[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
You and your Luxray mount join Josh in the blindingly fast battle. The electric-types engage in elegant, breathtaking combat that is almost impossible for the untrained eye to follow. Adrenaline pumping through you as you battle Raikou, you rein your borrowed Pokémon around the array of lightning strikes Raikou is subjecting both of you to. Both of you are struck by lightning multiple times, letting out agonizing cries from high voltage rippling through you.[break][break]

You gain the upper hand for a while until another deafening, thunderous roar pushes the two of you and your electric Pokémon back. The lightning strikes start to concentrate around Raikou, creating a dome of gleaming electricity that is bright enough to remove almost all color from your perspective of the Beast. The Raikou-silhouette, despite not having a trainer, appears to be gathering Z-Power. The only color you can see from behind the dome is the blood-red glare coming from its eyes. You can't tell who it's going to charge, but you feel that once it flings its body forward, whatever attack this is will be too fast to react to in any way.[break][break]

The preparation for the Z-Move has caused Raikou to drop the encircling lightning ring trapping you. This may be the only chance you get to flee the Beast with your life intact, if you are feel overwhelmed and are inclined to retreat. While extremely unlikely to cause death, an inadequate plan for the Z-Move could result in serious injury.[break][break]

What do you do?

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ (ROLL TWICE) Retaliate with a Z-Move of your own

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ (ROLL TWICE) Attempt to shield Josh from the Z-Move

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Use Josh as a shield against the Z-Move

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Urge Josh to use his own Z-Move

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Urge Josh to retreat

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ (CUSTOM FIELD) Take another course of action

Josh Devlin

NOTES

✚ RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
You urge Josh to use his Z-Move. His Manectric mount flings his body toward Raikou in a HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE so fast that not even the legendary should be able to dodge it. The Beast reacts instantly. It lets out another ear-splitting roar, summoning a ring of lightning bolts that encircle you as their wielder slinks toward you. With a second roar, a dome of electricity forms around you, knocking you off your feet.[break][break]

The Z-MOVE: TACHYON TEMPEST is simply too fast, interrupting the Z-MOVE: HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE before it can happen. In one frame of vision, the Beast is distant; in the next, a sonic boom ravages your ears as you find Raikou's imposing visage directly in front of Josh, fangs wide open. It is hard to look at him in the PRESSURE of the Beast's divine Aura. Despite taking a direct hit from the divine-strength Z-Move, he barely survivs, covered in blood and electrical burns.[break][break]

When your eyesight's focus returns, you see a crouching Raikou staring at you, shifting its eyes back and forth between you and Josh, though it is primarily staring in Josh's direction. All is calm; while the downdrafts have disappeared, as has the lightning storm, the purple, billowing cloud remains above you. It tilts its head down toward Josh, beckoning him to rest his hand upon its gleaming crown. Josh and his Manectric are nearby, as motionless and dazzled as he can be at the surreal scene, given he is still bleeding from the lightning strikes.[break][break]

(The edges of your field of display are flashing red, indicating Josh's health is low.)[break][break]

What do you do?

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Touch the crown

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Invite Josh to touch the crown

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Retreat and let the Beast be

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ (CUSTOM FIELD) Take another course of action

Josh Devlin

NOTES

✚ RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
"You would...? Really?" Josh manages as he starts sobbing in front of you before doing as you ask and resting his hand upon Raikou's gray crown. A massive electrical current runs through him as he touches it, making him visibly glow yellow and white, yet he shows no signs of being harmed. Josh's strength, courage, purity of heart, and sheer force of will impress Raikou.[break][break]

[break]

Raikou has chosen Josh Devlin, the Cavalier, as their Avatar.[break][break]

With a loud purr that you can feel reverberating through your entire body, the Beast of Thunder stands just long enough to turn sideways before crouching down again, beckoning Josh to climb onto its back. Josh's pain temporarily disappears as he is overcome with joy that after twelve long and hard years, he has found the one he had been chasing: Raikou, the Pokémon with unparalleled land speed.[break][break]

Though his exposed skin is covered in blood and electrical burns, not to mention his entire body glowing yellow and white with electricity, he is not showing physical signs of the pain he had just exhibited. You are unsure whether his pain is cured or simply suppressed. He gives Raikou, then you, a great big hug. "I... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Thank you so much! Both of you!" he screams tears of joy that are almost immediately electrolyzed.[break][break]

With that, the young man vaults aboard his new Patron, the thundercloud on its back like a natural saddle when you think about it. He invites you on a ride on Raikou back to Mauville City Gym.[break][break]

What do you do?

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Hop on Raikou's back, behind Josh

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Ask Josh if you can control Raikou for the trip back

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Decline and part ways with Josh

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ (CUSTOM FIELD) Take another course of action

Josh Devlin

NOTES

✚ RONDEZ-VIEW OF LUV

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
At Josh's request, Raikou crouches to let you aboard. His thundercloud feels like a natural saddle, and you feel from the moment you sit on it that the cantle formed by the back of its thundercloud will keep you from falling off, no matter how fast Raikou runs.[break][break]

You can hear Josh muttering to himself. Even after becoming the Determined, he is still showing nerves. Eventually, he takes a deep breath, holds the Beast's outer tufts of thundercloud as though they were reins, and cries, "Hyah!"[break][break]

At Josh's cry and jab at the Beast's sides, you feel your skin tingle not only from latent static, but also from the vibration of Raikou's mighty roar. The electric-type turns south along Route 123 and springs forward with maddening acceleration. While it is comparable to what you felt riding alongside Josh to get this far, the pressure it puts on your body goes on and on as Raikou keeps accelerating... and accelerating... and accelerating.[break][break]

You feel your body shaking involuntarily as Raikou at last stops accelerating, going faster than a race car with the gas pedal to the floor. "Wheeeeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaa!!!" the newly-minted Avatar starts hooting and hollering as though he is on the wildest, fastest roller coaster in the world. Even the most shallow turns feel violent at this speed.[break][break]

As Raikou turns toward Route 118, which is a straight shot to Mauville Gym, the Determined puts his Avatar powers to the test, without fully considering the consequences of you being a passenger. "Raikou, use EXTREME SPEED!"[break][break]

You feel the skin of your cheeks being pushed toward your ears as your peripheral vision blurs to an incomprehensible sea of color. Raikou's four legs become a single, yellow blur beneath you, his running stroke feeling like a high-frequency tremor to you and Josh from how rapid it is. You and Josh truly are riding the embodiment of the speed of lightning.[break][break]

You can barely hear him screaming over the roaring, tornado-speed winds that threaten to tear you to shreds. Unfathomable motion sickness wells up within you. You feel like you are about to vomit, but you know that if you so much as lean a few inches in one direction to do so, the wind will seal your mouth shut and rend your skin to the bone. It is clear that Raikou's EXTREME SPEED, to those other than his Avatars, is painfully fast. You find irony in Josh's Gym's slogan: "With great speed comes great responsibility."[break][break]

By the time you return to Mauville Racing Grounds, Josh is sitting on a nearly motionless Raikou, crying again. "THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!" he balls in your general direction as he slides off Raikou's back, leaving you alone in the seat until you are ready to slide down yourself. "And thank you, Raikou! I swear fealty to the Great One for all eternity. With your help, we shall avenge your brothers and sisters who fell in the Kanto War. We shall eradicate Team Rocket from Hoenn and your homeland... for the glory of the League!"[break][break]

JOSH DEVLIN ADVENTURE ROUTE COMPLETE - BEST ENDING

[attr="class","pokemotomechc"]
❤️ Return to title screen