Champions of the Mountain
Flash couldn't see a thing. His eyes were squinting, nothing appearing beyond two feet in front of his face. As for why this was happening, he and his friends had entered the part of Foal Mountain that was surrounded by clouds, which cloaked the area like a damp mist.
"Whoa!" Spike yelped behind him, making him turn to see the teen leaning against the wall of the mountain with Twilight holding him by the shoulder.
"You okay?" Doc asked from the front of the group.
"Yeah," Spike replied, "I just uh...tripped on a rock."
"I told you to be careful," Twilight sighed. "This could have been a lot worse if we weren't going so slow."
"Which I am so over doing," Rainbow groaned. "The quicker we get out of this fog, the better."
"But if we go too fast, we might have an accident," Fluttershy chimed in, "This route might have a drop and we wouldn't see it until the last moment."
"Exactly," Doc added, "So as annoying as it is, going slow is our best bet. Yes, we want to get there, but we also want to get there alive."
Rainbow let out a long sigh, only for a bulb to go off in her head, "Wait a minute..." She took out a Pokeball, "Come on out Tank!" The ball opened, soon unleashing her newly evolved Soartoise. The others blinked at Tank as his trainer then said, "Tank, see if you can blow away some of this fog."
"Soar," Tank nodded and turned to their path, the vents in his chest beginning to blow out air.
The wind pushed the cloud away, Rainbow cheering, "Yes! Way to go Tank!"
"Huh. Not a bad idea." Flash added as both Hopper and Springer nodded in agreement.
"Maybe, but we still need to be careful." Twilight responded before patting Rainbow's shoulder, "Also, don't do that too much. You might end up teaching Tank Defog, and while it's a pretty useful move in certain situations, it's completely useless in battle."
"Oh. Yeah, that move does sound kinda lame." Rainbow replied as they continued to move, now getting to a breaking ledge. Now that the fog was gone, they could see that it was falling apart, the group taking it slow to hug the mountain while walking on the edge.
Unfortunately, Fluttershy had a near panic attack when she accidently looked down, the group having to calm her down before they finally got above the clouds. "Finally," Rainbow sighed in relief before turning to Tank. The Soartoise was panting heavily, clearly tired after keeping all the fog away. "Thanks Tank." She patted him on the back of the shell, "You were awesome."
Tank smiled back before she returned him, Flash then looking up to the top of the mountain, now seeing it was roughly two or three miles up. "We're almost there."
"Hey, what's that?" Spike asked as he pointed to the edge of the mountain cliff.
They then saw something sticking out of the clouds, which looked like a floating rock-like trees. There was a single thick trunk-like rock that had a bunch of thinner branch-like rocks coming out its side. Every rock was pointing upward, creating a series of peaks big enough for even a Stalorn to stand on.
"Cool..." Rainbow whispered.
Twilight looked down, blinking as she tried to find where the rock was coming from. "Hmm...best guess it's a piece of rock that's connected to the main mountain further down. Wind and rain have caused it to get warn down into that shape." She looked back up and adjusted her glasses, "Pretty impressive."
"I bet there are a bunch of Pokémon up there," Spike added.
"Probably," Doc responded, "But they might not appreciate us snooping on them. Best to just focus on getting up to Cloudsdale."
The others nodded in agreement, now restarting their trek up the path. After about thirty minutes, they found themselves at the top of the trail, now standing on a sloping section of the mountain. "This is great," Twilight commented while checking the map. "We're not too far from a path leading right up to the city."
"Then let's get going!" Flash cheered as Twilight lead the way up the slope. This part of the mountain was almost like a staircase, allowing them to climb higher with ease before getting to a canyon-like opening in the rock, which sloped upward into an area with two large walls on either side. To the left of this was a ledge that Flash looked over, only to pull back when he saw it was a steep drop leading down to the clouds.
"This is it. This is the start of the path that'll lead us straight up to Cloudsdale. We'll be there in less then an hour." Twilight chimed in as they began to head into his canyon, only to hear a small, high-pitched cry, "What's that?"
Everyone's eyes darted around, Flash then pointing to rock in the canyon, "There!" They all stared at where he was pointing, now seeing a blue head stick out from around the side of the rock. Before anyone could ask what it was, another head appeared around the side. This one was followed by its body, the creature walking out of the rock's shadow.
The Pokémon stood around the same height as Springer, looking similar to a Rookaco and Champagoon, mainly being dragon-like and standing on two feet. It had mostly blue scales with a light blue belly, neck and lower mouth. It didn't have any spines running down its back, and its wings were very small, definitely not big enough to fly. The first of these Pokémon stepped out to join its friend, the two turning to the group before three more appeared, all letting out cute roars and cries.
"What are those things?" Rainbow asked while both Spike and Fluttershy stared at them with stars in their eyes, Flash pulling out his Pokedex at the same time.
Twilight laughed at the question, "They're Dranby, the pre-evolved forms of Champagoon and Rookaco."
Name: Dranby
Category: Baby Dragon Pokémon
Type: Dragon
Info: This young and playful Pokémon has a very trusting nature. It'll want to play with anyone it meets, which often leads to trouble.
True to the Pokedex's description, the Dranby went over and began playing with Springer, Hopper and Peewee. The eight began a game of tag, Peewee getting tagged it while the trainers laughed.
"They're so cute," Fluttershy almost squealed. "Hard to believe they'll one day become big scary Champagoon."
"You mean an giant super awesome Champagoon!" Spike cheered before turning to Twilight, about to show off the biggest puppy dog eyes he could give.
"I don't know Spike..." Twilight slowly replied, "They look like they might not like to be separated from one another." Spike opened his mouth, only to see Twilight point at his forehead, "No, I'm not catching all five of them."
"Phooey..." Spike huffed as he looked away.
As he did this, Doc scanned the Pokémon over, "Hmmm...you know, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys were all newly hatched. They definitely have the characteristics of hatchlings."
Twilight hummed at this. "Then where's the mother?" It was here that Peewee managed to tackle a Dranby to the ground, tagging it. "Champagoon usually stay with their young for a good few weeks after they're hatched. So what happened to-" Her question was cut off when the sun was blocked out, causing the group to look up and see something big between them and the celestial body.
They stood completely still as the figure got closer, soon landing to reveal itself as a fully grown Champagoon. The Dragon Fighting-type stared at the group as it spotted the Dranby, including the one Peewee was currently pinning to the ground. "CHAMPAGOON!" it roared, making Peewee jump off Dranby while Springer and Hopper got into a battle stance.
"That's...not good." Rainbow gulped as Fluttershy hid behind her.
"Champagoon!" Flash ran in front of the group, holding his hands up. "We're not trying to hurt your babies. You don't have to be-" He didn't get to finish, as Champagoon suddenly spun around and slammed its tail into him. "AUGH!" He cried as he was thrown back, slamming into a large rock with enough force that the Pokeballs on his belt flew off and rolled around the ground.
"FLASH!" Everyone screamed as they ran to his side, Twilight quickly grabbing his Pokeballs before they rolled away. As this happened, Springer and Hopper charged at the Champagoon, only for the dragon to unleash a Hyper Beam. The blast cut a trench in the rock below them, an explosion coming next that knocked them both back.
"No!" Flash yelped as he saw his Pokémon fall over, Rainbow and Doc helping him stand up.
"Peewee!" Twilight called out, "Dragonbreath!" The Terragon roared as he unleashed a blast of blue fire, hitting Champagoon right in the face.
"Champ!" It roared in pain, only for its claws to start glowing blue.
"Its about to use Dragon Claw!" Doc yelled as Flash pulled himself free of his friends' hold.
"Springer, Aura Sphere!" Springer pushed himself up and formed the sphere of spirit energy in his paws.
"Rio...LU!" He tossed the ball at Champagoon, but the Dragon-type slashed it away with its claws before swiping at Springer, knocking him flying. "RIO!" He cried as he hit the dirt, rolling over to his trainer.
"No!" Flash yelped before gasping as they now saw Champagoon charging up another Hyper Beam. "GET OUT OF THERE SPRINGER!" But before anything could be done, Champagoon unleashed the attack. The Riolu gasped as he saw the beam coming, only to feel something slam into his side, throwing him out of the blast's range.
"RUSH!" He heard, turning to see Hopper getting hit by the blast.
"Hopper!" Flash cried as he ran over to the Velocirush, kneeling down and picking him up. "You okay?" Hopper let out a moan as he opened his eyes.
"CHAMPAGOON!" the dragon roared, making them turn to see Champagoon raising a glowing fist before hitting the ground. The blow created a large crack, the shift in the rocks quickly making their way toward Flash and Hopper.
"Whoa!" Flash yelped as the floor shook him and his Pokémon, making him stagger toward the edge of the cliff.
"FLASH!" Twilight cried as the shaking stopped, only to hear another roar.
"CHAMP!" The Pokémon unleashed another Hyper Beam, striking the ground between Flash and his friends. An explosion came next, creating a shockwave that struck Flash, knocking him and Hopper off the cliff.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Flash screamed as he and Hopper fell.
"FLASH!" His friends screamed as they ran over to the side, just in time to see Flash and Hopper vanish into the cloud. "NO!" Twilight added before turning to glare at Champagoon, Springer doing the same as he quickly fired an Aura Sphere at Champagoon. The blow barely did anything to the dragon, making it snort as it prepared another Dragon Claw. Growling at this, Twilight pulled out a Pokeball, "Shine, come out and use Fairy Wind!" She threw the Pokeball, revealing her Galarian Ponyta.
"Nee!" Shine spun around and swung her tail at Champagoon, unleashing a pink glittery wind. The four-times damage sank in instantly, making Champagoon scream out and stagger back, the Dranby gasping at the sight of their mother now in pain.
"Come on!" Doc called out. "While it's distracted, let's get out of here." He turned to run up the canyon route, Rainbow, Spike and Fluttershy behind him. But as they did this, they stopped to turn and see Springer and Twilight staring at where Flash had been. "GUYS!" They glanced back at him, "We can't help them here. We've gotta get away from that thing before it attacks again."
Twilight and Springer both sighed and nodded as they followed them up the canyon. They ran as fast as they could, glancing back to make sure Champagoon didn't give chase. And as they got to the top, Doc let out a sigh, "Alright...I think we're okay."
"But what about Flash!?" Spike cried, Fluttershy crouching down and beginning to cry.
"DANG IT!" Rainbow punched a nearby rock, "I couldn't do anything to help him. I just stood there."
"It's not your fault," Twilight responded. "Flash wouldn't want you to blame yourself." She let out a sigh next, her hand moving up to clutch the bow wrapped necklace around her neck. She looked down at Springer, seeing him trying to connect to Flash's aura...and with no results. The sight made her think what Flash would do, determination appearing on her face next. She glanced back up at the group, "Everyone, lets keep moving! Sitting around here moping isn't going to help us or Flash and Hopper."
"But what do we do?" Spike asked. "They fell through the clouds!"
"I know, and that's why we have to continue to Cloudsdale," Twilight replied, "They've gotta have a rescue crew up there. If we tell them what happened, they'll be out searching for them in no time."
"She's right," Doc added. "We're no help to Flash right now. Our only hope is to get someone who actually knows the mountain."
"And I know just the person," Rainbow finished while pumping her fists, "Come on. There's not a moment to lose." The others nodded, the teen taking the lead as they made their way to the very top, all while praying that Flash was okay.
Flash let out a moan, mumbling as he opened his eyes. It was here he saw himself looking up at a small speck of light that barely illuminated the darkness. "Ow..." he groaned before sitting up, now finding himself in another tunnel.
He rubbed the side of his head as he stared at the ceiling, now spotting a hole leading up to a diagonal tunnel where the speck of light was coming from. His brain slowly began to turn, making him mumble out, "Great...I must have fallen into that hole and slid into this tunnel." These words made his eyes go wide, now remembering why, "HOPPER!" He spun around, soon sighing in relief as he saw his Velocirush laying on the ground.
He knelt down beside him and shook the furry raptor, "Hopper! Hopper, can you hear me?"
"Loss..." Hopper moaned as he opened his eyes, "Rush?"
Flash sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're okay," he leaned back before staring up at the hole, now noticing it was way too high for them to get to. Grumbling and shaking his head, he turned to stare at the tunnel, now seeing no end in sight. The other side was sloping though, making he stand up. "Alright, let's get out of here and find our friends."
Hopper nodded and picked himself up, but when he put weight on his leg, Hopper suddenly felt a rush of pain shoot through it. "RUSH!" Flash turned to see him limping.
"Hang on bud, I'll just return you to-" Flash reached for his belt, only to feel nothing. "Uh oh."
His Pokeballs were gone, making him frown as he stared at Hopper, the Pokémon trying his best to balance without putting any weight on his leg. "Alright." Flash bent down and picked Hopper up before he could stop him. "Let's get going."
"Rush," Hopper purred as he got comfortable in Flash's arms, the teen now heading up the tunnel, hoping it would lead out of the caves and into Cloudsdale.
An hour after losing Flash and Hopper, Twilight and the others had finally arrived at the top of the mountain. All were panting in exhaustion, grunting as they slogged up the pathway. Rainbow was the first to spot the gate leading into the city, exclaiming as she pointed at it, "There it is!" The others saw it and the many buildings behind it, including a few skyscrapers and even the colosseum. "Cloudsdale City." Rainbow let out a long sigh. "I wish I could say it's good to be home, but I can't really enjoy it knowing Flash is in trouble."
"That's why we've gotta find someone to help," Twilight added, only for another voice to speak up.
"Did I hear something about Flash being in trouble?" They turned to the voice, now seeing two women, one middle-aged and another much older. The older one three of them recognized while Fluttershy and Rainbow recognized the other.
"Cloud Clipper?!" Twilight yelped at the sight of Flash's grandmother.
Cloud chuckled at her reaction, "Hello dear. It's good to see you." The other women then stepped forward, Cloud gesturing to her. "Let me introduce you to my former protégé and the one who took my place as the Cloudsdale Gym Leader, Spitfire."
"What's up?" The yellow skinned women did a two fingered salute.
"What are you doing here?" Doc asked next.
"When I learned Flash was going to be challenging my old gym, I couldn't resist coming to watch. So I got on Pidgeot and flew here as fast as I could." She then shined a small frown, "But it seems my grandson's gotten into trouble. What happened?"
One half chapter explanation later...
"A Champagoon?"
"I don't think I've ever heard of a Champagoon nesting on this mountain," Spitfire added.
"Nor I," Cloud grimaced. "This could be bad. Champagoon can get very aggressive when protecting their young. They'll attack almost anything."
"Really?!" Spike asked sarcastically, "We hadn't noticed."
"Stop it Spike." Twilight responded while grabbing his ear before turning to Cloud, "We have to find Flash before Champagoon does."
"Alright. I'll start putting a rescue team together." Spitfire replied before running off.
Cloud crossed her arms at this. "Flash..." she whispered before hearing a whine from Springer. She quickly kneeled down and pat his head. "Don't worry Springer, Flash is strong. He can look after himself until help arrives."
"But Flash doesn't even have his other Pokémon," Twilight took his Pokeballs out of his belt. "All he's got is Hopper, and he doesn't stand a chance against Champagoon."
Cloud sighed and shook her head, "Even so, we have to believe he'll be alright. Panicking won't do us any good." The others nodded, all soon praying that Flash and Hopper would be alright.
Flash had been wandering through the tunnels for almost two hours. He had tried his best to pick routes sloping up instead of down, only to find several cave-ins and plenty of wild Pokémon. "Note to self," he whispered while travelling up another tunnel, "If you survive this, buy repel."
Hopper whined in agreement, his leg still hurting as Flash turned a corner. In doing so, they spotted a light up ahead. "Yes!" Flash ran up, about to come to an exit as he found himself stepping out onto the mountain's face, seeing he was now once again above the clouds. "Alright, we're getting closer bud."
He looked up, now seeing the mountain's peak that had been there when he had fell. However, he then realized his exit's only way around was a ledge that wasn't much bigger than his feet. "Hopper," he looked up at his trainer, "Close your eyes." Hopper did so, Flash planting his back against the wall before slowly sliding along the ledge. He kept going for a few minutes, patting Hopper's head to keep him calm as he did this. And as he pulled himself around, he saw more of the tree-shaped rocks Spike had seen earlier. His focus soon shifted, as he saw they were at a larger ledge that he didn't have to pin himself to the wall. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the ledge came to an abrupt end a few feet away. "Oh, COME ON!"
Hopper opened his eyes and saw this as well, crying out in annoyance. The two sighed as they began to weigh their options, knowing they could go back and wait, or climb up the cliff. Both looked up, seeing a cliff that had a ledge about forty feet up. "Okay..." Flash sighed as his eyes darted back and forth, "Go back or climb up...gotta chose something."
He stared at the wall, seeing the many rocks and holes that he could use to climb. After a minute of glaring, he turned to Hopper. "What do you think we should do?"
Hopper let out a hum, only to say, "Rush," He pulled himself out of Flash's arms, crawling around until he was firmly latched onto Flash's back.
"You sure?" Hopper nodded. "Alright then." Flash stared at the wall, grabbing one of the rocks. Putting one foot into a hole before pushing himself up, he began to climb. Rock after rock, hole after hole, he kept his pace as they continued their way upward.
The duo continued this for several minutes, Flash going as fast as he could, but not enough for a mistake. All the while, Hopper gripped Flash's bag with his eyes shut. "Don't worry Hopper. I promise I'll keep you safe."
"Rush?" Hopper cracked his eyes open, squinting at his trainer.
"Its gonna be okay bud. I know you're still a newborn and know very little about the world, so this situation is probably scary to you." Flash glanced back at him. "But you've grown a lot since we met. More then I bet you ever thought you would." He turned to the wall, grabbing another rock, "So you don't have to be afraid Hopper. I'll always be here for you, and looking out for you. You don't have to be scared, because I'll be there to keep you safe."
Hopper smiled at this, feeling his fear slowly drifting away. Both he and Flash looked up next, now seeing they had covered about half the overall distance. And as Flash kept climbing, Hopper kept his eyes open. At least, until the rock Flash grabbed broke away from the wall. "WHOA!" He yelped while Hopper gripped his back, closing his eyes. Luckily, Flash's other hand had been holding onto a hole in the wall, keeping a firm grip on the rock. Flash then swung his arm back around, grabbing another rock and gripping it tightly, pulling himself up. "We're okay," he assured Hopper. "We're gonna be fine." Hopper slowly opened his eyes again, now seeing the ledge getting closer, Flash huffing and puffing and they pulled themselves up.
Despite what Flash had told Hopper, he could help but whimper. He could see Flash starting to sweat, the water beginning to build onto the teen's hands. It wouldn't be too long before they were to wet to grip anything.
"Almost...there," he groaned as they got within five feet of the ledge. "Just...a little...longer." He pulled himself up, grabbing one rock or hole after another until finally...his hand grasped the edge of the ledge. "Hopper, try and get up!" Hopper nodded and despite the pain in his leg, he leapt onto the ledge.
His eyes darted around, trying to find a path as Flash began pulling his upper body over the edge. He then saw the path Hopper was now looking at, sighing in relief at the sight. But as he did this, the rock his foot was on broke off, making him slip, "No," he cried as his tried to get his footing, "No, no, no, no, NO!"
Hopper turned and gasped as he saw his trainer about to fall, quickly running over and grabbing Flash by the back of his jacket in both his claws and mouth. "RUSH!" He yelled as he pulled back, his eyes filling with tears due to the pain in his leg. However, he didn't let that stop him, growling as he ground his feet into the ground before pulling Flash up enough so he could swing a leg over the edge.
The teen sighed in relief as he rolled over, now laying on his back as the fear he had been suppressing washed over him. "That...was horrible."
"Loss..." Hopper purred as he knelt down and rubbed his head against Flash's. "Rush, loss!"
"Yeah...thanks bud. You saved me." The teen chuckled as he reached out and scratched Hopper behind the ear, "Welp, at least the hard part's over now."
Flash stood back up next, about to head up the trail, only for something to shoot our from around the corner of the mountain. It was a Dranby, followed by another that tackled the first to the ground. The two froze at the sight, now realizing it was two of the Dranby they had seen earlier. "Wait...if you're here-" His voice vanished when he heard footsteps, followed by the Pokémon in question stomping around the corner with its three other babies.
Champagoon smiled down at the first two Dranby before turning to see Flash, a frown now appearing as it growled, "Champ!" It began to push its babies behind it, Flash gulping as he slowly started to backpedal, only to feel himself now on the edge of the cliff.
"Champagoon," Flash tried to say in the most non-threatening way possible, "Please listen. We don't wanna hurt your-"
"CHAMPAGOON!" Champagoon roared as he charged, its claws primed ready to attack. Flash gasped at this before feeling Hopper leap out of his arms.
"RUSH!" Hopper yelled as he spun around and used Iron Tail, Champagoon easily holding up its fist and blocking the attack before pushing him away. Hopper landed and flinched at the pain in his leg, only to charge with a Quick Attack while Champagoon's claws glowed blue.
"CHAMP!" It hit Hopper dead on, the claws knocking the raptor back.
"Loss!" Hopper angled himself as best as he could, using his small wings to help him land on his feet. He flinched in pain again, Hopper then charging again as Champagoon tried to punch him, only for Hopper to leap above him and dive down to use Crush on dragon's wrists.
"GOON!" It screamed as Hopper continued to bite down, Champagoon's rage building as it began to swing its arm around before slinging him away.
"RUSH!" Hopper cried as gravity pulled him down, Champagoon pulling its fist back as it began to glow. With one mighty swing, Champagoon punched Hopper in the stomach, knocking him flying over the edge.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Flash quickly sprinted over to Hopper, trying to catch him before he went over the edge. But when he got in front of Hopper, the Pokémon shoved the teen over the edge, both falling in a scream. The teen then felt his head hit one of the rock branches, making him cry out, "AUGH!" before blacking out.
And as the two fell, Hopper's brain rebooted and turned to see the falling Flash. Gasping at the sight, he looked down and saw the clouds coming up fast, making him yell, "RUSH!" He began to bark again and again, trying to get his trainer's attention....but Flash was out cold.
But as they continued to fall, Hopper's whole life flashed before his eyes. And as this happened, he couldn't help but notice how significantly the person falling beside him was in his life. He was the first person Hopper saw after hatching, the one saving him from the poachers and took him in as his Pokémon. The teen was the one who trained him, protected him and taught him to be the best him he could be.
It was then that Hopper realized Flash wasn't just a trainer to him, he was pretty much his father. Someone who had protected him time and again...and now he was the one who needed saving. "Rush!" Hopper's eyes narrowed as he started to try and angle his body so he fell toward him. Getting close, Hopper tried to reach out...but his arms were too small.
But that wouldn't stop him. He would save his trainer, no matter what. "RUSH!" He screamed as the two fell into the clouds.
Up above, Champagoon and the Dranby all watched as the two vanished into the clouds. Champagoon smirked and was about to pull away, only for something new to catch its eyes and made it look back. It was a large, bright light. The whole cloud lit up, growing brighter by the second. Champagoon had no idea what it was, but it soon find out when something shot out of the cloud and flew up past them. "Champ?" It looked up, blinking at the sight.
At first, it thought it was the Velocirush it had just thrown over the side, but upon closer inspection, it saw several key differences. The first that it was much bigger than the Velocirush, so big that it was able to hold the trainer that had gone over the edge bridal style in its claws. Its purple fur had turned a bluish-grey, while its previously black claws were now a reddish-pink. A collar of white fur was now wrapped around its neck while the white fur on the tip of its tail was now bushier. But the biggest change was its wings. The formerly small bat-wings had grown so large that its wingspan now rivalled its nose to tail length. Instead of being black, the insides of the wings were now white while the back was the same bluish-grey. The white dragon symbol on its head had also grown, allowing it to be more noticeable.
The new Pokémon flew above their heads for several seconds, circling them as it tried to find a safe place to land. At the same time, Flash let out a moan as he opened his eyes. Doing so allowed him to see what was holding him and he gasped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
"Dran!" The Pokémon happily roared, Flash knowing instantly what had happened.
"Hopper! Is that really you?" Hopper nodded as they flew away from the main mountain, landing on a nearby peak that was big enough for them both. Hopper let Flash down, his trainer quickly looking him over. "Wow...you're amazing bud," he whispered before taking out his Pokedex.
Name: Skeidran
Category: Proto-Dragon Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Velocirush. An ancient Pokémon. Though not one itself, it is said to be the ancestor of all Dragon-type Pokémon.
"A Skeidran..." Flash whispered. "Even your new name sounds awesome." Hopper roared again as a new page opened up on Flash's Pokedex. "Huh?" He read it before shining a huge smile, "Nice! Looks like evolving's let you learn some new moves." Hopper roared again.
"CHAMPAGOON!" The pair turned back to the cliff, now seeing Champagoon spread its wings and fly up to them.
The trainer turned to his Pokémon, "Looks like he's not giving up. Let's show this guy why it's a bad idea to mess with us!" Hopper nodded as kneeled down, Flash climbing onto his back, hunching between his wings and his neck as he gripped the fur collar. Once Flash was properly seated, Hopper spread his wings and charged ahead.
"SKEIDRAN!" He roared as he spread his wings and took flight, all while heading straight for Champagoon.
The Pokémon glared at one another as they got closer, Champagoon preparing a Dragon Claw. "Ready?" Flash asked, getting a nod from Hopper. "Alright," he waited before yelling, "EXTREME SPEED!" Hopper roared as his body got surrounded by a green light. And as Champagoon swung its claw forward, the Skeidran spun around, dodging the claws as he zipped past so fast that he only left a green trail behind him.
Champagoon spun around and tried to lock its gaze on Hopper and Flash, but found unable to see any more than a green flash. The pair circled around, making Champagoon spin as he tried to follow them. However, before he could react, Hopper appeared beside it and slammed a foot into his cheek.
"DRAN/GOON!" They cried as the force of the impact, pushing Champagoon into a rock branch, causing it to moan as Hopper flew back to a safe distance. Champagoon then pulled itself free, glaring up at the two before unleashing a Hyper Beam. However, Hopper quickly dodged it, the blast now going up and hitting a rock branch instead.
Hopper now saw a barrage of rocks coming for him, and despite just learning to fly, he avoided them without issue. "Steel Wing!" Flash yelled as Hopper's wings glowed white, quickly speeding into the Champagoon, making it cry out in pain as it was again pushed back. Champagoon managed to stop itself before it hitting the rock this time, charging again with Rock Smash at the ready.
Hopper and Champagoon began trading blows, Steel Wing meeting Rock Smash again and again like a pair of masterfully wielded swords. But as this happened, Hopper got past Champagoon's defenses and slammed his wing into its gut. "CHAMP!" It cried before Hopper spun around, slamming his tail into the dragon.
And after this blow, Hopper flew upward as Champagoon unleashed a Dragon Pulse at him. "Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed green as he underwent evasive maneuvers, the beam following after him until he flew behind one of the rock branches. Champagoon glared at the rocks as they disappeared, now only seeing flashes of green flying around the multiple peaks in a random order, only for Hopper to zip right into Champagoon's back. "CRUNCH!" Flash yelled as the three of them fell toward the clouds, Hopper biting into Champagoon's shoulder while pulling it down into the clouds.
"Now!" Flash ordered as Hopper let Champagoon go, kicking off it like a springboard. He then shot up through the clouds, Champagoon now vanishing in their sight as Flash whispered, "Get ready." Hopper nodded, glaring down as he soon saw Champagoon shoot out of the clouds.
"CHAMP!" It roared while preparing a Dragon Claw.
"Let's go!" Flash yelled before Hopper flew in a downward diagonal, fixing his gaze onto Champagoon as Flash shifted himself. The trainer jumped up so his feet was one Hopper's back, now between his wings. "Not yet. Almost. And...NOW!" Flash extended his legs and leapt up off of Hopper's back, "DRAGON TAIL!"
In a flash, Hopper's tail became coated in a green scale patterned aura. And before Champagoon could attack with its Dragon Claw, Hopper spun and smashed the tail into its head. "SKEIDRAN!" He roared at the top of his lungs as he struck Champagoon, the impact creating a small shockwave before Champagoon was sent crashing down, its body now going limp.
"Yes!" Flash cheered as Hopper flew under him, landing perfectly on his back. He quickly seated himself as they watched Champagoon fall, only for the two to hear several cries. They then turned to see the Dranby watching their parent fall. "Oh..." Flash glanced between them and sighed, "Come on." Hopper nodded and dived down, tucking in his wings and angling himself as aerodynamically as possible.
They shot past the Dranby and rocketed toward Champagoon, Flash pinning himself against Hopper to prevent drag. But the pair couldn't get to the dragon before he fell into the clouds, all three soon becoming obscured. The Dranby watched and waited at this, now seeing no sign of the three.
Slowly, the worrying thought of what must happened sank into the five, making them begin to cry. But no sooner had their tears formed that something shot out of the clouds, eyes going wide as they now saw their mother, who was now being carried by the Pokémon it had been fighting.
Hopper huffed as he dropped Champagoon on the cliff-side, it's children rushing to its side. Everyone stared at it for several seconds before seeing Champagoon begin to come around, Flash seeing this as a sign to leave. "Come on," Flash patted Hopper's head. "Let's get out of here before momma wakes up and asks for a rematch." Hopper nodded and flew back into the skies, his target being the very peak of the mountain.
As this happened, Champagoon opened its eyes and saw its babies staring at her. The pseudo-legendary smiled at them, realizing what must have happened. It pulled the five in for a hug, apologizing for scaring them before looking up at the sky, now seeing the retreating figure flying higher and higher.
Silently, it thanked them and apologized for attacking. The Dragon-type now realized they weren't trying to hurt it or its babies, something it wished it had realized sooner. But luckily, its mistake hadn't caused it or them any lasting harm. After all, those two were a pair that only came along once in a life time.
The sun was beginning to set as Flash's friends stood at the gates to the city, the group watching and waiting to see if he would show up. Twilight had lets Flash's other Pokémon out, all showing faces of worry while Skyler even wanted to fly off and try to find them. However, Twilight had told him to wait for the rescue teams, only to now see the sun about to set.
"Augh!" Rainbow yelled in frustration, "What's taking so long?!"
"This kind of rescue mission requires time to plan," Cloud replied before sighing, "Even so, I wish they would hurry up."
"What if it's too late?" Fluttershy whispered before letting out an "eep" when the others turned to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It just...slipped out."
"Don't worry about it," Cloud responded, "But no, I know my grandson. It'll take more than this to put him down."
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Flash is stronger then even he realizes." She knelt down and patted Shine and Flash's Pokémon. "And don't forget, Hopper's with him. As long as they're together, nothing's gonna stop them from getting here. Flash wouldn't let anything happen to any of his Pokémon, and the same can be said for Hopper. They'll look out for one another and get here safely."
Cloud chuckled, happy Flash had someone that had such belief in him. "She's right. Flash will be fine. He might be stuck somewhere, but he knows how to keep himself and Hopper safe until help arrives." The others nodded, all agreeing wholeheartedly. It was at that moment Spitfire began to walk up to them.
"Alright. The rescue team's ready to head out. But with the sun setting, we won't have much time left before it's too dark to search."
"We want to help too," Twilight added before Spitfire shook her head.
"No, we don't need more amateur climbers getting into trouble. Leave this to the pros." They all sighed as they turned back to the gates, now seeing the sun slowly lowering. But as they did this, Twilight saw something that made her do a double take.
"Wait...what's that?!"
"What's what?" Doc asked, only to see what she was now staring at.
A shadow was flying toward the gate, obscured by the light of the sun. As it got closer, everyone now saw the details come into view as Twilight yelled, "Flash!" She then saw the Skeidran reach them, flying low as it passed over and kicked up a wind that made them all flinch.
Flash smirked at this before Hopper circled back around, now landing before spinning around. The sight made everyone stare in awe, making him chuckle as he jumped off of Hopper, "Hey guys. Sorry to drop in like this."
"You're...okay?" Twilight whispered, blinking at the sight in disbelief while the others just stared at Hopper.
Doc was the first to speak, "Is that-"
"Yup," Flash patted Hopper on the head, "Hopper evolved. Pretty sweet, huh?"
"That's awesome!" Spike cheered as they all ran over, Springer jumping into Flash's arms followed by the rest of his team tackling him to the ground.
"Whoa!" he yelped as they began to nuzzle him, cries of joy following this, "Okay, okay! I'm fine...and I'm sorry for making you worry."
The Pokémon then got off him before turning to their newly evolved teammate, the group amazed at how big he had gotten. "Dran," Hopper smirked as he lowered himself to their eye-level, Shine running over and jumping onto his head, the Skeidran smiling before lifting her up, making Shine slide down to between his wings. The other flightless Pokémon quickly climbed on before Hopper took flight, allowing them all to enjoy the scenery from above.
Flash chuckled at this, only to turn and gasp as he saw a certain someone walk up to him. "Gran?!" Cloud laughed before pulling her grandson into a hug, "What are you doing here?!"
"Why do you think?! I'm here to see you battle my old gym!" Cloud giggled as she pulled away, "Though...I'm glad to see you're okay."
"We all are," Spitfire added as she walked up to the pair, "Nice to meet yah kid." She held out a hand, "Name's Spitfire. I hear you've come all this way just to meet me." Flash turned to her, blinking at her before taking her hand.
"Yeah. To meet and battle you."
"Nice. I like that attitude." She turned to Rainbow, "I'm guessing you're here for the same reason?" Rainbow nodded with glee. "Well, I'm always ready for a challenge. Come by the gym tomorrow and I'll be ready for you."
"No problem," Flash added as Hopper landed behind him. "With my new Skeidran, nothing's gonna stop me now." His Pokémon all cheered, the group now hyped for their upcoming battle.
Their journey to Cloudsdale had been a difficult one, but one not without its rewards. Now with Flash's newly evolved Skeidran in tow, one can only wonder what challenge they'll face. As the journey continues.
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The Cloudsdale Gym Battle is next. The Gym Leader will be one of the Wonderbolts. Calling it. I'm also betting that Flash will use Skeidran in the Gym Battle.
10441369 That's hardly calling it. The gym leader is shown in this chapter.
Aaaaaaaah!
I can't take it! It's just too heartwarming! 
I'm tearing up so bad. It's just too beautiful. 
10441396 So I'm guessing you liked the chapter.
That was awesome! Hopper reached his final evolution, thus being the first of Flash’s team to be fully evolved. That little guy has come a long way in such a short time. I especially liked how Hopper realized Flash has been like a father to him. That was a very sweet moment. Flash definitely needs to use Hopper in his Gym battle now.
It was also a surprise to have Flash’s grandmother appear again. The ending kinda makes it sound like Flash will face Spitfire first before Rainbow, which might throw my theory out the window. I was predicting Rainbow would face Spitfire first and lose, followed by Flash facing her and winning. Guess I’ll just need to wait and see.
This was an awesome and suspenseful chapter! Hopper really shined in this and I'm hoping to see those Dragon Trainers show up after Flash's eventual victory with his new addition.
10441371
But he is using Skeidran in this battle, right?
10442546 Hopper just evolved. You really think Flash would use him against seasoned flying pokemon. They may have beaten Champagoon, but trained Pokemon aren't as easy.
10442748
One more try. He could use Skyler because it's a more experienced flyer. Maybe in the battle, Wingust could evolve or something like that.
10442840 You'll have to wait and see.
10442845
Anything could happen, Banshee. Anything could happen.
This is the second chapter where an overprotective mother Pokémon causes trouble to protect her babies, but I like this one way more. Champagoon was a thrilling final obstacle to get to Cloudsdale and it was a great moment to have Hopper fully evolve and battle her. Plus, Hopper realizing how much of a father Flash has been to him was sweet, and the two of them flying in at the end for a dramatic entrance was just awesome.