[Josh Devlin]

For Josh, it was the midseason break. There were no races scheduled anywhere in Arciel for the next three weeks. While he couldn't stop practicing - after all the next race in Birch City was his first Gold League race - he didn't have to practice Every. Single. Day. With a small sponsorship from Shovelware Studios, he was now assured his paycheck wasn't tied completely to his performance. These three weeks would be a great opportunity to resume his Gym Challenge - maybe he could qualify for the Pokémon League at the end of next year.

His ultimate destination in this three weeks was Plum City, as there was a Pokémon Gym over there, and one that didn't seem too hard with some of the new Pokémon he added to his team recently. There was one race-related thing he did want to practice in the meantime, though, and that was getting used to how Blinky controlled. He released the great Jolteon as well as Saber from their Poké Balls, letting them stretch for a bit before Josh donned his thick, leather gloves.

While the Manectric didn't mind wearing his riding gear except while sleeping and during intense battles, Blinky liked being out of it from time to time. She sat down as Josh dug through his bag for her riding tack, the quill-covered electric Pokémon's long but thin claws fully extended and exposed. There was just one problem: the wind was howling. Checking the weather, there was a wind advisory in effect all day for most of western Arciel. There would be no flying on Resheph today...even with her new cocoon saddle, a sudden, powerful gale could throw the two off balance and send them both hurtling toward the ground in a painful crash. While Josh was able to attach Blinky's reins with no trouble, he struggled with getting her saddle in place, big gusts of wind impeding his progress with a fidgety Jolteon.

---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP
Saber         Manectric      41      5
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5
Nitro         Gogoat         33      5
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5
Blinky        Jolteon        24      5
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5

{WC: 326}
{PC: 1}

[Borzil Blairwood]

Jeez, it was windy today! The wind was howling like none other, and although Daisy more or less ignored the gusts that pushed at her, Borzil almost had to fight it to stay balanced on the massive Bouffalant's back as they rode along. He had been heading up north from Birch to Cedar, intending to do some patrolling along Route 1 - given that a lot of rookie trainers who might need help are to be expected on the route (disregarding the fact that he was still a bit of a rookie himself, even if he knew a bit about being a Ranger from school) - but... With weather like this, he almost wondered if everyone would be indoors!

He certainly had his pokemon in their pokeballs - save for Tulip, who insisted on trying to stand up to the wind like her momma was, and Rose, who was heavy and tough enough to ignore it as they made their way along. Seeing the way Tulip would stumble along though, given that she was still quite young, Borzil couldn't help a somewhat concerned expression - and Daisy, too, seemed to be watching the young Mudbray closely. "You sure you don't want to wait out the windstorm, Tulip?" Borzil would call down to the filly; though this only seemed to prompt Tulip to dig her hooves into the ground briefly, as if to express her stubbornness about wanting to face the winds herself.

Sigh... Borzil could only hope that others weren't going to try facing these gales, honestly. However, it seemed that this wasn't the case; in fact, he could see a couple pokemon up ahead, with a trainer! It seemed that the other trainer was struggling to tack up their pokemon, in this wind... Blinking a bit, Borzil would briefly nudge for Daisy to pick up the pace a little, to approach the assembled group - waving an arm widely to get the trainer's attention as he approached. "Heeeey!" He'd call, hoping his voice would travel well above the wind. "You need some help?"

He likely would want to guide this trainer back down to Birch, so that he and his pokemon could take shelter in a pokecenter or hotel, too... These winds were bad enough as it was; but they were only gonna get stronger until towards the evening, from what he heard on the news. With this in mind, Borzil would dismount from Daisy rather smoothly once they neared; ready to put his strength to the test in aiding this older trainer, if he accepted the aid.

---

OOC: Ignore Honeybunch when rolling, please!

Daisy the Bouffalant - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Dial the Sigilyph - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Rose the Cranidos - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Gumdrop the Eevee - Level 6 - 5/5 Energy
Honeybunch the Eevee - Level 10 - 5/5 Energy
Tulip the Mudbray - Level 1 - 5/5 Energy

[whimsae]

Josh Devlin

A wild Torterra has appeared!

What will you do?

	Torterra Lv41
		5 Energy
	Average	Docile
	Overgrow
MOVES
Synthesis, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Bite
NOTES
N/A

Borzil Blairwood

A wild Diglett has appeared!

What will you do?

	Diglett Lv5
		5 Energy
	Small	Quiet
	Tangling Hair
MOVES
Sand Attack, Metal Claw
NOTES
N/A

[Josh Devlin]

The young man's voice did indeed travel above the wind, reaching his ears. He figured there wouldn't be too many people on the road at all today, let alone ones willing to give him a hand with the problem he had brought on himself. This was something he could have done more easily in town, where there was at the very least a gate to shelter him against the brunt of the wind. It probably would have been faster, and easier, had he retreated toward the city to tack up Blinky from the outset. He was a bit far from town now, though.

The Jolteon, almost as tall as her trainer was, walked over to the patrolling ranger, Josh following. "Thank you!" She circled Daisy briefly, stopping in a place she could use the large Pokémon as a shield from the wind. It would still be difficult tacking her up unaided, but now it would be easier. "I could use a hand - would you mind holding this down on one side so I can get the rest of her tack in place?" If the ranger was willing to help him out, he would have no trouble attaching the rest of her tack. "I know I should have probably done this in town..."

The wind was strong enough that it was blowing Blinky's normally stiff quills around. Even the tree on a somewhat-nearby, hunkered-down Torterra's back was creaking. Maybe coming out here today was a bad idea after all. "I was planning on using today to train my squad for racing in adverse conditions, but this might be a bit too less-than-ideal for even them." Saber curiously approached the officer as well, eventually sitting down next to the Jolteon and two trainers, but on the side opposite Tulip. While Mudbray, especially trained ones, were normally docile, he had too many bad experiences with ground-type Pokémon to initiate an approach.

---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP
Saber         Manectric      41      5
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5
Nitro         Gogoat         33      5
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5
Blinky        Jolteon        24      5
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5

{WC: 320}
{PC: 2}

[Borzil Blairwood]

As Blinky came in to Daisy's side, the massive Bouffalant would briefly sniff her, before letting out a gentle mooooo in greeting; she was seemingly quite the lax bovine, to say the least. Borzil, meanwhile, would raise his eyebrows in an impressed fashion; noting how the Jolteon looked much bigger up close. That Manectric, too...! "You've got some big pals, here!" He'd whistle with a warm smile, hopping down from Daisy's back to take hold of one side of Blinky's saddle, to keep it in place.

As Josh remarked about how he probably should have done this in town though, and how this weather was a bit too less than ideal, Borzil would be unable to help nodding in agreement. "Yeah; this wind's rough. Heard it's not gonna let up anytime soon - and I wouldn't be surprised if this wind picks up even more than it already has." He'd remark with a heavy sigh. "Good thing Daisy's as sturdy as she is, as long as I take it slow; I've been trying to make sure that no rookie trainers are trying to brave this windstorm, given a lot tend to wander Route 1 here." But even that being said... If this wind gets any worse, then even he might have to call it quits, before Daisy gets tipped over!

As the Bouffalant in question stood steady and vigilant though, Rose would simply sit back and continue to gnaw on her bone, while Tulip - sticking close to her momma's side - would eye at these new pokemon with visible awe. They were so big! And they were wearing saddles like momma was!

Puffing her chest out, she'd march along and attempt to file in alongside Blinky - prompting a laugh from Borzil, who reached down to pat Tulip's head. "I think you're still a little young to be tacking up quite yet, Tulip." He'd murmur - given that Tulip was still pretty much a baby, she still had a bit of growing to do! - adding "But once you get a bit bigger and older, I'll see about getting you a little saddle, so that you can start getting used to it. Okay?" Tulip, in response, would bray in agreement; swishing her little tail.

A movement out of the corner of her eye, though, would catch her attention - she wasn't sure what it was she saw, but there was something out in the grass..! Tilting her head, Tulip would move out from the safetly of Daisy and Blinky's sides - staggering slightly in the strong winds. She was adamant at stepping out into the grass nonetheless though, to investigate just what, exactly, she saw...

... only to spot a little Diglett, seemingly untroubled by the strong winds, even as its little bits of hair whipped about in the gales! Visibly intrigued by this new pokemon she'd never seen before, Tulip would slowly come in to sniff at the Diglett, only for the little mole pokemon to burrow underground! Letting out a brief bray of surprise, Tulip began to glance around to try and figure out where the mole went... Only to see it pop back up, nearby!

Once Blinky was properly saddled, Borzil would watch as Tulip trotted after the Diglett - prompting the Diglett to burrow once more, and pop up elsewhere. The young man, initially, would wonder if this wasn't a thing of the Diglett wanting to be left alone, but... Then he considered that if it really wanted to be left alone, it wouldn't pop back up elsewhere so close by, right?

No, Borzil was pretty sure the Diglett was playing with Tulip, in his own little way. Smiling fondly at this, he would wait and watch until the Diglett popped up nearby, before he'd kneel down next to it - pulling out a Nest Ball. "Hey... I really appreciate you entertaining Tulip like that, little fella." He'd begin, smiling warmly. "Would you like to come with me? I'd love to have a ground-type pal for Tulip on my team, if you're interested at all."

---

Nest Ball (with ranger friendship bonus,) go!

Ignore Honeybunch when rolling, please!

Daisy the Bouffalant - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Dial the Sigilyph - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Rose the Cranidos - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Gumdrop the Eevee - Level 6 - 5/5 Energy
Honeybunch the Eevee - Level 10 - 5/5 Energy
Tulip the Mudbray - Level 1 - 5/5 Energy

[whimsae]

Borzil Blairwood

Go, PokeBall!

One... two... and...

wx|hIJFCp_



The Wild Pokemon was caught!

One Nest ball has been removed from your inventory.

[Josh Devlin]

Josh's black hair was nothing short of chaos from the fierce winds blowing. Blinky tilted her head toward the Bouffalant before facing north again. "Thanks - had to spend a fortune on getting her from a breeder," Josh answered, nearly having to shout over the wind. The young man mentioning trying to keep rookie trainers off the road today was a giveaway that he was with the Rangers' Guild of Arciel. "It was worth every last Pen, though. Can't wait for my first race with her! I've been around the block, though - I wanted to practice in windy conditions like this." Saber and Blinky couldn't help but smile back at Tulip, though from a distance. Blinky in particular had a phobia of aggressive ground-types, but this one looked plenty docile.

Once Borzil had helped Josh get Blinky's tack secured, the shorter of the two trainers set his bag down only long enough to grab his racing helmet out of it. Tulip seemed happy about the ranger's remark to tack her up when she got older - she seemed inspired by the electric-types! "Thanks so much for the help with her. I'm headed up north toward Cedar for now - end destination is Plum," Josh explained, mounting the Jolteon and putting his racing helmet, visor up, back on. "If you're headed that way, mind if I tag along?"


---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP
Saber         Manectric      41      5
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5
Nitro         Gogoat         33      5
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5
Blinky        Jolteon        24      5
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5

{WC: 224}
{PC: 3}

[whimsae]

Josh Devlin

Beachgoer Aisha would like to battle!

188 Pen Gold x3, Iron x1, Gold x3 Azumarill Lv39 5 Energy Small Hasty Huge Power MOVES Aqua Ring, Rain Dance, Rollout, Bubblebeam Golisopod Lv40 5 Energy Average Timid Emergency Exit MOVES Fury Cutter, Iron Defense, Swords Dance, Spite Golduck Lv31 5 Energy Small Quiet Cloud Nine MOVES Me First, Screech, Zen Headbutt, Disable

Borzil Blairwood

What's this? You've found...

Oran Berry x2!

Heals 1 HP on a Pokemon Lv1-25

[Borzil Blairwood]

From a breeder? Borzil hummed a bit, and would nod in understanding; Blinky certainly looked like the sort of pokemon that'd be specially bred. Huge pokemon were enough of a sight as it was, and given that this guy sounded to be a racer, an electric-type like a huge Jolteon would definitely be a pretty fearsome competitor as far as speed went. "Heh; I've admittedly considered racing with Daisy before, given how much she loves going on runs." Borzil remarked, smiling over to the Bouffalant in question. "When she gets going, she's pretty fast, and she's got pretty great stamina, too! It's just that, well..."

Smiling a bit sheepishly and scratching the back of his neck, he'd continue "Like I mentioned before, I gotta go slow with Daisy for her to be anywhere near sturdy. If I go fast, she tends to trip up a lot more easily; which isn't a problem on an empty road, but it's definitely a problem when there's other obstacles and - in the case of races - other competitors on the road. On top of that, she has a hard time with turns and slowing down." Though, in talking about it, he couldn't help but wonder... How might Tulip fare on the road, compared to her momma?

In any case, they would soon get Blinky's tack secured, and Borzil would have a new Diglett on his team! After considering for a second, Borzil would send Dial to the PC - as much as he loved the Sigilyph, these heavy winds were not made for him - to make room for the Diglett, and let it back out. The mole pokemon in question was a rather quiet fella, and noticeably smaller than the usual fare - but both were rather endearing qualities, if you asked Borzil! He'd smile and gently pat the Diglett on the head - being mindful to avoid the hair. "Good to have you on the team, little buddy... Wonder what name I should give you, hmm..."

Well... He had a few potential ideas, but none of them stood out to him right now. "... Maybe we'll think it over later. How's that sound, buddy?" Borzil mentioned to the Diglett, who quietly nodded in turn. It seemed that him and Tulip were ready to get along, anyhow; the Mudbray in question nickering as she trotted over to her new friend, a couple of Oran Berries in tow...! Briefly, she'd nuzzle the side of his head, tail twitching, before they returned to Daisy's side proper.

Borzil, smiling, would straighten up - before glancing over to Josh, as he asked about tagging along, if he was headed to Cedar. "Sure, I'm down." Borzil would mention with a smile, taking the time to heft himself back up onto Daisy's back. "Let's get moving, before the winds pick up any more, then." He'd mention, a gentle nudge to Daisy's sides directing the Bouffalant onwards at a steady pace. As they moved along though, Borzil would glance over to Josh - asking "Where you from, by the way? I don't think I've seen your face around these parts before."

---

Swapping Dial for the Diglett; Ignore Honeybunch when rolling, please!

Daisy the Bouffalant - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Unnamed the Alolan Diglett - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Rose the Cranidos - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Gumdrop the Eevee - Level 6 - 5/5 Energy
Honeybunch the Eevee - Level 10 - 5/5 Energy
Tulip the Mudbray - Level 1 - 5/5 Energy

[Josh Devlin]

Josh's eyes lit up when Borzil mentioned an interest in racing. "On a day that's not so windy, I'd love to show you the ropes," he immediately answered, barely letting the Ranger finish his sentence. "Daisy wouldn't be a bad choice - I saw them a few times in Bronze and Silver League. On the more difficult tracks, I could see Bouffalant, Tauros, and the like being cumbersome unless you worked on it a lot." It seemed while Daisy was fast, she couldn't control her speed well. "Blinky here has a similar problem - she can get so fast that I have trouble controlling her, Quick Attack or no."

Once the two were off, Josh had to ensure Blinky knew to keep pace with the Bouffalant. She didn't seem terribly thrilled, but was at least willing to listen to her trainer's request. "If this crosswind turns into a tailwind, I want to show you!" Saber let out a cheerful bark as well; it seemed the Manectric wanted to run, but just not in a fierce crosswind like this. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm--"

Just as he reached the bottoom of the hill, the young man was interrupted by a disgruntled beach-goer that wanted to take out her frustration on the nearest trainer. Josh was a little confused as to why she was so angry, but he wasn't going to turn down a battle, especially in less-than-ideal conditions. This would be great practice for some of his more recently-evolved Pokémon, if the chance presented itself. Saber's paws sparked from underneath, snarling at the Azumarill the young swimmer had called forth.

The moment the battle started, the two called for simultaneous ranged attacks. Josh clearly had the upper hand, though, his Manectric's Electro Ball cutting through the bottom of Azumarill's Bubble Beam effortlessly. Neither were fast enough to avoid the attacks at all. Both had suffered serious blows, though the water-type seemed to be much worse for wear after the brutal exchange. Not wanting to push the fairy-type to the point of fainting, Josh's opponent replaced him with a Golisopod, a Pokémon the racer had never seen before.

There was no time to look this Pokémon up in a battle so fast-paced, though. Going with his instinct that it was not a Ground-type, he ordered the release of yet another Electro Ball. With Saber being racing-trained, the electrical sphere was his deadliest weapon. It was a weapon Golisopod was more than capable of disabling - before taking an early exit, the bug-type shot a hateful, almost murderous look toward Saber. The psychological attack deprived him of the will to fight, despite being almost perfectly healthy.

Both of them brought out new Pokémon - Josh, Nitro, a Gogoat, also a bit big for his kind (were all his Pokémon like this?), his rival, a Golduck that looked like it could easily get the jump on him. The young man's team choices seemed to further agitate the woman, goading her into ordering the water-type into more direct combat with the horned Pokémon. Both Pokémon lowered their heads, Nitro leaving a trail of tiny seeds behind during its charge. Golduck's forehead jewel glowed upon contact with Nitro's upper leg, the Grass-type rearing and sounding a startled cry. Was that a Zen Headbutt?

Josh had laid a trap, though - the seeds behind Nitro exploded toward Golduck in a chain reaction, engulfing the water-type in a wave of shrapnel-filled explosions that left it unable to fight back. Seeing the only Pokémon she had left was a rather weakened Golisopod, she stormed off. Blinky ran back toward Borzil with Josh in tow, overshooting him and having to walk back after sliding to a stop. "Now, as I was saying before that interruption, I'm Josh. Josh Devlin, a Pokémon racer from central Johto."

---

Borzil Blairwood

NPC Trainer Victory.
Apply EXP. Share to Blinky.
Saber's level is now 43!
Nitro's level is now 34!
Blinky's level is now 27!

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP   STATUS
Saber         Manectric      41      5      Fair
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5      Good
Nitro         Gogoat         33      5      Good
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5      Good
Blinky        Jolteon        24      5      Good
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5      Good

{WC: 643}
{PC: 4}

[whimsae]

Josh Devlin

A wild Stantler has appeared!

What will you do?

	Stantler Lv44
		5 Energy
	Average	Calm
	Intimidate
MOVES
Jump Kick, Zen Headbutt, Role Play, Calm Mind
NOTES
N/A

Borzil Blairwood

A wild Oricorio has appeared!

What will you do?

	Oricorio Lv7
		5 Energy
	Average	Bold
	Dancer
MOVES
Pound, Growl, Peck
NOTES
N/A

[Borzil Blairwood]

As Josh spoke up about wanting to show Borzil the ropes, the young man would blink a bit, before smiling and chuckling. "Maybe! Being a ranger is hard work sometimes, so I don't know if I'd have enough free time to take it any more seriously than maybe a hobby - though I'd like to think that Daisy would stand a chance on more straightforward tracks; or maybe even on marathons, if they have any here in Arciel." She had stamina for days, he was pretty sure, with how hard she can go without breaking a sweat. It made her a valuable riding companion for the road, for sure.

As Josh mentioned his troubles with Blinky though, Borzil nodded in understanding. "She seems like she could zip to Cedar and back in a blink, if you let her; and she'd probably have barrels of fun doing it, too!" He'd lightly joke, quite good naturedly; chuckling at Saber's cheerful bark, as Josh mentioned the possibility of showing that speed off once the winds changed. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

Before they could properly introduce themselves to each other though, another trainer would come along - prompting a fight between the both of them! Borzil would blink a little, but kept his distance - smiling and flashing a thumbs up with a brief "Have fun, then!" - as he watched the two trainers' pokemon clash. Already though, Borzil could sort of see that this fight would, most likely, end in Josh's favor; given that this trainer obviously specialized in water types, while Josh had a bunch of electric types (and would also soon reveal that he had a grass type as well, in the form of Nitro!)

And indeed, it wouldn't take too long before the fight would be won; Josh and Borzil both mounting back up on their respective ride pokemon, before they continued on down the road. Off in the distance, Borzil could see an Oricorio - its pink feathers standing out starkly against the rest of the greens and browns of this environment - braving the winds, to practice its dances.

As Josh introduced himself proper though, the larger man would smile brightly and nod; extending a hand down to offer a handshake! "Good to meet you, Josh! I'm Borzil Blairwood, came here from Unova!" He'd mention quite energetically, visibly in a good mood to be meeting new people and making friends. "How's Arciel been treating ya? I imagine it's pretty different from Johto, eheh!"

[Josh Devlin]

Josh couldn't help but laugh with Borzil as he explained Daisy's strengths. While a Pokémon as stout as Bouffalant had seemingly limitless stamina, capable of running at its top speed for minutes on end without tiring, the two would find that not many tracks catered to her strengths. "Daisy would have one more strength, though," Josh continued. "Some tracks have obstacles to weave around, but Pokémon strong enough can charge right on through them - instead of weaving around a large rock, for instance, Daisy could just shove it out of the way and go right through!" Those kinds of courses, though, existed mainly at the higher levels of competition for the sake of competitive balance - otherwise, there would be mostly extremely fast Pokémon like Blinky everywhere, and half the field, if that, would typically finish.

The mention of the Jolteon wanting to run gave Josh an idea. "If we can get a tailwind, how about you have Daisy take off to the north, and once you're way out there, I have Blinky catch up! That way, you can see what she's...capable of!" Those last two words came out of Josh's mouth with a long delay, the young man a bit nervous about not only going all-out with one of the fastest Pokémon on land, but with a 30-plus tailwind adding to that speed! "Depending on how it does, I might need to get a cocoon saddle for her - you know, the ones you typically put on big flying Pokémon. Especially dragons. They go around your legs and waist so you don't fall."

Josh extended his hand and offered a firm handshake. "Pretty good - I was happy to find there was a racing league here. I tell you what, though - Arciel's Gyms are really tough - way tougher than Johto's. I forgot to say - I take on the Gym Challenge as a trainer in the off-season. That's...why I'm headed to Plum City." As he glanced north, he noticed a wild Stantler bravely trotting up the road - maybe he'd be able to pass that Pokémon on the way there, too!

---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP   STATUS
Saber         Manectric      43      5      Fair
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5      Good
Nitro         Gogoat         34      5      Good
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5      Good
Blinky        Jolteon        27      5      Good
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5      Good

{WC: 355}
{PC: 5}

[whimsae]

Josh Devlin

A wild Pyukumuku has appeared!

What will you do?

	Pyukumuku Lv41
		5 Energy
	Average	Mild
	Innards Out
MOVES
Gastro Acid, Soak, Recover, Pain Split
NOTES
N/A

Borzil Blairwood

What's this? You've found...

Nest Balls x2!

A Poké Ball with a 50% chance of capturing a wild Pokémon, with a higher, 75% chance of catching any Pokémon Lv20 or lower.

[Borzil Blairwood]

As Josh mentioned the obstacles that tracks had, and how stronger and larger digimon could charge on through... Borzil nodded a bit in response, looking thoughtful. "Makes sense," He'd hum - Bouffalant were no pushovers when it came to their headbutts, and Daisy's Cotton Guard meant that she could charge into things without any risk of hurting herself (though he, of course, typically prefered to not crash into things if he could at all help it!)

Then there was also the talk of having Blinky catch up, after letting Daisy run some! Borzil would blink a bit at the suggestion, and he'd think it over some, but... He seemed a little unsure of it all. "Maybe...? I'm a little nervous about whether the winds would trip Daisy up or not." Borzil confessed, scratching the back of his neck a little before he continued "Like I mentioned, she's most stable on her feet when we take it slow like this. If something trips her up, she tends to topple over pretty easily when she's going fast." Though Daisy can easily shake off being toppled over more often than not, it was still unpleasant - and he wasn't quite as sturdy as Daisy was, either!

When the two would share a handshake though, Borzil had a warm and cheery smile on his face. The older man had a good and firm grip - Josh must be decently strong, huh? Borzil had to resist the urge to challenge Josh to a playful armwrestling match or tussle, given that he was technically on patrol - he had to be at least somewhat professional, in some regard! Old habits die hard, though, it was safe to say - and sometimes, one could not just forget their inner jock.

As Josh mentioned Plum City though, and his interest in gyms, Borzil would have to think for a second. "Ah... What type was the gym over there, again? I admit I'm still figuring out some of the big name places in Arciel, myself." He spoke rather sheepishly, grinning goofily and rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed fashion. Nonetheless, his expression would soon light up once more as he added "That you're going through the gyms sounds pretty cool, though! How far along are you right now?"

As the assembled group walked and talked though, it seemed that Borzil's new Diglett found something - as they popped out of the ground, two Nest Balls would pop on out ahead of it! The pokeballs would be quickly picked up by the wind, however; which sent them flying right into Daisy's afro! Noticing this, Borzil would blink, before reaching into the afro to fish them out. "Huh... People seem to lose pokeballs a lot on these routes, don't they..." He'd muse to himself out loud, before pocketing the two nest balls. Ah well; better keep the route clean!

[Josh Devlin]

As the two continued north, the wind slowly shifted from being out of the west to the south. It was the perfect tailwind he wanted. Well, not quite perfect - there was still a little crosswind from the coast, but it was now mostly behind them. "That's fine, and I understand," Josh answered. "One thing I've learned from racing is knowing how to do an emergency dismount to avoid crashing with your Pokémon. That's really important. No amount of safety technology is going to make a high-speed collision anything but painful, but with a little learning and practice, those falls will be less painful."

Blinky's fur started spiking almost straight up, a big grin on the electric-type's face. Josh at first ignored her, continuing on about the Gym challenge as several Pyukumuku crossed the road into the blowing grass. Presumably they wanted to use it as shelter to keep their bodies from drying up - they were awfully far away from the shore. "Plum City's Gym is a Dark-type one - probably the one I have the best chance of winning against. I'll eventually need to beat them all, but...I only have one badge for now. I don't think I'll be able to qualify for the 2021 Arciel League. Maybe 2022?"

Josh's voice trailed off as Blinky grew increasingly antsy, now bobbing about. "I think she wants to run...and I don't blame her. Hopefully she doesn't get too far ahead of you, but knowing her..." She extended her long, thin claws - thinner than a Jolteon's had the right to be. With her size and claws like those, clearly she was bred for racing and nothing else! Sounding a loud cry, the Jolteon faced straight north along the road and broke out into a brisk run. That didn't last too long, though - after a second loud cry from the yellow Pokémon, she rapidly accelerated into a tailwind-fueled, straight-line sprint, the boy looking like he was holding on for dear life from his mount dashing with multiple strides per second.

---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP   STATUS
Saber         Manectric      43      5      Fair
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5      Good
Nitro         Gogoat         34      5      Good
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5      Good
Blinky        Jolteon        27      5      Good
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5      Good

{WC: 339}
{PC: 6}

[Jenesis]

Borzil Blairwood

Delinquent Myrtle would like to battle!

62 Pen Wood x3, Wool x1, Rawst Berry x1 Carvanha Lv4 5 Energy Large Serious Rough Skin MOVES Aqua Jet, Leer, Bite, Poison Fang Gulpin Lv8 5 Energy Large Naughty Liquid Ooze MOVES Pound, Yawn, Poison Gas

Josh Devlin

Youngster Ronnie would like to battle!

144 Pen Nanab Berry x1, Oran Berry x1, Sand x3 Orbeetle Lv41 5 Energy Small Naughty Swarm MOVES Bug Buzz, Mirror Coat, Psychic, After You Diggersby Lv37 5 Energy Large Sassy Huge Power MOVES Bulldoze, Dig, Bounce, Flail

[Borzil Blairwood]

Borzil nodded in understanding as Josh mentioned the Arciel Leagues; thoughtfully tapping his fingers on the front edge of the saddle while they rode along. "Seems like lots of trainers are eager to challenge the League here." He'd comment idly, adding "The beast ball people've been talking about, the grand prize for that tournament... I imagine lots of people are vying to try their best to win it, especially with what's been going on around Arciel as of late." Glancing over to Josh, Borzil would question with a curious hue "Are you all that interested in the Beast Ball? I dunno if I'd be cut out for the League myself, or all that interested, really... But it seems like it's caused lots of buzz for people."

Before long though, Blinky was getting antsy and raring to go - something that, as Josh mentioned how she wanted to run, brought a chuckle out of Borzil. "It's okay if you get ahead of me - just be careful, alright?" He'd mention to Josh; figuring that even if the Jolteon did get way far ahead of them, that Josh would still be able to backtrack if necessary. Besides, he was curious to see just how fast Blinky could get..!

And the answer to that question, it seemed, was quite fast. In a flash, Blinky was off down the road - kicking up dust that was quickly blown away by the strong gales. Tulip, overeager, would bray and attempt to follow after - though it was clear that she was nowhere near as fast as Blinky was, and the young filly would soon find herself tripping over her own hooves and caught off-balance by the strong winds. Daisy would immediately trot over to Tulip's side, nuzzling her child and easing Tulip back up onto her hooves with a gentle moo - to which Tulip snorted in response, having learned her lesson to stay near her momma while the winds were still this strong.

Borzil, though, was still impressed at just how fast Blinky was going, especially with the tailwind; and perhaps a little concerned at just how tightly Josh seemed to need to hang onto the Jolteon, with how fast she was going! With a slight nudge at Daisy's sides, the Bouffalant would pick up the pace a little as they passed by another trainer rushing to the nearest shelter- not to catch up with Josh, since Arceus knew he wasn't gonna catch Blinky anytime soon, but to at least keep the duo in his sights!

---

Ignore Honeybunch when rolling, please!

Daisy the Bouffalant - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Unnamed the Alolan Diglett - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Rose the Cranidos - Level 5 - 5/5 Energy
Gumdrop the Eevee - Level 6 - 5/5 Energy
Honeybunch the Eevee - Level 10 - 5/5 Energy
Tulip the Mudbray - Level 1 - 5/5 Energy

[Josh Devlin]

"Holy Arceus!" was all Josh could think as Blinky dashed so fast that his surroundings were mostly an indecipherable sea of color. He could see clearly in front of him, but looking directly to one side could easily induce motion sickness in more sensitive people. Rounding a shallow corner felt like swerving around a U-turn with Saber, what with how fast Blinky was running. The two had to look like a yellow blur from onlookers, including a young trainer that dove out of the way of the charging duo!

Once the two had completed the shallow turn, the Jolteon started slowing--having to fight a slight crosswind was proving to be too much for her to keep up the breakneck pace. She relaxed, her body shaking nowhere as violently as it was before. Josh would have enjoyed it a lot more if it weren't for him having to fight the crosswind as well, leaning at a somewhat uncomfortable angle to avoid being blown off his perch. Even though Blinky wasn't going all-out anymore, a fall at this speed was still going to be quite painful, particularly when he wasn't wearing all of his racing gear.

Once the Jolteon had slowed to the speed of a more normal Pokémon, Josh had noticed the wind was dying down a little. It wasn't too much better, but at least it wasn't threatening to blow the duo over. There wouldn't be any more super sprints like this one in this weather, as fun as it was for him, but at least the roads seemed more navigable now.

---

Borzil Blairwood

NAME          SPECIES       LV     EP   STATUS
Saber         Manectric      43      5      Fair
Aslan         Pyroar         38      5      Good
Nitro         Gogoat         34      5      Good
Resheph       Dragonair      38      5      Good
Blinky        Jolteon        27      5      Good
Flint         Cyndaquil       8      5      Good

{WC: 263}
{PC: 6}

[whimsae]

Josh Devlin

Rocker Ripley would like to battle!

186 Pen Bamboo x2, Wool x1, Sand x2 Graveler Lv44 5 Energy Average Gentle Magnet pull MOVES Charge, Defense Curl, Rock Polish, Explosion Raichu Lv35 5 Energy Average Timid Surge Surfer MOVES Psychic, Speed Swap, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack Dedenne Lv38 5 Energy Large Naive Cheek Pouch MOVES Parabolic Charge, Rest, Snore, Volt Switch

Borzil Blairwood

What's this? You've found...

Burn Heal x2!

Cures one Pokemon that is burned