The trip to Mossdeep City was a good opportunity for Josh to give one of his newest flying steeds a try. Sitting in Sirocco's saddle reminded Josh of the sacrifice Slider made to repel mint frost in Dewford. The Shiny Hisuian Braviary was far from a replacement; his Psychic typing made riding him feel totally different than the Unovan variety. He liked how responsive the bird was, reacting even before the Gym Leader tugged the reins. It was just like with Janus; the flying-type could read his rider's mind and truly be one with Josh or whoever sat in his seat.

The black-winged bird spread his wings to land in Mossdeep City, as close to Mossdeep Space Center as possible. The well-traveled Gym Leader withdrew Sirocco and sent out Nitro, a Gogoat whose steering horns gleamed a shiny gold color. He mounted the grass-type and rode the rest of the way to the facility, where he would meet not only zachary stellar , but Professor Yew, as well.

"Sorry I'm late," the Mauville Gym Leader apologized. "I got put into a holding pattern by ATC. But I'm here now."

"Isn't he?" Josh rubbed it in teasingly. "His name's Sirocco." Teleporting around was a nice option to have when time was of the essence, but Josh loved traditional forms of travel, the wind blasting his face and blowing his hair around. He lived for the gut-wrenching sensation of sharp turns and high g-forces that came with riding a bird Pokémon at speed. Travel was also a great way to become closer to one's mount, feeding the already strong bond and making it unbreakable.

While there was plenty of room for Nitro to move inside the facility, there was not enough for Josh to remain seated on the Gogoat. He slid off the gold-horned Pokémon's back and walked in front of him, withdrawing the creature if the Professor requested it.

The Gym Leader sat down next to Zachary and intently listened to Professor Yew explain the basics of Terastallization. Opening his phone, he reviewed Ranger emails while the overview was going on. He had quickly zoned out; all this recap was so boring!

The discussion of Area Zero made Josh perk up, the Ranger having a lot of experience down there himself. "That is precisely how Terastallization works. If you don't mind, Professor, I'd like to share some observations I've made specific to Area Zero, as well as demonstrate a brand-new form of Terastallization that is not well understood. I want to ask you if you know anything about it." Provided the Professor was okay with it, he would send his Gogoat back out in the most appropriate place; perhaps there was a stage with a higher ceiling. Some place where a nearly seven-foot-tall Gogoat could comfortably stand without breaking anything.

More recap for Josh. He knew how the Terastal phenomenon worked. His understanding of it was integral in all his matches against the Elite Four. It was a defensive tool, deflecting attacks that would otherwise fell a Pokémon. It could blunt even Z-Moves when properly utilized. It was also an offensive tool, particularly if the Pokémon's Type and Tera Type matched. He had seen the unreal destruction Raikiri could unleash upon his surroundings when Terastallized, more than doubling the strength of his PLASMA PAWS.

The Gym Leader perked up, happy to explain his observations once they were on their way to the testing area Professor Yew advertised. "So in Area Zero, as well as other Terastal caves throughout Hoenn, Terastallizing without a Tera Orb is possible. However, that Terastallization is limited to one of the Pokémon's primary types. It's why you see wild Terastallized Pokémon down there."

Once they arrived at the observatory area, Josh rummaged through his bag for his own Tera Orb as Nitro took to the center of the room. "Now, as for this new form of Terastallization, the one I'm still trying to understand, I'll show it to you and see if you're at all familiar with it." Pitching the device toward Nitro like one would a Poké Ball, a pyramid of crystals surrounded the gold-horned grass-type, except this one wasn't a single color.

It was all colors.

A ring of eighteen gemstones surrounded the Terastal Gogoat's neck, each one a color corresponding to a Pokémon type. Nitro had become the STELLAR Tera Type. "This is what I've been trying to ask about. It's clearly Terastal energy, but it doesn't correspond with any Pokémon type that we know of. What do you know about it, Professor?"

The Stellar element... it was a brand new element, one he had yet to hear of or understand. Josh's only exposure to it was during his match with kyle lopez . "Stellar..." he trailed off, lost in thought. Stellar was not a known Pokémon type. "So Stellar Terastallization is... stronger than others. We might need to do some testing. Exposing Nitro to an attack of each element should help some. Professor, do you have Pokémon of the different elements on you? I have a few, but I can't cover all eighteen types."

Nitro looked a little reluctant, both to the blood test and to the attack testing. He knew how much flying-type and fire-type attacks hurt. Even the smaller ones. His unerring loyalty to Josh kept him from disagreeing. "I wasn't planning on having his blood drawn today. Otherwise I would have had him hydrate more. When we're done here, I can grab a couple bottles of water out of the vending machine. Might be close to the end of the day, but I wouldn't mind. And I'm sure he wouldn't, either."

The Tera Crown that manifested over Dizzy took Josh by surprise; none of his Pokémon were adorned with them when he used his own Tera Orb. The color of their crystalline Terastal bodies was more prominent than Dizzy's was, making their Tera Types just as easy to identify. "Interesting. None of my Pokémon wear those hats like yours do, Zachary," Josh mused. "I wonder why?"

Just laughed hysterically at Zachary's anecdote, unable to control himself for almost a full minute. "I don't know why I found that so funny. If you ask me, I think it looks more ultimate rare."

Though Josh learned much, his discoveries left him with more questions than answers. For every answer, two more questions... such was the nature of scientific research. Why did Dizzy wear a crown and Nitro didn't? Did it have to do with his Tera Orb? The Tera Shards that his Pokémon absorbed? He wasn't arguing; without the crowns, his Pokémon would be faster and more aerodynamic. "Might need to close my Gym and test it there. Professor, what if I... recorded the test and sent you a secure email with the video? I'm just really curious about how Stellar Terastallization works. It's totally new to me. When I used it against the Top Champion, I didn't learn much about it." Just that it didn't do much to defend against Entei's Sacred Fire.

Either way, he would see the Professor off. "Thanks for all the help. I'd like to have a follow-up meeting to discuss Stellar Terastallization in the near future." Once he stowed his Tera Orb, the multicolored glow ceased, Nitro's crystalline skin fading back into the leafy norm.