Josh had come to grips with that since Science had explained it to him the first time. They looked so similar that to him, they were the three Pokémon he loved and cherished so much. His were different, too; where most Raging Bolt were extremely tough physically, Josh's traded that toughness for the speed the legendary species was known for.

"As far as I've been able to ascertain, yes," Josh answered. "And that is correct. The Great One Ho-oh did not make me an Avatar. It's kind of funny. Before she passed on the ashen blessing, I wanted to be Raikou's Avatar more than anything in the world. Now that I've seen how Avatarship ruins lives, I would say no to it now." In spite of what Melody Miro said in her Elite Four chamber. In spite that the League needed more Avatars to combat Rocket. In spite of the wondrous powers Raikou could bestow upon him. His past self's imagination ran wild. This self, transformed and reborn in the rainbow Pokémon's funeral pyre, no longer had such a desire.

Josh at first tensed at the request, not liking needles. He hummed before nodding in the affirmative. "As long as you can forward the blood test results to my family doctor, too," the Gym Leader agreed. "That way I don't have to get blood work done for him, too. What else do you need to test for?"

There were far too many unanswered questions. Even after visiting Kyle's spirit in the Border, he had many unanswered questions. "I'm still learning about him, trying to expose him to different places. Different elements. So some of the information I have might not be accurate. But I'll do my best. As far as I've been able to tell, the Raikou only obeys me if my surface emotions and my subconscious are in sync. Otherwise, he won't listen to me." It was a long battle just getting the two to agree with one another, and even now, he occasionally lost control of the Beast.

To Josh, it was far from a simple illusion. It not only looked real, but it felt real. A SHADOW BLAST formed at the dragon bird's mouth, gathering power rapidly to be released in the most destructive eldritch blast imaginable. His heart raced, his hands trembling as he reached for Raikou's Poké Ball. With an unsteady click, the long-necked Beast materialized from the capsule in a violent and lightning-fast THUNDERCLAP that caused the shadow Pokémon to drop the attack.

While no longer a direct hit, Josh felt like his face and hands had been immersed in battery acid from the SHADOW BLAST's glancing blow. He wailed a desperate scream as the Raging Bolt and Houndstone worked together to defeat the illusion. With it, the Gym Leader's pain suddenly disappeared. "I thought I was gonna die there," he huffed, Suicune trying to relax Josh with a low-power burst of steam to mimic the conditions of a hot tub.

Indeed, it was not; the better Josh felt, the longer the next stage of recovery seemed to be. Complications could occur at any moment. It was why November was a generous estimate. If he was lucky, he could be feeling better by the end of October. Poor fortune or reckless abandon could lengthen his recovery time, perhaps even into the new year. "It's a delicate balance, and one I'm not unfamiliar with," Josh added. "This is not the first time I've had to take it easy, but this has definitely been the worst. I want to use the late Top Champion's gift to the best of my ability." With Rocket's growing power, exploring what his ashen Beast was capable of was not a suggestion. As a Gym Leader, it was part of his duty in shielding Hoenn from her foes.

Josh had come to grips that they weren't related to Raikou, Entei, and Suicune in the same way as Kantonian and Alolan Ninetales were. They were undoubtedly linked, though, and he wanted to know why to raise them the best he could. "We'll start with those three." Were there room in Illeana's lab, Josh would release the three of them from their Poké Balls, the saddle-wearing Raging Bolt craning his neck around to let Josh embrace him much like a child would their favorite pet or toy. Raikou's gentle purr sounded like a distant rumble of thunder. "If they aren't regional variants of the legendary Pokémon, then what are they, and what relationship do they have to the Great One's three children?"

Once Josh was in position and gave the signal, Zaborg would get to work in absorbing the generator's excess electricity. The two electric-types would be able to quickly bring the power down at first, but the Zeraora would sttuggle to discharge himself after a while. Elincia might struggle on her own after Zaborg dashed upstairs to let all that excess electricity loose with PLASMA FISTS whose impact rocked the immediate vicinity in a startling tremor the Leader and Gym Trainer could easily feel.

Once the Zeraora returned, he began absorbing energy to relieve the Yamper. While it was still operating above capacity, the two electric-types had lowered the generator output to a relatively safe, yet unsustainable, voltage. Seeing the reading be sufficient, Josh ran downstairs to check on his Zeraora. The white cat was breathing heavily, having fried his electric pouches not once, but twice. "Zaborg, you've saved Mauville Gym. Thank you; you deserve a long rest. Return."

Withdrawing the thunderous feline, Josh turned toward Elise. "How is your Yamper holding up?" he asked. "I'm going to round up some of my other electric Pokémon to take care of the rest. I wonder, though... what caused this?"

Despite the need for secrecy at the time, it was a lot of fun. There was something magical about zipping across the land faster than any Pokémon he knew of was capable. One day, when he was through rehab, he would be able to make all of eastern Hoenn his playground; Swift was simply too fast to use his Racing Grounds as a meaningful track. Every land course was designed with a specific top speed in mind. The Raikou exceeded the specifications for all of those courses.

The young man stepped outside and whistled for his Dragapult. It wasn't the ideal Pokémon for the investigation due to being a bit large for the indoor crime scene, but it was the best he had. Such was the drawback of raising only ride Pokémon. Though the two would find both psychic and ethereal residue, significant efforts seemed to have been taken in masking it. "Misinformed they may have been, but they were... good at covering their trail," Josh frowned. "I'm gonna need to get a forensic specialist involved. Until we do, I think we're at an impasse. I appreciate all the help. Once the report comes back, I'll forward it to you so we can get closer to who's responsible."

Whether luck or skill, Josh was grateful that Nick had survived an encounter with what he thought was Hoenn's most dangerous man. He had yet to encounter BARNABY FINCH in combat, and based on Nick's account, it may have been for the best that he didn't. Their powers were similar enough that one could easily have been mistaken for the other with just words alone. Two powerful and separate Rocket agents of shadow.

Josh remained silent, though he equally despaired when face to face with one of Rocket's Avatars. It was part of why he took on a courier role in the war. He wasn't a fighter like Navy was, but he could do one thing well, and that was run. No one could carry a message across a warzone faster than Josh and his ashen Raikou could. And not even the gods could catch him were they to give chase. For though Swift was but a husk, he still had the capabilities of the Johtonian god of speed.

There was no outrunning him.

Josh inhaled, slowly letting the air out through a slit his lips had formed. "I occupied myself with my other interests while I couldn't enjoy my favorite ones. Had PSPN on TV a lot. Even had one of my Gym Trainers come to my house and set up one of my old consoles I used to play on when I was younger. Played games that I could play with only my good arm. What else do you enjoy doing?"

Mauville Racing Grounds' facility was enormous indeed; while the office space had little signage due to its size being on the smaller side, the property where the action took place, just outside the city proper, was enormous. Luckily, Josh had experienced staff who knew the facility well, and signage that could guide challengers to the correct location. They would not immediately find the Leader; instead, at the front desk was his secretary. The young man with well-cut hair would get Gwyar Wledig checked in.

The wait wouldn't be too long; Though his volume was picking up, he was still quite organized and punchtual. Once it was time for their appointment, the voice of ANDREW WEISS, Josh's scheduler, echoed over the Gym's loudspeakers:

"Challenger Gwyar Wledig , please report to the Main Sector. Challenger Wledig, to the Main Sector. Thank you!"

Provided Gwyar followed the ample signage to get to the Main Sector, where the facility's battle courts were located, they would find Josh removing the saddle from Toralf, a giant Raichu that looked ready to run. Next to the electric rodent was a bare-backed Rapidash whose blue mane blazed bright as a distant star. "Gwyar! Great to see you!" he greeted his fellow Gym Leader. "How's business been in Mossdeep?" While most Gyms' battle courts had some variance to how large they were, Mauville's was notable for being extremely large; it was triple regulation size, and it was wide open, with plenty of channels for aquatic Pokémon to swim. Pokémon had plenty of room to run and nowhere to hide, playing into the ultrafast Pokémon on Josh's Gym squad and giving them quite the home field advantage.

The Gym Leader and Champion directed the challenger toward the west side of the triple-sized court, toward the Trainer's Box on the challenger's side. "According to your application, this will be a two-Pokémon Doubles match. The first side to incapacitate their opponent's entire Pokémon team will be the winner. This match will have a seven-minute time limit, and ties will be broken by sudden death. Good luck to you; you'll need it."

Once the two trainers were positioned, the small gallery cheered, primarily for Josh, as the platforms rose to a height of roughly ten feet. The Gym Leader pointed toward the circular pool surrounding the inner ring of the battle court, the Rapidash and Raichu ready to do battle. "Now, bring forth your Pokémon and ponder your opening move. I can assure you it will be the only decision you will have time to think on," Josh taunted.

The Raikou was much more alive than when Melody had last met the monochrome legendary Pokémon in her Elite Four chamber. It was clear that Josh understood the Beast's artificial nature a lot better than he did then. For as much as it was possible to sync with the false Pokémon, he was on the right track. There was still a long way to go, but he was getting there. "We're good friends," Josh nodded. "We knew each other since before coming to Hoenn two summers ago. Something in me wishes I could get into her Sygna Suit once. It looks crazy, but if that suit keeps her safe, I wouldn't mind trying. Once the spring rolls around, I want to get more use out of my own Arc Suit. You should see what Raikiri's capable of when we're synced!"

With Melody in place on the thundercloud, Josh took the front seat on Swift's back. The Beast's throat rumbled with a thunder-like purr that may have felt like a motorcycle's engine starting. He grabbed the outer two tufts of cloud, holding them like a horse Pokémon's reins. "Ready, Melody?" he asked, though it was more a warning than a question. He would ease the Top Champion in at first, letting her get used to the cantering creature. The electric tiger's flexing back made his gait much more pronounced than a horse, but the soft cloud she sat upon made the strides surprisingly comfortable. Though clearly a casual pace, it was already quick for a land Pokémon, comparable with some of his Pyroar she had met through his work with Pokémon HOME.

Josh was more than the strongest trainer in Mauville City. He was one of Hoenn's greats, being one of only six Champion Ranked trainers in the entire region. As a Gym Leader, his strategy was much more linear than battling with all his might. For his role here was not to crush the opposition with everything he had learned as part of his Champion Assessment. His role was to educate trainers on how to handle one specific aspect of Pokémon.

A Turtonator was quite the defensive Pokémon; that magmatic shell would be quite the challenge to pound through. The shark opened his jaws wide, putting on a great SPEED BOOST to evade direct contact with the toxic goop that polluted the pool. There was no true escape from the foul liquid as it became diluted with the water around it. Every bit of venom the Sharpedo took in ate at his insides, making his rear jet less effective and offsetting any speed gained. "Snacker, make him come to you!" Josh ordered, the dark-type harnessing his pain to flail harder than he normally could. From beneath his skin, red eyes stared down the Turtonator as the SWAGGERING shark bucked and writhed, looking to goad the dragon-type into making a dangerous mistake.

What a shame. If they disappeared in close proximity, there would be no way to encapsulate one in a Poké Ball. "That's too bad," Josh exhaled. "Being able to catch one would help us understand them a lot. But based on what you've said about them, it sounds like that might not be possible." About as possible as catching a legendary Pokémon in one. Most of the ones Josh knew didn't stay in Poké Balls; their wielders had other means to call upon them. Swift was no exception; while not a Pokémon, given Raikou's nature, it wouldn't surprise him if he could call upon a living one in the same manner.

Memories of going to the alternate Hoenn with Andrea Vaneau flooded back into Josh's mind. As wondrous as that world was, a world where only legendary species survived, its very nature was terrifying. "Yes," Josh answered. "Twice. He's from another Hoenn. A Hoenn where everyone reaches their full potential. A Hoenn where Pokémon we would consider legendary are common as Pidgey, and other Pokémon don't exist. The atmosphere there is so toxic that you need a Sygna Suit or to be an Avatar to survive long. As you can imagine, it's a lot more common there than here."

The two would have almost no hope of studying it; without the ability to travel the planes, getting there was but a chance moment, and Poké Balls from the standard Hoenn failed to work on the Pokémon there. He had tried to capture a wild Raikou and a wild Latios while he was there, and the objects phased through through them. "It's a place I'd love to be able to visit, but I wouldn't want to live in a world where the only Pokémon are demigods."

Josh had to do a double take. Having applied to Gwyar Wledig 's Gym, he knew there was not a Power Spot there... but the technology undeniably existed, and would invalidate any efforts to. It was scary to think about. It was an advance that Rocket had over the League; unless it was a military secret known only to AQUA's members, the reports from Mossdeep suggested that what the Commissioner described was a very real possibility. Unbeknownst to Josh, the League did have a portable Power Spot of their own, in the form of Dewford ex-Gym Leader Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki .

"Upon the discovery that a Power Spot was in Mauville's town center, Captain annalise henderson and I immediately began brainstorming. Supposedly, the Science division has been working on an early warning system capable of detecting Dynergy spikes. It could easily be tuned to Dynergy sources outside Mauville Gym, which is the only place within the city where Dynamax Bands can be used legally. The sooner that can get deployed inside Mauville, the better. I've also put in an order for Dynamax Bands for my most tenured Gym Trainers, and I am also not opposed to leaving one of my Dynamax-capable Pokémon on call at Mauville Gym at all times." The Vital City Tournament had taught Josh that the only real way to counter the raw might of Dynergy was with Dynergy itself. Dynergy could enable a staunch ordinary Pokémon to stand up to a legendary Pokémon, much like Bladestorm did during his Champion Assessment.

As Josh pieced together his plan, both in his head and aloud, he became notably more relaxed, wiping his forehead. If there was anyone in Hoenn who could figure out the logistics of defending against such an attack, it was him.

The Gym Leader also considered Mauville's future growth in the event of a Dynamax attack. "I think it would also be a good idea for us to step up our presence in New Mauville. There is an authentic Power Spot down there, and its range extends to Mauville City's southern border. We already have a robust subway system. In my next meeting with city council, I want to ask for the project to add a subway line between between Mauville City and New Mauville to be fast-tracked. It's another way for us to stockpile supplies and deploy them as needed." Little did he know that the Power Spot had been deactivated...

Deadly was one way of putting it, though mere possession of the RAINBOW FEATHER was deadly in its own way. Though Swift was but a husk of the Raikou that battled tooth, claw, and bolt to hold back Rocket from seizing Johto, even that piece of Raikou was enough to attract Rocket's attention. By now, the Sign was well-documented, and he was still uncertain if just anyone could summon the Raikou by drawing the Sign. That might be something worth testing at the Pokémon League.

"I've seen what it can do to people, and I've learned from them," Josh nodded, amazed at the female's wisdom. Was she a prophet of some kind? It sure felt like it. "This has worn me out; I need more time and experience to condition myself to it." Though her last point of advice felt like a farewell, he wasn't quite ready to say goodbye yet. "Are you headed toward Mauville or Verdanturf? Cause I can take you back there if you want. At a reasonable pace, of course."

A visitor? Someone looking for a tour of the Gym? Was that what she wanted? It was a bit odd seeing someone come to the Gym and not be at least somewhat interested in battles. Only one other thing came to mind as he led Blossom to the rear desk where guests were checked in. She might be able to see several saddled Pokémon through the large, north windows, including a Jolteon and Flareon of great size.

"You wouldn't happen to be a fan of Pokémon racing, would you? The Silph Cup?" The Gym Leader asked, curious if she would recognize one of the largest sports-related event series in the region. His mind raced about whether there would even be a Silph Cup next year. What city would be willing to host it in such uncertain times, given it would almost certainly attract Rocket's attention?