As Desiree would walk up to the large field, she would see ramps and stairs surrounding the gates that the Gym Leader's Pokémon were kept behind. Both of the Arcanine from the Gym match were present, as were the advertised Pyroar. Josh, too, would be in plain sight, seated on his Shiny Pyroar, Aslan. "Great to see you again, Desiree!" Josh waved back, Aslan purring loudly enough that she may have been able to feel it if she was close enough. "I wouldn't say that. My predecessors kept this place running at least as well as I did." He wasn't sure if she knew who Katherine Fairburne and John Sullivan were, but they had been past Gym Leaders there. It was a different kind of Mauville back then, but there was nothing wrong with that, as long as it was run well!

"Alright, taking the next group now!" Desiree would have first pick out of the many Pokémon there: all of them were so big! There were four Pyroar, not counting the one Josh was seated on. Braver and Craggro were both present, as was an entire rainbow of Eeveelutions each roughly the size of a small Rapidash. If Desiree thought Eevee and its family were cute, she may have given the saddle-wearing quadrupeds special attention. "Now I want to warn you ahead of time that they won't be going anywhere close to racing speed," he whispered to the Gym challenger. "Funtasia safety and all."

Josh smiled at Desiree's affection for the monarch lion; she seemed like one of those trainers with so much charm that she could tame even the rowdiest Pokémon. At Desiree's request, he guided the guest over to Pinky, the Shiny Sylveon letting out a low, almost alien-like squeal far different from cries typical of their species. As she held the fairy-type's reins, Pinky would briefly wrap her feelers around her hands while the two were still in the chute.

Once everyone was seated, Josh guided Aslan in front of the gates before signaling to the carnival attendant that everyone was ready. The gates opened, and the Pokémon started to trot and canter forward at varying speeds depending on the species. The Jolteon and two Arcanine were early frontrunners, all three of them ridden by young adults that had visited the attraction before while it was in Mauville. The Jolteon's rider looked excited, a big fan of the Gym Leader's since he was a semi-pro racer. He couldn't believe he was riding one of his idol's Pokémon!

Pinky the Sylveon was among the slower of Josh's Pokémon in the field. While Desiree would have some control over her mount's direction, the general course was largely predetermined. After making sure everyone was okay, Josh guided Aslan next to Pinky. "She's a real sweetheart, isn't she?"

As much as Josh loved the breakneck pace of his Gym challenge and the way he typically traveled, there was something relaxing about lightly bouncing on the back of a Pokémon moving at a much slower clip. While the Gym Leader was decidedly single and not looking, a ride on the backs of Pokémon together was at the very least friendship-fostering. It may have been romantic if he was looking for a partner. Alas, that would not happen. Not with Desiree, and not with anyone. All thanks in part to his sexist father that he half-resented.

"One of these days, how about you meet Basil, my Leafeon, then?" Josh offered. "He's just as big as Pinky here is." When asked about fairy-types, Josh had to consider all his Pokémon. Most, like Desiree thought, were far too small. If only Ribombee were larger, the Gym Leader would want to strap a saddle to one and zip across the sky. Even if they grew that large, their agility likely wouldn't carry over, as much of their speed was reliant on their small size. "There's my Ninetales, Rime. There's my Rapidash, Dashie. There's Mastema, my Togekiss... and I think that's it."

Josh smiled at Desiree's enthusiasm for the Leafeon upon hearing just a name. "Pinky and Basil are two of eight. If you like her, drop my Mauville Gym some day. You'll get to see them all. If you like riding Pinky, perhaps you'll get the chance with Basil and the others in one of my classes! Though you might not need a beginner-level class... you look natural up there!" Pinky squealed and wrapped her feelers around Desiree's arm if she allowed it.

The Gym Leader's picks may have come off as little surprise. It wasn't even that he chose fairy-types that were big. They were also fast. The only other fairy-type the Gym Leader was looking for was a Primarina, and it would take a lot of experimentation figuring out how to strap a saddle to one in a way that would be comfortable both for Pokémon and rider. "That's a Pokémon that rides its flower just like we're on Aslan and Pinky right now!" he tried to relate, though it was obvious he was not interested in the species.

As the two crossed the line where they had started, a bell sounded from the course's center. "Ready to go faster, Desiree? That means the Pokémon are about to speed up!"

Pinky was a sweetheart. She was also arguably the easiest of Josh's Eeveelutions to control. Not too fast, but fast enough and nimble. He couldn't wait to see Desiree's face when she saw Blinky, Josh's Jolteon. One of the fastest ride Pokémon he had, she was not shy about showing off her speed, either. While he didn't directly respond, it was clear from his body language that he looked forward to seeing Desiree astride some of his other Pokémon.

While they did not get anywhere close to full speed, it felt like it to the inexperienced riders, guests young and old sounding cries of happiness as the lions, Eeveelutions, and other Pokémon centered about the circuit. They had to feel like they were going fast as the wind. At the very end of the ride, all the Pokémon reared, their harnessing keeping their passengers from falling off. Even Josh let out a whoop as his Pyroar reached for the sky with his paws.

Once the group began to disembark, Pinky crouched to let Desiree dismount. "Hope you had fun!" the Gym Leader smiled. "I'm sure we'll meet again, whether at the carnival, or elsewhere."