Chapter 23 – Fastest Sharpshot in the West!

"I want you to meet the newest member of the team – Sharpshot!"

Hiccup grinned at the stupefied expression on Fishlegs' face as he approached the Ingerman boy with his new team member in tow. He looked priceless with his eyes wide and mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp's, as though he wanted to say something but his mind was too blown to form a coherent sentence.

He knew why Fishlegs was so beside himself, of course – he'd left him a note before he'd woken up, telling him that he and Toothless were going for a morning walk. Fishlegs had been expecting him and Toothless to stroll back through the Pokemon Center doors alone, refreshed and ready to train for their Gym battle. And yet here he was with a whole extra Pokemon, and the Pokemon that he'd last seen him chasing after in a blind rage, to boot.

Hiccup probably would've been questioning whether or not he was dreaming, too, if their positions were reversed.

With Fishlegs incapacitated for the moment, Hiccup decided to continue with the introductions. "Sharpshot, this is my friend Fishlegs. We're traveling the region together."

"Hor-see-hee!" the Water-type chirped with a friendly wave of its fin – and then it squirted Fishlegs in the face with water, causing the otherwise unresponsive boy to flail and splutter.

"S-So let me get this straight," Fishlegs stammered, over the sound of Sharpshot's giggles. "This Pokemon humiliates Inferno, steals food, and knocks people off rocks just for fun, and pestered you to the point of apoplectic fury… and then you go for a walk and become its Trainer? Just like that?"

"Just like that," Hiccup confirmed. "I tell you, the Gym Leader I told you about, Grant? He was really onto something. Sharpshot's a really kind Pokemon when you get to know it. We met up this morning, it rescued Toothless from a fall, we battled and… voila! New partner!"

"Bago bay…" Toothless muttered, much less enthusiastic, and hopped down to the floor to greet Meatlug. Sharpshot followed, getting a resigned growl out of the Bagon when it nuzzled him, and a much more content rumble when it did the same to the watching Rhyhorn.

"That is… truly unbelievable," Fishlegs marveled, Hiccup's explanation having piqued his interest. "You must've had quite a breakthrough with him."

Hiccup nodded, his smile growing fond. If watching Sharpshot reveal its true colors in a moment of crisis had been his first hint as to his true personality, then their battle had been positively eye-opening. The Horsea had proven a tricky and agile opponent, but Hiccup had already known that from watching it take down Inferno several days ago, and so him and Toothless had anticipated its movements and deployed some tricks of their own. At the end, when Sharpshot had fallen in exhaustion and allowed itself to be drawn into the Poke Ball, Hiccup felt… enlightened, almost, like he really understood Sharpshot. It wasn't just a successful battle – it was a successful connection.

Thanks, Grant. Your wisdom is coming in handy, already, he thought. And as for our battle…

"Hmm, let's see here," Fishlegs was muttering, holding up the Pokedex to scan Sharpshot (who bounded out of an annoyed Meatlug's reach when she swiped her horn at it for spritzing her under the eye). "Horsea, the Dragon Pokemon… adolescent male… knows Bubble Beam, Twister, Smokescreen… ooh, Focus Energy's a good one… Sniper ability. Not bad, not bad!

"Hiccup, do you know what this means?" he turned to Hiccup all of a sudden. His initial shock was now completely gone, replaced by that familiar Fishlegs enthusiasm when he got a new Pokemon to study. "Horsea… th-that is, Sharpshot… is an incredible addition to your team! He evolves into Kingdra, one of the only Water-and-Dragon-types in the world! Previously, I'd say your team's biggest weakness was Ice-types, but this little guy will be able to counter them! And as for battle strategies, I'd personally capitalize on Focus Energy to take advantage of his ability –"

"I know, Fishlegs!" Hiccup laughed. "I'll be happy to hear your assessment later, but right now I need your help to give him a crash course in battling Rock-types. After he's been healed and fed, of course."

"Crash course… oh!" Fishlegs' eyes lit up with understanding. "Hiccup, are you saying…?"

He nodded. "Yep – Sharpshot's fighting with me at the Cyllage Gym. I've seen his moves firsthand. Once we practice his moves, and have a few sparring sessions… I think we'll be ready by this afternoon."

"R-Really?" Fishlegs asked, delighted. "Your confidence is inspiring, Hiccup! I-If you really think you can take on the Gym today, l-let me help! We'll test out Sharpshot's strength on Meatlug and Darkvarg… oh, and you wanted to use Skullcrusher too, right? Let's get him up to snuff while we're at it!"

A low, dismal chirp from Toothless drew Hiccup's attention to his beloved partner. "Bay-go, bay Bagon!" he insisted, a disgruntled look on his muzzle as he returned to Hiccup's side to tug on his pant leg.

"Sorry, bud," Hiccup replied, crouching to soothe him with a rub on the snout. "I know I said I'd let you fight when Inferno turned out to be uncooperative… but Skullcrusher and Sharpshot are the best I've got for Rock-types. I promise I'll call on you when I challenge the next Gym."

The Bagon glowered at him for a moment, but soon relaxed at his touch and accepted the compromise wordlessly.

Satisfied with that, Hiccup stood again and addressed Fishlegs with a grin. He felt surer of himself than he had in days; his doubts regarding Inferno couldn't have been further from his mind now that he had Sharpshot, and a new outlook on Pokemon training to guide him forward.

"Come on, Fishlegs. Sharpshot, you too," he motioned both of them toward the front desk. "Let's get to training – we have a badge to win."

Hiccup's only Gym experience so far had been in Santalune City, where the Gym had been more akin to an art museum and the battlefield a greenhouse. As Cyllage City was home to only his second Gym, the entrance to which was carved into a cliff at the top of a steep hill, he had no idea what to expect. If the Santalune Gym had been designed to reflect the tastes and Pokemon speciality of the Gym Leader, then how would Grant – a rather unconventional Rock-type Trainer – tailor his Gym?

The answer to that mystery just about blew his socks off.

Striding through the shadowy entrance led him and Fishlegs into a spacious chamber, its dome-shaped walls and ceiling carved straight out of the cliff itself. It was truly massive, comparable to some of the Gym stadiums Hiccup had visited in Galar, but there were no stands or battlefield. Rather, the artificial cave was dominated by a great pillar of stone that speared up from the center, almost a hundred feet high. As Hiccup wandered closer, dumbstruck with awe at the impressive sculpture, he noticed that not all of it was natural rock – grooves had been cut into it and filled in with steel, speckled with an irregular [scattering] of multicolored, stone-like growths.

"Incredible," Fishlegs murmured. "What an unconventional Gym design… I don't even see a battlefield. And what significance does that pillar have?"

Hiccup grimaced as Toothless started to squirm on his shoulder, claws and knees digging in painfully. When he glanced over to see what had gotten the dragonling so antsy, he saw immediately that Toothless' eyes were locked on the stone tower, sparkling with childlike wonder at the sheer height of it. "Bagooooo…"

"Simmer down there, bud," he said, holding him steady with a restraining hand. Then, he blinked, noticing something off. "Hey, uh, Fishlegs? I know I'm new to this Gym thing, but… isn't the Gym Leader supposed to be here?"

"I doubt he's absent, given that this is the League season," the Ingerman boy postulated. "But you're right, it's odd that we haven't met him ye–"

"Hellooooo, challengers!"

A voice boomed from somewhere far above their heads, startling them into looking up with eyes blown wide. Only now did they see the person clinging to the side of the pillar near the pinnacle, in much the same way Hiccup had first met him. The Cyllage Gym Leader twisted himself around so that he was hanging on by one foot and one hand, his other two limbs dangling as he called down to his visitors, as casual as could be.

"I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon, Hiccup!" Grant yelled, raising his free hand in a jaunty wave. "Anyway, welcome to my Gym! Battlefield's at the top of the wall – come on up and join me so we can get started!"

The battlefield's at the top… it's where? Hiccup did a double-take and slowly looked the pillar up and down, taking in its height with increasing alarm. I have to climb all of that?!

"Uh, Mr. G-Grant, sir?" Fishlegs called out nervously through cupped hands. "D-Does, um, everyone n-need to climb up?"

"Nah, spectators can just take the elevator on the other side!" Grant replied, gesturing vaguely to the pillar's right side. "The challenge is for… you know, challengers! See you at the top!"

And on that condemning note, Grant quickly clambered over the peak and out of sight.

"Great," Hiccup muttered. "It's not enough that I have to win a battle, I have to kill myself on the way there, too."

"Bago Bagon!" Toothless chirped ecstatically, even more thrilled now that he knew they would be climbing. He pointed repeatedly at the top, sounding like a child insisting his parents come with him on a ride at an amusement park.

"Yes, Toothless, I know. We're both scaling this thing," Hiccup sighed, resigning himself to his fate. He tapped the Dragon-type's snout and added with mock sternness, "Just don't jump off as soon as we get to the top, because I'm not coming down after you."

He turned to Fishlegs next, and his expression must have been more exasperated than he intended, because the Ingerman boy reacted with a nervous shuffle and seemed to have trouble looking at him. "S-Sorry, Hiccup… I, um, w-wish you could come with me, b-but it's your Gym challenge… and I'm sure the Leader has a g-good reason for making you do it the hard way…"

Gulping, he forced a smile and edged away with a shaky thumbs-up. "S-So… uh, g-good luck! I'll s-see you at… well, you know… the top…"

He scurried off, leaving Hiccup alone to face the wall. With another sigh, he approached the looming structure, pretending not to notice how it seemed to get taller the closer he came.

"Okay, bud…" he said, pushing up his sleeves to receive a reminder of his near non-existent upper body strength. "Time to give this a shot."

At the base of the pillar, the ground was noticeably spongy and gave under Hiccup's feet. A safety precaution, he deduced, so that anyone who fell off would walk away with aches instead of breaks. Additionally, a bowl-shaped pedestal stood next to the wall, filled with dusty chalk he quickly figured out was for his hands, to minimize the risk of slipping while he climbed. He took the time to dig around in the rough substance, giving his hands a substantial white coat, before he finally turned and addressed the wall proper. He reached out to touch one of the football-sized fake rocks decorating its surface, finding it just large and irregular enough for him to get a sturdy grip.

With no excuse to stall any longer, Hiccup steeled himself and told Toothless to hang on tight. Then, stretching up to grab a handhold, he hauled himself onto the wall, and the trial began.

For somebody who spent as little time doing physical exercise outside of walking as Hiccup did, the first few minutes of the climb were monumentally exhausting. Every time he grabbed a new handhold, it took everything he had to push himself up enough for his foot to reach the next one. Between every step he took, he had to spend a few seconds resting, catching his breath. And each time he did, he cast his eyes toward the top, realizing with mounting despair that he still had far, far to go.

But he pushed the crushing feeling away as best he could, knowing it would make his job that much harder, and he kept climbing.

The wall seemed to go on and on. Most of the time, he was heading straight up, but due to the winding nature of the path, he had to pause in his struggle against gravity to clamber sideways. Sometimes, a handhold would be just out of reach, and that was when Hiccup would pause and adjust his course, finding a new way forward. Then he would continue anew – reach, grab, pull, step, repeat. It became a routine for him, his exhaustion drifting out of his mind as he went through the motions. Whenever he wasn't studying his surroundings for the next handhold, he was craning his neck to stare up at the peak. That was his goal, ever-present and unchanging. Nothing else existed.

But all it took to break that focus was a slip.

"Yaaahhh!" Hiccup's grasp on his next handhold abruptly faltered as he pulled himself forward, causing his foot to slide off its rest – his entire body jolted as two of his extremities were torn away. Suddenly, what had once been comfortable silence turned into a deafening rush of blood in his ears, his heart pounding against his ribs so hard he thought it might burst free. Only one hand and one foot kept him anchored, the rest of his body left swaying in empty air. He was completely unable to move, chilling fear paralyzing him such that he could do nothing but stare, terrified, at the handhold that had almost led to catastrophe.

"Bago!" Toothless' harsh cry crashed in his ear, sending another jolt through him. Tiny feet pushed off his shoulder as Toothless jumped, perching atop the rock ahead of him and extending his arms, barking at his Trainer to reach out. A glance at Toothless' eyes – hard and determined, blinking a stalwart promise – pushed back the fear enough for Hiccup to extend his hand, trusting his partner.

Toothless grabbed and pulled on his hand until it was resting securely upon the handhold. With Toothless keeping his hand steady, Hiccup somehow mustered the strength necessary to tug himself forward, kicking his leg toward its former perch. Safe once again, he stayed there, panting, as the terror ebbed away.

"Thanks, Toothless," he murmured when he finally felt safe enough to speak. "I'm glad you're here with me."

As his partner returned to his shoulder, Hiccup released the remainder of his fear as a shaky, drawn-out exhale and turned his gaze back to his goal. It was still quite a ways up, but it was definitely closer, and the sight gave him the strength to move forward. He settled back into the old routine – reach out, grab hold, pull forward. His focus returned, and his pace quickened with anticipation for the end. Up… up… up… just like that…

Then, he reached out and felt nothing. He blinked, jarred from concentration by pure bafflement this time. There was no more wall ahead of him; directly before him was the lip. It was done.

Hiccup pulled himself up over the edge, crawling on his hands and knees onto flat ground once more, and he rolled over onto his back with a loud, carrying gasp. All at once, it hit him just how much his body hurt – his arms and legs were strained and his palms stung something fierce, little needles of pain stabbing him every time he so much as flexed his fingers. He lay there for several seconds, waiting for the wave of weariness to pass so he could stagger back onto his feet on buckling legs.

What he saw confirmed what Grant had said. Before him was a large platform, the white lines of an official League battlefield stretching across its length. Off to the side, a short wall had been placed, blocking off a set of benches as well as a small cement block with a door embedded in it. Fishlegs sat there, beaming with pride from seeing Hiccup finish the climb, and he wasn't the only one – Grant was standing on the opposite end of the battlefield, hands raised in slow applause.

"Great job, Hiccup! Glad you could make it!" the Gym Leader praised. When Hiccup only managed a noncommittal grunt in response, his grin widened. "I like to make every challenger climb my wall before they get the privilege of a Gym battle. It's something I think every Trainer needs to go through. Tell me, Hiccup, what were you thinking about while you were climbing?"

Well, death, that one time… Hiccup bit down on the sarcastic response that danced on his tongue, and decided to give the question serious thought. The tone Grant was using reminded him of their meeting at the lighthouse, which made him believe the Gym Leader was trying to tell him something here, too. He mulled over his experience and came to an answer without much difficulty.

"… Nothing at all, I guess," he said. "At some point I forgot all about how difficult it was. The only thing I had in mind was the end… and the handholds, technically, too."

However he'd expected Grant to respond, it wasn't with a laugh. "Good!" he replied happily. "That's just what I was aiming for when I designed my Gym. The climb isn't a test of your fitness, but your mental state."

Instinctively, Hiccup exchanged a bland look with Fishlegs, and his friend seemed just as lost as he was. "Excuse me," Fishlegs asked, a hand raised, "but what exactly do you mean by 'testing his mental state'? Can you elaborate on that?"

"Of course," Grant nodded, looking pleased at his curiosity. "See, climbing is more than just fun. To reach the top of a wall, you need complete concentration and focus. Nothing else matters – only you and your goal. It's the same with Pokemon training. Everyone who challenges my Gym is aiming for something, whether it's the League or something more. In order to succeed, you need to keep your eyes on the finish line and focus on nothing else but how you're going to get there. My wall is there to help you get into the correct mental state to achieve victory… not just in the battle you came here for, but in all things. Does that make sense?"

Hiccup didn't answer right away. Instead, with the echoes of Grant's words still reverberating in his head, he strode back to the edge of the pillar and looked down. The distance between him and the Gym floor was dizzying, and yet he didn't even flinch. He had climbed all of that; him, Hiccup Haddock. Yes, it had been hard work that left him floored by the end, and had come with risks, but just by concentrating fully on the end, he'd been able to push past the difficulties and come out literally on top.

Just like what he said about my problem with Inferno, Hiccup thought, realizing that Grant had once again given him a great revelation. He shook his head in stunned disbelief, a chuckle slipping out. He's got such an unconventional way of thinking, and yet thanks to him, I've seen what I can accomplish with the right mindset.

If I can win my second badge today, I'll have concrete proof of that.

"So!" Grant said, clapping his hands. "Why don't we get started with the battle? Now that you made it up here on your own, there's no sense in waiting any longer!"

He fiddled with a Holo Caster on his wrist, and in just a few seconds, the nearby elevator door slid open to allow a man in a referee uniform exit. With a nod to both Hiccup and Grant, the referee vaulted over the wall to take his place on the battlefield, a flag in each hand.

"This is a formal Gym battle between the challenging Trainer and the Leader, Grant," he announced. "Each side is permitted the use of up to two Pokemon, and the battle will be declared over when both of one side's Pokemon are unable to continue. Only the challenger is allowed mid-battle substitutions. Are both sides ready?"

Alright, Hiccup – it's finally time, Hiccup told himself, tensing even as the rush of energy he'd felt in Viola's Gym returned. Holding a finger up to the referee to ask for one moment, he hurried over to Fishlegs and handed him Toothless, who looked disgruntled but otherwise accepting of the fact he was being benched. He thanked the Bagon and gave him a reassuring pat, and nodded to Fishlegs, who opened up his notebook and returned the nod much more excitedly.

"You've gotten this far, Hiccup, but it's time for me to put one more wall in your path," Grant gave a challenging grin. "I can't wait to see how you'll aim for the top. Go, Amaura!"

With the toss of a Poke Ball, Hiccup's first opponent was released. It didn't look like any Rock-type he'd ever seen, though – it was light blue and devoid of any sharp, craggy edges, instead being smooth and round with a gracefully-curving neck. It blinked big, gentle eyes and flushed warm colors into its two head crests, letting out a soft mewling sound. Hiccup thought it looked especially cute and harmless… until the jewel-like growths on its sides let out a hiss of cold vapor, making him shiver.

It's a Rock- and an Ice-type, he groaned internally. Of freaking course it is.

"Well, I suppose I know who I'm bringing out first," he muttered, shrugging. "Sharpshot, you're up!"

The Horsea appeared on the field with a squeak and hopped from side-to-side, absolutely bursting with energy despite the morning they'd spent training. Across the battlefield, Grant's eyes widened; paired with his growing smile, he looked impressed.

"No way," he said in disbelief. "That's the same Horsea from the other night! So you did catch it!"

"Thanks to you," Hiccup admitted, grinning despite himself. "If you hadn't given me such great advice, I'd never have thought to make a connection with him. Now we're helping each other out!"

"You said that you were barely a Dragon Tamer, and yet you're already full of surprises," Grant remarked, letting out a whistle. "I hope you'll show me just how that newfound understanding between you and your Pokemon has paid off for you."

The referee glanced at both sides, then raised his flags. "First round is Horsea versus Amaura! Let the battle begin!"

Wanting the initiative, Hiccup took the first move. "Start with Bubble Beam, Sharpshot!"

He wasn't being aggressive out of impatience, or to show off. Amaura's bigger than Sharpshot, and it didn't take many hits at all for Toothless to knock him out, he reasoned. We'll keep it away with ranged attacks, then look for an opportunity to use Focus Energy and do a lot of damage…

"Amaura, use Icy Wind around yourself!" Grant called just after Hiccup, forcing him to abandon his own thoughts and pay attention.

Sharpshot was as quick on the draw as ever, taking no time at all to launch a powerful stream of bubbles at his larger opponent. But at Grant's order, Amaura hunkered down and emitted a sharp cry, blasting freezing air from its flanks at an incredible rate. Soon, it had completely covered itself with a dome of mist, just in time for the Bubble Beam to make contact. The Water-type attack froze instantly on impact, dissolving into a sparkling rain of ice crystals and snowflakes that sprinkled over Amaura's side of the field.

"Icy Wind again!" Grant shouted.

"Amaaauuur!" the Tundra Pokemon cooed, and suddenly the dome expanded outward in a rush of chilled air straight for Sharpshot.

Fortunately, that morning Hiccup had figured out a defensive move of his own for his only non-Dragon-type. "Use Twister! Blow that Icy Wind back!"

"See-hee-hee!" Sharpshot laughed, a sound that was immediately drowned out by the roar of violent winds. The small typhoon he conjured blew forward, sucking the Icy Wind into its spiralling embrace. Absorbing the cold air with no resistance, it surged toward the seemingly helpless reptile.

"That is one powerful Twister, alright," Grant nodded, unbothered by the wind that was already getting close enough to whip through his hair. "Amaura, defend with Rock Tomb!"

Emitting another keening cry, Amaura's crests flashed and took on a white glow. Out of thin air, large rocks appeared around it, floating weightlessly before Amaura asserted its control over them. With a swing of its head, they flew in curving arcs to pile up in one spot, creating a barricade – one that was immediately tested when the Twister slammed into it. The whirlwind broke up upon hitting the obstruction, its winds disturbed, and the rocks shuddered and crumbled apart from the force of the clash.

But Amaura was unharmed, something that Hiccup observed with a spike of frustration. Okay, so it uses its moves to protect itself. We'll just outmaneuver it.

"Sharpshot, jump around to confuse it! Use single shots!" he commanded.

Trilling affirmatively, the Dragon Pokemon put his unusual terrestrial mobility to good use by bouncing around Amaura like the world's most hyperactive Politoed. Amaura's head swung left and right, and its feet shuffled back and forth as it tried to keep track, but Sharpshot was just too fast for it. It winced and bent its neck defensively as Sharpshot began to spatter it with Bubble Beam spurts, each blast weak but lightning-quick and accurate.

They don't look much like Bubble Beam, Hiccup noticed, amused. They're more like Bubble Bullets.

"Taking advantage of your greater agility, huh? Nice move," Grant complimented him. He sounded unconcerned by the damage his Pokemon was taking, which Hiccup took as a bad sign. "But Amaura knows how to defend itself against faster opponents. Thunder Wave!"

Just as Hiccup's brain registered the name as that of an Electric-type move – and supplied the appropriate dose of panic – Amaura's crests flashed yellow before pulsing with an electric current that sizzled out onto the battlefield around it. The sparks didn't get far enough to reach Sharpshot, but they did create a weak electric field around the Rock-and-Ice-type that neutralized the weak Bubble Bullets. Sharpshot stopped attacking, preferring to back off from the dangerous light show his opponent was suddenly enveloped in.

"Now, use Take Down!" Grant added.

"Mauraaaaa!" Amaura wailed, and barreled toward Sharpshot at a full gallop. Not only was it shockingly fast, silencing Hiccup before he could warn his Pokemon, but it had also begun to release more frost from its body, cloaking itself in a shimmering, icy light.

It was this uniquely icy Take Down that slammed into Sharpshot, throwing him across the length of the battlefield to land at Hiccup's feet. The Horsea got up, wincing, more damaged from the force of the body blow than its odd elemental enhancement.

"You good, Sharpshot?" Hiccup asked, and upon getting an answer, his thoughts turned back to the odd attack he'd just witnessed. "I thought Take Down was a Normal-type move; that looked more like an Ice-type."

"Good observation! It's thanks to Amaura's ability, Refrigerate," Grant was happy to explain. A smile had been present on his face since the battle had began, but now it turned shrewd. "You know, not to brag, but I think I've got your strategy figured out. Putting distance between your Pokemon and mine to make up for its low defense is smart, but as you can clearly see, Amaura can block your ranged attacks. And what'll you do when I decide to start playing offense? Thunder Wave, Amaura!"

"D-Dodge it, Sharpshot!" Hiccup hastened to retort as sparks started crackling around Amaura's crests.

Sharpshot was nothing if not quick on his feet (proverbially speaking), hopping about wildly and maneuvering around the pulses of electricity Amaura produced. He dodged over, under, and even through the Thunder Waves, slipping between the gaps like a Goomy sliding through cage bars. But even though his newest partner was putting on a fine show, not a spark ever touching him, Hiccup's frown only deepened.

If Grant forces us on the defensive like this, we won't be able to stop Amaura, he thought. Okay, how do I keep Amaura off us for a moment…

As he wracked his brain, Sharpshot avoided another Thunder Wave, but that put him directly into the path of Amaura's next attack. In an abrupt change of strategy, the frost-coated sauropod rammed him with another Take Down, sending him sprawling. Sharpshot got up, but Amaura was already turning around and blitzing toward him again – and it was at this moment Hiccup remembered something.

"Sharpshot, use Smokescreen!" he shouted, and Sharpshot complied instantly, spewing a cloud of smog that grew to encompass the entire battlefield. In the moments before his view was blocked entirely, Hiccup watched Amaura skid to a halt, uncertain, and he smirked.

My first battle with Astrid. Blocking its vision for just a moment will be enough for us to –

Grant's voice cut off his reminiscing. "Use Icy Wind, Amaura!"

A chill swept over Hiccup, and not just because he knew what Grant was doing – a frigid wind literally swept across the battlefield, causing the smoke curtain to waver and bulge. The breeze picked up, and the cloud was torn to shreds, blown away in a single gust so that the battlefield was pristine once more. Amaura stood in the center of it all, wrapped in lingering mist.

Before Hiccup could react, the Gym Leader ordered another Icy Wind, which flooded out from Amaura's body in a rolling wave. Sharpshot squeaked as he was overtaken by the wind, and when the thick mist dissipated enough for Hiccup to see, dread pulled his heart down into his stomach. Sharpshot was undamaged, but frost now clung to his shivering body, causing his movements to turn sluggish.

That Icy Wind was too weak to damage him… but Grant wasn't trying to, Hiccup realized, contrite. He's cold-blooded – the chill is slowing him down.

He gritted his teeth, frustration starting to burn within him. What's going on? Grant has an answer for everything we do, but there's more… it's like Sharpshot and I can't get in sync.

"Bubble Beam!" he tried, impulsively.

"Thunder Wave!" Grant countered.

Though Sharpshot managed to get his act together enough to spew a powerful torrent, Amaura focused its electrical pulses in front of it to create a charge strong enough to turn the bubbles into steam. The two Pokemon were left confronting each other – Amaura was panting, but healthy, while Sharpshot was slumped over tiredly, shivering.

"Interesting use of your Horsea's talents, but you won't be able to climb the wall as you are now," Grant said musingly. "Just thinking out loud here, but maybe you should've gotten to know him a little more before sending him out in a Gym battle.

"Now, let's wrap this up, Amaura!" he declared. "Pin it down with Rock Tomb!"

"Maaaauuur!" the Rock-and-Ice-type cried, generating more boulders that swiftly began to orbit it like miniature moons. With a toss of its head, it sent the whole ring flying toward Sharpshot, and before his impaired body could react, the rocks crashed into the ground around him, throwing up a great plume of choking dust.

When it faded enough for Hiccup to see, the sight that greeted him wasn't a defeated Sharpshot, but a wall of rocks almost as tall as he was, with Sharpshot in the middle. He wasn't totally trapped – there was a small gap in the front wide enough to squeeze through – but Hiccup knew that was on purpose. Still trembling with cold and now locked down with only one way out, Sharpshot's biggest advantage has been rendered nil.

None of this felt right. Hiccup stood there, staring dumbly at Sharpshot's prison in a shroud of bewilderment and frustration. It wasn't just that Grant's Pokemon was a perfect counter to Sharpshot… it was more than that. Why do I feel like I'm missing something? Sharpshot isn't battling at all like before. Even Grant can tell… he said I should've gotten to know him more before using him…

He thought back his first encounter with the Horsea. Back then, Horsea had toyed with Inferno like it was nothing at all. And in his battle with Toothless, he'd shown off all kinds of sneaky tricks. Like using Focus Energy underwater, when Toothless couldn't strike back…

There it was: the answer.

"Finish it, Amaura – Take Down!" Grant ordered.

Cloaking itself in ice, Amaura rushed forward, aiming directly for Sharpshot's only escape route. At least, it seemed to be his only route. Grinning, a newly inspired Hiccup flung his arm out and commanded, "Come on, Sharpshot! Get yourself over those rocks with Twister!"

A glint sparked in the eye of the otherwise miserable-looking fish, and he pointed his nozzle-like snout downwards. Without warning, a tornado roared to life from within the Rock Tomb, blasting Sharpshot sky-high with a victorious squeal. "Hor-seeeeee!"

"Well, now that's more like it!" Grant laughed. "But you can't dodge in the air! Rock Tomb, straight up!"

"Use another Twister to land!" Hiccup retorted. Behind his back, he was crossing his fingers, hoping that this wild idea wouldn't crash and burn.

With a blast of air, Sharpshot propelled himself back down, the flying boulders missing by a mile. He hit the floor a little roughly, but he glanced at Hiccup to assure him that he was fine. Nodding encouragingly, Hiccup continued, "Now get on those rocks and use Bubble Beam!"

Amaura was still distracted by its failed Rock Tomb, so climbing onto a high perch and shooting it with a super-effective move was a smart decision. But Hiccup already knew well that Grant had a counter for the Water-type attack, so that alone wouldn't be enough. Come on, use Thunder Wave… this has got to work…

Bright blue and belting out a shrill battle cry, Sharpshot was impossible to miss as he hopped atop one of the scattered boulders and gushed a stream of bubbles. Grant reacted to the conspicuous display, calling out to the vulnerable Amaura – "Turn and use Thunder Wave, straight ahead!"

Matching its foe's scream with a wail, Amaura's long neck whipped toward Sharpshot as its crests released an electric pulse that met the Bubble Beam and raced up its length, moving twice as fast through the conductive liquid. Any moment, it would reach Sharpshot and wrack him with paralysis… if this wasn't what Hiccup had hoped for.

"Quick – turn your Bubble Beam into a spray!" he yelled.

Sharpshot's answering cry came out as a gurgle as he abruptly undid his focus on the Bubble Beam. Like changing the nozzle on a garden hose, the concentrated beam spread out into a gentle shower of harmless mist, so light that it quickly blew across the field. The effect on Amaura's Thunder Wave was instantaneous – it began to break up and scatter, conducted by the water that now saturated the air. The shower reached Amaura… and so too did the spreading sparks, ensnaring it in a web of its own electricity. It stiffened, paralyzed.

"Wh-What the…?!" Grant gasped, just as stunned as his Pokemon.

"Now, Sharpshot!" Hiccup took great satisfaction in ordering. "Focus Energy, then Bubble Beam single shots!"

"See-hee-hee-hee!" the mischievous Water-type cackled, his eyes glowing gold and narrowing. With unnatural precision, he fired three bullets in quick succession: one, and Amaura flinched; two, and it fell stiffly to its knees; three, and it fell onto its back.

"Aaaaand Twister," Hiccup finished, casually confident that this would end it.

It did. The typhoon of Sharpshot's making howled unstoppably forward and drew Amaura right into its clutches, sending it swirling skyward with a keening scream. After only a couple of revolutions, the Twister died down, and with nothing to support its weight, the sauropod crashed hard enough to leave a small crater in the floor.

"Amaura is unable to battle!" the referee's call made it official. "Horsea wins!"

Once he'd returned his Pokemon, Grant gave Hiccup an admiring glance. "What an ingenious strategy! Using water to redirect our own Thunder Wave back at us – how in the world did you come up with that on the spot?"

Hiccup spared a fond smile for Sharpshot, who fluttered his fin excitedly. "Because that's how Sharpshot would've battled. I realized that my battle style wasn't working, so I thought of something that he would do, and we pulled it off together."

"See-hee!" Sharpshot agreed.

"Spoken like a true Pokemon Trainer," Grant approved. "But you're going to need more than misdirection and fancy dodges to stop my final Pokemon! Come out, Tyrunt!"

Hiccup grew still as the familiar Rock-and-Dragon-type appeared on the field. It was like he was facing Inferno again, except for the fact that this Tyrunt was darker and slightly larger, with old scratches and scrapes marring its hide. Unlike his belligerent rookie, it was a seasoned battler. Hiccup spotted Fishlegs poring over his notebook obsessively, and decided to take a page out of his book, so to speak.

Pay close attention to how Grant battles with Tyrunt. Maybe I can come up with some idea of how to work with Inferno by watching them.

"Let's keep going, Sharpshot," he said, and the Horsea trilled confidently.

The referee lifted his flags again. "Horsea versus Tyrunt – battle, begin!"

Wasting no time, Hiccup shouted, "Up in the air with Twister, then single Bubble Beam!"

With a howl of wind, Sharpshot soared high and fired a water bullet, needing barely any time to aim thanks to the lingering effects of Focus Energy. It struck Tyrunt between the eyes, an amazingly accurate hit, but its natural resistance to Water-types blunted the damage, and so it barely even stumbled.

"Go for Rock Tomb!" Grant instructed.

Growling, Tyrunt glowed and spun its tail, sending a volley of rocks at the flying Horsea in the same manner as Amaura before it. When the boulders came close, though, Tyrunt twisted its tail in a way that brought them crashing together, crushing Sharpshot between them and bringing them all down to the ground.

Need to buy time for him to escape…! Hiccup realized, and called, "Use your ink!"

"See!" Sharpshot squeaked, pulling his head free just enough to aim a burst of the slimy substance directly into Tyrunt's eyes.

But Grant was undeterred – the Gym Leader raised his arm and directed, "It can't move, Tyrunt! Use Stomp!"

"Tyraaaaa!" the theropod snarled, and rushed the pile of rocks, where Sharpshot was squirming desperately to free himself. But Tyrunt got there first, leaping into the air and plummeting feetfirst toward the place where it had last seen its opponent. Its Stomp was sufficient to crush the boulders underfoot, and Sharpshot with it.

When the dust cleared, his unmoving form laying amidst the strewn rubble was evidence enough for the referee to make his judgement. "Horsea is unable to battle – Tyrunt wins! Challenger, please send out your second Pokemon!"

As Hiccup did so, Tyrunt twisted itself around to flick its tail over its eyes, wiping them of ink, and Grant observed with his ever-present carefree smile. "What do you think, Hiccup? Impressive, right?" he asked, pride tinging his voice. "Tyrunt's my pride and joy, one of the best Rock-types I've ever had the pleasure of training. So, why don't you show me how you're going to climb this wall?"

Strangely enough, Hiccup felt confident in the face of the Gym Leader's challenge. "Well, this one's not much of a climber," he replied wryly. "That'd be Toothless. But I've got someone plenty strong enough to smash through your wall."

The Pokemon he sent out was, of course, Skullcrusher, emerging from the Poke Ball to swing his tusks in intimidating fashion. In response to the Axew's display, Tyrunt gnashed his teeth to show off his strong jaws, both of them agitated yet wary. They could each hurt the other equally as badly, for this was to be a battle of Dragon-types.

The referee made his third and final call ("Axew versus Tyrunt – battle, begin!"), and Hiccup again took the initiative. "Start with Scary Face! Restrict its movement!"

"Yewwwww!" Skullcrusher growled, sending the red-eyed illusion to expand forward and fill Tyrunt's vision. The Rock-and-Dragon-type tensed and took a single step back, momentarily frozen to the spot.

"Great! Now get it before it recovers!" Hiccup shouted encouragingly. "Dual Chop!"

Skullcrusher took off before the Scary Face had totally faded, tusks flashing with the teal glow of Dragon-type energy. By the time the projection did fade, he was directly in front of Tyrunt, leaping up with his head twisted in preparation to score a super-effective blow.

Seconds before impact, though, Hiccup realized that Tyrunt hadn't even attempted to escape. Its eyes were on Skullcrusher: steady, unblinking, almost as if it were waiting.

Just what it was waiting for became clear before he could warn his Pokemon. At the very last moment, Grant snapped his fingers and commanded, "Dragon Tail!"

There was a green flash and the sound of flesh smacking against flesh, and Skullcrusher flew back to Hiccup's side and hit the dirt, a painful welt crossing his chest. The attack was so swift that Hiccup almost missed it, but he'd caught a glimpse – Tyrunt's tail glowing green and being wielded like a flail as it whirled around to slam Skullcrusher, well out of range of his tusks.

"You slowed down Tyrunt before attacking because you saw how quick he was to dispatch your Horsea – good thinking!" Grant commented. "Too bad I knew you'd try to take the first move again and decided to wait!"

Muscles tensing with a flare of indignation, Hiccup addressed Skullcrusher, asking if he was okay. Other than the nasty-looking bruise and a stagger in his step, the Axew got to his feet without issue. The stubborn look in his eyes made it clear that it'd take more than that to deter him.

Seeing his willingness to continue, Grant took charge this time. "Go, Tyrunt! Stomp!"

"Tyraaaaa!" Tyrunt jumped and bore down on Skullcrusher with both feet aimed to crush.

"Dodge and use False Swipe!" Hiccup answered, the beginnings of a plan forming. Just need to get close to him… if he thinks he doesn't need to immediately defend…

"Yew!" Skullcrusher leapt aside, letting Tyrunt plunge past him. The moment Tyrunt landed, it was his turn, and he swung his head to score a glancing strike on its exposed backside with a tusk. Using his own momentum, he spun around and aimed his other tusk, this one starting to glow –

"Dragon Tail!" Grant called, unexpectedly.

WHACK. For the second time, Skullcrusher skidded across the battlefield, kicking up a trail of dust as Tyrunt's tail lashed out to strike him. Hiccup stared in shock – it hadn't tried to dodge, or even turn around. It just… attacked, as though unconcerned by the possibility of Skullcrusher hitting it in the process.

"I figured you were up to something, using a move like False Swipe," Grant told him, as chatty as ever. "I raised my Tyrunt to be a real powerhouse. Any small tricks or feeble defenses you have, he'll bulldoze on through without stopping. It'll take more than that to beat him."

No kidding, Hiccup grimaced, watching Skullcrusher pull himself back up while Tyrunt waited impatiently, pawing the ground and wagging that deadly tail. 'Powerhouse' is the right word – it attacks like it knows it can shrug off any opposition, and hits hard enough to back up its confidence. That's definitely something I hope Inferno can become one day…

Think, Hiccup. It's gotta have a weakness somewhere… and I'll bet it lies in what Grant said. I don't want a Pokemon like Sharpshot, who relies on trickery to make up for his frailty…

He gazed out at Skullcrusher, who was bruised, unstable, and wincing with pain, but who stood tall and toughed it out regardless. That's right, he realized. I want a Pokemon like Skullcrusher. He's already used to sacrificing himself when something – or someone – else is on the line. He'll take any hit if it means success. That's how we'll win.

"Rock Smash, straight in!" he ordered.

"You too, Tyrunt! Stomp!" Grant shot back.

Both dragons blurred into action, but although Skullcrusher was quicker on the draw, Tyrunt was fast as well. Its powerful leap carried it beyond the range of the Axew's tusks, where it then plunged back down with enough force to displace the air beneath it. Skullcrusher's own speed saved him, however, from the… well, skull-crushing… impact, and he dove into the dust cloud to land his very first blow. Tyrunt staggered into the open, the scales on its right leg chipped, and it circled Skullcrusher with newfound wariness.

Its legs. At once, it clicked in Hiccup's mind. I thought its tail was the big issue, but no… its strength and speed come from its legs. That's the weakness.

"Bite!" Grant shouted. "Toss it and follow with Stomp!"

With an unexpected burst of speed, Tyrunt caught Skullcrusher in its jaws and hurled him away, intending not to damage but disorient him. Hiccup snapped out of his revelation long enough to snap out a command, and Skullcrusher let loose a Scary Face that made Tyrunt falter before jumping. The resulting Stomp was sloppier, leaving Hiccup's Dragon-type more than enough time to get out of the way before Tyrunt's feet smashed home.

In particular, Hiccup's attention was drawn to the crater left behind in the aftermath. As Tyrunt took a second to step out of the hole before pursuing Skullcrusher, a proper plan started taking shape. It's left a bunch of craters from repeated misses… the ground's uneven in those spots. Maybe… if it loses its footing…

"Man, that Axew's a slippery one!" Grant said, half in lament, half as praise. "Tyrunt, close the distance with Bite!"

Hiccup, now with a budding hypothesis to test, shouted with a surge of confidence, "Meet it, Skullcrusher! Use your powered-up False Swipe!"

"Axew yew!" Skullcrusher snarled, heedless of Tyrunt's open jaws as he charged in what seemed like blind obedience. As he did, the tip of his tusk flashed, and the light extended along the edges right as he swung it to clash with Tyrunt's snout and force it back.

Tyrunt retaliated, though, barely bothered by the Normal-type move as it batted Skullcrusher away with the side of its head. The Axew slid to a stop, his heels touching the edge of one of the craters, and growled at his opponent as if to goad him. He wasn't done yet.

"Rock Tomb, Tyrunt!" Grant called.

As Amaura had done before, the generated rocks formed a ring that was then slammed into place around Skullcrusher, who didn't have the surefootedness of Sharpshot or Toothless to jump free. But Hiccup knew he didn't have to – in fact, as he witnessed his Pokemon caged by boulders, he realized this might be his chance to tip the scale in his favor. If Tyrunt does what I think it's going to do…

Then, Grant gave the order he'd been hoping for – "Now, crush it with Stomp!"

"Quickly, Skullcrusher!" Hiccup seized his chance. "Rock Smash your way out of there!"

"Yewwwww!" Skullcrusher roared, and both his tusks flashed orange as he rammed them into the boulders as hard as he could.

Just as Tyrunt leapt high and began its devastating descent upon the seemingly trapped Axew, two of the rocks exploded into pebbles and dust. The makeshift cage was hidden by a thick curtain of debris, which didn't just billow outwards but upwards. Hiccup caught a single glimpse of Tyrunt's surprised expression just before the cloud reached up to swallow it. A panicked cry emanated from the dust, followed by the sound of stones shattering.

A second later, Skullcrusher burst out of the smokescreen without a scratch on him, turning warily to face it in case Tyrunt came rushing out after him. It didn't happen, though, and the reason for that was soon revealed – within the broken ring of boulders, Tyrunt was struggling to pry itself free from the trap of its own making, sunk up to its thigh in a pile of sediment.

"What happened?!" Grant exclaimed, even as Hiccup felt validation course through him.

He never got the chance to explain, however: Fishlegs beat him to it. "A-Amazing! The sheer force of Tyrunt's Stomp on unstable ground caused it to collapse!"

Grant blinked, his intrigued smile broadening. "Well, that's unexpected…"

"Let's go, Skullcrusher!" Hiccup cried, emboldened by the success. "Rock Smash!"

Also drawing strength from the sight of his downed foe, Skullcrusher reignited his tusks and jabbed their glowing tips full force into Tyrunt's flank. The Rock-and-Dragon-type shrieked, wracked with pain from the mighty blows, and in its agonized throes yanked itself free of the earth with limping steps. Hunched over and panting, it let out a furious roar that petered out weakly, which Skullcrusher didn't even flinch at.

"Bite, Tyrunt!" the Gym Leader commanded.

Skullcrusher was too close to avoid the sudden lunge from Tyrunt, almost desperate in its ferocity, so Hiccup opted to counter. "Block it with a powered-up False Swipe!"

"Yew… y-yew!" Skullcrusher swung his tusk the instant before Tyrunt's jaws reached him, and squeaked when they instead slammed shut on the blade-like tooth. Tyrunt yanked back, trying to throw him, but he dug in his heels and pulled back as well. The two Dragon-types continued to wrestle, one to dominate its opponent and the other simply to free himself, and when it looked like Tyrunt would break the stalemate…

…white light gleamed from between its teeth, and its eyes widened as the tusk inside its mouth suddenly extended enough to poke out the other side, revealing the tip of the shining sword it had become. Skullcrusher's eyes, squeezed shut in his effort to resist, snapped open again as he wrenched his head back in a sudden twist. His glowing tusk pried open the jaws and swiped across the theropod's snout, driving it back with a pained whine.

"Skullcrusher, your False Swipe…!" Hiccup murmured, awed. "You must have powered it up so much, it turned into Slash!"

"Axew!" Skullcrusher growled, slashing experimentally with his new, elongated blade.

"Congrats on learning a new move mid-battle, but we're not finished just yet!" Grant claimed with an excited smirk. "Tyrunt, use Dragon Tail!"

"Turn that Slash into Dual Chop!" Hiccup fired back.

Roaring, Tyrunt barreled forward with a whirling swing of its tail, but Skullcrusher's tusk had enough reach to safely strike back. Standing his ground, he parried three swings, and on the last, he gave his Slash enough power to fling the Dragon Tail away. Already too injured to resist for long, Tyrunt couldn't help but stumble off-balance, and that was when Skullcrusher struck – tusks shortening to their normal length, their glow intensified from white to blazing teal as he dove underneath Tyrunt's chin and delivered a devastating one-two stab to its underbelly.

Tyrunt froze, eyes bulging, and then a low moan curled from its throat as it toppled backwards to lay on its side. The Trainers waited one second, then two… but by the third, there was no doubt.

"Tyrunt is unable to battle!" The declaration shattered the silence that had descended. "The Gym Leader is out of usable Pokemon, which means the challenger is victorious!"

The tension and adrenalin left Hiccup's body so fast that he deflated, slumping over as he let out the breath he'd been holding in a loud whoosh. "Haaaaah… we won. Ohhhh, we actually won. Okay, I was almost sure that would be a repeat of Santalune…"

He picked himself back up, hearing Fishlegs cheering in the background while he relished in the feeling of relief and elation brought by the knowledge he'd achieved a hard-earned victory. He ran to congratulate the tired Skullcrusher, whose small, pleased smile broke through the stoic mask, and Toothless soon joined them, jumping into Hiccup's chest with a congratulatory purr. Before he could greet his ecstatic partner, though, he noticed Grant approaching to join in the celebration with his usual easygoing smile.

"Now that, Hiccup, was one swell battle," he commented, applauding slowly. "It's hard to believe that I first saw you crushed with self-doubt only yesterday. But what you showed me today proves that you have the makings of a stellar Trainer."

Hiccup couldn't feel a single trace of that self-doubt as he looked up to match Grant's smile. "You were completely right," he said, "it wasn't enough for me to use trickery and misdirection for its own sake. I needed to apply it where it counted, whether it was figuring out how best to adopt Sharpshot's battle style or how to use the battlefield to my advantage."

"So you did," Grant replied, dipping one hand into his pocket as his posture relaxed. "And because you successfully climbed the walls I put before you, you've earned this as a reward."

He withdrew his hand again and opened it – resting in the palm was a badge shaped almost like a building block, colored brown and slate-grey. "I present to you the Cliff Badge to commemorate your victory at the Cyllage Gym.

"And one more thing," Grant added. "Hiccup, the fact that you managed to develop battle strategies that not only countered mine, but also suited your Pokemon, shows that you've come to understand their personalities and truly connected with them. Keep nurturing those bonds on your journey to the Kalos League, and you'll find that they'll take you over many walls to come."

That final piece of wisdom uplifted Hiccup's spirits just as much as any badge. "Thank you," he said earnestly. Almost reverently, he plucked the Cliff Badge from the Leader's hand and closed his fist around it tightly, enjoying the sensation of cold metal against his skin.

A grin pulled at his cheeks as he turned his attention to his Pokemon, who watched him intently. "Hear that, gang?" he asked them, gleeful. "We'll keep working harder from here, and then the League is gonna be ours. Sound like a plan?"

Toothless and Skullcrusher cheered, and Hiccup thought he felt Sharpshot's Poke Ball give an encouraging wiggle in his pocket. That was all the validation he needed – whatever challenges still awaited them, they would face them together.

They were a team, after all.

AN:

At long last, Hiccup's second Gym battle! I've always found it odd how far removed Viola and Grant were from each other in the games, with multiple story beats taking place between the two Gyms. But... what're you gonna do.

I also decided to take more inspiration from the games than the anime here, with Grant having both fossil Pokemon. Amaura is a really interesting Rock-type with Refrigeration as well as access to Thunder Wave. And it and Aurorus also have excellent designs - Amargasaurus is an underrated sauropod, and the aurora theme is a very creative way to interpret the neck sails.

Hiccup's fight against Grant was meant to be difficult, but manageable, and served as both a debut for Sharpshot and a lesson in creating strategies tailor-made to fit his Pokemon. I had a ton of fun showing off Sharpshot, given his pre-established nature as a trickster and especially because he's a fish Pokemon fighting on land. I think Horsea is one of the only ones that could make it work.

Anyway, let me know what you thought, readers! With Cyllage out of the way, it's forward to Shalour City... so please send reviews and look forward to what's next!

Next time: A Gravestone's Throw Away!