As Gym Leader and Ranger, Josh's duties were never over.

The Master of Faster had received reports of two Elite Rangers from Mauville City that had gone missing after a skirmish in the Chasm. One had radioed that they were at a Rocket-occupied research station; the other was still completely missing. As a rescue specialist, it was his job to infiltrate the research station, exfiltrate the one there, and look for the other that was missing.

It was work he loathed. He was no fighter. He was a courier. He had already suffered enough on Dewford Isle. Twice. Why was he assigned a task where he had to fight? Was it because he was a Gym Leader? While triangulation had given him a good idea where the research station was, the area he had to survey was wide.

Seated on Ao's back, Josh surveyed the area with the Roaring Moon's help, Aleph and Tyrfing at the lookout on the ground beneath. The normally ornery Type: Null and Iron Boulder seemed calm and obedient. Was it the location? It almost had to be; anywhere else in Hoenn, they would act autonomously, if not with belligerence.

A cry from Tyrfing caught Josh's attention as the Iron Boulder drew and extended his glowing SACRED SWORD exactly like a Terrakion would. "Tyrfing sound something. Let's take a look." Reining the Roaring Moon downward, Josh caught sight of a research station at the coordinates listed in his briefing. There appeared to be a hastily-assembled fence surrounding it, too. This had to be it.

With Ao covering what was ahead of him, Aleph's eyes in the skies keeping a close watch from below, and Tyrfing covering the ground, nothing was going to surprise him from any direction. He was completely unaware of the ethereal Decidueye stalking him from a fourth dimension...

The SPIRIT SHACKLE pinned Ao in the air, hurling Josh forward in his cocoon with whiplash-inducing force. The metal teeth on the zippers gave way, sending him flying toward a lake far below. The Roaring Moon angrily flapped his wings, trying to perceive what attacked him, but could not do so.

The Gym Leader landed in a waterfall-produced lake with a large splash, the water breaking his fall just enough to survive an impact with the lakebed. His head thumping, he swam to the surface and saw just how far he had fallen. Without another flying Pokémon, he would have to travel back up the cliffside to get to where Ao had been attacked -- and the station where he was supposed to rescue one of the Rangers from.

Calling upon and taking a seat on Twilight, his Absol, the Gym Leader rode up the trail while the dark-type barked a scathing, TAUNTING cry intended to get their assailant to show themselves. Tyrfing was on edge, too, ready to MIGHTY CLEAVE whatever had made their assault on Ao.

The MIGHTY CLEAVE had not only left the grass-type in poor shape, but in tandem with Twilight's harsh words and gestures, left the Pokémon unable to defend itself. After a follow-up attack with his other blade to help ensure the sniper would not fire another arrow on his watch, Tyrfing chased after Twilight, who advanced through the ELECTRIC TERRAIN covering the trail to the research station. Though he was used to static by virtue of riding many electric Pokémon, his reaction time was hampered by the intensity that of the Iron Moth's field.

As the Iron Boulder caught up, his QUARK DRIVE went into high gear, propelling Tyrfing to even more ludicrous speeds. They were speeds that matched, perhaps even exceeded Raikou. Though Raikou was the Johtonian god of speed, Josh was discovering more and more species of Pokémon that could compete with the legendary Pokémon he wanted to be friends with for so long. Were he to one day get his wish, would he find the speed... disappointing?

This was no time to be lost in thought. He ordered the use of QUICK ATTACK to keep up, though it was completely in vain. No matter how fast Twilight ran, no matter what moves she used, she had no hope of keeping up with the amazingly fast Iron Boulder who looked ready to trample the Iron Moth. Even from a great distance, Tyrfing would be able to close the gap rapidly, the terrain Gerald's Pokémon had kindly laid boosting his already ludicrous speed to heights almost impossible for even Josh to follow.

With the Decidueye no longer able to maintain its SPIRIT SHACKLE, Ao was free to fly once more, divebombing toward the Iron Moth. The loud BUG BUZZ stopped the Roaring Moon in his tracks, the paradox Pokémon crashing into the ELECTRIC TERRAIN from a great height. Red sprayed from his wings, Josh gasping as he recalled the badly-injured flying-type. The vibration badly rocked both Tyrfing and Twilight, forcing Josh to raise his MEGA GLOVE above his head.



With a war cry, Twilight grew into her apex form, sporting a long tail blade and claws that looked like they could tear metal apart. Not expecting to have to ride into battle, Josh skillfully reining his Pokémon around the Iron Moth and setting the Absol up for a vicious, passing NIGHT SLASH amplified both by Mega Evolution and her great speed. Little did he know that there was a Pheromose lying in wait...

Tyrfing and Twilight were too busy double-teaming the Iron Moth with their strongest attacks to notice the Pheromosa. Just as Josh had pulled back on Twilight's reins to make her about face and charge the Iron Moth again, Gerald Kaiser 's Pheromosa struck the Absol in the side with a nasty LUNGE, sending her sliding across the grassy ground and Josh rolling off his precious steed. Provided the Iron Moth was able to survive the onslaught of Rock-type and Dark-type attacks, it would be left alone in favor of guarding Josh.

Tyrfing's thrusters began to hum. Though he was running out of steam, the Iron Boulder was still just as swift. All the Pheromosa had to do was land one solid blow to take the psychic-type down... but that was easier said than done. It would be a battle of ultra high speeds, the Ultra Beast's kicking stroke versus the paradox Pokémon's thrusters that looked like they might overheat from the beating he had taken.

The high-frequency sound waves were too much for the Absol and Iron Boulder, the paradox Pokémon's thrusters sputtering out and making it impossible for Josh to chase Gerald. That was not what mattered, though; the Rockets had abandoned their posts, letting the Gym Leader accomplish his objecting. Gerald wasn't completely without loss, either; he had gotten away with many League research notes from inside the station. Those would surely put him in the Rocket bigwigs' good graces again.

Once the SMOKESCREEN had cleared, he was gone. His only flying-type out of commission from their quick but brutal battle, Josh relied wholly upon Raikiri and Sigmund to ferry the scientists to the top of the chasm where they could make it back to Oldale safely. Aleph kept his eyes open for stray paradox Pokémon, ready to lash out at them with his X-SCISSOR if they came close.

Mission accomplished! Barely.