Ash's Talonflame

Ash's Talonflame (Japanese: サトシのファイアロー Satoshi's Fiarrow) was the second that   in the Kalos region, and his forty-third overall.

History
As a Fletchling, it made its first appearance stealing a Berry that was trying to feed to a. Having made Bonnie cry, Ash's Froakie attempted to battle Fletchling, only to be repeatedly knocked out of the air. After Fletchling left, tried to attract it with one of his Clemontic Gears, only for Fletchling to set them up into being attacked by a swarm of. The chase led Ash and to a canyon, where Froakie challenged Fletchling to another battle. Using the terrain to its advantage, Froakie managed to defeat Fletchling and this resulted in its catch by Ash. Fletchling was soon sent out again to be introduced to everyone else where it shared an Oran Berry with Froakie and.

In A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle!, Fletchling was Ash's second and last Pokémon in his Santalune Gym battle against Viola, it went up against her. It was unaffected by the slippery field caused by as well as having a type-advantage. Fletchling used which was dodged and avoided an Ice Beam attack, Surskit used, which Fletchling dodged by using. It used hitting Surskit knocking it out. It then went up against her, its Peck was countered with and it was smashed on the ground, it was then hit with  and was pushed into the Sticky Web Surskit set before, it was unable to escape and hit with , knocking it out causing Ash to lose the Gym Battle. After it was healed at the Pokémon Center, it trained with Pikachu for their rematch by using Alexa's using Gust to help them withstand Vivillon's Gust.

In Battling on Thin Ice!, while continuing its training along with Pikachu, it was able to withstand Noivern's Gust well, later using one of Clemont's inventions, they practiced to avoid Surskit's Sticky Web, after it broke, they used Froakie and its frubbles instead to practice. Ash used Fletchling as his second Pokémon in his Gym battle rematch against Viola, it went up against her Vivillon. Its was countered with Psychic, dealing damage to Fletchling. It hit with a second Steel Wing but its Peck was dodged. Vivillon used Gust, but using its training it was able to withstand it and use a spinning Razor Wind, but Vivillon used its final move,, to put Fletchling to and it was defeated by Solar Beam.

In Climbing the Walls!, Ash used Fletchling as his second Pokémon during his battle against Grant at the Cyllage Gym. Fletchling went up against. It used Razor Wind but Tyrunt used its powerful mouth and fangs with to bite and block the move. Ash changed strategy and trying to confuse Tyrunt, he had Fletchling used Double Team, it used Steel Wing and aimed for its chest, but Tyrunt jumped and dodged the attacks and then used to destroy the copies but the real Fletchling hit Tyrunt with a super effective Steel Wing, but the Royal Heir Pokémon hit back with Dragon Tail again, knocking Fletchling out. In Battles in the Sky!, Ash and his friends met a Trainer named Moria, a, and her. She offered to have a Sky Battle with Ash and took them to a place where they could test out the Sky Battle gear. Ash sent out Fletchling and to join them while they practiced. When Fletchling met Talonflame, it wished to battle it, but Talonflame was not impressed and Moria chose to battle Hawlucha instead, which upset Fletchling. Fletchling stayed with Bonnie while Ash and Hawlucha battled Talonflame, studying how Talonflame moved and attacked. After Hawlucha was defeated it helped rescue Talonflame from Team Rocket, earning Talonflame's respect. Afterwards Talonflame decided it wanted to battle against Fletchling after all. Fletchling was able to dodge many of Talonflame's attacks due to its small size and using what it learned from watching Hawlucha's battle. Fletchling was eventually hit by a powerful and evolved into  in the process. It successfully defeated Talonflame with its newly learned, using the speed increase from the new move three times to easily follow it and attack.

As a Fletchinder, it was used during Ash's battle against Korrina at the Shalour Gym in Showdown at the Shalour Gym!. It was his second Pokémon and went up against Korrina's. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but Machoke used its incredible running and jumping ability to dodge and hit Fletchinder with. Fletchinder was then hit by a speedy. Fletchinder went for Steel Wing but it was caught by Machoke who threw it. Fletchinder recovered and used Razor Wind. Machoke then went for, but Fletchinder used Flame Charge and hit Machoke after it dodged Focus Blast, knocking it out. Korrina then sent out her final Pokémon, her, she immediately Mega Evolved it into. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but Mega Lucario used, blocking Flame Charge and lowering Fletchinder's Special Defense. Fletchinder broke through and hit Mega Lucario with Flame Charge, which was super-effective. Mega Lucario then used but Fletchinder countered with Steel Wing, blocking the attack. Mega Lucario then quickly came from behind and used, knocking Fletchinder out.

In The Green, Green Grass Types of Home!, Fletchinder was called out to battle Ramos's at the Coumarine Gym. It used Flame Charge but Jumpluff was able to protect itself by using. Jumpluff then used, creating harsh sunlight. Fletchinder then used Steel Wing, but Jumpluff managed to dodge thanks to its Ability. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but its attack was once again dodged. However, the effect of Flame Charge increased its, allowing it to hit with a second one. Although Jumpluff used Cotton Guard, it was not enough and Fletchinder defeated the Cottonweed Pokémon. It then went up against Ramos's, Fletchinder used Flame Charge but it was dodged, as Weepinbell activated its Chlorophyll Ability using the harsh sunlight from Jumpluff. It used Flame Charge again but Weepinbell used its to escape,  Fletchinder in the process. While it was down, it was hit by Weepinbell's. Fletchinder got up and used Flame Charge, but the Flycatcher Pokémon dodged and used the vines above the battlefield to climb on top of Fletchinder and launch, rendering Fletchinder unable to battle. In Fairy-Type Trickery!, Fletchinder was the first Pokémon sent out by Ash during his battle against Valerie at the Laverre Gym. It went up against her. Fletchinder landed a successful super-effective Steel Wing on Sylveon, but it was hit with. Fletchinder attempted to use, but it got caught in Sylveon's feelers and was spun around, While being hit with. Sylveon attempted to crash Flecthinder into the ground, but it was able to break free with Flame Charge and hit Sylveon. Sylveon used while Fletchinder used Steel Wing, both attacks hit, but only Fletchinder was able to remain up, defeating the Intertwining Pokémon. Valerie then used, Fletchinder went for a Steel Wing but the Perfume Pokémon dodged and used , meaning that the slowest Pokémon attacks first. Ash had Fletchinder use Flame Charge but Clemont realized it was a bad idea, since Trick Room meant that faster Pokémon normally, would be slower inside the Trick Room. With this Spritzee easily dodged the attacks. Despite this Ash had Fletchinder use Flame Charge and Spritzee hit Fletchinder with. Fletchinder used Flame Charge again, which was dodged and was hit by. After having another Flame Charge dodged, Trick Room ended and Fletchinder hit Spritzee with a speedy Steel Wing, which caused the other to realize Ash's strategy was to wait until Trick Room ended and then use speed. However Fletchinder was hit by and knocked out.

In A Not-So-Flying Start!, it was training until Hawlucha found an Egg and brought it back to Ash. While it was hatching, Fletchinder used its Ability to keep it warm until it hatched into a. Later after Noibat was frustrated by its inability to fly, it and Hawlucha offered to help to teach it to fly, Fletchinder flew while Noibat tried to trail it by flying but failed and almost crashed into the ground until it was caught by Ash. After failing with Hawlucha, they went to the hills to make practicing easier, however Hawlucha and Noibat were captured by Team Rocket. Fletchinder tried to rescue them with Steel Wing, but used its Ink Spray, blinding Fletchinder and stopping its attack. It was caught by Ash and then followed Team Rocket to a cave where it lead Ash and the other to them, where Pikachu and defeated Team Rocket. After Ash caught Noibat, it continued training with Noibat and Hawlucha, to help teach Noibat to fly.

In A Relay in the Sky!, it continued to train Noibat how to fly along with Hawlucha. Afterwards they noticed a, and. They went to the source of this, the Pokémon Sky Relay, where they discovered that the birds came from the Sky Relay Champion, Orson. Later Ash used Fletchinder, Hawlucha and Noibat in the relay. Fletchinder was used in the first part of the race. It had a good lead initially and did well when it got into the forest, but when a crashed into a tree, apples fell down, forcing Fletchinder to dodge them, causing it to lose its first position. It ended up being third at the end of the first segment when it passed the baton onto Hawlucha, behind Staravia and, which was hiding inside an Altaria. They eventually ended up second after Noibat barely lost to Starly, but it and the others were pleased with Noibat, who had successfully learned to fly. In A Legendary Photo Op!, it was used in a battle against 's. It used its speedy movements to dodge a and block  with a spinning Steel Wing. After knocking Charmeleon back with Flame Charge, Fletchinder barely managed to avoid a Dragon Claw. Charmeleon then used Flamethrower again, but this was dodged again and Fletchinder struck the Flame Pokémon with a Steel Wing, knocking it out. Shortly after, Ash called upon Fletchinder to battle Team Rocket and later, a wild. However, it was soon overwhelmed by the power of the Legendary Pokémon. When Ash tried to tell Fletchinder to wait for him, Moltres noticed the group and attacked them instead. Fletchinder, determined to save the group, sped ahead of Moltres's Flamethrower and, during the fast-paced flight, suddenly evolved into and successfully blocked the attack, also learning  as a result. Though it evolved and learned a new move, Moltres was just too strong and knocked Talonflame out with a. Falling towards the lava, Talonflame looked doomed, but Ash plunged to help it, risking his own life in the process. They avoided being incinerated when saved them with its Frubbles. Once Ash and Talonflame were safely pulled up, Ash's friends scolded him for almost getting himself killed, but Moltres was impressed by Ash's courage and flew away into the sky.

In All Eyes on the Future!, Talonflame was used along with Frogadier in a Double Battle against Olympia's two at the Anistar Gym. After Olympia's Meowstic used a -boosted, Talonflame and Frogadier headed in for the attack. Both Meowstic simply dodged the attacks and began levitating. Ash then had Talonflame attack the male Meowstic with Flame Charge and scored a successful hit, after Meowstic set up his, which protected his partner against Frogadier's Water Pulse. Talonflame was then hit by Olympia's female Meowstic, but was caught by Frogadier before hitting the ground. Both Meowstic then fired off their, which kept following their targets due to the female Meowstic's ability , and were able to hit their opponents. As Talonflame and Frogadier stood up and were about to counterattack, wormholes appeared and Future Sight struck Talonflame, knocking it into Frogadier. Ash then came up with a strategy to have Pikachu keep track of the time it took for Future Sight to hit its mark. Ash then had Talonflame use Brave Bird and Frogadier use Double Team to cover Talonflame. After the female Meowstic wiped the clones out with, its Dark Pulse was cancelled out by Frogadier's , giving Talonflame the chance to hit her hard with Brave Bird. She, however, immediately recovered and launched a at Talonflame, but Frogadier jumped in and took the attack,  it. Meowstic then used Future Sight once again and fired off a double Psyshock. Knowing dodging wouldn't work, Ash had Talonflame charge in, slicing through their attacks with Steel Wing. As the Psyshock headed back towards Talonflame, they were stopped by Frogadier's Water Pulse and Talonflame struck the male Meowstic with a spinning Steel Wing. It later caught Frogadier, who just got hit, but was then struck by Future Sight again. After Future Sight was used again, Talonflame carried Frogadier and charged towards the Meowstic. The Pokémon attacked with Psyshock and Dark Pulse, which kept following their marks again. Talonflame, however, led the attack towards the Meowstic and flew off at the last moment, causing them to get hit by their own attacks. Talonflame and Frogadier then grabbed onto the Meowstic. Thanks to Pikachu, they were able to let them go at the moment Future Sight was executed, causing it to hit Meowstic instead. Talonflame then saved the paralyzed Frogadier from Psyshock and used Flame Charge to shield itself and Frogadier from Meowstic's attacks. Talonflame then knocked the female Meowstic out with Flame Charge, while Frogadier defeated the male with Water Pulse. This gave Ash the victory, earning him the.

In An Electrifying Rage!, Ash sent out Talonflame to try to distract a wild that was attacking him, so he could reach Joule Town and deliver medicine to the town's hospital. Talonflame once more managed to hold its own against a Legendary bird, using its great speed to dodge Zapdos's attacks. Zapdos, however, eventually struck it down with, followed up by a , forcing Ash to recall it.

In All Hail the Ice Battlefield!, Ash chose to use Talonflame as his second Pokémon during his Gym battle against Wulfric, facing his. Talonflame made a strong opening with Flame Charge, also increasing his speed. Wulfric, however, used Talonflame's great Speed to his advantage, and had Avalugg use, which was powered up due to Avalugg acting after its opponent. Additionally, any attacks made by Talonflame were quickly healed because of Avalugg's, due to the set up previously. Talonflame narrowly dodged the incoming, and hit Avalugg with another Flame Charge, but this proved to be a repeated mistake as Avalugg simply knocked it out with another Avalanche.

In A Real Icebreaker!, Talonflame was used in Ash's rematch with Wulfric, where it faced his Avalugg again. Just like last time, it managed to land a hit with Flame Charge. Avalugg then retaliated with Stone Edge and while Talonflame managed to dodge most of the stone pillars emerging from the ground, it got struck by the last one. Talonflame, however, shook it off and cut into Avalugg's back with Steel Wing. Talonflame was then hit by a powered-up Avalanche, but it quickly recovered and used Flame Charge to melt the falling chunks of ice and hit Avalugg hard, finally defeating the Iceberg Pokémon. It then faced Wulfric's last Pokémon, his, who set up a hailstorm upon entry using his Ability. While continuously being damaged by the Hail, Talonflame flew towards Abomasnow using Steel Wing, but Abomasnow countered with, overpowering it. Talonflame then went for Flame Charge, but its attack was stopped once again as it got struck by and immediately after slammed to the ground with another Wood Hammer, knocking it out.

In Analysis Versus Passion!, Talonflame was used in the semi-finals of the Lumiose Conference in Ash's Full Battle against Sawyer as his second Pokémon, where it faced Sawyer's. Just like in Slaking's battle against Hawlucha, Slaking was able to take a hit from Talonflame's Steel Wing and restore its health with. Talonflame then used Flame Charge which countered with. Weakened by all the damage it had taken, Slaking fell to its knee, allowing Talonflame to overpower it. Talonflame then proceeded to finally defeat its opponent with a strong Brave Bird. Talonflame then faced Sawyer's, who was able to use for greater aerial mobility, forcing Talonflame to take evasive actions. Clawitzer was then able to partially freeze Talonflame's wing with Ice Beam, but the Scorching Pokémon used Flame Charge to melt the ice and head towards Clawitzer. A collision between Flame Charge and Aqua Jet, however, knocked Talonflame out while Clawitzer remained standing.

Talonflame was used in the finals of the Conference against Alain as Ash's fourth Pokémon, in Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted!. It went up against. The two Flying-Types immediately engaged in a high-speed aerial duel as both attacked each other with Steel Wing, after which they clashed. Talonflame sped itself up with Flame Charge, but Unfezant countered with. Talonflame was then struck by an, but it quickly recovered and used Flame Charge to increase its Speed to catch up to Unfezant and strike him back. The two bird Pokémon then collided with Brave Bird and Sky Attack, knocking both out simultaneously.

In A Towering Takeover!, Talonflame, along with Ash and Ash's other Pokémon, was taken captive at the top of Prism Tower by Lysandre. It could only watch in horror while Ash and Greninja were hit by Team Flare's miniature version of the Mega Evolution energy weapon, until Ash and Greninja freed themselves using Bond Phenomenon, in the following episode. Alain's Charizard broke Talonflame and the other Pokémon free with, leaving everyone to battle Lysandre's Pyroar and a Mega  together. Talonflame continued battling Mega Gyarados in The Right Hero for the Right Job!, but while charging towards it using Flame Charge, it was knocked into the air by Stone Edge along with Ash's Greninja. They were then caught by Charizard, but Gyarados slammed them down with Dragon Tail, knocking Talonflame out. In Battling With a Clean Slate!, Talonflame and the rest of Ash's Pokémon received medals from Professor Sycamore for their heroic efforts against Team Flare.

Ash left Talonflame at Professor Oak's Laboratory when he decided to go to Alola.

Personality and characteristics
Prior to being by Ash, Fletchling would steal  from other  as shown when it took a Berry from. It was also shown to be mischievous as it led the group to a swarm. Fletchling also showed a sense of humor by laughing at them after being attacked. After Ash caught Fletchling, it warmed up to the group and became friendly towards them. Compared to the more subdued and, Fletchling tends to be more animated and emotional, puffing its chest out when confident and showing visible shock and tears when upset. In Battles in the Sky!, Fletchling became dejected after Moria's dismissed it as weak. It was also shown in the same episode to be intelligent and resourceful; while Talonflame battled Hawlucha, it studied how Talonflame battled, and used what it learned to evade and defeat the evolved Pokémon later.

Talonflame is usually used as a scout, in a manner similar to that of Ash's Staraptor and. However, despite not usually being used in battles against other s, Talonflame is frequently used in Gym battles, fighting in all except for Ash's fifth badge. This shows the confidence Ash places in Talonflame's speed and strength. It is safe to assume therefore, that Talonflame is an accomplished battler. Talonflame hasn't shown the same enthusiasm as Hawlucha or Greninja, but when in battle, it becomes focused and determined to defeat its opponent, no matter what the opponent may be, even if at a type disadvantage. Talonflame has also adopted Ash's never give up mentality, as it has taken many hard hitting blows in the past, and always gotten back up. This shows that Talonflame is quite the resilient Pokémon. It also seems to want to prove itself against other Flying types, as it wished to fight Moria's Talonflame to the point of crying in frustration when rejected by it. Both of its evolutions occurring in battles against other Flying-types is further indication of this. In addition, Talonflame is willing to put itself in harm's way to protect its friends. As a Fletchinder in A Legendary Photo Op!, it intercepted 's powerful to protect Ash,, Greninja as a Frogadier, Trevor, and Trevor's Charmeleon. After evolving, it fought to the point of exhaustion to calm the Legendary Pokémon down. In All Eyes on the Future!, during a Double Battle with Olympia, Talonflame voluntarily stepped up to cover Greninja as a Frogadier and provide an offensive push for Ash after Greninja was by Olympia's 's.

Talonflame is also humble in defeat. After losing to Greninja as a Froakie when it was a Fletchling, which resulted in its subsequent catch, Talonflame did not sulk or feel sorry for itself. Rather, it shared an Oran Berry snack with Pikachu and Froakie, symbolizing their new found friendship. Talonflame is loyal to its friends as well, which is show by its constant willingness to search for its friends whenever they get separated from. Talonflame seems to have a good relationship with, as it took inspiration from her words, which helped it to evolve when a Fletchling. This also shows that Talonflame is not too proud as to refuse advice when given it, and will persist to improve itself. It has also been hinted that Talonflame has become more moralistic, as it showed remorse after being scolded by Bonnie for stealing food from wild Pokémon. It also enjoys having its wings cleaned by Bonnie, as stated by Ash.

As shown in A Not-So-Flying Start! Talonflame also has good parental instincts. Upon discovering a Pokémon Egg, Talonflame, as a Fletchinder, used its Flame Body Ability to keep the Egg warm. Once the Egg hatched, and was revealed to be a Noibat, Fletchinder, along with Hawlucha, became Noibat's mentors and began to teach it how to fly. It continued to help Noibat with its flying abilities in A Relay in the Sky!.

Trivia

 * As a Fletchling, its evolution into Fletchinder was first revealed in the Japanese opening Mega V. Fletchinder made its proper debut in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, before its evolution was shown on-screen in Battles in the Sky!.
 * Talonflame is 's first Pokémon that:
 * Changed one of its types upon evolution.
 * Evolved while battling a Legendary Pokémon.
 * As a Fletchling, it is also Ash's first basic stage Pokémon to get a win in a Gym battle prior to its evolution.
 * As a Fletchinder, it is also the first of Ash's Pokémon to evolve after defeating its evolved form.
 * Both of Talonflame's evolutions occurred when it was battling a Fire/Flying-type Pokémon.
 * Talonflame has battled two of the three Legendary birds: a in A Legendary Photo Op! and a  in An Electrifying Rage!.
 * Aside from, Talonflame has been used in the most Gym battles by Ash, with seven.
 * Talonflame is the first Fire-type Pokémon belonging to a main character to have never known.

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