As the scene faded from white into a different kind of white, that being the Crown Tundra, Josh was happy he had brought his Pyroar. The lion turned up the heat to keep both riders warm. "Just be careful," the Champion warned his coworker. "It's looking for an Avatar. I got to be this Glastrier's Avatar, and it's... not a benevolent Patron."

Even so, Josh wouldn't stop Gwyar; without speaking to other Avatars directly, who wouldn't want to be one? He had two fewer Avatars on his side, what with Rayquaza and Articuno both having cast their Patrons aside. He doubted Hoenn's Councilwoman would give Josh a chance to relive the experience he got with Eva Morales ; it would be one he would have to treasure within his heart. That or go back to Area Zero. Even if it was a fake, soaring through the vast crater on the emerald serpent would be just as fun as it was after they celebrated post-Meteno!

"Got it," Josh confirmed with a nod, grabbing Aleph's Poké Ball and hurling it toward the ice-type. He gave no order to attack; the Type: Null would simply stare at the Glastrier menacingly to serve as a momentary distraction.

Honoré Nara 's screeching did not go unnoticed over the wind. The Gym Leader tugged on Dashie's reins, the Rapidash rearing and turning around to face the familiar face he couldn't put a name on.

"I do," Josh answered, calmly and with a glum tone. Too down for someone being praised for possessing the Johto Beast. "Your face looks familiar, but I've forgotten your name - I'm sorry." If Honoré Nara remembered Josh's normally cheerful expression, it was all but gone today.

As the Pidove pounded away at Medli's REFLECT shield, Josh logged into RangerNet on his phone and looked up resources for handling Pidove. "Great to meet you, Aris!" He hummed for half a minute before finding a relevant article.

"Normally, Pidove are some of the most friendly bird Pokémon imaginable, but they're ravenous around food. It's unusual to see them this upset. Do you usually carry a lot of Berries on you?" Josh asked. Though they were normally happy-go-lucky, Pidove were known to get ravenous around food. Their small bodies did not lend well to being predators until they evolved, reducing them to the role of scavenger.

Eddie was right; Josh had to be at full strength for either of them to get the full Raikou experience. "You'll get it when I'm done with rehab. I promise," Josh swore to his friend. With the electric Beast under his control, he would share the joy of his childhood dream with as many of his friends that were willing. But not with his arm in the condition it was in.

Electricity enveloped Swift as the dragon and tiger took off, reaching a dizzying gallop in little time at all. With every leap, the paradox Pokémon's great speed battered Josh's visor with cutting winds faster than a hurricane. Even so, Swift was still in front of them, a Raikou QUICK ATTACK carrying the monochrome Beast nearly out of sight.

Koraidon leaped through the cloud layer to the Giant Chasm, exposing the two to a new sense: vibration from the fighting-type's wheels whirling fast enough to create a windstorm of their own. "I don't think he's done yet!" Josh called out, bracing for the whiplash-inducing force those wheels would put on him when they touched the ground. This couldn't have been good on his arm...

"Not a doubt in my mind," Josh answered. "Maybe we should see if he wants to come along. I doubt he'll make it, though... I've been having a hard time getting ahold of him since I ran into him shortly after Kyle died." He was as fleeting as his Beast, borne and gone upon the winds. He didn't get to race Swift and Suicune like he wanted, and he now understood why. Suicune was a free spirit, much like their Avatar was. Yet more evidence that the form of his blessing fit him well. Swift may not have had the raw power Suicune did, but Swift was his Raikou. Exactly how he dreamed Raikou to be.

At the mention of art and history, the gears inside Josh's brain began turning. "There's quite a few places we can go. Bellsprout Tower in Violet City, the Lake of Rage north of Mahogany Town, and especially the Dragon's Den around Blackthorn. There's some real history to that place. But not until I'm feeling well enough." He paused for a moment, recalling the motifs of the masks. "...You're right. Might have to do some legwork about those." Maybe Andrea would even find a clue about Pon's masks there!

"Whoo-hoo!" Josh cried as the Espeon gently bounced him up and down. They were barely moving compared to the all-out racing speeds he was used to, but he had to take baby steps to get back to full strength, especially with his arm still healing. Therapy would help, but the real cure was time. Weeks upon weeks of time.

All of a sudden, sand flew everywhere around Josh and his Pokémon, much like a Pokémon's SANDSTORM. Were there trainers battling off the highway and he just missed it? On edge, it took him little time to recognize the crackle of a THUNDER WAVE headed Josh's direction. At the speed of thought, the Espeon ALLY SWITCHED with Anara, the Umbreon absorbing the brunt of the electric attack.

Yuina seemed to be able to feel the war coming, too, particularly with the weight of a legendary Pokémon at her beck and call now. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, Yuina, we have everything to fight for. As many of the League's decisions there are that I disagree with, they do a good job keeping Hoenn a free region. You understand that if Ever Grande falls, Rocket will likely turn Hoenn into a totalitarian state, right? Just like Kanto was." Josh paused to let his point sink in. "With how many psychic Pokémon Team Rocket has in their hands, and legendary Pokémon at that, they could put a Hyper Beam through your head for even thoughts of resistance, no matter how hidden you keep them."

The war had been going on for six years and only continued to escalate over time. It was clear both sides were willing to fight tooth and nail for their ideals... no matter how many deaths it took. Deleting the other side was the number one priority, it seemed. Even if the victors would not have a region to return home to.

"Joyland is a theme park in Ever Grande City. Johanna Joy runs it. Used to be the Gym Leader there. They've got a carousel with sculptures of every legendary Pokémon big enough to ride. You could even saddle up The Original One, Arceus Himself, if you wanted to!" he teased.

CLOUD NINE may have negated ordinary weather, but this was extraordinary, primal weather. Weather the earth was not capable of producing on its own. Josh grunted, wincing as a powerful turn felt like it was going to tear his left arm out of its socket. Seeing the Altaria, it didn't take him long to realize what Nabi was trying to do.

"Cloud Nine and other ways of stopping weather won't work on primal weather," Josh called out as the WATER SPOUT dropped a torrential deluge upon the ashen feline. Shaking himself clean as though he was a real cat, the Beast roared before surrounding himself in an electrical sphere, landing on the Kyogre's back with another SPARK attack.

Interests piqued, Josh inquired more about Wo-Chien and the others of their kind. "Ruinous Beasts? As in more than one?" His mind focused on that day, Josh recalled just how resentful he was toward Cyllora. He never would have done what he did had he been able to control his emotions. But that snail seized his emotions deep from with him and brought the worst out of him -- just like when they had been brought out during the Eris chasedown.

"I could feel a huge amount of Infinity Energy radiating from that snail Pokémon... even greater than the Infinity Energy radiating from Swift. An undiscovered legendary Pokémon, I imagine. Have you reports you can share of the others? If you can't do it here, then in some place more secure."

Conveniently, the Ride-On Raikou stuffie would let Josh answer that question easily enough. He grabbed the felt reins with one hand and ran that hand up and down them, leaning left and right as though he were turning. He kept his bad arm close to his body; it looked awkward, but his posture showed that he was a master of his craft.

"I actually fight from the saddle when possible," Josh answered Haoyu. "With me handling controls, it lets my mount focus on their attacks rather than on dodging. Keeps me out of harm's way and lets my Pokémon fight how they've been trained to."

Having agile Pokémon, but not knowing how to use them, was a great place for a guest trainer to start learning from Josh's Gym. Though riding was his preferred way to utilize a Pokémon's speed, it was not the only way. "Fast Pokémon make for really good decoys," the Champion suggested. "There's this old Johtonian proverb: 'A skilled decoy can get the enemy off your trail. A master decoy can live to do it again.' Speed is flashy. It captures attention. If you're looking to create a diversion, look no farther than a speedy Pokémon."

Josh wasn't taking too well to the heat, either; the farmer may have been able to notice his reaction times growing more sluggish. "Is it really work if you enjoy it, though?" he asked Jethro with a smile on his face, trying to keep a positive attitude in light of Hoenn's recent happenings.

The idea of getting to perform his craft in front of his new acquaintance raised his spirits, too. "Tell you what. Drop my Mauville Racing Grounds sometime. You'll get to see how fast Saber can run, heh."

It did not take the duo long to reach the mountain station, where a cable car would take them down to the air-conditioned hub near Lavaridge Toen. "Was great meeting you. See you 'round."

Mastema's trill was anything but friendly; he clearly appreciated Sylph's competitiveness and that he wasn't the only Togekiss with a serious demeanor. The course would be flying by them once the green flag waved, especially after the first lap, when they would be able to disappear into white swirls and trails. "Of course! That's part of why I became a Gym Leader - to turn this sporty passion of mine into a way to help people understand their Pokémon!" Though he had a peppered past with the League, upper management had kept him on all this time; clearly the good had outweighed the bad.

Once all the competitors indicated they were ready, three still images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, sprinting at full speed, faded into view along with a "GET READY" prompt. Said stills disappeared rhythmically, one at a time. Alongside each, a loud, low-pitched squawk blared as an aural indicator of the countdown and allowing the racers to more easily time their accelerating leaps off the line. The fourth such sound was higher-pitched as the final image vanished, the text "GET READY" shifting to "GO". The moment the starting buzzer sounded, Josh and his Gym Trainers jabbed at their mounts' sides with their knees, battling for early position.

Prompt: The course starts out with a long, slightly uphill straightaway for the racers to get their Pokémon up to speed, though there are five short drops no more than a couple feet each to balance out the elevation gain. The upper course bounds, marked by red flags, drop in tandem, making it impossible for the Pokémon to make a smooth dive through the "steps" of the overland course beneath. Past the straightaway is a myriad of progressively tighter curves, some left and some right, forming the illusion of a roundabout-like structure from above. Course bounds form a linear path through it, making racers go the long way around. The last uphill curve in particular is deceptive, racers unable to see over the hill until just before making the turn. It is very easy to misjudge and start turning late.

Target Number: 125 (Reaction)

Special: None

The Avatar sought to challenge Josh's faith. And challenge it she did. He was right; to the many ephemeral humans that lived their lives, the blessings and curses of the gods seemed arbitrary. It was not within the scope of the human mind to understand that of a god.

kyle lopez and the Great One knew what they were doing. Rather than try to please a god, they had blessed Josh with an emotionless, soulless Raikou that acted and behaved according to the way Josh understood the legend deep within his subconscious. The ashen memory of Raikou he commanded was no god.

For his mind may have shattered if he were at the beck and call of his Beast, his INFINITY ENERGY tied to the tiger's noble, yet merciless and savage demeanor. The memory he called Swift mirrored his own expectations of what bonding with a legendary Pokémon was like.

It was anyone's guess what would happen were that reality to come tumbling down.

"Do you doubt the Great One's mercy?" Josh spouted back, wincing as the shockwaves from the Glastrier's impact rocked the bodies of both Dashie and his rider. He squinted in pain as his arm began to thump. If only he was well enough to command Swift himself.

Wo-Chien had effortlessly evaded or deflected every one of Aleph's attacks, the SPIKY SHIELD piercing his front paws and causing them to convulse momentarily. Backed into a corner, the normal-type shared his trainer's ferocity and enmity toward the Scorned, the beleaguered Pokémon rearing and cutting across the ruinous beast's body and tablets with an X-SCISSOR.

"And what of those whose fates coincide with the gods? What a presumptuous claim to make for one who is an Avatar."