“Hah-hah-hah! You’ll never catch me!” she cried merrily, hair blowing behind her in the wind. She decided she loved the sleigh—it felt empowering standing like a charioteer, cracking the reins over the rented Ponyta’s flaming back. “Stop me if you can!”

Chryssa couldn’t know that most Ponyta reduced to cart duty were retired Pokemon that had grown old and fat after many gym battles and were now just happy to give young couples pony rides around a track. Rather than speeding up, her Ponyta slowed down at the turn, slowing to a careful plod to make sure the sleigh wouldn’t tip over (and also to give its occupants a prime view of the central stage, where many of the decorations were.)

Priam actually hadn’t been that far behind to begin with and Chryssa sighed, slumping in her seat as the young man came running up almost even with the sleigh. She draped herself over the railing listlessly, head lolling.

“I was hoping to get some drifting action,” she said, “But I suppose you can join me. Put the flowers in the back with the others.” There was already a battered bouquet of red carnations and a basket of wooden balls in the back seat, souvenirs from her previous speed dates.    

Interest piqued by the flower, Chryssa took it from him with a bemused but pleased expression. She turned it back and forth, admiring the single blossom.

"Ah, a Serpent's Bell!" she exclaimed as if she knew all about it. "When its essence is extracted, it makes an undetectable and deadly poison-- so rare that it doesn't even show up on most tests! It was historically beloved by assassins, but it takes meticulous tending to reach maturity." She spun it between her fingers. "...I love it, thank you!"

Whether any of that was true or not was variable-- she might have said the same thing while holding a daisy. Then again, maybe she knew what she was talking about.

Putting the (possibly) deadly flower behind her ear, Chryssa smoothed back her hair and took the reins again. "Why, I want to race, of course! Look-- those people look like a good target," she said, leaning over Priam to point at another horse-drawn sleigh trotting along the outer rink. An elderly couple were sitting in it, admiring the view of the snow-covered city.

"Challenge them, Mr. Priam!" Her eyes shone. "With our combined might, we'll surely prevail!"

Hey! Hey! Hey! Oh, that got their attention.

Chryssa did her best to pose languidly in the background behind the standing Priam, trying to give off that ‘challenging’ air. She drummed her fingers on the side of the sleigh confidently. “Marvelous,” she said when the other couple seemed to agree.

She handed the reins over to Priam with a hidden smile. “You’re our driver, aren’t you?” She had a little more faith in him on land than on the open oceans. Besides, the Ponyta hadn’t responded particularly well to Chryssa up til now. “Are you ready?” she called over to the elderly people, “Get set... go!” She mimed a starting pistol, shaking one hand in the air with a merry. “Psshew!” She pretended to cock a shotgun and “shot” that into the air too. “Ka-boom! Let’s ride, Brave Priam!”

She laughed merrily as the wind streamed past and the sleigh began to pick up speed again. Off to the side, the old couple were picking up the pace as well. She hoped no ice skaters got in their way— with the two sleds side by side, there wasn’t much room on the ice track for pedestrians.

Of course Chryssa wanted Priam to show off. She wanted to show off, and it was going splendidly until that infernal old Ponyta decided to trot off in the wrong direction. Apparently it wanted to take them on Scenic Route B.

The old people chuckled as they clopped by, still on the main track. "Better luck next time, youngsters," the man said as they passed. Even the Ponyta looked smug.

Chryssa would not stand for such humiliation. "I'll take care of this!" she said darkly. She wound back her arm with her Claydol's Pokeball in one hand, ready to detonate the track behind them with Explosion and secure the win--

What am I doing?

Chryssa didn't usually question her own moral choices, but she was sure exploding a bunch of cars in an illegal street race was different than exploding senior citizens trying to enjoy a relaxing carriage ride. She sat down with a huff. "Ugh, so annoying!" What was she supposed to do now? Try and communicate?

...Yes. "Ponyta, will you please go back?" she asked, leaning forward. She saw a cream-colored ear flick back towards her. The Ponyta continued plodding along in the new direction it had taken. "Well! I guess that's it, Priam," Chryssa said, crossing her arms and sitting back. "We're doomed-- wait."

The path ahead of them... she could see the main track again!

"It was a shortcut!" the girl exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. Their Ponyta flicked an ear again, looking smug. Chryssa seized Priam's arm, pointing ahead of them to where she could see the sled station. The finish line. "Victory can still be ours! Go, go, go!"