Josh tugged sharply backward on Voja's reins as he saw the fallen tree on the road, the dark-type canine extending his claws toward the ground to slam on the brakes. The Mightyena reared before baring his fangs toward what now appeared to be an Alolan Exeggutor, towering above mount and rider.

The tall man could easily make eye contact with Josh, even when the Champion was in the saddle, due to his height advantage. "None I can spare for free, but if you're looking for work, Mauville Gym's hiring," was the semi-snarky answer Tangaroa would get. "Great pay and great benefits, long as you don't mind being around a bunch of big Pokémon."

The Type: Null, however, wasn't nearly as friendly; as though he could sense the tall man's malice, he raised a paw toward Tangaroa and his Pokémon preemptively. It took a quick hand from Josh to get Aleph to stand his ground.

Josh guffawed at the Alolan's ignorance. "Work there? You're talking to the Gym Leader," the young man answered, Aleph growing more and more wary by the moment. He was not afraid of Huzu's musculature, too... for those with such strength often lacked in agility. With how fast his Pokémon were... good luck taking advantage of all that strength.

The Exeggutor would be able to frisk out a typical lower-upper class man's possessions, such as a loaded wallet... but the most unique find would be a RAINBOW FEATHER that would glow all seven colors when exposed to sunlight.

"You're barking up the wrong tree. I'll only warn you one more time. You're messing with a Gym Leader, a League official. If you want to end this the hard way, I promise you that it won't end well for you."

Josh sighed deeply, sliding off Voja's back. "I tried to stop you... but if you really want to go a few rounds, then you leave me with no cnoice. Voja, let's make this quick, okay?" The Gym Leader turned toward his Mightyena and briefly cuddled with the giant hound before getting ready for a battle with this fool in front of him.

"DOUBLE TEAM!" Josh ordered, Tangaroa Emzar made to witness what may have been the fastest Mightyena in all of Hoenn. The move meant to disorient foes was just as much of a signature move as Quick Attack was to him. Depending on how keen the Alolan Exeggutor's vision was, it may have been helpless against the high-speed assault to come!

The dragon-type seemed to have a sixth sense, able to detect which Mightyena was real and pound into her with a powerful DRAGON HAMMER. While it did not bury the dark-type, it did leave her disoriented and throbbing. Conditions she thrived in. Used to being an underdog after taking one hit, the Mightyena, only able to see out of one eye for the moment, flexed her legs as though she was getting ready to leap.

"ASSURANCE."

Springing toward the dragon-type with jaw and claw pointed squarely in its direction, the Mightyena looked ready to tear into the tree-dragon the best she could. "Not bad," he faked a compliment. The dirty fighting didn't go unnoticed, and if things spiraled too out of control, he always had the sacred Pokémon inside the RAINBOW FEATHER as his ace in the hole.

As powerful as Voja's claws and fangs were, the Alolan dragon remained standing. The dark-type's unceasing aggression would continue, raking at the grass-type until it drove the Mightyena into the dirt with a WOOD HAMMER. Shaking and helpess, what with two of her legs pounded into the dirt, Josh sighed and recalled the exhausted, whimpering Pokémon.

"You're a lot stronger than I anticipated you would be," Josh answered as he reached for his belt. Before he could detach one of them, Aleph would bolt toward Hunu's Pokémon, leaping toward it with outstretched claws and talons in a brutal-looking X-SCISSOR.

As a Gym Leader, Josh enjoyed regulated Pokémon combat. He loved the finer arts of a Pokémon battle surrounded by referees and safeties in case the Pokémon got a bit too into their match. He fought with honor. For months and even years, that honor was extended even to his enemies -- those in war. Those on the other side of the aisle. Since being exposed to multiple battlegrounds in Dewford, he began to realize that there was no getting Rocket to repent for what they had done. To fight fair.

Sometimes, even the most honorable fighter needed to get his hands red with blood if he wanted to come out ahead against a foe who did likewise.

"That's not me doing that," Josh casually excused Aleph's ruthless behavior as the Normal-type bled. "That's all him. And he's got eighteen of my best friends living on inside him. Two of which... gave their lives for him." The dark-type cat was nimble, that much was certain, and would easily be able to avoid a swift kick from him as he rolled onto his feet, blood trailing behind him. "TRI-ATTACK."

Distancing himself from the Torracat, the spikes on Aleph's retainer would glow red, yellow, and blue in a three-pronged attack. While it would not burn or freeze the fire-type, it might leave it a lot less limber than before...!