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Part of the reason Josh was not doing well was because at the time he had registered for the Elite Test, he was under the assumption he had to register for all four of his matches with the same team of six Pokémon. Midway through the challenge, that assumption had been shattered, but it was too late; registration had already locked in by the time he had come to that knowledge. It didn't help that, thanks to their last encounter, Greyson had come prepared for Josh's blitzkrieg, taking down his ultrafast Absol, Skarmory, and Pyroar with little effort. He did have a special way to handle the Delphox, though.

Josh hurled his TERA ORB toward Nitro. The grass-type Mount Pokémon became surrounded in tan crystals, the Terastal body surrounding him covered in cracks and fissures to represent his new GROUND typing that allowed him to defend against the MYSTICAL FIRE. "Now, counter with EARTHQUAKE!" the challenger cried over the crackling flames. It was a potential momentum shift for the Master of Faster, but one the world-class trainer could have easily seen coming...

---

Greyson Connors

{WC: 184}
{PC: 2}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          KO
Bladestorm      Skarmory          KO
Nitro           Gogoat**          Good
Twilight        Absol             KO
Resheph         Dragonair         Good

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The Sentinel's powerful mind let her not only levitate over the fissures, but use them to her advantage. From within the depths beneath Greyson's Elite Four chamber rose a purple gloom unlike anything Josh had ever seen before. The Z-MOVE: WITCHING HOUR left Nitro CURSED and CONFUSED. While it did not cover the entire arena, it hampered the Gym Leader's mobility seriously and gave the Delphox a much-needed place to hide.

"Nitro, TRAILBLAZE a path out of there!" Josh shouted. The swift Grass-type move would have been the perfect method of leaving the cursed mist... that was, if the Gogoat didn't trip over one of the fissures produced by his own Earthquake. With his Pokémon's body seizing up and the mist expanding with every passing moment, would Saber and Resheph even be able to do anything to harm the Delphox, let along the rest of Greyson's team?

---

Greyson Connors

{WC: 148}
{PC: 3}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          KO
Bladestorm      Skarmory          KO
Nitro           Gogoat**          Curse/Confuse
Twilight        Absol             KO
Resheph         Dragonair         Good

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It didn't even take a follow-up attack from the Delphox to down the grass-type. The Sentinel had repelled the fourth of Josh's six Pokémon. As Josh clutched Resheph's Poké Ball, ready to take down the Delphox once and for all with a swift flick of her AQUA TAIL, a buzzer sounded just as Greyson's voice boomed, indicating the end of the match. "But I still have two more--" Josh protested before cutting himself off.

The Gym Leader should have been grateful. Greyson graciously saved two of his strongest Pokémon from potential serious injury in a battle where Josh was outclassed. Not Josh's Pokémon. It was Josh himself that was outclassed, his hardheadedness and his lack of demonstrated adaptability holding him back form becoming a Champion. It was just as the other members of the Elite Four had said. While he had considerable skill, being a Champion wasn't about raw battle skill. It was also about leadership. Curbing one's emotions. Adaptability to any situation.

Speed was a powerful weapon, but a mere tool in a trainer's toolbox. Relying on raw speed as a win condition, or any one aspect of Pokémon for that matter, simply opened the door to hard counters. If he wanted to become a Champion, he needed to ease off the gas pedal. After all, there was little point to going beyond limits to reach first place if it meant running out of fuel before crossing the finish line.

He did as asked, briefly returning to the locker room to retrieve Saber's thundercloud-replica saddle and set it up after presenting his fallen Pokémon to Greyson for what he could only imagine would be a long treatment. The Manectric howled, sensing Josh's dejection as the Gym Leader set the electric dog's straps accordingly. "0-for-4," he loudly mumbled, though perhaps just clearly enough for Greyson to understand. "How embarrassing... this is such a gut punch after having a close match with Melody Miro ."

---

Greyson Connors

{WC: 327}
{PC: 4}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          KO
Bladestorm      Skarmory          KO
Nitro           Gogoat**          KO
Twilight        Absol             KO
Resheph         Dragonair         Good

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Josh wasn't quite sure why Greyson was so angry, but there was clear disdain in his speech from the way he was snapping off at Mauville's Gym Leader. He had completely forgotten about the battle they had with his Zeraora just prior the standing Elite Four taking his position. No wonder he was so upset; from his perspective, Josh had simply ignored the wise man's advice. His words were harsh. Abrasive. Cutting, even.

"Greyson, I know," Josh answered with his head tilted down. "I already have a new team ready with a wider variety of tactics. Melody and I talked about it after our match. I just couldn't use that team because I had already registered for our challenge by then. Lag time really sucks, doesn't it?" he sighed. "If you want to see what I have cooking, I suggest you spectate my match with Callan on the books." Of course, if he did, it would be trivial for the Elite Four to counter-pick his new team... but that also played into the message to adapt. Adapting not only meant coming to the battle with a diverse plan, but also to be willing to throw out that plan and improvise.

Greyson's last two remarks were especially thought-provoking. Damning, even. He tilted his head up, confident in how he resolved to Melody how he improved. "Like I said, Melody and I had a long conversation about my battle style after the match. We watched the replay together and she helped me identify where my shortcomings are. We identified together that unavoidable attacks are a problem for a battle style that focuses exclusively on speed. Former Councilwoman Elinor Anderson taught me that walling up, for a lack of a better term, is another problem. Before I talked to her about it, the idea behind the use of speed was never about dodging attacks. It was about preventing them from happening in the first place. But then I realized relying on speed as a win condition opens the door to hard counters."

It seemed Greyson had problems with not just Josh's battling skills, but with his character, as well. "If this is about Eris, or about Raikou, that's in the past. I don't allow either of them to control me anymore, like I used to," he sternly answered, his own eyes staring back at his fierce opponent with the same fiery passion he once put his entire life into chasing Raikou with. "I've already moved on. If you have a problem with me other than that or my battle aptitude, please bring it to my attention so I can rectify it."

The Master of Faster continued to echo his points he made to Melody. "Hoenn is the only region I know of where you don't have to challenge each member of the Elite Four with the same six Pokémon. Ultimately, you and Melody are trying to teach me the same lesson of adaptability. I know after two battles, you might not think I want to actually branch out. But I do." Josh shuffled his feet. "I tell you what. I'll prove it to you not with words, but with actions. I already registered for a rematch with Callan Young . If you're not impressed after seeing my rematch with him... then..." He breathed a deep sigh, shedding a few tears.

"...Even after that, if you and the rest of the Elite Four really think I'm not fit to lead Mauville, I'll step down as Gym Leader."

---

Greyson Connors

{WC: 583}
{PC: 5}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          KO
Bladestorm      Skarmory          KO
Nitro           Gogoat**          KO
Twilight        Absol             KO
Resheph         Dragonair         Good

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It seemed Greyson at least wasn't unhappy with Josh's performance in his current role as Mauville's Gym Leader; he seemed to take issue with the man seeking a greater role in the League. Ever since training with Katherine Fairburne , Josh's numbers had improved. He was close to the ideal Gym Leader: friendly, popular, and boasting a unique challenge that tested challengers in ways other Gyms didn't. Patron and challenger reviews were raving, and he had a great work ethic. In order to be a Champion, though, Josh needed to go beyond that ideal. While perfection was, of course, impossible for humans to achieve, Champions had to strive to be as close to perfection as possible.

Even though he had put his feverish pursuit of Raikou to rest, all of the techniques he had hones to prepare himse for an encounter with the fastest Pokémon on land had stuck with him to the point of being a detriment to his skill. "I'll let that simmer for a while, but I have some ideas. I think a good start would be expanding my horizons as a Ranger and taking tickets of types I usually don't. You said it yourself: a Champion has to be willing to adapt to any situation. I can't think of a better way to learn to adapt than throwing yourself into situations that force you to do so."

Though it may have been tougher to believe Josh's words after not switching up his tactics between nattles, if there was one thing that may have impressed Greyson about him, it was his work ethic. He wanted to do what he could to improve; to become a true Champion of Hoenn. One that protected not just Mauville, but the entire region. "Absolutely not. Melody Miro believes in me. Deep down, I know Callan does, too. Mauville Racing Grounds has a huge following. I can't let any of them down. Nor can I let down any of the countless victorious challengers that I'm sure you will see. Yes, it's a hard road. But it's not an impossible one." The Master of Faster stomped his foot.

"It may not be for quite some time, Greyson... maybe not even this year. But we will see each other again. And I can assure you that we will not have a third meeting in these halls." The fire in Josh's eyes burned hot; it was clear he was a man on a mission. A mission of self-improvement that he needed to go on to prove that he had what it took to be a true leader of Hoenn.

When Josh's Pokémon were returned to him, he would send out his Manectric, mount up, and wave goodbye to the staunch Elite Four member.

---

Greyson Connors

{WC: 457}
{PC: 6}

NAME            SPECIES           STATUS
Saber           Manectric         Good
Aslan           Pyroar**          KO
Bladestorm      Skarmory          KO
Nitro           Gogoat**          KO
Twilight        Absol             KO
Resheph         Dragonair         Good