The livestream was all set up. While it would be from a fixed perspective, he had a team that could edit in a HUD to make the stream more watchable. All that remained was to start the battle.

Josh's quadrupedal Zeraora steed waved a paw toward Elinor. Despite the mess the two had just discussed a month ago, it seemed the Councilwoman was back to her normal self. The Leader's restitution was yet another reason the match could not take place at Josh's Gym, as he was forbidden from stepping on the rear property by order of the Council. It made retrieving the Pokémon team the young man would use for the battle quite the inconvenience, having to go through his Gym Trainers to do so.

"I wouldn't have asked you for a battle if I didn't think I could take you down," Josh taunted from astride Raikiri. "Right. This is Raikiri. He's a Zeraora I got from kyle lopez after helping repel some Rockets from invading the Border. And you know what, Elinor? The reason I chose Raikiri is because it sounds a lot like Raikou. To me, he almost is Raikou. He goes almost as fast as Raikou, too!" Sustained, yes. Burst, hell no. Still, it was a thundercat. Not the thundercat, but a thundercat.

"Doubles it is," Josh agreed before sending out a fierce-looking squad of six Pokémon: Saber, Aslan, Bladestorm, Nitro, Twilight, and Resheph. Six Pokémon Elinor had to be more than familiar with by now, though the Gogoat's Shiny sheen may have been new to her. The yellow horns were certainly a nice touch. To begin the battle, the Gym Leader would wave Aslan and Bladestorm, his Shiny Pyroar and Skarmory, forward into the wild grasses and the sky above. "And remember, if this isn't the most destructive battle we can muster, then we didn't do it right. If I catch you holding back, then you don't deserve to take the Champion Assessment. You hear? I'm gonna crush you, then crush Melody Miro . Crush MATIAS SILPH . Crush Callan Young . Crush Katherine Fairburne . Crush all of them." With his two Pokémon watching Elinor like a Pidgeot for her first two Pokémon to be sent into battle, anticipation and tension were high.

Round One. Fight.

Lots of Steel and Ground Pokémon, it seemed. Some things never changed. While Josh had a diverse team of saddle-wearing Pokémon, Elinor's had a glaring weakness. It was one he was more that familiar with; not only had they done a lot of Ranger work together, Josh had locked horns with the Councilwoman on multiple occasions. "DOUBLE TEAM, Aslan!" Josh commanded. It was his Gym's specialty, after all: speed, speed, and more speed. Tearing up some of the tall grass as the Pyroar sprung forward, the Swampert's HYDRO PUMP struck a trailing image.

The golden lion was picking up speed, circling the two Ground-types while Bladestorm did some circling of his own. Between the SPIKES covering Elinor's side and STEALTH ROCKS floating above Josh's, the battle was going to be over quickly. Though Josh's team still had issues with ground-type Pokémon, he had some secret weapons ready. If one was to come at Aslan, he would be ready for it, and in a way that would decimate the water-type.

Josh smiled in anticipation. Even Raikiri was fired up, bouncing his rider up and down as his legs bobbed. Despite most of Zeraora's kind being bipedal, this one looked like a natural quadruped. It was almost as though the mythical Pokémon was meant for Josh to ride!

Shockwaves from the twin EARTHQUAKES flew toward Raikiri and Josh. While they didn't have the protection Elinor's Solosis offered her, he did have his Zeraora steed. He silently flicked the thundercat's reins, the electric-type gracefully leaping over both oncoming shockwaves. While Bladestorm could simply soar above the Ground-type assaume, Aslan didn't have that luxury. With the threat of Elinor's STEALTH ROCKS looming, too, he had to improvise. Luckily, the young one had the perfect counter to the Swampert ready.

At the peak of the Zeraora's jump, Josh hurled his TERA ORB toward Aslan, the royal lion surround in translucent emerald crystal. Shattering the gemstone around it, a coating of the material encased the Pyroar, TERASTALLIZING him into a GRASS-TYPE just prior to the shockwaves washing over him. Josh's quick thinking saved the Pyroar from collapse. "Now, TERA BLAST the Swampert!" he shouted as the Skarmory continued to lay more SPIKES on the Councilwoman's side of the battleground. Yes, she had her Stealth Rocks, but two could play at that game! The trap set, that Swampert would almost certainly be a goner if the explosion of Grass-type energy about to erupt underneath the water-and-ground-type connected!

The unorthodox use of STEALTH ROCK impressed Josh, shrapnel flying in all upward directions from where the TERA BLAST and shield of floating stones smashed into one another. Raikiri even let out a mew of surprise. Even Bladestorm's eyes shifted downward as he continued to shed bladed SPIKES and drop them below. He would get his chance at the Councilwoman's Pokémon soon. Before the Gym Leader felt safe ordering the descent, though, that Swampert had to go. Especially with the ICE PUNCH coming.

Aslan, struck on his chin, roared in pain; it was a direct consequence of assuming his Terastal form. The now grass-type lion was barely standing and could no longer be safely switched out. As much as he wanted to save the speedy lion for a possible deployment of his sonic Z-Move, the sharp stones hovering above Josh's side of the battleground prevented him from doing anything about it. Instead, the normal-type slid around to the Swampert's side and wailed in the water-type's ear with a proud roar of his HYPER VOICE.

It was less that the Clodsire could hurry and more that Aslan was in an inopportune spot from having screamed in the Swampert's ears. Though the poison-type was slow, their tentacles were not, ensnaring the beleaguered, Grass-type lion. Having seen enough, Josh withdrew the feline for the floating noodle of joy that was Resheph. Between the minefield of SPIKES on the ground and the heat-seeking STEALTH ROCKS floating in the air, there was no way for the Dragonair to avoid them all. She winced as one struck her tail orb.

Having seen the sheer power of Elinor's Swampert before, Josh knew he couldn't let the ground-type stand. Befitting the young man's reputation, he ordered his two Pokémon to double-team the Swampert: his Skarmory from above with the BRAVE BIRD dive the species was known for, and his Dragonair from ground level, lowering her horn toward the water-type in a blinding burst of EXTREME SPEED.

The beam that came out of Minh's mouth was unlike anything Josh had ever seen. On par with a legendary Pokémon's attack, its intensity burned a hole in the serpent's underside and through its back. It was a good thing Josh removed his Pokémon's riding gear before the battle, or it would have been destroyed! Had he timed his use of EXTREME SPEED a little better, Resheph would have easily been able to evade the attack. Not so; the Councilwoman battled intelligently, waiting for the Dragonair to tire herself with a burst of speed and leaving her open to counterattack.

The vicious attack did leave the Salamence exhausted, and it was something Josh had to take advantage of before the battle spiraled out of control. Though the Gym Leader was worried about the price he would pay for letting the Clodsire RECOVER, the Salamence was an immediate threat that had to be dispatched. Now. He hurled Twilight's Poké Ball as close to the dragon-type as he could. Neither of his Pokémon needed a command to know what to do. Elinor's Salamence would, like the Swampert, be subject to a two-prong attack; a ROCK SLIDE barrage from above, and a forehead-blade NIGHT SLASH from the dark-type below. Perhaps her SUPER LUCK would allow her to find the weakest part of Minh's underside?