Hideo's loud words blasted Josh back in his seat, just like the day Eris' Mesprit blasted him back with their MYSTICAL POWER. His remarks were just as scathing as they were before. kyle lopez saw the changes in him. Melody Miro did. Yet Hideo Kino did not. The psychic Gym Leader had avoided adapting the soldier's mindset that MATIAS SILPH and others in power had instilled in Josh. To him, even a single loss of life, ally or enemy, was unacceptable.

Today's challenge would reverberate in Josh's mind every time he tried to convince Eris that he meant no ill will, that he wanted to repent, put the past behind him, and simply be friends. He wanted to say something, to interrupt Hideo. Every scathing remark slammed him back into his seat, as though he were immobilized by psychic power.

He wouldn't even bother asking for the results of the challenge. He already knew what the answer was.

"So what you're saying is that the true Monster in the Woods... is me?"

"Yes."

"Yes you-"

He wanted to finish that sentence with are, but a few blinks of light on his Beheeyem's hand was enough to get him to think with a Calmer Mind. He wasn't here to kick Josh while he was down, as much as he wanted to.

He was here to teach.

"-were."

Hideo took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"The intent of this challenge isn't just to see if you can get through the challenge put before you. It's so you can learn about yourself, to see what you would do when faced with a difficult ordeal. You may think you're a certain way, but when the chips are down, you find out what you're really like."

For saying and doing were two very different things.

There was a brief moment of silence as Hideo deliberated something, perhaps enough time for Josh to think on his words.

Then he spoke again - a slight amount of vexation in his words.

"The objective of my challenge is to get through the Ordeal, by whatever means necessary. Which you did manage to do. The consequences of your choices matter in real life, but in this story, you just have to reach the end intact."

He reached into his pocket, producing an Ordeal badge - but he kept it in his closed hand.

"It's clear you still need to improve yourself, if you wish to become Champion."

"So while you do qualify for the badge…"

"...do you truly think you've earned it?"

Josh Devlin

Were? He was pretty sure Hideo meant "are". He was the Monster in the Woods to Eris, and she was the child that needed to be saved. Blinded by the prospect of achieving his goal, he failed to consider every possible option. Hideo was right. The Perish Song didn't have to happen. The Volatile, in his corrupted state, had instilled the notion that Josh was a soldier. Had he forgotten that Navy told him that his path was not that of a Warrior? His path was that of a Signer. An Envoy.

Had Matias' influence and ambition still lingered upon him?

If he truly wanted to be a Champion, he needed to shred that ambition. Little did he know that his ambition, the hint of evil deep within his mind, would be purged in a funeral pyre in Kyle's waning days.

Hideo's final question was scathing. "Strictly speaking, you are correct. I have fulfilled the requirements for your Badge... barely. For most of my challengers, it's pretty cut and dry whether to award them a Badge, regardless of what place they finish the race in. Occasionally, I'll get the one that requires a judgment call."

The Gym Leader's words would echo in Josh's mind after disqualifying robin coello for the use of a Shadow Pokémon. He had long since associated the closed-hearted Pokémon purely as weapons of war. Pokémon one could not truly bond with. Pokémon that, in his eyes, were better off not existing. Ultimately, it would be that prejudice that caused Josh to hastily disqualify Robin.

"It was just as Navy , Greyson Connors , and Melody Miro had tried to teach me in Ever Grande. Speed is but one tool in a trainer's toolbox." When one traveled at the speed of lightning, one would miss important details. "That was why I lost to them. And it was why I failed to get the best ending. It makes the whole situation... murky. Borderline. Ultimately, I feel the answer to your question is no, I have not. But I leave it up to your discretion."

"Alright."

Hideo put the badge back in his pocket.

"If you don't think that you are worthy of my badge, then you won't receive it today."

He gained little satisfaction in failing anyone, even someone he bore a grudge against - but it had to be done. Not everyone that challenged his Gym was truly capable of earning his badge.

"Speed is important, 'cause you can't accomplish much if you're late to the ordeal. But sometimes, you gotta slow down and think, because you can make mistakes rushing ahead. And you can't run over a bridge you've burnt."

"You should remember that going forward, Josh."

Hideo stood from his seat, his Beheeyem staying close by him.

"You'll have to wait at least a month before you can challenge my Gym again, as long as there's openings. Though if you plan to do this challenge again, you'll need to improve yourself as a person first."

He motioned towards the door.

"You may go now, Josh."

Josh Devlin

Josh had been desensitized to denying trainers Badges. Even today, the percentage of trainers that were denied for the Quick Badge was astonishingly high. While popular, the racing challenge was quite physical, requiring the trainer to be in just as fit physical shape as their Pokémon. On top of that, it required trust beyond that a simple battle would.

The challenge made Josh more self-aware; there was a place for aggression and speed, and there was a place for defense and patience. Today's challenge would reflect on the way he prepared for the title match with kyle lopez , and even within the battle itself. He would have Hideo to thank for the external perspective.

For without his guidance, Josh would never have been crowned a Champion.

The specific phrasing Hideo used seemed deliberate, to shame him for the past that lingered. "I understand. Mauville Gym has a similar policy; we make challengers wait 45 calendar days in between challenges." Josh's language, too, was decidedly neutral, as if he could sense Hideo's seething emotions toward him. "I'm really impressed with your Gym; it's a great test of character, and it's engaging, too. Have a good one, and don't work too hard." With that, he turned around and left Littleroot Gym, sitting astride his stoic Absol and beginning the long trek home.