A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park

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vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 23, 2024 23:09:23 GMT
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This may very well have been the furthest he'd ventured out from his home base in Dewford. He wore what may very well have been the club uniform for his college Volleyball team: A purple and white jersey with a collar and underarm vents, ...suggestive 2 inch inseam shorts to match, and some soft looking sneakers.

Dirk had fired off a DM about this very thing, fingers crossed that Mauville's leader was able to spare a moment for him. For this bright-eyed new recruit. Barring slowly extending a hand to shake, Dirk carefully adjusted his body-language to match Josh's, to establish a familiarity with him. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Dirk. I hope I'm not taking up too much of your time."




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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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7,240 posts
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Josh Devlin
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 23, 2024 23:58:54 GMT
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With Petalburg City having been taken over by Team Rocket, there was sentiment brewing among Josh's Gym employees that Mauville or Rustboro would be the syndicate's next target. Not wanting to be caught in the middle of a siege, several employees had voluntarily left, leaving the racing entrepreneur with no choice but to offer overtime. Overtime he didn't want to pay long-term. As such, he had put out a wave of advertisements looking for help in nearly all of his Gym's positions. was one such applicant.

The young man had caught the Leader returning to the colorful blue, purple, and yellow lobby after getting take-out from the Checkered Flag, a restaurant and bar that had only recently reopened its kitchen after suffering quite a bit of damage in 's recent Dynamax attack on the city. He would not be able to return the handshake, for his hands were filled with a shake and a bag filled with a steakburger and waffle fries. "You caught me getting lunch, Dirk," Josh shrugged. "Great to meet you, though! Gym Leader Devlin or Champion Devlin, but please, call me Josh! What is it you need?"








{PC: 1}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 24, 2024 1:14:47 GMT
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He didn't think he'd have caught him off-guard. Right outside the restaurant, no less. Nonetheless, Dirk saw the tavern sign nearby, and thought for a second, about his own lunch. It was odd, talking on an empty stomach.

Dirk noted that, before looking back to Josh. He paused for a second, mulling it over. He slowly retracted his hand, and placed one on either hip. "I heard there's an opening at the gym. I didn't mean to catch you off-guard, we can chat later if you wanna."




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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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7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 25, 2024 7:02:36 GMT
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Josh's smile grew when he heard Dirk's reason for visiting the Gym. "Indeed, we have quite a few openings. As long as you don't mind me eating in front of you, we can talk employment over lunch -- in my office upstairs!" Provided there were no objections, the Leader would guide Dirk to the Gym's main elevator. Once they were inside, he would make small talk with the candidate. "You must be an athlete, like I used to be. What's your name?"

Once they arrived on the Gym's top floor, the only one with windows on all sides, Josh led him down a hallway and through double-doors leading to a lavish office that was clearly designed to hold a mainframe computer. One of the room-sized ones from the early days of computing. The amount of memorabilia in the room was staggering: small plastic figures, a display of trading cards, some posters, and even a Ride-On plush toy not far from Josh's desk. All of the memorabilia was of a single legendary Pokémon: Raikou.

The Gym Leader unwrapped his burger, put it on one corner of the paper wrap it had been surrounded in, and spilled his waffle fries near the other corner. He took out a sealed ream of printer paper and placed it to one side, resting his shake on top of it. Upon smelling the food, a rather-large Manectric wearing a saddle woke from a nap and walked toward Josh. Even the electric-type's saddle looked like a Raikou's thundercloud. "Oh, Saber, you must have smelled lunch! Here, have a few! I got a large for a reason." He slid a small pile of them for the canine to snack on.

"I see you have an application on file," Josh started after checking League and Gym records. "Currently, we have positions open for Gym Trainer, Pokémon Caretaker, and in Security. Refresh my memory; which of those positions were you interested in?"








{PC: 2}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 25, 2024 19:28:48 GMT
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"That’s totally fine. I’ll eat later." He ended up leaving empty-handed, following Josh towards what looked like the gym proper. He was then led into an office, slightly embarrassed at being underdressed at the time. The elevator ride was slow, giving him time to fold his arms, leaning on the railing and mull over his answer. He rolled to one side for a second, revealing SUMMERS and a big 2 on the back, before resting his back against the elevator again. "Dirk Summers. I played volleyball in college, they let me keep my kit. I live in Dewford, doing that, surfing too.".

He attempted to use his body language to take up more space, command more attention. Dirk sat down, angling his office chair to be at the middle of the desk. He sat up straight with his shoulders back, hands raised and steepling his fingers before his mouth. He thought for a second, nodding and glancing aside. He noted the figurines and such, and felt a connection right away. Another obsessive, with a desire for adventure. His own room was littered with band tees, framed band tees, an acoustic guitar, a surfboard, and a single clauncher plushie on his desk. "Gym trainer. Now I understand your gym is… different. I’ve had incredible luck with picking up strays and raising them. I’ll find something to fit the motif, and the unique thing you offer challengers."




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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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7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 26, 2024 1:47:37 GMT
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Ketchup and mayonnaise oozed out of the bottom of the burger as the Gym Leader took his first bite out of it. Though the Checkered Flag's kitchen was new, their recipe was just as good as it was before. the attack. The meal, though not cheap, was worth every PD he paid. He listened to Dirk's history and was surprised to hear that the jersey was no replica, he played for a real sports team. He had watched Olympic volleyball before, knowing the agility and strength required for the sport. Strength that would serve him well.

One he was halfway done with his burger, he set it down and started to advance through the interview's prompts. After some keyboard tapping and some mouse clicking, he was able to pull Dirk's League profile. "Sounds like you've already done your homework," Josh mused. "Then you must know that you'll need not only Pokémon that are good in combat, but ones that wear a saddle well." Were Dirk to look out the north window, he would see the size of the Racing Grounds behind the office building -- and some of the dozens of saddled Pokémon that belonged to Josh. From the ordinary, humble Rapidash to a gigantic Beedrill that one would have to be quite brave to fly on, nearly every conceivable ride Pokémon was there.

One concern did catch his eye, though. "I pulled up your League file, and I noticed you do not possess any Hoenn League Gym Badges. Do you have any Badges from other regions?"








{PC: 3}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 26, 2024 19:42:57 GMT
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"I’ll figure somethin’ out. I got somethin’ in mind, I just gotta go out there ‘n get it." He glanced outside the window. The racing track laid itself bare, with everyone doing laps to warm up. Dirk’s eyes widened, already thinking about his next move. Some kind of thing he could get on with a saddle. Wouldn’t it be so cool if he could tame something temperamental, a Zebstrika or something. "Give me a week. I’ll find somethin’.".

Then came questions about his qualifications. About his life before Hoenn. Dirk mulled it over, before digging through his wallet. A tri-fold, real brushed leather with worn corners. He then peeled it open altogether, and produced two small pewter coins from one of the pockets. They were stylized like a leaf and a rain droplet respectively. He then rolled his wallet back up, and placed it back in his pocket. "I moved here a year ago, I’ve had a brief run home in Galar. It ran alongside being an athlete for tuition, I also money-matched people for lunch. My Kecleon is a threat, for sure."




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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
7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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Josh Devlin
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 28, 2024 0:39:33 GMT
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A week wasn't terribly ambitious to get a very basic ride Pokémon; it was a sign Dirk knew exactly how long it would take to hunt down one of the many dozens of species that could serve the purpose the Gym needed. Strong but not unrealistic expectations. "I'll hold you to that if we speak again," Josh answered, noting down both the apparent lack of ownership of a ride Pokémon as well as the two Galar League Badges. Hoenn Badges or no, they held the same weight in determining Dirk's prowess. "There are times I wish I could go back to Johto and finish the Gym Challenge there. But with how close Mahogany and Blackthorn are to Kanto, it's too big of a security issue for a Hoennian Champion like me."

After enjoying a few more waffle fries and taking a drink of his shake, Josh cleared his throat before asking Dirk the next set of questions. "Reiterating that a lack of Hoenn League Badges will not disqualify you from consideration. I do need to ask you, though: other than your athleticism and skills with stray Pokémon, what skills do you have that will let you succeed in this position? Why do you want this position?"








{PC: 3}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 29, 2024 22:57:46 GMT
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.He glanced aside, thinking it over for a second. Dirk hadn't even considered that. But he wanted to seem approachable, like he listened. All the while, his mind was racing. "Mmm. I've read about here in the news. What's holding you back there?".

He leaned in, elbows on the table. Dirk steepled his fingers, obscuring. his mouth a little. He took a breath through his nose. What did qualify him for this. "I want this position to give back. I want to make sure the next generation is ready for whatever they're facing. I'm sure you've seen the news. And I think my skills in battle and with raising pokemon are my biggest assets to that."




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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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7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 30, 2024 23:54:23 GMT
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Josh wouldn't mince words as to why he didn't complete his bid for Champion Rank in Johto. "Kanto is still under Rocket occupation," he reminded Dirk. "Most of the remaining Gyms are in eastern Johto, too. If word of my presence there spreads far, I would be too juicy of a target for Rocket to resist. And Hoenn cannot afford to lose me right now." They had already lost a very valuable and active Ranger Captain who went above and beyond for the war effort. The League could not afford another such loss.

Dirk in no subtle motion displayed what Josh thought to be nerves. Nerves that indicated in the Leader's eyes that he had not fully prepared for their interview. When he at last did give an answer, Josh lightly and slowly clapped his hands. "Those are exactly the kinds of people that Hoenn needs. We need those with the drive to defend the region. While it will not be expected of Gym Trainers to help with the war effort, you're exactly the kind of person that will make sure those using the Quick Badge as a medal of honor indeed have the chops to wear it."

Typing with one hand and digging into the rest of his lunch with the other, Josh entered a few more notes about Dirk before continuing on. "Next, can you share with me your greatest success story your skills as a trainer have led to? It doesn't have to be battle or tournament-related."








{PC: 4}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
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dirk summers
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 31, 2024 2:32:05 GMT
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.He thought about home too. In a lot of ways, really. Galar seemed insulated from such a thing, and Dirk had thrown that all away in the pursuit of adventure. Because he was bored. "So, they're-- I get the feeling there's enough going on here as-is, and we can't afford to split our forces, even if you did stand a chance of taking your home back.".

Dirk then leaned back in his chair. He kept his fingers steepled before his face, and nodded slowly. "If nothing else, I want to test people as much as you do. I've read the news about this place before I moved here.

Dirk dug around his belt slowly. He felt like sudden moves would make him look even less prepared. As if he was just hanging out and riffing. He set a pokeball on the table, but didn't open it. "I was out hiking once, when I was younger. I ran into someone hunting Croagunk and taking their poison glands. I dunno what you'd even do with that. Point is, I caught his next mark and fought the guy with my team. She didn't wanna go home after that. I think if I actually saw battle, my first move would be to evacuate civilians and spare any wild Pokemon."




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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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7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Oct 31, 2024 20:27:27 GMT
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Josh's smile grew as he listened to Dirk's resolve, then his story. He was in Hoenn for all the right reasons. He seemed to understand the war. He seemed to understand that Josh could not afford to divide his efforts between his birth region and his new home region. That was part of why he was not as invested as was in Kanto's reconstruction, and to a lesser extent, Johto's.

He finished his food and wiped his hands clean on a napkin before standing up and sitting on the giant Raikou plush's thundercloud again, looking much more relaxed than he did before. "You have the instincts of a Ranger, too. To make a split-second decision to stop a poacher, all on your own accord..." he trailed off. Dirk had impressed him thus far. They thought a lot alike. "If I don't hire you directly, you should have absolutely no trouble getting a job with Mauville's Rangers. I'm sure would love talking to you."

He flicked the Raikou's felt reins and even flinched like one would while riding a jumping mount. He almost looked like a child in an adult's body. "Next, I want you to share one of your most significant shortfalls and how you learned from it." It was by far the most difficult question on the interview, but it gave Josh an idea of the candidate's growth potential -- a very important factor in making his decision. What was arguably more important than Dirk's vision of the past... was his vision of his future.








{PC: 5}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
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dirk summers DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Nov 1, 2024 0:46:43 GMT
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At the brief pause Josh took, Dirk kind of mirrored his body language. Looking a little more calm, straightening out his back. He didn’t really have the instincts to be a ranger. He had values, sure, but they were less well-defined than that. Dirk shrugged his shoulders. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Mmmm. Well. I just think… if someone wants a fight, we can fight. Me and whoever. I just think no matter what, we all gotta leave kids and wild animals out of it. That’s why I take in strays.".

Dirk then stood up. He leaned on the side of the table, hand planted firmly ontop of it. "I’m sure I have the mindset for it. I just think I should work somewhere else first.”

Dirk slowly pinched at his jersey, then peeled his fingers off. As if to illustrate a point. He looked at Josh, and paused. "I ended my volleyball career with an ACL tear. I underwent surgery after and had to learn to walk again, and that’s why I needed a change of pace. I can still run, but… That’s probably my biggest mistake. And what that taught me was you need to pace yourself and know your limits. If you overexert yourself, all you’re gonna do is get hurt. You won’t accomplish anything."




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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
7,240 posts
Josh Devlin DOLLARS
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A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Nov 1, 2024 21:16:33 GMT
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The results of Dirk's injury, and the lessons from it, were lessons Josh had to learn, too. He had burned himself out chasing Raikou for so long, Only after his failures nearly cost an innocent child her life was when Josh realized the Beast needed to come to him. And that Beast did come. "That's a lesson I've had to learn, too. It's not an easy one to learn, and kudos to you for being able to learn it on your own."

Doing some number crunching in his head, it seemed Dirk was a good candidate for the position, both in terms of past experience, motivation, and general mentality. "I do have one more question for you. Gym Trainers at Mauville Racing Grounds will be expected to be a part of the field for Racing Challenges. Do you have any Pokémon that would be good for racing across land, on water, and in the air? If you don't have any right now, that's okay. It won't disqualify you from consideration." Josh had plenty of loaners to go around, though he had discovered the races were more competitive if the Gym Trainers used their own personal Pokémon instead.

After all, mount and rider worked best when of one mind.








{PC: 6}

NOTE: All of the Pokémon in Josh's PC are present somewhere on the Racing Grounds.
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played by

vapes

n/a
he/him
22
July 24
Wyndon
???
ace trainer...?
civilian
shorter than you height
shorter than you height
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
awards
14 posts
dirk summers DOLLARS
part of
TAG WITH @dirk
dirk summers
A chance encounter! Mauville's gym leader!
POSTED ON Nov 2, 2024 0:53:41 GMT
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He had his reasons, sure. Dirk glanced aside. He thought for a second, before retrieving the pokeball he’d set on the table earlier. He’d almost forgotten. "I dunno. Things might force my hand, but. It’s not like I’ll be alone out there.".

All the while, he glanced down at his belt for a second. A leather thing with brass eyelets, as well as little pokeball holsters clipped to it. He felt his hand rest just above the belt. "...”

He then looked up. He set another pokeball on the table, and nodded. The idea of being bonded with your team and ready to go all out struck a chord with him. Josh could see Dirk’s eyes light up. "I have a Clawitzer. Not super fast, but the turn radius is insane. I don’t have anything for contests on land, which is why I asked for a week’s time for that."




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