The light of two Terastal Pokémon was blinding, making the battle hard for even Josh to watch. The once-dark fox shined more brightly than even Illumina, the TERA BLAST from its crown colliding with the weakened electric fish and splashing water around that corner of the battle court's inner circle. With a dazed, blank stare that prompted Josh to grasp the Lanturn's Poké Ball, he withdrew his fallen partner just as she floated in a full inversion on the surface.

The Pokémon that leaped off the trainer's platform and toward the Terastallized Zoroark was the Leader's Manectric. The duo had known each other long enough that Thomas was likely aware that this Pokémon was Josh's true ace. While the Absol was a strong combatant, this Pokémon was special to him. Wasting no time, the electric wolf DISCHARGED a sphere of electricity around himself, lunging toward the Terastal Zoroark with the speed and ferocity of the Johto Beast his trainer admired.

The Scizor's BULLET PUNCH came at Saber fast. To anyone else, it would have been an impossible-to-avoid blur. To a Pokémon that was trained with the ultimate goal of outrunning the Johto Beast, the god of speed, it looked like any other attack. With a backward hop, he was able to turn the attack into a glancing blow. With how defensive they were against one another, and Josh' TERA ORB discharged, this was going to be a long battle... or so he wanted Thomas to think. If the former Elite Four had studied Mauville Gym, he knew he would have to expect the fastest Pokémon move in the world, one that not even legendary Pokémon were outrunning.

In the meantime, Josh ordered his electric wolf to tase the metallic insect with THUNDER WAVE, looking to slow the foe to the point where dodging all its attacks would be effortless for such a fast combatant. The electric pulse crackled from Saber's snout toward Thomas Benoit 's Scizor, some newer spectators' hair standing on end from underestimating the Manectric's voltage.

It was Josh's decision to have Saber fire his THUNDER WAVE on the run that caused it to fail. While a moving shot would leave the Manectric less vulnerable to counterattacks, the reduced precision also made the attack more unwieldy, sailing past the Scizor. "Try it again, Saber!" Before the electric-type could, the swift, metal bug had closed the gap, nearly knocking some of the Sygna Pokémon's teeth out with a BRUTAL SWING from the flat of its pincer to the side of his mouth.

Desperate to create some distance between the two, Josh rescinded his command. "Change of plans! Saber, DISCHARGE instead!" With a cracked-voice howl, the electric wolf enveloped itself in a sphere of electricity intended to repel the Steel-type and fry the nerves in its leg muscles, robbing it of speed.

The DISCHARGE was Josh's final gambit, and it had failed to rob the Scizor of the speed the Gym Leader needed to turn the match around. Ripper snatched Saber in one of his pincers, the impressively strong insect able to lift the large Manectric off the ground and clamp down with an unorthodox BUG BITE. The writhing Pokémon squealed in pain, desperate to escape. Unable to overcome the Scizor's iron grip, the side judge declared the knockout and the end of the match.

The Gym's platformed receded into the ground, the crowd giving Thomas a standing ovation for his performance. "Some victorious challengers rely on their tactics. Others rely on direct attacks on the Gym, such as TRICK ROOM or Ground-type Pokémon," Josh started once he was within earshot of Thomas at a normal speaking voice. "You, though, have overcome Mauville Gym with grit. Pure grit. That grit will see you far in the Pokémon League."

Josh presented a closed fist at Thomas' chest level, then opened it up to reveal a well-earned QUICK BADGE. "Thomas, this belongs to you now. It is the official Hoenn League Quick Badge. Wear it with pride. This Gym has a history of being run by some of the toughest and most successful Leaders in Hoenn. Never forget that."

Once the crowd dispersed, the Gym Leader guided Thomas back to the lobby. "I don't think I ever properly thanked you for leading me to kyle lopez . We're on a first-name basis with one another now, and he's let me live my dream of riding Raikou not once, but several times. And I have you to thank for that. I haven't given up on the real thing, but the chase has turned cold."