Josh had a way to cheer Alex up about racing, though. "So I've been in talks with the Pokémon Racing Federation of Hoenn. They want the opening race of the season this year to be an aerial race. And I can't think of a better place to hold it than your Gym. Would you be open to hosting a race at your Gym? I think it would be a better place than my own Gym."

Josh's jaw dropped when he heard the Birdfather had been blessed with a legendary Pokémon. "Tornadus, wow," he gasped. "Another super fast legendary Pokémon. We'll need to set up a date and time to go riding together." His mind wandered as Heahea's offense marched ever close to the end zone. "Could you imagine it? Raikou and Tornadus racing. Let's say by some miracle, there's another Raikou out there in Hoenn. How amazing would that be? I think they'd be competitive with one another."

Josh got so lost in the conversation that he didn't even notice Heahea's quarterback had connected in the end zone to take the lead, though there was a flag on the play after the receiver spiked the ball extremely hard into the end zone and causing it to bounce into the stands. The back judge and referee convened with one another before the latter delivered the announcement.

"The result of the play is a touchdown. After the play was over, Unsportsmanlike Conduct - Taunting, number 20, offense. The 15-yard penalty will be applied to the subsequent kickoff."

Josh smiled at Alex's demand of a reservation. "Can't make any guarantees. If more people sign up than there are slots, you gotta qualify. They time you for two laps around the course solo, and the fastest times get to race." His smile grew as he had finished the first half of his steakburger right as the fourth quarter started, the score still 10 to 3 in Heahea's favor. "My challengers have made me a lot better at flying. You should drop by my Gym to see all the flying Pokémon I have now. Even you might find it impressive," he laughed.

"...You know, Alex, that matches a theory I've had about legendary Pokémon for a while, shared by many who studied mythology at Ecruteak," Josh quietly added. "Have you ever wondered what happens when someone catches a legendary Pokémon in a Poké Ball? And how there can be more than one of a legendary species? The Johtonian theory is that legendary Pokémon can split shards of their essence off, and that's that gets drawn into the Poké Ball. What you described matches your Tornadus almost exactly, especially if it can't talk."

As the football teams exchanged 3-and-out possessions yet again, Josh continued, the clock winding down with every Heahas possession. "This is gonna sound weird, but after hearing from Thomas Benoit , and seeing kyle lopez 's powers in action, I'm having second thoughts about whether I'd want to be Raikou's Avatar. Is it right for a single human to wield that kind of power? I'd almost rather have a Raikou that's closer to an ordinary Pokémon than the original Raikou." Goldenrod was running out of time. They needed to get a score on either this possession or the next, or they would be out of the playoffs.

Josh saw doubt indicated from Alex's body language. "It's hard to say, but it's a really good theory," he reiterated his stance. "It explains how there can be more than one of some of them. And your Tornadus is living proof of that. What happened to you, but with Raikou... that would be my dream. All of the perks of bonding with Raikou, and none of the world-bearing responsibilities that come with it."

Finishing his food, he listened to Alex's take on Avatarship. "And what's that? If it's something I can help you with, just ask." Regardless of the answer, he would nod in agreement. "Here's the thing, Alex. That's why I want to be Raikou's Avatar. There are unscrupulous folk out there who hunt Avatars for some nefarious reason. They need to be dealt with. I want to make being an Avatar less dangerous. When it comes down to it, legendary Pokémon are still Pokémon, right? What, fundamentally, makes bonding with one different than a normal Pokémon? They're just really rare is all!" What naivete. What bravado.

The sigh and undue compliments, at least undue from Josh's perspective, were mere flattery. Flattery Josh felt he didn't deserve. "Like what?" he asked. "Meteno? That was all Eva Morales . We have almost exclusively her to thank for why we're standing today. Need I remind you that Mauville Gym is still under probation for not having a challenger win rate within acceptable standards. I'm stiil 0-for-X against League bigwigs like the Elite Four. What exactly do I have under my belt again?"

Josh had gotten so lost in his conversation that a loud cheer from nearby tables snapped his attention back to the game. "Wait, Goldenrod scored a touchdown! We're back in this! Wonder if they'll go for two and try to end the game now." To his dismay, they didn't, instead opting to tie the game with a successful PAT. Mauville's Master of Faster yawned as their server returned with the check. "Alex, you planning on sticking around for the rest of the game?" he asked. "This would be a hell of a comeback if Goldenrod pulls ahead. They lost the toss, though, so Heahea will have the first possession in overtime."

Not long after Alex had finished his food, the server came back with their check. It wasn't cheap, but they got what they paid for: great quality food that didn't come from a restaurant chain. It's why Josh didn't like going to chains. Chefs at bars and family-owned restaurants had character and quality to it, unlike fast food places. "True, I guess being the Hoenn Racing League's ambassador is a thing, isn't it? I just... want to be able to contribute to the League on a scale that matters, like Eva Morales . And if there's one person in Hoenn that can handle Raikou's speed, it's me." The potential was there, but he wasn't there yet. To get there, he would need to spend more than once in a blue moon with the Beast of Thunder. Kyle was far too busy for that.

"Right, we need to do something about that," Josh smiled as he counted out paper money for his portion of the check, including the standard 15% gratuity. "You and I need to battle. Get you toughened up. You toughened me up in your Gym challenge. It's my turn to return the favor. Not now. There's too much nonsense going on after Operation Meteno. But next year. Next year, you and I are gonna brawl."

A beaming smile came over Josh's face at the mention of Isaac Merlo . While he was sworn to secrecy regarding the young man's identity, he had a lot of positive things to say about him. He just couldn't share too many of them, lest he risked leaking his identity. Isaac had a lot of dirt on Josh, too; they both had their skeletons in the closet. Ones that desperately needed hiding.

It was the final play of the overtime period, and Goldenrod was desperate to not give the ball back to Heahea. Their players were losing steam after seventy minutes of football. The visiting team launched a pass high into the air, fought for and apparently simultaneously caught by both teams, each one of them having their hands on the ball as they hit the ground. After a lengthy booth review, Josh and many others in the bar leaped out of their chairs, heads clear across the restaurant turning as the play was ruled a touchdown.

"We're going to the Ultra Bowl!" Josh tromped toward Alex in excitement, giving the Gym Leader a great big hug. "I can't believe it! Goldenrod's going to the Ultra Bowl!