MARCH UPDATE

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jul 28, 2023 20:44:11 GMT

After the match with MATIAS SILPH , Josh went to the office of The Volatile - the same one where they had interviewed at and he had been told to defeat CIAN MAHER first. He had promised Matias he would tell him everything about that day. And he meant everything. He couldn't enter the office alone, though. With his team of six was at the onsite Pokémon Center, undergoing a standard post-battle one hour restoration, he had arranged for Raikiri to be transported from Mauville Gym to the Pokémon League. The big cat curled up next to the side of the couch Josh sat at, his prized thundercat's saddle prominently in view.

"Matias, I promised I'd answer your questions," Josh sighed, trembling with fear. While they weren't true enemies yet, his thoughts of the Elite Four member were rapidly deteriorating. "I'll tell you everything about that day. About Eris Halla . And I want to preface: I am not proud of any of my actions that day. I let my greatest desire control me. You know by now what that is."

MATIAS SILPH

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 177}
{PC: 1}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jul 29, 2023 11:35:35 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

it is with indifference that he approaches this conversation but he decides to entertain it if only to find out more about the man before him.[break][break]

"i don't actually have many questions for you, devlin. only one, really."[break][break]

he leans back in his chair.[break][break]

"why'd you let her get away?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

[newclass=.matiasbase]font:11px roboto;--accent:#5d464e;[/newclass]
[newclass=.matiasbase]max-width: 450px; height: auto;border: 1px solid #1a1a1a; border-radius: 10px; overflow: hidden; background: #252525;
[/newclass]
[newclass=.matias1]border-radius: 10px 10px 0px 0; max-width: 460px; height: 220px; background: url(https://i.imgur.com/zsBjQYG.png), #000; background-blend-mode: screen; background-attachment: fixed; background-size: cover; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.matiasimg]width: 100px; height: 100px; position: relative; border-radius: 100%; object-fit: cover;[/newclass]
[newclass=.matiasimg img]height:100px;width:100px;border-radius:100%;[/newclass]
[newclass=.matias2]width: 350px; padding: 20px; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify; color: #eee; margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px; border-radius: 5px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.matiaspoke]text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; [/newclass]
[newclass=.matiaspoke img]margin-top:0px; [/newclass]
[newclass=.circleoutline1]border-radius: 100%; width: 120px; height: 120px; background: var(--accent); opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; [/newclass]
[newclass=.matias2 b]font-weight: bold; color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=.matias2 i]text-decoration:italic; color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=.matias3] border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 0; max-width: 460px; height: 50px; background: url(https://i.imgur.com/zsBjQYG.png), #000; background-blend-mode: screen; background-attachment: fixed; background-size: cover; display: flex; text-align:center;[/newclass]
[newclass=.rouxcredit]align:right; color:#AB4646; font-size:10px; text-align:right; padding:10px; [/newclass]

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jul 29, 2023 19:36:04 GMT

Matias' gaze was intimidating, making Josh sweat. Other than a few deep breaths, he remained silent in the immediacy of the Volatile's question. When he finally spoke up, it was with trepidation. "It's time I told you the story. The whole story." Much of what Josh was about to tell Matias was information he had only shared with Elinor Anderson , the only person on the Council he fully trusted. "It wasn't so much I let her get away as though there's... something special about her." He described, to the best of his ability, the MYSTICAL POWER that the unbeknownst-to-him Mesprit blasted and his Beedrill away from the clifftop with. Details were fuzzy, though, making it almost impossible to connect Mesprit to Eris with that description alone. "Have you ever seen an attack like that?" he asked. "It was unlike anything I've ever seen. It hurt. Bad. King Zing was in really bad shape afterward."

The young man tilted his head downward. "And for the most... selfish reason ever. I just want answers. Answers about Raikou and the Kanto War. You know how much Raikou means to me... right?" The Gym Leader's muscles continued to shake involuntarily. "I want to befriend Raikou and hold Raikou's reins more than anything in the world. Well, I would have said that before this all happened. I never would have thought I liked my Gym more... until it was taken away from me. Now... I feel so empty."

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 242}
{PC: 1}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Aug 1, 2023 6:17:46 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

through it all, matias is silent, not once speaking up until the very end when emptiness hangs over the gym leader's conscience.[break][break]

"so you let her get away because you wanted answers?"[break][break]

he laughs.[break][break]

"what the fuck is wrong with you?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Aug 2, 2023 18:04:24 GMT

Though his muscles continued to twitch on their own, Josh's head tilted back up, a fire in his eyes on Matias' insistence that the situation was entirely under control. "Were you even listening to me, Matias? I told you I didn't 'let her' get away. There's something really special about it, and whatever it was, it was strong enough to blast my Beedrill and I away. You should know how strong King Zing is; weren't you one of the ones responsible for ensuring his rehab is going well?" he asked, unsure exactly of who was handling that. It had to be one of the League higher-ups overseeing it, right?

Though the fire in his eyes was great, if Matias were to return the fiery look, Josh would feel little choice but to back down. He knew Matias could end the Gym Leader's life in a heartbeat with his earthbending powers, let alone the Patron itself. His was one of the few legendary Pokémon that could turn Josh's suit into a liability.

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 172}
{PC: 2}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2023 5:33:22 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"there's nothing fucking special about her, devlin. she's just a kid. how i'm hearing it is that you let yourself get distracted."[break][break]

he sighs.[break][break]

"you should've killed her when you had the chance."[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Aug 11, 2023 18:59:12 GMT

Josh was dumbfounded. That was twice now that he had described the Lake Spirit's MYSTICAL POWER to Matias. Was he not listening, or was he listening and simply brushing Josh off? He also didn't like that his own questions were getting ignored.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Josh asked, somewhat trying to stand his ground. "I had her pinned and helpless. Then, like I said, something blew me away with such power that I fell unconscious shortly afterward. I can't remember what it looked like. It seems like it was some kind of psychic-type attack I've never seen, when I think about it. My memory around that exact time is just so fuzzy."

It was a sign that the relationship between Josh and Matias was growing increasingly tenuous, and could no longer even be considered a true friendship. "I trusted you. You helped me get stronger. You helped me understand what an Avatar is. Was it all... was it all just a means to an end?!"

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 169}
{PC: 4}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Aug 12, 2023 9:21:37 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"if you had her pinned and helpless then why are we having this conversation? why did you not kill her before you were blown away? was it mercy or incompetence?"[break][break]

a pause.[break][break]

"i helped you get stronger not for my own gain but for the sake of the region. perhaps i had been wrong to do so in the first place."[break][break]

a beat.[break][break]

"why are you in hoenn, devlin? why do you fight?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Aug 14, 2023 21:19:26 GMT

Josh was starting to grow heated. At that point, he deduced his remarks about Mesprit, though he did not know the Lake Spirit's identity, were being ignored. Brushed off. "I already told you. It was neither. Do I need to repeat myself a third time?" he answered with quite the lip. "I can tell you're hearing me, but you're not listening to me. Just listen, please."

Matias' question was one that the Josh that he had first met would have snapped off the answer of "Raikou" without a second thought. His restitution had changed him. His obsession once again a mere fantasy, it was sealed with the tight cork of reality. He had a virtual world where he could sit on Raikou's back and race the Beast as fast as the game would allow him.

He was a different man. A noble idealist, still, but not one tunneled on a single, nigh-unattainable goal.

"For Mauville and her people." It was short and to the point, which he imagined was all Matias needed.

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 172}
{PC: 5}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Aug 15, 2023 9:11:58 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

short and to the point is met in kind.[break][break]

"not hoenn and its people?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Aug 17, 2023 6:27:49 GMT

Josh's scowl grew as Matias again corrected him in a tongue that felt sharp as a barrage of Precipice Blades, burning as hot as the red earth itself. "Matias, cut the semantics, please. You know as well as I do that my obligations extend to the entire region. Of course I fight for all of Hoenn. Mauville comes first, though." He paused to collect his thoughts, Raikiri perking up and sensing his trainer's increased aggression and knife-like tone.

"Were you ever a Gym Leader, Matias?" Josh asked with lowered eyebrows, not realizing how off-topic they were getting. "If you were never a Gym Leader, then you have no right to tell me my fealty shouldn't be toward Mauville first. I'm sorry if I'm sounding out of line, but that's how I feel. My duty is to lead and protect Mauville," he continued to raise his voice. "I'm sure other Gym Leaders feel the same way about their cities."

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 158}
{PC: 6}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Sept 13, 2023 15:37:40 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"no, never. the idea of being a gym leader always felt too little to me. that, and i was busy fighting for the region."[break][break]

but he understands josh's point as he's not wrong: gym leaders are meant to focus on their cities first. but in doing so, they confine themselves into a little corner of the region where their focus should instead be cast in a wider net.[break][break]

"i'm not sure you're even capable of defending mauville, actually."[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Sept 14, 2023 4:55:26 GMT

"See Matias, this is why I think not just in government, but in any organization, people in supervisory roles should have experience working the role they supervise."

Matias' comments were belittling, anger fierce as a lightning strike heating up and ready to boil over. Gym Leaders were some of the most important, yet least appreciated, League personnel. They were the ones who impacted the daily lives of their cities' citizens the most. They were the faces of each city. You couldn't talk about Mauville City without talking about Josh Devlin . In his eyes, someone who had no experience as a Gym Leader could never understand that.

Matias' last remark was the spark that started the wildfire of the Mauville Leader's fury. A stern, scary look on his face may have been enough for the Volatile to see that Josh himself was growing quite volatile.

"...You take that back, Matias. NOW."

MATIAS SILPH

NOTE: This thread takes place immediately after Josh's Elite Four challenge with Matias.

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good

{WC: 149}
{PC: 7}

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,127 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Sept 14, 2023 7:07:53 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"how do you expect to watch over a city when you couldn't defend yourself against a kid? fucking wake up, devlin."[break][break]

fire meets fire, burning wild.[break][break]

"you'd be doing the region a favor if you stepped down."[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

6,113 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin