As of late, his two jobs had begun heating up. His own mother, the owner of RaiCorp had tasked him with a test to see if he was worthy of remaining on the board. So that in of itself was a big thing to handle. But his day job had always been his part in the Rangers. While his wife was now Lavaridge’s Ranger Captain, he still wanted to do his best to do his part, and his mission load had increased with all the going-ons of Hoenn as of late. But from time to time, he still found time to get out and fish.

Partly for work, of course. The HoloDex project needed specimens to make 3D models of. But if he could relax his tired bones and brain for a little while, all the better.

Or that was the plan, but the pier he had chosen was the destination of some kid with a sharpedo to practice their surfing skills, or whatever it was that he was doing. Josh was alerted to their presence by the Raichu at his side perking up, which also got Josh’s attention.

“It’s just a kid, Lightning. I’m sure they’ll pass us by ‘er long.”

@tag

-Notes-

Except they weren't just passing by. In fact, the game continued on in their sight. It seemed that fishing may have to wait, or at least, it might get a touch more... Complicated, for the time being. Even worse, they were getting closer by the moment until the kid and his Dragonair, slinging moves all the while, wound up on the pier that the pair had been fishing on. All of a sudden, the Thunder Wave would interface with the electric sacs on Lightning's cheeks, and the kid nearly got caught up in it in the process.

And that of course meant headaches. Josh would withdraw his fishing rod as the Ranger approached the young man. He at least didn't seem hurt, and actually didn't even recognize the shock as he greeted them.

"Are you hurt?" asked the Ranger first and foremost. The kid said he was practicing for a race or something of the sort. "This is Lightning" he introduced the Raichu in turn, looking then at the kid's Dragonair and Sharpedo. It took a skilled Trainer at least, to train a Dragonair. So there was something there. "Try not to practice so close to the pier. Especially if you're using Pokemon moves."

He squinted in turn. "Especially Electric Type moves. Which need to be used with caution around large bodies of water. You don't want to hurt the Pokemon living underneath, do you?"

Josh Devlin

-Notes-

The lad was carefree. Perhaps a bit too much. Would certainly explain the risks he was taking. The boy would comment that Lightning must be really strong to give him that sort of shock. "My apologies for the shock. Electric Types tend to discharge electricity when startled" he did his best to advise, though Lightning at least seemed grateful for the compliment. "It's not a habit they grow out of either, especially not those in the Pikachu line with their electric sacs being visible. Makes it easier to discharge, but they're also able to be more liberal with them, even unconsciously. Lightning and I have been together since I was younger than you are, before I had even started my journey. He still hasn't grown out of it, as you can see."

Getting into these old stories like that made him feel old all of a sudden. But his younger opposite was also named, which got a surprised laugh out of him. "How about that. My name is Josh also" he answered with the slightest hint of cheek in a small smile. "Josh Dragomir, to be precise. I'm a Ranger."

Just as the other Josh was about to cast off though, a Hoothoot would nearly collide with Lightning from behind, having had its flight scrambled by the electricity previously flying around. The near-impact caused Lightning to jut out a Thunderbolt, frying the poor thing. Josh would wince in turn.

"I'm just gonna..." he muttered, taking out a Pokeball and tapping it to the Hoothoot. "Send this one home to be tended to. Whoops."

Josh Devlin

Catching Hoothoot!

Devlin couldn't help but chuckle at Dragomir's remark about Lightning's involuntary discharged. "I raise a lot of electric-type Pokémon myself. It's a problem I've had to deal with before." The older Josh's story reminded him of his own with Saber. "I had to go through that phase with the Manectric I've had since I was ten. Of course, he was an Electrike back then." It had been a whole twelve, going on thirteen years that those two were together, and they were absolutely inseparable.

Devlin chuckled again when he heard that his new acquaintance had the same first name as he did. That chuckle turned into a groan when he heard the older Josh introduce himself by his full name. "...Wow, we have the same last initial too? Josh Devlin here." Ranging was something he felt he could never be good at, simply with his lack of experience interacting with wild Pokémon in ways other than battle.

Devlin witnessed the scuffle between the Hoothoot and Lightning. Small bird Pokémon had to be very careful around electric-types; they were highly unpredictable, and could discharge powerful bolts at any time. "If you're a Ranger, then that poor Hoothoot will be in good hands. My side hustle is the Gym Challenge in the off season."

With that, Devlin had his Sharpedo cast off from the dock. "I'll be right back...what do we even call each other? Are we soul mates or something?" he half-joked. "We have the same first name, last initial, a lot of the same interests...Anyway, I'm going to see what a run on Snacker is like. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes." With that, he pulled slightly back on the water-type's fin to angle his rear water jet down. A Sharpedo's rear end expelled water at inpressive pressures, which was the dark-type's primary source of thrust.

As they cast off, the Sharpedo's slight upward angle and high speed caused him to bounce along the water's surface much like a turbo jet ski. Devlin couldn't help but let out a joyous cry from the wild ride his Sharpedo was taking him on. A Slowpoke on a nearby sandbar was staring at them while fishing, the rider paying it absolutely no heed.

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD MASQUERAIN APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] INTIMIDATE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SCARY FACE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SILVER WIND
[attr="class","wildtabox"]QUIVER DANCE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SWEET SCENT
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Dragomir Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD LOTAD APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] OWN TEMPO
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ASTONISH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]NATURAL GIFT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ABSORB	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]GROWL
[attr="class","wildtabox"] LEECH SEED	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Dragomir Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Josh Dragomir CAUGHT THE HOOTHOOT!

He watched the Hoothoot disappear into the Pokeball, and then the Pokeball would disappear, headed to the Ranch in order for his mom to treat the poor thing. Lightning would give Josh an apologetic look, and the trainer sighed in turn as he would scratch behind the Raichu's ears to assuage their feelings. "It should know not to mess with you, no worries" Josh tried his best to comfort Lightning in turn before returning to the subject at hand.

"Your story is definitely familiar, then. I had Lightning back when I was a boy, before I was allowed to even own a Pokemon. Lightning was a Pichu back then, a wounded baby that I took care of that decided it didn't want to leave. Used to sneak him into my bag when I went to school, though my parents always found out" he admitted with the smallest of smiles forming at the nostalgic thought. "Pichu can't control their electricity very well, so I'm sure you can probably figure out how."

JD as well, eh? Ain't that a kick in the pokeballs? "Guess that's just how fate works sometimes. Looks like Arceus meant for you to nearly crash into us after all" he remarked with a hint of amusement in his tone. But it wasn't long before the kid was off, promising to be back in a few minutes. Josh would wave farewell and sit back down, but it wasn't long before a Lotad would snag his line. Pulling it back, the Lotad would come up, but instead of having Lightning attack, Josh would instead fish out a Pokesnack that he'd prepared specifically for Lotad's type. He would then offer it to Lotad in hopes they would accept.

Josh Devlin

Catching Lotad

Devlin found himself doing less practice of actual racing techniques and more just having some clean fun on the surface. Snacker was fast; fast enough that the wind in his face was starting to blind him. He wasn't expecting to have to flip his visor down, but he found himself doing so. The makeshift wind shield clicking into place, and he was ready to see what the dark-type was capable of. His right knee nearly touched the water from how sharp of a roll he put the shark into, making a quick turn back toward the dock and giving Dragomir a good look at the younger Josh zooming about.

Devlin started a second, larger lap around the waters west of Pacifidlog Town, forbidden to swimmers without Pokémon due to the strength of the current being able to sweep them all the way to Mauville Bay. The two were already approaching the current at a heck of a clip. When his Sharpedo mount hit the swift current, Devlin lurched back in the saddle from how much speed it made them suddenly gain. He didn't even let out a cry; he was simply focused on reacting to obstacles and Pokémon flying at him at breakneck speeds.

Once the young one had his fun, he turned his Sharpedo out of the current and into a cove protected from it. Now, he had to get back to Pacifidlog. Resheph could take him there, but he was already stop Snacker. Plus, there was one more thing he wanted to try...

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD STARYU APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] GENDERLESS	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ANALYTIC
[attr="class","wildtabox"]BUBBLE BEAM	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]REFLECT TYPE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]HARDEN	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]CONFUSE RAY
[attr="class","wildtabox"]LIGHT SCREEN	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Dragomir Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD MURKROW APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] SUPER LUCK
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SUCKER PUNCH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]PECK
[attr="class","wildtabox"]PURSUIT	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]NIGHT SHADE
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Dragomir Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Josh Dragomir CAUGHT THE LOTAD!

Lotad would accept the invitation to eat, and Josh caught it soon after. This had become formula for him. Catch a Pokemon through befriending it, or badger it into submission. It was a formula he had perfected over nearly a decade as a fully fledged Pokemon Trainer. Though along the way, he had picked up a few more responsibilities, so to speak.

Josh wasn't exactly a Pokemon racing guru, so he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between training and having fun in this regard. But the kid at least seemed to be enjoying the practice, so good for him, he supposed. And they were fast, too. While they were doing that however, a Murkrow would come down on them, wanting to steal the spare bait and snacks.

Lightning didn't even give them a chance.

The Raichu knew before it even reached there, and Thunderbolt was quickly loosed in turn. The Murkrow, odds were, didn't stand a chance against the experienced Raichu and odds are fried them near to a Murkrowy crisp. Sighing, Josh threw a Pokeball at them in hopes that his mother didn't get too haughty over having to help nurse two fried Pokemon to health.

Lightning was getting to be a bit -too- good in his old age.

Josh Devlin

- Catching Murkrow

With a smirk on his face, Josh swerved Snacker into the swift current and jabbed his knees into the dark-type's sides. His jaws opened wide, a laser-like beam of water shooting from his rear. While the two were advancing against the vicious current, it was slow. It was time to try the one more thing he wanted to try. "Snacker, use your AQUA JET!" he cried, grabbing more tightly to the Sharpedo's fin as he braced for the attack's explosive force.

The Sharpedo sounded a loud cry and flailed about wildly in the water, testing Josh's balance. The popping noise sounded like a distant gunshot as the two shot forward against one of the strongest sea currents in Hoenn, slicing through it like it didn't exist. He lurched back again as he exited the current, this time harder than before. The two zoomed toward Pacifidlog at blistering speeds that would surely challenge even aquatic specialists.

"Yeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaa!!" Josh shouted as he guided Snacker into some shallow but sweeping turns, each one exerting quite a lot of force due to the immense velocity the two had reached. As he turned the Sharpedo back toward Pacifidlog, he looked like he was barely in control. When the AQUA JET expired, his heart was thumping from the thrill and excitement. He took both his hands off the Sea Bully's fins when he slowed to a much safer speed, his hands in the air victoriously when he returned to the dock where Dragomir was.