MARCH UPDATE

5'11" height

old habits die hard, i guess.

awards

1,361 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @derek

POSTED ON Dec 14, 2022 7:28:41 GMT

Gwyar Wledig, Callan Young, and 2 more like this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","omgen"]

[attr="class","omgentop"]PETALBURG POGCAST, EP. #1

[attr="class","omgenmid"]

RECENT & UPCOMING EVENTS

A DAY IN THE LIFE

STORY TIME

SPONSORS & MORE

MYSTERY SPONSOR

A sneak peak and tasting of an up-and-coming pizza chain in Hoenn!

[break][break][break][break][break]

EPISODE #1 BEGINS...

"To anyone tuning in for our season opener, with me are our first guests Josh Devlin and Kazimir Wynter." Their host finally starts now that the cameras and microphones are live, ushering them to give a small greeting to any and all listening. The office space inside Petalburg Gym has been renovated to offer a more homely experience, and Derek seems to be right at home with pizza boxes and soda cans sitting on his side of the table. "This might be a little weird for you two, but I am glad you decided to go outta your way to pay me and Petalburg a visit."

[break][break]

Opening the first box of pizza on top, Derek's hands pry a single slice for himself. Indulging in a bite before speaking further, he decides to start with the newer of the two other faces in the room. "Josh here has been working quickly to get a footing over in Mauville. Wanted to head on over there myself." Admittedly the prospect of another badge was what made it so attractive of an idea, but there was a big buzz surrounding the latest addition to the pokemon league. "You don't still chase badges, do you Kaz?"

[break][break]

Seeing as they were an alumni of Hoenn's infamous Elite Four, it was a bit of a curiosity to know whether or not they still placed value in the prospect of a badge. Or had they exhausted their usefulness?

[newclass=".omgentop"]background-color:#80828B;background:linear-gradient(to bottom right,#80828B,#80828B);font:800 35px Poppins;font-weight:800!important;line-height:30px;text-align:left;padding:45px;letter-spacing:-2px;margin-bottom:7px;border-radius:3px; }[/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

6,073 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 14, 2022 19:04:55 GMT

CIAN MAHER and DEREK HOFFMAN like this

While this wasn't his first time on a local broadcast (after all, Josh had been on Mauville local programming many times due to his status as a Gym Leader), it was rare for him to appear in the media outside his home town. With signals that microphones and cameras were live and he would be speaking first, Josh put his slice of pepperoni-and-sausage pizza down seconds after grabbing it. "Pleasure's all mine, Leader Hoffman," he formally returned the introduction. While he wasn't the latest addition to the Gym Leader squad. he was new enough that his Gym was still riding the popularity wave that came with being so. The honor of newest Gym Leader, of course, went to CIAN MAHER .

"I could not have opened Mauville Racing Grounds without the tremendous support of the city's citizens, as well as the League as a whole," Josh started by crediting his success to those credit was due. "Most importantly, though, I couldn't have done this with the help of Minor League Director kyle lopez . He gave me a spot at his place to get experience as a Gym Leader. If you are a strong trainer and want to get your feet wet as a Gym Leader, talk to him about it."

"I'm just glad I could get the time to come out here and talk about it in front of Petalburg like this," the shaky-looking Leader continued. Was this stage fright from stepping out of his comfort zone? He took a deep breath before moving on. "I never thought I would be getting this many off-region challengers, either. It's like the whole Paldean Cyclizar Racing League wants to challenge me."

Kazimir Wynter DEREK HOFFMAN

{WC: 276}
{PC: 1}

close tab

played by

kodiak

Pokkenger

he/him

Nov. 25

Ballonlera, Galar

bisexual

vigilante

ex-elite four

6 ft 3 in height

victory is in the pocket!

awards

2,604 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @kazimir

POSTED ON Dec 18, 2022 7:27:34 GMT

[attr="class","pokkenger"]

Something about public speaking always got under Kazimir's skin much more than the injustice of the world. Perhaps it was a more personal thing. Either way the smell of pizza alone was enough to calm his nerves as the podcast started up and he and Josh Devlin were asked a set of questions.

While Josh went on about his new business venture and journey learning about being a Gym Leader Kazimir was asked about something that he thought about in a long while. Just thinking about it shot a hint of embarrassment through his body that formed into a blush on his face. "Ah well that's been kinda low on the priority list if I'm being honest. Heck there's so many new gyms showing up now that I wouldn't even know where to start! Heck I might just take on Joshy's challenge after this just to get myself started. If that's alright with you?"

He still wore a grin on his face but it was also mixed with some more confidence now, he was probably considered one of the top trainers around under the elite four and that was something he needed to be proud of after all. Soon that confident smile of his made itself known to Derek, "Or maybe I'll take on yours since we're already here D. How's things over in your gym treating you now that things have gotten a little normal nowadays?"

___________________________________________

[newclass=.pokkenger] [/newclass]
[newclass=.pokkenger b] color: #18d13f;[/newclass]
[newclass=.pokkenger i] color: #18d13f;[/newclass]
[newclass=.pokkenger u] text-decoration: none;border-bottom: solid 1px #18d13f;[/newclass]

close tab

played by

noble

hoffman

he/him

twenty-eight

october 20th

blackthorn city, johto

heterosexual

ranger

ex-gym leader

5'11" height

old habits die hard, i guess.

awards

1,361 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @derek

POSTED ON Dec 19, 2022 3:37:55 GMT

[attr="class","derek"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
the shiny beldum known as charlemagne hovers closer, rotating it's eye and zooming in on the individuals as they took turns speaking. as derek listens, he begins to undo the stack of pizza boxes, pushing the bottom two towards his guests according to the names on the boxes. it may or may not be a surprise, but there was more to be discussed about these largely unmarked pizza boxes. it was one of the questions in the email inviting them here. what is your favorite kind of pizza?
[break][break]

chiming in after josh, he tries to narrow in on why he thinks that might be the case. "well it's a great change of pace, y'know? not to mention i don't think it's been done before." anything trendy anywhere else seemed to take off here in hoenn. "racing pokemon is a good way to demonstrate discipline without so much risk for harm." although part of him knew wiping out mid-race could result in quite a lot of harm, even before accounting for those quickly advancing on you from behind.
[break][break]

but before he can run off with some kind of tangent about that, derek is surprised with kazimir and his mention of taking them on. "challenging me live on my podcast? guess we have ourselves another first." a soft chuckle escapes derek.
[break][break]

"but to answer your question, I haven't been picking up the slack as much as i would like." derek felt like his gym had the least amount of completed challenges, and obviously it was largely him to blame. though the citizens of petalburg didn't blame him so much, knowing that he played a role in many of the league's risky ventures.
[break][break]

still, it was something he was actively working on.
[break][break]

"let alone the usual things that keep me busy, i've been presented with some unexpected business opportunities. so before we go any further, i want to take the time to tease the upcoming sponsor for the show. i can't mention any names or where it'll be located, but a pizza chain with roots in my home region of johto is making the move to hoenn."
[break][break]

gesturing towards the boxes, he hopes the two of them had some kind of appetite to humor this little presentation. "what exactly do you guys got over there? it might actually end up on the menu. might even be able to name them yourselves." while they were picky about recipe, the owner felt it would be best to allow the hoennians to interact with the brand and leave their footprint.
[break][break]

PETALBURG POGCAST EPSIODE #1

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] Josh Devlin & Kazimir Wynter [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-beldum color-shiny"]

[newclass=".derek"]--accent:#80828B; position:relative; z-index:1; overflow:hidden; [/newclass]

[newclass=".derek blockquote"]width:320px; height:auto; background-color: #292929; text-align: justify; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 40px; padding-top: 25px; border-left: 5px #252525 solid; border-right: 5px #252525 solid;border-top: 5px #252525 solid; line-height: 15.5px; letter-spacing: .7px; font-size:12px;[/newclass]

[newclass=".derek .icon"]background-image:url(https://images2.imgbox.com/41/66/aFq6ep5l_o.png); height:100px; width:100px; margin:-70px 29px 19px 10px; float:left; border-radius:20px; border:6px var(--accent) solid; outline:10px #252525 solid;[/newclass]

[newclass=".derek blockquote b, .derek blockquote i"]color:var(--accent); } .derek blockquote b { font-size:14px!important } .derek blockquote u { font-style:italic; color:var(--accent); text-decoration:underline dotted; border-bottom:none; letter-spacing:1px; [/newclass]

[newclass=".derek .top"]background-color:var(--accent); background-image:url(https://image.ibb.co/dMFuMc/flower.png); background-size: cover; width: 370px; height: 68px; text-align: center; margin-left:auto; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: -50px; padding: 10px 10px 10px 0px; border-radius: 20px 20px 0px 0px; border: 5px #252525 solid;[/newclass]

[newclass=".derek .bottom"]background-color:#222222; background-image:url(https://image.ibb.co/dMFuMc/flower.png); background-size: cover; width: 360px; height: auto; text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top:-60px; padding: 10px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px; border: 5px #252525 solid;[/newclass]

[newclass=".derek .bottom a"]font:bold 15px 'Poppins';[/newclass]

[nospaces][newclass="credit"]FREE TO USE! CODED BY MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REFERENCED AND FONT STYLE <3[/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

6,073 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 19, 2022 11:07:40 GMT

Kaz, being ex-Elite Four, would certainly be an incredible challenger. Whether it was in battle or on the track, he had to worry about being embarrassed as he was in his challenges against Melody Miro and Callan Young . Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as he feared, though; perhaps the man had been run out for performance? It was, of course, only Kaz's secret to share, but the young man could speculate! "As long as you promise to race me!" the Mauville Leader laughed. "I jest, of course. Success in a battle or a race, whichever you're more comfortable with, will see you rewarded at Mauville Racing Grounds. I just enjoy the thrill of racing more!" It seemed that between Derek and Josh, Kaz might be making a bid to reclaim his spot within the Elite Four. That got Josh briefly thinking: what would he be like as a member of the Elite Four? The thoughts were quickly dismissed; joining the Elite Four meant giving up his Gym. He wouldn't give that up for the world. Well, maybe for Raikou. He might give up his Gym if it meant having Raikou at his beck and call.

Of course, that was impossible. If the Champion was to be believed, Raikou was dead.

"...Leader Hoffman, I will also take a copy of your signup form," Josh resumed as he took another slice of the sausage and pepperoni pizza he had unknowingly requested via email. While Petalburg's Leader may have been following a script, he seemed genuinely intrigued at Josh's approach to his Gym. "Not only is there less risk for harm, but racing a Pokémon tests the bond between trainer and Pokémon far more than a simple battle. You see, at the Gym, trainers are required to ride their Pokémon as part of the race. Meaning it's not just about recognizing your Pokémon's limits. You have to know your own, too. And that's an important part of being a trainer that not enough people recognize. It's baked into the Racing Grounds' slogan: 'With great speed comes great responsibility.' Too many trainers play the role of a coach, rather than a true partner, in raising their Pokémon. Physically involving the trainer deepens the relationship between Pokémon and trainer unlike almost any other Gym challenge I've seen anywhere in the country. Sorry to ramble for so long, both of you."

Josh leaned away from his microphone to eat while Kazimir was speaking. Shortly afterward, the topic turned to Alto Maren cuisine expanding from Johto to Hoenn. "No wonder this stuff is so good. There is no shortage of good pizza in Goldenrod alone. It's a little boring, but I prefer just sausage and pepperoni on my pizza. My folks usually get everything but anchovies on theirs."

Kazimir Wynter DEREK HOFFMAN

{WC: 466}
{PC: 2}

close tab

played by

kodiak

Pokkenger

he/him

Nov. 25

Ballonlera, Galar

bisexual

vigilante

ex-elite four

6 ft 3 in height

victory is in the pocket!

awards

2,604 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @kazimir

POSTED ON Dec 20, 2022 7:24:29 GMT

[attr="class","pokkenger"]

"Mmm well this pie definitely looks great. They definitely get presentation down." Kazimir noted as he took a hard look at the phily steak with green peppers and pepperoni pizza before him and used a bundle of white napkins to make sure that no juice or cheese managed to spill onto the nice set. As he pulled it apart a string of cheese could be seen connecting his slice and the rest of the pie and it made the man's face light up with glee. "Alright and the cheese is nice and stringy?! Hell I think I found a new favorite pizza place."

As he was busy stuffing his face letting the spicy slice tickle his mouth he listened to Josh go on about his gym and its mission and nearly choked at the mention of the tag line as a bit of cheese got stuck in his throat as he tried to stifle a chuckle. Luckily he managed to cough it down into his throat and let out a burp. "oh man, that Phily steak with pepperoni sure is...sure is nice. Not as nice as that tag line Josh, or well, not so much nice as it is cute. Don't think many gyms really focus on the bond part between Pokemon and Trainer. Er, no offense D. I know that all gyms are kinda aiming for that haha..."

His chuckle trails off as he takes a small bite of his pizza to shut himself up. Still the taste of it is too great for him that he feels compelled to ask for the sake of prosperity, "By the way...whats the name of this new pizza place anyway?"

___________________________________________

close tab

played by

noble

hoffman

he/him

twenty-eight

october 20th

blackthorn city, johto

heterosexual

ranger

ex-gym leader

5'11" height

old habits die hard, i guess.

awards

1,361 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @derek

POSTED ON Dec 21, 2022 8:35:35 GMT

[attr="class","derek"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"i can't help but wonder how many people have crashed or fallen off so far." racing pokemon, even riding them yourself, seemed so simple to think about. it would definitely deal a blow to one's confidence, especially in front of people, or if one had to tell their friends about it as the reason why they didn't earn the badge.
[break][break]

as they continue, the beldum studies those eating and discussing their pizza, as per the agreement with their new sponsor. but that didn't at all take away from the conversation.
[break][break]

"as for the pizza, can't really go wrong with meat, huh? besides the anchovies thing...glad your family never put you through that." derek's father liked anchovies, and it was something he experienced early on in his childhood. "mine did, and thinking about it just—"
[break][break]

petalburg's gym leader makes a pained, disgusted expression while fighting his urge to gag. "i'm still grossed out to this day." thankfully the sponsor agreed with him, though it would always be an option on the menu for those who were able to enjoy the acquired taste. "i like the looks of that philly steak one, though." green peppers, while not his favorite, definitely looked to be doing the trick over there for kazimir.
[break][break]

"but as for the name of the place, i can't say as of yet. they're still debating how they want to go about branding this one, as opposed to the parent company in johto." all he knew was that it's name would pay tribute to alto mare, where the first pizza shop of their's opened.
[break][break]

"but yeah, go ahead and sign yourselves up before you head back home! i'll see if i can't squeeze you two in before the new year. " no promises on that end, but derek could try.
[break][break]

"i only allow traditional battles, though. while i enjoy all the neat challenges the region's gym leaders have come up with, the direction hoenn has been headed makes me agree with the methods of noah faber and some others."
[break][break]

hoenn needed trainers competent and capable enough to not only take on team rocket, but also the drk triad, cannibalistic megalopolans, and worse—legendary pokemon who demonstrated no regard for humanity. like necrozma, who the league and rocket struggled to deal with as a collective whole.
[break][break]

"i might come up with something in the future that does a better job appealing to both ideals. won't know until i get there." for now it was simpler to stick to traditions, and also better for derek—both to formally train his more recently acquired pokemon, and also test out new stratagem he was looking to perfect.
[break][break]

"anyways, we should get to the next part of the episode before i forget about it!" it was hard to remember all the things he wanted to cover, as the only stuff derek had written down was how or when to mention their mystery sponsor.
[break][break]

"as gym leaders, prior members of the elite four and ultimately trainers who've explored the region, what's the craziest story you have to tell? y'know, something to frighten or excite the children." derek could start, but he'd been talking for so long that he figured they could take over while he took a much needed drink.
[break][break]

and another slice of pizza. make that two. one from each of their boxes. no, he didn't even ask. surely they would understand...
[break][break]

PETALBURG POGCAST EPSIODE #1

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] Josh Devlin & Kazimir Wynter [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-beldum color-shiny"]

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

6,073 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 21, 2022 21:20:29 GMT

Josh's smile at Kaz's compliment of his slogan turned into a quizzical look as Kaz seemed to question the uniqueness of his Gym's lesson. "With all due respect, Mr. Wynter, I don't think you quite understand. While all Gyms obviously reinforce the bond between trainer and Pokémon, I feel it is also important for that bond to exist on a physical level as well. And that's something few other Gyms do." He would leave the topic at that, turning his attention to Leader Hoffman's point about only offering standard battles at his Gym. "Been there, done that. I get that sentiment a thousand percent. Especially after Elinor Anderson and others on the Council roasted me over it. They've really made me step up my game."

The topic of discussion moved to the craziest story they had to tell. Josh's eyes lit up. He had quite the story to tell, but was it a difficult one to tell. "Have you heard about the big trip to the Cloud from the summer of this year? It's pretty common knowledge by now that what we learned there shaped our capacity to defend Hoenn against Meteno. I was not only part of that operation, but the group that went to the Cloud, too." He shared his traumatic story of his experiences inside the Cloud, including his vision of a bleak future he was trying to prevent, though he of course left out the details that it had inspired him to continue his search for Raikou. "When I saw my Manectric be derezzed like that, I almost killed myself going after him. I owe my life to my Absol that snapped me out of it. And that is one horror story I will never forget." It was a lesson that even Gym Leaders had their emotional tipping points.

Kazimir Wynter DEREK HOFFMAN

{WC: 303}
{PC: 3}

close tab

played by

kodiak

Pokkenger

he/him

Nov. 25

Ballonlera, Galar

bisexual

vigilante

ex-elite four

6 ft 3 in height

victory is in the pocket!

awards

2,604 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @kazimir

POSTED ON Jan 6, 2023 4:47:33 GMT

[attr="class","pokkenger"]

As Kazimir stuffed his face with more of his pizza his mind was half on eating and half on paying attention to the rest of the conversation. The talk about gym battles and the lessons that they taught to other trainers was something that Kazimir himself was having a bit of trouble wrapping his head around. It was probably because he never even entertained the idea of coming up with a concept for a gym because he never even considered becoming one. Honestly it was probably a nice inbetween where he was now and being a former Elite Four member, food for thought.

Still it was something to consider if he ever decided to challenge one of their gyms after this. Maybe really take in what they were trying to teach him if he did any of their challenges. Well if any of them offered untraditional challenges anyway, Derek's note about how he didn't do any and taking a page out of Noah's book caught his interest. Why someone would do something like that was a little curious to him but his mouth was too full of cheese to really articulate a question for it.

Then the conversation moved to the topic of exciting stories that the two of them would have to share with them and the audience. As Josh went first Kazimir had to raise an eyebrow at what he was talking about. Some kind of cloud that took them into some kind of cyberspace? That was a little wild. It sort of reminded Kaz of something that happened to him in a sense...

But that was a story for another day, one that was sure to get hearts racing was... "Did I ever share about how me and a few other folks managed to piss off Raqyuaza? Long story short, Legendaries hate when you build really tall shit. So one day me and a few others were helping with building a Lighthouse in Sootopolis when the thing suddenly came down and began to wreck house." As he was talking he was using his whole muscular arm to simulate the movements of the serpent flying through the air, "It tried to blow away all of our hard work but with a bit of guts and tenacity we managed to annoy the bastard enough to get him to leave us alone. Although....we did kind of tear up a beach and part of the city because of it... But like, it wasn't that serious."

___________________________________________

close tab

played by

noble

hoffman

he/him

twenty-eight

october 20th

blackthorn city, johto

heterosexual

ranger

ex-gym leader

5'11" height

old habits die hard, i guess.

awards

1,361 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @derek

POSTED ON Mar 28, 2023 20:27:57 GMT

[attr="class","derek"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"Yeah, I remember it." Derek was also up there in the Cloud. Or down there... What was the logic in calling it that, when they had to dive underwater to get there? Oh well, moving on...
[break]
[break]
"I almost did the same. But it was a lot more... Willing." He'd offered himself right up as one of the sacrifices for everyone to get back to their Hoenn. Only, it didn't pan out that way. And so here he was.
[break]
[break]
The mention of Rayquaza, however, gets Derek to lean out from his seat across the table. He hadn't heard much about it, other than more recent events. That it was on their side. "I dunno, that sounds pretty serious to me!" Well, kind of.
[break]
[break]
Obviously with Rayquaza involved, a lot worse could've happened. "Man, I wish my encounters with legendary pokemon went that smooth." Instead it was a bunch of casualties on all fronts. People and pokemon.
[break]
[break]
Before long, a member of the production team begins to signal that their time is almost up. A strained expression plasters itself over him. "Well, seems like I am being told to wrap this up." They wanted the first episode to be a short, of sorts. To give the viewers a small taste, wishing for more. Their methods were good and all, but Derek enjoyed sitting down with those who were like-minded. He didn't meet a lot of those here in Hoenn.
[break]
[break]
"I'll be sure to have you guys on again, but is there any last bit you'd like to say before we wrap this up?" There wasn't much more Derek had to say, that wouldn't drag this on for another hour.
[break]
[break]

PETALBURG POGCAST EPSIODE #1

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] Josh Devlin & Kazimir Wynter [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-beldum color-shiny"]

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

6,073 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Mar 30, 2023 21:08:33 GMT

The mention of Rayquaza reminded Josh of his run on the emerald serpent's back with Eva Morales . Even seeing a measurement did not put into perspective just how fast Rayquaza got. That was a hell of a story. "All my encounters with legendary Pokémon have been under the control of Avatars I've been good friends with. Rayquaza was one of them. I once got to ride Rayquaza and help their Avatar get comfortable with their speed. I could go on about it all day, but I'll say this. It was unforgettable."

As Josh was given the signal to start wrapping, he ended his story by talking about the dive back to Hoenn from the lower reaches of space. "There is no number you can put to that kind of speed to truly give you an idea of how fast it is. It was really fun, but even I don't think I could handle it routinely. Their Avatar is so tough! But I've rambled enough. Derek, can you put me on your waitlist for Petalburg? I want to have a good battle with you."

Kazimir Wynter DEREK HOFFMAN

{WC: 183}
{PC: 4}

close tab

played by

kodiak

Pokkenger

he/him

Nov. 25

Ballonlera, Galar

bisexual

vigilante

ex-elite four

6 ft 3 in height

victory is in the pocket!

awards

2,604 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @kazimir

POSTED ON Apr 2, 2023 6:07:25 GMT

[attr="class","pokkenger"]

Kaz couldn't help but feel a smidge jealous as Josh recounted his tale about riding that green serpent Raquayza. Lots of encounters with legendaries he had encountered were ones where he was facing off against them instead of spending some fantastical moment with them. He could think of one or two times where he had a good time with one of them, but it was a very skewed ratio if he looked back at it. "Well it seems like we all have some amazing luck to run into these powerful Pokemon yeah? Maybe our next encounter could be one where we help one instead of them trying to gobble us up or something."

He gave a chuckle as it was time to finish up and when asked to give his final closing words he could help but smile, "I'm with Josh, stick me on that waitlist for your gym. Having a battle sounds like a great time, especially since I don't wanna get rusty with my skills."

___________________________________________