Haoyu's response was startling; had he not heard? The disappearences were all over the news. It would have been nearly impossible to not know about them. He wouldn't press Haoyu about it any further; the whole Megalopolan prison was something he wishes he could erase from his memory.

"I do," Josh confirmed regarding his Pokémon collection. "One of my goals is to raise one of every common ride Pokémon. It would be amazing to have every saddle experience the Pokémon world can offer." He had already experienced most of them, given the size of his collection.

The concern was warranted; Josh's Pokémon could hate hit Eddie directly during the challenge. Ironically, as gentle as Togekiss were, they were also incredibly speedy. Provided they curbed their speed, they were a perfect flying mount for an older trainer. "The trials were cleared by the League; I just have to do some additional refining before it can become an official Gym challenge."

"I'm glad you agree with me, but with the increasingly stringent battle requirements for the Champion Assessment, I'd wager the higher-ups don't think so," Josh voiced his opinion on the matter. The upper echelons of the League were within their right to do so, as much as it bugged him. While it was not the only useful skill to have during the war, it was by far the most, which was presumably why Pokémon combat was emphasized so much.

For some, video footage was helpful; for others, hands-on experience was the best teacher. Perhaps Haoyu was the latter in that regard. "Then we can learn by doing. Want to head to one of the battle courts? We can spar a little down there, and I can show you some of my favorite techniques." Provided the older trainer agreed, they would head down to the battle courts in the outdoor Gym's Main Sector. With a shrill whistle, Toralf would come bolting toward the two, his four limbs a blur before sliding to a stop around Josh and his guest.

The battle courts at Mauville City were triple regulation size, giving the Gym Leader's super swift Pokémon plenty of room to run. "I traditionally give the challenger the opening move," the kind yet competitive man answered. @haoyu 's Thwackey seemed not only energetic, but impatient, Toralf squinting and squealing as the loud and high-pitched SCREECH nearly deafened him.

Shaking his head, the giant rodent's yellow cheeks sparked with electricity. As direct as Josh's Pokémon were known for being, overwhelming their foes with speed almost impossible to track, they were more than capable of being tricky, too. When it looked like the Raichu was about to ram the grass-type down with a Quick Attack, Toralf screeched to a stop and puckered his lips, smooching the stick-wielding Pokémon with an electrified SWEET KISS.

This battle would be fast-paced, both sides severely weakened. The grass-type's Screech had left Toralf with an awful weak spot, while the Raichu's foe was too delirious to loose anything other than a haphazard Razor Leaf barrage. The attack was the perfect one to use in such a state, for its wide range would nearly ensure a few nicks and scrapes. Even the rodent's crazy speed would do him little good against such a wide attack. It was a great tactic to use against such a fast enemy.

"Now, build up speed with your QUICK ATTACK!" Josh ordered, the Raichu jousting past Haoyu's Pokémon in an effort to ram it down. Though it may have seemed like death by a thousand cuts was the Gym Leader's tactic, it was only a part of what he had in store. For there was an art that his Gym was all about: the art of harnessing speed to one's advantage. There was one Pokémon technique better at that than any other.

The blinding speed did exactly what it was meant to do: disorient Haoyu and the Thwackey. That there was a saddle on the giant rodent's back showed just how talented the Gym Leader was in the saddle. To even keep the Raichu from crashing was quite the feat, let alone to control him in a race and use him as a mount in battle. Josh had the grass-type on the defensive -- exactly where he wanted him. "Now, ELECTRO BALL!" Josh ordered.

It was arguably more of a signature move than Quick Attack for Mauville Gym, being the one Pokémon attack that specifically took advantage of extreme speed. The faster the user was, the faster and stronger the barrage of projectiles would get. Many of Josh's Pokémon were among the fastest of their kind in all of Hoenn, if not the entire world. The fast and agile Raichu swerved about, his long, bolt-shaped tail whipping spheres of electricity toward the grass-type almost too quickly for even Josh to follow. They would have to get through that WOOD HAMMER first, but any direct huts that got past it might sting quite a bit!

Seeing the Thwackey struggle, Josh called the match off, having seen enough of what the grass-type could do. Toralf zipped back toward his trainer, the young man getting to work re-attaching the Raichu's saddle. "I have to say, I thought the use of Wood Hammer as a defense was creative. It was the reason your Thwackey didn't fall to the volley of Electro Balls." He gave the grass-type a thumbs-up before offering suggestions on ways Haoyu could improve against fast foes.

"I think this is just a rough matchup for you, but I do have a few suggestions for battling really fast foes with your Thwackey. Screech is a good disorienting tactic, but it's not as effective against fast Pokémon because the wind tends to drown out sonic attacks without a physical component. Have you thought about teaching your Thwackey how to use Swift? It's a Pokémon move just about any Pokémon can use, and it's a good hedge against Pokémon too slippery to hit." While a Thwackey might not be able to use it as effectively as other Pokémon, it would be a good fallback.