[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD DRIFBLIM APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] FLARE BOOST
[attr="class","wildtabox"]EXPLOSION	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]MINIMIZE
[attr="class","wildtabox"]FOCUS ENERGY	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SELF DESTRUCT
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Devlin AIRI WATANABE

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD SLURPUFF APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] UNBURDEN
[attr="class","wildtabox"]FAIRY WIND	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]AROMATHERAPY
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SWEET SCENT	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]STICKY WEB
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Devlin AIRI WATANABE

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

AIRI WATANABE CAUGHT THE DEERLING!

Self-care was something Josh was slowly improving upon in Kyle's absence. He needed to be if he wanted to be a proper Champion and not a martyr. At the mention of wanting to encounter a legendary Pokémon, a sly smile appeared on Josh's face as he plucked the RAINBOW FEATHER from his shirt and twiddled with it, holding Blitz's reins with just his off hand. "They're truly majestic, and I know quite a few people that have befriended one. You'll run into one sooner than later."

Perhaps she would run into Josh's first.

"Correct," Josh clarified as he watched the Ranger appeal to a wandering Slurpuff's sweet tooth. She sure was talented at befriending Pokémon outside combat - a valuable skill for Rangers to have. Josh didn't test his too much, what with him being involved primarily in rescue operations. Even so, he had on more than one occasion befriended a wild Pokémon to ride when the rest of his team was spent. "You're not required to go through the Minor League, but many Gym Leaders were promoted up from it. I was one of them... after only six weeks."

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD GREEDENT APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] CHEEK POUCH
[attr="class","wildtabox"]TACKLE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]COVET
[attr="class","wildtabox"]TAIL WHIP	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]BELCH
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Devlin AIRI WATANABE

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD DUNSPARCE APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] RUN AWAY
[attr="class","wildtabox"]ANCIENT POWER	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]DEFENSE CURL
[attr="class","wildtabox"]YAWN	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SCREECH
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]Josh Devlin AIRI WATANABE

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

AIRI WATANABE CAUGHT THE SLURPUFF!

Josh's heart warmed as Airi recognized the sacred artifact. "I did," he answered. "I was the last person the late Top Champion kyle lopez bestowed the title of Champion on before he passed away. Instead of fighting against his normal team in the title match, I had to battle Ho-oh."

The question about recommended Gym order was one Josh got a lot. "A surprising number of people go to my Gym first, despite how difficult it is. A lot of people struggle following the speed. If you don't come to me first, I would recommend CIAN MAHER 's Weather Gym or noah faber 's Fighting-type Gym. Noah's Gym was the first one I went to, and it definitely made me uncomfortable fighting there. In a good way." He remembered how much he had to improvise in order to battle in the cramped quarters of the fighting-type master's ring.

Before continuing to entertain Airi's questions, Josh noticed ashes falling from the RAINBOW FEATHER's quill, glowing yellow with crackling sparks. Was his subconscious telling him to bless Airi with Swift's presence? He listened to the voice deep within him and began drawing the sign, an enormous crash of lightning falling perhaps uncomfortably close to his acquaintance. When the bright light faded, she was in the presence of a monochrome Raikou, the legendary Pokémon comprised of SACRED ASH.

"Swift here is... a special case."

"It was," Josh replied, followed by quite a bit of silence as he closed his eyes. "The match's video is public now if you want to watch it. I still watch it when I'm feeling depressed and need a little pick-me-up." Ho-oh was not the only legendary Pokémon Josh had to battle that day; he had to prevail against Entei, as well as the very Marshadow he traded the late Top Champion in exchange for another Pokémon that was very special to him. Raikiri, his Zeraora, would be a great stepping stone for him to ride in October to get him ready for Raikou once all the restrictions were lifted.

Airi's confusion was understandable; he had thrown a lot of information at her. "I'm referring to battles or racing challenges at my own Gym," he clarified. "Mauville Gym, unlike many Gyms, doesn't have a dedicated type to it. Instead, all of my Pokémon have very high speed. Until you can follow a battle that moves almost invisibly fast, you have no hope to win." He didn't need a legendary Pokémon to be a tough Gym Leader. His common Pokémon were more than fast enough to confuse those who were not using extremely fast Pokémon themselves. Without that or a strategy for slowing fast Pokémon down, there was little a challenger could do but be overwhelmed.

Airi herself looked overwhelmed in the Johto Beast's presence. "Swift was a blessing that Kyle and the Great One bestowed upon me after our match. It was his last gift to me before he... became a martyr. And I love Swift more than almost anything else in the world." The Raikou sounded an eardrum-rattling purr indistinguishable from thunder, but seemed as well-behaved as a household pet Pokémon.

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD MEOWTH APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] FEMALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] TECHNICIAN
[attr="class","wildtabox"]FURY SWIPES	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]FEINT ATTACK
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SLASH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SCRATCH
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]AIRI WATANABE Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD BANETTE APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] INSOMNIA
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SCREECH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SHADOW SNEAK
[attr="class","wildtabox"]GRUDGE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]FEINT ATTACK
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]AIRI WATANABE Josh Devlin

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

AIRI WATANABE CAUGHT THE DREEPY!

With how close Josh rode his Luxray, he couldn't help but overhear Airi's introspection. "If you put your mind to it, you will," the Champion encouraged her. "I'll put it this way, though... collecting all the Badges you need will be the easy part. Hoenn's Elite Four are among the most talented trainers on the planet. There's a reason all the top finishers in the Vital City Tournament all came from this region." A tournament he was on the podium of: yet another validation of his Champion Assessment being legitimate.

It was clear that Airi had questions about Mauville City Gym. "For both challenges, really. I'll put it into perspective for you: in the racing challenges, you'll likely be riding on a Pokémon that's much faster than legal highway driving speed," he answered with a slowly-developing grin. "There are certainly no shortage of Gyms, and each one tests you in a different way. While type-based Gyms tend to be easier to overcome, a simple team of psychic-type Pokémon will not defeat noah faber , for instance."

Josh's smile turned into a frown when he heard Airi remark about the bond he had with his Raikou. "Swift is... not a real Pokémon," he admitted, having come to grips with the reality that his legendary partner was not truly alive. "He's... a reflection of me, deep down within me. It's why we seem like we're in perfect sync. Even Swift winced, reflecting the pain of Josh's admission. "But he's still precious to me. He's Raikou as I've imagined him to be."

And soon, how the Master of Faster wanted him to be.

All of a sudden, a golden coin ricocheted off Swift's black crown, his grey eyes staring at the Meowth assailant. The Beast purred rumbles of thunder, perhaps even Airi able to feel them. Having realized her mistake, the speedy feline began to flee... but nowhere close to fast enough to avoid the Raikou's QUICK ATTACK. The helpless Meowth screeched, the tiger pinning the normal-type down on her tail; he behaved much like a cat playing with its mouse prey in a similar fashion. Just as the wild began to desperately squirm, Josh rolled a yellow Ultra Ball toward her. "She's quite a bit bigger than your average Meowth," he noted aloud. "I wonder if she'll be big enough as a Persian?"