Josh heard Eduardo Hisakawa 's voice and chuckled. The young man and war courier victor sure had a sense of humor. "Door's open," he called out before his attention was drawn back to the game show. The private may have been able to hear him answer a clue, "Who is Giovanni Paoli?" as he played along with the game show.

Were Eddie to open the door and step into the room with his Growlithe, Mastema would shoot them a stern glance before resuming his hovering next to Josh, watching the show alongside him. "What is apotheosis?" he answered another clue before waving toward his friend with his good arm. "Hey, Eddie. Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot. You ever watched this show?"

Eddie was in luck; unlike the last time Josh was in the hospital, where he ached all over his body, it was just the one side. "Yep. This show's been around since before my parents were born," Josh answered as the show went to a commercial break after the first round was over. "The same person hosted that show for almost fifty years. Cancer took his life a few years ago, and now they have a former champion hosting it. Bennie, I think his name is. Was on for something like 80 shows in a row not long before I was born." Josh's best categories involved science and topics covered in school. "This is a Masters tournament, though. They gotta come up with clues that stump even the best in the world."

Josh reached for the stuffed Raikou and stuck the RAINBOW FEATHER containing the Sacred Ash Raikou between the tufts composing the toy's white mane. "This is... exactly like the one that Ho-oh..." he trailed off, cuddling the soft, yellow tiger. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

The long pause cause Josh's attention to briefly shift to a car commercial that made him laugh. One of those stupid car commercials that makes the masses wonder what kind of brain was needed to come up with it.

"Not bad, all things considered," the Champion answered. "You know this is my third time in a hospital bed since I came to Hoenn, right? When I got shot with Bullet Seed last fall, that was way worse. I can at least move without being in pain. Just gotta have Mastema shower me with Life Dew every few hours." His eyes shifted toward the feather again. "In a way, though, I'm dreading getting out of here, too. Cause... well, you know about the feather now, right?"

Josh sat up just high enough to slip the Raikou onto his shoulder, his eyes shifting toward its face's soft yellow, blue, white, and gray embroidery periodically. "The world knows now, you know," Josh sighed. "I've been chasing Raikou since I was eleven years old, you know? The winter before last with Kyle, he brought his Raikou to my 24th birthday at Mauville Gym. And I got to race it across all of Hoenn. It was the most freeing, liberating thing at the time. And overwhelming. Just try to imagine riding a Pokémon that can run at...oh, around half the speed of sound."

The memories of Kyle came flooding back to him. That day, the Galar memory, their days searching for Chien-Pao at the Ancient Tomb between Fortree and Lilycove, and the day he got to race the Emergent's ashen Suicune across the waves surrounding Dewford.

"And now, I can experience it myself at will... once I get out of this Arceus-damned hospital," Josh barked, hissing as his left elbow bonked against the railing. "Owwwwww!"

After some heavy breathing, and clearing the anxiety from his mind, Josh tilted his head toward Eddie. "Come see me from time to time is all. Once I'm in rehab, I'm gonna need help too. I'm probably gonna have to learn to ride with only one arm for a while. Not even fast - just riding and balancing at all."

His eyes shifted back to the television as the show returned from a commercial break.

"Since I was a kid, I've dreamed of riding on the fastest Pokémon in the world. And now, I have the fastest land Pokémon in the world... and I can't."

Josh shrugged in embarrassment with his right shoulder as Eddie leaned in, chiding him for his behavior. At least the rest of his body was strong enough for him to shift farther toward the right ever so slightly. He didn't feel completely immobile and helpless, unlike last time. "And I think I'm gonna need to learn sooner than later. I'll probably still be in rehab when this war begins... and the war's not gonna wait. Eddie, I'm a Champion now, you know? Hoenn's relying on me to fight Rocket. Even if I'm feeling well enough, but not 100 percent."

Josh grimaced at how much Eddie implied the League had been working him. "You're in Law Enforcement, right? They're gonna make you fight in the war. You won't get a choice." He trailed off, his arm starting to thump less and less. Without the miracles of Pokémon and modern medicine, a full arm amputation would have been the only option.

Pokémon really did have limitless possibilities, didn't they?

"I know, but once we're at war, soldiers like you are gonna depend on me for intel, medical supplies, and the like. Remember when you came to my Gym? Swift and I are gonna be doing that on a real battlefield. The Raikou's name is Swift."

Navy , MATIAS SILPH , Callan Young , and many more had shown Josh that his place in the war was not on the front lines. Hideo Kino , Greyson Connors , and still others had shown him that intelligence was not his place, either. He was a supplier. A supplier with a potent weapon in the making. For that weapon to reach its full potential, he had to fight his own war. The war against himself.

"And Eddie, worst case, there's room for two on his thundercloud."

"It's why we get paid the big bucks," Josh laughed, trying not to move his left shoulder. "Before long, they'll be knocking on my door for AQUA... which I'm not too thrilled about. When I first came to Hoenn, being on that task force was a dream... but now, I'm not so sure. It seems so stressful. Even so, as a Champion, I'll probably end up working with them a lot."

Josh grimaced at Eddie's revelation. "...Military? That's even worse. I never could do that." He had stood in for them during the battle of RESURFACED TREASURES. He took many Rockets' lives that day. Having that much blood on his hands was a burden he did not want to bear, even if it was done in the name of the League. That was why he switched roles to be a supplier.

Josh guffawed. Eddie sure was blunt, if anything. "I gotta learn how to handle him, anyway. Why not? Just don't throw up on my back is all I ask," he joked.

At least Eddie was in high spirits about his career path taking him into the military. To each their own; everyone had their own ways of contributing to the League's war effort. Josh had the courier challenge that Eddie had aced. He had experience in many roles in the warzone, and had found his specialty. "The closest thing I do to Law Enforcement is I help with police chases on occasion. People think they can drive a buck thirty on Route 110 and get away with it... they don't know just how fast my Pokémon really are." Josh scowled at Eddie's self-deprecating remark. "You're no bozo! You're one bright guy, and you're strong. And your head's in the right place. You'll go far. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll lead a Gym."

The positivity and absurdity continued, Josh laughing when he heard his friend's mild retort. "Either way, this is what Kyle let me do a couple years ago when I first met Swift. It feels like I'm really carrying on his legacy by returning the favor to other people. And who knows? If you two get to know each other, maybe you'll get a hand at the reins, too." Those reins would not be only metaphorical. Due to the condition of his arm, they would be physical, too. He disliked the idea of physically controlling a legendary Pokémon, but with his arm banged up so badly, he would not have a choice.