Seeing Noibat nod, Ash gently took out a Heal Ball.
The Heal Ball tapped against Noibat's small head, and in a flash of red light—
Click!
"Perfect." Ash smiled. "Everyone, we've just welcomed a brand-new teammate! He's the youngest among you all, so here's your next mission—help this little Noibat learn how to fly. Let's give it our best!"
Fletchinder and Hawlucha were the most fired up, especially Hawlucha, since it was the one who had discovered Noibat's egg in the first place.
"Fletch! Fletch!"
Fletchinder chirped proudly, lowering itself to Noibat's level. It explained the basics of flying with careful movements, then demonstrated, shooting upward from the ground with its blistering speed.
"Nyuu~ Nyuu!"
Noibat tilted its head, blinking its large eyes, then flapped its wings, clearly determined to imitate Fletchinder.
But Noibat's wings weren't built for sudden, vertical takeoff like most birds. After just two flaps, it barely rose a meter before tumbling downward.
"Servine, Vine Whip—catch Noibat!"
"Vine~!"
Two green vines lashed out like whips, cradling Noibat just before it hit the ground.
"Nyuu…"
"Vine!"
Servine gave a smug, big-sister nod, then flicked its tail.
"Vine, vine!"
She encouraged Noibat with a few sharp words of motivation.
"Try again, Noibat! You can do it!" Bonnie shouted with her usual boundless energy.
"Nyuuuu!"
Encouraged by both humans and Pokémon, Noibat's eyes sparkled. With renewed determination, it flapped its wings once more.
Over the next few tries, everyone pitched in—Frogadier caught him with Bubble, Hawlucha dove in for a rescue grab, Metagross used Psychic to hold him aloft.
But after countless attempts, Noibat's stomach rumbled loudly.
"Looks like all that training worked up an appetite," Clemont said, pushing his glasses.
The Pokémon scattered to find fruit. Noibat's kind had a special ability—they could emit subtle soundwaves to sense ripeness.
But one by one, Noibat shook its head. Too sour. Too hard. Too unripe.
Finally, it pointed excitedly at the two fruits Bonnie held.
"Nyuu!"
Once it was full, Hawlucha suggested they try something different—gliding.
They climbed a hillside where the breeze was steady. With some trial and error, they quickly discovered that gliding suited Noibat much better than flapping.
Two days passed this way, and soon the group found themselves nearing Dendemille Town.
That afternoon, they reached a small village alive with excitement.
"You're just in time!" An elderly man with a mighty Noctowl by his side approached. "Today's the day of our annual Aerial Relay Race. Would you like to join? Outsiders are welcome!"
The man introduced himself as Elder Ornithol, the village's longtime race overseer.
He explained the rules and even asked Ash personally to join—since Fletchinder, Hawlucha, and Noibat were all right there.
By now, after two days of practice, Noibat's gliding and flying had improved a lot. Elder Ornithol hoped Ash could win the Pokémon Sky Relay in his stead, promising to share important tips.
Ash accepted immediately. This was the perfect challenge to test Noibat's progress.
But lurking nearby, Team Rocket had overheard.
"Heh-heh-heh… if that Noibat evolves, it'll become the mighty Noivern. What a Pokémon for Team Rocket!" Jessie schemed.
"Exactly, nya! If we join the race, maybe we'll get our hands on both Pikachu and Noibat, nya!" Meowth hissed.
They registered as well.
Meanwhile, Ash and friends enjoyed Elder Ornithol's hospitality. After signing up, he carefully explained the relay rules.
"No attacking opponents maliciously. It's a pure test of skill. Ash… this is my life's dream. I leave it in your hands."
Ash nodded firmly. This wasn't just a race—it was training for Noibat.
He remembered this event from the original timeline. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't beat last year's champion, Orson.
Orson's team was fierce: Starly, Staravia, and Staraptor.
But this time, Ash had a plan.
When the race began, Fletchinder took the lead.
Beforehand, Ash had it use Flame Charge three times and Agility once, stacking its speed to the max.
The result? Fletchinder blasted ahead, leaving nearly everyone in the dust—everyone except Orson's Staraptor, who had clearly done the same trick.
Fletchinder was first to reach the relay point, where it passed the sash to Hawlucha.
"Lucha!"
Hawlucha launched from the cliff edge, gliding with the wind to boost his speed.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket made their move, piloting a Pelipper-shaped robot with Meowth at the controls.
But Ash had warned Hawlucha. At the critical moment, Hawlucha feinted, and the robot slammed straight into a boulder.
The second leg was through a jagged stone forest.
Hawlucha's agility shone as he ricocheted from rock to rock, gaining more speed with every push-off.
Once again, Ash's team reached the relay point first.
Noibat was waiting.
"Lucha lucha!" Hawlucha cried, passing the sash.
"Nyuuu!"
Hawlucha grinned. Fly, little Noibat—this is your moment.
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