[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 9, 2024 3:33:31 GMT
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With Josh's parents having moved away from Johto, there was little reason for him to routinely come to his old homeland anymore. He didn't have the connection to Goldenrod that he once had. Even so, coming back would be a nice trip down memory lane. One he needed after being locked away in two prisons, one during April, and one during May.

Though his arm looked better, not needing to be supported by bandages anymore, it was still vulnerable and needed to be used with care. There would certainly be no blasting across the land at breakneck speeds, unless it was on the back of a psychic Pokémon. He had Tyrfing to get his fix of high speed, though he still could not fully control the Paradox Pokémon outside Area Zero.

North of the gates, he had already drawn Swift from the feather that was his last memory of the late Top Champion, the Mauville Leader gleefully sitting astride the large feline. "Since my arm's not ready to handle going really fast yet, shall we enjoy the scenery from Goldenrod to Ecruteak? Maybe we could even stop by Goldenrod National Park," Josh suggested. "They supposedly have bug catching contests twice a week. Maybe Pon would like competing in one!"








{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
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2,127 posts
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Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 9, 2024 14:04:04 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
The Johtonian landscape was nothing short of idyllic. Being smaller than Sinnoh, the whole region felt cozier and more rustic. Its people were friendly and easy-going, a stark contrast from how tense things were back home.

“I don’t mind enjoying the scenery! This must feel pretty nostalgic to you, doesn’t it?” Said Andrea, who rode her Shiny Gyarados alongside Josh and his Raikou. Despite its monstrous size, the scarlet sea serpent was light as a feather, allowing it to glide with the wind as if it were a Hoppip.

At the mention of a contest, the young woman looked down at the little Ogerpon nestled in her arms. “What do you think, Pon? Would you like to do some bug catching? You might get to fight a Pinsir or a Scyther if we’re lucky! Wouldn’t that be fun?” She asked.

“Pon!”

Based on that response, the ogress was ecstatic at the idea of squashing some bugs with her cudgel. Either that, or she was crying tears of joy because flying on a Gyarados was the coolest thing ever conceived.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 9, 2024 18:55:56 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
The sight of Whiskers brought Andrea to ease. As much as Josh wanted to invite her aboard Swift, he didn't want her to get anything less than the full experience of being astride the electric tiger. In his eyes, she deserved nothing less than a full Extreme Speed sprint. The time for that would be later, not now; with how his recovery was going, he expected it might not be until next year.

As Andrea had urged him multiple times, he had to take care of himself, too.

"It is," Josh answered. "It brings me back to the first time I rode Saber through here, when I was... twelve, I think. Sometimes, I wonder what twelve year old me would have thought of seeing me now, on a Raikou's back like this." He tilted his head toward Pon, wondering how much the ogress would enjoy high speed. It would be something to ask Andrea about later.

Several trainers hunting for Pokémon, or even just having friendly skirmishes with one another, stopped and stared at the ashen Pokémon in awe. To see one of their gods wandering about with a trainer in tow was breathtaking, reminding him of his first encounter with and Entei.

As Pon let out an excited cry, Josh squeezed Swift's sides a little more tightly, pushing the Raikou to a quick trot. It was as fast as Swift could go without breaking into a run, and his rider's arm could not yet withstand the force behind the big feline's flexing back. Even so, he was free to imagine the god of speed shooting across the land as fast as a lightning bolt. "Whoo-hoo!" he hollered as the large park's entrance came into sight.








{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
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2,127 posts
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Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 10, 2024 9:56:24 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
Learning about the Mauville Gym Leader’s childhood and his relationship with his Manectric was quite wholesome. “Wow, you’ve had Saber for that long? Reminds me of when I first met Chomper! I bet little Josh would be proud!” Andrea wistfully remarked.

She wondered what the Raikou rider might have looked like back then. Probably small and adorable. If she ever met Mr. and Mrs. Devlin, she would definitely pester them to show her Josh’s baby pictures.

Many of the locals recognized the legendary beast, flocking around them with curiosity and awe. For once, the Pokémon cosplayer was not the center of attention. A very light sprint was all it took for the thunder cat to outrun them. “Whoa, wait for us!”

It was only a matter of time before their group reached the park’s entrance, whereupon Andrea dismounted her Gyarados, putting the red leviathan back into its ball. “Is there even a contest going on today?” The dragon-costumed girl inquired.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 10, 2024 19:13:57 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Saber was a Pokémon that was very special to him. He picked an Electrike for his very first Pokémon because a Manectric was as close as he felt he would get to riding a Raikou. Then, he met , who traded him Raikiri. And now, he was living his dream, albeit a restrictive version of it due to multiple constraining circumstances. Even so, he loved every moment of it. If Andrea really wanted to meet Josh's parents, she could do so more easily; they had moved from Johto to Hoenn last holiday season. "Saber was actually the first Pokémon I got when I was ten. It took a couple years for him to evolve, but when he did, that was when my passion as a Pokémon racer really took off. I did bring him with me; maybe I'll use him for the contest instead of Swift."

The electric Beast's trot was fast enough to outpace Whiskers, putting on display just how much speed he had in him. It was speed Josh longed to harness. He had chased Raikou for almost fourteen years; what was waiting a few more months before he was strong enough to lean into the wind and ask Swift to floor it? The day he could was something he earnestly looked forward to.

"There's a contest every Tuesday and Thursday, if memory serves," the Johtonian answered as he reined the Beast to a stop, preparing to dismount. Even if there was a contest going on today, he doubted the staff would let him enter a Raikou into the event...








{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
awards
2,127 posts
part of
TAG WITH @andreavaneau
Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 11, 2024 20:17:07 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
Maybe one day Andrea would tell Josh the story of how she had met Chomper. It was a shame that such a pivotal moment in her life was only known by the League’s Calyrex.

For now, they would entertain themselves with this regional contest. Oh, if only could have been there to flex his epic bug catching skills.

“I don’t think they’ll let Swift enter, but Pon is probably safe, right?” After all, who would ever suspect such a cute little critter of being a legendary Pokémon?

The childlike Oni had already reconfigured part of her Ivy Cudgel into a makeshift net, and was eager to start.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 12, 2024 2:01:19 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Perhaps that day would come sooner than they thought; Josh had also shared some of his most personal moments with the League's Calyrex: the one that traveled with . "Only one way to find out," Josh answered as he approached the park's south entrance, the warden taken aback by the legendary Pokémon he was sitting on. "We're here to enter the Bug Catching Contest," he asked. "Can I enter with a Raikou?"

The attendant shook her head. "Unfortunately, entering with a rare Pokémon is against the rules, and Raikou is on the list of prohibited Pokémon." Frowning, Josh drew the Beast back into the RAINBOW FEATHER, swapping him out for Saber. The thundercloud-shaped saddle the Manectric wore was almost indistinguishable from the one Swift carried, other than the color. It was the true color of a Raikou's thundercloud. They didn't stop Andrea and Pon; was Ogerpon such a recently discovered species that it wasn't in the database?

The warden began to explain the rules. "With your single registered Pokémon, you'll have twenty Park Balls with which to catch a bug-type Pokémon, and a half hour to search. You can only catch one Pokémon; if you change your mind, you'll have to release any others you catch. Your Pokémon will be judged based on size, strength, and rarity. There will be prizes for the top quarter of finishers." He also went over the entry fee, which Josh was more than happy to pay.

After paying up, Josh took a seat om his Manectric's back, feeling like a lottery winner from being able to sit in the saddle of a Pokémon and go at more than a brisk trot. He was still not feeling strong enough to handle a big cat's flexing back, but that would come in due time. "Alright, let's get out there and bag a winner! See you in thirty, Andrea!"








{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good
Saber         Manectric      Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
awards
2,127 posts
part of
TAG WITH @andreavaneau
Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 13, 2024 9:06:25 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
Twenty balls was plenty, and with thirty minutes in their disposal, there was enough time to find a rare insect among the common rabble of Caterpie and Weedle.

“Good luck, Josh! See you on the other side!” The young PokéManiac hollered, before making her way to the tall grass. After several minutes of searching, she found it; a wild Heracross sucking the sap out of a tree. “Bingo!”

A Park Ball was thrown to get its attention. Naturally, the giant beetle broke out with ease. “Let’s weaken it, Pon! Play Rough!” The eccentric trainer ordered.

“PON!”

The nimble Ogerpon attacked with a series of kicks. Heracross retaliated with its own Fighting moves, but was quickly overwhelmed by the ogre’s superhuman strength.

“Park Ball, go!” Andrea hurled a second ball, successfully capturing the weakened Bug type. “Yay, we did it!” She cheered loudly.

Pon scooped up the ball in her makeshift net, and with that, the duo made their way to the park’s exit to have their haul rated by the contest judges.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 13, 2024 22:41:54 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Armed with Park Balls and Saber, Josh rode through the brush, keeping an eye out for Pokémon that traditionally scored high. Bug-types were not his forte at all; he owned a few, but not many. He was far from lithe, many winged bugs unable to bear his weight in flight. King Zing had amazing strength to be able to do so, and Josh couldn't wait until his arm was feeling well enough to bumble through Petalburg Woods astride him.

The time passed quickly, and Josh had little to show for his efforts; down to the ten-minute mark, he never made a catch. He was in luck; in the many years it had been since Josh entered the contest, species from abroad had been introduced to the park, making scoring a much more complex affair. Having made his way to the corner of the park, a Larvesta crawled, its oranges aglow bright as the sun. This was quite the rare species that would score well.

With time running out, Josh knew he only had one chance, and he had to make it quick. He slid down from Saber's back, ordering a QUICK ATTACK before the wild could BUG BUZZ. While his Manectric was mid-charge, Josh hurled a Park Ball toward the fire-type. As it sailed toward the wild, encapsulating it, the buzzer sounded. He took his Poké Ball to the judges for evaluation, receiving the bad news.

His capture had not been completed prior to time expiring, so his catch would not count.

"...You're kidding me," the Champion moped, wandering off to track down Andrea. "My catch didn't count. Apparently the Poké Ball has to lock prior to time expiring for it to be legal. Guess I'm scoring a big fat Swanna egg this time around..."








{PC: 5}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good
Saber         Manectric      Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
awards
2,127 posts
part of
TAG WITH @andreavaneau
Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 14, 2024 13:23:38 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
Hoenn’s newest Champion was cursed with bad luck. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t win either.” Andrea tried to comfort him. “The Heracross I caught was female, so its horn wasn’t big enough to impress the judges.”

Ogerpon, too, looked saddened by that development, slumping its shoulders. “Pon…”

With the contest over, the PokéManiac released her captured Heracross back into the wild where it belonged. “Goodbye, Heracross! I still think your horn looks pretty!”

She then re-summoned Whiskers, quickly climbing on the Gyarados’ scaly back for another ride. “No use moping about it. It was a fun detour! Now let’s go to Ecruteak!” The dragon fanatic declared with much enthusiasm.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 14, 2024 21:07:21 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Josh, too, let his catch go at the end of the contest; he had a Larvesta back at his Gym, on the cusp of evolution. There were a handful of Pokémon at his Gym he wanted to evolve and train for riding, and a Volcarona was one of them. He could still not fly per his doctor's orders; if all went well, he expected to be able to soar on his Pokémon in August or September. "The females do have smaller horns, don't they?" Josh asked, remembering that detail from when he was in Ranger school long ago. "It was still fun. I haven't done anything like that in years."

With the competitors having scattered, it was Josh's time to leave, as well. Departing through the park's east exit, he drew the Sign once more, Swift appearing near Whiskers. The Beast crouched and let Josh saddle up, comfortably balanced on the black thundercloud. "Yes, we need to get there before it gets too late." The sun was still warm, but not blistering hot like it was in Hoenn during the summer months.

With a brisk but still comfortable trot, Josh guided Swift alongside Whiskers. "When I'm done with rehab, Swift and I are going to take a bunch of records at Mauville Gym," he drummed up idle conversation as the duo rode north. "Speaking of Gyms, how are you doing with yours?"








{PC: 6}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good
Saber         Manectric      Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
awards
2,127 posts
part of
TAG WITH @andreavaneau
Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 18, 2024 16:56:23 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
As the two friends resumed their trip towards the birthplace of Johto’s sacred beasts, they started to talk about their respective Gyms.

“To be honest, mine’s not doing too hot…” Andrea admitted with a dejected sigh. “With the Champion Assessment postponed, people feel less motivated to try the Gym Challenge, and the minor league has suffered the most because of it.”

At the end of the day, trainers cared more about the Gyms that actually awarded them shiny, official badges. Everything else was all too often considered a ‘waste of time’.

“But enough about that! I can’t wait to learn about Ecruteak’s traditions! Maybe we’ll even stumble upon a mask shop if we’re lucky!” The young woman beamed.

“Poni~!” Ogerpon cried in excitement, positively giddy at the prospect.
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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
awards
7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 19, 2024 5:31:22 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Josh felt that sentiment, as well. "It's been rough here, too; my racing challenge carries Mauville Gym. Appointments for battle challenges go unfilled despite the League's push toward battles. If they pull the plug on that challenge completely... I'll need to scale way back. I have registered it as an independent business in case I have to step down, so the Racing Grounds aren't going anywhere. I'll just have to make some... ugly changes if I get cut off from League funding."

For one, his business would no longer be tax exempt. Second, as a Gym Leader, a lot of his business expenses, such as Pokémon feed, were tax exempt. An enormous amount of Mauville taxpayer PD went to feeding his army of Pokémon. How many did he have now, a hundred and fifty? The grim thought of storing his inactives digitally crossed his mind. He didn't want to think about it. It would be a big change, especially for Pokémon that loved to run.

At least by virtue of being a Champion, he was exempt from the rules restricting how many Pokémon a civilian could own. That was more valuable than even his Raikou. "You're right. Let's see what Ecruteak has to offer! I haven't been here in a bit. Not since... January of last year. With masquerade season coming up, I'd love to find a Raikou mask! Have you thought about going to one together this Halloween? I had dressed up as a Raikou Avatar!" the Gym Leader gushed, smiling at how much of a fantasy hero he looked like in the blue, yellow, and purple getup.








{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good
Saber         Manectric      Good

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played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl
she/her
21
August 10
Fallarbor Town, Hoenn
Asexual
Minor Gym Leader
Ace (Civilian)
5'11" (180 cm) height
5'11" (180 cm) height
I wanna become a Pokémon!
awards
2,127 posts
part of
TAG WITH @andreavaneau
Andrea Vaneau
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 20, 2024 12:19:23 GMT
Andrea Vaneau Avatar
Never in a million years could Andrea have imagined that someone who put as much effort in his challenges as Josh could be having trouble. “Sorry to hear about that. I hope business picks up sooner rather than later.” Because if it didn’t, he could end up like , a former Gym Leader who’d also relied heavily on non-traditional challenges and who’d also been screwed over by the newer regulations.

At the mention of masquerades, the cosplaying aficionado was naturally fully on board. “I’d love to dress up with you! Who knows, by that time, you might even be Raikou’s real avatar!” The girl remarked with a big smile on her face. “Maybe I’ll dress up as Pon this year. We would look so cute together if we wore matching masks!” She added.

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played by

raikourider

Master of Faster
He/Him
25
December 12
Goldenrod, Johto
Straight
Mauville Gym Leader
Champion
Single; Not Looking
6'1" height
6'1" height
"With great speed comes great responsibility."
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7,152 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
[M][C/Andrea][Johto] An Ashen Memory
POSTED ON Jul 21, 2024 1:41:30 GMT
Josh Devlin Avatar
Andrea's comment may have been meant to encourage, but it left Josh with a conflicted expression on his face instead. "When we first met, I wanted to be Raikou's Avatar more than anything in the world. But... we already had this conversation, I think," he tried to recall, unsure if they did or not. "I just like Swift the way he is, and don't want to see him turn into something I don't want him to be." As glorious as it would be, Avatarship came with a cost. It was a cost he had a taste of every time he donned his Sygna Suit. He would intimately feel what it would be like having a part of that bond ripped out of him when the war came around.

"Then let's see if we can find you a matching mask when we get to Ecruteak!" Josh replied enthusiastically as the Tin Tower came into view... and with it, the rustic city's south gate. As soon as the Champion and his Beast climbed over the horizon, Swift's presence turned heads, the two travelers finding themselves on a road whose sidewalks were lined with people gasping in awe not just at a Raikou's presence, but that of the young man using it as a steed, much like the Hero of Johto from folklore Josh treasured.








{PC: 8}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Tyrfing       Iron Boulder   Good
Saber         Manectric      Good

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