notes.

MAUVILLE CITY

MEMBER-LED EVENT

STARTS MID-OCTOBER

ENDS TBD DECEMBER

THE FINAL SPRINT

ALL THAT REMAINED were the last several hundred meters of wide, straight track, including the starting grid the fifteen racers were lined up at but minutes ago. No matter where they were in the field, whether in first or at the back of the pack, the final moments were intense. Racers not only pushed their Pokémon, but also themselves, to the brink. It took no more than the threat of nicodemus unken and the bounding GOGOAT passing his boyfriend, Matt Vice , for the ARCANINE's determined rider to pick up the pace. He not only defended his position from the fourteenth-place grass-type, but also gained Alexei Ivanov 's spot, the final command for one last burst of his RAPIDASH's AGILITY pushing the team over the brink just before crossing the finish line at a much slower rate of speed than those around him. [break][break]

MATIAS SILPH 's HARSH WORDS toward his DODRIO spurred the flightless bird into a frenzied sprint so fast that the member of Hoenn's Elite Four might have found it difficult to keep his balance. The two dashed toward the finish line in a blur of yellow-orange, rocketing past Julia Davis , Kaida Adachi , and even kyle lopez to secure his fifth-place finish, falling just short of passing Elinor Anderson and her STEELIX in the final moments. The battles were far from over, though! Those three, alongside the sprinting MANECTRIC that Josh rode on, as well as Toshiaki Macallan 's ARCANINE, were all still in the running for the five spots in front of the podium. Even Eva Morales wasn't out of it, her RAPIDASH at full gallop a strong contender to overtake those toward the tightly-packed Pokémon toward the middle of the field. While the top three were quite far ahead, the rest of the slots were still up for grabs as far back as eleventh position![break][break]

THE DISCORD OF MANY LOUD CRIES from Pokémon thrusting themselves into QUICK ATTACKs, bursts of EXTREME SPEED, and the like made it difficult for racers to hear anything except the gallery on the edge of their seats. Josh Devlin 's sights were on Kaida Adachi and her ONIX, the serpent's ROCK POLISH petering out just before the finish line and allowing the Gym Leader to make one last pass, securing ninth place. He was unable to catch Julia Davis ; while the electric canine was gaining on her DODRIO fast, they had simply run out of real estate. Ahead of them, Toshiaki Macallan and kyle lopez were spurring ARCANINE to their limits. Motivated by the DODRIO that flew past them, the two challenged each other to a Battle of the Boost: WILD CHARGE versus EXTREME SPEED. Both were so fast that it blurred the racers' peripheral vision, making even the gallery difficult to see. The two crossed the finish line at nearly the same time. An official review would almost certainly be needed to break the apparent tie.[break][break]

Gwyar Wledig AND Raziel Beckett BATTLED FIERCELY FOR THE SILVER. Though the psychic-types had a comfortable lead over those behind them, their pride pushed them to give the final moments everything they had, not giving the smallest bit of ground to one another. When the METAGROSS noticed Gwyar was starting to gain on it, the hovering metal Pokémon flung itself toward the finish line with a potent burst of AGILITY that made Razz glad he had kept his headpiece secure. As entertaining as the battle was to watch, it was for mere second place, Razz managing to hold off Gwyar. The course, and the talented field that raced it, made those two earn their spots.[break][break]

THIS WAS Isaac Merlo 's RACE TO LOSE. The green, shimmering TAUROS looked more like a comet as the bovine rounded the final corner, the finish line in front of him with a very comfortable lead. And what did he do? He continued to push his mount to the brink. A third, expertly-timed GIGA IMPACT carried the two across the finish line as the race's winner by a nearly one-and-a-half second margin. The bull was one of the first to start slowing down after breaking the proverbial tape. Not only would Isaac be today's champion, and not only had he just punched his ticket to the prestigious Platinum Class for the 2023 season, but he had also set a new course record, his name enshrined among Mauville Gym's record holders... until someone else broke his record, of course![break][break]

HURRAH FOR THE CHAMPION

THE CROWD HAD REASSEMBLED near the green of Mauville Gym's main battleground, the top eight racers standing near the center of the battle court. Elinor Anderson , MATIAS SILPH , Toshiaki Macallan , kyle lopez , and Julia Davis , alongside or mounted on their Pokémon if they so desired, were in front, with Isaac Merlo standing in the very center of the court. Raziel Beckett was on his right, and Gwyar Wledig on his left. With the eight best competitors in formation to bask in the glitz of their strong performances, the event's Master of Ceremonies, alongside FERNANDO SILPH , would would be physically presenting the prizes, took the microphone and kicked off the great race's award ceremony.[break][break]

"ALL FIFTEEN RACERS and their Pokémon deserved to win today. The talent on display from each and every one of them was nothing short of pristine. If it were my decision, I would let them all punch their tickets to the Platinum Class. Regrettably, in any competition, there are winners and there are losers. Give it up for all fifteen of our Pokémon and teams that put on a thrilling show for you today!" The stands boomed with the cheers of fans, including many who had new favorite racers to follow. kyle lopez , Isaac Merlo , and Elinor Anderson in particular were the receipt of much love from boisterous fans.[break][break]

FERNANDO SILPH PRESENTED VANITY CHECKS, one at a time, to the eighth through fourth place finishers. While it wasn't life-changing money like Platinum-class racers got, it was still quite the nice pay day. As the Silph Co. executive handed each their checks, their finishing times and positions were read aloud.[break][break]

"Finishing in eighth place with a time of four minutes, seventeen seconds, and 779 decimals, earning 62 Silph Cup points, Julia Davis and Chester, her DODRIO!"[break][break]

"Finishing in seventh place with a time of four minutes, seventeen seconds, and 122 decimals, earning 66 Silph Cup points, Champion kyle lopez and Wil, his ARCANINE!"[break][break]

"Finishing in sixth place with a time of four minutes, seventeen seconds, and 99 decimals, earning 71 Silph Cup points, Toshiaki Macallan and Topaz, his ARCANINE!"[break][break]

"Finishing in fifth place with a time of four minutes, seventeen seconds, and 44 decimals, earning 76 Silph Cup points, Elite Four MATIAS SILPH and 3Head, his DODRIO!"[break][break]

"Finishing in fourth place with a time of four minutes, sixteen seconds, and 598 decimals, earning 81 Silph Cup points, Councilwoman Elinor Anderson and Steel, her STEELIX!"[break][break]

"AND AT LONG LAST, presenting your top three! These prodigal racers, with their performance in today's championship race, have earned their chops to participate in the prestigious, professional level Platinum Class, where only the world's very best compete!" FERNANDO SILPH walked toward Gwyar Wledig with a BRONZE PLAQUE and vanity check in hand, encouraging the third-place finisher to raise the symbol of his prowess above his head when his name was called. "Your third-place finisher, with a time of four minutes, sixteen seconds, and 324 decimals, earning 87 Silph Cup points, let's hear it for Gwyar Wledig and Llamrei, his RAPIDASH!" A large platform underneath the battle court rose from underneath him to twice his height, a prominent, blue numeral 3 in front. The crowd began chanting his name, rewarding him for his great skill in holding off those behind him no matter how hard they charged.[break][break]

The executive next approached Raziel Beckett , presenting his check and SILVER PLAQUE, likewise encouraging him to show off his prize when his name was called. "Next, our runner-up, with a time of four minutes, fifteen seconds, and 482 decimals, earning 93 Silph Cup points, give it up for Raziel Beckett and Cobalt, his METAGROSS!" A similarly-sized platform rose from underneath the Elite Ranger to a height of thrice his size, labeled with a large, green numeral 2. A large section of Silph Co. employees began chanting his name, showering him in praise for his performance.[break][break]

Finally, FERNANDO SILPH laid Isaac Merlo 's check at his feet before returning with the large GOLD TROPHY he was to present to the champion and his Tauros. "And last but not least, with a time of four minutes, fourteen seconds, and 34 decimals, earning 100 Silph Cup points, give everything you've got for your Multiplex Champion and new record holder, ISAAAAAAAAAAAAC MERRRRRRRRRLOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" The entire crowd was on their feet, incessantly chanting his name as Fernando encouraged him to lift the large trophy above his head, the hidden platform underneath him rising to a height of four times his own, a giant, red numeral 1 on its front face.[break][break]

WITH THE PODIUM EXTENDED, the MC sounded one last call to give all fifteen participants, even boruta maher , what wound up being relentless applause. Camera flashes, both personal and professional, flooded the Gym's property. With parting words, the live broadcast was terminated, coverage teams transitioning to their post-race shows. The crowd began dispersing as the podium receded back into the ground. It wasn't over for Isaac Merlo yet, though! Minutes after racers, staff, and spectators started to clear out, a television interviewer holding a microphone approached him. "Hi, my name is Jody Summers, and I'm a professional Pokémon racer that also does coverage for PSPN. Congratulations on your win. Can I get a few minutes of your time to do a short interview?"[break][break]

Isaac Merlo AND ANYONE HE WISHES TO COME WITH HIM CAN TAG Josh Devlin IN A NEW THREAD TO CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW. THIS INTERVIEW WILL BE FEATURED IN A FUTURE ISSUE OF PSPN DIGEST.

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FINAL RESULTS

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If you cannot view the image, please click this link to view full size![break][break]

INSTRUCTIONS

PLEASE HEED THE FOLLOWING RULES. Failure to comply with these rules may result in the failure of your character's actions or the disqualification of your character from the race.[break][break]

The Silph Cup Guidelines can be referenced here.[break][break]

Before you post, you must lock in your Pokémon, moveset, and rank selection in the sign-up thread.[break][break]

You can only use ONE MOVE at a time.[break][break]

Please include a TL;DR (too long; didn't read) OOC note with a summary of your character's important actions.[break][break]

You DO NOT NEED TO ROLL THIS ROUND.[break][break]

Missing too many posting rounds will result in YOUR CHARACTER'S DISQUALIFICATION.[break][break]

You are ALLOWED TO POST MULTIPLE TIMES THIS ROUND, but be mindful of giving others space & time to post within reason and with consideration of the deadline.

FEEDBACK FORM

Here is an optional feedback form for the CHASE FOR THE SILPH CUP. It consists of 17 questions on a sliding scale of 1 to 5, as well as a space for written feedback. Participants that fill the feedback form out will be entered into a drawing for Gachas.[break][break]

Completing the written feedback section is not required to be entered into the drawing. If you wish to provide feedback anonymously, DM RaikouRider on Discord and I will get your name entered into the drawing. Your feedback will be taken into consideration to help improve future iterations of the event.[break][break]

I will be drawing one winner for a Premium Gacha of their choosing and three winners for Standard Gachas. I will be paying for these out of pocket. This drawing will take place in the #member-events channel on HOENN Discord, on December 10, after the event thread is locked.[break][break]

DEADLINE

DECEMBER 9 - 11:59 PM CST (9:59 PM PST)[break][break]

NOTE: The moderator post may not come immediately after the deadline.[break][break]

TAGS

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nicodemus unken Julia Davis Eva Morales MATIAS SILPH Raziel Beckett Toshiaki Macallan kyle lopez Isaac Merlo Matt Vice Elinor Anderson Kaida Adachi Gwyar Wledig Josh Devlin Alexei Ivanov