While two data points did not make a trend, Josh wasn't particularly happy to see Andrea's doppelganger was just as hostile as his was. The cold-blooded female, whether she wanted to or not, had blurted out that it was Hoenn-820 that seemed to be the source of the multiverse's problems. Josh's Hoenn. Andrea's Hoenn. Could Maldacena's words from last summer be true? Was it truly their world that had to be sacrificed for the sake of the others?

If Josh had to pick a Hoenn to live in that wasn't 820, this one would be high on his list. Imagine shards of legendary Pokémon that were common enough that anyone could catch and raise them! The number of legendary Pokémon that would make incredible thrill rides was quite the long one. Other than the Johto Beasts, there were Latios, Rayquaza, Giratina, all the Unovan Swords, the Zamazenta he had seen in the Galar Memory... there were so many, each of which was more than capable of making even the most iron-stomached rider's gut churn.

Perhaps in the event that the destruction of Hoenn-820 was inevitable, Josh and Andrea could travel back here and start new lives in the technologically advanced world.

For the time being, they had to deal with a true dragon master, Andrea's peak self, controlling the black serpent that looked like Rayquaza. The dragon's attacks, even with the high speed his suit offered him, were nearly impossible to evade. EMBOLDENED in keeping Andrea and his pride safe, Josh tried to turn Rani in another direction to blunt the assault.

The vaporizing beam passed through the Gym Leader and Rani, and perhaps into Andrea and her Hydreigon. Were it not for Josh's Sygna Suit, there would be no remains of either of them. Instead, Andrea would see the Gym Leader struggle to his feet and into the saddle of another one of his Pyroar, Nala. Their boldness had turned certain death into mere unconsciousness for the lioness. The power the serpent's rider wielded was frightening. Was she, too, an Avatar?

From what Josh could tell, it didn't seem the Andrea of this world was an Avatar, but a mere partner and friend of this Hoenn's Rayquaza. Josh's Pokémon were fast, but he knew from meeting 820's Rayquaza that the Skylore was capable of escape velocity. An order of magnitude, and then some, faster than any Pokémon Josh had. Even so, that HYPER BEAM held unimaginable power. The power to kill. Power that only the Leader's Sygna Suit could stave off the lethality of.

"Childhood dreams are nothing to be ashamed of," Josh joined the dragon master's battle of wits, holding his snarling Pyroar back. There was little he or his Pokémon could do against either of them physically. Even if Nala managed to latch on to Rayquaza's scales, one whip-like undulation was all it would take to send them flying. "Andrea has a childhood dream of becoming a Pokémon. I have a childhood dream of becoming Raikou's friend. There's nothing wrong with pursuing your dreams."

When Andrwa's doppelganger mentioned that she and Josh needed to be eliminated by virtue of being a threat to the entire multiverse, the Gym Leader shivered. Was it true? Was what Maldacena said in cyberspace all that time ago true? Was their Hoenn the Origin Point, its destruction the key to saving the rest of existence?

All of a sudden, the once-confident Gym Leader showed signs of true terror. True weakness. Perhaps even cowardice where there was once boldness. "Andrea, this isn't the first time I've heard this," Josh quivered toward the costumed rider. "If it is our universe, 820, that truly is the problem, then we... we may have to find somewhere else. And if it means I can be with Raikou... then maybe this place isn't so bad after all."

As much as Josh didn't want to believe Maldacena, everything they said so far was consistent with how Hoenn operated. "You... you were there, too? You saw the dead Raikou, too?" he asked. There was no time to discuss it here, though. Meteno would be a conversation for another day. As the Alakazam's Poké Ball popped open, he BOLDLY reined his lioness in front of the psychic-type. Legendary or no, the Leader had a sworn duty to protect Hoenn.

Not this Hoenn. His own. The one where he, and not a power-hungry psychopath who had let the power Raikou afforded to him get to his head.

Josh pulled back sharply on the fire-type's reins. Both rider and mount let out roar-like bellows. Mount, a blunting NOBLE ROAR; rider, a TAUNT laced with harsh words intended to cause the girl at the Rayquaza's reins to lose her cool. How did he not notice the halters attached to the base of the black serpent's horns before? If legendary Pokémon here were willing to wear riding tack, perhaps they really were as common as ordinary Pokémon were.

The Rayquaza let the HYPER BEAM fly, Josh letting out a horrific scream as he and his Pyroar shielded Andrea's Alakazam from the blow. His Sygna Suit held in part due to his emotions reaching a fever pitch, in part due to the NOBLE ROAR, and in part due to Andrea's words of encouragement. When the smoke cleared, a smoking Mauville Gym Leader was on the back of yet another Pyroar, this one a male.