Design.

RKS POINTS: 50

Josh, too, was much better prepared for the simulation. He had brought almost all of his rarest and strongest Pokémon with him. Astride Junji the Iron Jugulis and with Aleph the Type: Null on the prowl, the Hydreigon look-alike proved to be just as difficult to control as Kokusho once was. Even in the distant future, controlling the feisty species was a problem that still had not been solved.

"Since the war, I've actually been thinking about adding a new type of challenge to Mauville Gym," Josh explained. "While Pokémon racing is fun, it doesn't have any practical applications. Take a look at this, though."

The Leader's imagination ran wild, filling in the void with Mauville Racing Grounds. All the race tracks were still there. Instead of the Gym Leader's Pokémon being lined up on the starting line of a race track, they were scattered throughout the enormous field, a flag with the League banner atop a distant "safehouse". Near the Gym's back door were several small crates tied to a towing harness to be attached to the challenger's Pokémon, and between the start and end of the course were several chokepoints where they would be exposed to attacks from "Rocket" Pokémon.

"The war has taught me a lot, Andrea. After talking to you about it, to Michael Navidson , and to kyle lopez as well, I've found my place in the war. And it's not on the front lines. Leave that to people like Navy. Like Freya. And... begrudgingly, like MATIAS SILPH . I still don't think he should be Elite Four with how he treats everyone else, but on the battlefield, he's unstoppable." He stopped to let that sink in as his scenario manifested in the simulation.

"My role in the war will be a messenger and a supplier. War isn't just about force. It's about intelligence. With how advanced technology is, war plans can't be communicated in a form that can be wiretapped or intercepted anymore. Pen, paper, and courier are more secure than any piece of technology. If I could start Mauville Gym over, my challenge would be training people to be war couriers. What good are your strongest fighters if they don't have rations, Potions, and Revive?"

Yo! Champ in making!

RKS POINTS: 50

Josh didn't like talking about Matias, though Andrea deserved to know. They were good friends, after all. She deserved to know, even if his past caused him grief thinking about it. Being a League official, he knew who had access to the RKS Simulation's recordings. It was all people that had access to the truth he would tell Andrea if she swore to secrecy. "Andrea, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone else." Provided she agreed to keep her lips sealed, Josh would continue with a frown.

"Do you know Eris Halla ?" he asked, waiting for a response. "I... I was the one that attacked her last year. Now I'm not blaming Matias entirely, but his scorched-earth stance toward Rocket... heavily influenced me. Brainwashed me, even. It was a routine transfer. I was tasked with transferring her from one League facility to another. I thought I could get any leads Rocket had on Raikou through her. I was a fool to do so, and was lost in my obsession with him. I... I nearly took her life. I thought I did when she fell over that cliff. But she's okay. I saw her after the war in Dewford. She's doing well."

He stopped to take a breath and let his story sink in. "I regret what I did that day, Andrea. If I could go back in time and change one thing. Any one thing. It would be going back to that day and keeping control of myself. That day, I lost control of myself. I forgot why I want to be Raikou's friend. And even if Raikou wanted me, he wouldn't want me as I was that day. I doubt he still wants me as I am now."

Another long pause. "Recently, I applied for the open Elite Four position. You know, the one they chose Michael Navidson for? From what I understand, Matias was almost singlehandedly responsible for that decision. He doesn't understand. There are people trapped in Rocket against their will. He's a psychopath. He would kill everyone under the Rocket umbrella if he could. Like I said, I can't completely blame him, but he's ruined my life. My reputation. I will forever be known as the Hoenn Gym Leader that tried to murder a child over Raikou." The Master of Faster broke down in tears. It would be clear to Andrea how much he beat himself up over the decisions he made in his worst moment. It was a part of his reputation he might never be able to repair. Not with the League, not with Eris, and not with the general public if the story ever broke.

Fight or survive.

RKS POINTS: 50
CURIOS: 1

There were a lot of thoughts going through Josh's head. Thoughts he could not shake since his stay in Dewford. The stereotypical politician usurped their constituents for power and money. Josh was the opposite. He genuinely cared for Mauville's citizens, and the rest of Hoenn. He worked tirelessly, doing what he could to keep them safe and happy, often at his own expense. Was that making Josh truly happy, though?

"I did that already," Josh answered, wiping his tears from his face. "I talked to her when we were both in a Dewford infirmary. We were roommates. She didn't talk to me at all, not even accepting an apology. All she did... was acknowledge my birthday when I brought it up."

Her second point had mirrored what Navy had told him. "I've had a long time to think about it. When are we gonna go to Sinnoh and go dragon riding together? It would be more appropriate to tell you there and not in the middle--"

As they were deposited into a war zone thanks to the simulation, he saw Andrea fighting back against several Rockets trying to take Chomper away from her. Before he could aid her, another platoon of them surrounded Josh and his Iron Jugulis steed.

Fight or survive.

RKS POINTS: 50
CURIOS: 1

The platoon of Rockets reminded Josh all too much of his Johto days. It was that rainy day when the Gym Leader's parents had been taken from him. The day he left home to try to rescue them, Rocket chasing him and his Manectric steed into a subway tunnel in central Goldenrod, There were so many painful memories of almost losing them. He still worried for them, now that they were in Hoenn. At least he could defend them directly now and feel direcly responsible for what would happen were Rocket to invade Mauville again.

Hearing the fellow Gym Leader's cry, Josh flicked Junji's reins to get the Iron Jugulis fired up. A trio of DARK PULSES flew out of the mechanized dragon's three mouths, each of which was met by a DARK PULSE from other Pokémon the Rockets wielded against them. Chomper and Junji were very powerful, but they seemed overwhelmed by numbers.

"Andrea, we have to cut a path through them. Blast the ones that matter, and fly to Mauville with me. This is way beyond the two of us to help with." The Gym Leader hated to back down when he saw people in need, but he also knew when the fight was a lost cause.

Surrender or fight till the end.

RKS POINTS: 50
CURIOS: 1

Junji reinforced Chomper the best he could, loosing a three-pronged DARK PULSE toward the vicious Luxray that was able to leap as high as those Fearow could fly. Truly an incredible specimen, wasted in the hands of a killer. No matter what the dragon riders seemed to do, there were simply too many of them. With every AIR CUTTER the Iron Jugulis used to knock the birds out of the sky, more came to replace them. Slateport truly was a lost cause.

A vicious, unseen attack tore into Josh from behind just as he was lining up for a second strike. It was accompanied by a squishing sound of Houndoom teeth sinking into flesh. Lacking the strength to hold onto his dragon, the Mauville Leader fell limp in the saddle, his vision fading to white...