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6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Dec 8, 2023 17:20:17 GMT

The biggest smile came across Josh's face when he got the news of a discharge date. On November 16, he would be going home. Last night, he had just had the last Bullet Seed extracted from within his body. All that remained was for him to slowly be weaned off his painkillers and his body to start healing and scabbing over the many incisions.

Soon, he would be able to get back to what he loved doing most: saving lives, educating trainers at Mauville Gym, and most important of all, having a great time in the saddle. It had been a month since he had ridden a Pokémon, and there would likely be techniques he would have to relearn.

Today was an exciting day for another reason: the first race of the Hoenn Racing Federation Master Class championship was on today. The best of the best in the region competed there, and winners would get an invite to Worlds. As his eyes glanced toward the cup of Bullet Seeds covered in dried blood, a knock at his door would get his attention.

Michael Navidson

{PC: 1}

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Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

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POSTED ON Dec 8, 2023 17:28:44 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Navypog3"]

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[attr="class","Navypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

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[attr="class","Navypog3-post"]

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Call it good fortune, divine providence, or Ho-oh’s help, the sheriff’s already back on his feet. Rumors circulate that he died. His continued existence upon the mortal coil proves that such rumors are greatly exaggerated.[break][break]
Someone wasn’t so fortunate. Josh has been in the hospital for weeks since the end of the battle. Navy’s been down into the ultra deep sea a few times since then, mostly just to see if anything has changed within its borders. Nothing. It remains the same as ever. In that, he finds some measure of peace.[break][break]
It must be maddening, to be stuck in a bed. To watch the world pass you by. To want to do good deeds, and provide essential services, only to be stuck in Dewford’s hospital.[break][break]
The least Navy can do is keep him company. Lucky for Josh, Dewford has everything. Paldean pasta is all the rage. Spaghetti in alto mare happens to be served at a new shop just down the road. Getting himself and the master of faster some, he makes his way to the hospital.[break][break]
“The race is on, huh?” He asks in a cheerful voice, sitting a bag down on Josh’s table. “Lucky us, we’ve got somethin’ to watch.” Taking out his own food, which will be washed down with mineral water, he wastes no time. Fighting is hungry work.[break][break]
“That guy with the Cyclizar still in the race? I tell you, man, people underestimate ‘em. Ole reliable. Lizzy’s never gonna outspeed Voyager, but she’ll out last him.”

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 15:48:39 GMT

It was maddening. Josh couldn't enjoy the things he enjoyed most. He had to be careful even when he could do what he enjoyed; there would be no blasting full speed on Raikiri's back for a while. He would have to adjust to the super speeds he was famous for.

"You got me lunch, Navy?" Josh asked him, wincing as he accidentally put pressure on one of his healing wounds. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that." Stretching, he slowly moved from his bed to his big chair. It felt good to be able to do that, too. The subtle differences in color beneath his gown may have shown Navy just how much he suffered on the island.

Josh, too, has a bottle of water to go with his lunch as the two start watching the big race. "He is. People underestimate how nice it is using a well-rounded Pokémon. Funny you speak of Lizzy - Goroh, Pico, and Jody are three of the Pokémon I want to ride first after I get out of here. They're easy to control, they're plenty fast, and they're easy to recover with if something goes wrong." He wondered how his Gym Pokémon were doing.

"How did things go for you on the island? I Imagine you were there, given Dewford is your jurisdiction," he speculated. "As you might know, I wasn't able to stop Rocket's mining operation, myself, but I slowed them down enough for the League to recover the Seal Stone. About time we come up on top in one of these exchanges. It wasn't without loss, though."

As the Pokémon got up to speed, Josh got to work on his meal. "Wow, this white sauce is heavenly. Where'd you get it from? This isn't anywhere near as good as the place in Lavaridge."

Michael Navidson

{PC: 2}

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played by

Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 17:08:19 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Navypog3"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

[attr="class","Navypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-post"]

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“Too bad Isaac isn’t here to kip up there and grab you some, then.” The sheriff comments dryly, chewing on his pasta. “One of the old-timers in town fell in love with some Paldean pasta place. Decided to make his own restaurant like that when he heard it was all the rage. Dewford gets stuff before it hits the rest of the region. We got a Unovan Hot Torchic place last month. Wonder what it’ll be next year…”[break][break]
He loves this little town. He loves the old-timers with too much money and the kids who only show up on breaks. It’s a quiet little town. Happy.[break][break]
Until people decide to fight on their backyard.[break][break]
“Battle went alright. Died. Got better.” Having had to report to almost everyone on rumors of his death, he has settled upon a cavalier approach to the topic. It little conveys the apprehension about his brief sojourn to the other side of the veil, but it beats breaking down into tears about it. Not here, when a younger man needs him.[break][break]
“You did good, just surviving, Josh. War’s hell. Warcraft is bad for the soul, make no mistake.”

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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6,114 posts

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 17:24:52 GMT

Andrea Vaneau likes this

"Wait, Isaac's still kicking?" Josh asked Navy, genuinely surprised. "I thought he was gone. I hadn't heard from him in over a year!" That was certainly a pleasant revelation. He wished he could share more with Navy, but he swore Blackjack's identity to secrecy all that time ago. Plus, he had his own skeletons in the closet. Skeletons that Navy was fully aware of. "Died and got better? Excuse me?" The look of relief turned into genuine confusion. There were a lot of strange things going on, but bringing someone back from the dead? "What in the Great One's name...?"

That last remark hit home. "Tell me about it. While they don't mandate we fight, they put so much pressure on us Gym Leaders to do so. Not to mention just... it feels like a Gym Leader duty to fight. If not a mandated duty, then a civic duty. Like it's unofficially part of the office." His conversation with Andrea Vaneau came to the forefront of his mind. "Which reminds me. I have something... difficult... I wanted to come to you about."

Michael Navidson

{PC: 3}

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played by

Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

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3,269 posts

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TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 17:34:27 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Navypog3"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

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If the news hasn’t trickled down that Isaac Merlo, a Rocket defector, has joined the League and been appointed Suicune’s avatar, it won’t be Navy that breaches the secret. Loose lips sink ships. He’ll let the comment die as an old social tic rather than let it bloom into an information leak.[break][break]
“That’s what you get, signing up to be a gym leader in wartime.” There is no cruelty or snideness in the remark. It is merely an observation of reality. He makes a twirling gesture with his fingers, signalling to Josh that he has the gym leader’s full attention.[break][break]
“Go on.” Two words that punctuate the gesture’s meaning.

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 18:04:00 GMT

The League must have really been desperate for Gym Leaders at the time to promote Josh. Through his first year of service, he had blossomed into an excellent one, raising countless Trainers and hundreds, if not thousands, of Badge holders in the art of speed. They made a big difference in the war effort too, his teachings no doubt helping secure the League's victories. Rocket had their victories, too, but it wasn't like the last time they met near Dewford, where the League walked away almost empty-handed.

"This war, Navy... this war has made me realize. You know that I was a Ranger before I became a Gym Leader, right? Elite Rangers are all about training people to save lives. Gym Leaders are about training people to take them. And the more battles I've fought in and the closer I've gotten to the championship bout with Kyle... the more I'm realizing. I have a passion for Ranging. I really enjoy it. But I'm better at fighting. At killing. At cleaving through swaths of Rockets from the back of one of the fastest mounts in Hoenn."

It was a huge decision for him, and one he could not make alone. "I want to save lives. I really do. But it feels like that for every life I save as a Ranger, my duties on the warfront make me take another. It makes what I do feel... like it has no meaning. Like I should just pick a side and stay on it. Hoenn needs leadership in the Rangers, especially after Laurence Anderson and Razz Kingsman got demoted. But..." he trailed off, thinking about all the Pokémon he would have to let go of if he were to step down as Gym Leader.

It was truly an impossible decision.

Michael Navidson

{PC: 4}

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played by

Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

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3,269 posts

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TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 18:26:52 GMT

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[attr="class","Navypog3"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-big-img"]

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[attr="class","Navypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

[attr="class","Navypog3-pkmn"]

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“That is not what a gym leader is for, Josh.” Suddenly, his eyes grow stern. He looks at Josh with a warrior’s even stare. “And you shouldn’t have that attitude. After this war ends, Hoenn will be at peace. People will want to run the gym circuit. Watch people have exhibition matches. Gyms will return to being another sport for people.” A small pause.[break][break]
“And that’s alright. Just ‘cause my gym’s supposed to educate people on how to keep their cool on a battlefield doesn’t mean that’s what all gyms are.” A bit of the Pale Rider of Galar leaks into how he talks, the man he feels closer to fifty than thirty. “You’re going down a dangerous road, son.”[break][break]
“Uh, what I’m trying to say is…realizing you’re good at killing’s the first step to thinking you enjoy it. Don’t be that guy, Josh. That guy’s the guy that’ll let Rocket win this war. Every Rocket soldier you kill’s someone’s brother. Father. Sister. Daughter. Don’t excuse what they do. Doesn’t mean they don’t have to face punishment, but killing them isn’t the answer.” Another pause, smaller. He thinks on how to cap that off.[break][break]
“What I’m trying to say is, do something you’re not good at. Your soul will thank you for it.”

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 19:26:28 GMT

"And how long has this war been going on? Six years now?" he asked semi-rhetorically. The mention of sports made Josh think about all the accomplishments he had in providing Hoenn a place to forget about the war and keep the region's morale up. His city, once heavily affiliated with the military, was now Hoenn's sports capital. Mauville's football team was slated to replace Lilycove in the PFL for the 2024 season. That wouldn't have happened without his influence.

"The... flood of challengers that will want to race me once Hoenn is at peace, because they are afraid of being pressured into joining the military, like I was pressured into..." It was something to look forward to after the war. Win or lose, every challenge wasa delight for the Master of Faster. He got to do everything he wanted, all with the security of a steady paycheck not directly influenced by what place he got in a competition.

"That's not what I want to be, Navy," Josh replied after a long pause of his own. "I want to save lives, like I said before. The pressure for Gym Leaders to participate in the war is immense. And I enjoy my peace-time duties as a Mauville's Gym Leader more than anything. I just feel that if I... I don't fight, they'll pull the rug from under me. And I rely on the extra funding to care for my Pokémon. I'd have to let go of about half of them if that happens. I... I feel like I'm trapped as long as this damn war continues."

He stopped to let Navy express his thoughts before bringing up another. "I thought the League's ideals were pure. But there's something about them. Ever since MATIAS SILPH and I had our falling out over the Eris debacle... something just doesn't feel right about them. They've been ousting people left and right, and I don't get why. I'm scared I'll be next if I try to speak up."

Michael Navidson

{PC: 5}

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played by

Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,269 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Dec 10, 2023 23:21:07 GMT

shiv likes this

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Navypog3"]

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[attr="class","Navypog3-1"]

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MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

[attr="class","Navypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-post"]

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“Josh, hear me out.” The sheriff leans forward, his words gentler now. “You know me. I’m not gonna bullshit you or feed you some line I don’t believe. There’s plenty of things I don’t like ‘bout the League. Plenty, especially with that psycho bastard and his land titan on the elite 4. But I’ve talked to plenty of civilian trainers, young and old. It’s not the League that makes them feel pressured…”[break][break]
While he talks, he gets up, walks to the window. He nudges it open. He’s not supposed to do this here, so he has to be a little clandestine about matters. Serious talks make his lungs ache these days, another casualty of the war. He needs his nicotine hit. Striking a match, he lights up a cigar and puffs out the window.[break][break]
“Goode and her government ain’t doing squat to pressure people. People do that all to themselves. Practically every trainer I meet says they have to fight, but it ain’t Goode they feel pressured by. It’s their own morals. Their own code. I tell ‘em all the same thing. Your ideals are worth fighting for. Worth dying for. But you can die defending them. I did. Only reason I’m still here’s ‘cause I rolled green on a roulette wheel.”[break][break]
The cherry on the cigar burns down hard and fast, every pause for air punctuated by a puff. When he’s finished, he lays the cigar down on the windowsill. Its smoke trails out into the day.[break][break]
“Put a question out for the council anonymously. They actually answered. They want civilians to stay away. They didn’t say a word ‘bout joining the military. So, to you, Josh, I say the same thing I tell all of them.”[break][break]
He walks back towards Josh, leans down, looks him in the eye.[break][break]
“There are other ways to help besides killing grunts. You’re the fastest guy in Hoenn. You could run messages and evade Rocket better than anyone. You could deliver supplies so quick it’d turn heads. Why do you think the only way to help Hoenn is to fight on the frontlines?”[break][break]
Tell them the truth. FERNANDO SILPH gave him that order. So, he obeys. He tells Josh the truth.

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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6,114 posts

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Dec 11, 2023 17:53:57 GMT

Josh let out a cough as remnants of the smoke wafted into his nostrils, the boy hissing in pain from a sharp seed buried within his skin tearing into a nerve. "Ever since I last saw Matias in the field in the spring, and we rescued those Rangers from Chimney, I haven't trusted him. When I battled him in the spring, he fought me with what felt like everything he had. Were it not for the safety protocols of League battlegrounds like our Gyms, my Pokémon probably would have died on the spot." If he were to lose his most precious Pokémon to that madman... he wouldn't know what to do. "I don't get how he hasn't been held accountable by the Council."

Josh's expression changed to a frown of guilt. The last time true pressure was put on Josh over his job was because he was not meeting predefined metrics that Gym Leaders were held accountable for. He fixed that up with help from Melody Miro . From Callan Young . From Katherine Fairburne . From other Gym Leaders. And now, Mauville Gym was respected for the difficulty of both its battle challenge and racing challenge. At one point, a simple Trick Room was all it took to defeat him. He had learned so much over the past year. Was it true? Was he really putting pressure on himself to play hero? He was already a hero to Hoenn's everyday citizens, being a Gym Leader to look up to.

"What do you mean, you died? You're speaking to me right now. I don't understand." There were very few gods that could reverse death itself. He had stood in front of one of them, and that god was clearly not on the League's side. What were the others?

He remained full of silent emotion as Navy made suggestion after suggestion on how he could make a difference in the war effort. It was clear, after how many lines of his that Rocket broke past, that direct confrontation was not his strength. He spread his one good arm outward like he wanted to give Navy a hug for the pep talk. "The intelligence war... Supply lines..." Josh moaned. "They're... equally important... aren't they?" He felt miserable.

But if he wanted to be the best Gym Leader he could be, he needed to learn his place. He was no front-line fighter; if he did any fighting at all, it was as a skirmisher. He really could put his extreme speed to use in safer ways that he was also more adept at, couldn't he?

Michael Navidson

{WC: 428}
{PC: 6}

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played by

Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

awards

3,269 posts

DOLLARS

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TAG WITH @teddie

POSTED ON Dec 11, 2023 18:04:46 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","Navypog3"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-big-img"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-1"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-title"]
MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

[attr="class","Navypog3-tagged"]
Josh Devlin

[attr="class","Navypog3-subtitle"]
I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

[attr="class","Navypog3-pkmn"]

[attr="class","Navypog3-post"]

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“It’s alright, man.” He quietly reassures the younger man. Once more, he feels an ache in his bones that shouldn’t be there. This war has aged everyone too soon. “It’s alright. You’re just trying to figure things out.”[break][break]
Navy hugs Josh, giving him a pat on the back. He asked hard things of himself – things he told himself he had to do. As is so often the case, Josh is his own worst enemy.[break][break]
“When you kill someone, you carry them on your back with you. The rest of your life. Some people pile up so many that you wouldn’t be able to see ‘em under all the bodies they’re carrying. That ain’t you. You don’t want that. Go back to the drawing board. Save lives with Ollie. Trust me, Josh.”[break][break]
He lets go, so he can look Josh in his eyes. The smell of nicotine and expensive smoke still lingers in his beard. Taking a seat again, he says what he feels he has to say.[break][break]
“There’s so much you can do for Hoenn. Use your racing track to train couriers. In my experience, old school paper correspondence is one of the best ways to communicate orders on the battlefield. Throw in advanced comms line and Rocket’ll intercept ‘em. Imagine how fast you and your Arcanine could get an order to troops in the field. Imagine how many wounded soldiers you could save if that small army of yours toted ‘em back to John Sullivan in the medical tents. Trust me to hold the line while you do that.”[break][break]
One more small pause.[break][break]
“The league is a team. We have to work like one, or Rocket wins. You’ve got this.”

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Dec 11, 2023 21:23:09 GMT

Tempest Quinn likes this

Josh's breathing started to become heavier, his heart rate rising on the monitor to his side. While it was nothing alarming yet, it was certainly noteworthy to any medical staff observing him from beyond a computer screen. The weight of the first person he nearly murdered burdened him for months and months. To an extent, it still did, though relations between him and her were slowly improving. Navy was right, though. Being on the battlefield, taking the lives of Rockets and Pokémon in his way, was slowly desensitizing the Gym Leader to the finality of death.

It was a road he did not want to be on, and one he never fathomed he would be on even six months ago.

"You're so brave, Navy," Josh sniffed. "So brave and so smart." Another long pause from the Leader came as he used his one good arm to reach for a tissue and clean up his wet eyes. "I applied for the open Elite Four seat a couple months ago, but Matias vetoed it. It may have been for the best, though. If they're expected to constantly be on the front lines... then his veto may have saved my life down the road."

It almost certainly would. Because all he did on the battlefield was make a fool of himself and the League. All he did was give Rocket more ammunition to say, "I bested one of the League's Gym Leaders in combat." If he truly was one of the finest in the region, not even a god should be able to stop him. Yet, he couldn't stop even one. Not even with Hylda and Raikiri, Pokémon allegedly capable of matching the gods in strength. It was something bryan delarosa could brag to Walsh about. Cillian Quinn , Amor Rose , and Tempest Quinn , too. Not to mention the devastating blow Xenon Antheil dealt him. He was trusted with a mission of utmost importance, and he failed.

"How much time have you spent talking to Alexei Ivanov ?" he abruptly asked.

Michael Navidson

{WC: 332}
{PC: 7}

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Teddie

Navy

He/Him

October 13th

Slateport

Heterosexual

E4; Gym Leader

Sheriff

5'10" / 177.8 cm height

In the warrior's code, there's no surrender. Though his body says stop, his spirit cries, "NEVER!"

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POSTED ON Dec 12, 2023 18:59:15 GMT

[nospaces]

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MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

MORE HUMAN[break]THAN HUMAN

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Josh Devlin

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I HOPE YOU KNOW WE HAD EVERYTHING. WHEN YOU BROKE ME AND LEFT THESE PIECES.

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“Smart? Nah. Got an eighth grade education. GED don’t count for much around here.” His words are accompanied by a small laugh. Nothing like a little brevity to lighten the mood. Beyond that, all he can do is listen. Listening is a skill often overlooked by League officials. When Josh asks his question, Navy’s answer is terse, although his voice betrays no unease.[break][break]
“Can’t say we’re close. Haven’t talked to the guy except on gym leader business.” Once more, he makes that small twirling gesture with his hand, a picture to accompany the sounds. The sheriff waits patiently for Josh to continue with his point.

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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6,114 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin