The bright Illumina Garchomp was a sharp contrast to Rocinante, catching Josh's attention as Goroh began to wobble. Just as he was about to answer Remiel's greeting, the sound of Pico and Goroh colliding with one another distracted him. Unbeknownst to him, it was Goroh that had initiated it, his delirium causing them both to fall. Pico was first to get back up, followed by the Gym Leader's first Cyclizar. "Are you two okay?!" Josh cried, dismounting Jody. Both of them seemed shaken up, but otherwise fine. Not even a scrape against the dragons' tough scales.

With that addressed, Josh was able to at last direct his full attention to Remy and his two Pokémon. "Great to see you again, too!" he gave the royal, then his ghostly steed and Illumina dragon, a proper greeting. "Saragosa reminds me a lot of Twilight, my Absol, before I got her Absolite back. She was an Illumina Pokémon for all of about three months. When she Mega Evolved for the first time afterward, she ceased being Illumina. That's my one scientific contribution to Hoenn: the Illumina phenomenon can be permanently counteracted through Mega Evolution. Discovered it totally by accident, too."

Saragosa was not the star of the show today, though. It was Rocinante. "I'm excited, too," Josh added, the ghost-type's hidden energy seemingly contagious. "If he can outrun a Jolteon, he can put on some serious speed. This will be fun!" Once Remiel and Rocinante were ready, Josh would approach the phantom equine and show friendliness toward him while awaiting the sign to mount up.

---

uTaLp7fb - Confusion for Goroh

Remiel Calcifet

{WC: 264}
{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Jody          Cyclizar**     Good
Goroh         Cyclizar       Good
Pico          Cyclizar       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Raikiri       Zeraora        Good
Blinky        Jolteon        Good

"Thanks, though it was completely by accident," Josh replied. "I had no idea the Illumina phenomenon rejected other high energy forms like that of Mega Evolution. I'll have to keep that in mind if I run into any more Illumina Pokémon, though they are very rare. Plus, given how picky I am with the Pokémon I catch..." he trailed off, unsure how he wanted to finish.

At first frozen by Saragosa's intimidating twitching, Goroh relaxed when he saw the golden dragon do likewise. It seemed they wanted to play, and what better way to play by chasing one another down? With a squealing noise coming from its rear air sac, the Cyclizar pulled a sudden wheelie and began circling Remiel's Pokémon, though with plenty of room to ensure the Garchomp would be safe.

The hoofbeat didn't surprise Josh at all; he was used to how excited many of his Pokémon got around guest riders. Taking the hint, Josh briefly took his Z-Glove off to run his hand through the ghost-type's mane and gently pet the majestic creature. "I've never seen a Pokémon like this before. The only ghost-type I've ever ridden on is a Dragapult, and this has a totally different feel to it already."

While Rocinante was big, Josh was used to mounting big Pokémon, such as his Arcanine. "Should be able to handle it myself!" With a bit of effort, he climbed aboard the phantom equine. If there was tack on the Spectrier, he would use it; otherwise, he would leave his trust in the royal's Pokémon. "I imagine he controls like any other ride Pokémon? If there's anything special I need to know about him, I'd love to know ahead of time. Otherwise, I'm ready for him to run!"

---

fzNJKUtg - Confusion for Goroh

Remiel Calcifet

{WC: 300}
{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Jody          Cyclizar**     Good
Goroh         Cyclizar       Good
Pico          Cyclizar       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Raikiri       Zeraora        Good
Blinky        Jolteon        Good

Mention of the Galarian legendary raised questions from Josh. "The High King Calyrex? Never heard of him." Had he forgotten that much about the Galar Memory already? Almost everything about that twenty years of alternate history escaped the Gym Leader's memory. The only thing he remembered vividly was sitting in Raikou's thundercloud saddle, beheading foe after foe with his Electro Ball sword. What he wouldn't give to have both of those back to fight against Team Rocket. If being an Avatar came with that kind of privilege, he couldn't sign that contract any faster.

Just as Remiel was explaining something special about Rocinante, the Spectrier went from zero to full gallop in little time at all, flinging Josh back. If there was a saddle on the ghost-type's back, he would have appreciated it.

Goroh took off after Rocinante, his air sacs squealing. The Cyclizar was able to overtake Rocinante at first, but that didn't last long as the ghostly steed's gallop got faster and faster. The ghost-type was even outpacing Blinky, one of the fastest Pokémon Josh had. Without his suit, though, the Gym Leader couldn't get a measurement of just how fast the rare Pokémon was.

Then he had an idea. He withdrew Blinky before she got too far away, replacing her with Raikiri the Zeraora. Running on all fours, the mythical cat was the fastest land Pokémon Josh had. Wondering how much faster the Spectrier could get, Josh flicked its reins if it had them; otherwise he would verbally ask Rocinante to jump. Would the horse be able to outrun even a Zeraora?

---

rmkPiOKJ - Confusion for Goroh

Remiel Calcifet

{WC: 268}
{PC: 5}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Jody          Cyclizar**     Good
Goroh         Cyclizar       Good
Pico          Cyclizar       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Raikiri       Zeraora        Good
Blinky        Jolteon        Good

The warp hole serving as the front half of PHANTOM FORCE took Josh by surpsied. He would have panicked had it not been for his experiences riding his Dragapult, Sidewinder, through the ethereal world. Resembling a darkened, inverse-color world from their own, everything on the back side was cold and oppressive, just like he remembered it with the ghostly dragon. No longer limited by the physical world, the royal's horse accelerated even more.

A bright burst of light flooded Josh's eyes as Rocinante returned from the ethereal to the physical, Josh letting an almost feminine whoop from the intensity of the adrenaline rush. Though it was through fairly slow gains, Raikiri passed Remiel's Pokémon for a second time. The two mythical Pokémon sung a symphony of hoof and paw with the ludicrous, perhaps unsafe speeds they sped down the old thoroughfare, wild Pokémon ducking for cover to get out of the way. It was clear that the two were on roughly the same tier of speed, reinforcing the Gym Leader's desire to track one down all the more.

When Josh had his fill of racing Rocinante, experimenting with direct, tactile control through either reins on the horse, or hand pressure if there were none, he and his Zeraora returned to Remiel's side. "Now I... want one for myself... all the more...!" Josh slowly exhaled, the disgusting speed from the PHANTOM FORCE leaving even the Master of Faster short of breath.

---

BJSns_Xl - Confusion for Goroh

Remiel Calcifet

{WC: 243}
{PC: 6}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Jody          Cyclizar**     Good
Goroh         Cyclizar       Good
Pico          Cyclizar       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Raikiri       Zeraora        Good
Blinky        Jolteon        Good

"Shaderoot carrots..." Josh trailed off. "I'll have to ask around about them." There were plenty of botany experts in Hoenn, including the ones that helped him take care of his Gracidea. It would be a while before they were in bloom. Without their help, though, the plants wouldn't be anywhere near as healthy as they were otherwise. Perhaps one day he could reconnect with wren rourke and ask him about it.

The adrenaline rush finally wearing off, replaced with the emotional low of his weariness, the Master of Faster slid off Rocinante's back. "Phew," he sighed. "That Phantom Force is so fast! Even takes it out of me. If you're going about the Gym Challenge, I think you'd succeed at Mauville Gym! With how in sync you and your partner are, you would have no problem qualifying."

With that, Josh whistled for Goroh, the Cyclizar knowing it was time for them to return home after such a fun adventure. "Thanks again. I won't forget this. See you around - and say hi to Elise Calcifet for me!" Waving goodbye, the gentle dragon's air sacs began whirling, carrying his trainer north toward the densely-populated city.

---

Remiel Calcifet

{WC: 191}
{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Jody          Cyclizar**     Good
Goroh         Cyclizar       Good
Pico          Cyclizar       Good
Resheph       Dragonair      Good
Raikiri       Zeraora        Good
Blinky        Jolteon        Good

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