Chapter 14 – Enter the Irate Axew!

It was a perfect morning for traveling. Rising with the sun, a full breakfast in their stomachs, and their tents and chairs all stashed away in Fishlegs' monster of a backpack, the boys wasted no time in resuming their trek across Route 7. In no time, they found the wildflowers sprouting by the roadside becoming sparser, the grasses becoming shorter and coarser, and the ground becoming rockier. The serene waters of the lake and the parapets of its castle were far behind them, replaced by the sight of the western mountains looming tall and indominable as though to proudly announce their journey's unceremonious end.

To any other traveler, this terrain would've disheartened them, convinced them to go back to more civilized territory. But Hiccup and Fishlegs sped forward all the more eagerly – for it was in those mountains that the next eventful leg of their journey began.

"Look, we're almost there!" Fishlegs squealed, pointing up the path as he ran ahead. Meatlug, too, was unusually energetic, trotting to keep pace with her Trainer while Hiccup struggled to pick up the rear. The path was sloping upward now, making it harder to walk, and it wasn't long before his legs started screaming in protest as he trudged after the suddenly athletic Ingerman boy.

"Fishlegs, I thought I was supposed to be the one excited for the Kalos Canyon," he joked, breathlessly, when he caught up.

Flashing him a guileless grin, Fishlegs responded, "Oh, I'm not just excited for me, Hiccup! Look at Meatlug! She can't wait to explore the mountains! This is a Rhyhorn's natural habitat – lots of rugged terrain to exercise on, nutritious minerals to eat and caves to rest in. She's going to love it! Aren't you, girl? Aren't you?"

Meatlug grunted affectionately and dragged her tongue over his face when he bent down, prompting him to give her a delighted hug around the muzzle. Not how Hiccup would've reacted to being drenched by Rhyhorn saliva, but he knew better than to judge Fishlegs' relationship with his Pokemon, however confounding it was.

He did understand, though, their enthusiasm for the trip ahead. Him and Toothless were equally as invigorated, but their ambitions went far beyond just sightseeing. Somewhere on the other side of those peaks lay the most breathtaking and pristine gathering place for Dragon-types in the world, and that was where Hiccup planned to find a new Pokemon – his second one ever.

"The mountains are your habitat too, bud," he told the Pokemon on his shoulder. "We've been looking forward to this ever since we came to Kalos. Ready to see them with your own eyes?"

Toothless bobbed his head so hard that his helmet almost whacked Hiccup on the collarbone. "Bay bago Bagon!"

Chuckling, Hiccup gave the dragonling a pat on the head before noticing that Fishlegs had pulled ahead again. When he hastened to climb higher and rejoin him, he caught sight of a gap in the cliffs ahead of them at the very top of the incline – the entrance to the passage that would take them into the mountains and the town that rested on their coastal side. Meatlug saw it too, grunting as she upped her pace to a gallop.

"Well, it's good to see Meatlug so enthusiastic about the trip," he said instead, craning his neck to gaze up at the daunting peaks. "According to the map, the routes designed for Trainers aren't all that bad, but as we get closer to Kalos Canyon, we'll be relying on Meatlug more and more."

"Meatlug and I don't mind!" Fishlegs insisted brightly. "In fact, this was a part of the journey we were looking forward to most when we made up our minds to travel with you! Just sit back and leave the topography up to me and – Meatlug! Don't run too far ahead, now! Wait for Fishlegs!"

He ran ahead, leaving Hiccup behind to shake his head with an exasperated chuckle. This time, he let his friend go, still not recovered enough from his previous leg-searing uphill jog to feel comfortable running after him. Instead, he took in the unusually thick foliage growing on the slope: tall grass, bushes, even trees sporting berries of different colors were present. This would probably the most green in one place that Hiccup would see until Cyllage City, and so it was with bittersweet fondness that he smiled and reached out to pluck a berry for himself. Farewell, trees. I'll see you on the other si–

A rustle from the bushes was the only warning he had before a green blur darted from the foliage straight at him. It flew straight past his hand with a deadly-sounding whistle, like the sound of a blade slicing air, and with a shout he retracted his arm for fear of losing a finger. He checked his hand for blood, then sighed – thank goodness, all his fingers were intact.

Before he could ask what it was he'd just seen, Toothless barked urgently. "Bagon bago!"

Whirling, Hiccup saw the green thing scampering up the path in plain sight, straight towards Fishlegs and Meatlug. Another bolt of fear shooting down his spine, he raced ahead to catch up, the ache in his legs be damned. "Fishlegs! Meatlug! Watch out!"

He heard Fishlegs shriek and bump into Meatlug, crashing onto his rump and so avoiding a swipe from the creature. The Armor Pokemon snarled and swung her horn, but it darted aside and landed in the middle of the path, between them and the mountain pass. Hiccup reached them a second later, already kneeling and opening his mouth to ask if Fishlegs was okay…

…when he finally got a clear look at the Pokemon that was standing as if to block the way forward. Immediately, all thoughts of Fishlegs' well-being were wiped away – yes, the identity of the Pokemon was that exciting.

It wasn't very large, only about Toothless' size, and a dull moss-green in color except for the dark, crest-like spike sticking up from the back of its skull. It was scaly all over and stood on two legs, balanced by a stubby tail, and its expression was twisted into a scowl with bright red eyes narrowed dangerously. But its most distinctive feature – and what allowed Hiccup to instantly identify it – were the rounded, blade-shaped tusks that stuck straight out from the sides of its jaw.

"That's an Axew!" Hiccup exclaimed, taking in the sight of the rare Pokemon with wonder.

"W-Wait, really?!" Fishlegs demanded, immediately forgetting his own fall as he scrambled up to get a better look. "It is! That's amazing! Axew are known for their multipurpose tusks, which are used for battling as well as for crushing and slicing food! To think we aren't even in the mountains yet and we're already seeing a wild Dragon-type!"

Yes. A wild Dragon-type. An incredible thrill coursed through Hiccup, the excitement nothing short of electrifying as it filled his body. It was nothing short of fortuitous – instead of waiting until he reached Wild Dragon Cliff, as he'd planned, he was going to get to make his first capture right here and now.

"Fishlegs," he said, stepping forward to meet the defiant Axew, "stay back for now. Toothless and I are going to handle this one."

"But wouldn't you – oh!" Fishlegs began to say, but swiftly realized what Hiccup intended and did as he asked. He got off the path, leaving it clear for the two combatants – the Trainer, and the Pokemon he was aiming to catch.

"Yewwww…" the Axew growled, spreading its tiny arms and displaying its tusks with showy head swings. Whatever its reason for attacking, whatever it wanted from them, it was prepared to fight.

And Hiccup was more than happy with that. "Go get it, bud!" he cried, throwing out his arm. "We're catching our first Pokemon today!"

"Bagooooo!" Toothless had picked up on how zealous he was, and leapt into battle with gusto to match, mimicking Axew's posture with arms raised and head lowered to show off his helmet.

There was no standoff, no battle cry – Axew simply went on the attack, rushing forward as its tusks took on a teal glow. Hiccup's eyes widened, recognizing the move it was using and not liking it a single bit. "That's Dual Chop! Dodge it, Toothless – it'll attack twice!"

Toothless replied with a chirp and quickly twisted out of the way of Axew's first lunge. Its bladed tusk cut through the air, and it spun around to swing with the other. Toothless dodged that one, too, jumping back to give himself space.

"Dragon Breath, bud!" Hiccup ordered. It was smart of Toothless to put distance between them like that – from what he knew of Axew's kind, his Dragon-type was at an advantage at range.

That wasn't to say that Axew was entirely helpless, though. Toothless spat his Dragon Breath as sizzling pink fireballs, and Axew responded by standing its ground and preparing another Dual Chop. It timed its swings perfectly, slicing through each fireball as they came close. It and Toothless were left glaring warily at one another; they'd both demonstrated the potential to harm one another with powerful Dragon-type moves. They would take each other seriously from here on out.

In the middle of the stalemate, Hiccup heard Fishlegs' voice break his concentration. "H-Hiccup, I-I think you should b-be careful! L-Look closer at A-Axew…!"

Halfway ready to snap at the Ingerman boy that now wasn't the time, Hiccup thought twice when his eyes automatically scanned over Axew's form and found what had Fishlegs so concerned. Axew's body was marred by light wounds, scrapes and shallow cuts littering its hide. It looked as though Axew had already been injured recently, which made Hiccup pause and think – did it attack others often? Perhaps it had feared they would try to harm it further, and sought to drive them off for its own safety?

"Got it, Fishlegs. Toothless and I will be careful," he called over his shoulder. "We can treat it after I capture it. Toothless, its our turn to get in close – try a Bite!"

Yes, he was aware that they'd made very little progress on the move, but he hoped calling it in an actual battle would help the learning process… maybe trigger some kind of battle instinct. Toothless, certainly, had no qualms with using the unfinished move, and charged at Axew, morphing his muzzle into a Leer as he ran. Then he opened his mouth, squaring his jaw and baring his fangs as he prepared to clamp down on his opponent.

Axew's face, too, twisted, but not into a Leer. No, the ghostly projection that flew forward with a howl to startle Toothless into skidding to a halt was nothing so basic, but an effective Scary Face. The dragonling lost all concentration, his jaw slackening as instinctive fear took over, and Axew took the opportunity to go on the attack. It leapt in a burst of speed, its tusks flaring bright orange, and swung its head in a blow that drove into Toothless' chest and sent him tumbling through the dirt.

Hiccup froze, so flabbergasted that he may as well have had been hit with Scary Face, too. That wasn't Dual Chop, or any other Dragon-type move! What was…?

As if he was reading Hiccup's mind, Fishlegs burst out in a rush, "Th-That was a Rock Smash! H-How bizarre – Axew normally can't learn that move in the w-wild! H-Hiccup…!"

"I know, Fishlegs," he replied, pushing aside his shock and looking at Axew with newfound respect. "This Pokemon is an unconventional one. It might have more surprises in store."

Axew stood up from its attack, the glare in its eyes strong and defiant. Despite being wounded, it didn't seem bothered by them at all, at least not enough to show it in front of its enemies. It had such a drive, such a headstrong quality to it, that Hiccup couldn't help but stop and admire it. Imagine what this Pokemon's attitude alone could add to my team…

"Okay, Toothless, charge with Headbutt!" he commanded, added steel in his voice.

Roaring, Toothless rushed Axew once again, and Axew answered with a roar of its own. It projected another Scary Face into Toothless' path, attempting to slow him down, but this one didn't work – with his head down, the dragonling barreled straight through the illusion without even noticing it. Unfazed, it leapt out of the way in one smooth motion, landing at a run…

…and then, unexpectedly, it collapsed, falling to its knees. Pain creased its face for the first time as it got back up, scowling to itself. It looked as though its sudden dodging maneuver had aggravated its wounds, the resulting flare of pain too much to ignore.

It's slowing down… one or two more moves should weaken it enough! Hiccup resolved. Decisively, he called to Toothless, "Use Dragon Breath!"

Axew saw the stream of dragonfire coming, and made to dodge that, too… but its first step made it cringe and halt for a second too long. The Dragon Breath hit its mark with a bang and blooming cloud of smoke, Axew's cry audible underneath the blast. When Hiccup next saw the wild Dragon-type, it was on its hands and knees, trembling with eyelids squeezed shut in pain.

This was it – his shot! Excitedly, Hiccup whipped off his backpack and stuck his hand through the open zipper, feeling blindly for the familiar smooth shape of a spare Poke Ball. Come on, it has to be somewhere in here… did I put them in this pocket? Or was it –

Just as his fingers closed around something round, a growl made him freeze. Axew was getting back up, hauling itself onto its feet and glaring through squinted eyes. Even though the fresh burns on its scales must have compounded the pain it was in, it still stood strong despite that. When it let out a challenging cry and ran forward, Hiccup's jaw almost dropped. Man, it's even more stubborn than Toothless can get… that fighting spirit is insane.

He was so shocked, that he almost didn't remember to instruct Toothless before it was too late. "Bud, quick, meet it with Head–"

"Yeeeew!" Axew let out a squealing roar, swinging its tusks. Their tips shone white and left behind glowing trails as they cut toward Toothless, who instinctively guarded his snout, bracing for the devastating blow…!

The tip of the tusk lightly grazed his arm, producing no pain and no force. Toothless lowered his arms, perplexment clouding his muzzle – which left him vulnerable when Axew swung back around and slammed home a Dual Chop, right into his chest.

"Toothless!" Hiccup yelled in alarm. It happened so fast that that was all he could do – watch, his heart in his throat, as his best friend plowed into a tree and hit the ground in a shower of bark and leaves. He didn't hesitate to abandon the lost battle, throwing himself toward the unconscious Bagon in a panic.

But Axew wasn't done with him just yet – mid-stride, he whirled at the sound of its cry in time to see it charge at him. Its eyes were burning with pain and rage as it sped toward him with tusks glowing and ready to rend.

"Meatlug!" Fishlegs shouted. "Get in there with Horn Attack!"

The Ingerman boy's voice was Hiccup's saving grace. At his command, Meatlug stampeded to intercept Axew's attack, taking a blow on her flank before responding with a swing of her horn. It abandoned the offensive and jumped away from the horn's arc, landing on its back with a squeak.

"Now use Smack Down across the path!" Fishlegs went on, before turning to Hiccup. "Come on, take Toothless and let's get out of here for now!"

Hiccup's first instinct was to argue – their destination lay forward, not back where they came – but as Meatlug launched her projectiles and produced a huge smokescreen of blooming dust that cut them off from their foe, he thought better of it. Toothless was laying in the shade of a tree, helpless and hurt, and his needs came first.

Scooping the dragonling into his arms, Hiccup gave Fishlegs a grim nod. "Okay, we're going. I'll follow your lead."

As they fled, Hiccup couldn't resist a look back. Although there was nothing to see except dust, he could still hear Axew's roar carrying after them: a warning to never come back.

It didn't take Hiccup and Fishlegs long to set up an emergency camp and tend to Toothless' wounds. Toothless regained consciousness soon after they settled down and allowed Hiccup to tend to him, a simple affair that involved a Potion spray, bandages to his chest injury, and a helping of crushed Oran berries. In mere minutes, they were heading back up the slope in pursuit of the irate Axew.

"Do you think the area near the mountain pass could be its territory?" Hiccup asked as they proceeded. "Even before we knew it was there, it attacked us unprovoked, like it was trying to drive us off."

"Hmmm… you're the Dragon-type expert," Fishlegs hummed at last. "What surprised me the most was its battle strategies. Knowing Rock Smash, and then using False Swipe to lower Toothless' guard before attacking with the other tusk… that's incredibly advanced for a wild Pokemon! I'll definitely be noting this down…"

"It could be a feral Pokemon – abandoned by its Trainer," Hiccup speculated. "Or, if it attacks all travelers that pass through, it could have picked up on those strategies after battling against many Trainers. Either way, it's… quite the Pokemon."

Though he tried not to express it out loud, he couldn't quite contain the quaver of excitement as he thought back to Axew's skill in battle – especially that unwavering drive, combined with its unexpected strategic side. He didn't want to catch it just because it was a Dragon-type anymore… he was really impressed with it.

"Anyway…" he coughed, turning the conversation back to the task at hand. "We left Axew in pretty rough shape, so it might not be out and about… but if we do encounter it again, it'll attack no matter what condition it's in. I think we should maybe lay low… sneak around… investigate things a bit, you know?"

"Y-Yes! We can do research!" Fishlegs perked up, pouncing eagerly upon the idea. "We'll observe it in its environment, learn its habits… and the more we learn, the better idea of how to proceed we'll have!"

"Again, you're almost as excited about this as me," Hiccup chuckled. "And I'm the one that actually wants to keep it –"

"Bago!" Toothless suddenly alerted them, his voice lowered to a hiss as he pointed up the path.

Startled, they glanced up at the ascending slope, and what they saw immediately prompted them to run for the bushes on the side of the road, camouflaging themselves.

Contrary to Hiccup's expectations, Axew was still out and about despite the dragonfire scorch marks that now further marked its scales. It was toddling up the slope in a meandering fashion, apparently in no hurry to return to wherever it had built its lair. Rather, it was more interested in the berry trees growing along the path, wandering up to inspect each one before moving on. All the while, Hiccup and Fishlegs followed it from behind their cover, elbows and knees aching from the constant crawling and noses itching from being stuffed with leaves.

However, as Hiccup was fighting the urge to stretch his cramping limbs and risk discovery, Axew perked up and ran off with sudden vigor, though restrained by its unhealthy condition. It took the duo and their Pokemon a while to catch up while prioritizing stealth over speed, but when they finally spotted it again, it was standing underneath a tree harboring yellow fruits. Several of the berries had already fallen, and the reason for that was revealed when Axew climbed rapidly into the lower branches and sliced a bunch off the tree with its tusks.

"Look, Sitrus berries!" Fishlegs abruptly exploded in a loud whisper. "Hiccup, those berries are renowned for – mmph!"

Hastily, Hiccup clapped a hand over the Ingerman boy's mouth before he could give their position away. Fortunately, Axew wasn't paying close attention to its surroundings, far more concerned with its berry haul – with remarkable diligence, it piled them all onto its back and held them secure with its arms and tail. Once it was sure its lunch was secure, it started to waddle awkwardly further uphill with purpose.

It must be heading for the pass, Hiccup thought. He was certain of this; there was no better place for a mountain-loving dragon to make its nest, so far away from its normal habitat. That's an awful lot of food for one Pokemon, though… even if it's planning to store them for later, why gather so much at once?

He signaled to Fishlegs to follow him, and they continued their agonizingly slow crawl toward the distant tunnel. This time, though, they were at least able to keep Axew in sight as it hauled its hefty load, panting loud enough that they could've tracked it even in the dark. But neither the exhausted Pokemon nor its pursuers had to worry for long, as soon, the ground leveled off and the mountain pass gaped wide in front of them.

The small plateau was completely barren, so Hiccup and Fishlegs had no choice but to stay behind and keep to their cover while Axew proceeded ahead. At the tunnel mouth, it stopped and let its berries tumble to the ground, then raised its head and shouted at the top of its lungs. "YEW AXEW!"

Immediately, an answering voice – many voices, in fact – echoed from the darkness of the tunnel, and several Pokemon melted out of the shadows to join the Dragon-type in the light. They weren't other Axew, or even other Dragon-types – there were eight of them, consisting of two species Hiccup was unfamiliar with. A group of pale-skinned humanoids with onion-shaped heads ran boldly up to the berry pile and took one each, while the others were pink, vaguely rabbit-like blobs that huddled nervously around one another as they ate. All the while, Axew hung back and watched the group eat with an almost protective eye.

Remembering that he still had the Pokedex on hand, Hiccup opened it and activated its scanning function. Images of the two unknown Pokemon appeared on the screen – the onion-headed ones were Meditite, and the lop-eared creatures were Whismur. Satisfied, Hiccup put away the device and watched the three different species interact with surprising geniality. He'd never known any Dragon-type to associate with other Pokemon this closely – they tended to gather with their own kind, if they gathered at all.

"You seeing this, Fishlegs?" Hiccup whispered. "… Fishlegs?"

The only sound that answered was the scratching of a pen on paper – of course Fishlegs was engrossed in his notebook, writing down his observations as if afraid the Pokemon would vanish into thin air at any moment. It took a not-too-subtle cough and a sharp nudge to his arm to snap Fishlegs out of his research fever, which he did with a jump and a sheepish look at Hiccup.

"What do you make of this? Why do you think these three Pokemon are all living together?" he tried again, now that his friend was listening.

"S-Sorry, I, uh, let myself get carried away again," Fishlegs chuckled, then settled down and got serious. "Anyway… by my estimation, this appears to be a symbiotic relationship. Whismur are primarily cave dwellers and Meditite focus on training themselves above all else, so clearly they benefit from the Axew bringing them food. As for what Axew gets out of it, uh… shelter, maybe? It's very odd to see one out of the mountains…"

Something about the way Fishlegs said that, humming to himself, gave Hiccup a weird feeling. He was pretty sure they'd recently discussed Pokemon being displaced from the mountains, specifically, and the vague sense of déjà vu uneased him.

Attempting to dispel the sudden onset of queasiness, Hiccup busied himself with observing the Pokemon at the mouth of the cave. The Whismur were taking their berry hoard closer to the tunnel, but the Meditite were already done with their morsels and now motioning with the arms to Axew, as though telling it to follow them. It did, but not far – it joined them off to the side of the tunnel, where they lined up and began to punch the air with glowing fists.

Practicing their moves… that one looks like Rock Smash, Hiccup thought, intrigued. The Meditite trained in a style that resembled more yoga or martial arts than anything else, building focus instead of power by repeating a move in rhythm, while Axew watched closely. The implications of this were lost on him, though, until Axew unexpectedly joined in, leaping into line and starting to jab with his tusks.

It hit Hiccup just then, eyes widening in wondrous realization. "Axew provides them with food and protection, and in return, they help it practice its moves," he said, as Fishlegs nodded enthusiastically beside him. "It's actively training to get stronger, maybe to defend its territory better… that would make sense if we're right about it constantly challenging Trainers. But why it would feel threatened by travelers in the first place is beyond me…"

A shout rose up from the Pokemon just then, startling Hiccup out of his musings. He was just in time to see Axew throw a particularly wobbly jab before collapsing on its stomach, the Meditite rushing to surround it in horrified concern. With a chill slithering down his spine, Hiccup understood what must have happened, and with the chill came a sickening guilt.

"Its injuries," he said to the gaping, equally dismayed Fishlegs. "All those wounds we saw on it… the strain of practicing its moves must have been the last straw, and its body couldn't take it. Toothless and I… if Toothless and I hadn't battled it and made things worse…"

"No, Hiccup! Don't blame yourself like that!" Fishlegs objected, emphatic. "Instead, focus on what we can do to help! We have to – we can't just ignore a Pokemon that's collapsed from stress right in front of us! Hang on, Axew, we're com–"

"Fishlegs, don't!" Hiccup hissed in as loud a whisper as he dared, grabbing hold of his friend's arm before he could rise and give away their location. Hurriedly, he reprimanded, "I agree, we should help, but those are wild Pokemon! If we just run up to them and make the wrong impression, we'd make things worse. They might panic or, you know… attack us."

That got the Ingerman boy's attention, and he settled down with a gulp. "R-Right, okay. Make the right impression… I-I have some extra berries in my b-backpack, maybe we could s-start with those?"

Hiccup nodded, and Fishlegs brought out several sealed bags containing their current berry supply. With trembling hands, he divvied them up between himself and Hiccup and, making sure their Pokemon were with them started to clamber out of their hiding place with slow, deliberate steps.

But even at such a nonthreatening pace and with a veritable feast in their hands, Hiccup observed with dismay, their appearance upon the plateau sent the wild Pokemon into a near panic. Their reactions were immediate, the Whismur dashing for the safety of the tunnel while the Meditite formed a wall in front of Axew and raised their fists in unison. The Fighting-and-Psychic-types belted out a unified cry whose meaning was obvious: turn away, or we'll resort to force.

"Uh… we come in peace?" Hiccup tried, holding the berries out a bit more obviously. He had no idea how to negotiate with wild Pokemon, so he put all his hopes on stating their intentions directly and praying they would buy it. "L-Look, um, we're not here to cause trouble! We just saw how badly hurt Axew is, and… we have medicine, and, ah… we can heal him if you'd let us. So… uh, deal?"

"It's true that we're Pokemon Trainers, but we haven't come to battle or capture any of you! We're friends of all Pokemon," Fishlegs elaborated in a much less uncertain tone than Hiccup's. It really hadn't taken him long to come up with a more compelling speech. "We have berries and medicine to spare, and we promise to leave you all in peace if you let us heal your friend. It's clearly in bad shape, and needs attention quickly!"

Unfortunately, the Pokemon weren't convinced – the Whismur remained hidden and the Meditite narrowed their eyes, taking a menacing step forward. Behind them, Axew let out a soft groan, which caused a couple of them to waver briefly. There was conflict in their eyes, but ultimately, they refused to budge.

"M-Meatlug?" Fishlegs turned to his partner. "Can you tell them, girl?"

Hiccup blinked, confounded, as the Rhyhorn lumbered toward the wild Pokemon and began to rumble softly. "You're asking Meatlug to convince them? Is that a good idea?"

The look Fishlegs sent back at him flickered with a wry twinkle. "Why not? Meatlug's really good at making friends. Just watch and see."

Bemused, Hiccup stood back and observed as Meatlug grumbled to the wild Pokemon in slow, guttural Pokemon-speak. He couldn't recall ever seeing a full-on conversation between Pokemon before, and it was fascinating to watch. Meatlug didn't just talk; she would also occasionally gesture, flicking her head back to indicate the humans behind her. The wild Pokemon didn't reply back, but Hiccup could still tell from their body language that they weren't completely sold.

Eventually, though, Toothless came forward to offer his voice. With all eyes on him, he chirped and growled to concur with Meatlug's words, repeatedly pointing at the bandages around his chest as he did. Hiccup was fairly sure he was using his recent treatment to prove that they could do the same to Axew, and his heart leapt with a surge of pride for the Bagon when the wild Pokemon started to stand down. The physical proof was the key – the hostility disappeared from the Meditites' eyes, and they slowly nodded in cautious acceptance, allowing them to approach.

Fishlegs and Meatlug rushed ahead to get to Axew's side without missing a beat, Hiccup and Toothless close behind. "How is it?" he asked, eyes wandering over the Tusk Pokemon's body and subconsciously counting wounds. Some of the scrapes looked almost like talon marks – he wondered if Astrid had already come through here and fought this belligerent Axew. It definitely would've picked a fight with her if she had…

"Well, none of the wounds themselves are serious," Fishlegs said as he bent over the Pokemon. "It seems to be incredibly exhausted, though. I have an idea of what to do about that – Hiccup, could you get out the supplies and work on treating its wounds?"

Hesitantly, Hiccup nodded, a nervous fluttering in his chest. Before he could even reach into the backpack, Fishlegs was on his feet and heading toward the Sitrus berries that lay forgotten on the ground. With permission from the wild Pokemon, he gathered up the fruit and brought them back, a bright smile on his face as he informed Hiccup gleefully that Sitrus berries were great at restoring energy and would make for the perfect treatment for Axew.

While he worked on mashing the berries, Hiccup took out Potions and the disinfectant salve he used for Toothless and, biting his lip, started to carefully spritz and slather Axew's cuts and bruises. He scarcely breathed, so intensely concentrated he was on his work, and when he did, he was shaky with nerves. He'd helped treat Toothless countless times, sure… but this was a totally different and unfamiliar Pokemon, so the pressure to do his job without screwing up was tenfold. He thought back to all the times he'd seen his mother treat injuries like this – her instructions played out in his head as he continued with the procedure, showing him what medicine and how much to use on each wound.

Once the medicine had been administered, it was his responsibility to bandage the freshly-treated wounds. Ever so gently, Hiccup laid Axew in his lap and began to wrap it in gauze. He repeated Valka's words to himself like a mantra as he applied the bandages firmly, but not tight enough to aggravate it or restrict its breathing. Finally, when Axew's limbs, tail, and middle were covered – the majority of the damage safely wrapped – Hiccup stopped, deflating with a deep sigh of relief. That had been far more intensive than anything he'd done with Toothless before, but he'd done it with good results. Axew looked snug and peaceful in its wrappings, and it hadn't stirred once through the process.

All that was left was the Sitrus berry juice, for which Hiccup turned to Fishlegs. "How's it coming?"

"Done!" Fishlegs replied, putting down the mortar and pestle and scraping the result into a jug, to which he added water from his canteen and stirred vigorously. Around him, the Meditite and Whismur waited, having been drawn in by curiosity and concern for their friend.

"Have Axew drink this and it should wake up in no time," he elaborated, handing Hiccup the juice. "I'm going to go out real quick and look for Pecha berries to give it. Just in case, you know? The disinfectant should do the trick, but it's had some of those cuts for a while and it might've already picked something up."

He didn't even wait for a reply, hopping aboard Meatlug and heading back down the slope. The four Meditite exchanged a silent agreement and all rushed after him, leaving the Whismur behind to cluster around Axew and murmur amongst themselves. Toothless wandered off to snack on the Sitrus berries that had been left behind.

Hiccup was left pretty much alone with his thoughts. He sat back on his hands and contented himself with watching Axew's chest rise and fall in a constant rhythm. "Just hang on, alright?" he told it as it slept. "I don't know you that well… or at all… but I can tell you're a fighter. Probably even more hardheaded than Toothless, based on the way you fought. You're a strong little dragon."

He knew Axew couldn't hear, but he didn't much care. It felt good to say such thoughts out loud. He genuinely was awed by how tenacious this Axew had shown itself to be, how dedicated it was to protecting the Pokemon around it. It didn't fight in defense of territory – it was more than that. It was committed to the point of enlisting the Meditite to help it train.

… But why? Hiccup frowned, his thoughts inevitably turning back to the one conundrum left unanswered. The fact remained that Axew was supposed to live in the mountains, with others of its kind, not on these hilly outskirts with a ragtag group of locals. In fact, he was pretty sure the Meditite weren't supposed to be here, either – hadn't Fishlegs even pointed out that they were supposed to be solitary?

The whole idea of refugee Pokemon from the mountains made Hiccup's stomach churn. It couldn't be a coincidence that all of them had strayed from their habitat – and the Snorlax in Camphrier Town no longer seemed like an unlucky fluke, either.

"Some kind of environmental disturbance must have pushed them out…" he said to himself. Again, he looked over at Axew with a considering gaze. "I wonder if it was a single incident that drove them out, and Axew knew all these Pokemon beforehand, or if it met them here for the first time."

The Whismur had yet to leave Axew's side, and Hiccup couldn't help but watch them huddle around with a fond smile. "Well, whatever the case… it's so cool how Axew goes to these lengths to care for them. It seemed so aggressive at first, but it has a kind heart. Don't you think, bud?"

"Bay?" Toothless looked over at him in surprise, a half-eaten berry in his claws, then rolled his eyes disinterestedly and went back to his snack. "Bago…"

"Such remarkable insight," Hiccup sniped.

"Yew… yew!"

A groggy voice came from Hiccup's left and immediately transitioned to an outraged shout, shocking Hiccup out of his reverie and back to the present. He whipped his head in the direction of the uproar and found Axew, now awake, getting clumsily to its feet. Even as it rose, it speared Hiccup with a filthy glare that gave him a fleeting desire to jump up and run. It definitely hadn't forgotten – or forgiven – their earlier battle.

Gulping, Hiccup raised his hands and stammered, "G-Good, um… good to see you're… d-doing well…?"

"Axew yew!" Axew shouted. The Whismur cried out and tried to calm it, only to be pushed aside as Axew stomped forward and snarled.

"Bago Bagon!" Toothless snarled right back, leaping to Hiccup's defense. The Dragon-types looked more than ready for a second brawl, their eyes aflame with shared animosity.

With a growl, Axew took a bold step forward… and faltered immediately, falling to its hands and knees with a gasp.

"Hey hey hey! Toothless, stand down." Hiccup, throwing caution to the winds, shuffled forward with arm outstretched in alarm, Axew's safety more important than the bad blood between them. "Axew, you have to be careful. You're still healing from all that damage you took. Just… settle down, okay?"

"… Yew?" Axew's rage dissipated, bewilderment swirling where impulsive anger had burned. It examined itself, seeing its bandages for the first time and looking upon them as though it had never seen such things before. It glanced up questioningly, and Toothless – who had backed off only reluctantly – gestured to his own wrappings and grunted a Pokemon-speak explanation.

"See? We don't wish you any harm," Hiccup smiled at it, folding his hands in front of him to appear inoffensive. Reaching out to it might make it feel threatened. "I'll admit, I battled you because I wanted to catch you, but seeing the state you were in… Fishlegs and I just really wanted you to get better. It's great that you want to defend your territory and your friends, but doing that without taking time to look after yourself ended up taking its toll. So we, uh… we healed you, and hope that there aren't any hard feelings."

The Whismur came forward to chatter frantically at Axew, drawing its questioning gaze. They were joined by the Meditite, who appeared out of nowhere – Hiccup glanced at the slope to see Fishlegs returning with an armful of pink berries, vexed by what he'd come back to – and the Dragon-type began to offer slow nods as it processed their words. It patted itself down, incredulous to find that the pain and exhaustion had lessened.

When the Pokemon had finished speaking, Axew paid them no more heed, instead turning back to Hiccup. It was no longer hostile, staring up at him with some confusion still lingering. In fact, it seemed as though it had a specific question on its mind: why did you help me?

"Well, like I said, you weren't in the best shape, and we made it worse, so…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head, feeling sheepish. "And when Toothless and I attacked you, we must have given you the impression we were after your territory or your friends… but, honestly, all we want is to pass through here."

"Th-That's right," Fishlegs piped up with a hopeful smile. "We're just traveling Trainers that want to cross the mountains w-without any trouble. I-If that's okay with you."

In a flash of inspiration, Hiccup took out the bag of berries that him and Fishlegs had intended as a peace offering from the start. "Here, we'll even give you some food, as an apology for the misunderstanding. Does that work for you, or…?"

He trailed off, nervousness rising as Axew continued to stare, unmoving and stoic. However, it only left him hanging for a second – soon, its expression softened and it gave a small bow, accepting the offer graciously.

Oh, good, it worked. Hiccup felt a tension he hadn't known he had lift from his body, and he smiled gratefully back at Axew. "Thanks so much for understanding."

"Yew," it answered. It still appeared serious, but there was a gleam in its eye that hadn't been there before.

As though fearing that the dragon would change its mind if he was too slow, Fishlegs dismounted Meatlug with haste and spread his load of fruit on the ground. "M-Make sure to eat the Pecha berries first," he requested, tapping his fingers together. "A-And don't take the bandages off j-just yet. Only when you're s-sure you're fully healed, a-alright?"

The Meditite and Whismur gathered around eagerly, snatching up the piled morsels with cheerful cries. Axew's expression softened ever so slightly as its fellows celebrated, then, with a short chirp and a wave of its hand, it beckoned to Hiccup and Fishlegs before heading for the tunnel. They followed it the short distance, where it paused at the entrance and stepped aside.

"Yew, Axew," it told them, motioning them for them to head onward from here.

Hiccup gave it a final grin and a little wave in farewell. When they first met, he'd only wanted Axew for his team – now, he was surprised to find that he'd grown to like the Dragon-type. "Yep… we'll take it from here. Keep looking after your friends, and, ah, remember to take it easy now and then."

"Bay-go," Toothless added, his tone neutral.

Together, they started into the tunnel, proceeding past the threshold and swiftly becoming surrounded by darkness. Hiccup blinked rapidly to adjust to the all-encompassing shadows, and he couldn't keep a rush of excitement down as he realized just what he was doing. We're finally starting to get closer to the Kalos Canyon. We're almost there – just another day or two of travel, and…

A yell came from behind – Fishlegs, begging him to slow down. He did, and was just able to catch the wildly distraught look in his eyes through the darkness. "H-Hiccup, what about Axew? Y-You were going to catch it, weren't you?"

Yes, he had been, and a tiny pang of regret hit him at the thought. But it was fine – all desire to take advantage of the fortunate encounter had vanished ever since the need to save Axew took over. Oddly, he was okay with letting the chance go, for a reason he relayed affably to Fishlegs.

"Axew has Pokemon that need it more than I do," he said. "If I brought it with me, all those Pokemon would have to fend for themselves without it. And besides, the whole reason we're going to Wild Dragon Cliff was to catch Dragon-types. I'll find others."

At his reasoning, Fishlegs calmed down and deferred to him with a nod, his moment of turmoil passing. With nothing else holding them back, they proceeded down the tunnel without looking back, leaving the light from the tunnel entrance behind and embracing the total darkness deeper within. Another, smaller light flared, and Fishlegs raised the lantern up to his face so Hiccup could see his proud smile beaming in the reddish glow. His good mood was infectious, and Hiccup found himself grinning as well as he looked ahead bravely into the void ahead, anticipating what would await them beyond.

Unfortunately, he didn't quite anticipate another roadblock.

A terrible BOOM resonated form deeper in the tunnel, a noise that Hiccup felt more than he heard; the vibration made his bones shudder and shook rocks from the ceiling. Dread gripped his heart in icy claws and squeezed just as a full-on sequence of BOOMs resonated deafeningly, getting close enough and loud enough to drown out Fishlegs' panicked shrieking. The tunnel shook all around them, and even as Hiccup opened his mouth to scream to everyone to get back outside, the most powerful tremor yet almost knocked him off his feet with a violent upheaval of rock and dirt.

From the ground rose a titan of solid stone, its eyes each the size of a human head and its mouth gaping wide enough to swallow Hiccup in one gulp. "IWAAAAARRRRR!"

"Wild Onix attack!" Fishlegs shrilled, his arms flung up over his head and his lantern clattering to the ground. "M-M-Meatlug, use P-P-Protect!"

The Rhyhorn's shimmering barrier blocked off the tunnel and repelled the Onix's lunge, its head crashing against the field with enough force to send more tremors thrumming forth. Shivering in fright at the realization that he would've been smashed to paste by that blow, Hiccup staggered backwards, his legs slow to move as paralyzing terror gripped them. His mind, in contrast, was running at a mile a minute, aflame with questions.

What's an Onix doing here? Why is it blocking the tunnel? Why is NOTHING ever easy for us?!

"T-Toothless!" he cried, and immediately felt his partner leap into his arms. A ripple of relief soothed some of the fear, and he started to backpedal with a shout to Fishlegs. "W-We have to move! B-Back outside, hurry –"

"AXEW!"

A high-pitched roar emanated from behind them, and Hiccup twisted around, jaw dropping in bafflement as he saw Axew come running in the dim lanternlight. Despite the stark-white bandages sticking out very clearly against its green scales, the dragon bellowed another defiant war cry and slammed its tusks into the Onix's neck. The Dual Chop made a shudder pass through its gigantic body, but only did enough damage to make it angry. The great rock snake let out a growl so deep that it rumbled through the walls, turning its ire on the one that had dared strike it.

"A-Axew, what are you doing here?!" Hiccup blurted, overcome with distress at the sight of the injured Dragon-type making a stand on the front lines. Indeed, Axew was already looking close to keeling over, down on one knee as harsh breaths rasped from its mouth. "Y-You haven't even been awake for ten minutes – what could you possibly be think–"

The rest of his incredulous outburst promptly died in his throat when Axew threw a look at him over its shoulder. Its eyes blazed with a fire hot enough to give Hiccup pause – its passion burned brightly for all to see, not at all affected by its weakened state. Something had to be driving it to push itself to such an extreme, and one look into its fiery red orbs told Hiccup what that was.

Of course… its home and friends are at stake. If it doesn't act, Onix will push them all out again.

But he knew for sure that Axew wouldn't be able to fight the Onix alone, not in the condition it was in. Impulse seized him, and he stepped forward just as the titanic Rock-and-Ground-type barreled toward its much smaller foe – a foe that didn't so much as budge even with certain doom bearing down on it.

"Toothless, give it your best Dragon Breath!" Hiccup shouted.

A billowing stream of dragonfire slammed right into Onix's head, lighting up the tunnel as it drove the behemoth back with a low moan. The tunnel dimmed again when Toothless cut off the stream, head held high with a smug air as Axew gaped at him and Hiccup in disbelief.

"U-Us too!" Fishlegs said, having needed a few moments to pluck up the courage to stand beside them. "M-Meatlug, use Horn Attack!"

Meatlug's horn shone like a beacon in the dark as she galloped toward Onix, which shook away the dizziness just in time to arch its neck and lash out with a Tackle. The two Rock-type Pokemon met with a CRASH of armor on armor, and although no visible damage was dealt, Meatlug looked in rougher shape than Onix as she backed away with a disoriented limp. At Hiccup's command, Toothless blasted another Dragon Breath to catch Onix on the cheek as it reared up to strike the Rhyhorn again, and it lashed its tail against the cave walls with a roar, causing rocks to fall.

Hiccup flinched back on instinct for fear of a cave-in, and Fishlegs held onto Meatlug with terrified whimpers. But Axew grew enraged at the threat of destruction to its home, and charged mindlessly at their foe, roaring as its tusks burned orange. It struck Onix as hard as it could with a mighty Rock Smash, and though the serpent threw its head back with an agonized bellow, that was all the strain that Axew could take. The Tusk Pokemon's legs gave out as soon as it landed, pitching forward onto its belly in an exhausted slump.

The Onix towered over them, the comparatively tiny pupils in its enormous sockets flaring with utmost fury. Hiccup looked up into the face of rage and felt helpless, absolutely nothing he could do would stop the Pokemon's rampage. He gathered Toothless and Axew into his arms and retreated toward Fishlegs, who had his face buried in Meatlug's shoulder as though he couldn't bear to confront his end.

"We don't have enough Pokemon power," Hiccup told him, his throat so dry he could barely get the words out. "Wh-What are we going to do…?"

The reply he got didn't come from Fishlegs… or Toothless, or Meatlug, or even Axew. No – the noise that answered him came from farther back in the tunnel… and it wasn't a single voice that spoke.

"MEDI!"

"WHIIIIS!"

Suddenly, they were surrounded by angry Pokemon. The Meditite and Whismur leapt in front of them to form a barricade that stretched from wall to wall, every last iota of their rage focused squarely on the incoming Onix. Like Axew before them, the group stood firmly and didn't balk at the risk of being crushed underneath it, their strength borne from loyalty to their home and protector. The Whismur opened their mouths to bombard the Onix with soundwaves, which grew and grew in power until they were hammering against its stone body. When Onix stopped in its tracks, momentarily overwhelmed by the Normal-types' assault, the Meditite took their turn and launched a barrage of fists that pounded into its head in a single unified blow.

Onix was flung against the wall hard enough to crumble the stone underneath it and shake the entire tunnel. Everyone covered their heads, fearful of falling rocks, but it was over in less than a second – with a twist of its tail, the Onix dove back underground and left only silence in its wake.

"Haaaaah," Fishlegs gasped, flopping to the ground as Meatlug licked at him in concern. "That was way too much for me to handle! Can we please take one step on our journey without being attacked by hostile Pokemon…?"

"I wonder if that Onix came here for the same reason Axew and the others did…" Hiccup frowned. Though the terror of having his life on the line was gone, unease remained in the pit of his stomach.

Movement under his arm drew his gaze downwards. Toothless was fine, dusting himself off before clambering onto Hiccup's shoulder again, but Axew walked out from under Hiccup's crouched body with its attention on the Whismur and Meditite. It seemed almost transfixed at the sight of its allies self-congratulating themselves with cheers and pats on the back. There was this strangely profound depth in the way it stared at its friends… like it was seeing them in a new light, like an epiphany was dawning upon it.

Perhaps it's been so dedicated to defending its territory this whole time, Hiccup thought, in an epiphany of his own, that it never suspected that its neighbors were strong enough to do the same. It trained with them and grew strong on its own, and so decided that they needed its protection in return. But maybe not as much as it thought.

A sense of desire he'd previously abandoned bloomed in him once more, and this time, he was compelled to act. He approached Axew and knelt beside it; his presence made the Pokemon start and glance inquiringly up at him. He fixed it in a gentle smile and let out the words he was suddenly dying to speak.

"Hey, Axew… I mentioned to you before that I battled you because I wanted to catch you," he stated. "But now, I'd like to ask… would you like to come with me on my journey?"

"Yew?" Axew asked, surprised.

"My mom's a great Dragon Tamer: a Pokemon Trainer who's raised some incredible Dragon-types. I'm training to become just like her," he informed it, his fists balling automatically as conviction rose in him with thoughts of his ultimate goal. "If you come with me, I promise I'll raise you into the strongest, most magnificent dragon you can imagine, just as I swore to do the same with Toothless."

Axew's body tensed, not with wariness but excitement. Just as quickly, though, it faded, and it turned back to gaze at its friends, its posture radiating worry and sadness.

"You're worried about how the other Pokemon will do with you gone," Hiccup said, "but I think they've just shown that they can take care of themselves just fine. That's why I'm even asking you this in the first place… because I think you know it, too."

Without looking back at him, Axew waddled over to join the Whismur and Meditite. They ceased to celebrate at the sound of its voice, giving it their undivided attention as it chirped and grunted. When it was finished speaking, all of them nodded – some hesitantly, others resolutely – and Hiccup felt his heart leap when Axew came back to him and dipped into a bow of acceptance.

"Yew, Axew," it told him, and he didn't need to know Pokemon-speak to hear the unquestionable "yes".

"Great!" he said, and extended his hand. Axew met him halfway, nuzzling against his palm, and he took a Poke Ball from his pocket – the one he'd tried to use earlier. "From now on, the three of us are a team – you, me, and Toothless."

All it took was a single tap: Axew hit the button on the front of the capsule, and it popped open to swallow him up in a swirl of energy. It clicked shut, shook once, produced an audible ding – and it was official. Hiccup and Axew were partners.

He was only vaguely aware of Fishlegs clapping and squealing in the background, so focused was he on the newly filled Poke Ball in his palm. He regarded it with an uncontrollable smile, [calm] elation with a touch of restrained giddiness. He'd done it – he'd acquired his second ever Pokemon.

Looking down upon the capsule, he thought of Axew's incredible strength, its devotion, its protective nature, and a name came to mind. It was the name of another Pokemon he'd known long before Axew, a Pokemon whose name he was positive Axew would live up to.

"Welcome to the team… Skullcrusher."

AN:

With this, my weekly upload schedule resumes as normal.

After a chapter that had to be toned down in length (and is still kind of long), Hiccup has made his first capture – an Axew! Each Pokemon Hiccup captures is going to have a slightly different battle style, to help make up for the fact they're all Dragon-types. Toothless and Skullcrusher may seem pretty similar right now, but they'll be used for different things and will diverge even more later on.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to explain my policy for nicknames in this story. Every HTTYD character is going to give their Pokemon names, and each name is going to reference something or someone that's close to them in canon. In this case, Skullcrusher is a reference to Hiccup's father's dragon, who was also briefly mentioned to be an Aggron in this continuity.

Hiccup's journey enters its next phase in the next chapter, as he enters the western mountains and gets ever closer to Kalos Canyon! What awaits him on the treacherous paths, and how will Skullcrusher's strength be put to use? Stay tuned to find out – in the meantime, please send reviews, and thanks for reading!

Next time: Double Dragon Drama!