After some incredibly stressful missions, a simple patrol was a huge relief for Gym Leader Josh Devlin , who felt more like an international spy than a general of Hoenn's mightiest army. Covert operations were decidedly not the Master of Faster's cup of tea. As much as he disliked them, a Champion had to be prepared for anything. The larger variety of high-stakes situations he could get himself into, the more likely he would be a successful Champion when his time came a year and a half from now. Not if, when. He was going to claim that title and prove he could tango with Rocket's finest.

Seated on Ares, his Charizard, Josh wheeled the orange, flame-tailed dragon about the sky like a roller coaster along his patrol route. The whooping the Gym Leader made when his stomach floated upward from a powerful dive could have attracted the attention of a Rocket looking to ambush him. Perhaps that was what he wanted. It was certainly what Ares wanted; being in an energetic mood, he wanted to reach out and torch someone.

"Supersonic."

A shrill shrieking filled the air, likely disorienting to Josh and Ares alike. The source would become quickly apparent as Kuro's illusions dissolved - then shifted - revealing a disguised Makoto atop their Crobat's back. The bat would fly just past the gym leader overhead - but was quickly wheeling around, preparing for a followup attack. "These are not your skies, Gym Leader!" Makoto's voice rose above the rush of wind. "Turn back to the mainland, or you'll be sent plummeting to the seas!"

Though for all the confidence in Makoto's words, they were admittedly quite nervous. It was one thing to have to sneak past then flee a Gym Leader's pursuit; it was another thing to have to fight one head-on. Would they be able to walk the walk, just as much as they talked the talk?

Josh Devlin

Josh's helmet kept him somewhat protected from the vibrations produced by the Crobat's shrill cry. Ares was not so lucky, the winged fire-type's head pounding. Josh fought his pseudo-dragon mount for control, a powerful bucking thrust making him happy he was securely in a cocoon. The FLAMETHROWER Ares intended to spew in the Crobat's direction completely misfired, sailing parallel to the four-winged bat's flight path.

"This land does not belong to you," Josh retorted after regaining control of his mount. "This land, and the sky above it, belong to the people of Dewford. By authority of the Pokémon League of Hoenn, you are ordered to cease operations here and stand down." Ares still looked bewildered, trying to muster an intimidating roar, but unable to do so. "Call off your people. Now."

Even if the Flamethrower misfired and missed them, the residual heat of it was enough to send a jolt of anxiety up Makoto's spine. That was part of the danger of fighting on a pokemon's back - that it was easy to accidentally end up in the line of fire.

But for as much as they wanted to avoid the danger... It wasn't as though the Gym Leader was shying away from this fight, if the words he called back were of any indication. "Bold words when your Charizard is struggling to fly straight." They'd make a retort of their own, tightening their grip on Nobu's reins. "Air Slash! Take them out of the sky!"

As Nobusuma wheeled back around, the flapping of the Crobat's wings would increase in speed - before suddenly flicking forwards, sending a flurry of slashes in Ares' direction, at his wings!

Josh Devlin

Despite Josh's intense training regiment to make Ares perhaps the fastest Charizard in Hoenn, there were still physical realities to contend with, one of those being that even the average Crobat could put on more speed in a straight sprint. The confused fire-type didn't make things any easier, the Leader's mount turning right despite Josh commanding a left turn by pulling back with his left arm. The AIR SLASH struck his mount cleanly, the splitting blades of air even grazing Josh and making a cut in his blue Ranger uniform.

That stung.

Though the Charizard was not out for the count, he didn't want Ares to suffer any serious injuries. Clicking open a second Poké Ball, the Gym Leader performed an impressive mounted quick switch resulting in him being seated on a Flygon. The insectile dragon churned his wings, vibrating them powerfully in an effort to impair the Crobat's echolocation.

And the cut in Josh's uniform went to show just how easy it was, to get caught in the crossfire - even when Makoto hadn't been trying to aim for the body. Just to take Ares out of the sky. But, they had almost succeeded - only for the Gym Leader to make a quick switch. One that they would readily agree was impressive, all things considered - from the complex saddles he used to the fact they were in the middle of a fight.

Even as Verte's wings buzzed though, Makoto kept close control on Nobusuma with his reins, keeping him a respectful distance from the insectoid dragon. Nobusuma could see fine right now - echolocation was not a concern. But they also were not interested in having him go up against a Dragon-type when they had another option.

Thus, out came a Fluttering Mane - Nukekubi. The floating ghost would giggle and laugh in a disturbingly humanlike-yet-not fashion, floating and bobbing about. But, even for as silly as she seemed at first glance, a keenly intelligent and cruel glint shone in her eyes...

"Moonblast."

... As she let loose a blast of lunar energy, in Verte's direction!

Paradox 'mon

Josh Devlin

Verte's wings caused the edges of Josh's uniform to ripple, his skin tingling madly as the buzzing went from a drone to a shriek. The extreme maneuver, intended to get out of the radius of the MOONBLAST, flung Josh violently to one side of his cocoon saddle. Furthermore, the explosion's radius was so large that even the whiplash-inducing maneuver only reduced a direct hit to a burning graze. Verte squealed just as sharply as his wings.

Mistaking the Flutter Mane for a Misdreavus, the dizzy Josh leaned in on his dragon steed for protection. "CRUNCH its soul gem to pieces," he heartlessly ordered, the green dragon zipping toward Makoto's Pokémon with the speed and agility of a Ribombee.

Verte's advance seemed to catch Nukekubi off guard - she attempts to dodge, although the Crunch still catches her on the crook of her 'neck'. The ghostly paradox pokemon lets out a wail, but doesn't seem quite as pained as a ghost-type should be from such an attack. Perhaps that'd be the first hint, that Josh had miscalculated her.

Makoto opened their mouth as if to give another command - but before they could so much as get a word out, Nukekubi would act on her own. The wail soon returned to that of malicious giggles as she tore herself away from Verte's fangs, uncaring of the additional damage done. And using this proximity, she would affix the dragon with a soul-piercing Mean Look, with a banshee-like scream!

Josh Devlin

The Paradox Pokémon's soul gem should have shattered from the clean impact with the Flygon's jaws. And yet, it did not. Why? He didn't have time to think on that now. With most of Verte's sonic attacks rendered useless by Nukekabi's ethereal nature, Josh reached for Verte's Poké Ball, ready to perform another impressive mounted quick-switch. The red beam bounced off Verte.

When the Flygon locked gazes with the MEAN LOOK death stare, he started squirming and vibrating his wings in a vicious BUG BUZZ, as though he were trapped on a gigantic piece of sticky paper commonly used as a bug trap. The more the Flygon struggled, the faster, louder, and more intense the vibration became. Even for the Master of Faster, one of the most seasoned riders in Hoenn, it was painful. His command to stop was drowned out by his mount's deafening struggle to escape, the MEAN LOOK making it impossible for Verte to willingly move farther away from the Flutter Mane.

The Flutter Mane cackled tauntingly - even if with the barest wince from Bug Buzz - as Verte began to struggle against the pull of Mean Look; the laughter trailing off into faux-sympathetic croons from the ghost. Such a poor thing, it almost hurt to watch it struggle so. Perhaps she should put it out of its misery? Yes, perhaps she should. Opening her mouth wide, Nukekubi would begin to sing a few horrifically beautiful notes-

"Not yet!"

- But as Makoto's shout - just barely more audible to the ghost than the Bug Buzz - interrupted her, Nukekubi would grumble and roll her eyes. Fine, fiiiine; the strategic way it is. Her trainer was such a killjoy sometimes. Instead, she'd let loose another Moonblast in the Flygon's direction, bobbing circles around the insectoid dragon as if to taunt him and Josh both.

Josh Devlin

Nukekumi turned from prey to predator with a simple MEAN LOOK, Josh struggling to reach for Verte's Poké Ball and the zipper keeping him cocooned to his mount. The vibration had become so intense that he couldn't feel a thing. With the dragon completely immobile, the Flutter Mane could focus their attention on putting as much unwieldy power into the MOONBLAST as possible.

A critical hit.

The searing, almost star-like light burned a hole in the Flygon's tough, scaly natural armor, exposing sensitive flesh rarely seen. The light, too, burned through Josh's Ranger uniform, the wearer screaming in agony as his skin began to warp and peel from the explosion of Fairy-type energy. Verte's wings quickly became silent, the powerful dragon and rider tumbling toward the island below.

A surge of adrenaline giving him a second wind as he plummeted, Josh clicked a Poké Ball at his belt, a screeching Skarmory appearing from within. The barrage of air blades created by the diving bird's wings sliced the island's unstable terrain far below, STEALTH ROCKS rising toward Makoto and their Pokémon in the aftermath of the violent stoop. Swooping up to catch Josh, the Gym Leader landed almost perfectly in the Skarmory's saddle, a technique he had spent untold time practicing with almost all of his flying Pokémon.

While he was still breathing a little heavily, Josh wasn't backing down!

Makoto couldn't help a wince, for how much the Moonblast clearly hurt. They knew their Flutter Mane wasn't exactly the kindest pokemon - she was one for trickery and cruelty that went further than they otherwise could bear. But at the same time, such a strong pokemon was a waste to not use - even if she tended to be a bit difficult to control... Right?

(Could you blame them for second-guessing themself, though, in seeing the damage dealt?)

Even if Verte was down for the count though, Josh was far from done. A raging Skarmory rose from below, Stealth Rocks floating about in the air in the steel bird's wake! Makoto had to carefully pilot Nobusuma to avoid the worst of it, lest the Crobat be sent plummeting - Nukekubi, meanwhile, would hiss as she found herself struck by some of the splintered rocks - distracted by trying to avoid being scraped or even impaled.

Makoto at least had an answer to this problem. "Defog!" At their call, the Crobat's wings began to rapidly flap - kicking up a gale to blow the rocks away.

KO'd enemy 'mon

Josh Devlin

So much for being indirect.

If Makoto wanted Josh to be direct, then that's what they were going to get. Leaning in on the Metal Menace, the Gym Leader reached for his TERA ORB and bopped the base of his mount's neck with it. The Skarmory and rider became encased in TERASTAL CRYSTAL, the avian's metallic sheen growing even more reflective and turning him into a pure STEEL-TYPE as the Crobat blew the STEALTH ROCKS away.

"TERA BLAST!" Josh ordered, Terastal energy covering the Skarmory's wings. Racing toward the phantom with a tinny whistle from air compression rattling his wings, the rider pulled his mount up sharply at the last minute, launching a TERA BLAST at Nukenabi in the form of air blades that were sharp as honed swords.