As Eriette galloped through the sleepy town, passing Littleroot Gym, Josh scowled; why couldn't Hideo Kino accept that perfection was not possible in war time? Mauville's Leader had learned the hard way that saving everyone was impossible. Why did the psychic child insist otherwise? When every second mattered, being able to make a snap judgment call that saved the most lives was important.

After the Eris incident, it was clear the two would never see eye to eye.

As soon as he heard Keenan Toral 's voice, the Master of Faster reined the Spectrier to a stop, the Pokémon rearing and sounding a ghostly neigh. "Hey, Kee! Fancy running into you here!" Josh greeted the young trainer, though the sudden change of emotion may have been obvious if the blonde was paying attention. "You and your Shaymin lookin' great!"

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

Keenan didn't recognize the Pokemon Josh was on. That made him more excited. Houndoom gave a friendly bark in hello, while Shaymin rose one paw up and waved from Kee's head, looking at Josh's own mop of black hair. "Hehe thanks! It's a bit of a handful, but it's good! I'm hoping to train it a bit so I can pair it with Houndoom for a double battle here! Ace already got Hideo Kino's gym badge. He's been...going at it pretty hard. He almost has eight." Compared to his measely two. Then again, he'd been enjoying some things first before moving on to his next challenge. He still hadn't decided where at though.

"That aside, what Pokemon is this?! I've never seen one before!" Kee took out his Pokedex to check it out. Spectrier. The swift horse pokemon. And a sorta depressing and scary one at that. It...sorta made him pale a little bit. Suddenly and without warning, Shaymin jumped from Kee's head to Spectrier's to Josh's. And attempted to make Josh's head its next nest, checking out the man's hair and head for a comfy nap. "Shaymin!" Kee wasn't able to grab the little guy in time before it hopped off.


Josh Devlin

"Ah, the Gym grind," Josh mused. "Reminds me of my own road to Champion Rank. It was a long and hard one. Almost two years long." Becoming a Champion was one of the most rewarding, confidence-boosting things Josh had accomplished since being trapped in Hoenn underneath Meteno's barrier in the first place. Once his recovery had completely passed, he would be on cloud nine, demonstrating to Hoenn why he was indeed the Master of Faster. "What about you? How's your own grind going?"

As Shaymin jumped onto Eriette's head, the Spectrier reared in fright and vanished, taking Josh and the grass-type with him. They reappeared on Kee's opposite side in a demonstration of PHANTOM FORCE -- a thrill-inducing jaunt through the ethereal. Once his heart had calmed down, the Gym Leader answered Keenan's question. "Eriette is a Spectrier, and I'm training her to be the fastest of her kind in Hoenn," Josh answered.

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

Josh mentioned the gym grind. And that made Kee depressed. Josh did his in two years, and became a champion ranked trainer. The blonde hadn't gotten far. Two years...and two badges only. Just what in the world was he doing all this time? Of course, Josh asked about his own gym grind. "It hadn't proceeded at all..." He felt very small, with hands behind his back, shoulders up, and his left foot making circles. He could say a lot of things, but they just sounded like excuses, even to him. Kee could already hear Ace tear into him. How embarrassing...he was supposed to be the big brother! As he started to yell at Shaymin, the trio disappeared.

Only to reappear behind him, making Keenan jump. Once Josh's heart had calmed down, he answered Kee's question, even as Shaymin ruined the gym leader's hair style. "Cool! I know you can do it, you've got a lot of awesome speedsters! I'm assuming it's a ghost-type? Ace would want one for himself..." Being a ghost-type specialist and all. "And sorry about that...Shaymin likes to lay on heads and make nests..." It was a wierd character quirk of the grass-type. But it was also super cute!


Josh Devlin

Josh frowned upon hearing the bad news, remembering when his Johto gym grind came to a screeching halt from not being able to defeat Olivine Gym. "Is there a particular Gym that's giving you trouble?" Josh asked. "Some of the Gyms even gave me trouble. I actually got declined from Hideo Kino 's Gym. That's why there are ten of them and you need eight." He was counting Minor League gyms, which were a great starting point for less experienced trainers.

Eriette snorted as Hylda walked alongside her, the two Galarian horses perhaps a bit imposing for other bystanders clearing out of their way. "She is a ghost-type. That's why she can take me on an ethereal jaunt. There aren't a ton of ghost-type ride Pokémon. Dragapult is one of the only others that can do what she does." The Shaymin was cute; Josh had come into possession of one quite some time ago, but couldn't justify keeping it on his team. He wondered how it was doing in Evette Moreau 's hands. "What brings you to Littleroot, if I may ask?"

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 3}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

Josh asked if there was a particular gym giving him trouble. "No? I haven't...challenged one...since your's..." Though he was really close to challening noah faber again. But he honestly hadn't even looked at the queues for the gyms in a while. Though it was surprising that Josh had gotten declined by Hideo. "Really? How come?" Kid seemed like a good kid, not a mean bone in his body. Seems like you can never know these days.

The dark haired man confirmed that Spectrier was a ghost-type. Even lamenting that there weren't many ridable ghosts out there. At least at a decent speed. "Visiting my parents. They live just outside city limits, to the west of the theater. Figured since it'd been a while, I'll pop in and check up on them. Wanna come with? They always like visiters, assuming dad's in from an archeological dig. And it is getting close to lunch, mom always makes too much, so it's no big deal if you join us." Kee started to walk in the direction while looking at Josh. He'd probably have to clarify that Josh wasn't his boyfriend or something, but they were always welcoming.

Assuming the master of speed joined him, they'd soon get to the two story house, the entrance guarded by a Walrein, who waved at the duo, an Arcanine, who barked in their direction, and Kee's Houndoom trotted over, and lastly, an Armaldo happily munching on a watermelon. "That Armaldo means dad's home! He uses a lot of fossil Pokemon or those often found at dig sites." He could already smell something amazing coming from an open window. Out the door came a rather round woman with tears in her eyes. Kee met her in a huge hug...


Josh Devlin

The young man frowned, about to reveal some... troubling information. "I think he's still holding a grudge against me about the Eris incident last Spring. You know... the one that got me suspended for three months," Josh brought up, perhaps jogging Kee's memory from when the story was eventually covered in the news. "I've been judged for it. Done my time for it. Since becoming a Champion, I've changed. I would re-challenge his Gym. But with me being a Champion, there's no point. Champions aren't supposed to challenge Gyms other than through official inspections." There was also the issue of Josh's violent tendencies when cooked to extreme pressures, but that was a whole different issue. He had mostly overcome it; the last time he had lashed out in such a way was under the influence of the Ruinous Three, particularly Elisabeth Fiorelli .

"Sure! I'll come with to see your folks," Josh agreed, holding Eriette to a pace where Kee could keep up with the ghost-type horse easily. The Gym Leader cooed as he watched the child and his mother embrace one another. He waved toward the Arcanine and Houndoom, the expert trainer particularly fond of those species. As much as he wanted to introduce himself, he would wait until Kee drew his family's attention to the guest of honor. Aleph growl-purred toward the Arcanine, seemingly looking for trouble...

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

The incident didn't ring any bells. But it sounded bad. Josh took his punishment like a man and changed. Definitely doesn't always happen...some people do not learn from their mistakes. He did agree with the sentiment of being a champion ranked trainer. Why challenge a gym outside of an inspection? Makes no sense. Well, off to his folks' place they went!

While his mother was glad to see him home, his father came out with a grin as well, looking at Josh with a raised eyebrow. "Hey Kee! What's happening?" And desperately trying to sound hip and cool while failing miserably. His mom stood back, beaming. Then she also noticed Josh. Keenan can already see the wheels turning in their heads. "No no no nonononono! It's not what you think! Yes, I've gotten a boyfriend, no, it isn't him! This is Josh Devlin, the gym leader in Mauville City and ranger captain there I think too." Both parents huffed in disappointment. His father did look at Josh a bit more warily though. Did he know about the Eris incident?

"Well, you best bring him over at some point. In the meantime, hello, Champion Devlin! Nice to meet you, come on in! We got lots of space for your Pokemon as well, feel free to let them roam!" Keenan was already throwing his remaining four pokeballs, showing a Tyrantrum, Steelix, Wartortle, and a Vikavolt. "The grounds are really huge, we got three cabins out back and a Pokemon battlefield. There's more than enough room!" Kee happily went inside, even as Mrs. Toral became a bit pushy at getting Josh down and joining them for lunch. Of which there was plenty of! Mostly bbq, but there was some fish there too.

As they were eating Keenan did ask Josh some questions. "So who gave you the most trouble when becoming champion?" There was the Elite 4, and then the champion himself, kyle lopez. Though that also now included Melody Miro when the man was gone or otherwise absent.


Josh Devlin

Josh slid down from Eriette's saddle, nuzzling the Spectrier affectionately before facing the elder Torals. "Great to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Toral. I'm actually not the captain of Mauville. I'm annalise henderson 's second-in-command," he corrected. "But I do take on her duties when she's unable to. I will take you up on your offer; this is quite the impressive ranch. Other than the Gym, Mauville really doesn't have large properties like this. It's what happens when geography forces you to build up instead of out." Perhaps one day, Mauville City would get a fourth level and beyond, at least toward the city center.

Heading back to the grounds, Josh let his Glastrier and Type: Null run loose too, the latter looking to spar with the Tyrantrum. For the moment, he kept Swift contained within the RAINBOW FEATHER. He didn't want to scare them, though by now many in Hoenn probably knew that the feather was indeed the Raikou's vessel.

With his three Pokémon running around, Josh joined the Torals for some pulled-pork sandwiches lathered in barbecue sauce. "Your cooking's wonderful," he complimented. "I didn't think anything would beat the Checkered Flag's pulled pork sandwiches, but these do." He turned back toward Keenan. "The one who gave me the most trouble was, by far, Callan Young . If he didn't step down, I don't think I ever could have defeated him."

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 5}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

Josh corrected Keenan. "Either way, nice to meet you in person. I work with a lot of rangers during my archeological digs, especially the Mauville branch for out in the desert. This isn't a ranch though. We just like having a lot of space, and occasionally rent out the two cabins out back for a little extra spending money." There wasn't any fences afterall. And wasn't uncommon for wild Pokemon to show up randomly. Besides the Spectrier, there was another horse like pokemon that Keenan didn't recognize and another one that he didn't know either! What the heck! The one mashup of creatures one looked like it was trying to spar with his Tyrantrum. For which she obliged. He wanted to use her in a gym battle one of these days...

Kee's mother beamed at the compliment. "Oh thank you dear! I've made lots, so eat your fill and be more than happy to take some with you!" The round woman was quite the cook, and had no problem sharing the meals she made to others. Kee and his brothers all encourage others to take some, since a good portion would otherwise go to waste. Then Josh answered Kee's question. Callan Young? "Wasn't he a gym leader too? I think Ace battled him...name sounds familiar in that regard."

Kee's father was patient. There was a dig he wanted to go to, but the problem was the atmosphere. Like something was coming. He wouldn't mind talking to the ranger at some point, but best to stay silent for now.

Josh Devlin

"Oh, I'm sorry," Josh apologized. With how much space there was and the two cabins in the back, it sure seemed like they had an entire estate at their fingertips. "Even so, the hospitality is appreciated." He waved Aleph off to spar with the Tyrantrum, brandishing his CRUSH CLAW against the dragon-type. Though he was at a disadvantage and would not likely win, it helped the Type: Null refine his skill, understanding his strengths and weaknesses all the better. "I will," he accepted the woman's offer, certain they would taste fine reheated.

Turning back toward Kee as he heard Hylda's heavy-sounding hoof clacks, Josh filled him in on what happened. "Yes, he was Lilycove's Gym Leader before lam logan took over. He was the one that taught me all the counterplay to Trick Room. Our Gym Battle actually took place in a Trick Room. It was one of the most disorienting things I've ever experienced." He remembered the battle well; it was like having his own team's strengths turned against themselves: a Slowbro that moved at lightning speed while his own Pokémon charged at a crawl through the distorted space.

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 6}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

Kee's dad waved it off. It wasn't a huge deal or anything. Most outsiders didn't even know they were there. What was funny was that Tyrantrum countered with Dragon Claw. Little hands with glowing claws clashed with the other's claws. Kee didn't see the end result, but she was just as likely to test her own skills against the unknown Pokemon.

Josh replied as they ate. The guy was a gym leader, Lilycove's before Lam Logan took over. Even taught Josh about the Trick Room strategy. "You've already dealt with a Trick Room strategy? What did you think of Aaron's use of it? If I remember right, he didn't lose a single Pokemon...where I won only by a technicality." There was jealousy there. Ace didn't even utilize any gimmicks! At least not in that match. But the blond wallow too much into it. "The real world is more than just regulation battles though. Team Rocket likes to fight dirty and utilize more than one Pokemon at a time. Even their entire teams if necessary. They're not ones to be trifled with. I would have thought you'd learn that from experience, Kee. Aaron evidently hasn't...and hopefully never will." Kee's dad spoke up between BBQ baked beans and his sandwich. Not knowing that Aaron had, in fact, taken on Team Rocket multiple times. And forgetting the attack on Littleroot.

His mom corrected that oversight. "Correction, he snuck out while we were hosting many of our neighbors and other civilians evacuated from Littleroot proper during the Meteno incident. I don't know where he went, but at least he was unharmed when he got back. I do worry for him a lot on his travels..."

"Mom! Dad! He's earned more gym badges than I have! Face facts, he's an accomplished trainer! right Josh?" His parents' overprotective side was peering out over Aaron. While it may have saddened Kee that they parted ways so soon, it was planned that they would. Otherwise the youngest Toral would have never been able to go off on a journey. Maybe some outside opinion would help on that front.



Josh Devlin

The dragon-type and normal-type's claws clashed with one another harshly, parrying every blow. Their battle sounded like two master swordfighters going at it. "What got me was his use of Trick Room combined with ghost-type Pokémon," the Gym Leader replied. "Some Pokémon attacks are so fast that Trick Room doesn't affect them. Almost all of them cannot scratch ghost-types. That's why the battle was more of an embarrassment than anything. He devised the perfect counter-strategy and won my Badge with it. You see, part of being a Gym Leader is also learning from your challengers." Even as a Champion, the learning never stopped.

The talk quickly turned back to the war and the underhanded tactics Rocket used. Tactics Josh was more than familiar with after being in multiple warzones. "It's the reality of the world we live in," the Gym Leader replied with a shake of his head. "One of the purposes of the Gym Challenge is to expand Hoenn's army, navy, and air force. When the call of duty comes, those with many Gym Badges are considered first. It's part of how I wound up becoming a war courier. Participating in the war doesn't necessarily mean being on the front lines. Aaron will find his place. And Kee, I'm sure you will, as well. You've got a specialty, too. Find it and make use of it. Someone up top will appreciate you and come to you."

Josh wanted to apologize to Kee's parents for the recruitment talk, but the words would not come to his mouth.

---

Keenan Toral

{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Eriette       Spectrier      Good
Hylda         Glastrier      Good
Swift         Raikou         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good