Makoto's opponent would be a familiar one - the Gym Leader of Mauville City, Josh Devlin , whom she had squared off with at Dewford. Not the most recent time, but the time before. It was sad that there had to be a distinction between the two due to them occurring in the same year.

There was something unsettling about the purple-haired girl that kept him from saying too much other than a simple greeting. "Hi there! Gym Leader Devlin, but you can call me Josh. And this is Raikiri," he gestured toward the Zeraora, who waved his front right paw toward the ice fox that looked almost as speedy. "Your Ninetales looks quite fast. This should be a good match."

Makoto blinks a bit, as they recognize Josh; a gym leader that they had, in a sense, butted heads with before. Even though they knew he wouldn't recognize them - trusting in the disguises Kuro weaved for them during Rocket work - the thought of it all still nagged a little at the back of their mind as they introduced themself. "I'm Makoto; and this is Tsukiko." They responded, similarly simple.

Tsukiko would drop into a play-bow as she took notice of Raikiri - equal parts intrigued and enthused over seeing this new pokemon. What was he? What could he do? He definitely looked zappy to her.

And Makoto could agree - which is what influenced their choice of tera type for the usually-icy fox. Bringing out their Tera Orb, they'd terastallize her into Dragon - painting her fur in deeper vivid violets compared to her usually-lavender fur.

With this change made, Tsukiko was immediately ready to start the fight - bouncing forth, her tails lighting aflame as she swung them at Raikiri in a Dragon Hammer!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 to even rolls)
HP: 3/3
Rkn_uNXd

Josh Devlin

"Makoto and Tsukiko," Josh mused aloud. "Beautiful Kantonian names. Looking forward to seeing the end of this one!" The starting horn would interrupt any further pleasantries, Raikiri wasting no time getting up to speed. Even without using any moves, the electric quadruped, unusual for a Zeraora, was incredibly fast.

DRAGON HAMMER was a powerful technique, one many competitors had tried to use on Raikiri before. Very few were skilled enough with it to land a hit on a Pokémon that looked like a comet of lightning when at speed. It was speed that had served Raikiri well the entire tournament. With every hammer that dropped, the Zeraora would attempt to slide around it, building up heat and friction under his paws until they ignited. One last swerve, and the thundercat would thrust his burning paws toward Tsukiko with the force of a karate master's FIRE PUNCH!

Makoto was... Actually Johtonian; but they wouldn't correct Josh, instead just giving a soft "Thank you," in response.

Raikiri did wonderfully in dodging the initial swings of Dragon Hammer; the Zeraora was indeed swift. But, Tsukiko was pretty speedy, herself - and not only that, but she also knew the sacred art of mixups.

As Raikiri came in with a Fire Punch, Tsukiko would be able to just sidestep out of the way - the flames singing her fur, but the strike not quite a direct hit. More importantly though, it was an opening for her to once more Dragon Hammer - this time uppercutting Raikiri with a backflip!

With that clash a victory on her end though, Tsukiko would eagerly followup this as she landed a short distance away - letting loose a Springtide Storm in the hopes of keeping him off-kilter!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 to even rolls)
HP: 3/3
j7pZTWMg

Josh Devlin

Kantonian and Johtonian were similar dialects. Though he was Johto-born, his family was of Unovan descent, which explained his Unovan-sounding name. Makoto's gesture of thanks would not be returned, as it was match time, and following two incredibly fast Pokémon took all of his focus.

The fox's cunning was a dangerous weapon alongside her high speed. Though Raikiri's was among the highest out of any Pokémon on the planet, Tsukiko was fast enough to be able to react to the feline that moved like greased lightning. The column of SPRINGTIDE STORM was unavoidable, but it wasn't something that couldn't be taken advantage of. With great courage, the Zeraora BOUNCED into the storm's downdrafts, looking to stomp on the ice-type from above.

Amidst the storm of petals, Raikiri disappeared in a flash. One moment, he was standing before Tsukiko - the next, the fox would suddenly feel something slam into her back!

She yelped as she was pushed down to the ground by the Zeraora's impact - squirming a little to try and get away. But when that didn't immediately work, she would quickly move to Dig instead - burrowing underground to get away from Raikiri.

And from the underground, Tsukiko would attempt to ambush Raikiri - hoping to regain the offensive through some vulpine trickery!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 to even rolls)
HP: 2/3
wODJZ995

Josh Devlin

The feline pounce was a crushing blow, to be certain. Though Raikiri was powerful, he lacked the subtlety and cleverness that Tsukiko possessed. Nearly tripping on a hole in the court made the Zeraora realize that his foe was underground. If they wanted to stall for time, so could he!

Josh was more than content to waste as much of the clock as Makoto wanted. Without being able to defend himself from a foe he could not see, the Zeraora started running and swerving around the court in a display of AGILITY in an effort to confuse Tsukiko where he was.

Left, right, forwards, backwards - Tsukiko was unable to get an exact bead on where Raikiri was going! Before long, she decides that she just has to bite the bullet and attack - but as she emerges to try and cut the Zeraora off...

... She soon realizes that she misjudged his position entirely, and left herself open to retaliation.

Once whatever retaliation the electric type had in mind resolves though, Tsukiko is left swaying and on the back foot. She has to do something to try and yoink back the advantage, and her answer is to try and let loose a Blizzard..!

Gimmick: Tera (+15 to even rolls)
HP: 1/3
b3LhBr8S

Josh Devlin

That retaliation would be a simple QUICK ATTACK from an oblique angle, sharp claws swiping at the arctic fox at brutal speeds. Raikiri lacked the strength many Zeraora had, but his speed may have been unparalleled among all landbound Pokémon in Hoenn. Perhaps one day, he could race kyle lopez 's Raikou. How competitive would it be?

There would be no time to dwell on it now. Time would not be on Tsukiko's side, the Zeraora's HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE and the Ninetales' BLIZZARD creating a thundersnow that was breathtaking to see. The sonic boom from the ultrafast ramming attack would create a temporary shield from the harsh winds, but were it to run out and Taukiko remain standing, the big cat would likely be frozen solid and open to a nasty counterattack!

And that was all she wrote; as Raikiri rams into Tsukiko, the fox is sent tumbling across the snowy battlefield. When she finally comes to a stop, she makes a point to roll over onto her back - playing dead with a melodramatic and drawn-out groan. Clearly, she had enough.

Makoto can't help a soft half-chuckle half-sigh at this, lightly amused by Tsukiko's theatrics. They step forward to give the fox a scritch behind the ear and gentle praise, before glancing to Josh and nodding. "Good fight."

Gimmick: Tera (+15 to even rolls)
HP: KO

Josh Devlin

"Thanks for the match, Makoto," Josh replied, walking up to them and offering a hand to shake. Whether they accepted or not, he would continue to make small talk about the match. "That looked like a rough matchup for you. I think you'll beat a lot of opponents that aren't faster than your Ninetales. Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta find an open machine - I've got another one scheduled already."

With that, he would wave goodbye to the fairy-type's purple-haired trainer. There was something off about them, though... what was it? He couldn't quite put a finger on it...