The small, round bird on Skeledirge's nose is often likened to a baby Torchic or a Fletchling chick. Yet morphological affinities suggest that it is actually most closely related to Hoothoot, albeit with an unusual level of tolerance for heat. The bird has no song of its own, but, like many an avian pokemon seeking to pass down an egg move, is closely drawn to the songs of others.
In Paldea, the bird came to associate with another archosaur – one often called a living fossil, both for its primitive morphology and its many exposed bones. Their bond is based on a fiery ballad which they sing as a duet, a Mesozoic tragedy of arson and warfare which takes place over a span of millions of years; the "Torch Song" deals damage as much by evoking pathos in the listener as by setting them aflame.
Skeledirge are no strangers to battle – they have their pride as pokemon – but they also fail to perceive their songs as attacks. They dream of an era when people and pokemon surround them to listen to their tunes, and the concerts of Rillaboom fill them with jealousy. Fortunately, modern technology allows one to listen to Skeledirge without being placed in any physical (if not emotional) danger; unfortunately, the audio clips which last only a few seconds, heard in the middle of pokemon battles, are far more popular than their longer recordings.
Yet even recordings which max out the local equipment's capacity are ultimately truncated versions of the Skeledirge; if certain ghosts are to be believed, the full Torch Song lasts longer than a human lifetime. Once it is finally completed, the bird evolves into Moltres and takes flight, and the Skeledirge's spirit moves on.