It looked like Altagracia was actually on time, Josh easy for her to find. Who could have missed the two saddled Pyroar, especially one with a golden sheen? The big cats loudly purred, Josh holding his head as the slight differences in their purrs created headache-inducing resonance much like that of two tuning forks with slightly different frequencies sounding at the same time. As the heavily-dressed female approached, the two waved a paw toward her: Simba, his front right, and Aslan, his front left.

"Altagracia, right? But yes, that's me! Elite Ranger Devlin or Gym Leader Devlin, but I go by Josh." He took his right hand off Aslan's riding gear long enough to wave back. "If Shalin told you about my need, then you probably have experience riding Pokémon. Hopefully that's the case, because that's the last step for his recovery. Rehab wants to observe how he can run with me on his back. It's been a tough last three months for him, but he's as ready as he'll get."

Josh had rambled on for far too long. "Right! These two are Aslan and Simba. I'm sure you've already seen Aslan's chart. Simba's there to provide a little extra motivation for him... and of course, let you keep up with him. Have you seen a Pyroar in person before? They're very fast!" As he was about to find out, even if the older lion couldn't run quite as fast as he once did, Aslan was still plenty fast. Once everyone was ready, Josh hopped aboard the golden predator for the first time in three months. Simba crouched to let Altagracia more easily get into place, as well.

Both the great cats appreciated Altagracia's affection, the shiny Pyroar in particular returning with a wide smile of his own. Though they both had the size of pride leaders, they were still Litleo at heart. The warmth of their manes had to have felt good against the cool air surrounding Lilycove City. "They can be a handful to train, but there really is nothing like riding one. You'll have a hard time finding a Pokémon that's as fast and well-rounded as a Pyroar. You have to get a saddle specialized for a big cat, though, and it can be a little rough at first if you're not used to them. Just be careful the first time you take Simba past a trot, okay?" he urged.

Once the two were aboard the lions, they each let out a purr. A healthy, loud, and powerful purr that, even through their riding gear, rattled both riders. "Don't forget, Aslan--ease yourself into it!" The racer made sure to gently apply pressure with his legs, being gentle with his reins, and letting him go at a pace he was comfortable with. Aslan led the way, trotting down the concourse not far ahead of Simba, letting Altagracia observe how the recovering Pyroar handled Josh's weight.

As Aslan and Simba started jogging around the concourse, Josh didn't notice anything odd at all about the Pyroar's motion. Of course, the real test would be when he was ready to start running. His breathing felt normal. Everything about the ride felt normal, which was a sign his surgeries had been a success. Of course, the true test was about to come. "You ready, buddy?" Josh asked, running his hands through Aslan's red-and-gold fur, one at a time. The lion replied with a loud purr that Josh both heard and felt.

"Ready to go faster, Altagracia?" Josh asked, though it was more of a warning than a question. Though the lions' saddles were designed to help absorb some of the power behind their flexing backs, Simba's and Aslan's running strokes were far from the equine ones most Pokémon riders were used to. Not yet feeling the need to close his visor, Josh let the wind whip at his face.

Josh felt a small stumble from Aslan as the Shiny Pokémon made a left turn, but was quickly able to recover. They rounded one of the larger parking lots at the hospital complex at a speed that was probably quite fast by Altagracia's standards. "Woohoo!" Josh cried. "I forgot how fun it is to ride you, Aslan!" He swiveled his neck to one side, wondering how Altagracia was holding up. After all, she may not have been used to the speed of a lion steed...

Other than the one stumble, Aslan had entered a full gallop with little trouble. "I'm so proud of you, Aslan!" The albino lion replied with a proud purr, his back rumbling like a motorcycle. He loved the feeling of a big cat carrying him across the land, whether it be blistering fast like Raikou across southeast Hoenn, or a simple leisurely trot through town. Most riders could not handle the flexing backs of felines, but it was something Josh lived for!

"Alright, that's almost it, Altagracia! Thanks so much!" he called back to her. "I just have one more thing I want to test out. If you're not comfortable with riding this fast, just pull over to the inside of the concourse and try to watch him. If you are, though, let's have them race one another in DOUBLE TEAM along the concourse, back to the entrance!" Josh suggested. Simba looked excited, too - Altagracia would have likely been able to feel an enthusiastic, powerful purr beneath her as the big cat ran.

Both riders would be able to feel their mounts purring with excitement from Altagracia's daring agreement. "Hold on tight - these Pyroar can get fast!" He made sure there was little traffic ahead and that the lions understood to go off-road to avoid traffic if need be. "Alright! Ready to feel the wind in your face again, Aslan?" The shiny Pyroar purred, then growled. "Awesome, let's go! Aslan, Simba, DOUBLE TEAM!"

The two fire-types accelerated alongside one another, the two riders able to easily see just how much the lions' flexing backs were bouncing one another. Without their saddles stabilizing them, it would have been far worse. Even at full gallop, pre-boost, it was still quite swift. Then the DOUBLE TEAM came.

Three trailing images, each of which included Pyroar and rider, appeared behind both pairs. Unlike DOUBLE TEAM in combat, this was not to fool an attacking Pokémon. This was purely to go fast. "Wheeeee-haaaaaa!!!" Josh cried, maintaining his posture through the power of Aslan's acceleration. It was not as violent of a boost as it once was, but it was still plenty fast. The shallow turns the albino feline made were enough to get a grunt out of the Gym Leader.

Josh felt like Aslan was good as new... until Simba and Altagracia shot past him. It wasn't through any fault of Simba's or Aslan's, neither Josh's nor Altagracia's. Aslan won the race back to the door handily, the lion rearing in triumph. Perhaps he had forgotten it was Altagracia riding him and not Josh?

Aslan had lost a fair bit of speed. Despite the success of the procedure, Josh wouldn't be getting the big cat up to his pre-injury speed any time soon. Unbeknownst to him, Aslan would never be that fast again. It was the reality of his post-procedure physical limits. That did not matter to him, though; he was simply grateful the fire-type could battle and race again. "I couldn't ask for a better recovery for Aslan," Josh said to Altagracia after the two lions came to a stop. "I look forward to getting back on the track with him... and going to the Elite Four with him. I wouldn't want to use anyone less than my best. Thank you."