This was it. This was the move that would make or break Josh's race. If he and Saber could execute this maneuver properly, he could at the very least make the finish exciting, if not win the race outright. He thought for a split second on braking as the half-pipe-shaped hill loomed ahead. As he saw Kyle round the sharp corner about a second and a half ahead of him, he glared toward the steep hill.

No braking whatsoever.

He squeezed his Manectric's sides tighter, reining the electric-type toward the side of the hill at full speed. If this worked, the speed of two Quick Attacks back-to-back would this a contest again going into the home stretch. If not...well, what did he have to lose? He was already behind. The Manectric ran up the steep slope, Josh white-knuckled from how hard he had to hold on. At the peak of the slope, he reined his Manectric toward the finish line, using the momentum swing for further acceleration. "Saber, QUICK ATTACK!"

Josh's gambit worked! The Manectric's QUICK ATTACK caused them to peak at nearly the top of the mound, able to let gravity do a lot of the work for them. He had failed to take one calculation into account, though, and that was how much time he shed from the run-up. It would have given him a lot of time back, had Kyle not navigated the sharp corner with immaculate, almost perfect precision.

Tara's claws seemingly grazed the inside bounds of the course, but did not once breach them. Furthermore, the Manectric's rider had eased off just enough to swerve around the final turn without losing a drop of speed more than what was necessary. Seeing that kind of turn would make Platinum Class racers, even pros, jealous. Crash was so far behind than he didn't even get to see how perfect Kyle's moves were, the challenger over two seconds ahead. He had the race on nearly a lock.

The racers tearing away at the track's loose dirt has created a flat and straight path in the center of the formerly rough terrain leading to the starting arch. There was little risk of an accident on this straight sprint to the finish! Now was the best opportunity for the two Manectric to give it everything they had!

Josh was awestruck at the Director's exquisite racing around the course's final, most difficult turn. A professional would have metaphorically killed to be able to navigate a curve like that. It was like an art form, Tara's claws seemingly grazing the curb but not actually touching it. While the Leader was becoming increasingly more and more of a long shot to come back, his Manectric's previous Quick Attack gave him the momentum advantage. He knew from his race with the Drift King that two of them in rapid succession were faster than using them individually.

"Step on it, Saber! QUICK ATTACK one more time!" With a loud bark, the electric-type's legs surged with sparks, loosing a big discharge intended to propel the Pokémon forward at dangerous speeds. He was quickly closing the gap, but the two were rapidly running out of real estate as the official pulled out and began waving the checkered flag!

The two Manectric crossed the finish line at breathtaking speeds for the species, the Leader's Boltund rounding the final turn just as they crossed the finish line. Kyle's fans erupted in synchronized cheers and whistles as the overhead display and scoreboard congratulated the Hoenn Champion not only on his victory, but setting a new Course Record.

Josh and his Manectric slid to a stop. He recalled the rest of his Pokémon and guided Saber toward Tara and the race winner by a long shot, palming one of his Racing Grounds' Gym Badges in his right hand. He used his other hand to flip his visor back up so Kyle could see his face. "All I can say, Director, is...wow. Just wow. Up until today, I've thought that a League Champion is just the best there is at Pokémon battles." Even Saber was in awe at the display of skill Tara had shown. This was no accident or fluke; Kyle's Manectric had outperformed him in every way possible.

"Isn't it funny? Gym Leaders are supposed to teach their challengers. But today, you have been the one to teach me. You have taught me that League Champions are more than just the pinnacle of combat within their region. A true Champion is not only a combatant, but a leader, and is flexible and adaptable to any situation. Today, you didn't just beat me. You embarrassed me." His very first match gave Josh the INSIGHT to understand that heroes and leaders came in all sizes, personalities, and ways of thinking. If he wanted to pursue and impress the Johto Beast, he would need to become much more open-minded. It would take time, but it was another goal to work toward!

The new Leader opened his clenched right fist, revealing the Minor League Quick Badge in the palm of his hand. "I would be remiss to think such a performance unworthy of the Hoenn Minor League's Quick Badge. It belongs to you now. You and your Manectric, Tara, shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Racers as not only a champion, but the Twist Road record holder. And I don't think anyone's beating that record for a long time."

Once the victory ceremony was over, one more question burned in Josh's mind. "Is your Battle Arcade still open?" he asked.