"Agias?"

The Koraidon's call was the first sound Josh heard when he came to. The first thing he saw was a Zarude restoring him with JUNGLE HEALING. It seemed there was no rest for him; the two strange-looking Paradox Pokémon going at it. Having learned from their last time in the simulation, Josh hoped this encounter with the Winged King would go differently. The Koraidon's DRAGON CHEER roused Kokusho, as well, the Gym Leader's Hydreigon vomiting FROST BREATH all over the red, intimidating-looking Pokémon.

The angry Koraidon roared at Kokusho, rearing high and whirling his large, front air sac, lunged at him in an imminent COLLISION COURSE. The eight-pointed star in its center whirled so fast that it looked like a solid circle, tearing into the dark-type and downing him in a single attack. Perhaps Josh didn't truly understand the swift Paradox Pokémon.

His efforts were not in vein; with the apex Koraidon's movements slowed from the FROST BREATH, Chomper was able to bask in the glory of landing the finishing blow. Frustrated, the Winged King disappeared deeper into the cavern, leaving Josh and Andrea alone with the weaker Koraidon. And a Hydreigon that Josh promptly recalled after seeing just how much blood Kokusho had shed from the COLLISION COURSE.

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2

Josh, too, laughed as the Koraidon pounced on him. "Hey, that tickles! Stop!" he protested before the Koraidon eventually let him stand. For being so powerful, the red dragon was such a sweetie, as affectionate as one of the Gym Leader's own large canine Pokémon.

"I should be okay, thanks to your... your... what Pokémon is that again?" Josh asked, having never seen the rare, green species before. Before he could get a response, though, the Koraidon let out a cry before crouching. "You want us to get on?" he asked. Clearly the Koraidon felt indebted to them. "I don't see why not!" He gave the dragon-type a gentle pat on the snout before hopping on, leaving ample room for Andrea to get on in front of him.

"I think you should be the first to control him. You know what I'll do with a Pokémon I'm at the reins of." Though the Koraidon had no reins, the steering bones on his sides would serve their function. "Don't want your skin tearing across your skull, after all." That was a legitimate concern when he rode dog boy's Raikou. The Beast was simply too fast of a steed for him, and possibly any non-Avatar human, to control. His entire face was red that day, not from wind burn, but from internal bleeding. Though Koraidon's speed potential was unknown, the resemblance to Cyclizar meant it had to be capable of putting on a lot of speed.

"What would you name him?" Josh asked Andrea, gesturing to the paradox Pokémon's natural seat in front of him. "I'd name him... Diesel."

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2

The gait reminded Josh of Goroh when he was getting up to speed, before he inflated his air sacs and really got going. The speed was already well beyond what any of his Cyclizar were capable of in a gallop. The feel was much the same, though. "It does," Josh nodded in agreement as the dragon-type bounded about the cave floor. "A lot faster, though. This is way faster than Goroh can run. Now when he gets on his wheels, that's another story."

Josh smiled. "...You're the dragon master. Kora it is!" he ceded, though the Koraidon was named Diesel in his mind. Despite their very high speed, the turns were gentle...except the one onto the wall. That one nearly forced Josh off the paradox Pokémon's back, making him clutch Andrea's waist tightly while the two went vertical.

"Runs like a Cyclizar, climbs like a Salazzle or Sceptile," Josh mused, reminded of some of the rougher rides Fire Eyes took him on. This was somehow faster yet smoother than any of them... almost like the species itself was meant to be ridden without any sort of tack or even a saddle at all.

The two broke the fog covering the top of the Terastal Cavern, the duo beholding a long, spiraling, almost strip mine-like chasm that seemed to lead upward into infinity. They could race around in circles for a long time and never make it to the top. It was gorgeous, as were some of the Pokémon populating the seemingly endless ramp. Glimmora and a lot of Pokémon from the Interdream Mist. Even a Roaring Moon or two flew in the glinting landscape dotted with crystals, unblemished grass, and crystal clear waterfalls. "It's... so beautiful here..." Josh gasped as the Koraidon pushed away from the clifftop.

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2

The pair of wings unfolded above the two, Josh flinching as he felt the Pokémon catch air. Koraidon looked very easy to control, almost like the steering bones were joysticks. No reins, no saddle, nothing to help with the task. IIt was surreal being on something so fast, yet so easy to control. Even then, Josh felt, not knew -- felt -- that Koraidon was barely trying. With the speed of the COLLISION COURSE its apex form used, he wondered how much faster such a move would make the strange creature in its form designed for travel. Josh and Andrea were gonna find out.

Hopefully it wouldn't make her sick.

The two soared all the way to the top of the crater, their environment's glitchiness a reminder that this was merely a simulation, and that they were on borrowed time. The simulation would kick them out eventually, making Josh go through it again if he wanted to hop on the red dragon again.

After Koraidon had landed at the top of the crater's spiral, Josh took point. "I can feel my skin tingling just from holding onto him," he mused as he placed his hands where he could control the friendly paradox Pokémon. Had he a sandwich, he would have given it to Kora to snarf on before the rush. "I think this is gonna be something special. Buckle up, Andrea. You'll need it."

Josh squeezed Kora's sides, the dragon-type bounding forward down the gently-sloping path back into the crater. Once he was comfortable with making turns, figuring out just how sharply he could do so, he squeezed the Pokémon's sides one more time. The Koraidon entered a powerful gallop that felt much like riding a Beast. Faster and faster they circled the wide path, making a powerful slide that threw the riders to one side when the path looped back around. Without his Arcanine around, it was difficult to get an idea just how fast they were going. It was certainly anything faster than Goroh or Gia were capable of, and he wasn't even on his wheels yet!

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2

"You bet I do!" Josh chirped, tighting his hold on Kora. As much as he should have exercised restraint, given that Andrea was a passenger and was holding onto him quite tightly herself. Unable to resist the allure of a true adrenaline rush, Josh pushed on. Even Andrea wanted to see what Kora was capable of, and the Koraidon would happily oblige.

While sprinting down the crater's cliff-like trail, Josh steadies his hands and cleared his throat. He knew that this Pokémon could move incredibly fast. His heartbeat quickening, he issued the command for the paradox Pokémon to go all-out. "Kora, use COLLISION COURSE!"

"AGIGIGIGIAS!!!"

The red Pokémon's air sacs both inflated, kicking up grass and dirt as they whirled fast enough to whip up an audible whirlwind. The two may have been able to feel a small rumble beneath them once they were up to speed. If Andrea thought Kora's speed was impressive while sprinting on all fours, her mind would be blown away when the Koraidon lifted all four of his paws upward.

The parados Pokémon's wheel-like air sacs touched the ground, screeching at a deafening volume and tearing up the grass beneath them. Once both caught the surface with a proper grip, the two riders would experience a sensation much like being shot out of a cannon, the world around them a blur as Kora reached land speeds Josh thought were impossible. As a way to experiment, Josh dropped Raikiri's Poké Ball down to a lower level of the crater, the Pokémon taking off as though he were racing. It did not take long before the duo whizzed by even the thundercat.

The same combination of joy and fear filled Josh to the brim, his facial skin harshly stretching against his face as Kora zoomed down the long, spiraling trail at speeds that were nearly impossible for even the Master of Faster to control. It was the same euphoric feeling the Gym Leader got every time he met up with kyle lopez and sat atop Raikou's thundercloud saddle. Except this feeling was even more intense.

As the terrain changed from grass and dirt to the smooth rock of the Terastal Cavern, Kora sounded another happy cry, at last reaching the full speed its COLLISION COURSE could carry it at. Even for Josh, the speed was downright numbing, every square inch of the front of his face red from the speed and the moving air tearing at him. He didn't wsnt to believe his RaiCorp Vision, but the numbers did not lie.

Kora was going faster than even Raikou. And by no small margin, either. Not even the Johtonian god of speed, in an Extreme Speed sprint, was matching the Koraidon using its signature move. The two shared a bond that he did not with Raikou, the Gym Leader in a zen state that let him handle the Koraidon's ludicrous speeds.

Would Koraidon dethrone Raikou as Josh's favorite Pokémon?

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2

There were very few people in Hoenn capable of withstanding, let alone controlling, Kora's brutal speed. Josh was one of them, the feeling of the world going by him at -- no, beyond -- extreme speeds nothing short of euphoric. His hearing remained with him the entire way, though any remarks he would have made would be drowned out by the sound of shearing winds. Were his hearing to go out, he would have known Kora was capable of crashing through the sound barrier even without the aid of a Z-Move.

With Kora's COLLISION COURSE ending, Josh experienced the sensation of his insides being thrown forward, though not with the ferocity they were thrown backward from the acceleration. The world around them became more and more clear, water splashing all around them as the Koraidon circled the bottom of the Terastal chasm to safely shed much of the rest of his speed.

"Agias!"

After a huff from the Koraidon, it let out a happy cry. It seemed rare that the paradox Pokémon could unleash the full speed it possessed in such a way. Though the two had come to a stop, Josh still felt the sensation of riding faster than a tornado for the next few minutes before at last coming fully to his senses. The happiness between Gym Leader and Pokémon was mutual.

Josh was crying mixed tears. The joy the experience brought him was indescribable. He had found a Pokémon that could run across the land just as fast as.. no, even faster than Raikou. Steadying himself, be slid off Kora's back, stepped in front of the scarlet creature, and embraced it while he cried. "Kora... thank you. What an unforgettable ride."

After letting go of the creature's adorable face, he turned to Andrea, his face flush. "All my life, I thought Raikou, the Johtonian god of speed, was the fastest Pokémon on land. I love everything about him. There's something special about riding a big cat Pokémon. Riding them takes a strong core because of how much their backs flex, but being able to feel all that muscle power is such a thrill. There's something about riding a living lightning bolt. There just is. But..."

He trailed off, lost deep in thought again. He had been on Raikou's back before, at full Extreme Speed. What he had just experienced was that feeling, but even stronger. Not much stronger, but it still squeezed at his body, threatening to wring him out like a grape into a raisin.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Kora... is even faster than Raikou. And now I'm not sure what I want more. Wanting to be Raikou's friend, or Koraidon's friend. They're... both gods. And the way they work, you can only be friends with one of them at a time. Andrea... I..." he couldn't bring himself to say the words without taking a deep breath. "I... might like Kora more than even Raikou." He tried to say more, but his words came out no more than incoherent babbling.

Celebrate.

RKS POINTS: 150
CURIOS: 2