Ash's Talonflame
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Ash's Talonflame (Japanese: サトシのファイアロー Satoshi's Fiarrow) is the second Pokémon that Ash Ketchum caught in the Kalos region.
History
As a Fletchling, it made its first appearance stealing a Berry that Bonnie was trying to feed to a wild Dedenne. Having made Bonnie cry, Ash's Froakie attempted to battle Fletchling, only to be repeatedly knocked out of the air. After Fletchling left, Clemont tried to attract it with one of his Clemontic Gears, only for Fletchling to set them up into being attacked by a swarm of Beedrill.
The chase led Ash and his friends 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 Pikachu.
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 Surskit. It was unaffected by the slippery field caused by Ice Beam as well as having a type-advantage. Fletchling used Peck which was dodged and avoided an Ice Beam attack, Surskit used Sticky Web, which Fletchling dodged by using Double Team. It used Razor Wind hitting Surskit knocking it out. It then went up against her Vivillon, its Peck was countered with Psychic and it was smashed on the ground, it was then hit with Gust and was pushed into the Sticky Web Surskit set before, it was unable to escape and hit with Solar Beam, 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 Noivern using Gust to help them withstand Vivillon's Gust.
In Battling on Thin Ice!, 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 Steel Wing 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, Sleep Powder, to put Fletchling to sleep and it was defeated by Solar Beam.
In Climbing the Walls!, Ash used Fletchling as his second Pokémon in his Cyllage Gym Battle against Grant. Fletchling went up against Tyrunt. It used Razor Wind but Tyrunt used its powerful mouth and fangs with Crunch 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 Dragon Tail 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 Sky Trainer, and her Talonflame. 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 Hawlucha 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 Fire Blast and evolved into Fletchinder in the process. It successfully defeated Talonflame with its newly learned Flame Charge, using the speed increase from the new move three times to easily follow it and attack.
As a Fletchinder, it was used in Ash's Shalour Gym battle against Korrina in Showdown at the Shalour Gym!. It was his second Pokémon and went up against Korrina's Machoke. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but Machoke used its incredible running and jumping ability to dodge and hit Fletchinder with Brick Break, Fletchinder was then hit by a speedy Low Kick, Fletchinder went for Steel Wing but it was caught by Machoke who threw it, Fletchinder recovered and used Razor Wind, Machoke then went for Focus Blast, but Fletchinder used Flame Charge and hit Machoke after it dodged Focus Blast, knocking it out. Korrina then sent out her final Pokémon, her Lucario, she immediately Mega Evolved it into Mega Lucario, Fletchinder used Flame Charge but Mega Lucario used Metal Sound, blocking Flame Charge and lowering Fletchinder's Special Defense, but it broke through and hit Mega Lucario, which was super-effective, Mega Lucario then used Aura Sphere but Fletchinder countered with Steel Wing, blocking the attack, but then Mega Lucario quickly came from behind and used Power-Up Punch, knocking Fletchinder out.
In The Green, Green Grass Types of Home!, Ash used Fletchinder as his first Pokémon in his Coumarine Gym Battle against Ramos, it went up against his Jumpluff. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but Jumpluff protected itself using Cotton Guard, preventing itself from taking damage. Jumpluff then used Sunny Day, creating harsh sunlight, Fletchinder used Steel Wing but using its Chlorophyll ability, it sped up, allowing it to dodge the attack. Fletchinder used Flame Charge but the attack was dodged, but the effect of Flame Charge increased its Speed, 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 his Weepinbell, Fletchinder used Flame Charge but it was dodged, as Weepinbell used its Chlorophyll ability using the harsh sunlight from Jumpluff. It used Flame Charge again but Weepinbell used its Poison Powder to escape and poisoning Fletchinder, whilst it was down, it was hit by Weepinbell's Razor Leaf. 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 Slam, knocking Fletchinder out.
In Fairy-Type Trickery!, Ash used Fletchinder as his first Pokémon in his Laverre Gym Battle against Valerie, it went up against her Sylveon. Fletchinder landed a successful super-effective Steel Wing on Sylveon, but it was hit with Disarming Voice. Fletchinder attempted to use Peck, but it got caught in Sylveon's feelers and was spun around, whilst being hit with Fairy Wind. Sylveon attempted to crash Flecthinder into the ground, but it was able to break free with Flame Charge and hit Sylveon. Sylveon used Giga Impact whilst Fletchinder used Steel Wing, both attacks hit, but only Fletchinder was able to remain up, defeating the Intertwinning Pokémon. Valerie then used Spritzee, Fletchinder went for a Steel Wing but the Perfume Pokémon dodged and used Trick Room, 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 Dazzling Gleam. Fletchinder used Flame Charge again, which was dodged and was hit by Gyro Ball. 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 Moonblast and knocked out.
In A Not-So-Flying Start!, it was training until Hawlucha found an egg and brought it back to Ash. Whilst it was hatching, Fletchinder used its Flame Body ability to keep it warm until it hatched into a Noibat. Later after Noibat was frustrated by its inability to fly, it and Hawlucha offered to help to teach it to fly, Fletchinder flew whilst 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 Inkay 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 Frogadier 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 Starly, Staravia and Staraptor. 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 Hydreigon 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 Pumpkaboo, 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 Trevor's Charmeleon. It used its speedy movements to dodge a Fire Spin and block Flamethrower 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 Moltres. 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 Talonflame and successfully blocked the attack, also learning Brave Bird as a result. Though it evolved and learned a new move, Moltres was just too strong and knocked Talonflame out with a Fire Blast. 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 Frogadier 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.
Personality and characteristics
Prior to being caught by Ash, Fletchling would steal food from other Pokémon as shown when it took a berry from Dedenne. It was also shown to be mischievous as it led the group to a Beedrill 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 Frogadier and Hawlucha, 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 Talonflame 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 Noctowl. However, despite not usually being used in battles against other trainers, instead leaning towards Hawlucha and Frogadier more, Ash tends to use Talonflame frequently in Gym battles, fighting in all but one so far. 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 Frogadier, 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.
Talonflame is also humble in defeat. After losing to Frogadier 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 the group. Talonflame seems to have a good relationship with Bonnie, 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 flying type 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!.
Moves used
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Trivia
- Talonflame, as Fletchling, is Ash's first basic stage Flying-type Pokémon to get a win in a Gym battle prior to its evolution.
- As a Fletchling, its evolution into Fletchinder was first revealed in the Japanese opening Mega V. Fletchinder debuted in the content of the anime in Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction, before its evolution was shown on-screen in Battles in the Sky!.
- Talonflame is Ash's first Pokémon to change one of its types upon evolution.
- Talonflame is Ash's first Flying-type Pokémon to have a confirmed Ability.
- Talonflame is Ash's first Pokémon to evolve while battling a Legendary Pokémon.
- Both of Talonflame's evolutions occurred when it was battling a Fire/Flying-type Pokémon.
Related articles
- For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Fletchling, Fletchinder, and Talonflame.
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
