After three months of not being able to do so, it felt good to sit in the saddle of a water Pokémon and sail the high seas near Dewford. He no longer had to take a boat to get to the distant island city when he wanted to visit Navy . Ecco chattered in excitement, the Palafin glad to be able to spend some quality time with his rider outside the Gym. He was surrounded by several of his other aquatic Pokémon, including Snacker, the Sharpedo's unoccupied saddle perhaps looking a bit strange.

They weren't there for a beach party, though. They were there to shred a pirate ship. He suspected the vessel was affiliated with Rocket, though it could well have been independent thieves. "Zachary, this is your first field operation on the water, isn't it?" the Gym Leader asked as he bobbed up and down along with his Palafin.

Even Ogerpon seemed in awe at the ancient structure, built long before Josh had even been thought of. It was one of the oldest buildings in Johto, carefully guarded and maintained. For Ecruteak's denizens, and Johto's as a whole, largely believed that one day, the Great One would return and bathe the region in a blessed rainbow.

"It is a long ways up, and you can't just fly to the top of it either. If the legend is to be believed, its upper floors are surrounded by a Crystal Wall from the outside," Josh recalled. "Thinking about it, I hope Isaac Merlo 's alright. It's been so long since I've heard from him..." he trailed off before Andrea's remark snapped Josh out of his trance.

Josh internally shook a metaphorical fist at Dorian. There was no getting those lives back. At the very least, all their souls passed on and could rest in peace for all eternity. And they had Josh to thank for that. "Fourteen that day. Dorian's pretty high up on the League's most wanted list. He's a psychotic serial killer. If you ever cross paths with him. run. As far as you can. You've got really fast Pokémon -- use them to get away." Of course, he couldn't do that. He couldn't let Princess Elise Calcifet be captured or killed. He couldn't let that madman take any more lives that day. And he did not. The death toll remained at fourteen.

As the dirt road turned to bricks that were laid in rainbow-colored patterns, Andrea asked about the origins of the ghost and fighting Pokémon. "We did trade. You see, Raikiri was originally Kyle's Pokémon. They didn't tick too well, and I didn't tick too well with that Marshadow. So we traded. So I owe Kyle not only for the Raikou, but a Pokémon I once thought was Raikou. I've got so many rare Pokémon now that it's hard to give them all the attention they deserve."

Josh guffawed at the idea of a race. "Against Swift? You know you're competing against the fastest land Pokémon in the world, right? I'm not going to stop you; I just wanted to set the expectation that it might not be a fair race." As much as he wished he could do that now, he couldn't. Not with his arm still banged up. "It'll be something to look forward to. They expect me to be done with rehab in November. Let's see if we can find a mild day then," he compromised with Zachary.

As he pet the Raging Bolt, Josh's hair stood on end from absorbing the electric paradox's vibrations. "It's the same feel as Swift purring... they really are regional variants of Raikou, aren't they..." he mused, still believing that the Raging Bolt was a 'Hoennian Raikou'.

Turning his head, he saw the Type: Null gearing for battle, the CRUSH CLAW gleaming in the sun. "Aleph, I know you want to battle, but not here!" Josh protested, the normal-type legendary backing down reluctantly. "Sorry... Aleph can get a little battle manic," the Champion apologized. "I'm still trying to understand him." Even after almost a year, they still didn't truly communicate using the same language...

Nikola may have taken notes on Josh's battle strategy as it was, but his Champion Assessment had forced that to change for the better. Though speed was still his forte, Josh had some new tricks up his sleeve. Smokescreen and Sandstorm were common moves that the unscrupulous used to mask their getaways. Depriving them of that tool would make it easier for the Champion to use his extreme speed to chase them down.

"Entei, SUNNY DAY!" Josh cried over the swirling sands. Entei's tall crest glowed bright reds, yellows, and oranges, the sandstorm giving way to borderline hazardous heat. Perhaps the only flaw in Josh's plan was the haze forming from the excessive heat, making the entire lab area waver like a desert mirage. PROTOSYNTHESIZING in the bright sunlight coming in through the front door, the already fast Gouging Fire could dash just as fast as his legendary counterpart.

Under his watch, NIKOLA SAMSA would not be escaping so easily.

Pyroar were often challenging to raise. The Pokémon were apex predators, more than capable of killing their trainers if they were to turn on them. The horse-sized ones prowling near Josh and Clover especially so. Those paws looked like they could tear down a wooden shed with ease. And yet, in the Gym Leader's hands, they were a noble family of lightning-fast, powerful steeds for Mauville's Rangers to use as needed. Steeds that could carry their riders faster than the average Rapidash.

Josh raised his hands at Clover's question. "I'm sorry, I might not have been clear. You asked what kept me in Hoenn, and that's what I was referring to. The barrier has nothing to do with my pride." He paused to sweep the area, seeing what his nine Pyroar were up to before continuing his story. "I had traveled to Hoenn to take a two-week vacation before returning to Goldenrod. That two weeks turned into months, what with the barrier preventing me from returning home. By the time the barrier was gone, I was already Mauville City's Gym Leader. I maintained dual citizenship for a while before officially emigrating to Hoenn, alongside my mom and dad, around Christmas of last year."

The white glow on his Z-GLOVE grew even brighter, a lion and lioness emitting similar light beneath the PYROARIUM-Z they carried. "Kovu... Nala..." he whispered under his breath.

Was it them?

In Josh's eyes, it wasn't the Rangers' job to resolve large-scale conflict. It wasn't even the Gym Leaders' job; their tasks were largely tied to their municipalities, though they could aid in regional affairs as needed. Ultimately, it was the bigwigs that were responsible. The Elite Four and Council in particular: Hoenn's regional political leaders. "I tried running for Elite Four once. I failed miserably. I'm just no politician. I'd rather be out in the field, saving lives... rather than having to choose who gets to live and who must die." He would say little more on the matter.

Clover called for the kids to be returned to their soon-to-arrive parents. As much fun as they looked like they were having, he had to cut it short. "Alright, Valoo, time for the finale!" The dragon soared before diving like a roller coaster smooth enough for even kids to be on. Both the guest riders screamed and laughed as the Drampa gently dove and swooped, their stomachs turning upside down from the flight. They gently touched down hear Josh and Clover, the Gym Leader helping the two get off the back of the fastest Drampa in the world. "They looked like they had a really good time!" he remarked, expecting Clover to lead the children back.

Josh extended his hand to reach toward Airi, but it may have been a bit awkward with the Champion sitting so high off the ground. A Ranger Nurse, huh? It seemed like he wasn't the only one who couldn't decide on a single career path. "That a noble profession. You see, I, too, do Ranger work on the side, though I'm more on the search-and-rescue side. If your Ranger work is out of Mauville, you might have seen quite a few Pyroar with saddles on them, stamped with the Ranger logo. All of those Pyroar are mine."

Without a word, Josh reined his Luxray in front of the two children, the big cat stepping between them and the Dusknoir that appeared to be confused. Her form and quick thinking impressed the young man. "You're quite knowledgeable, Airi. How long have you been a Ranger for?" he asked, the children remaining calm in the presence of a Kirlia that helped them stay that way, for it could sense their fear of the phantom that AIRI WATANABE had tried to befriend.

Zacian seemed happy with Keldeo's progress and growing resolve, Ascalon violently colliding with the apprentice's horn in a shower of blue and pink sparks. Even so, she would not let up, the holy sword sweeping across both of them and threatening to cleave them in two. Swift's specialty was in speed, and purely speed. In a contest of velocity, no land Pokémon could outrun him. Pure speed, though, was more unwieldy than Zacian's supreme agility and reaction time. By the time the Beast could flex his legs, the sword had already cut deep into Swift, ash erupting from the direction of the cut much like blood would spray from a living creature.

Even further evidence that Swift was not a living Pokémon. The monochrome Raikou truly was a construct, like MATIAS SILPH had said. The acceptance did not change Josh's affection and love for the electric legendary one bit. Even if he wasn't alive in the same way other Pokémon were, Swift was still his Raikou. Exactly how he wanted him to be.

In the split second it took to cleave through Swift, Keldeo was able to parry the SACRED SWORD attack with a SACRED SWORD of his own, though his muscles buckled. They buckled as much as the Raikou struggled to stay on his feet, ash still falling from the point of impact. This battle was even more difficult than the one with Kyle. He was being beaten at his own game.

Even so, Swift remained defiant, determined to protect the little one. Standing between Zacian and Keldeo, his black crown shimmered through the fairy mist, as though preparing to REFLECT an oncoming attack. Upon hearing a weak-sounding roar, Keldeo became filled with determination, an AQUA JET catapulting him skyward. Extending his own SACRED SWORD further, the water-type turned into a living buzzsaw, pinwheeling toward Zacian. Josh watched in horror.

Was this the kind of power Laurence Anderson had been warning him about?

Josh waved toward the deputy as soon as he approached. Though their hair color was the same, their hair styles couldn't contrast any more. The Gym Leader's was far from neat, though his racing helmet covered it most of the time. Not this time, for he didn't plan on going extremely fast. He would rather be able to feel the wind all over his face rather than just through where his visor would protect him during races. He would have need of the helmet and windshield soon enough. Not yet. Not while he was still in rehab.

"Montgomery?" he asked to confirm his partner's name. Were he to get a positive response, even if it was just a nod, he would continue. "Gym Leader Devlin, but please, Josh is good." Logging back into RangerNet, Josh pulled the ticket up on his phone and reviewed the briefing. "Last known coordinates on the far west side of the woods. And that's Galvantula territory, if RangerNet's resources are current. Brought some Pokémon to hedge against electric attacks, including Saber here." And one more in case of a dire emergency, though he hoped not to have to use his Beast for such a mundane operation. "It is a bit of a trip, though. Got a Pokémon that can take you there?"

"Gym Leader Devlin or Champion Devlin, but please, call me Josh," the young man kindly returned the introduction with one of his own. "And this is Blitz," he gave the Luxray a gentle pat on the neck, which seemed to calm the big cat down. When not snarling, the Luxray was majestic... and even a little cute with his grumpy face on!

Josh set Blitz's reins down and raised his hands in protest when Airi asked if there was anything she could do to make up to him. "No, it's okay, really! Accidents happen, and I'm not hurt at all," he replied. "What brings you to Mauville, if I may ask? Are you also a trainer?"

"I don't treat them as my subjects," Josh clarified to Clover. "All my Pokémon are my partners. Friends. Equals." It may have been difficult for some trainers to understand, given that some understood Pokémon mounts to be subservient to their riders. That notion was as far from the truth as possible from what Josh was trying to teach at his Gym. Mount and rider had to be in sync with one another. They had to truly understand one another. Cooperate with one another.

When asked how they could prove themselves, Josh's Z-GLOVE on his left hand glowed a faint white. "What makes the monarch different is the ability to use an art only Aslan could. The Emperor's Royal Roar," he described the Z-Move. "A roar so feared, yet inspiring, that it can turn the tide of battle on its own. Even for lungs as strong as theirs, it is incredibly taxing. And only the strongest of the pride have a hope to reach its volume."

When asked about the circumstances keeping him at Hoenn, Josh frowned. "Remember 99904 Meteno? The asteroid that was predicted to collide with Hoenn a couple years ago?" the Gym Leader asked. "And the invisible barrier that made it impossible to enter or leave Hoenn that summer?"