Brr, it sure was cold! The weather couldn't have been timed any worse for Josh and Elise to meet up on the sands of Route 118, near a very frozen Mauville Bay. As the Gengar and Lapras were at play alongside the royal, a CHILLING NEIGH would echo from the west.

A Glastrier would approach the two at a frightening speed, perhaps far faster than any Glastrier Elise Calcifet had ever seen. A Type: Null trailed behind the ice-type, as well. A rider dressed in a black winter coat was sitting astride the equine, controlling the legendary Pokémon with confidence. Only one trainer in Hoenn could make a traditionally slow Pokémon that fast.

It was Josh Devlin .

With a slide that draped their path in ice, the Glastrier slowed to a stop not far from the ambassador and reared sharply, startling the Gym Leader. "Whoa, Hylda!" he cried, turning white-knuckled beneath his gloves. "Easy, girl!" Josh bounced as Hylda's hooves hit the ground in a heavy impact that caused snow-covered sand to explode around them.

"Sorry about all that," Josh apologized for his Glastrier's behavior, the regal horse snorting. "Thought the weather was supposed to be a lot nicer than this. Instead of being in the low 50s, it's in the low 20s. Sure you don't want to reschedule this until it gets a little warmer?" he asked, a hand on Wiley's Poké Ball.

The ice was only thick near the shore; away from the beach, the Lapras could swim if she was so inclined. The curious Aleph got a bit too close to her, perhaps nicking with one of his claws by mistake. "Aleph, I guess if you're so energetic, we can proceed as planned." He looked like he wanted to play-fight with the legendary Pokémon, which Josh would oblige after he slid down from Hylda's back.

Clicking open two Poké Balls, including the one that was in his hand before. from within them emerged two unlikely normal-type steeds. One was a Linoone with a raised seat that kept its rider's feet from dragging, although just barely. A shorter rider would have an easier time than a taller one, Josh just barely short enough that his wouldn't touch the ground. The other was a Furret that looked like it could U-TURN fast enough to unseat just about anyone. "These two are Screech and Wiley. You said you wanted to learn with one of them the other day after work, right?"

When asked about lessons with one of Josh's normal-types, the Gym Leader slid off his Glastrier, standing between the Linoone and Furret. "Sure! I can arrange it. Though he's popular among youngsters that visit the Gym, Wiley can be one tough Pokémon to control."

Screech and Wiley were similar enough that Josh would hop aboard the Linoone and use him to help with the demonstration. "It'll be quite a bit different from anything you've ever ridden before. His short feet makes his gait one of the most rapid of any Pokémon. He's also so low to the ground that you'll need to raise your legs a little more than you would with most Pokémon."

Aleph, tired of the lesson already, dozed off, Hylda touching the Type: Null with the flat of her hoof to try to wake the Type: Null up.

"And if you can handle that, he's got the whippiest U-Turn of any Pokémon I know. Think you can do it?" he teased.

Elise's skill and confidence had come a long way if she had the wherewithal to fully control Wiley. "Alright, I'll work on my command of Screech," he replied before taking to the raised seat on the Linoone's back. With the two of them on Josh's normal-types, he would let Elise set the pace for the time being, allowing her to get used to the Furret's unusual gait.

"I'll follow you when you're ready! Screech here can also make sharp turns, but not in the same way Wiley does." Once they were off, Josh would keep pace with whatever running speed Elise and Wiley set, giving them distance in case the princess was chomping at the bit to be yanked about from some wild turns!

Screech's turns were just as whippy as Wiley's, yanking Josh to one side of his Linoone. He still had a lot of work to do with the swift Normal-type, including conditioning his body to Screech's Extreme Speed. The ultimate goal with the Pokémon would be building up to that speed, then slamming on the brakes, as Linoone were known for doing.

Wiley was much more playful than Screech was, the Furret extending his tiny claws in anticipation of Elise's command. With every swerve, Elise, too, may have been thrust to one side of her seat on the nimble Furret. He pulled some tight donuts, doubling over the scratch marks he had left in making them.

"How you holding up?" Josh called out to Elise, a little worried at how hard Wiley was going. Little did he know how much more intense the proud, mischievous Furret could make it...

The lack of enthusiasm from the royal made Josh show a bit of caution in moving to the final stage of the exercise. He was concerned even a skilled rider would be sent flying... or both of them. Even with a cocoon on Screech, the extreme deceleration could knock him unconscious. The Furret did not wear one, for Josh feared the added weight needed to secure a rider would slow the normal-type too much. howard slayte was absolutely right; Furret were meant for cuddling, not for this.

Josh was a different kind of crazy, though. Anything that had extreme speed, agility, and even remotely the right size and body shape, he would rein up. It was just the kind of person he was. "Need a bit to recover, or are you ready for him to kick it up a few notches?" the Leader asked his co-worker, Screech letting out an anticipatory cry.

"I think it's a wise idea," Josh nodded, the Linoone and Furret nuzzling each other, grins on their faces as they schemed to unseat their riders the next time they took off. "Give our muscles some time to recover. People don't realize how rough and tumble riding a Pokémon can be." It was just as much exercise for the rider as it was for the Pokémon, what with how much force swerves and abrupt speed changes put on them. That was the secret of Josh being able to maintain his physique without dieting; his career gave him much higher calorie needs than the average person.

Elise's thoughts of Remiel caused Josh's mind to drift toward Isaac Merlo and others he knew who had escaped Rocket... as well as those who were still there. "I know a few on the other side of the aisle, too. I've been doing what I can to get them out, but it's... complicated..." Josh trailed off. The longer he stayed entrenched in the League, the more he realized just how complex the war was, and why it had gone on for seven years. It felt like it wouldn't end until dahlia goode or declan walsh 's head was on display.

The normal-types' grins remained wide as Screech felt a tug from Josh. "Let me know when you're ready for the finale. And hold on tight," he warned. "When Wiley goes all out, it might feel like you're on a whip."