Shaking his head, the great detective watches how things unfold. Players are tossed out. Westwood lords over all of them like this is his own private empire. Navy bursts out laughing at a certain thought, slapping his knees.[break][break]
“Man, we oughtta get Rocket to hire this guy? I think Westwood’s the perfect poster child for ‘em to drive up recruitment.” He laughs so hard at this notion that a tear streams down his cheek. “Or, or, man, we could get him to be the ref at the official League matches. Imagine some poor sap having to fight Fairburne, Young, Melody, or Silph while having this chucklefuck shouting behind their back.”[break][break]
Navy’s got a broad, devil-may-care grin. Maybe it’s a tasteless joke, but there’s mirth to be found in that notion – a soldier’s mirth, sitting in a trench with a friend. Leaning back in his seat, he watches the next few swings. There’s plenty of misses. Eventually, there’s an out. The next two players, though…[break][break]
Westwood lit a fire under their ass. These guys want to play, they want to give their best, they want to put on a good show for the crowd. There’s power behind their swings. Thunks mark clean hits. Navy cheers. Suddenly, there’s two guys on the bases and one out. The next guy, perhaps seeing the immense pressure placed on him to keep up the momentum, starts choking. A strike, followed by two balls. A second strike.[break][break]
“Don’t think this guy’s ever gonna finish his turn!” Yet still, he sits on the edge of his seat. This is where the fun is. This guy, even if he doesn’t quite mean to do so, is giving Navy a wonderful show.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“By all means, man. Come on down. We’ll have ourselves a good time.” Watching the game, so focused on it that he barely turns to regard Josh, he decides to drop a hint. “You’re already Champion level within your niche, so I don’t think it’ll be as harsh on you as it would be for someone younger or less inexperienced.” He supposes that’s so vague that it’s a non-hint, but still. The point of his gym is to lean into what it means to educate. Someone has to teach the people of Hoenn harsh lessons if they mean to run off and play hero.[break][break]
“Man, bases are loaded and it’s the bottom of the ninth.” He remarks a few minutes later. The tension in the air is thick. Navy could fillet this tension, make stake out of it. For a minor league game, this has all the makings a memorable story. Two home runs have loaded the score. They’re more or less tied. It all comes down to if some of these boys down at the bottom can manage to get another miracle.[break][break]
One guy ends up walking. The next manages to confound the outfield so much that they end up with two bases. It boils down to a battle between the pitcher and the opposing team. Strike one, two, three. Like a robot, like clockwork. The next batter is out. He didn’t even stand a chance. There’s a warrior’s focus in the pitcher’s eyes. This hinges on him now. He has to play his best. This is no Pokemon stadium, no championship match, but this is his life.[break][break]
Once again, like clockwork. One, two, three. You’re out! No one can deny Westwood’s making the right calls for once in his illustrious career. It all comes down to two men. One, a smiling dark-skinned man who looks at ease with the bat. The other, this warrior pitcher. Each sways, readying themselves for the coming battle – for this is a battle, make no mistake.[break][break]
Ball, ball, strike, a foul. The crowd goes crazy at the foul, thinking that it might be over. When the footage is played back on the Jumbotron, even the staunchest Westwood hater can’t deny that call, too, is the right one. Another strike. Another ball.[break][break]
So it’s down to this. Two strikes, three balls, one foul. Spitting beneath his feet, the pitcher meets the batter’s eyes. It all comes down to his, like two samurai swinging their blades.[break][break]
The bat hits the ball. It soars. It could go [break][break]
All[break]
The[break]
Way.[break][break]
Good! Navy knows as the stadium explodes that he just watched a man earn his ticket to the major leagues. Every scout in this stadium’s going to talk about him after that.[break][break]
“Holy shit…” Is all Navy can manage.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Couldn’t agree more, Josh.” Navy says as he moves with the gym leader to beat the rush. Luckily for them, they’re afforded special privileges – like first dibs on access to flight lanes. Releasing Ironsides from his ball, Navy is free to take to the air, soaring above the crowds. Assuming Josh has a flying Pokemon, because Josh always has a Pokemon that can keep up with him, he orders Ironsides to slow down and talks to his friend.[break][break]
“It was a good game. When the world series kicks up in the fall, we’ve gotta catch some games. Hell, I’d splurge for a trip to Johto to watch some.” He’d say Kanto, but going to Kanto as a pair of gym leaders would be suicide. Even with all their firepower, they’d be overwhelmed. A shame, too. Kanto’s baseball teams were always fun to watch. Nobody can throw quite like the pitcher of the Pewter Pugilists. The Cerulean Ceruledge’s catch is second to none.[break][break]
There’s a casualty of this war he didn’t expect to think about: baseball. A grim reminder of the stakes. It’s not just lives Rocket seeps away, it’s culture.[break][break]
Food for thought.[break][break]
“Just remember somethin’, Josh. They don’t hand out badges for nothing. You’ve got worth as a trainer. You help out during the raids. Don’t be so down on yourself. Just ‘cause Young beat you once doesn’t mean he’s gonna keep beating you. Just come back with a clear and a new strategy.” From across the wings of the other Pokemon, Navy gives Josh a big thumbs up.[break][break]
“You’ve got this.” And like that, they’re parting ways. Dewford’s down south, Mauville’s further north. The road splits. Luckily, it’s not too long of a journey by air. Navy listens to music, lets his thoughts drift. Readies himself for tomorrow. Another day of prepping his gym awaits him.

[break][break]

+ Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]