In Josh's eyes, the purpose of today's battle was to gain insight into battling under the effects of TRICK ROOM. Though it took three of Josh's Pokémon to take down the Slowbro that may as well have been Lightningbro in the warped space, Callan had helped him adapt thoroughly and masterfully. The concept of not only Pokémon speed, but raw attack speed, was new to him. No matter how much skill he gained as a Gym Leader, as a racer, and even as a mere trainer, there was always more to learn. There were always new heights to achieve. "Thank you for the experience today. I think it's going to help me become a better and tougher Gym Leader. If anything, I may run into issues with... overcorrecting and making the Gym too difficult. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

As he was about to take off, Josh noticed Callan was presenting him with the slate blue STARK BADGE. He was blown away by the Lilycove Leader calling him an exceptional Trainer. "...It took half my team just to defeat your Slowbro! These are only supposed to be given out for winning official challenges to your Gym. And this is far from official!" He had so quickly forgotten FERNANDO SILPH 's words. Gym Leaders were free to award Badges to anyone they saw fit, even if it wasn't pending the result of an official challenge. It should be a rare occasion, yes, but they had the jurisdiction to do so.

The more the standing member of the Elite Four showered Josh in praise, the more his face and eyes began to well up. "You... you really mean that?" He remained silent through Callan's introspective. It caused the Mauville Leader to reflect on his own shortcomings not only in his job, but as a person. The pep talk he had given Josh was far more valuable than the battle experience any region's Elite Four or Champion Rank trainer in the world would be.

Josh had many, many flaws that held him back. Among the worst were a tendency to overreact and overcorrect in an effort to try to please everyone, a tendency to set himself to higher, often unrealistic standards than his peers, and most critical of all, a lack of patience. These were not impossible to overcome. Maddeningly difficult, but not impossible.

It would be a journey that would expand beyond the borders of his career. This would be a life-long journey: a constant battle for self-improvement. "Thank you so much," he said with open arms, embracing the Lilycove Leader in a hug if he allowed it. "It's a lot to take in. But every single word of it is true. It takes a lot to push me over the brink like that. Frankly, I'm impressed you were able to. That type of anger is an inner demon I've been trying to slay for years. You're absolutely right. Rather than simply bottle the demon up, I need to learn to harness its power. I don't think I will truly ever be able to do it. But I can always strive to get closer."

As he was about to leave without the Badge, he turned around and gently grabbed it out of Callan's hand, snapping it into his Badge case. "...I never thought I would say this, but perhaps I was wrong in giving up the Gym Challenge all those months ago. I thought I had crossed that river already. Isn't it funny how the strings of fate pull?" The Gym Leader took a deep breath. "I am confident we will meet each other again. In the Pokémon League."