PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Dec 17, 2022 21:02:56 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
NATHAN MARTINEZ, a young man about Josh's height but of Paldean descent, sat behind Josh on his Charizard's back. He was one of Mauville Gym's security guards, and the Gym Leader felt he needed backup to travel anywhere close to Sootopolis City. By now, the rising star of one of Hoenn's largest commercial hubs was well-known. With Sootopolis City firmly under Rocket control, the risk of traveling there alone would be too great, no matter how strong the Starlight Casino's reviews were.

It would be a good night, nonetheless; after a meal over the Castelia-Hammerlocke Unovan football game, certain to be a thriller after the overtime clash they had in week 13 of the PFL season, he planned on heading to the poker room for a low-stakes, no-limit Hold'em game. Who knew? Maybe he could get himself a nice payday if there were enough recreational players at the table.

It helped matters that ordinances regulating flying Pokémon seemed to be a lot more relaxed here than in Mauville; he was able to land his Charizard fairly close to the casino with little trouble. The two hopped off Josh's Pokémon, Nathan keeping a close eye on him as the two reluctantly flashed their IDs to enter the casino. Josh made a beeline for the casino's main bar and grill, waiting to be seated. He was more excited for the game than he was for the food! "Devlin, party of three, please. Still waiting on our third," he greeted the restaurant's door-person.




1ST QTR 15:00
CAS 0
HAM 0
KICKOFF

{WC: 252}
{PC: 1}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
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2,321 posts
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ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Dec 31, 2022 8:57:09 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"hey josh! over here!"

[break][break] in the middle of casino starlight, bobbing at least a head above the rest of the crowd, was ollie himself. though he'd come on the bar crawl with , it was only natural that he'd want to meet his other friends here too. plus, he was pretty sure he lost her somewhere along the way... well, anyway!

[break][break] ollie finds and his companion just near the bar and grill, waving down the bartender to order them a plate of chicken wings, jalapeno poppers and of course, the bar's special galaxy cocktails. he slaps josh on the back goodnaturedly.

[break][break] "so who's the guy? your date?"

[break][break]



[break][break]

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[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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5,986 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Dec 31, 2022 9:45:28 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
"Oh, there you are, Ollie!" Josh waved back. "He's our third. Guess he showed up and I missed him." Nathan chuckled; typical Josh, looking everywhere except right in front of him. The casino staff led him to his table, which happened to be close to where Ollie was already at. By the time the duo were seated, the game was already well into the first quarter, s group of raucous sports fans loudly cheering as Castelia stripped the ball from Hammerlocke's quarterback and ran it all the way across the field for a touchdown.

"He's Nathan. Works security for my Gym." The dark-toned gentleman, dressed in a vanity Goldenrod football team jersey, waved to Ollie and said hello. "Had to hire two or three people like him after what happened in October." Though he was fully aware of the identity of his "assassin", , he was sworn to secrecy. There was not a soul he could tell. That secret would say among and those two. "Other than that and...well, Meteno and the hurricane, everything's been great. Looking forward to seeing Hoenn's teams rejoin the PFL in 2023?"

Josh himself was in his Ranger uniform. Normally he wouldn't come to a seedy place like a casino dressed as such, but he was too excited to show his blue badge and uniform to Ever Grande's captain, especially after the job he did rescuing countless people in the aftermath of Hurricane Yellen. Their waiter dropped by to take appetizers and drinks. "A tall glass of lemonade for me, please," he ordered. He thought about getting an appetizer, but he had on more than one occasion regret ordering one, being unable to finish it and his meal during his week of post-Christmas bar hopping.

Once the waiter had left and returned with the tall glass of lemonade and Ollie's cocktail, Josh admitted, "I would have gotten their Galaxy Cocktail, but I don't drink. Said to my family back in Johto when I became of age, I would never drink. That's been going three years strong. Plus, 200 miles an hour and alcohol just don't mix." He and Nathan chuckled.

"Maybe if you actually found Raikou, like you never stop talking about after hours at the Gym, you'd really get a feel for what riding at 200 miles an hour is like," Nathan jeered.

Joah was the only one that didn't find it funny. "Have you so soon forgot that was the birthday present got me? I couldn't ask for a better present." He abruptly changed the subject. "I'm here for the food, though. You can never go wrong with bar food. It ain't cheap, but you get what you pay for. I highly recommend checking out Fortree's Beautifly & Dustox. Best sports bar in Hoenn. I always try to go there when I have to get my patrol hours in. I swear, patrol hours are the worst part of being a Ranger." His eyes shifted back to the game. "Who you rooting for?"





1ST QTR 10:13
CAS 7
HAM 0
1st DOWN & 10
BALL: HAM 31
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
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2,321 posts
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ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Dec 31, 2022 9:57:45 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"nice to meet 'cha nathan! i'm ollie." ollie pops a peanut into his mouth, which cracks half-way when he blinks at the gym leader. "oh, what happened?"

[break][break] sure, there were some things that he caught wind of all the way in evergrande, but there was still a lot that he didn't get to hear about, being so far away from the mainland.

[break][break] "but yeah! thanks for inviting me, bro. it's gonna be a great game."

[break][break] ollie chuckles as he watches the banter between the two, before deciding to pitch-in his own thoughts.

[break][break] "oh, hammerlocke definitely! you can't go wrong with the home team."

[break][break] "how about you guys?"


[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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5,986 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Dec 31, 2022 10:29:32 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Josh looked perplexed. How did Ollie not hear about the assassination? It made regional news. Josh pulled out his phone and went to the Hoenn News Network's website. He dredged up a fairly old article about the attempt on his life. "I would explain it myself, but I think it'll be easier for you to read it."

"I actually want to see Castelia win. You see, the winner of this game plays Goldenrod in the next round." Of course he would want to see his home team have the best chance of winning. "Even though Goldenrod is my home town, I'm actually a Blackthorn fan. They did not have a good team this year. They need to fire all their defensive coaches. They gave up more points this year than any other team in the PFL." There wasn't a lot happening in the football game; the teams traded 3-and-out drives, Castelia ready to punt the ball back to Hammerlocke again.

Before the Ever Grande captain could get too far in the article, their server had returned with their drinks and was ready to take their order. "We actually need a little time to think, if you can wait, Ollie. I'm leaning toward their Starlight Steakburger Special. It says here they melt the cheese inside the patty rather than put it on top of the burger. I've been to a lot of Unovan restaurants and I've never heard of them being cooked that way. It's gotta be amazing." Nathan remained silent, his eyes shifting between the menu and the football game. A subtle frown appeared on his face as Hammerlocke made a big passing play, their quarterback under tremendous pressure from a four-man rush. Those were 24 well-earned yards, giving Hammerlocke good field position to attempt to tie the game up.






1ST QTR 3:08
CAS 7
HAM 0
1st DOWN & 10
BALL: CAS 39

{WC: 300}
{PC: 3}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
awards
2,321 posts
part of
TAG WITH @ollie
ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 8:17:44 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
in ollie's defense, he didn't pay attention to the news very much. even more than that, he was still fairly new to hoenn and all it's intricities.

[break][break] "oh worm. that's awful, bro!"

[break][break] his brows knitted together.

[break][break] "did you catch the dude who did it?"

[break][break] he wondered if would know much about it, being a reporter and all. or well, former reporter. then again, it wasn't as if he could really ask her. he could barely talk to her.

[break][break] "oh sure, yeah!" he said, in reference to the server. ollie didn't mind waiting, since it wasn't like he was starving. well, that depended on how long josh and his friend took to pick their meal.

[break][break] "oh man, a steakburger sounds really good. so does a quesadilla..." talk about perfect bar foods. ollie glances at the game briefly, if only to see how far along they were. "what about you, man?" he says, gesturing to nathan. "you rooting for castelia too?"

[break][break] ollie would've had a team that he rooted for, but to be honest, the only team he would've rooted for would've been pewter city or kanto, and it had been a long time since either were even a part of any national league.

[break][break] having your whole region be razed by rocket kind of killed any motivation, after all.


[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 13:12:00 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
It hurt to keep Ollie from the truth. Josh not only knew who the assassin was, but he had vowed to keep their identity a secret in exchange for each others' safety. Once and Blackjack could truly separate from one another, then maybe the League would find out. As of yet, though, it was knowledge he would take to his grave. "I can't comment on that, unfortunately, as there is an ongoing investigation. Since then, though, it's been quiet. Busy with challenges, but quiet."

The strong aroma of Nomel from several Galaxy Cocktails wavered toward Josh's nostrils as he became lost in thought. "You know, Ollie... after the whole experience with and his Raikou-familiar, I got to wondering... is chasing Raikou really right? Even if another one shows up in Hoenn, is it really right? After seeing the carnage of Meteno, I'm just a bit...scared I'm not approaching my fealty to the League properly."

There were a lot of good items on the menu, but Josh couldn't say no to Unovan cuisine. Especially not during the football postseason. "Yep, but not for the reason you think. Like I said, the winner plays Goldenrod in the next round, which is the team I'm rooting for to win it all."

Cheers erupted as a Hammerlocke running back broke two tackles on the first play of the second quarter, and he was gone. That alone didn't upset Josh; what upset him was Castelia's defensive coach being sloppy after giving up a touchdown. Furthermore, a whistle was blown right at the start of Hammerlocke's extra point attempt. "No! You can't do that, Castelia!" Josh snapped. "You see that, Ollie? They've got twelve men on the field! Does someone not know how to count?!"

The referee's announcement confirmed as such.

"Illegal formation, twelve men on the field, defense. Half the distance to the goal, replay the try."

"See, now they're gonna go for two and try to do a quarterback sneak, since they only need one yard now. This is not the postseason team Castelia is supposed to be."





Prompts fulfilled



2nd QTR 14:40
CAS 7
HAM 6
2-PT ATTEMPT

{WC: 347}
{PC: 4}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
awards
2,321 posts
part of
TAG WITH @ollie
ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 8:09:07 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"that's good."

[break][break] ollie smiles, easily, not expecting anything of the other's response. the ranger captain had never been good at digging for secrets — after all, that seemed more like 's forte.

[break][break] he takes a bite of a chicken wing as he considers the gym leader's question.

[break][break] "right?" he asks, something quizzical yet bemused in his expression. ollie remembers his pledge of fealty to raikou during the last ranger meeting and was well-aware of his friend's passion for the mythical beast. "well," he says. "i think that's up to you, bro."

[break][break] "if you ask me, though, as long as you're not hurting anyone, i don't see a problem in it. i'll be honest with you. i don't know much about — legendary pokemon, and all that stuff." he waves his hand. "my sister's got rayquaza now, and i still can't believe the squeaky kid who wouldn't eat her vegetables has a pokemon like that backing her up."

[break][break] "i guess, what i'm saying is, you won't know until opportunity comes knocking. it'll come at you — full force." he points at the screen, just as a linebacker gets knocked by like - five different people. "just like that."

[break][break] a yell of disapproval echoes through the bar as they make a play that is borderline illegal. ollie only laughs, knowing that these kind of events just happen this way.

[break][break] "i wouldn't count them out just yet," he says. "you never know what could happen."

[break][break] at the mention of it, ollie can't help but feel a little apprehensive. the expression looks foreign on his face, and he takes a swig of his drink to combat it.

[break][break] "to be completely honest with you guys though, i kind of worry about it too. are we doing our best for the league? the rangers have always kind of done their own thing, but with everything that goes on, i feel like we should be doing more."

[break][break] he still feels helpless about everything that happened at mt. pyre. like, maybe if he was stronger or better, he would've been able to save tabasco from an early demise.

[break][break] "did i tell you," he says, trying to keep it casual. "a pokemon of mine died back there on mt. pyre."



[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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5,986 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 17:14:08 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Ollie was right, and it was a sentiment Nathan shared. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Josh. Legendary Pokémon come to you. You don't go searching for them. Your time really should be better spent improving your skills as a Gym Leader."

Josh shook his head as the server came back with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. "I'll have your Starlight Steakburger Special, no lettuce or onion, medium well, please." After the orders had all been taken, Josh returned to the topic at hand. "And I've realized that now. I just keep having these dreams about him though. I genuinely think he's trying to reach out to me. When I get strong enough, I'm sure I'll know. And that's why I'm taking the Champion Assessment."

As Hammerlocke's two-point conversion succeeded, Josh recounted his story about Kyle and his Beasts, sliding his phone toward Ollie to show him his new phone background: a photograph of him sitting on Raikou's back, holding the Beast's outer tufts of thundercloud like one would hold reins. "It was an unforgettable, and even humbling, experience, and one I will treasure for the rest of my life. All I can say is... Raikou is fast. Really fast. Faster than I ever imagined him to be."

The topic of 's Avatarship came up. "Yep, I know! I was there when it happened, and I helped train her by backing her up on her first ride on Rayquaza's EXTREME SPEED. That, too, was an unforgettable experience. Never thought I would get motion sick in my life. Embarrassing, to think of it: someone who calls himself the Master of Faster getting motion sick?" He broke out into laughter as the two football teams exchanged touchdowns right at the two-minute warning.

Josh's smile turned upside down at Ollie's note of loss. "My condolences. I very nearly lost two of my Pokémon at Meteno, so I know the pain of loss. Even today, Aslan, my Pyroar, is still bedridden. It's a small miracle he survived Deoxys' METEOR BEAM at all. Then Twilight, my Absol, Mega Evolved to shield all of us from Kyurem's GLACIATE. We all survived, but her Absolite was broken to pieces. Eva and helped me locate a new Absolite, but it's in a spot I don't trust my skills to go alone. It's in the Watery Grave, a shipwreck island northwest of Pyre. It's in a submerged cavern that we found Absolite readings at, but I don't feel comfortable going it alone due to the obvious extreme danger."







2nd QTR 2:00
CAS 14
HAM 15
2nd DOWN & 7
BALL: 50

{WC: 429}
{PC: 5}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
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2,321 posts
part of
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ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 31, 2023 6:57:16 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"aw man, don't be so hard on him! i bet josh is a great gym leader." not that ollie knew much about it. when he was a teenager in kanto, perhaps there was a version of ollie who had wanted to challenge the gym circuit. after all, wasn't that every ten-year old's dream?

[break][break] but now that he was a ranger, all ollie wanted to do was help people. proving his own strength didn't seem all that important in the big picture.

[break][break] after hearing the story, ollie couldn't help the way his jaw dropped.

[break][break] "woah, that's cool!"

[break][break] if raikou's speed was even an eighth of rayquaza's, he couldn't help but imagine that being amazing. he makes a note to ask about the whole thing later.

[break][break] as the conversation turned somber, ollie chews on the end of a fry. he can't help but feel apprehension towards everything that happened at meteno as well. somehow, in his nearly thirty-years of life, he'd managed to escape without much trauma — he'd left kanto before things got bad, left hoenn before things turned worse for wear. but now, with aliens and meteors and frozen tundras, it seemed impossible to imagine a world outside of it. how did people like his sis manage it?

[break][break] "well," he says, managing to crack a crooked smile. "if you ever need the help of the rangers, all you need to do is ask. you know i'm always willing to help a friend out."

[break][break] even as apprehensive as he was about it, he would put his friends first if that was what mattered.

[break][break] "oh yeah, but how are you sure those dreams are - like - from raikou, you know? they could just be dreams." a pause as he chews on another fry. "maybe you ate something funny."

[break][break]



[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Jan 31, 2023 16:33:53 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
"With  's help thanks to his gadgets he gave all of us months ago, I was even able to measure just how fast Raikou and Rayquaza got." He shared the mindblowing figures with both Nathan and Ollie, including when the daring took Josh beyond Extreme Speed, letting him experience the emerald serpent's Dragon Ascent. It was the secret technique the legendary dragon could use to fly into space. "And ultimately it was their Dragon Ascent that got me motion sick."

"You what?" Nathan barked. "I know legendary Pokémon are special, but there are... physical limitations on what the human body can handle. If Rayquaza truly is that fast, you should be a pancake by now." He wasn't wrong, either. Rising and falling toward Hoenn at the speed of a meteor should have flattened him. But it didn't.

"And that's what makes them truly special." He turned back to Ollie. "I would ask the Rangers for help, but... off the record, and I know I can trust you with this. For a Ranger, even an Elite, to operate inside the Watery Grave is a breach of Ranger protocol. It's a Hard No-Rescue Zone. I'm sure you know as a Captain, but it's one of those places that's so treacherous we're not supposed to set foot in. But... it's for Twilight, and for the League. Kyurem shattered her Mega Stone, and I want to do all I can to get a replacement. There are Mega Stone ore depisits all over Hoenn, but under there was the only one that matched an Absolite signature."

Before Josh could add remarks about his dream, an eruption of hollering boomed around the trio as a Hammerlocke defensive tackle stripped the ball from a Castelia running back, Hammerlocke forcing a turnover and running all the way to the end zone for a dramatic touchdown. "Holy...what a game this is," the Gym Leader gasped. Even Nathan's jaw was wide open, and he wasn't as big of a football fan as Josh was. The half wound down without further incident, the halftime show giving everyone a chance to relax. Now where was Josh's meal? It sure was busy...







HALFTIME
CAS 14
HAM 22

{WC: 361}
{PC: 6}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
awards
2,321 posts
part of
TAG WITH @ollie
ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Feb 27, 2023 20:57:22 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"that's awesome, man."

[break][break] ollie didn't care much for high-tech himself, but even he had to admit that raicorp's gadgets were top-notch. maybe they could use them in the field more often.

[break][break] he considers josh's words seriously.

[break][break] "that's true," he admits after a moment. "but you know, there's always ways around the system."

[break][break] maybe taboo of ollie - a ranger captain - to mention, so he says nothing more on the topic. if he saw running off into warzone territory, he'd look the other way.

[break][break] assuming it wasn't something that would get him killed.

[break][break] ollie looks up as the game escalates, and he cheers along with the rest of the crowd.

[break][break] "hell yeah! let's go!"

[break]



[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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5,986 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Feb 28, 2023 15:12:58 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
"Not just for that, either," Josh added as their meals finally came just as the third quarter was starting. "They're useful for so many other things, too. I hope that one day, the Rangers will partner with RaiCorp to make his Vision standard issue. It's made Ranging so much easier." Of course, that technology was still undergoing testing, and wouldn't be ready until perhaps the spring of next year. Josh knew because he was part of that testing.

Indeed, if something really had to be done, and there was a will, there was a way. "I'm so happy you have my back on this one. Getting her into fighting shape again means a lot to me. And I know it will be dangerous. Thanks so much for covering for me."

Josh began to dig into his steakburger. "You truly can't go wrong with bar food," he mused after just his first bites. "Right, the dreams," he whiplashed back to a previous point Ollie brought up as Castelia and Hammerlocke exchanged quick touchdowns after long passing plays found receivers on each team. "I've been having them since maybe a year or two since I had started chasing Raikou. I want to impress him more than anything in the world. Even if it meant..." a tear rolled down his eyes. "If I could trade my Gym for Raikou, I would." The electric legendary Pokémon clearly meant a lot to Mauville's Gym Leader. Not only was it a Johtonian lesser god under the one he worshipped, but Raikou was a hero figure from his childhood. The tale just resonated with him.

His story was interrupted by loud murmuring that was clearly related to the football game. "Whoa, when did so many points get scored?" Josh asked, seeing Castelia ahead by two after only half the third quarter was over. "I haven't seen a playoff game with such high scoring in years." An instant replay had shown a heavy hit close to Hammerlocke's end zone, followed by multiple officials throwing flags onto the field. "No wonder there's laundry all over the field," he snickered after a long review by the officials, who came onto the field to make their ruling.

"There are three fouls on the play. Pass interference, offense, number 14. Personal foul, face mask, offense, number 21. Personal foul, unnecessary roughness, defense, number 97. By rule, all those fouls offset. Replay third down."

"I think we got away with one there," Josh remarked before taking another bite out of his meal. "Given the tackle's momentum, I'm surprised they called the late hit on Hammerlocke there. If it weren't for that call, they'd be backing us up 15 yards."







3rd QTR 7:09
CAS 31
HAM 29
3rd DOWN & 7
BALL: CAS 40

{WC: 447}
{PC: 7}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good
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played by

milky

ollie, oliver
he/him
33
august 5
pallet town, kanto
bi (complicated)
evergrande
head ranger
everyone's a sucker for a taste of glory
awards
2,321 posts
part of
TAG WITH @ollie
ollie morales
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Feb 28, 2023 15:25:58 GMT
ollie morales Avatar
[nospaces]
[attr="class","madsly ollie"]
[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]
"definitely, yeah."

[break][break] though ollie wasn't much of a tech-guy, even he could appreciate the advancements in technology that had led them all to that point. even so, he still believed that there were some things better done the old-fashioned way.

[break][break] "oh, anytime, my guy. us rangers got to have each others backs, right?" he winks.

[break][break] however, soon the conversation takes a more serious turn, and even ollie is a bit at a loss for what to say. giving up your whole gym on what could very well be a dream?

[break][break] as much as ollie was all about chasing dreams, even this seemed a lot.

[break][break] "you sure, dude? that's —"

[break][break] like everyone else in the bar, he's caught up by the game once more. his eyes rove over the screen as he contemplates it's development, nodding in agreement with . "yeah, that was a great play."

[break][break] "anyway," he says, patting the other on the back. "dreams are all good, but you can't just give up your life's work just because a legendary told you to."

[break][break] "they're just pokemon, after all."

[break][break] if tofu told him to quit being a ranger, there was no way he would listen!

[break][break]


[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"] [break]
[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-pikachu"]





[newclass=".ollie"]--accent:#FFB546!important; [/newclass]

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

[newclass="credit"]CREDIT TO MAD, PARTIAL CREDIT TO MILKY FOR CODE REERENCED TY <3[/newclass]
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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5,986 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
PFL Playoffs: Castelia @ Hammerlocke
POSTED ON Feb 28, 2023 16:13:41 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Having Ollie covering Josh's bank during an operation of questionable legality, even if it benefited the League, was a big relief. If found out about his plans, the Elite wouldn't hear the end of it. "It's... it's how I feel, though. But that's not happening. Raikou died five years ago. And that's... that's why I've taken the stance I have about... you know, the war. It used to just be about my family, and about my duty as a Gym Leader. But now, it's more than that. It's personal. Let's leave it at that before I get any more heated."

"How's your food?" Josh asked as he got to work on his steak fries. "Wow, these have a lot more kick to them than I expected!" He had to request a refill on his lemonade, having to use it to douse the slightly-too-spicy taste in his mouth.

The rest of the third quarter and much of the fourth quarter was less exciting than the first half. "Looks like the defenses have finally come out to play," Josh noted aloud as the Unova team held Hammerlocke to a field goal on three possessions in a row. "They've got two timeouts and the two-minute warning. We need a touchdown to tie the game."







4th QTR 2:20
CAS 31
HAM 38
1st DOWN & 10
BALL: CAS 20

{WC: 212}
{PC: 8}

NAME           SPECIES         STATUS
Saber          Manectric       Good
Ares           Charizard       Good
Snacker        Sharpedo        Good
Nitro          Gogoat          Good
Janus          Espeon          Good
Kokusho        Hydreigon       Good