The Genesect chased after them at incredible speeds. Thankfully for Xuying Zhou , Josh was the Master of Faster. He was the best at coaxing out every bit of speed any Pokémon had. There was a meme on social media that the Mauville Gym Leader could train even a Slowpoke to run faster than the average trainer's Ponyta. "QUICK ATTACK, buddy!" Josh cried, urging his partner's Cyclizar to do the same.

Were he to follow the Gym Leader, not even the robotic insects would be able to keep up with the jet-propelled dragon-types. This sounded like a lot of fun to try in the real world, too; with a Pokémon sitting behind him and using Flamethrower, Goroh could reach breathtaking speeds.

Taking the hint, Josh left his temporary steed behind and followed his partner, defending them against the mechanical monster. "Nala! Kovu!" he cried, pitching the two Poké Balls containing his Pyroar pride's king and queen. They attempted to overload its optical sensors with their ILLUMINA glow, becoming incredibly bright. Bright enough that silhouettes of their leather saddles and reins would be clearly visible against the red and white light...

Though Zagreus was a bit big to wander the Gym's lobby, the Arcanine would be able to do so without hitting his head on anything, if he so desired. Genevieve Cromwell might notice that the Gym was significantly less busy than it was last time she arrived, likely due to the war effort. "Good morning," the receptionist, SHELLY SPIEL, replied, quickly looking up the high-ranking Ranger in the League trainer database. "The Leader will see you now. Follow the signs to Sector 6; it will be on the southwest corner of the grounds. Good luck!"

The southwest Sector of Mauville Racing Grounds featured the most terrifying courses on the property. Some of them had incredibly narrow lanes, and when it became wide, it wouldn't remain wide for long, with lanes abruptly ending. That would not be the course the Ranger would be racing on. THUNDER ROAD featured many wide turns in the shape of lightning bolts; almost all of its turns were at least at right-angles. Long straightaways were in equal abundance, meaning there were also plenty of places for Pokémon to let loose and be one with the wind.

Provided the Ranger was able to follow the Gym's ample signage, she would see Josh sitting proud atop Braver, his own Arcanine, snugly but not uncomfortably wrapped in a cocoon saddle. Near him were three familiar faces: ACE SHEEKE, atop a Hisuian Arcanine; ARAVAN ESCHER, sitting in the tall seat harnessed to a Linoone of great size; and lastly, ERON IUNIS, aboard a Salazzle that looked like she could crawl across the track just as fast as the others could run. The thinner frame was ideal for the shorter, more lithe, silver-haired young man.

"Glad to see you again! You and your Arcanine are looking great!" Josh greeted the Elite... whom he hoped would be Elite Four. Out of all three of the candidates that Navy mentioned, the Gym Leader felt she was the best for the position. "With your Badge count, I've had to raise the course difficulty a few notches. Do you need a refresher on the challenge rules? If not, we'll cut to the chase and get right to it!"

Regardless of whether the Ranger needed an explanation, Josh and his coworkers would lead her to the starting line, Screech in particular looking fired up to dash on a course that seemed perfectly suited for him. With almost all of the curves being at right angles, perhaps it would be the rider's limitations that would get in the way, rather than gentle, odd-angle curves that typically gave the normal-type trouble. "Just because this is my first truly fast race after my rehab doesn't mean I'm making this easy!" Josh warned as he slammed his helmet's visor down, some darker clouds rolling in on the already overcast day. The laser-focused expression was just as fierce as their last race, his legs ready to slap the Arcanine's sides as soon as the light flashed green.

You will have 8 ranks to distribute among three skills. No more than 5 ranks can be assigned to any one skill.

• SPEED: This represents how fast your Pokémon can travel. Each rank of Speed adds 10 to all your rolls, and an additional 10 to rolls on Speed-based Obstacles.
  
• ENDURANCE: This represents how well a Pokémon can navigate difficult terrain, and affects how often a Pokémon can use its Boost during a race. Your Pokémon can use its Boost a number of times equal to its number of ranks in Endurance, plus one. Each rank of Endurance reduces the Target Number of Endurance-based Obstacles by 20.
• REACTION: This represents a Pokémon’s cornering ability. Each rank of Reaction reduces the Target Number of Reaction-based Obstacles by 20.

In the OOC notes of your next post, please note your Pokémon's distribution of skills.

You do not need to roll after your next post, but you will need to [ roll ] twice at the end of every post mid-challenge. This roll will be modified according to your Pokémon's skill ranks.

Example: If a player rolls a 60 on a post involving running down a straightaway as fast as possible atop a Pokémon with four ranks in Speed, their effective roll will be 140.

The Leader's next post will include a "mod post" that depicts the course's first Obstacle: a prompt that presents a challenge for the racers to overcome. Each Obstacle will include the following information:

Target Number: This is the number the racers need to roll at or above to overcome the Obstacle without penalty. While it is uncommon, an Obstacle can have multiple Target Numbers.

Intended Skill: This is the Skill that will apply to the Obstacle. It can be Speed, Endurance, or Reaction.

Example Obstacle: The track starts out with a bang--a sharp, 135-degree left turn mere tens of meters from the starting line. The width of the turn itself makes recovering from a misjudged angle easier, but the track quickly narrows up again afterward. A guardrail on the outside keeps Pokémon from sliding off the course, but there is no such guardrail on the inside, and there’s a shallow stream that looks time-consuming for non-Water Pokémon to climb out of!

Target Number: 105 (Reaction)

After the players make their rolls, the Target Number is deducted from the player's roll, and the difference becomes the player's Track Points (TP) for the round. 100 TP corresponds to roughly one second of time differential. The race will consist of three laps, with three Obstacles per lap. After the ninth Obstacle, total Track Points will determine finishing order. The QUICK BADGE is awarded if at least one of the following conditions are met:

1) The challenger finishes the race in 1st or 2nd place.
2) The challenger finishes the race ahead of the Gym Leader.
3) The challenger otherwise demonstrates their mastery of the tenets of Mauville Gym, at the Leader's discretion.

Genevieve Cromwell will receive a +10 REMATCH BUFF to all rolls.

Eddie was in a good mood... or just overwhelmed at the sight of the Johtonian paradox Pokémon. Josh suspected it was the former; given that his friend had more military experience than he did despite being a Gym Leader, Terrakion's knight had to have nerves of steel. "Ah, so a test run," he confirmed, Aleph suddenly perking up when it sounded like he would get to battle a truly strong opponent.

Josh's eyes shifted toward the Kubfu at Eddie's side. "I've done battle with Navy 's Urshifu before. Shuwen's scary strong. Not my style of combat, but mad respect for raising one." The Gym Leader was looking forward to the impromptu match. "Need a ride to the Main Sector? We'll be able to use the same battleground I use for official challenges. It's open!"

Josh took his hand off Janus' reins long enough to wave to the other Espeon. "Great to meet you two, Ana and Old Whiskers. That's a great name. Reminds me of Navy and Old Ironsides. Poor guy..." the Gym Leader closed his eyes, thinking about the Skarmory's death for a few seconds before shamelessly advertising his business.

"Mauville's Gym is located on the northwest side of town. While we have an office building, most of the property is actually located outside the city proper. It's a racing facility. If battle isn't your cup of tea, you can challenge the Gym by hopping on your Pokémon and racing against me and some of my coworkers." Despite the League discouraging non-battle challenges with recent policy, challenger volume remained high. "I even get challengers from outside the region -- ones that want the experience more than a Badge!"

Josh was about to start talking about Janus' origin story when a Braviary swooped above him a little too close for comfort. "Look out, Ana!" he pointed to the sky. "Janus, ALLY SWITCH!" On command, the psychic mount disappeared for a split second, juxtaposing with a small sign that the muscular bird carried away with little effort. Now to one side of the large, squawking Pokémon, he tossed an Ultra Ball at the Braviary with quite a strong sidearm.

"What a stroke of fortune that was," Josh mused, smiling. "Last year, my Braviary died in the war. Goose, my Unfezant, will be happy to hear that they'll have another Braviary to compete against."

As Bella pet the electric-type's head, Blitz ran his motor a second time, and more powerfully at that. To anyone else, the rumbling from beneath could have been startling. For someone used to a motorcycle, it may have even been relaxing. "So to control their speed, you just put leg pressure on their sides. The harder you squeeze, the faster your mount will accelerate. If you let up, they'll slow down." The light tap to the side encouraged the yellow and black cat to start walking forward. "Just like that!"

Nala walked alongside the Luxray, Josh observing Bella's posture and how she played with the big cat's controls. "I run classes for riders of all skill levels at my Gym! From beginner to expert, I can teach you more than you ever thought there was to know." As his eyes shifted between Bella and the road ahead, the Champion wondered how she would handle the transition between trot and canter, particularly when on a feline's back...

Catching on to the child's brazen nature, Josh was cautiously optimistic in his advertised capabilities. "I'll go with him," he offered, Kovu turning his Illumina brightness down to the minimum he could manage. Nala, too, turned her luminosity down, gently nuzzling Kyle if he allowed it. She seemed to want the other man to go for a run, too.

Regardless of Kyle's disposition toward the female, Josh would address him. "I'll sit behind him, but I'll let him hold the reins. He seems really excited!" Were the PI to approve, the Gym Leader would help him get seated in front before climbing on behind, giving him a partner to brace himself against if he became overwhelmed riding the lion.

Giving the young one a gentle pat on the shoulder, the teacher would see how much his student knew. "You know how to control his speed and his direction, right?"

Josh's eyes shifted to their surroundings as Nicholas got to work stabilizing the child. His story was perhaps a little exaggerated, but couldn't have been too far from the truth. The Gym Leader had recovered from some horrifying injuries in the past. He knew the effort it took from all sides to heal from those. It seemed like, much as with his own, simple Pokémon healing would not be enough to nurse the child back to health.

When requested, Josh slid down from Nuka's back, the lion walking toward the girl and crouching, as if beckoning her to climb on. "Let's do it! As far as I know, the species has no official name. He looks like Suicune to me, which is why I call him Suicune!" With a helping hand, he would get the child as comfortably seated as possible on the Walking Wake before hopping on behind. Given the boy's condition, the Gym Leader felt more comfortable controlling the paradox Pokémon himself.

Josh would not pursue Hitoshi. He had more important things to do. Doing what he did best as a Ranger.

Saving lives.

Bladestorm, too, could no longer hold his Dynamaxed form. He turned back to his normal size, his gear still on him like he had never grown to the size of a skyscraper in the first place.

with his assailant gone, he could now call in reinforcements. Dialing Captain annalise henderson 's direct number, he hoped she would pick up. Whether it was speaking to her or leaving a priority message on her voice mail, his plight would get to her. "Captain, it's Devlin. We've lost a department store on the north side to a Dynamax attack. We have four confirmed dead and others critically wounded. We need a search team and a medical team dispatched dispatched to my current coordinates as soon as you can."

No more citizens of Mauville would have their lives taken from Josh on his watch, if he had anything to say about it. He was the people's Gym Leader. He would protect them, just as Navy had commanded him to do. And the first thing he would do about it would be reaching out to illeana reyes . A Power Spot simply did not belong in a city as densely populated as Mauville City. If there was a way to remove it, she knew how.

The silence from Navy was deafening. He must have been in deep thought over their future. Even if he were to apply, was Elite Four the right position for him? Or was Josh already in the position where he could serve the League best? Mauville was one of the region's greatest cities, and in one of the most strategically important locations in Hoenn. It was difficult to get almost anywhere without going through the architectural marvel that was the city's three-tiered streets.

"Once I'm fully out of rehab, we'll push each other to our limits," Josh replied as Navy began to fade into the Slumbering Weald. "Wait, I still have a lot more I want to ask! About Kyle! Zacian, too!" But it was too late. He was already gone. And he doubted he could easily get ahold of him now. Such were the benefits of having a pocket dimension that only need to be shared with Greyson Connors . Another person he wanted to talk to post-Champion ascension.

Shaking his head as he boxed up the rest of his meal, he waved toward Hattori. "And you make sure Navy doesn't do anything reckless, okay?" he asked the Water-type, though he doubted he would get any kind of acknowledgment. Once he paid the restaurant bill, he sent the standing Elite Four member a text:

You could have at least paid for your share before peacing out, you know...

Josh was happy to see that the Head Professor was in a cheerful mood. "Great to see you again, too!" the Raging Bolt's rider waved, the paradox Pokémon craning his neck to greet illeana reyes with a purr that sounded like a distant rumble of thunder. Once the gate had been swung open, the Gym Leader followed the woman to the entrance of the building containing her office before dismounting from the Raikou-like Pokémon.

While they were on the way to the Alchemist's office space, Josh talked about his progress. "My rehab's on its final stages. I'm able to ride Swift, my Raikou, under supervision now. Next month, I'm going for my first Quick Attack with him. I'm missing just a little motion in my left arm, but I'm sure we'll be working on that then. When I had my arm smashed in that jail, I never thought I would recover." With how much internal trauma the racer had suffered, it was a small miracle he had gotten so far and that he would be able to ride again at the speeds he loved.

Once the Walking Wake and riders had scaled the cliff to the Sky Pillar, before them was a wild Pokémon swooping down before them. The Dragonite that Miyako Noguchi pointed to didn't seem thrilled with the dragonriders' intrusion, his nearly invisible wings humming like those of a giant insect Pokémon. That meant only one thing: this Dragonite knew Extreme Speed, and it was preparing to use it, presumably charging into them both faster than the eye could see. "DOWN, MIYAKO! BRACE!" Josh cried as the dragon-type disappeared, the Gym Leader urging the photographer to dismount.

With a violent crash, Suicune reared high and caused Josh to tumble off his Beast, the only other evidence of the EXTREME SPEEDING wild's presence being the telltale hum. As blinding as the attack was, Josh was well aware of the exertion it caused upon an untrained Pokémon.

Thankful that he landed on his right side and not his left, the Champion got back to his feet and took his position as commander of the Walking Wake. "Suicune, DRAGON PULSE!" the young man ordered, a wave of blue and purple expanding outward from the water-type's crystal. After catching the wild in the area attack, Josh hurled an Ultra Ball toward it. If he couldn't have a Dragonair, then a buddy for Tiamat would have to do!

As well-behaved as the paradoxes were, Josh was still very impressed that Vespa could control one as a new rider. Dragon-type Pokémon were notorious for being never truly tamed, Josh's only wearing reins because they allowed it. There was no taming a dragon... though he had come about as close as could be expected.

Josh shook his head toward Vespa as the Sky Pillar came into distant view. "Thanks. I've had more Pokémon killed in battle than I care to admit," he sighed, thinking about all the partners he had cruelly taken from him. "Resheph and Aslan were the first ones that... really, really hurt. I've known both of them for a long time, and that Dragonair had the most easygoing personality I've seen in any dragon-type. She was such a joy to travel with." She was a living roller coaster at that, making Josh's stomach twist with every burst of Extreme Speed. And now, never again.

Another problem with Josh's argument was that recruitment was not compulsory; it was strictly on a volunteer basis... for the time being. If the League had their backs to the wall, that might change. He hoped not; throwing less adept lives at the problem would not solve it, in his eyes. If the League got to a point where they needed to make recruitment mandatory, they were already losing. As much as the League tried to dispel the sentiment that the Gym Challenge was not a recruiting tool, it was a myth that the Champion could not yet dispel in his mind.

"As a Gym Leader and Champion, I get less of a choice than general badge-holders," the speed racer added. "Still a choice, but there is more pressure for me to contribute how I can. Comes with being Leader of one of the more strategically-located cities in the region." Were Rocket to take over Mauville City, the direct routes to Verdanturf, Fallarbor, Slateport, and even Lilycove would be unusable. It was a critical choke point that could not fall if the League wanted to remain a force.

And over Josh's dead body would it fall, if he had anything to say about it.