Ever since Goroh's injection, the largest, fastest, and most beloved of Josh's Cyclizar suffered from episodes of delirium. It was something that Josh quickly discovered would not go away with time alone. His trip down Old Route 110 with Remiel Calcifet was a start, but Goroh quickly relapsed afterward. It became abundantly clear that although the treatment method was effective, it would have to be practiced like therapy to fully treat. Josh would have to bring him out to the highway routinely.

It was not just one Cyclizar that Raju Mystic would see. It would be three: Goroh, Pico, and a Shiny one named Jody. Floating above them was a haughty-looking Togekiss on standby in case Goroh or Josh got hurt. Taking a seat on the docile Dragon-type's back, a confident moo left Goroh's maw. Mastema swooped in front of Raju, then Josh, to draw the Gym Leader's attention toward the observer. "Oh, hello there!" the Mauville Leader greeted the young man as his mount turned around.

---

sek2EyVe - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 165}
{PC: 1}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

Raju soon saw one more, and then a Togekiss swooped down in front of him, making Raju jump, and his Paldean Wooper jump on his head, ready to use his tail as a baseball bat. There was a third one, along with a trainer. One of the Cylcizar were a different color than normal. A shiny? In his time in Paldea, he'd never saw a shiny one before. The trainer greeted him. The blonde hadn't been in Mauville, or Hoenn in general, long enough to recognize him at all. So he just gave a shy wave. "Sorry. I just hadn't seen Cyclizar outside of Paldea..." So curiousity got the better of him.

Even if he had approached with more benevolent intentions, the way he would phrase why he approached them would sound like he was some sort of poacher or something. He did have his other two Pokemon with him, but releasing them might give off the wrong impression. So unless the man spoke to him some more, he would just shuffle on back to his scooter. Brownie, his Paldean Wooper, would hop off, seeing no threats or anything, and walk behind his trainer. He didn't know why they were out there, but that also wasn't any of his business.

Josh Devlin

Raju's remark took Josh by surprise somewhat. "Really?" he asked. "Ever since the Paldean Cyclizar Racing League merged with the Hoenn Racing Federation, they've become pretty common in Hoenn, too. They're--" Goroh's rear air sac started whirling around on its axis rapidly, throwing his rider for a loop from the sudden wheelie that nearly resulted in Josh falling on his rump. "I guess you're still not feeling well after your surgery, huh?" he asked, the Cyclizar letting out a low moo that didn't sound too much weaker than his normal cry. "Alright, we'll keep at it... but try to keep your muscles under control the best you can for me, okay?"

The near accident over, Josh turned his attention back to Raju. "I was just out here letting my three Cyclizar go for a run. Name's Elite Ranger Devlin or Gym Leader Devlin, but I prefer to go by my first name, Josh. These four are Goroh, Pico, and Jody, and the Togekiss is Mastema," he introduced the four as the fairy-type floated toward Goroh to make a WISH to get over his delirium. Unfortunately, that was something only the passage of time could cure...

---

XHJM0JtT - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 195}
{PC: 2}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

Raju had heard of the racing league, but had never gotten the opportunity to grab himself a Cyclizar. What he did have was a very angry, very strong, and very big Paldean Blaze Breed Tauros. But when the Cyclizar that Josh was on started to act up, Raju reacted quickly, moving fast to put himself in a position to catch the dark haired man if he got flung off. That was very strange. But the comments to the creature put it into perspective. Surgery and recovery. Then should he really be riding him then? That just seemed like a bad trainer pushing their buddy too far too fast. The man introduced himself as a ranger and gym leader.

With a scowl and hard stare, Raju returned the courtesy. "Raju Mystic. Host at Club Olympus and one of its guards. This is Brownie. He is very cute." His Paldean Wooper made a sound that sounded like "pa" and did a little tap dance routine. It was all so adorable. But the main issue was the poor Cyclizar. Goroh? "What's wrong with him? Shouldn't he be resting or under the care of a Pokemon Therapist?" Despite his nervious and shy voice from before, it had an edge now. Clearly concerned with how this supposed gym leader and ranger was treating his own Pokemon.

Josh Devlin

"Great to meet you, Raju," Josh awkwardly offered a handshape, taking his hand off the Cyclizar's steering bones just long enough to do so. "Club Olympus? Where's that and what's it about? I might have to drop by some day." If it was anything like Starlight and had a poker room, he would be down. Josh was an occasional recreational poker player that tended to leave tables as soon as the pros started showing up, hence why he frequented the lowest-stakes tables, even when he was rolling in dough. He was still recovering from the fines imposed on him by the League as part of his restitution. "I've never seen a Wooper quite like that," the Gym Leader remarked with curiosity. "Doesn't seem Johtonian, that's for sure." The tap dance made Josh coo briefly.

"I wish it was that simple," Josh frowned. He wouldn't get into details of why Goroh was constantly off balance, just that it was. "His meds are doing the job, but medicine alone won't cure what's wrong with him. What he needs is time." Even the Cyclizar let out a confident moo. If Raju was good at reading Pokémon emotions, he would be able to understand, as well. "What's affecting him seems really hit or miss. I'm still trying to understand what it is and how we can adapt together. So far, he's just been a bit unsteady at times." He cleared his throat. "Do you happen to be headed to Slateport?"

---

DdrVwJXj - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 247}
{PC: 3}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

Raju hesitantly took the hand with a soft grip. He was already fairly shy, and shuffled back a bit. Evidently, the man hadn't heard of it, despite being assigned to Mauville? That was...odd, wasn't it? The blonde reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, procuring a business card of sorts. Handing it over to the man, hopefully it would fill out the guy's questions. If not..."It's a nightclub that caters to whoever wants to be fussed over by whatever gender they preferred. Drinks and attentive company essentially. It's in Mauville." Usually not any more than that, but in the short term he'd been there, he had already heard stories. As handsome as Josh was, Raju wasn't sure if he would like to attend to this guy...seemed to have boundless energy.

Conversation soon moved to Brownie. "Paldean Wooper. They're poison and ground type. I'm from Paldea, so all of my Pokemon are from there." Like Big Bert the Paldean Blaze Breed Tauros and Jigawatt the Kilowattrel. They were his main fighters instead of Brownie, but even his little buddy can pack a punch if need be.

Josh went into some detail, though not a lot, on the poor Cyclizar. The thing was on meds, but time was going to be the curing factor. Really? Maybe Raju had gotten too trusting of people, even with his past and on and off homelessness. But the man seemed determined to do whatever it takes to help his Pokemon, so maybe the hazel eyed guy could give the gym leader some slack. Though the next question caught him off guard a little. Raju nodded and pointed at his scooter with a package on it. "Doing a quick errand." Plus, maybe he could get some good food at the markets there to bring to the hideout. He already had to punch a couple members for not eating any veggies and force feed them some, so hopefully they'd get the message...

Josh Devlin

A nightclub? Josh wasn't really into ritzy places like that, but he appreciated the business in Mauville. More tourists meant more revenue, which meant more taxes, which meant a bigger stipend for his Gym. "Does it have good eats and a poker room? If so I'll definitely take a gander." Raju's assessment was fair, though it was normal for those in Pokémon racing to have high energy levels. After all, racing was an outlet for a discharge of that pent-up energy.

"Ah, so you're from Paldea," Josh replied with a nod. "No wonder I didn't recognize them. Cyclizar are one of the few Paldean species I'm overly familiar with, and that's mostly because when the barrier dropped and Hoenn could participate in national sports again, the Hoenn brance of the Pokémon Racing Federation merged with the Paldean Cyclizar Racing League to form the Hoenn Racing League."

Josh smiled when he heard of Raju's errand. "If that errand takes you to Slateport, Pico or Jody here could get you there in a hurry," he offered. Mostly it was an excuse to get the two exercise and mentor Goroh, the largest of Josh's Cyclizar, through the condition induced by the stem cell extraction.

---

WEBT6lpZ - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 203}
{PC: 4}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

"It does have some tasty snacks, but that's it. It's not a restaurant. I may pitch that poker game idea to the boss though." That could be a good money maker. Or do some charity. There were some possibilities, but also some issues. Just passing the idea along would be good enough for now. The blonde nodded with Josh. "Lived with my aunt in Levincia City." Wattrel and Paldean Tauros were easy to come by and find on the coast and in the fields between Levincia and Artazon. Paldean Wooper were so much farther away. But it was worth it to nab Brownie.

The dark haired man made an offer and Raju looked back at his scooter, hand on his chin like he was mulling it over. It had been too long since he rode a Cyclizar. Anymore, if his scooter was out of commission, he'd been riding his Tauros, as rough as that was. But the bigger issue was...was it safe to leave Brownie and his scooter there? Wouldn't someone just try to steal them both? Raju wasn't completely helpless he could pack a punch with his own body without relying on Pokemon to protect him, but there was always that what if where he might need a bit of extra firepower. Walking over to his scooter, he moved it off to the side and sat Brownie down on the seat. Taking the package off, he also released Jigawatt, a Kilowattrel. And an huge one at that. They weren't small birbs already, but Jigawatt was even larger. Not quite the largest one, but still plenty big. The tree limb she sat on visibly sagged. "Both of you keep an eye on the scooter and make sure no one takes it. Or each other. Use any means necessary if you have to." Both Pokemon nodded, with Jigawatt even screeching in confirmation.

With a package in hand, he walked back down, pointing a finger each open Cyclizar as if to say "which one?" After all, he didn't like to talk that much.


Josh Devlin

As long a poker room was full of recreational players, Josh wouldn't mind a little gambling. The more competitive and profrssional players showed up at the table, though, the less likely he was to stick around. He enjoyed the game, but not when people who actually knew what they were doing were playing. Jigawatt's presence didn't go unnoriced. "Your Kilowattrel's impressive! Bigger than Etali, my own! That reminds me, I need to get over to Verdanturf to pick up his saddle I commissioned them for. He'll be a mainstay of Mauville Gym going forward!"

Looking for a suggestion, Josh had one for Raju. "Jody looks like she really wants to coast down the highway." Regardless of which of the two Josh's traveling companion chose, the three Pokémon would sound a long moo, a sign they were ready to hit the road. Goroh seemed stable enough for now. Once the travelers were aboard and Raju's cargo, if any, was secured aboard the final Cyclizar, the three would begin their gallop to get up to speed. It was a bit of a rough ride for those not used to it. Once they were up to speed, the dragon-types would simultaneously inflate their air sacs and lift their legs, coasting on the hard, rubber-like organs at speeds the species was known for. The old highway was a bit bumpy at times from lack of maintenance, but it was flat and smooth enough for the friendly dragons to manage, the wind roaring in their riders' ears.

---

P8rUaj1F - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 253}
{PC: 5}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

Was he really going to compare Kilowattrels? Did size really matter? Heck, in the fighting ring, Raju sure proved that size didn't always matter. He was positive it was much the same in the Pokemon world. After Josh had chosen one for him, the blonde strapped the package onto the Cyclizar, making sure that it was tied up enough that it wouldn't fall off, but not so tight that it would be uncomfortable for the Pokemon. Then they were off. Raju was used to the bumpy initial ride, after all, Paldea was hardly a flat land. Once they were up to speed, the air sacks inflated and off they really went.

Raju could already tell that Jody, well, all three of them really, were a lot faster than his cousin's Cyclizar. Still, the wind through his hair and the general feeling of riding a Pokemon was nice. Well, at least this species. Big Bert was always so rough. Granted, that big lug was more of a fighter than a rider, even if he was far and away large enough to ride on. And haul a wagon or two. The blonde wasn't much of a talker already, so just riding in silence, going on at a nice speed, was fine by him. With how relaxed and how well he handled Jody, Josh should be able to tell that the young man wasn't a novice by any means. In fact, he would seem quite at home with this arrangement...


Josh Devlin

It was apparent from the moment the Cyclizar raised their legs and started coasting on their air sacs that these three were trained for racing. Cyclizar were so commonplace in Hoenn that Raju may have heard of the Paldean Cyclizar Racing League. Now, of course, that league had merged with Hoenn's to form the Hoenn Racing Federation, the body that governed Pokémon races in both regions... and slowly growing to others. They were already going as fast as many of their native kind were when pushing themselves, and it was clear that they were relaxing.

Just as the Slateport skyline came into sight, Josh felt Goroh react sharply to a bump in the road. With lightning reflexes, he pushed on the dragon-type's opposite steering bone to compensate. Though they wobbled a bit, the two maintained a straight course. "Great job, Goroh!" Josh praised his ailing Pokémon. "That's how you'll be on your way to getting better and back to the race track like I know you want to do!" The excited Cyclizar pulled a small, uncommanded wheelie, startling the young man as Pico and Jody continued to burn rubber, whether they were actually trying or not. Josh glanced back toward them to make sure the two were okay. Raju's cargo was intact, and Raju himself seemed okay. All was well!

---

vp96OyC5 - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 222}
{PC: 6}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good

The speed didn't bother Raju too much. Being quite the fighter, he had the reflexes to handle it. With the skyline of the big city in view, it seemed his errand was going to be much faster than expected. Even when he noticed Gorou reacting sharply, looking like he was going to crash into Pico. Except, Josh didn't, able to compensate, and Gorou regaining composure quickly as a result. That was a bit close. But it seemed like Gorou was happy that he didn't lose control if the impromptu wheelie was any indication. Raju revved Jody up to go faster, closing the gap a bit. Again, Josh didn't seem to be bothered.

So Raju didn't ask. And just cruised along. Slateport was here before they knew it. He followed Josh to a stop, getting off and taking his package in the process. "You gonna give me a ride back too?" It would be rude as hell to give him a ride here and then leave him to trek on back on foot. Well, mostly on foot, since he did have his Paldean Tauros, but Josh didn't know that. Though it would be curious who would win in a race, Jody or Big Bert. Either way, hopefully Josh's business here wasn't too long.

Josh Devlin

Josh's business in Slateport was also quick; he was gone for under fifteen minutes, the other two Cyclizar keeping Raju company while he was out and about. Once he had returned with a box loaded on Mastema's back, Raju had asked him for a return trip. "Of course! I wouldn't leave you hanging like this. Just had to pick up some uniforms and badges for new recruits. Might as well save on shipping costs and get my Pokémon some exercise at the same time. Let's go!"

Once the two were ready to head north back to Mauville, Josh's four Pokémon would rapidly pick up speed. "Think you can handle a Quick Attack, Raju? All of my Cyclizar know it!" To the Master of Faster, there was truly no feeling like being thrown about in the saddle from the momentum of a large burst of speed... or in this case, being thrown about on the dragon-type's natural seat.

---

tMHjG1Sj - Goroh confusion roll

Raju Mystic

{WC: 159}
{PC: 7}

NAME            SPECIES            STATUS
Goroh           Cyclizar           Confuse
Pico            Cyclizar           Good
Jody            Cyclizar**         Good
Mastema         Togekiss           Good