The hooves of a Spectrier galloping caught Josh's ears, the Gym Leader noticing kyle lopez but paying him no heed at first, lost in despair from two of his pridemates having their lives taken from them much too early. It was only the second statement from the Top Champion that truly caught his attention. "Terrible," he managed, barely understandable from lost in his emotions. "It's Hoopa and those... Pokémon." The Iron Crown near Josh shot Kyle a cold stare, not even looking apologetic for what he had done.

"Those Pokémon took two of my friends--" Aslan let out another loud bellow that, if Kyle knew Pokémon emotions well, was one of anguish. Nala was one of the Shiny Pyroar's best friends, and Rani had some unique talents among Josh's pride. He could feel the vibration from where he stood. As hard as the Master of Faster was taking it, it was unbearable for Aslan and Kovu.

The apathetic Sigmund's eyes shifted toward the yawning Aleph, who looked bored and ready to take a nap while the Top Champion was in Josh's presence.

When the first word out of the Champion's mouth was consoling Josh's loss, it compelled him to rise to his feet. "Thanks. Nala and Rani meant so much to--" At the very mention of the fallen lions' names, Aslan and Rani let out yet another loud roar, still mourning over their heavy losses. If there was a queen -- a lioness that Josh would make Shiny to represent the royalty Aslan held alone, it would have been Nala. Alas, she was no longer of this world.

Though much of the Poké Balls were covered in scorch marks, he could see a hint of yellow on them in the shape of a pawprint. There were even the remnants of Seals spelling their names out, as an easy way to keep track of which lion was in which Ball. He reached toward Kyle to accept the two Poké Balls. "...These are their Poké Balls. Where did you find these? I thought I had lost them when they had died." He avoided mentioning the two fallen Pokémon by name again; it seemed mentioning their names only made Aslan and Kovu more upset.

As Josh continued to grapple with the past, as well as the future of being separated from Nala and Rani forever, the cozy and refreshing feeling of the Great One's warmth washed over Josh and his two Pyroar. While they still mourned their loss, they no longer seemed to be spiraling into the despair of their sorrows. It was as though a bright rainbow lit up the skies in the Emergent's presence.

"Thank you for bringing these to me. I'll make sure to keep them on my desk in my office. That way, I will have something to remember them by." All the tears in his eyes evaporated. "So how you been? I'm still trying to fight my way up the ranks. Gotta get through Navy , now that he's Elite Four, then we'll have our match."

There was not one word about Raikou. As much as he wanted to saddle up and Extreme Speed down 123, the longest road in Hoenn, this solemn moment was not the time.

Josh wasn't quite sure what Kyle was talking about, a quizzical look on his face. "I won't forget this. You're a good man. If only we could spend some more time with each other. But our jobs are so different. You're really busy with the Champion Assessment, and me with my Gym." He clicked the Poké Balls' switches to expand each to full size. "Raikiri's been doing great. I think I'll be ready to ride him mid-Z-Move again in a month or so. Can't wait. I also finally got my big ride-on Raikou stuffie moved from my old Secret Base to my office. It's helped me cope a lot." To most, a waste of money; commissioning those things cost a small fortune. But to Josh, entirely worth it for emotional support. While he could only hop on the real thing at Kyle's leisure, imagining it was enough for him.

"Navy 's specifically requested a one-on-one match between Raikiri and Shuwen," the Gym Leader brought up. "Probably wants to see what happens when trainers with rare Pokémon collide. It won't be easy, but I'm confident I'll get through him. Looking forward to seeing Entei, too." Entei would be the toughest obstacle in his way to Champion Rank. It would be a hollow victory unless he could defeat a legendary Pokémon without one of his own. It would prove once and for all that the Gym Leader didn't need one to do great things.

He already had.

When Kyle slyly mentioned that one of the Pokémon he expected to use in the final match was in the Poké Ball, his eyes widened, Flinching, he clicked the release switches, Nala and Rani emerging from their capsules. She was totally unharmed, as though she had never been eviscerated by HYPERSPACE FURY. His eyes filled with tears of joy, nuzzling and cuddling the grown, resurrected lionesses. Their riding gear was somehow fully intact, too.

"NALA!!! RANI!!" he screamed not of anguish, but of happiness. "You're alive!" Aslan and Kovu turned around the moment they heard Josh's cry, likewise burying the Gym Leader in affection. Within moments, he was surrounded by his pride, the great cats docile as house Skitty around him. "But... how?" he asked Kyle, his voice muffled by Pyroar fur in his face. "I didn't even know you were there!"

The revelation that it was not only Kyle's doing, but Navy's too, made Josh's smile all the wider. "He's such a good egg. I just wish he would watch out for his own health, too," the Gym Leader mused. "There's only so much one person can do. Believe me. I've had to learn that lesson myself." Several times, in fact. He had tried, and failed, to run Mauville Gym on a skeleton crew. Now the Gym had over thirty employees. With busy season coming again, he might have to hire more.

"Again, thank you so much," Josh continued on. "I'll make sure to bring the entire pride here to watch our match. They'll be excited to watch it, I'm sure. I bet the tickets for our match are already sold out."

From what Kyle was saying, it sounded like his ability to resurrect people and Pokémon had strict limitations. Whether it was by fortune or not, Josh was just happy to see his two lions back. There would be an uproar from his entire team when he returned to the Gym. Perhaps it would put even his normally ornery Pokémon in a good mood.

"Definitely going to thank Navy the next chance I get."

"So it won't be public at all..." Josh trailed off. Kyle sure was full of surprises. "...You're right. We're good friends, after all. Long as it's still recorded and I can watch it back afterward. After all, I want to be able to relive this moment over and over again, win or lose. I'm sure it will be a good match." Little did Josh realize just how much Kyle would push him when the time came. "I'll make sure to get it updated to be in your chamber. Still want to have as much as of my pride as possible present for support."

When Kyle mounted his Spectrier, Josh knew he had somewhere to go. "Will do. He and I are really good friends. He's helped me through a lot. Helped me get through Eris. Helped me get to where I am now. See you in the Spring!" Once Kyle was off, Josh took one last look at the rift before sending out Toshiro, his Samurott, who would ferry him across the lake back to Mauville. Once he was on Route 123, he would take turns controlling Nala and Rani, feeling like he was on top of the world after the Emergent had dredged up the two Pyroar from the clutches of death.