"You still owe me a race at Mauville Gym, don't you?" Josh taunted, trying to goad the athlete into a contest of speed at a later date. "Raikiri's my boy. If you thought Saber's fast, he's got nothing on him. But I'm sure you'll find that out!" The thundercat drew his paw backward, as though he were ready to fling himself at the Arcanine at blistering speed before the horn even sounded. It was clear that speed was the electric-type's specialty, and perhaps an over-specialty at that.

"Considering I clinch a day two spot if I beat you, you bet I'm not holding back!" the Gym Leader called out. Once the horn sounded, the Zeraora's back powerfully and rapidly flexed as he put on incredible AGILITY that made him nearly impossible to track. It made predicting the inevitable QUICK ATTACK even more difficult, Josh's Pokémon looking to trip the fire-type with a low blow.

Having raised a pair of Arcanine himself, Josh was used to the kind of heat the species could put on. With his Sygna Suit protecting him, he could even ride the great dog mid-Flare Blitz, something he wanted to try. It looked so fun and so fast, yet probably too reckless to do in an official race. On the field of battle, it could be a devastating weapon.

The FLARE BLITZ was but a graze, Raikiri rolling to put out the flames that had left part of his yellow fur alight. When it looked like the ultrafast Zeraora was about to follow up with a second QUICK ATTACK, he instead attempted to slide underneath the taller Arcanine and BOUNCE beneath him, sending it flying skyward with the force of a lightning strike.

Toshi was learning quickly. Attacks that were powerful but were slow or took time to line up were not effective against such a speedy Pokémon. Through the power of Terastal Energy, the now electric dog matched Raikiri's speed without losing one bit of power. The WILD CHARGE sent Josh's Pokémon flying across the arena, sparks flying as he dug his claws into the pavement to prevent himself from going out of bounds.

The Arcanine's tactics were fast and powerful, able to keep up with Raikiri for the time being. They all came with one drawback: exertion. Grinning, Josh gave the order for his Zeraora to pick up the pace. With great AGILITY powering his steps, he zipped around the Arcanine like an orbiting comet. When the foe was tired of chasing him, he would look to end the match with his ultimate technique. Not yet, though! Josh had to time it just right, or the match would be over for him, too!

The world through Raikiri's eyes seemed to slow down as he ran faster and faster. Josh's eyes started to bead with worry. High speed came with a price: endurance. The longer the match went on for, the more likely it would end in Toshi's favor.

Josh needed to end it now.

Leaping over the howling Arcanine's FLAMETHROWER, the thundercat landed in a corner of the battle court, Wreathed in circling lightning bolts, the Zeraora vanished in a HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE so fast that not even the Gym Leader could fully follow it. If the claws and paws slicing around Braver and the trail of lightning following him were not enough to end the match, then surely the aural explosion from the feline outrunning his own sound waves would be!

The RAGING FURY was, likewise, too slow. Arcanine had incredible speed, but lacked agility. They traded that agility for endurance, able to run for hundreds of miles at great speeds without tiring. An Arcanine could run from Mauville to Verdanturf in a matter of minutes by cutting north across the highway and through the giant fields nearby. The rock-type simply did not have room to get to those speeds.

With time expiring, the match dame to a judge decision. The huddle did not last long, the officials ruling in the Gym Leader's favor. "That was a close one!" Josh exhaled. "Thought I wasn't going to make it! Your Arcanine's a tough opponent. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again later in the tournament."