Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
TAG WITH @joshdevlin
Josh Devlin
An Impossible Dilemma [FW2]
POSTED ON Dec 27, 2023 5:20:28 GMT
APRIL 24, 2025
Days later, after withstanding multiple torture sessions from dorian westcliff , all Josh he could do was groan and moan in pain. Without the protection of a Sygna Suit specifically designed to withstand extreme motion, the Gym Leader's skin was red in countless places, his hands still feeling like they were on fire from the knuckles on his fingers piercing his skin. No matter the training, the human body simply was not designed to withstand the speed of a whip crack. Not even the Master of Faster.
The noise coming from the Gym Leader got dorian westcliff 's attention, a large bottle of water on an end table in front of the cell where an unconscious Saber and Nitro lay. The Gogoat's normally green leaves were mostly yellow and brown; it was a sign of extreme dehydration. The emaciated Pokémon, if they had not perished yet, looked like they could die any moment from a lack of water.
There was no outside light coming from the windows anymore; the sun had fallen beneath the horizon, cloud cover masking the moon and stars on the lightless night. This time, instead of a Venusaur, he was helplessly strapped to the back of a Kommo-o. From wielding Extratone in battle, he knew what the species was capable of. If he didn't divulge the Scarlet Book's location this time, the dragon's Clanging Scales would reduce him to paste. They rattled beneath Josh at a much more mild rate, the vibration causing his hair to stand on end and making him hiss, agitating the wounds on his knuckles.
"This is your last chance," dorian westcliff barked. "Where is the Scarlet Book?!"
"I already told you the last four days! I don't know!" Josh retorted. "You're asking the wrong guy! Just because I'm a Gym Leader doesn't mean the League tells me everything!"
The Silas Beast looked impressed by the Mauville Leader's "resolve", the ability to hold secrets tight even under duress. "I must say, your loyalty to that dog dahlia goode is impressive. That you would keep such knowledge under lock and key, even with your life on the line, is entertaining. You're the most fun 'hero' I've had the pleasure of testing in a really long time. But every hero has their--"
"Westcliff," a booming voice echoed from the torture chamber's entrance.
"B-Boss..." the former Beast stuttered in the syndicate leader's presence.
"Let him loose. Psychic analysis has made it clear that he truly does not know where the Scarlet Book is." The Gym Leader breathed a sigh of relief when Dorian undid the harness keeping him strapped to a Pokémon that could vibrate him to mush on command. "Go, Westcliff. Get back to work on that operation Elisabeth Fiorelli assigned you. Your presence here is neither required nor welcome."
As if to taunt the Gym Leader even further, the Rocket Boss walked up to the cell the two Pokémon were in and grabbed the water bottle with a mechanical hand. He extended it beyond the cell's bars and poured the refreshing, clear liquid into both their open mouths. While it took some time, the weak Pokémon opened their eyes, though both were still unable to move. While he appreciated Declan keeping his prized partners alive, he knew there was a catch somewhere. "What do you want with me?" Josh asked the League archnemesis.
"Among Meteno, the Ancient Tomb, and both Galar operations, your courage and tenacity have been a major thorn in our side. When dorian westcliff , mint frost , Amor Rose , and even Cillian Quinn couldn't follow the simple directions of ending your life, it was clear that you are no ordinary Gym Leader. And now, you are a Champion. I can't let that talent go to waste. You, Josh Devlin , would make one of the finest Beasts Rocket has ever seen."
Josh rolled his eyes as the Rocket boss continued to ramble. "Your speed is a lethal weapon, wasted in the hands of the League. Renounce dahlia goode in front of me and join Team Rocket today. You won't even have to give up what you love most, your Gym, as long as you can keep our alliance a secret. Little will change about Hoenn. We just don't want to see such prodigal talent on the losing side."
The taunting gave the Master of Faster a second wind despite the red patches on his exposed skin making his arms look like a red-and-white checkerboard. His resolve was wholly with the League. With dahlia goode and the Council. With the dream of a world without Rocket. "Turning my back on her now would be to betray every friend I've ever made. Especially Isaac Merlo . That name might sound familiar. He once worked for you tirelessly. Now, he has liberated dozens, if not hundreds, of hardworking people from your ranks. Throwing away my legacy as a Gym Leader, the success of which I largely owe to him, would be turning my back on him and every single citizen of Mauville. My conscience would never allow me to betray them."
"I thought you might say that, Devlin. But every mind, no matter how resolute, has its limits. We've been monitoring all the work you've done at Ultra Plant. What you were searching for. We found what you could not. I won't take any more of your time. I present you with an offer you can't refuse. Devlin, renounce your alliance with Dahlia before me, right now, and I will grant you the allegiance of a powerful ally for the glory of Rocket. An ally I am certain you are familiar with."
With the pop of a Quick Ball, a tiger-shaped light blinded Josh. Its white frame faded into golden mane and yellow cloud, its muscles and paws crackling with a hemisphere of sparks that made the Gym Leader's skin tingle. The Johto Beast, the god of speed, stared into his eyes with fervor that brought the captive trainer to his knees, paralyzed with grief and indecision.
"The god of your homeland, the one you desire above all else, is at your fingertips. All it will cost you is your unerring, complete loyalty to Rocket." All the mortified Gym Leader could do was scream at the top of his lungs. The physical torture dorian westcliff put him through was intense and physically unbearable. The mental torture declan walsh scarred him with tore into his mind like a scourge of lightning, leaving him in unfathomable pain.
{WC: 1,071} {PC: 8}
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