calls for help frankly could not be ignored.

two helpless citizens whose very livelihood may be at stake were reported to have wiped out from their bicycles. if left unattended, there'd be no telling what would become of them. alas, it was a task suitable for those who deemed themselves capable of challenging the laws of nature - at least on the hoennian side of things. what better way for silverio to gain some much-needed experience out on the fields than an opportunity to save some lives alongside a fellow ranger, and a seemingly more experienced one at that?

the paldean scanned the creatures, all bearing saddles and reins. among them, a critter loosely resembling a bike caught his attention, for it was one he'd gotten familiar with prior to arriving in hoenn. the words of the superior ranger drew silverio's eyes towards him. "you mean...my own pokémon to ride?" considering the inquiry, eyes drifted back towards the cyclizar, then to the pride of pyroar, then to the other ranger once again. silverio's collection of pokémon - here in hoenn at the very least - was painfully limited for the moment.

"i understand what needs to be done, but, i'm afraid i don't have my own helper in that sense at the moment." a shame, really.

---

Josh Devlin

Such were the woes of migrating from region to region; due to the war effort, getting Pokémon across the border was a tedious process. Even two years after immigrating to Hoenn, there were still Pokémon stuck in customs. Classie, his Lapras, was one of them. The paperwork he needed to present was somewhere in the boxes Josh's parents had brought over when they moved to Mauville City, many of which were still unpacked. Until he could procure that paperwork, the Lapras would be stuck in the League's Pokémon Storage network.

"It's okay, Silverino! I've got you covered," Josh replied, gesturing toward the four Pokémon surrounding him. "Goroh, Simba, Kovu, or Kion would be more than happy to let you ride them!" The Cyclizar looked the easiest to control, but could be a bit of a rough ride in the uneven ground beneath Cycling Road. The three Pyroar all looked strong and amazingly fast. If they ever took off, their gaits would be rougher than a horse. Their large, sloped saddles were evidence of just how agile the lions were. "Now my left arm is still healing, so we won't be able to go full gallop on a Pyroar together, but it'll still be a lot faster than walking there." Considering how fast even one of the large males could trot, it might feel like a canter or gallop on a slower Pokémon.

Josh Devlin wasn't called the Master of Faster for nothing!

who...?

eh, never mind that! remembrance of names could wait, but the ailing folks who were potentially in critical condition could not. at this very moment, silverio had immediately begun to regret the decision of retiring his paldean championship-winning team and leaving them well enough at home - with the exception of a certain dual-blade-armed entity of course, but the man could sense that they'd be of no help in this operation whatsoever. upon completion of this objective, silv would need to set a reminder himself to try catching pokémon such as these for himself somewhere down the lines.

his eyes moved, inspecting each of the lions, as well as the lone wheeled reptile-esque creature. in past experiences, cyclizar was not particularly ideal for off-road adventures. "i'll try one of them, then. thanks." he approached one of the massively large pyroar with stilled caution, a hand slowly reaching forward towards it. if there was anything that silv may have learned about animals, or animalistic pokémon for that matter, it was that most would inspect a human in this manner as a means of getting acquainted with them.

"hey there..." he greeted, with nerves plaguing his lightened skin, eyes turning towards its saddle, carefully grasping it with the other hand. suppose that playing with fire and getting burned would have an entirely new meaning. probably not a preferred method of traveling, or at least not under normal circumstances, but it was as silverio had stated himself.

it was what needed to be done, after all.

---

Josh Devlin

As Silverio approached the three Pyroar, it became apparent just how well-behaved they were. They had to be, if they were reliable enough to wear saddles and ferry a wide variety of people around Hoenn by virtue of being affiliated with the Rangers. The smallest of the three, Kion, stepped forward and sniffed silverio delfino 's hand before affectionately purring. The big cat sat down next to the Ranger, beckoning him to mount up. "If you haven't ridden a Pokémon before, I can give you a quick crash course on how to control one. It's pretty simple."

Regardless of whether his apprentice needed the extra assistance, Josh and Aslan would lead the way at a fast trot, the Champion enjoying the breeze in his face. As he headed south, Josh heard a crunch-like sound beneath him. After Josh reined him back, Aslan took a few steps in reverse, revealing a cracked reflector. "This is from the bike. We've got to be close," the Leader advised Silverio. "Keep your eyes open."

"sure i have, just not one of this type..."

bold of him to assume that he's never done anything like this before. back in paldea, riding with a cyclizar on land was a common occurrence, and corviknight was ideal for air rides. but a pyroar on the other hand? one must have possessed something akin to a deathwish if they would even consider it as a means of transportation. most times, it'd be difficult enough to tame or capture one, let alone ride one. for that, suppose that silv ought to give credit where it was due. and there were three of them available at that!

impressive, indeed...

the smallest of the pride appeared to have taken a liking to the man, much to his surprise. and easily enough, silv was allowed to mount the feline without much of a struggle. saddling the cat was one thing, but striding atop of it was another thing entirely - as he would soon learn. with the wind in his face as he grappled the reins as if they were the last thing standing between him and imminent doom, silv and kion sprinted not far behind their party leader. they'd come to a halt just as josh did.

eyeing the indicated clue, the search commenced for any other signs of the victims. a clinking noise would ring at silverio's and kion's feet, prompting the man to lend another look downward. lo and behold..."here...looks like a bike chain; it must've turned loose somehow...something tells me that however this happened, it may not have been accidental..."

---

Josh Devlin

Silverio's hesitation was understandable. Most Pokémon used commonly used for transporation were herbivorous. Equines like Rapidash. Even carnivorous bird Pokémon like Corviknight were easy enough to command. Pyroar, though, were apex predators. They were Pokémon that could unseat and maul their riders at any time. Despite every indication that they were as calm as a house Skitty, the lion species' reputation as an aggressive hunter prevented them from being used more widely as steeds.

There was also the issue of how skillful a rider had to be to properly maintain control of one. A Pyroar's gallop was not for the faint of heart. Kion's strides had great strength behind them, bouncing silverio delfino more than a Rapidash would with each stride. Little wonder he held on for dear life as the two zoomed toward their destination.

As the two lions slinked around like predators stalking prey, Silverio brought to Josh's attention the bike chain he had found. His heartbeat accelerated a few notches. If this was just a lone accident, the chain would have remained intact. "This kind of damage wouldn't happen from a simple fall," Josh replied, their surroundings quiet enough that he could hear Aslan inhaling and exhaling. Their breathing was loud compared to other Pokémon, as their voices were also potent weapons. "See if you can find signs of sabotage, and keep a Poké Ball ready at all times. If you have to, Kion can fight, too." Though he wouldn't recommend Silverio be mounted on Kion in that case; mounted combat was an entirely separate animal to be tamed.

riding a pyroar was unlike any other experience of that nature of which silverio had before. they were fast, unpredictable, and in some cases...uncontrollabe! but strangely enough, control didn't seem to be an issue with this one. at the very least, the scholar was fortunate enough to have not thrown overboard with him falling flat on his behind. it was a rough ride, indeed. but one that he may consider partaking in again, albeit, under far better - calmer, more peaceful - circumstances. in hindsight, he longed for the day where he could live without the thought of impending risks. in his time here thus far, he'd come to learn that hoenn was chocked full of risks.

carefully, silv moved to dismount from the fiery lion and commenced a search for any other clues. if the loose bike chain had told at least a portion of the story here, it was that the damage done to the poor cyclists' wheels may have in fact been deliberate. but if that was to be deemed the case, then it would then be a matter of deduction - who the culprit(s) may be. gloved hands began quietly rummaging through the greens off the road in pursuit of another hint as to what may have transpired.

"could it be that the bikes have been completely dismantled somehow...? if that's the case, then the other parts have to got be around here somewhere...?"

a foul scent suddenly struck the scholar's nose, startling him for but a second. "hey, do you smell that...!?" some form of vapor? steam? gas? smoke? if there was smoke, then there had to be fire.

---

Josh Devlin

Such were the difficulties of riding an apex predator, a Pokémon not built to ferry a human around like a Rapidash or Lapras. They were built for the hunt. Josh took note of Silverio's posture as he rode the blazing lion, and was impressed with how on top of his balance he was, never looking like he was in danger of falling off! It was one of the stickier training sessions Josh put Mauville's Rangers through, as he loaned the big cats out for missions on a frequent basis.

The Gym Leader caught on to the smell, causing him to cough incessantly. He, too, slid down from his Pyroar's back, Aslan exercising caution in following the scent. This scenario reminded Josh of his first Ranger mission with Elinor Anderson , where he had helped the victims of a plane crash get back to Fortree. "I do, and I don't like it," the Champion replied. "Keep your ears open for Pokémon cries."

perhaps the paldea native could be considered a natural in pokémon riding after all, but if he were to receive any form of praise for such a feat, it would have to wait until the mission profile has been completed. and that? judging from the looks of how things may have transpired here, it may be a while before either silv or that apparent riding expert could pinpoint the culprit - if any at all.

the other man's sudden whooping cough raised some concern that could be clearly read on silv's features, but alas, there was no time tend to oneself unfortunately. right now, there were people that needed help, and every second wasted in their search for those ailing folks was a second lost.

small, quiet, calculated steps onward, following suit of the other lion pokémon's trail. after a few minutes, a strange wailing prompted silv's attention. the mysterious scent grew stronger with each step, rendering the man with a hand shielding his nose. "fire...? from a person? a pokémon? or..." the worst case scenario, "...both?"

---

Josh Devlin

Silv had forgotten one thing, and Josh had to a lesser extent: as extensive as their mission objectives were, apprehending any artist of foul play was not one of them. "I smell it, too," Josh whispered back. "But we're losing focus. We need to find them and get them back. We can file our concerns with HQ when we debrief. For now, we need to do what we were asked to do."

It would not take them long to find their victim and what was antagonizing their victims: an aggressive Blaziken standing atop the young man and woman, pinning them down. Several frightened-looking Torchic were running around in a panic. As soon as the fighting-type spotted Josh turning a corner, the wild stared at him menacingly, not at all afraid of the lion Pokémon around him.

"right..."

the objective. it wasn't to find the culprits, rather, it was to locate and free the victims. suppose that one might call this lapse in judgment, something that perhaps any ranger may have experienced at some point, 'a rookie mistake'. as much as he was tempted to insist on investigating further to ensure that those behind it would not commit such an offense again, silverio could not. the less-experienced ranger would hold his tongue, as demoralizing as that may be.

and yet, it would appear that the one responsible would soon present itself, along with the two affected folks in question, demonically eyeing silv's missions partner. "josh, watch out!" he called out, quickly reaching for pokéball at the back of his belt and tossing it, summoning a knight a cerulean flame, donning dual blades for arms. "it looks hostile..."

---

Josh Devlin

All four of Josh's Pyroar loosed NOBLE ROARS upon the nimble fighter. Not even they could get the Pokémon to back down. "A dose of Guard Special?" he asked no one in particular, keeping his distance from the battle. He didn't let that distract him long, though. "An opening, Silverio! Get the couple and treat them while I hold them off!"

That opening would be short-lived, as the Blaziken disappeared into four trailing images that confused all but Aslan, the pride leader. The Shiny Pyroar, trained in high speed better than the other members of his pride, pounced upon the other with an acrobatic BOUNCE -- right into a destructive, four-pronged SKY UPPERCUT enabled by its DOUBLE TEAM. All four lions bellowed in agony, their facial fur stained red from the precise fighting-type attacks that felled them all in a single attack.

Grumbling, Josh had little choice. Plucking the RAINBOW FEATHER from his vest, he swiftly drew the four strokes of the Sign, heralding the visit of an ashen, monochrome legendary Pokémon.

"Patch them up and go! Now!" the Gym Leader ordered.

relief efforts were under way, but at what cost? four proud lions being downed by one clearly ticked-off chicken, but the cats would give way to the paldean to secure the injured folks and escort them to safety. meanwhile, the ceruledge prepared to strike, but was stopped dead in his tracks when...

"come on over and help me get these people outta here!" his trainer called from several feet over, and the dark knight would oblige. albeit reluctantly, for it seemed itself a suitable challenge for that raging fowl. another time, perhaps...

away from the chaos, silverio addressed the afflicted bike riders. "we're here to help you, please remain calm while i have a look at your injuries." ointments to disinfect wounds and bandages to help seal them. part of him would rather play a part in the impending battle, but alas...

his own safety, the cyclists', and that of his peers would take utmost priority.

---

Josh Devlin