MARCH UPDATE

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 19, 2023 9:48:50 GMT

dahlia goode and Andrea Vaneau like this

Johto's Raikou, the Beast of Josh's dreams, was dead. Perhaps the future Josh had seen inside Terminal 6 was at least partially true. Words of several Gym Leaders swirled within his head about other universes' Raikou being alive and well, and perhaps one of those Raikou was the one in his dream, reaching out to him. He never truly abandoned his chase, but without a lead, he couldn't focus much of his effort on the Beast like he did before. He had to do what he could to change the future in his own way, and that was fight for the League. Though he could not do that by joining the AQUA Initative, as was his dream, he had one other way to impress the League and get onboard their most important missions:

Become a Champion.

Josh had worked hard to get this far. He demonstrated his ability to battle a martial arts master, noah faber , in cramped conditions. He demonstrated to Alexei Ivanov his pure tenacity despite getting the first-ever zero score on Fortree Gym's aerial obstacle course, and still the only one to this day. He demonstrated to then-Gym Leader Callan Young that not even TRICK ROOM and other methods of attacking his team's speed advantage would stop him. He had defeated Andrea Vaneau in a dragon dogfight to remember. He had shown great innovation to Johanna Joy in being able to overcome flaws in his battle style. And lastly, he was the Master of Faster, which was the sixth and final Badge that got him in the door to the Pokémon League.

With his filled Badge case in one hand and Saber's reins in the other, the duo possibly blocking the entire hallway and not thinking about it, Josh knocked on the office doors of MATIAS SILPH of the Elite Four. He had an appointment for the first of six evaluations: an interview that would assuredly be a test of character of some kind. His hands trembled after knocking, having a good idea of how monumental the task before him was. One unsatisfactory answer, depending on how harsh the upper echelons of the League were, could be all it took to disqualify Josh.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 359}
{PC: 1}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

Badges:

Quick Badge - Josh's own Badge

Knockout Badge - Trad

Skyrider Badge - NT

Stark Badge - Trad

Monster Badge (MLG) - Trad

Joy Badge - NT, pending mod req

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played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 20, 2023 9:08:55 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

this is new for matias: a test of character to determine whether a trainer is fit to ascend and challenge the elite four. he's never had to do one nor has he ever had to give one. so the style of his may differ greatly to his colleagues.[break][break]

for him, this is nothing more than a casual conversation to see what their goals are, what obstacles they still need to overcome, and if there's anything he can do to help.[break][break]

first up is Josh Devlin.[break][break]

"it's good to see you, josh."[break][break]

he spares a gesture to the couch.[break][break]

"you feeling nervous?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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[nospaces][newclass="credit"]FREE TO USE! coded by mad, partial credit to milky for text styling <3[/newclass]

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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."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 20, 2023 10:43:22 GMT

"M-Matias," Josh stuttered as he took a seat on the couch in the office of the Volatile. He set his supply pack down, unzipped its largest pocket, and procured a nearly one-foot-long Raikou Pokémon plush that quickly found itself cuddled against his upper body and beneath the Mauville Leader's chin. "And don't mind the Raikou. He's emotional support for me." If it was possible for a Raikou to look adorable yet vicious at the same time, this soft, stuffing-filled replica did.

"Who wouldn't be? Of course I am!" he admitted. "Don't think I've forgotten about the restaurant. You wanna know why Hoenn hasn't crowned any new Champions in a long time? It's because anyone who would dare try to become a new Champion would have to fight through the gods themselves to do so! What am I supposed to do, as someone who specializes in electric and fire Pokémon, against a foe as daunting as Groudon? A foe not even my Manectric's HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE would be able to pierce through?" Saber, sitting next to him, barked once to try to get Josh to cheer up.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 188}
{PC: 2}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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8,524 posts

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 21, 2023 10:23:02 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

matias doesn't mind the plushie all too much. whatever helps josh, he supposes, who has come in here with a peculiar point of view, one matias could not help but notice and subsequently call out.[break][break]

"i can't tell you what you should do but if i were in your shoes, i'd still fight it and give it my all."[break][break]

he shrugs.[break][break]

"there's no place for a defeatist mindset here. you fight to survive or you die trying. simple as that. obviously, for a sanctioned challenge you won't die, but i would still hope to see the same fire and passion."

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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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."

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7,249 posts

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 21, 2023 20:40:46 GMT

Matias was right.

Josh deeply cared about his Pokémon. Every single one of them. His care for his large team was part of the reason he felt more comfortable competing on the race course rather than the field of battle. But this was not his Gym Challenge. This was the Champion Assessment. Concessions had to be made.

"And I get that," Josh replied. "That's how I got as far as I did. Hoenn's Gym Leaders put me in tight spots before. And that's how I got as far as I did. I'm just telling you the truth. Knowing that you have Groudon at your beck and call, and knowing what the Champion Assessment is about, I have to be prepared to go through him if I want to be a Champion Ranked trainer in Hoenn. I'm not gonna not give it my all. I'm just giving my honest answer."

Matias did have a point, though. It was a point Callan Young had reiterated many times. If he gave anything less than his all, why even try to begin with? "Come to think of it, I have yet to actually see Groudon myself. I have no idea just how powerful Groudon is. And under the new rules, we don't have to take the same team of six Pokémon to each battle in the Elite Test, right? I'll be ready for him." He shook his fist, finally starting to calm down.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 240}
{PC: 3}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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8,524 posts

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 22, 2023 14:52:15 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

"you won't be facing groudon."[break][break]

he says simply, bluntly, not worried about breaking whatever bubble may exist around josh. it's better to tell him now rather than have josh find out for himself when he's chosen his team with the titan in mind.[break][break]

"i guess this makes for a good assessment question. can you tell me why i won't be using groudon in any of my challenges?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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."

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7,249 posts

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 23, 2023 11:05:54 GMT

Josh exhaled deeply when he heard he would not be facing Groudon. Virizion wasn't out of the question, but at least that he had a fighting chance against. His abundance of fire and flying Pokémon would ensure that. The question perplexed Josh for the resounding dead air to be telling. Callan Young made it abundantly clear that his goal as a Gym Leader was to educate and pass along the tenets of his Gym. His goal as an Elite Four member was to make sure that on his watch, not one soul passed Hoenn's Champion Assessment without demonstrating superior skill to his own. It was abundantly clear that he would hold absolutely nothing back. What made Matias different? Unless...

Josh was under the conception that an unwritten requirement of being on the Elite Four was to be an Avatar or otherwise be recognized by one of the gods. Matias was one, and Melody Miro and Katherine Fairburne were both known to possess them. Did Callan Young not possess one, too? Then, it came to him.

"Is it because using Groudon in your challenges would give you an unfair advantage?" Josh replied. "When I battled kyle lopez 's Entei at the Battle Arcade, I felt helpless. I couldn't even land a single blow on them. I guess it wouldn't be a very effective assessment if every challenger failed, would it?"

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 224}
{PC: 4}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 23, 2023 16:16:27 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

he dips his head in a nod. josh isn't wrong.[break][break]

"that's part of it. during the mount chimney incident over a year ago, it had taken over twenty people to subdue it. among the twenty were some of hoenn's best trainers. so yes, using groudon would give me an unfair advantage."[break][break]

after a moment, he continues.[break][break]

"but the real reason is to limit exposure. part of what makes groudon so powerful is people's unfamiliarity with the titan. the more battles people have against it, the easier it will be to counter it."

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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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."

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7,249 posts

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 2:08:05 GMT

This was the first Josh had heard of the Mount Chimney incident, as it happened well before he crossed into Hoenn's borders. "Twenty? That's... terrifying. I had no idea Groudon was that powerful. Even if I were to track down Raikou and use him, there would be no way I could beat you if you used Groudon. Even with his HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE that not even Ground-types could resist." Just how fast could Raikou get with a move like that? The more he heard about encounters with foreign legendary Pokémon, the more he felt that Raikou, Entei, and Suicune were helpless by comparison. And yet, Entei had completely overwhelmed Josh's team. "I can't see kyle lopez holding Entei back, though. Of course, to find out, I'd need to get through you first. Both in your office and on the battle court."

Josh had never thought about holding Groudon back as part of the information war between the League and Team Rocket. Unbeknownst to him, the Littleroot raid was the first time Groudon's Avatar had even revealed his identity in battle. "You have a point. The only reason I know as much as I do about Raikou, Entei, Suicune, and the Sacred Swords was putting countless hours into studying them. And that's just two regions' legendary Pokémon. Who knows how many more of them there are? And they won't give you any quarter to try different attacks to even discern their typing with." Perhaps going public about Raikou, though it may garner attention from AQUA, may not have been the best idea. "But you're right. Knowledge is power, as they say."

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 271}
{PC: 5}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

awards

8,524 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 24, 2023 15:30:23 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

"power is power, but knowledge plays a part, i agree."[break][break]

that's the first question done, then. with nothing left to add to it, he moves on.[break][break]

"alright. should you become champion, what do you intend to do?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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."

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7,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 25, 2023 16:32:03 GMT

Melody Miro likes this

It was the question asked of anyone vying for a prestigious title. For many, it was the most difficult question of all. For Josh, though, it was an easy answer. "The short answer is 'be ready to pursue Raikou again.' The long answer is much more nuanced. In my journey, I've met many Gym Leaders recognized by legendary Pokémon. Avatars even, like yourself. With the only Raikou I know of dead, I want to hone my skills to be able to serve the League beyond my current role as a Gym Leader."

Josh exhaled, setting the facsimile of Raikou on the arm rest next to him. "Don't get me wrong; I love what I do for the League. But when I first joined the Major League, I quickly became the laughingstock of the Gym Leaders with how Arceus-awful I was at battles. I felt like any reasonably skilled trainer could walk all over me even if I wasn't holding back. Melody Miro , Callan Young , Elinor Anderson , and even Katherine Fairburne were a big help in getting me to where I am now. And of course, I would never have been guided to this path were it not for Top Champion kyle lopez . So my reasons for pursuing the title of Champion are threefold." Saber let out a whine, sparks crackling from his fur.

"First, to be ready to pursue Raikou again. I can't help but feel that even if it isn't Johto's Raikou, there's another one out there, looking for me. But not yet. Not until I'm at my best. Your relationship with Virizion and Groudon might make you familiar with this line of thinking. Second, to crush Team Rocket. I want to prove to the League that I can be trusted on the League's most critical operations where elite combatants are needed... even if I'm no Avatar. I already told you six months ago. More than anything in the world, I want Raikou to pick me as his Avatar. It is blatantly obvious that he thinks I am neither mentally nor physically ready for it, though, and that is part of why I pursue the title of Champion. I want to avenge my family for what Team Rocket did to them. And third, I want to pass my skills on to the next generation of trainers. The Champion Assessment is Hoenn's ultimate test of that. Eventually, I'm going to get too old to race Pokémon, and will have to pass the reins to a new Gym Leader. I want to make sure my successor is at least as talented as I am, to do my part in keeping Hoenn safe from Rocket scum."

It was long, but that was his answer.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 449}
{PC: 6}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

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played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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8,524 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 26, 2023 10:53:59 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

there's a lot to unpack so matias takes a moment to process, not minding the silence that follows and lingers. what might weigh heavy for others is weighs little for him. in fact, the silence is appreciated.[break][break]

"well, pretty sure raikou doesn't think anything at the moment. it's dead."[break][break]

it's his way of telling josh to give up on his chase as it will only act as a distraction, taking away from his other two points which would've been good enough for matias to just pass him on the spot.[break][break]

he continues.[break][break]

"what did team rocket do to your family?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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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."

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7,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Jan 26, 2023 16:37:25 GMT

It was indeed a lot to unpack. Josh's motive for pursuing Champion Rank were complicated. "I know, and that's why I've moved my focus to the Champion Assessment. Don't get me wrong, Raikou is still a big motivator for me. We talked about this when we went hunting for Pokémon by the rift recently. Until I encounter word of another Raikou in Hoenn, my pursuit is on hold. Besides, I lived most of my dream that day with the Top Champion. If that is my first and last interaction with Raikou, I'm beyond happy with it."

He was then asked about his grudge against Team Rocket. "Remember the radio tower takeover incident? My family stayed back in Goldenrod to protest. They got captured by Team Rocket, and the police were so overwhelmed that they were taking on Pokémon trainers for the operation to reclaim the tower. I was on that operation, and it's yet another reason, beyond my Gym Leader status, why Team Rocket wants my guts. You see, this isn't just for the League for me." He shook his fist, then gently pat the Raikou plush's head. "It's personal."

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 192}
{PC: 7}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Simba Pyroar Good
Bladestorm Skarmory Good
Nitro Gogoat Good
Twilight Absol Good
Resheph Dragonair Good

close tab

played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

i'll try to find you in mountains made of ash and clouds of smoke.

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8,524 posts

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part of

TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Jan 27, 2023 9:13:39 GMT

[attr="class","stomachmouth"]

[attr="class","top"]

[attr="class","icon"]

matias does remember the radio tower takeover incident. they'd heard the news about it even in kanto, though they could do nothing but watch from afar and hope for the best. but as he's found out time and time again, hoping isn't enough.[break][break]

"coming from kanto, trust me when i say i get it. it's personal for me too."[break][break]

he doesn't bother telling josh to be wary of his emotions. he will learn to control them or he will fail, simple as that.[break][break]

"which gym leader gave you the most trouble?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","bottom"]Josh Devlin[break]
virizion

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

7,249 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin