Josh was bushed.

It was early evening, the young man having put in a ten-hour shift at a local thrift shop. These next six months were going to be awful, Josh putting in 50 unpaid hours a week (or 60 on weeks when he had a ton of pent-up energy and no Ranger tickets to work.) If he didn't put in the overtime in the first six months, though, it was going to be even worse when he had to take Gym Challenges alongside doing these service hours.

When the doorknob opened, El would not be greeted by Josh; instead, they would be greeted by a saddle-wearing Espeon that would guide them to his apartment's lower level. Provided they followed the psychic-type downstairs, Josh would get a mental ping from Janus alerting the Gym Leader to their presence. He paused the video game he was playing, which appeared to be a Pokémon racing simulator... except the entire field was riding on legendary Pokémon. One guess as to which Pokémon Josh had chosen.

"Evening, El," Josh greeted them with an unenthusiastic, tired voice. "You eaten yet tonight?"

El blinked a bit at the espeon who opened the door - although they offered the psychic-type a smile, saying "Hello there, buddy. Guessing you're one of Josh's pals?" They'd follow Janus inside and down the stairs - being careful of the steps, given their cane. But once they were in the living room proper, El's eyes lit up a bit at noticing that Josh was in the middle of a racing game. Which one was that, they wondered..?

More notably though, was Josh himself - and he seemed completely tuckered out. At the question of food, El would smile sheepishly and brought a hand up in a placating gesture, mentioning "Oh, I'm fine, thank you! We - uhm - ate before we got here." It wouldn't be hard to tell that they were lying - though they didn't want to concern Josh.

Really, they were more concerned about the gym leader himself! "You seem tuckered out though - are you alright?" They asked, briefly looking him up and down. "I could come another day, if, uhm, me being here's a bother right now."

Despite how easy it would normally have been to see through El's little white lie, Josh was too tired to pick up on the subtle signs. "Gonna call Mamma Mia's. You're welcome to a slice or two if you want." He continued to listen to El while he placed his order. "Medium sausage for delivery, please. North Mauville Apartments. 21 and a half hour, got it." Once the call was over, he directed his full attention back to the young Ranger.

"No, it's more... just... work. I've been pulling overtime recently and it's worn me out," Josh explained. While it was the truth, it was only a half-truth. He had to pull long hours to make sure he got as much of his 4,000 hours of community service done as possible in the first six months, even if meant working himself to exhaustion five, six, or even some weeks, seven days a week. "Next week I'll be pulling seven tens. It's gonna be horrible. But that's enough negativity. What brings you here?"

As Josh made the pizza order, El would fidget a moment - fiddling with the edge of the glove they wore on their left hand, to keep their palm from getting sore whilst holding their cane. They supposed... Having a slice wouldn't be bad, if he was offering - though of course, it'd have to wait until it actually arrived.

The mention of work, though, had El casting Josh a sympathetic smile. "It must be hard work, being both a ranger and a gym leader, huh?" They mused out loud - adding "It's really admirable, how much you do, Josh sir."

But there came the big question - the question of what brought them here. And El, initially, couldn't help but feel another lance of anxiety in their mind. "You - uhm... Remember before the race, when I asked about us, well, talking about something...?" They asked - both to buy time to try and settle their nerves, as well as to bring the both of them on the same page. "I've been wanting to ask you something - something, uhm, about someone you might know? O-or might be acquainted with, m-maybe?"

Making a gentle sigh, Bibidi would pat El on the shoulder - and over the two's link, El could already feel the waves of reassurance and calm washing over them. As if to mimic Bibidi's sigh, they'd take in a deep breath, before exhaling softly. This really shouldn't have been so hard to ask - and yet... This was both one of the possible biggest steps forward they'd make towards finding him, and also them talking to someone of importance all the whilst. Could you blame them, for their nerves being a bit out of wack?

"... His name is Isaac." El finally spoke, once they felt steady. This was it. "Isaac Merlo - he's my brother. And I've been looking for him." Casting a hopeful glance to Josh, they'd ask "Do... do you know where he is? Or how I could reach him?"

It was long hours, yes. As a Gym Leader, Josh worked mostly a set schedule. As a Ranger, though, he could pick up tickets whenever he wanted. Now, of course, it was different: he had to work those tickets as part of his restitution. His Gym Leader salary would give him plenty to live off, but not at the lifestyle he used to live at. The big fine he had to pay left him without the excess cash reserves he was used to, as well. He would need to start saving again.

"Just Josh is fine. You don't have to be so formal with me," he reassured them. "They're both labors of love. I wouldn't give up my Gym for anything in the world. It lets me share my love of racing Pokémon with all my challengers. Being an expert at riding Pokémon helps with Ranging, too. As an Elite Ranger and Mauville's second-in-command, I'm the entire region's go-to for search-and-rescues. I've got dozens of Pokémon that can carry people across land, sea, and sky. It's a natural fit for my set of talents."

The topic of Isaac Merlo came up. "I do," the Gym Leader calmly answered, doing his best not to further raise El's tension. "We've known each other for a while. Spent a lot of time together." He had to do a double take. "Wait, he's your brother? I'm gonna see what he's doing. Maybe he'd be down for a little pizza party." With that, the Master of Faster would dial the young, resourceful man up. Perhaps he'd be down for an evening together! It had been a while since they had done something together that wasn't ridiculously high octane.

As Josh insisted upon just 'Josh', El couldn't help an awkward-shy chuckle. "O-oh, uhm, sorry," They spoke, averting their gaze briefly as they listened to the older ranger's words. "But still - it's honestly really impressive, just how much you can do! I look up to rangers like you a bunch." The smile they gave this time was a bit more earnest and confident, especially as they added "I'm looking forward to when I can become a full Ranger -- I want to be able to help everyone, pokemon and humans alike, and make a difference for people, y'know?"

Even as a ranger in training, the job felt almost like a dream come true, really...

. . . The confirmation that Josh knew Isaac, though, would make El's breath hitch a little, from the sudden feeling of anticipation that settled in their chest. So Isaac and Josh were friends, then? And before they knew it, he was apparently calling Isaac, too..!

El didn't say a word - not wanting to interrupt while Josh was trying to reach out to Isaac. But they still couldn't help a nervous half-laugh as they looked for a spot to sit - figuring that they'd likely be here awhile. Would Isaac pick up? What would he have to say...?

Would he even come, if Josh managed to reach him?

"I don't bite, I promise. It's okay!" Josh reassured after El was, in his eyes, overly apologetic. Were they like him, too? Seemingly always wanting to be a fall guy to make others feel better? Perhaps it would be something they would be comfortable discussing with him once they were better friends.

It didn't take long for Josh to start speaking, perhaps giving El hope that Isaac would be on the way. Unfortunately, that was not the case. "Got his voicemail. Thankfully, it seems he actually cleans out his mailbox. I've got a couple Gym trainers I have a real hard time getting in touch with sometimes because they don't ever delete their old voicemails. It's... agitating, to say the least."

The topic quickly turned to Ranging, and that El was a Ranger-in-training. He sat down at an old but still functional dining room table capable of seating six, on the side of the basement opposite his gaming setup. Half of it was covered in trading card binders that had collected quite a bit of dust, but the other half of the table was clear and clean. "I was there with you less than a year ago, and now I'm an Elite out of Mauville. There really is nothing you can't do when you put your mind to it. I still remember my first mission as a Ranger. It was rescuing a small family from the aftermath of a plane crash. Watching those family ride my Pokémon back to Fortree brought me joy unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. It was using my talents as a Pokémon racer to do true good."

Suddenly, Josh heard the doorbell. "That's probably the food. I'll be back shortly." With that, the young man headed upstairs.

Josh's reassurance would make El blink, before smiling sheepishly as they scratch the back of their head and nodded. They felt odd just referring to Josh as just that - especially given he was very much their superior - but it was something they'd adjust to.

More prevalent though was the voicemail being left - and though El was initially hopeful, they deflated slightly upon hearing that Isaac hadn't actually picked up. "I didn't expect you to even have his number, honestly..." They mused out loud with a somewhat-shy laugh, releasing some of the tension they had. "If... he gets back to you, should I leave you my number?" It'd probably make things a bit more convenient, although... "If it's not any trouble, I mean."

The talk about Josh being a ranger was a curious one though - and it was easy to see that El was interested. "That's the sort of thing I want to do, yeah!" They spoke with a gentle smile, idly fidgeting their fingers together. "I want to do good, I want to help, and well..." They open their mouth as if to continue speaking - though, they'd trail off... As to avoid seeming weird for it though, they'd smile to Josh and shake their head, a brief wave of their hand paired with it. "N-nevermind, just - I'm eager to contribute to Hoenn... I want to make a positive difference in the lives of other people."

And though it felt somewhat selfish of them to admit to it - hence them trailing off - they wanted to prove that they were more than just some fragile doll, just because of their bad leg.

But before long, the pizza has arrived - and as Josh walks off, they'd wait patiently for him to return.

Josh returned from the first floor with a pizza box, a Raikou plush toy a little under a foot long, and two plates. a saddle-wearing Umbreon followed him back to the basement before sitting down next to Janus. "Oh hey, Kamuy," Josh gave the dark-type a pet on the head after setting the box down on the dining room table and the plush next to his chair. He stepped away one more time to wash his hands before opening the box. The aroma of melted Alto Maren cheese wafted into the cool basement. "You're welcome to a slice or two! Don't be too modest, El."

While he was waiting for his food to cool, Josh addressed El's concerns, both of Isaac and of the Rangers. "Where are you planning on being based out of? If you haven't been assigned a city yet, I'd welcome you under Captain annalise henderson in Mauville. I'm actually her second-in-command."

El's eagerness to contribute to Hoenn reminded Josh of his own ambitions. When he was young, his aspirations to befriend, tame, and ride Raikou were all selfish. Now, they couldn't be any more selfless. He wanted to sit in that thundercloud saddle to serve Hoenn and protect Hoenn from not only Rocket, but the natural dangers that threatened the region's existence. Meteno was a great example of one.

"That's exactly the kind of attitude we're looking for in new recruits to the Hoenn Rangers," Josh confirmed with a smile as he finished his first slice. "I tell you what. We should sign up for some rescues together. Go out there and save some lives from the harsh elements of Hoenn. With your Togekiss and all my ride Pokémon, there's nowhere we can't save people from."

As Josh opened the box, El could feel their mouth watering a little at both the sight and smell of food. Though they'd declined the offer of food initially, at the other ranger's insistence, well... "I... Suppose I'll have one, then - thank you." They'd shyly laugh at the admission - retrieving a slice and letting it sit to cool for a moment, as they glanced to a passing Umbreon.

"You've got such big eeveelutions..." They couldn't help but observe out loud - their curiosity at the more unique specimens apparent. "Are they wild-caught? Or from a breeder?"

The question of where El was going to be based out of though, would make them blink. "I... Was kind of thinking Fortree - that's where I had first signed up for this, at least... But I suppose just about anywhere would be nice?" They paused - the thought of Lavaridge crossing their mind - before they added a bit too quickly "A-anywhere closer to the wilds, I mean." They attempted a smile in Josh's direction.

The notion of getting to go on a rescue with an Elite Ranger, however, seemed to catch El off guard - but not necessarily in a bad way. "O-oh - really? I mean - I'd l-like that! But I mean..." They stammered sheepishly, unable to hide the nervous-but-eager smile on their face. "I'm... I'm still just a trainee, y'know. I'm not even a rookie Ranger yet. Wouldn't that be jumping the sharpedo a little bit..?" Still, the idea of being taken under the wing of a much more experienced ranger seemed thrilling...

Once the pizza was sufficiently cooled, Josh took his first bites into it. While he had to give up several indulgences due to his financial situation, Alto Maren cuisine was not one of them. The place he favored was not cheap, but it had a reputation for being one of the best in town. "Can't go wrong with Schiro's. Been getting pizza almost exclusively from them since I moved to Mauville."

"Believe it or not, they were all caught wild. How familiar are you with Space-Time Distortions and Alpha Pokémon?" Josh asked El. "That's where almost all of them came from. Right - I have a complete set of them. The rest of them are at my Gym, and they're probably relaxing before the sun goes down."

Josh smiled when El announced their intent to work out of Fortree. "That first rescue I did, the plane crash one? That was west of Fortree. I was going to work out of Fortree, then I was offered my Gym Leader position. That's why I work out of Mauville now." While Mauville wasn't exactly close to wooded places, it was at Hoenn's greatest crossroads. "If you work out of Mauville, you'll get a little of everything. Almost every biome imaginable isn't too far from Mauville." Even tundra, thanks to Kyurem's scar on the region, was not far from Mauville.

El seemed flabbergasted about Josh's offer. "It's how you get experience! How about we go on RangerNet and find a one-star ticket? It's the least risky mission out there." He shook his head. "Not at all! And hey, you'll get to meet the rest of my Eeveelution brigade!"

El blinks a bit at the mention of Distortions and Alpha pokemon, but nods. "I've... Seen one of the distortions before, yeah. And Alpha pokemon are - uhm - pokemon who are unusually large, and tend to be more territorial, dominant, or aggressive in behavior compared to other pokemon."

The opportunity to share information seems to get El speaking more eagerly, and a bit more confidently. Though they make a half-shy laugh, they'd continue "I've - uhm - read theories that it may be due to them having a different balance of hormones from normal individuals of their species. And it's exacerbated by the fact a larger pokemon often needs to eat more, to better fuel themselves. So it needs to keep a larger territory, and hunt more regularly or for longer periods of time. The fact that a larger pokemon has fewer reasons to fear humans like some wild pokemon do probably also contributes to the behavior, right?"

Though, when El realizes they might have been rambling a little, they smile sheepishly. "I- uhm- like reading about pokemon, a bunch." Shifting the subject back to Josh and his pokemon though, El spoke "Having a whole team of Alpha pokemon sounds fascinating, though! What's it like, taking care of so many?" With how Kamuy and Janus regard one another, it didn't seem like there was any sort of territorial or pecking-order problems between them - they had to guess that being in the care of an experienced trainer helps a lot with the usual testy behaviors an Alpha would otherwise have...

Working out of Mauville was a tempting notion, though - especially if it meant that they could explore a variety of different biomes. "That sounds like a cool experience..." They mused with a gentle laugh, adding "Maybe I could switch to Mauville - although I'll have to think about it." They were sort of fond of the idea of being able to work in the same department as the ranger who had inspired them to sign up - Julia Davis - after all. The fact they had their Secret Base over that way was another point in Fortree's favor, too - it'd be a pain to try and find a new tree to set things up in. They liked having a big ol treehouse! It made them feel a bit like a kid, in a good way.

Though with the subject of going on a job, Josh insisted they give it a try - and they'd give their cheek a sheepish scritch. "Well... If you're sure, then I suppose I could try?" They'd shyly agree - adding "I'll - uhm - do my best, then!" And at the very least, even if something went awry... Surely, having an Elite Ranger there to help out would make up for them still being in-training, and make things a lot safer in general.

Josh's eyes lit up; this El was one bright Ranger! "I get sent to them pretty regularly as part of my Ranger duties," he explained as he downed another slice of pizza. They even educated Josh some about how Alpha Pokémon behaved. "All of that tracks! You've studied really hard as a Ranger, haven't you? The only thing I haven't been able to explain is the red eyes an Alpha Pokémon has. When you capture one, they seemingly disappear. It's almost like that trait of them is tied to the Distortion itself." He really needed to talk to illeana reyes to learn more about Alpha Pokémon. But now wasn't the time; if he was this busy with his own Elite Ranger duties (and those of a Gym Leader when he was reinstated), how busy must she have been with hers?

"As someone who loves riding and racing Pokémon, it's worth every bit of trouble," Josh answered when El asked about his Former Alpha Eeveelutions. "They're a handful to raise, though; Kamuy was mean when we first met, and he used to buck something fierce. The wildest one I have, by far, is Wiley, a Furret. Even now, he'll sometimes send me flying off his back!" With how calm the Umbreon was now, it was difficult to tell just at a glance. "I've captured more than just those eight, though; perhaps if we go on enough assignments together, you'll get to see them all!" Though he owned a lot of Pokémon, it was his Gym staff that were largely responsible for taking care of most of them. He would have to significantly downsize his Pokémon squad if he lost his Gym Leader position. The cost in taxpayer-funded Pokémon food alone would have been impossible for him to absorb.

El seemed enthusiastic about working with Josh on a Ranger mission. "Awesome!" With that, he began browsing for an easy assignment for them. Most of the tickets were higher-rated. It made sense, given that rescues at night were riskier. There was one that caught his eye, though. "Oh hey, look at this one." He showed them a one-star mission involving rescuing a family from the Valley of Steel. "This would be perfect for us. It's a family of four trapped at a campground due to the only access road being blocked off. They're not in any danger; they just need someone to either clear the road or airlift them before their food and water run out. It would be perfect for a rookie like you!"