arm and launched himself with a flex of his legs, his glowing head smashing home into the Charmeleon's gut. With a wheeze, Hookfang rolled backwards into a painful meeting with a cliff wall, from which he didn't rise again.

"R-Round One goes to H-Hiccup!" Fishlegs declared.

Snotlout didn't bother to interrupt him this time, keeping his frustration to himself as he, stormy-faced, returned Hookfang to his Poke Ball. Hiccup, though couldn't have been happier with the outcome as he raced to greet his Pokemon.

"Way to go, Toothless!" he congratulated him, to which the Bagon lifted his head and cooed with pride. "Bud, you did an awesome job out there, beating an evolved Pokemon like that. You really deserve to rest up for now."

"Bago?!" Toothless was indignant at that, stomping his foot and making very clear that he wanted to go another round. "Bagon bay-go bay!"

With a sympathetic smile, Hiccup bent down to speak to his partner in a soothing tone. "Hey now, fair's fair. Skullcrusher gets a turn, too… and, honestly, Toothless? You blew me away. You were spectacular out there, learning how to dodge with your Dragon Dance and using that to defeat that Charmeleon. Seriously, bud, sit back and relax. You earned it."

He reached down to scratch Toothless under the chin, where he liked it most, and he relented at last. "Bagooooo…"

"Thanks for everything," Hiccup gave him one last smile, and then turned to Skullcrusher, who'd been silent and observant all this time. "Okay, Skullcrusher – your first battle. Go out there and make me proud."

"Axew!" Skullcrusher replied emphatically, and ran to take his place on the field. He spread his arms out and shook his head to show off his tusks, his small body radiating excitement. He was fired up.

On the opposing side, Snotlout was just as motivated, his seething glare evident from across the battlefield. "Okay, maybe your little runt managed to hold his own against Hookfang. But the best you're gonna get is a draw, because there's no way you'll beat my next Pokemon!"

Tossing his next ball into the air, Snotlout released his second of two, which turned out to be a small, rather cute reptilian Pokemon with yellow scales. Its head was black, making its huge eyes appear even larger, and sported a pair of long flaps that bounced and twitched every time it moved. And it moved a lot, skittering to and fro with hyperactive impatience.

"Oh, that's a Helioptile, the Generator Pokemon!" Fishlegs blurted, his eagerness saving Hiccup the trouble of asking. "They're most well-known for using the frills on their heads to generate electricity by absorbing sunlight!"

Electric-type, then. Those tend to be fast, but squishy. Hiccup sent a speculative look towards the Helioptile, whose slender frame and scrawny legs indicated that he was in the right ballpark. "Thanks, Fishlegs. Skullcrusher, we'll take the first move this time – start with Dual Chop!"

His approach was strong, a charge as solid and unwavering as a Pokemon only two feet tall could be, and his tusks flashing with a powerful teal glow as he streaked toward his foe. But the Helioptile's head darted up, sensing his advance immediately, and its erratic movements suddenly became purposeful. Just as Skullcrusher got ready to slash it, it zigzagged out of the way like a jittery insect, causing him to miss and almost overbalance.

As the Dragon-type windmilled his arms to refrain from falling, Snotlout snickered. "So what do you think of Speedy, losers? She might be new, but she's awesome at making even bigger Pokemon look stupid! Kind of like how you look right now!"

"Yeah… we definitely got that," Hiccup snarked. It would've been a lighthearted quip if it wasn't for the tremulous note seeping in, a note of mounting worry. "Skullcrusher, back off and try a Scary Face."

"Yewwww…" he growled, beginning to twist his muzzle into the frightening expression.

"Too slow!" Snotlout crowed. "Speedy, circle around with Quick Attack!"

Chirping, Speedy got down on all fours and took off like a loosed arrow, cloaked entirely in white light. Skullcrusher turned as she arced around him, but he was taken by surprise and far too slow to stop her from crashing into him. The impact made him bounce along the ground before coming to a stop at the base of a boulder.

"Quick Attack, again!" Snotlout cried, victoriously.

"Counter with Rock Smash!" Hiccup answered, tensely.

Speedy streaked in a perfectly straight line toward a collision with Skullcrusher, leaving a trail of light in her wake. At first, he did nothing but wait, eyes narrowed. He was studying her approach, hoping to get the timing exactly right, and when at last he moved, Hiccup's heart leapt at what he sure was a successful attack.

But timing wasn't enough. Though Skullcrusher's tusk swung true, the Helioptile was still faster than him, and jinked out of the way at the last instant before striking him from a different angle. The Axew cried out as, once more, he bounced into another boulder, and he got to his feet with fresh bruises speckling his skin.

Okay, this Pokemon is way too fast… Hiccup thought. And Skullcrusher doesn't have Dragon Dance. Maybe if I get it to focus just long enough for Scary Face to work…

"Keep it up, Speedy!" Snotlout laughed uproariously. "Quick Attack again!"

Even as the Electric-type launched into her next attack, zigzagging around the boulders standing between her and her target, Hiccup's eyes lit up with inspiration. That's it! She has to look at Skullcrusher in order to hit him, so at the moment before contact…

"Hold, Skullcrusher," he said, raising a hand. Obediently, Skullcrusher steeled himself in a defensive stance. As he did, Speedy cleared the last boulder and zoomed straight at him, and that was when Hiccup slashed his arm down and yelled, "Now! Scary Face!"

"YEW!" Skullcrusher suddenly looked up with a shout, a projection of his face with ominous crimson eye sockets surging forth. It was too late for Speedy – her eyes already locked on her target – to do anything but react. Her Quick Attack faded, her body responding to the instinctive terror shooting through it by digging in her heels, skidding along the ground in a futile attempt to avoid touching the apparition.

It was Hiccup's chance. "Rock Smash!"

"Dodge!" Snotlout snapped harshly.

It did the trick – Speedy jolted and darted to the side, Skullcrusher's tusk smashing instead into the boulder she jumped behind. Quick as a whip, the Generator Pokemon skittered to the top of it for a moment of rest.

"Skullcrusher, try to get up there!" Hiccup advised.

The Axew obeyed, hooking his tiny claws onto the boulder and clambering up. His pace was distressingly sluggish – Speedy didn't even look concerned as she peered down at him.

"Oh, sure, like that's going to work out for you," Snotlout said, sarcastically. "While you're busy with that, I think I'll have Speedy use Charge."

Spreading her frills again, Speedy stood up and crackled with gathering energy, but unlike before, she didn't launch it. Instead, her head and frills took on a soft glow as the electricity faded away, stored within her scales. At that same moment, Skullcrusher had hauled his weight far enough up the rock to get within striking distance, and Hiccup wasted no time in making a move.

"Jump up with Dual Chop!" he cried.

"Ax!" Skullcrusher leapt over the boulder's crest, tusks flashing with power. But the Helioptile was finished her Charge and bounded away, off the boulder and safely onto the ground, all while his tusks yet again missed their mark.

"Thanks for taking so long, muttonheads! Now Speedy's all juiced up and ready to deliver a Thunder Shock with your name on it!" Snotlout jeered. "Hit it, Speedy!"

"Helip-TRRRRR!" she shrieked, a nimbus of sparks flashing to life around her in an instant before being launched as a single, jagged thunderbolt.

CRACK! The bolt struck with a sharp thunderclap and knocked Skullcrusher clean off his perch, thumping solidly to the ground in a heap. He got up before Hiccup could call to him, which was a good sign – the Thunder Shock had left a scorch mark on his flank, but his natural Electric-type resistance had blunted the damage significantly. In fact, he looked more irritated by the fall.

Thankfully dragon scales don't conduct electricity, Hiccup thought. A meagre silver lining… but it was something.

"C-Careful, Hiccup!" It was Fishlegs again, who shouted from his position as referee, "Electric-type moves sometimes come with the risk of causing paralysis! D-Don't let your guard down!"

And just like that, there went Hiccup's silver lining. It wasn't like he was planning on having Skullcrusher just power recklessly through all Electric-type attacks, but he realized now he had to avoid them with greater urgency. As fast as that Helioptile was, if Skullcrusher became crippled with paralysis, their chances of winning were nil.

Evidently, Snotlout had figured this out, too. "Hey, Fishface, thanks for the tip! Give them another Thunder Shock, Speedy!"

Her form sparked once more, but slower this time, having used up her stored-up charge. It gave Hiccup an opening, and he seized it. "Stop her with Scary Face!" he ordered, his heart pounding.

The ploy worked – Speedy was focusing completely on Skullcrusher, and couldn't look away in time to escape the ghastly illusion. She skittered back with a shriek, terrified into halting her electricity generation.

"Dual Chop!" Hiccup took his chance. "Hit it this time, Skullcrusher!"

And hit it, he did. The enemy was too shocked to move, leaving her wide open to being struck. It was a solid blow, hard enough to send her stumbling into a boulder. But the impact also snapped her out of her trance, and Skullcrusher's follow-up swing slashed rock instead of scales.

"Don't get careless!" Snotlout barked at his Pokemon. "Now we've gotta finish them off quick! Use Quick Attack, then Dragon Tail!"

Dragon Ta– She knows a Dragon-type move, too?! Cold flooded Hiccup's veins, and he began to shout, "Stop that Quick Attack with…!"

His voice hitched, trapped in his throat by the sight in front of him. Speedy, again cloaked in white light, was literally running circles around Skullcrusher, using the boulders as cover so that she appeared in half-second flashes. The Tusk Pokemon spun round and round, [frantic] to get a read on his opponent's position, distracted and unfocused. Then, from between the rocks directly in front of him, Speedy blurred forward, the light changing from white to teal as her tail whipped out.

The lash struck Skullcrusher on the chest, enough force built up behind it to send him crashing against the same rock that she had only moments ago.

"Skullcrusher!" Hiccup gasped. He got a shudder in response: he was still conscious. "Can you still… go on?"

Snotlout was having the time of his life, hooting with cruel laughter. "That's it, Speedster! You show 'em who the better Dragon-type is!"

Hiccup did a double-take, forgetting his Pokemon momentarily… he wasn't sure he'd heard that correctly. "Um… did you just say 'Dragon-type'?"

"Uh, yeah?" Snotlout responded in a "duh" tone of voice. "That's what I told you I'd do last time we met, remember? I said I'd go out and catch better Dragon-types than you, and that's what I went and did!"

After a bout of temporary speechlessness – one, because Helioptile was more obviously not a Dragon-type than Charmeleon wasn't, and two, because for goodness' sake it's happening again – Hiccup floundered with his tongue until he was able to speak the words he was looking for. "You… you know that your Helioptile isn't a Dragon-type, either… right?"

"Oh come on, not this again," the Jorgenson boy groaned with an exaggerated eye-roll. "Okay, Useless, if you're so smart, then tell me this. If she's not a Dragon-type, then why does she know Dragon Tail?"

"Wha – Just because a Pokemon knows a Dragon-type move doesn't automatically make it a Dragon-type!" Hiccup blurted, flabbergasted. How was it possible for someone – a Pokemon Trainer, no less – to not know that? "Toothless and Skullcrusher both know Normal-type moves, but they clearly aren't Normal-type."

"S-Same with my Meatlug," Fishlegs offered.

Snotlout's mouth opened and closed like a Magikarp's, seemingly at a loss for what to say. "That's– I'm no– quit trying to confuse me!" he finally demanded, his complexion beet-red. "Typing doesn't matter, since I'm just gonna annihilate you anyway! Dragon Tail!"

"Trrrrr!" Speedy trilled as she made to swipe her tail at Skullcrusher again.

"Scary Face!" Hiccup shouted. Skullcrusher produced the illusion again, and Speedy paused, giving a squeak.

"That trick's not gonna save you forever!" Snotlout snarled. "Do it!"

Though still frightened, Speedy pushed her instincts aside and attacked through the fear, her tail slicing toward Skullcrusher. But that moment of indecision gave the Axew time to dodge, and the Dragon Tail smashed into the boulder in his place. Shards of chipped rock rained from the impact site, revealing that, from all of the missed Dragon-type moves, the boulder had sustained heavy damage.

Huh…? Hiccup blinked, vexed at the observation. Why, of all things, would that strike him now? It reminded him of Skullcrusher's training, how easily he'd damaged and then destroyed that one… of course!

"Rock Smash, while she's still close!" he burst out.

"Not a chance! Dodge it!" Snotlout retorted.

Skullcrusher's tusk swiped out toward the Generator Pokemon, but even at such close range, she was agile enough to duck out of the way. Her tail disappeared behind the boulder as she darted away… the same one that had been thoroughly pounded.

Hiccup grinned. "Now, turn around and use Rock Smash again!"

"AXEWWWWW!" Skullcrusher roared, whirling around with his tusk burning orange…

POW! Rock flew everywhere, razor-sharp shards blasting out from the point of contact. The explosion of debris flung Speedy backwards, squealing in equal parts hurt and alarm as her scales were simultaneously bruised and cut. Woozy from the pummeling, she returned to her feet in a daze.

"N-No!" Snotlout cried, neither dumbfounded nor furious, but an agitated mix of both. "Not now! Not again!"

"Go, Skullcrusher!" Hiccup whooped, raising his fists in anticipation of claiming victory. "Run for Speedy while using Scary Face!"

"Bago!" The voice made Hiccup pause and look down, briefly – Toothless had a blazing fire in his eyes, claws raised and clutched into little anticipatory fists of his own. "Bago, bago!"

Whether or not he heard the rousing cheers from his formerly vitriolic teammate, Skullcrusher didn't show. But the fact that he rushed his delirious opponent with all his might was true beyond a shadow of a doubt. With a wailing visage projecting forward to throw the Helioptile even further into confusion, he was already too close for her to flee.

"Stop that! We already know it's just a dumb illusion!" Snotlout spat in rage. "Finish him with Dragon Tail!"

"False Swipe!" Hiccup countered.

Speedy drew back her tail, but her face was pale as Skullcrusher's shadow fell over her. He reared back and swung his head, the glinting point of his tusk slashing forward to deliver…!

… a light scratch on her arm.

"Wha… What the heck was that?!" Snotlout said, breaking out in cackles. "Man, I don't know if that even qualifies as an atta–"

BAM.

The Rock Smash plowed into Speedy's midsection, sending the lizard rolling away to fall in a limp heap at the flabbergasted Snotlout's feet. While the Jorgenson boy made a strangled noise in disbelief, an uplifting feeling of satisfaction and amusement and pride swept Hiccup up, stretching his grin to the point where his teeth were hurting. They'd done it – Toothless and Skullcrusher had won!

As Fishlegs cheered and gushed and hugged Meatlug in the background, Hiccup headed out to congratulate Skullcrusher on his victory, just as he'd done with Toothless. However, the sound of a Pokemon being returned to its ball caught his attention, and he looked up to see… Snotlout, glowering at him with just as much concentrated resentment as he had back in Santalune Forest.

Uh-oh. I… guess I should handle this, first… Mostly out of obligation, Hiccup allowed his feet to carry him methodically toward his stewing rival. He stopped in front of him, awkwardly silent as he deliberated on the best course of action, and then finally decided that simple and straightforward was best.

He stuck out his hand, saying respectfully, "Hey, uh… great battle, Snotlout. You, um, fought well… and your Pokemon… were… really strong…"

The longer Snotlout held his seething glare, the quieter Hiccup's words became, until awkward silence reigned at last. Gulping, he took a cautious step back, nerves stretching themselves thin as he anticipated the inevitable eruption.

He didn't have long to wait.

"'Great battle'? My Pokemon were 'really strong'? Stop making fun of me, Useless!" Snotlout exploded, flecks of his saliva speckling Hiccup's face and jacket. "You already beat me again, twice as bad as last time, but nooooo, you gotta be all high and mighty and rub it in my face even further!

"Well, get this!" he shouted, (thankfully) starting to back off. "This isn't the end. Oh no, it isn't! You haven't seen the last of me… me or my Dragon-types! So laugh while you still can, because someday soon, you'll be getting a proper taste of the Snot. And it'll be after the League award ceremony where I become Champion! Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi – OW!"

Abruptly, a Poke Ball popped open and Speedy materialized, frills already sparking as she delivered a painful electric shock. Snotlout flopped onto his face, limbs rigid with paralysis, and a second Poke Ball opened… Hookfang, who grunted dismissively before grabbing his Trainer's legs and dragging him off.

"Hookfang! Speedy! AH!" Hollering when his head thumped against a bump in the path, Snotlout's eyes rolled up in their sockets to deliver one last glare to the numb Hiccup. "Remember, I'll be back! And there'll be repercussions! Repercussions!"

His own Pokemon hauled him around the bend and out of sight… and that was it.

"That… happened, right?" Fishlegs asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Hiccup replied, staring unblinkingly at the spot where Snotlout had disappeared.

To himself, he added, I'm not sure who's training who – Snotlout Jorgenson or his Pokemon.

Anyway… he shook his head, clearing his mind of the random encounter in order to get back to what was most important. He turned toward Toothless and Skullcrusher, both now standing in front of him looking battered, but content. Seeing them looking expectantly back at him brought the smile back to his face, and he knelt to give them each a congratulatory pat on the head.

"You both did great, guys," he said with fondness. "Toothless, that Dragon Dance dodge is starting to come along really well, and I think we'll be relying on it a lot in the future. And Skullcrusher, again, that False Swipe combo you came up with is awesome. We should try applying it to different moves, too."

The Dragon-types both cooed at his touch and the praise, Toothless more openly enthusiastic while Skullcrusher kept his serious demeanor and accepted it with dignity. Then, Hiccup retracted his hands and looked at the two Pokemon pointedly; they stilled, realizing he intended to say something important.

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup began with a note of sternness, "Now – Toothless, Skullcrusher, please listen. Both of you took a win today, and you were both equally impressive. I hope that watching your teammate battle helped you realize something."

Toothless and Skullcrusher cocked their heads toward each other, faint traces of anger and distaste from today's fight resurfacing. But they kept still, doing nothing except stare as they worked out what Hiccup said, and what that meant for them.

"I know that things have changed a lot for you two," Hiccup acknowledged. He nodded toward Toothless, then Skullcrusher. "Toothless, you were afraid that I was ignoring you for Skullcrusher… and Skullcrusher, you've never had a Trainer or been part of a team. I was so excited to be moving forward with my goals that I never stopped to consider how either of you felt, and I'm sorry."

Placing a solemn hand on his chest, he finished, "But now that you've watched one another battle, and gained some respect for one another, you must understand that I need both of you, equally. I want to keep pushing toward the Kalos League, and make you into the best dragons ever… so, do you think we can do it as friends?"

Skullcrusher was the first to act, his demeanor softening somewhat as he took a step toward Toothless and bowed in acknowledgement and apology. Toothless was reluctant, looking away with a grumble and lingering resentment in his eyes. But, after a sidelong glance at Hiccup, he deflated slightly as the resentment turned to begrudging respect, and returned Skullcrusher's bow ever so briefly.

It wasn't the wholehearted cooperation Hiccup had wanted… but it was a promising start for what would one day become a team of champions.

AN:

So here we come to our second instance of Hiccup's inexperience showing through – he's never had another Pokemon other than Toothless before, and never considered the possibility they might not get along. Toothless never really displayed significant jealousy issues in the series, except in "Terrible Twos" where it turned out he was concerned for a very good reason. However, in this continuity, he's used to being the only Dragon-type around and doesn't like how Hiccup's attention is suddenly being taken by another.

Fortunately, a victory against Snotlout is just what Hiccup needs to sort things out for now. That makes two in a row, which admittedly doesn't make Snotlout look that impressive, but it's consistent with how the show portrayed him. He'll get some time to shine, but for now, he's fulfilling his classic butt-monkey role quite nicely.

Finally, due to the nicknaming guidelines I described previously, Speedy's nickname is a reference to the baby Speed Stinger that Snotlout bonded with in "The Next Big Sting".

If you liked this chapter, please consider reviewing!

Next time: Mystery from Prehistory!