MARCH UPDATE

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"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Mar 9, 2023 15:21:29 GMT

TO: Josh Devlin (josh.devlin@hoennleague.gov)
MISSION: "No Yodeling Allowed"
PROTOCOL: Search-and-Rescue
DANGER: ★★★☆☆

Seismic activity from Mount Chimney has caused a landslide at the Jagged Pass, burying a pair of Cadet Rangers that were leading a group of trainers down the Pass. Both Rangers and three of the Trainers are unaccounted for. One had suffered a serious injury. Your mission is to search for survivors and transport them to Lavaridge Town.

Your objectives are as follows:

A) Locate and rescue the missing Rangers.
B) Locate and rescue the missing Trainers.
c) Perform first aid on victims as needed.

Per your restitution with the League, this is the first of ten assignments you will complete without compensation.

Good luck! We're all counting on you.

While Josh was assigned this mission solo as part of his restitution, he was not alone! If there was any assignment involving Mount Chimney, he knew MATIAS SILPH would be interested. He also had a new friend to get used to. The young Gym Leader would be waiting outside Lavaright Town's north gate astride Raikiri, the Zeraora kyle lopez had entrusted him with after his bravery outside Mount Pyre's rift. While the thundercat wasn't the thundercat he ultimately sought, it was a thundercat capable of putting on speed beyond any ordinary Pokémon on land. In his mind, this was the closest he would ever get to having Raikou on his team.

"Morning, Matias!" Josh would wave once he saw the Volatile. "Did you get the email I forwarded you? This should be a snap for someone of your caliber."

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 233}
{PC: 1}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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matias

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 10, 2023 9:41:27 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

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[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"morning. nice zeraora."[break][break]

little does matias know this will be his last assignment before being forced under house arrest. if he did know, he'd have tried to enjoy the moment more.[break][break]

alas, his expression is nothing more than tired as he approaches.[break][break]

"where'd you get it?"[break][break]

he asks, making quick small talk while preparing to start their mission.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

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[newclass=.rouxcredit]align:right; color:#AB4646; font-size:10px; text-align:right; padding:10px; [/newclass]

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raikourider

Master of Faster

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December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

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"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Mar 10, 2023 17:55:09 GMT

"Thanks!" Josh replied with a smile, the eyes of the elderly citizens of Lavaridge upon him as he rode the thunder cat through the small town's northern district. "Kyle was interested in raising the Marshadow I captured from beyond the Border. I got to ride Katherine Fairburne 's Zeraora into battle not long after I returned, and I was glad I got to; I would have been dead weight out there." With how many gods were throwing their powers around in full force in that battle, it was easy to feel overwhelmed. "Alongside those two, I felt like the weak link." He sighed. "Raikou, if you're still out there somehow, somewhere, I need your help. Not purely for the League... but to protect Hoenn as a whole. Just... Raikou, please..."

He shook his head.

"That Marshadow imitated me, riding on a Pokémon I've never seen before. It looked like a big cat made out of snow, and had these long, black fangs." He continued to describe the vestigal spirit of Chien-Pao in as much detail as he could remember. "It was faster than any of my Pokémon and could flex its body like a whip. It almost killed me. It was only my suit that kept me alive out there. Holy... those rifts are deadlier than I ever could have imagined."

Raikiri let out a purr that shook Josh more harshly than any of his other Pokémon, yet was nowhere close to Raikou's when he rode Kyle's Beast-familiar. "I know you want to run, Raikiri!" he said, gently patting the base of the electric-type's neck. "We'll go for a run once we get these people out of there!" He turned back toward Matias. "This is actually my first time riding Raikiri after getting him fitted at Verdanturf. Katherine's was super fast. I wonder how fast he'll be?"

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 308}
{PC: 2}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

champion

1321 height

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 13, 2023 3:48:28 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

kyle lopez with another marshadow? interesting.[break][break]

"in my experience, they're quite fast. but i don't have one so i can't say for certain."[break][break]

they aren't faster than virizion, though. at least not that he would admit.[break][break]

his mind shifts back to the mission.[break][break]

"do you have anything on you that would help us locate the missing people?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

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POSTED ON Mar 14, 2023 17:15:22 GMT

"They're really powerful," Josh added, Raikiri looking ready to pounce. "Once I'm able to take challenges again after... you know, the whole Eris thing... I think it'd be fun if we had a race between Raikiri and your Virizion! It'd be a lot of fun! Come to think of it, did you ever stop by my Gym?" The Zeraora wanted action, not all this chatter! He gently reined the electric cat in. "We'll go back to my Gym once this is over, and you can run as fast as you want. Just not now, Raikiri. But we might need your help clearing out parts of the landslide!" With a purr that sounded more like a chirp, Josh knew the Zeraora was excited, having something to look forward to after the work that was to be done.

When asked about his potential ways to search for the missing people, Josh smiled. "I have one." He sent out Janus, his saddle-wearing Espeon that was the size of an Alpha. "She can broadcast a rescue message nearby, almost like a radio wave, and she can use that to try to locate people. Do you have a Pokémon with Aura? Using Aura to locate the victims would be really helpful, too."

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 208}
{PC: 3}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 15, 2023 9:51:47 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"i do."[break][break]

the pokeball that bursts open reveals a lucario except the usual blue of its fur has darkened, bordering murky shades of gray due to its unusual shadow affliction.[break][break]

"it doesn't have a very good grip on its aura. maybe your espeon can help broadcast it? increase its range?"[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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He/Him

December 12

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POSTED ON Mar 16, 2023 14:24:28 GMT

The darkened sheen of the Lucario that emerged from Matias' Poké Ball captured Josh's attention quickly. "I've never seen one like that before! Are they a shiny Pokémon?" he asked, never having seen the phenomenon on a Lucario before. "I'm unsure, but I'd bet Janus is willing to at least try!" With a nod, the psychic-type began to trot toward the shadow Pokémon to get a better idea of the frequency he would be amplifying.

It did not take them long to get a hit. "Torvie, you're on!" Josh sent out a Swampert that looked geared to ferry people on her back across wetlands, such as Route 123. Using her ANCIENT POWER, she began to clear out a pyramid of rocks that had built up on the mountainside, exposing the caved-in passage to sunlight. While it was not the lost party, Josh did feel good about the family of Fennekin and Braixen he was able to save some trapped wild Pokémon. "We'll need to watch out for false positives, too."

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 173}
{PC: 4}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 17, 2023 2:34:52 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"it's shadow-afflicted. i got it from the hatchery."[break][break]

he can't remember when that was. last year, perhaps?[break][break]

after their false positive, he clicks his tongue, growing impatient as they race against time.[break][break]

"focus up, lucario."[break][break]

its aggressive nature makes it harder than it needs to be but eventually it does get another hit. it leaps ahead, clearing rubble with ease to reveal...[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

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POSTED ON Mar 17, 2023 17:06:31 GMT

"The Hatchery?" Josh asked. "Are you able to elaborate? That sounds like it was way before my time." The concept of a shadow Pokémon, a Pokémon whose door to its heart was tightly closed, scared him. He had heard horror stories of them being utilized by other syndicates, but not yet by Rocket.

The Swampert and Shadow Lucario worked together to unearth what appeared to be one of the missing Cadets, who was performing first aid on a young man with what appeared to be a broken leg. This must have been the seriously injured trainer the briefing mentioned. "Janus, ALLY SWITCH!" Josh commanded. With the Gym Leader's order, he creatively used his unique method of teleporting to get both the Cadet and the cringing trainer away from the landslide.

"Got your Pokémon healer on you, Matias?" Josh asked as he listened to the Ranger's report. It seemed the duo were separated from their traveling companions that were much farther up the mountain pass. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us." He called for first responders to get the young man transported to a medical facility in Lavaridge, then invited the Ranger to ride one of his Pokémon in search of the other three people who were still trapped.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 216}
{PC: 5}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

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champion

1321 height

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 19, 2023 15:13:51 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"i think it was last year when a blond woman opened up her hatchery. basically, some interesting pokemon were being bred, among them were pokemon touched by the shadow."[break][break]

he explains based off his memory which may be a little inaccurate given how much time has passed and how much has happened since, but he does try his best.[break][break]

with josh's ALLY SWITCH, the cadet and the young man are brought to safety where matias calls out his blissey to begin to tend to their wounds.[break][break]

"blissey's got it. i have the whole nurse squad with me so we can keep going."[break][break]

six blissey in total, including this one.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

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POSTED ON Mar 21, 2023 14:12:18 GMT

"Shadow Pokémon..." Josh trailed off. "I could never raise a Pokémon bred only for battle like that. At least from what I've heard on reports from them from other regions, all they do is battle. There's no such thing as truly bonding with one, is there?"

Even if Josh stumbled into a Shadow Pokémon, he would never want to raise one; if anything, he would want to find a way to purify it; to open the door to its tightly-hardened heart. He cared deeply for every single one of his Pokémon. To him, they weren't just allies. They were friends and partners, united by the same goals.

When Josh invited the Ranger to sit behind him on Raikiri's back, he refused, and understandably so. Instead, Josh sent out Braver, his Arcanine, whom the Ranger was much more eager to mount up. The hardy fire-type rode alongside Josh up the rough mountain trail, the electric feline and fire canine leaping up the cliffs with great power. The heat grew as they ascended closer to Mount Chimney proper, as well.

Janus mewed, telepathically relaying his findings to Josh of another Aura reading beyond a large mound of medium-sized rock. Sending out Torvie to assist with removing the debris, the Swampert and Zeraora worked together to start clearing it. Unbeknownst to him, there were some other Pokémon that had the Rangers in their sights...

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 236}
{PC: 6}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

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1321 height

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TAG WITH @matias

POSTED ON Mar 22, 2023 8:04:49 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"probably not."[break][break]

definitely not. shadow pokemon were bred for one simple reason.[break][break]

"but they make for powerful weapons which may soon be needed."[break][break]

anything to give them the edge. anything to win.[break][break]

while josh and his team busy themselves with clearing the debris, matias and his lucario pick up on the same thing at the same time.[break][break]

"to our right!"[break][break]

lucario's FRENZY PLANT erupts from the ground, moving forward in a wave to grab hold of a lurking sandaconda, except this one is far larger than anything he's ever seen.[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

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POSTED ON Mar 23, 2023 16:49:13 GMT

"Pokémon purely as weapons..." Josh replied with a deep breath. Just the thought of a Pokémon created purely as a weapon of war was enough to make him shiver. "...I wouldn't willingly use one. Yes, they can be great weapons of war, but Pokémon are more than that. They're partners. Friends. Ones you can rely on to pick you up when you're feeling down. Ones you can rely on to take you anywhere you need to go."

As Torvie was clearing out more debris, Josh's eyes shifted toward the enormous Sandaconda Matias was battling. It was big enough for multiple to mount it if they wanted! A big snake wasn't his style, though. They weren't fast enough for him, and the slithering back and forth would be a lot for him to get used to.

Behind the pile of rock and dirt close to the summit was the remainder of the missing people. "Gottem!" Josh shouted down to Matias, hoping that his voice would carry over the battle. They had suffered minor injuries that would require treatment, but nothing serious needing immediate first aid. It could wait until after his battle was over at the very least.

MATIAS SILPH

{WC: 200}
{PC: 7}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Raikiri Zeraora Good
Janus Espeon Good
Resheph Dragonair Good
Braver Arcanine Good
Craggro H!Arcanine Good
Torvie Swampert Good

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played by

noodles

matias

he/him

thirty-two

november 14th

saffron

straight...unless?

elite four

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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 Mar 27, 2023 5:49:21 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","matiasbase"]

[attr="class","matias1"]

[attr="class","circleoutline1"]

[attr="class","matiasimg"]

[attr="class","matias2"]

"true."[break][break]

that's all matias will say about that as he disagrees. to him, pokemon are partners, friends, yes, but they are also tools. in fact, the majority of his pokemon are just that.[break][break]

weapons.[break][break]

"ok!"[break][break]

hearing josh's confirmation that the people are safe is enough for him to not hold back. the shadow-afflicted lucario stands its ground, forced to recharge as the sandaconda WRAPS around it, looking to crush it.[break][break]

but a SHADOW BOLT breaks through. then another. and another. before finally downing the sandaconda.[break][break]

"we're done here."[break][break]

[attr="class","matias3"]

[attr="class","matiaspoke"]

[attr="class","rouxcredit"]♠

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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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