There was something different about the way Temp answered; Josh could tell he was being truthful. From their previous times they clashed, the rider felt confident he was being truthful. Even so, he was blocking their way back to Rustboro. Trusting Zaborg to control Raikou, the badly burned feline spurred the paradox into a sprint toward the Flareon: a THUNDERCLAP that may have looked like Extreme Speed to the untrained eye.

Even with Raikou shielding Zaborg, the Zeraora's burns proved to be the white-furred feline's downfall, passing out in the saddle from the pain of many of his warts bursting into a black mess. "Zaborg!!" Josh cried, reaching for the downed Pokémon's Poké Ball... only for the switch itself to be locked in place by the SHADOW HOLD. If he wanted to save his Zeraora's life, he needed to take that Flareon down for the SHADOW HOLD to expire.

No matter their speed, high or low, the Gym Leader's Zeraora and Raging Bolt simply could not flee. "My comrades are relying on me. Whatever that thing is," he referred to the SHADOW HOLD, "end it. I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to make sure they can continue to fight. But if you're looking for trouble, then you've found it." The scintillating RAINBOW FEATHER was a light that gleamed in the shadows, the ashen Pokémon within a different kind of shadow.

If Tempest Quinn wanted to play hardball, then hardball he would get. He would match the Walking Wake's elevated speed with AGILITY of his own, building up speed by running circles against the edge of SHADOW HOLD's range.

The Raging Bolt's tromping drowned out much of the noise of Tempest Quinn 's charge, but not enough for Josh to pick up on a familiar tromping noise. Turning toward him, he saw a Walking Wake and a familiar Rocket giving chase, outrunning the electric-type thanks to their Flareon fueling their steed's PROTOSYNTHESIS. The SUNNY DAY also fueled Raikou's PROTOSYNTHESIS, making him more nimble than before. Nimble enough for Zaborg to catch back up to Josh and skillfully flick the Raging Bolt's reins to one side.

With a sliding swerve that perhaps only his Raging Bolt was capable of, the electric duo shielded their trainer from the explosion of HYDRO STEAM, but at a great price. As the boiling water rained upon Raikou, his neck stretched in a way that the Shiny Zeraora was exposed to the scalding hot vapor. Warts began to form beneath the white cat's fur. "We need to get out of here, now!" Josh ordered. "Floor it, Raikiri!" With a rattling purr, the Zeraora zipped toward their destination, only to be stopped by the SHADOW HOLD.

More than just the Walking Wake's footfalls were familiar; Josh remembered Tempest Quinn from their last tango in Dewford. "...You. Where have your people taken Captain Shalin Nariya ?"

The Crobat was incredibly fast. Far faster than Flint was. Josh had sat in Flowen's saddle several times. He knew exactly the kinds of speeds the poison-type could reach, even when not specializing like his own did. Flint reared to protect Josh from the attacker, the flying bat's fangs finding the Typhlosion's side. The rider could see and feel perspiration building up from his mount's fur; that was how he knew the nature of Absinthe Blackwood 's strike.

The Absinthe Blackwood Josh recognized in the Gym was not the same one before him now. She seemed to be a cold-blooded assassin, much like Hitoshi Inoue who had taken many lives the day his Gigantimax Corviknight laid siege to Mauville's North District.

As the Crobat was passing by, Josh flicked Flint's reins, the female fire-type leaping into the air. Her claws were laced with the high voltage of an electric-type, twin THUNDER PUNCHES aimed at the large vermin. When the Typhlosion landed from the jump, it was with unsteady limbs. Her legs began to buckle, and she collapsed from her exertion.

"You're not bad, but you're not the only one with wings," Josh taunted, grabbing Pazuzu's Poké Ball from his belt. Clicking its switch and hurling the device beneath him, he skillfully let the Pidgeot emerge beneath him such that the bird's expanding body would lift him into the saddle directly. Zipping the cocoon up and flipping his helmet's visor down, the duo took off, ready to chase down the Crobat.

The girl's non-response suggested that it was indeed the worst case scenario. The children likely had been separated from their parents because of the war. There was no escaping Petalburg. Sootopolis could be escaped by sea or by air. The relatively flat nature of Petalburg and its size meant that anyone who tried to escape could easily be shot down by a flying Pokémon. Given how far away the nearest Pokémon Center was from the part of town they were closest to, there really was no getting them back until Petalburg City could be liberated.

With Nicholas having past medical experience, Josh had to trust his judgment. "I am a little nervous about being out here, so close to the city, but you're right. We need to get him stable. I've also got a Pokémon that won't jostle him quite as much. He's a bit scary looking, but I assure you, Suicune is obedient." Clicking open a Cherish Ball, from it emerged an ancient form of the Beast of Water and Winds: Josh's Walking Wake. The raptor-like Pokémon sounded a majestic cry almost indistinguishable from a Suicune. "Other than my Pyroar, he's the best I have." He had one other Pokémon, but if the boy couldn't handle a Pyroar, he wasn't going to be able to handle the ashen tiger, either.

When Josh heard Anastasia Harmon 's remarks about his Espeon, he reined the psychic-type to a stop near her. "It's a bit of a long story," he shrugged, Janus opening his mind up to Old Whiskers, the ruby on his forehead growing. "If you want the short version, all the memes you see about Space-Time Distortions on social media aren't as far from the truth as you think."

Once Ana's full attention was on Josh, he introduced himself and his Espeon steed, climbing down to expose the saddle he was sitting in. "Gym Leader Devlin, but please, call me Josh. And this is Janus," he gently stroked the psychic-type's fur. "If you've never been to Mauville City's Pokémon Gym, what I'm about to tell you might be a bit hard to absorb."

"You can say that again," Josh laughed with Eddie, grateful he was able to not only sit tall in the saddle, but do so on the thundercloud of the Pokémon of his dreams. "After that Nihilego and the warden smashed my arm, I wondered if I would ever ride again. I owe so many people for everything they did to get me back into... almost fighting condition," he corrected himself. "Even from beyond the grave, kyle lopez came to my rescue at Sootopolis. Had Entei, and to clarify, not my Hoennian Entei, not been there to ferry me back to the mainland, I might not have made it."

Eying the Kybfu, Josh waved to the small fighting-type before shifting his gaze back to Eddie. "The sentiment is greatly appreciated. But again I'll ask: what brings you here?"

LIQUIDATION was a potent water-type move and could easily drown Flint if she got too close. Being a Champion, he had experience fighting against almost any Pokémon, including Toxapex. He knew the weaknesses of the species and the limitations of the short-range torrent. As soon as the water raced toward him, Josh yanked hard on Flit's reins with his right arm. His mount's explosive fur breathed the vents on her neck, making the rider sweat as they skidded out of the way of a direct hit. Even a glancing blow still stung, what with the raw strength of the attack. The soaked Typhlosion shook her fur dry, startling Josh before he got his ride under control, facing the Rocket and Toxapex.

"Pokémon combat isn't just paint by numbers," Josh taunted Absinthe. "It's knowing what your team can and can't do, and knowing every angle of attack they're capable of. That may have worked on others, but not me. Flint, ZEN HEADBUTT." Typhlosion was not a species known for being dangerous at range, but Josh's was, the fire-type telekinetically projecting an image of itself in front of her foe and ramming into it!

"Xyz works for me," Josh replied with a nod, his pronunciation of Xuying's name similar to the word "exceed". He raised his eyebrows at the Unovan mentioning he wasn't the greatest fighter. What was he doing there, then? Area Zero was dangerous. The Paradox Pokémon were no joke, even for Josh. Entei had come close to leaving him seriously hurt. Raikou the Raging Bolt felt right at home, the electric dragon relaxed as a house Skitty.

"What exactly are you looking for down here?" Josh asked Xuying. "This is not a place for novice trainers. Besides Terastal legendary Pokémon, there are plenty of Pokémon like Raikou down here." Ones that were more than capable of devouring inexperienced trainers, at that. It wasn't just Raging Bolt, Gouging Fire, and Walking Wake that were threats; Pokémon like Scream Tail could easily catch one off guard. "The terrain around here's quite rough, too. Got a Pokémon you can ride? They're really helpful around here."

The metallic doors would open to reveal one of Hoenn's Champions, Josh Devlin , with his Type: Null behind him. While he didn't look thrilled to be at the underground League facility at Ever Grande, he didn't look upset, either. By his standards, he was in a good mood. "Thanks for inviting me, Paxton," the Ranger answered. "I've been meaning to meet with you about this since April, but it's been so busy... what with kyle lopez passing, then my kidnapping that left my arm out of commission for so long, then Shalin Nariya 's capture... it's been nonstop. But now that I'm feeling well enough, I can at last come out here."

Josh's eyes shifted about the course: it was almost a replica of the land course that used to be on Route 111, near the Battle Arcade. "This looks like my old Minor League Gym," he mused as he reached for the three Cherish Balls on his belt, profile images of the heads of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune each on one of them. "Really impressed. Definitely room to run here."

Clicking open the Poké Balls containing his "Hoennian" Beasts, the three stood proud, the riding gear on them uniquely identifying them as his. "I've already talked with illeana reyes about these three - Raikou, Entei, and Suicune," he introduced the paradox Pokémon before they all ran off to playfight with one another -- and with Aleph. "But that's not why you called me. It's because of this feather. It was a gift from kyle lopez ." Plucking the scintillating object from his shirt, its quill dripped with ash. "This feather is the vessel for the Raikou that was under his command. And now, it's under mine."

"Not at all!" Josh answered. "I trust you. If anything, it'll make the challenge all the more productive." No matter how pure he became after his rebirth, there were always inner demons for him to conquer. Demons that he would have to conquer if he wanted to do his part in making sure the League defended Hoenn from the invasions to come.

None of Josh's other horse Pokémon could keep up with Torrent and Eriette. That Raikou could keep up with the Spectrier showed how fast the Raging Bolt was. "Let's hold at this speed for now," the Gym Leader suggested. "Don't want to overdo it!" The electric dragon sounded a thunder-like roar, rounding a corner as the duo observed many of the rare Pokémon. "When the war's over, you should finish your Champion Assessment yourself." Perhaps they might end up battling one another there if Hoenn got to a spot where she could know peace.

"Thanks," Josh blushed, not used to receiving quite this much flattery. "We've still got a ways to go to get to the Sky Pillar's main island. Hop back on, and hold on tight!" The young man would give Miyako help in getting back onto the Walking Wake if she needed it. "If you think that was fast, we'll be on the island before you know it. Hyah!" With a kick of his feet, the Walking Wake dashed over the waves.

Once the two riders were in more open waters, Josh grinned. "We're kicking this up a notch! Suicune, use Tailwind!" With a majestic roar, HYDRO STEAM formed around the dinosaur Beast's spiked tails. The thermals roared behind the Walking Wake much like the Johtonian counterpart manipulated the wind to run faster. Josh leaned into the wind as his mount reached speeds not far from what the real Suicune was capable of using Extreme Speed.

It would not take long for the Sky Pillar to loom ahead, Josh carefully pumping the metaphorical brakes. "The emerald serpent Rayquaza once made its home here," he said as the wind at last stopped roaring due to their slower speed. "The place is full of really powerful Pokémon. If you're ever overwhelmed, we can go back." The Walking Wake would leap from the water's surface to the top of a small but rough cliff; there was a reason the island appeared to be accessible only by air!

The dragon-type and normal-type's claws clashed with one another harshly, parrying every blow. Their battle sounded like two master swordfighters going at it. "What got me was his use of Trick Room combined with ghost-type Pokémon," the Gym Leader replied. "Some Pokémon attacks are so fast that Trick Room doesn't affect them. Almost all of them cannot scratch ghost-types. That's why the battle was more of an embarrassment than anything. He devised the perfect counter-strategy and won my Badge with it. You see, part of being a Gym Leader is also learning from your challengers." Even as a Champion, the learning never stopped.

The talk quickly turned back to the war and the underhanded tactics Rocket used. Tactics Josh was more than familiar with after being in multiple warzones. "It's the reality of the world we live in," the Gym Leader replied with a shake of his head. "One of the purposes of the Gym Challenge is to expand Hoenn's army, navy, and air force. When the call of duty comes, those with many Gym Badges are considered first. It's part of how I wound up becoming a war courier. Participating in the war doesn't necessarily mean being on the front lines. Aaron will find his place. And Kee, I'm sure you will, as well. You've got a specialty, too. Find it and make use of it. Someone up top will appreciate you and come to you."

Josh wanted to apologize to Kee's parents for the recruitment talk, but the words would not come to his mouth.

While it wasn't as effective as a gas mask, the racer's helmet and visor shielded the Champion from much of the toxic air left in the wake of the chained Frosmoth's BLIZZARD. In a desperate effort to protect him from the attack, Alphamax lurched backward and bucked his rider off. The localized wintry blast froze the Garchomp in a purple ice cube. "So much for this being uneventful," he sighed, grabbing a Poké Ball from his belt.

The mounted specialist tossed the capsule directly beneath him, knowing where the on-fours Typhlosion would appear so that she could lift him onto his seat merely by her appearance. "FLAME WHEEL, Flint!" the rider ordered, the fire-type picking up great speed as the duo barreled toward the toxic-chained insect in a dramatic leap.