Josh raised a hand to correct Nicholas after retrieving his catch. "I'm not an on-call Ranger; I just take Ranger tickets when my Gym work lets me. I just like saving lives. It's why I don't want to be on the front lines in the same way Hoenn's army and navy are. I want to save lives, not take them. Being able to give those I save the experience of sitting in a Pokémon's saddle is just a nice bonus." An even nicer bonus if he could sell them a Mauville Gym membership.

Once the Salamence and Altaria were back to a stable height and speed, Josh would address the Ranger's previous questions. "Didn't mean to ignore you there. But yes, it's hard balancing them both. With me not being full time, I just take tickets when i can, making Hoenn better one life at a time. It only gets really hard when Captain annalise henderson wants to take time off, cause I'm her second-in-command." His adventures with ex-Council Elinor Anderson came to mind. "The very first ticket I ever took was rescuing victims that were stranded in the wilderness after a small aircraft crashed. It taught me the importance of a diverse team of ride Pokémon."

---

nicholas steele

{PC: 9}

skipping!

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Yosei         Salamence      Good
Zaborg        Zeraora**      Good
Zetalpa       Tropius        Good

Gifting this Stufful to Marvie Hiiragi !

That the Mimikyu continued to attack even after Josh instructed his Charizard to stand down raised some red flags. Red flags that she wasn't as innocent as she said she was. To truly put that theory to the test, Josh would raise a hand toward Ares, the fire-type reluctantly taking the less effective PLAY ROUGH attack in stride. He would no longer fight back, per his trainer's silent command.

"I won't kill you," Josh insisted, "but you won't make it back home like that. Do you need help getting to the medical tents? Ares and I can take you there," he gestured toward the saddled Charizard whose eyesight never left the ghost-type. "...And what's your name? I'm Josh, Mauville's Gym Leader."

---

Rose Soleil

This is now a NO MP THREAD for Josh!

{PC: 4}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Ares          Charizard**    Good

A trial-ridden path was one Josh was not unfamiliar with; he had chased Raikou for fourteen years, and after at last being united with the Pokémon of his dreams, his trials only seemed to grow. The Champion's ability to control himself while moving at paralyzing speeds, especially those his legendary partner was capable of, put him in a unique position in the League. One he was growing ready to pitch to dahlia goode .

Though indirectly, Josh had known the Great One through Kyle. The late Top Champion's benevolence was unmatched, inclining him to trust in the rainbow-feathered deity all the more. "It is," Josh nodded. "To be with my favorite Pokémon... I'm sure you know the joy of being with your favorites, too."

Indeed, Josh's bond with Swift, false as it was, was a great challenge. In order to control the Raikou, he had to be in control of his inner self. Any time they disagreed with one another, he lost control of the Raikou. When they were in perfect sync, though, they were a force even an Avatar could not ignore. Was it as minerva valentine stated? Was it fear holding him back? If so, fear of what? Of failure? He thought all of his self-negativity and nerves had been burned to cinders in the pyre of his rebirth. Were the remnants of his past self still within, cinders accumulating until they could burn bright once more, causing him to lose control of his Raikou in a key situation?

Josh watched the clouds cover the rest of the sky as the wind picked up, a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning distracting him. "Well, I think it's about that time. If you want to see what Swift's capable of, you're more than welcome to watch," he invited Minerva. "But it's that time. Time for Swift and I to floor it." Floor it as much as he could, anyway. There was still one art of unparalleled speed the two had not mastered yet, and it would be one that would take more work than Electro Ball, Rain Dance, and Reflect combined. At art that left even the Master of Faster paralyzed when the Beast executed it under Kyle's command.

---

minerva valentine

{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good

Josh had been to the Ruins of Alph several times when he was in Johto. They were not far from Goldenrod; just around some highways near the large city, it would not take long for him to get there on his Manectric. What had attracted him there was the ruins' link to the Great One, Ho-oh, and not specifically the Unown.

"I know this place really well," Josh reassured her, seated on the back of Wiley, a Furret meant to be ridden by younger children who lacked the height to climb onto a larger Pokémon. "I've been to the Ruins of Alph in the real world many times." He looked awkwardly positioned, given how much he had to raise his legs to keep them from dragging on the ground. It was still the best choice for this expedition due to being small enough to maneuver in the lower ceilings, yet large enough for the rider to be in his element. 

As the duo rounded a corner to a mural depicting Ho-oh, Josh could hear whining voices similar to what tempted Yuina. Remaining vigilant, the Gym Leader sent out his Type: Null to scout ahead, ready to smack down any stray Unown in their way. "The attacks of the Unown are completely unpredictable," Josh reiterated. "Be ready for anything."

---

Yuina Higashi

• Fight the pull.

CURIO: 1

{PC: 1}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Wiley         Furret         Good
Aleph         Type: Null     Good

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?"

---

dirk summers

{PC: 3}

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

Josh would dismount from his Manectric, withdrawing him when they reached the front doors. He would only let the Pokémon out of his Poké Ball if Yuina's office space was large, like his. If it was a more normal-sized office space, he would keep the large Manectric within.

The museum itself seemed eerie after hours. It was hard to put his finger on, but it looked a lot more foreboding in the low light. Once he was seated, with or without Saber at his size, he would fidget with the inert RAINBOW FEATHER before clearing his throat. "That Arcanine we ran into wasn't the only such Pokémon that was gigantic and glowed bright yellow. Thomas Benoit and I ran into a Basculegion, and an older female and I, her name's Lash, ran into a Scyther with similar yellow glows and strength. I've been hearing more reports of them showing up, too. I won't expose you as a source; I just want to know what they are, so we can, as Rangers, have an idea how to handle them. The Scyther and Basculegion were much more aggressive than the Arcanine; they attacked us unprovoked. Please. Anything will help."

---

Yuina Higashi

{PC: 2}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         KO
Saber         Manectric      Good

Anywhere but back home? There were exciting places to show Miyako, but in Josh's mind, none were better than the densely-populated Mauville City. It was an architectural marvel, the city never truly slept, and most importantly, it was where the Mauville Racing Grounds were located. The sooner she could get a tour of the place, the sooner he would have another paying customer. "Ares and I can take you to my home town in style then," Josh offered, gesturing toward the saddle on the black dragon's back.

Were she to sit on it, Josh would join her, grabbing the fire-type's reins with his left hand while pinching the Key Stone of his MEGA GLOVE with the two forefingers of his other. "This is what Mega Evolution looks like!" The black Pokémon's scales turned a deep green, trails blue fire lighting up from the sides of his jaws and his tail. Every muscle in his body bulged as the purple-pink light of MEGA EVOLUTION transformed him into an apex form worthy of being called a true dragon.

All three parts of Ares' open flame roared brightly, both riders able to feel the awe-inspiring power behind every wingbeat. The Mega Evolved dragon may not have been as fast as Josh's other flying Pokémon, but his strength bordered on absurdity. The blue fire was so hot that the air wavered around them, balancing out the otherwise cold temperatures that would have enveloped them both at the height the winged Pokémon reached.

---

Miyako Noguchi

{PC: 19}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Suicune       Walking Wake   Fair
Yosei         Salamence      Good
Ao            Roaring Moon   Good
Verte         Flygon         Good
Reverb        Noivern        Good
Ares          MCharizard-X** Good

Josh was fortunate that Mastema had raced this course before, though with ERON IUNIS at the reins. The wise and stern Togekiss was familiar with the correct angle for every turn, as did the Champion himself. It would just be a matter of adjusting to how the fairy-type accelerated and turned on this specific course. Despite its medium difficulty rating, LOOP CROSS had features none of his other courses did, including the one before him: a vertical 360-degree loop.

"Up, Mastema!" Josh cried. With how floaty the angelic Pokémon's flight was, getting him to slowly somersault was an out-of-body experience in and of itself. Mastema being slower to get up to speed than Fancy Pants gave the Gym Leader a front-row seat to how the enthusiastic challenger would handle flying upside down on her own. He was confident she would be just fine. After all, they had shot straight upward along the Sky Pillar before -- on the back of the very Dragapult that was now her competitor!

---

fqEo4|lk

---

Miyako Noguchi 's experience riding a fierce roller coaster as a child would prove vital in overcoming the high g-forces that Josh's Gym assaulted her with seconds after the word go. She battled ACE SHEEKE's BEEDRILL and ERON IUNIS' DRAGONITE for early position; while the venomous insect darted off the line the fastest, it lacked the top speed that the TOGEKISS and draconic competition had.

As the tall loop came, Miyako Noguchi , Josh Devlin , and ARAVAN ESCHER's three Pokémon tilted their wings back, trying to catch enough air to perform the midair somersault needed to stay on course. Though stamina would help some, the deciding factor was primarily the speed they entered the loop with. ERON IUNIS' inability to find open airspace, as well as Josh Devlin 's low acceleration, kept them from building up sufficient pace to take the loop at full stride. Both performed the maneuver, but not without a significant loss of speed putting them behind Miyako Noguchi and ARAVAN ESCHER, their TOGEKISS and DRAGAPULT in a dead heat for the early lead.

---

LAP 1 | OBSTACLE 2

Prompt: Shortly after the end of the loop enabled gravity to propel the racers forward perhaps past their normal top speeds, one of the most challenging curves on Josh's entire property loomed ahead. Marked by green flags, it was a spiraling, uphill, right turn that lasted for two complete circles. Not only would this test the strength of the flying Pokémon to maintain a sweeping turn for so long, it would be a test of stamina for the riders, having to fly at steep bank angles for an extended period of time!

Target Number: 140 (Endurance)

Special: None

---

Miyako Noguchi





·

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Killian Decker

Your challenge has been accepted! Please tag Josh Devlin in a new thread in Mauville City. Your movesets are not locked in until the first post of your Gym Thread. You have until November 2, 2024 to post your Gym Thread or you will lose your spot.

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?"

---

dirk summers

{PC: 3}

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

Rockets weren't irredeemable. Far from it. Josh had listed many Rockets that had escaped the clutches of the Syndicate. Many of them on AQUA or formerly on the most elite of Hoenn's forces. Isaac Merlo and Remiel Calcifet in particular were two of the League's strongest Avatars. As much as he wanted to repeat it, she wouldn't listen. The only way Josh could get through now was by force.

The force of lightning incarnate.

"Swift, ELECTRO BALL!" the Master of Faster ordered the use one of his Gym's signature moves. A move that grew stronger the faster its user was. To his knowledge, there was no Pokémon with a stronger one than Raikou. His command was too late; the Duskull's IMPRISON prevented the Beast's ultimate attack from leaving the inside of the shield. Fizzling out, he could barely keep up the shield that protected him from the psychic as judge, the ghost as jury, and the Ultra Beast as executioner.

The Blacephalon's head detonated, instantly boiling the floodwaters around the ground-level light show that pounded. The legendary Beast grit his teeth together, his eyes growing wider and wider until the shield shattered, the shrapnel melting away before it could harm Josh or his Raikou. The heat was a whole different story. Under its broiling pulses, Swift could no longer maintain the shape of his body, dissolving into ash and returning to the now-inert RAINBOW FEATHER. The barrier lasted long enough that Josh was spared from the worst of it, though his legs were singed with first-degree burns in a couple places.

Once Robin had disappeared, Josh radioed back to HQ. "It's Devlin. I'm down. And it's not by Rocket's doing. It's robin coello . She's lost it. She can't be trusted. Over." From how much static was on the channel, it was uncertain whether he had been heard...

---

robin coello Aqua Kennedy

TOTAL MP: 1160
Post (100)
use a legendary, mythical, ultra beast, paradox pokemon in a way that reflects your character or highlights another character. (50)
have an antagonistic exchange of dialogue between your character and another writer's character or NPC. (50)
include a motif or recurring symbol of some kind in your thread. (50)
have your character learn something from the other character. (50)
have your pokemon be inflicted with a status condition by an opposing pokemon. (25)
have your character recall a past thread or event that they have participated in or not (link the thread). (50)
reference (tag) another character that is not in your thread in a meaningful way. (50)
have your character learn to respect another character in some way. (50)
have your character self-doubt or cast doubt on another's confidence/allegiances/beliefs, etc. (50)
have your character reflect on why they're fighting/reflect on their loyalties. (50)
have your character attempt to or successfully take revenge in some way. (50)
have your character's Pokemon symbolize or represent in some way, the condition of your character. (50)
have your character "hit rock bottom" (their lowest point). (50)
showcase a meaningful moment between your character and their Pokemon. (50)
have your pokemon set weather, terrain, or a magic, trick, or wonder room in your thread. (10)
pace your narrative accordingly by featuring a "back and forth" in terms of advantage and raising the stakes until the climax. (50)
for completing your Skirmish thread. (25)
for "losing" or having a "negative" outcome for your character and their Skirmish thread. (150)
for having Rocket and League characters and faction-based conflict in the thread (no NPCs). (150)


{PC: 10}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Entei         Gouging Fire   Poor
Swift         Raikou         KO
Aleph         Type: Null     Missing

Eva's presence on Swift's natural thundercloud saddle was heartwarming for the Champion. "Takes you back, doesn't it?" he asked the Head Scientist. "Hold on tight, Eva! This is gonna get fast!" A flash of lightning and the sound of crashing thunder accompanied a gait even more rapid than the Arcanine's. With every flex of the big cat's back, his natural saddle in the form of his thundercloud dropped beneath the two riders, only for it to catch them on the way up. When it felt like the tiger shouldn't be speeding up anymore, he kept going. Even the cheeks of Josh's face were pushed back toward his ears. "Jump, Swift!"

And jump he did, springing high enough to touch the low-level cloud. The Beast's cloud merged with the natural one, a tingling sensation running through the Champion with every flash of cloud-to-cloud lightning within. The sense of power was incredible, the euphoria like he experienced when Eva Morales 's flight suit interlocked him with Rayquaza's emerald scales, effectively strapping him to the legendary creature. With outstretched legs the Beast flew west.

"We are," Josh answered, peering over his ashen partner's side. "But it looks... different. There are two towers, not one." The Brass Tower and the Tin Tower both stand. Cherrygrove and Violet Cities passed beneath them in a flash. While they were going incredibly fast, the ride felt buttery smooth like a Metagross. Somehow, they could still communicate with one another even with the wind howling in their faces.

Swift rounded the cloud's corner to give both of them a wonderful view of Goldenrod and Ecruteak Cities. The streets of the normally bustling city were empty other than a few thugs. While he could not recognize any of their builds or faces, he did recognize the black Rocket uniforms. "This... was my home before I moved to Hoenn," Josh told his half of the story. A story that he now realized the relationship between his and Eva's. How linked they were in their battles against Rocket. They once quarreled over how Rocket should be handled; now, after receiving the blessing of the Great One's wisdom, their disagreements were few and far between. "When Goldenrod was occupied by Rocket, I was separated from my family. I worked together with what remained of the police department to rescue them. It was one of the scariest moments of my life."

What he wasn't aware of was how much of Rocket's forces were assembled to the north.

As Josh guided the flying Raikou northward, he saw three familiar figures surrounding the Brass Tower. The Johtonian deities Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, holding off legions of Rocket soldiers with the speed of lightning, the passion of magma, and the compassion of water and ice. On the outside, Josh knew it was a flashback to the Kanto War. His inner self brimmed with worry, a powerful purr rattling both Josh and Eva. "I'm going down to help them. Hold on tight!" Electricity crackled around the Beast's faceplate, whiskers, and fangs as his body turned into a living lightning bolt, ready to strike. Though both riders would be protected from the elements, there was little telling just how fast their landing would be.

---

Eva Morales

{PC: 7}

NAME          SPECIES        STATUS
Swift         Raikou         Good
Raikou        Raging Bolt    Good
Entei         Gouging Fire   Good
Suicune       Walking Wake   Good
Pazuzu        Pidgeot        Good
Regole        Dragonair**    Good