"Who? I don't recognize the name, only ever got six badges! It was also almost a decade ago ya'know!" Dirk shrugged. "Still tackled Victory Road though! Never managed to even find my way through! KEKEKEKEKEKE!" The laughter, unlike the almost self deprecating way he described it, was genuine.

He kept his speed even with the slowing Absol, his looney grin and his Houndour's lolling tongue almost iconic in how stuck and apart of them they were. It was only as they slew down to allow their Boss of their Pokemon that they actually changed... Well, Houndour put his tongue back in its mouth and opened wide to adjust its mouth flaps. Dirk just continued grinning like a loon.

"Nah, Boss! Nothin' like that! I once sat through the entirety of 'Silence of the Mareeps' without flinchin'! My girlfriend at the time was cuddlin' fer safety the entire time!" A thumb pointed at his chest and a proud grin showed just how confident he was in that 'boast'. "Don't chu worry, Boss! I'll get right to the bottom of it!"

Before he had even finished speaking, he once more revved his motorcycle, sending dirt and debris out from under his bike's tire, speeding into the clear-

AND IMMEDIETLY HIS EYES WAS ASSAULTED! His stomach became sick, his eyes watered, he had to choke down some puke in his mouth as it threated to throw him off his bike at the horror!

"W-W-W-W-W-W-WHAT?!?!"

Dirk slammed the bike to a sudden stop, sending both himself and Houndour to the ground in identical yelps of surprise and pain.

It didn't, however, stop a pinned by his bike Dirk from raising an arm to point a shaky arm at the horror before his eyes!

"WHO BUILDS A LOG CABIN WITH COMPLETELY MIX MATCHED LOGS LIKE THAT?!?!" Dirk cried in painful admonishment

Kouji Matsubara

The thrumming engine beneath his seat, the air and surroundings blasting past, actively dodging possible things that could trip up a bike and blowing through things he knew wouldn't... Ah, the memories this was bringin' back were somethin' else!

He almost didn't his Boss pull up beside him, but he didn't hesitate to stick his tongue out in a leer with his fist coming up to pull out the universal symbol for rock n' roll!

"KEKEKEKEKE! FOR RIDIN' ON A DOG, YOU SURE RIDIN' FINE BOSS! KEKEKEKKEEKEKEK!" Roads laughed in a roar, even as his Houndour's chuffing laugh followed, being caught in the wind! His tongue, of course, was floppin' all over the corner of his mouth, but that was normal!

"Houndour ain't nothin' new! Me and his pops used to do this all the time when we was out doin' the gym tour of Kanto!" Dirk cheered, smirking nostalgically "Lil' Bud here inherited all the skill and grace o' his Pappy!"

"HOUNDOUR!" Houndour ruffed happily, enjoying the wind in his face and his tongue in the breeze! Sloppily sending saliva all out the right side of the bike.

Dirk, of course, though, was immediately thrown back into business, BEFORE IMMEDIETLY THROWN BACK INTO CASUAL! Talk about whiplash! And he road a bike for YEARS! Hes an expert on things like that! "Aye, aye, aye, Boss! Gimme' a question at a time here! Can't go soft then hard then soft on me!" He admonished with a begging tone coloring his words

Kouji Matsubara

They stood there saluting for a few silent strange disbelieving moments, Roads and Houndour. Both of them looked out after their new boss who rode off on a dog(?) pokemon.

The two, after simply not speaking or moving, looked to each other with visible confusion on both of their faces followed immediately by their heads turning in perfect synchronicity... If in opposite directions.

"You ever see anything like that?" Roads asked his partner

"Houn?!" The Houndour admonished, just as confused as Roads!

Roads shook his head, rubbing the back of hit as he glared down into the dirt "Well, s'pose we can't be keepin' 'em waitin'."

Houndour was already well ahead of him, scampering atop the console of the bike with his paws constantly scrabbling to find even the slightest traction on the smooth bike.

With only a bit of help with Dirk using his fingerless leather glove's palm to push Houndour up, he then set Houndour up with his goggles, then his Helmet.

A bit redundant with the additional skull esq forehead protector on the Puppy pokemon, but he wasn't gonna risk somethin' like that!

Before he finished, Dirk looked back after his new Boss, and he could only shake his head. "Who in this world rides a DOG pokemon?!"

Houndour could only sigh.

With Houndour ready and secure in his position, Dirk slipped on his helmet, his looney adrenaline junky grin back on his face, revving his motorcycle into a pur!

"KEKEKEKEKEK! LETS RIDE!"

"HOUNDOUR!"

The back wheel tore up dirt and rubber alike as the inertia was fought, and then overcome, sending the stationary bike with a back wheel ZOOMING up the route road! They took a hill fast, flying into the air, before bouncing down hard onto the ground!

"WOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!" Roads Roared again almost for the first time in a decade!

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!" Houndour roared for almost the the fire time in his life!

SPOILER: Click to show

Kouji Matsubara

"Whatever you said Boss!" Dirk grinned like a loon still. Boss could be humble if he wanted, let em focus on that! He didn't wanna end up on the choppin' block!

Dirk would be lying though, if he didn't oogle the Absol though. And a shared look with the Houndour at his side meant the single braincell they shared bounced between them rather rapidly to process this. Up until their boss and his Omen pokemon made to look at em, so they straighten up their salutes!

Now, he wasn't some blue nosed spotless shoed brat fresh out of reciving his starting pokemon! He was a tough, born and bred and proud son of a biker and a ranger! He hiked, he traveled, he went up every highway and route from Victory Road to Lavender town! So of course, his answer was obvious!

"Nope!" He saluted

"Dour!" Houndour Copied

"Done plenty o' rough ridin' up and down Mount Moon with my bike though! KEKEKEKEKE!" He laughed nostalgically

"Houndour!" The Dog copied, laughing presentismly having not even been conceived in that bygone era of his trainer's life.

⚰︎ Panic! Except dont!

Kouji Matsubara

His grin split the bottom half of his face in to four segments! The grin itself, the grin of a mad stuntman unafraid of death! The Sunglasse, putting his eyes into unperceivable windowless windows into the soul! Eyebrows, which were the highway of unrestrained hair that went from those imperviable black shades to his flaming hair. Finally, HIS HAIR! A literal flaming centerpiece of his soul! One-Hundred Percent natural, no matter what anyone said! He was born with it full afterall!

"Aye, Sir! Its a wonder and a half! KEKEKEKE!" Dirk laughed heavily and mightily, much like a laughing skull really!

His Houndour at his side, also chuckled in its doggy way! "Dour!"

Of course, what he wasn't saying or showing, was how deeply scared for his life he was! He was minding his business, trying to find a map of the region, having ditched work and Kanto in all with but a note of where he was doin'. Then he got grabbed off the street, bike n' all, and now was standing before his new boss... Who apparently didn't get the memo he quit, but he certainly wasn't gonna say that! 

With a salute with the arm not holding his helmet (Houndour followed with an adorable puppy salute) he made himself useful! "Lemme take me and my bike and we'll get to the bottom o' it sir! Ain't nothin' gonna beat us in speed rushin' up and down the route!" "Houndour!"

⚰︎ Panic! Except dont!

Kouji Matsubara