Unsurprisingly, Matias needed something adult after that trip. Team Rocket agents were always a wild card. Sometimes, they weren't competent at what they did; others were frighteningly good at their jobs. Given his past run-ins with the syndicate, both here and in Johto, he put the duo they had thwarted the plans of earlier that day about in the middle. Their server quickly returned with their drinks, letting them know it might be a bit of a wait on the pizza bread.

Once she was gone, Josh looked Matias in the eyes. "I have a very basic idea," he answered, using his phone to load the HNN news article about the Dawn of the Darkest Day. "Mostly from this and what Melody Miro has told me about them. They're...from what I understand, what is formed when one of Arceus' most sacred creations splits a shard of its essence to merge with a human?"

"Mythology was one of my favorite electives in high school, and Johtonian mythology in particular was one of my favorite things to study." Josh recounted the tale of the Burned and Tin Towers to Matias, then related a children's tale of three legendary warriors, chosen by the Johto Beasts: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune. The three warriors, knights in elemental shining armor, brought peace to an ancient Johto that nearly destroyed itself in the heat of war. "Am I anywhere in the ballpark?"

So it was true; just like the tales of Johtonian myth, the gods of Hoenn had also chosen partners. Though from Matias' explanation, the relationship Avatars had with their...patrons, for the lack of a better word, were less symbiotic than the tales he had read indicated. Rather than the legendary (little l) Pokémon and the Chosen being equals, he made it seem more like the Avatar was a pawn; a mere chess piece in the Legendary (Capital L)'s plan. It left Josh in deep thought that may have aroused Matias' suspicion.

As Josh was about to speak, their waiter returned with the duo's appetizers. The toppings on the pizza bread in particular looked so gooey - just the way Josh liked it. He prompted them to order their main course. "I'd like an order of tortellini alfredo please. Oh, and can I also get another lemonade please?" he asked, finishing up his glass of it and sliding it to the end of the table.

Once Matias had placed his order and the waiter had left, Josh spoke up. "It's just like the three Legendary Warriors that rode Raikou, Entei, and Suicune in ages past. It may not be the most well-known Johtonian myth, but it's the one I loved most. With swords of lightning, fire, and crystal, they appeared in times of great peril, and ere supposedly a big reason Johto is even still standing today." Whether that actually happened or was just a fairy tale was obviously up for debate.

The mention of the bond being mostly ruled by the Legendary itself was a bit intimidating to think about. "It sounds like the relationship with a...Patron, for lack of a better word...is almost completely a one-way street. That's got to be harsh." He got to thinking about the events of the Dawn of the Darkest Day from what he read about them, having read reports of Avatars possessing extraordinary power. "That heat...does that make you...?" He immediately stopped his sentence. "D-d-d-does that make you...?" Again, visibly nervous to ask. It made too much sense. If Matias was the Avatar of a fire-type Pokémon--any fire-type would do--then it made perfect sense that he would be completely unaware of the suffocating heat that surrounded him.

Time seemed to stop for Josh as soon as Matias confirmed his suspicion. It made all too much sense. He would have had a nervous breakdown if not for this being his first legendary encounter. He had seen the Sword of Iron Will wielded, and even ridden by, Melody Miro before. Yes, Arceus' most sacred creations had an intimidating presence to them, but it wasn't oppressive. And neither was Matias' presence.

Time seemed to flow normally again when Matias asked Josh which legendary Pokémon deemed him worthy of fusing a shard of itself with his acquaintance quickly turning friend. "What fire-type legendary Pokémon are there, even..." Only three came to mind. "There's...Moltres, the Titan of Fire, the immortal phoenix serving the Beast of the Sea, Lugia, and Entei's bitter rival. There's also the Great Ohe, Ho-oh. The patron deity of Johto." His skin tingled at the possibility of being in the presence of Ho-oh's Avatar. It was a reality he really didn't want to consider, as he would feel pressured to be unnaturally formal around the unknown Avatar he was sitting across the table from. He took a bite out of a piece of pizza bread, using the breather to collect his thoughts.

"...Entei, the Patron of the volcanic range well north of Ecruteak," he answered when he was done chewing. "It's Entei, isn't it?" Half of that was wishful thinking; it he met the Avatar of one of the Legendary Beasts, him as an ally would be the most useful tool he had yet in his pursuit of Raikou.

Of course, pursuit was only the beginning of the battle. He had hard time imagining the demands that would be made of him to impress the Beast enough to convince him that he was worthy of the title Avatar of Raikou. Would he have to withstand supersonic, or Arceus forbid, hypersonic, land speed? Would he have to battle a foe that used his own greatest weapon, his speed, against him? The possibilities raced through his mind. "It's gotta be Entei."

"Wait, not a fire-type?" Josh asked, trying to brainstorm of what other Pokémon it could possibly be. As Josh was thinking about it, their server returned with two plates, each filled with a sizable pile of round, meat-and-cheese filled noodles drenched in white sauce, with a scattering of parsley on top. Josh stirred his pasta around to let some of the heat out of the bottom as he continued to think.

As a thin layer of steam rose from the bottom of the bowl as he stirred it, it came to the racer. Heat was not only associated with fire Pokémon. It was also associated with the red earth. Emphasis on red. And there was only one legendary Pokémon Josh knew of that had influence over that particular domain.

"...The titan of the Desolate Land, Groudon?" Josh asked, his eyes wide open as he took his first bite of pasta.

Josh meal was, simply put, heavenly; truly a gift from the Great One, Ho-oh. Definitely another place to add to the list. Once the two were alone again, Matias gave Josh the big reveal. Realizing he was sitting right next to the very Avatar of the Titan of the Desolate Land was scary to think about. If his connection to Raikou was real and anything like other Avatars, that connection would give him all the strengths of Electric-type Pokémon, yes, but it would also give him the weaknesses of those Pokémon. If so, all it took was a single shard of PRECIPICE BLADES to severely injure him.

The relief is Matias appeared to be on his side.

"It's safe with me. If anyone asks, this conversation never happened. Because...I..." He shook his head. "while I'm not an Avatar yet, I am pursuing a legendary Pokémon myself. Have been for years. The only people that know are a small group of Rangers and a few people in my inner circle. One of them is on the Council. So I am sure the League is fully aware by now. I just don't want this getting into the hands of a bad actor. That's all. I'm sure that why you've been so reluctant to talk about this, too."

Josh took a sip of his lemonade and a deep breath.

"Has a person named Maldacena made the news recently? I haven't been able to keep up with current events fully, between my work as a Ranger and as a Gym Leader." Though it sounded like he was dancing around the subject, in his mind, Josh was committed to sharing his dream with Matias.

Being favored by a legendary Pokémon was already a million to one chance. To be favored by two was unheard of in Johtonian lore. Bearing the burden of a single sacred creation would overwhelm the vast majority of people. To be able to balance the whims of two, though? In his eyes, the odds of any human in the history of the race's existence befriending two different, unrelated legendary Pokémon were slim to none.

Unable to eat much more than half of his pasta, he put the rest of it in a foam box to be reheated at a later date. He listened to Matias' story about Maldacena, scooping up the remaining white sauce with a piece or two of garlic bread. "Wait, you were there, too?! Okay, what I'm about to say will make a lot more sense then."

He shared his morbid, tale of how he saw all six of his Pokémon dead projecting his Johtonian idol. "Before this, my reasons for my pursuit have been selfish, and I feel awful about it. But ever since leaving the Cloud, my main reason for my pursuit is...Maldacena said that is the future. A future that refuses to be changed. I don't believe him. I firmly believe that there is no future that cannot be changed."

Tears were starting to drip down Josh's eyes. Despite telling dozen of Rangers his story, it was still a traumatic and difficult story to tell. "As a Johtonian, the Tin and Brass Towers and the stories behind them have meant a lot to me since I was young. Not too long after I became a trainer, maybe a couple of years after, I have felt like I've had a special connection to Raikou."

Josh let the emotions bottled up within him loose, his eyes beading. "Since leaving the Cloud, that connection has only grown stronger, I feel. That deep connection is why I became a Pokémon racer. It's why I became a Ranger, And ultimately, it's why I became a Gym Leader. It's why I am so...committed to my ultimate goal that will help prevent Maldacena's future from happening. Even if it comes at the price of part of my free will." He sniffed a couple of times as he finished sipping his lemonade.

"I want to pursue, befriend, and ride Raikou. I want to align myself with his idea of a new and safe Hoenn."

"I want Raikou to choose me as his Avatar."