Ample and robust signage would lead Althus Rex to the Main Sector, where the Racing Grounds' battle courts were located. There, he would find Josh removing the saddle from Saber, one of the Gym Leader's most iconic Pokémon. He had known the electric wolf since well before coming to Hoenn. "Challenger Rex?" the Leader greeted him. "Champion Devlin, but please, you can call me Josh!" As much as he appreciated Althus' enthusiasm, the redhead's badge count forced him to hold back. "I'll battle as hard as I am permitted to, based on your Badge count. If you want to face me at my full strength, you're more than welcome to drop by for an unofficial match another time!" Was he aware that the Champion's full might included the husk of a legendary Pokémon?

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 three-Pokémon Singles match. The first side to incapacitate their opponent's entire Pokémon team will be the winner. This match will have a ten-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, a mean-looking Sharpedo surfacing 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, his Manectric barking from the top of the platform while his Shiny Charizard stood next to him, occupying most of the platform's space.

After quite a long meeting with the Commissioner, there would be no time for Josh to return to Mauville that day... not with how tired he was. If he had all his strength, he could utilize Regole's Extreme Speed to get back before the sun set, but there was no sense in being that reckless. Instead, he took a detour to Mossdeep City. The island city's citizens deserved to see their Champion, too.

After landing and dining in a middle-class Alto Maren restaurant, his eyes shifted toward the heavens, alongside Alina Hamako 's. "Fancy seeing you here," Josh greeted her, dismounting from his Shiny Dragonair and tilting his head upward on the clear, starry night.

The first constellation that he recognized was ★SwRn, the two bright stars in its center a stark reminder of how Resheph perished. Nearby was another Pokémon Josh recognized from when Swift sparred with PENELOPE LIVY 's fire-types, as well as Dashie's murderer, Elisabeth Fiorelli 's Patron. Seeing all three of them together made Josh shiver. "How do you not just... feel like the end of the world is coming looking up there?" he pointed toward the ruinous creatures' general direction.

Just what were they surrounding?

Josh watched Dirk battle the dark-type canine. Houndoom were an ornery species, and almost required a saddle to ride due to their hard bones running across their backs. If one could get through their aggressive tendencies, they made excellent mounts, with a great balance of speed, strength, and stamina. "Opportunistic, I see," Josh hummed, seeing how well-prepared Dirk was for the dark-type. "It doesn't hurt to have one or two backups, either, even if it's not the Pokémon you're looking for. Komainu's a good boy; if you need to practice with him, you're more than welcome to use him when we head back to Mauville. He's my own Houndoom."

After the battle, Josh led the way beneath the cloud layer, the metallic Swords of Justice tromping into Area Zero proper. "Oh, more than that. When you see the Pokémon that show up down here, you'll be terrified," Josh warned. He deeply revered and respected Johto's legendary Beasts. That there were paradox Pokémon that were closely related to the sacred trio would almost no doubt get Dirk's attention. Any one of them would be brutal to do battle against...

Rocket's anti-air defenses were fierce; Josh had to rely on Regole's EXTREME SPEED more than he would have liked. Even the delivery Dragonite's wings were humming trying to power it out of harm's way. Both it and Regole were exhausted as they swooped toward Ever Grande City, greeted by Eva's father. Once they touched down, Josh withdrew his Dragonair and let the Dragonite fly back to the mainland.

"Great to meet you, Mr. Morales," the Champion greeted the professor's father. "Champion Devlin, but please, call me Josh. You should be proud of the daughter you've raised. She's saved the entire region more times than I can count." And she didn't need an emerald dragon to do it again. All she needed were reliable friends. Partners.

For if one's only skill is recruiting reliable partners, they tend to take care of the rest.

The raging storm, and even a near-miss from a lightning bolt, did not make Josh tense one bit. The Champion rode upon the back of a Raikou, though in his current form, Swift was a mere husk animated by the Great One's blessing. Nonetheless, the Master of Faster was used to being around lightning from his myriad of electric steeds. Perhaps once he was feeling better, he would bring Swift out to this electric wasteland, where his already high speed could be elevated to heights he couldn't reach even under Kyle's command.

Zaborg and his allies had made a lot of headway in burning and retracting the wires, though not they were more alive than ever. The THUNDERCLAP and PLASMA FISTS shook the ground with white lightning capable of vaporizing almost anything it touched. Was that the kind of lightning bolt that Swift could ferry Josh upon once they realized their full potential?

He couldn't dream about that now; with Xurkitree wires threatening to grab Gram and Ripper, he and Zaborg had to remain focused. "Zaborg, bat them back with a POWER-UP PUNCH flurry!" the Gym Leader cried, his mount still hanging from the low-lying cloud a safe distance from the carnage below.

Through his Champion Assessment, Josh had learned that speed was both a mighty offensive tool and a steadfast defense. Every cut from Swift's claws left Okidogi progressively defensive, unable to retaliate with its chain, lest it risk being trampled at breakneck pace. The knowledge had made Josh, previously reliant on a single trick to win battles, incredibly deadly with his newly-developed understanding of his talent. He wondered what Greyson Connors would think of him now, battling with speed as the center of his strategy, but having multiple ways to take advantage of it now.

That buildup came to a crescendo, Swift having chained enough of the speed-increasing attacks together to reach the highest velocity he could under Josh's control. One more art would come in due time. One that would prove a true challenge for him to rein in. But this was not that time. Now was the time for the Raikou to unleash an electric barrage stronger than any attack the Beast was capable of under Kyle's command. It was an attack that symbolized everything Josh loved about Raikou, getting down to the very essence of the Sacred Ash Raikou as the trainer wielded him.

"ELECTRO BALL, Swift!"

The tiger circled Okidogi, almost looking like a distant planet's rings from how fast he ran. All the while, electrical arcs from Swift's crown, creating a whirlwind of charged spheres that flew toward the strongest of the Loyal Three at truly enigmatic speeds. Each rocked the air with a miniature shockwave from the sheer velocity the Raikou reached, almost sounding like a gunshot when it left the black, reflective headpiece.

From how slow she was to accelerate Kion past a trot, Josh felt Alina was nervous about the trot-to-canter transition. It was one of the most frightening parts of riding a big cat Pokémon for those who had no idea what to expect. Even for new riders of horse Pokémon, the sensation of moving slightly from side to side to bouncing up and down on a stable back was jarring. A big cat's body was designed for burst speed, and their flexing backs showed it. Even at the lowest speeds necessitating full strides from the Pyroar, Kion's gait was far bouncier than even the strongest equine Pokémon.

"No sweat, Alina! How are you adapting to Kion?" Josh asked, riding alongside her on Kovu's back and keeping an eye on her posture and how she held the reins. "Once you get used to it, we'll be there in no time!" Unlike most Pyroar, these were meant for racing. Whether they had more endurance than wild Pyroar or they could reach higher top speeds than ones in the open, it was his pride's expertise -- one very useful in higher stakes situations. This one was not; their victim was stable and out of danger. "We have time. The guy's not in danger. He just can't get back to Mauville on his own." It was a perfect rescue for a first timer. The stakes were low, there was no sign of injury, and the threat of a wild Pokémon seemed minimal. It was less a rescue and an escort.

Josh gave the white electric-type a gentle cuddle before facing Nick and truly paying attention to his story. The mention of control over shadows made his eyes widen. He had run into someone that matched that descriptor before. Someone that not even his ultrafast Zeraora, Raikiri, was a match for. "Did he use this giant, purple, bird dragon Pokémon?" he asked. Recognizing the gestures as ones he had made, he knew generally where Nick was hurting. Though it was not the same circumstance, he seemed to have lost movement in the same places the Champion did.

Josh felt empathy toward his Ranger friend. He had been cooped up in a room for weeks during one of the busiest parts of the year, far as his Gym was concerned. He had been blessed with inheriting Kyle's Sacred Ash Raikou. He wanted to sit on the Beast's thundercloud and slam the metaphorical gas pedal into the floorboard, claws screeching against the ground like rubber on asphalt. He wanted to create hurricanes from the wake of his legendary mount's blistering speed. Even now, he had to hold back some. With a few more weeks of training, though, he would at long last be a free man from his injuries.

"I went through the same thing you did during the spring and part of the summer," the Gym Leader consoled him. "I hated it. There's nothing as torturous as being unable to do the things you've taken for granted. When I had to be admitted to Mauville Regional Hospital after my left arm got smashed in that damn jail, it took me almost three months before I could even sit in a saddle. I've been through it, too. If there's anything I can do to help you, say the word. I'll do my best to make it happen."

Josh's Sacred Swords were fast. The thrusters beneath the paradox Pokémon's metallic boots had some real kick to them, letting them keep up with their legendary counterparts. As the Terrakion and Virizion look-alikes mentally strapped their riders on with psychic power, ensuring they wouldn't need to focus on their posture and balance, Josh swiveled to face Dirk. "Considering you've beaten several Gym challengers on your own already, you're a mighty trainer, more than capable of completing the Gym circuit. I'm just a little worried because the Pokémon down here can be a problem... even for me."

While rare, the legendary paradox Pokémon were known to be here, and they were terrifying creatures in the wild. It had taken Josh quite some time to learn just why Entei's species name was Gouging Fire, and he had learned so the hard way. On a routine sparring day at his Gym, Entei's mean horn had pierced through even Teyo's armor, the stout Bastiodon experiencing true pain for the first time. Perhaps it was because the fossil Pokémon has sacrificed some defense for speed when Josh trained him.

"It's all the waterfalls," Josh educated Dirk as their Pokémon's metallic hooves kicked against one another during their long and powerful strides. "Once we get below the cloud level, the air should become a lot drier." As is, it was really thick... more so than Route 119 in the summer. "Just keep your eyes out for paradox Pokémon that look like legendary Pokémon. Like Raikou, Entei, and Suicune at my Gym, and these three. If you see one, we run. They're... a lot even for me."

Josh was not complaining; he was simply cautious. Perhaps overcautious. "Simple enough," he answered. "I'm just a little concerned that this is bait to get me out here. I knew Captain Nariya personally, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to use her to get to me." Though little was known about the female's capture, she was strong. She could be a Champion herself if she put her mind to it. The conditions for her capture had to have come on suddenly, like a Pyroar waiting in the brush ready to pounce.

When asked to dismount, Josh blew Montgomery off. "If detection is the issue, Eriette can go ethereal. Good luck finding her unless you've got a ghost Pokémon yourself." The ghost-type mare snorted, knowing just as well as her trainer did that she had that extra dimension most Pokémon didn't. Being able to take Josh with her into that cold and inhospitable world was a godsend for as long as the Champion could last.

Not a split second after the deputy told Josh to drop, he and his steed instead vanished into the ethereal. Not only would they avoid whatever he warned him about, but they might be able to see some of the ghosts haunting Petalburg...

This delivery would have been an easy task were it overcast. Having learned of Swift's ability to fly on the underside of a storm cloud, Josh could ride lightning itself -- and there were few faster ways to deliver a war bulletin than aboard a living lightning bolt. Though Swift lacked the strength he had under Kyle, he more than made up for it with raw speed.

With a blood moon painting the cloudless sky red, that was no longer an option.

He had to rely on Regole, a Shiny Dragonair whose pink scales blended in with the ominous colors above them. This message from a fallen, enemy-overrun, and barely recognizable city, was vital to return to Ever Grande with. "This is what being a war courier is about," Josh huffed, having fought his best to keep supply lines and troop lines open to the city as long as he could. "We can't let Rocket advance any farther eastward. If they claim Mauville, it's over."

Ultra Plant was a dream for Josh to go back to. With low-lying storm clouds constantly covering the sky, he could do not just wnat he dreamed of, but go beyond. It would be the ideal spot to make one final push to get the entire motion of his left arm back.

For the first time since before Josh's tragic injury, Swift was ferrying two passengers: Zaborg the Shiny Zeraora's legs were just as tightly gripping the electric Beast's back as his trainer's were. "We're gonna smash that wiry floor as hard as we can," the Champion relayed his part of the plan to Thomas Benoit and the others. "And Locke, you'll get to see I wasn't kidding when I told you my dream of making deliveries by lightning strike. Let's fly!"

With a squeeze to the Raikou's sides and a flick of his outer tufts of thundercloud, Swift made a dramatic leap to the low-lying thunderclouds. "PLASMA FISTS, Zaborg!" Josh ordered. Once the Beast was hanging from the bottom of the cloud, the Zeraora slid off, hurtling toward a patch of wires like a meteor.