The stands near Mauville Gym's TWIST ROAD course, the course built around the facility's main battle court, were filled to near-capacity, much like they were when the Gym Leader invited fourteen of the most talented Pokémon racers in Hoenn to compete for their share of fame and fortune. It was similar to the crowd that had assembled for mint frost , for kyle lopez , Melody Miro , and plenty of other celebrity challengers. Gym security had even escorted Klaus to the track where the challenge would be taking place. It was part of the new Gym protocol after the disaster where he nearly lost his precious facility to a power overload.

Once he heard his Gym's staff had led the challenger correctly, Josh's head turned away from Janus, perhaps the largest Espeon the challenger had ever seen. "Thanks again, Nathan," the Leader acknowledged his employee's job well done. "This is the last challenge before I go on lunch. You should take yours soon." With a nod, the tall man of Paldean descent left for the Gym's entrance. His three new employees, all friends from Johto, looked ready to go, though Aravan looked a bit nervous in the saddle of Luna the Liepard.

"You're sure you're not making a mistake having me race?" the taller, older man softly protested. "When you said you were opening a Gym in Hoenn, I signed up to do battles, not racing. I swear, you and Shalin have way too many screws loose."

Eron, dressed in a solid white shirt and track pants, looked nervous from astride Blinky, as well. The Jolteon msy have been the single fastest land Pokémon Josh owned. He suspected that his burst speed would be able to contest that of a Beast, but with kyle lopez 's news that Entei was the only one of the three still alive and the Champion having such a busy schedule, he would not be testing that theory any time soon. Josh had told Eron many times that with great speed came great responsibility. The fact that the Leader trusted him with such speed was an indicator of their friendship and the level of skill the new Gym Trainer had picked up in just the three weeks he had been on payroll.

"Challenger Cartier?" Josh asked as he turned toward the idol, offering his racing glove-covered right hand to shake. "Senior Ranger Devlin or Gym Leader Devlin, but you can call me Josh," he introduced himself, climbing atop the unusually large psychic-type. "This is Janus, one of the Pokémon you'll be racing against as part of your Gym Challenge. Don't worry; it's against the rules for her to teleport. And these three are Aravan and Luna," he gestured toward the Liepard, "Eron and Blinky," toward the Jolteon, "and Ace and Raiden," toward the Zebstrika, electricity arcing among the legs of the Pokémon capable of discharging it. "These are the other Pokémon you'll be racing against."

The four turned toward the course, encouraging Klaus and Olenna to do so as well. Befitting its one-star difficulty rating, TWIST ROAD was the simplest course on the entire property. While it had its fair share of turns, rough terrain, and even a river crossing to contend with, most of its Obstacles were simple and forgiving. Emphasis on most. There was one particularly wicked turn on the backstretch, but even Pokémon with difficulty making sharp turns would get a little help from the course's topography. It was hard to get simpler or easier than this without the course being a simple oval.

It was rare for Josh to be able to use this course. Due to the nature of this challenge requiring mostly fully-evolved Pokémon, it was rare for trainers to challenge Mauville Gym first. It would be his first time since moving from Trainer Hill to use this course. It was almost identical to the course he had taken his very first challenger on: the very director of the Minor League program. And now, for the first time in three months since starting his new career, a challenger would be attacking the Director's course record on it.

Once he had led the five racers to the starting arch, the Gym Leader began to explain the rules. "Before we take off, let's review the rules one more time. We'll line up at that checkered line beneath the arch with the monitor on it. Before the race starts, it will display and count down 3, 2, 1, GO. On GO, you better be ready to go fast. Quick Attack and the like can't be used during the first lap. Gotta get warmed up, after all! After the first lap, use them as much as you think your Pokémon can handle. You're going to need it. Believe me. If you beat me to the finish line over three laps, or otherwise prove to me you can act calmly under the pressure of split second reactions, the Hoenn League Quick Badge is yours. Understood?"

You will have 8 ranks to distribute among three skills. No more than 5 ranks can be assigned to any one skill.

• SPEED: This represents how fast your Pokémon can travel. Each rank of Speed adds 10 to all your rolls.
  
• ENDURANCE: This represents how well a Pokémon can navigate difficult terrain, and affects how often a Pokémon can use its Boost during a race. Every two ranks of Endurance lets you use a Boost move an additional time per race. Each rank of Endurance reduces the Target Number of Endurance-based Obstacles by 10.
• REACTION: This represents a Pokémon’s cornering ability. Each rank of Reaction reduces the Target Number of Reaction-based Obstacles by 10.

In the OOC notes of your next post, please note your Pokémon's distribution of skills.

You do not need to roll after your next post, but you will need to [ roll ] twice at the end of every post mid-challenge. This roll will be modified according to your Pokémon's skill ranks.

Example: If a player rolls a 60 on a post involving running down a straightaway as fast as possible atop a Pokémon with four ranks in Speed, their effective roll will be 100.

The Leader's next post will include a "mod post" that depicts the course's first Obstacle: a prompt that presents a challenge for the racers to overcome. Each Obstacle will include the following information:

Target Number: This is the number the racers need to roll at or above to overcome the Obstacle without penalty. While it is uncommon, an Obstacle can have multiple Target Numbers.

Intended Skill: This is the Skill that will apply to the Obstacle. It can be Speed, Endurance, or Reaction.

Example Obstacle: The track starts out with a bang--a sharp, 135-degree left turn mere tens of meters from the starting line. The width of the turn itself makes recovering from a misjudged angle easier, but the track quickly narrows up again afterward. A guardrail on the outside keeps Pokémon from sliding off the course, but there is no such guardrail on the inside, and there’s a shallow stream that looks time-consuming for non-Water Pokémon to climb out of!

Target Number: 85 (Reaction)

After the players make their rolls, the Target Number is deducted from the player's roll, and the difference becomes the player's Track Points (TP) for the round. 100 TP corresponds to roughly one second of time differential. The race will consist of three laps, with three Obstacles per lap. After the ninth Obstacle, total Track Points will determine finishing order.

The stands being packed for an otherwise ordinary race showed just how much of a fanbase Klaus had. Josh was used to having most of the fans being his, but not today! Music artists who went viral had truly astonishing platforms of support, and would attract racing aficionados to watch him by the sheer number of followers he had. And it showed - Olenna the Rapidash, while by far the most common Pokémon challengers brought to the Gym due to their incredibly stable yet high speed gallop and ease of control, would be formidable for the Leader and his underlings to compete against. He really needed to get Ixion, his own Rapidash, through Hoennian customs. That wouldn't be happening any time soon, though.

Josh was impressed with Klaus' mounting technique. "Seems like you have a lot of riding experience," he remarked as the four lined up at the starting line, alongside the challenger who was traditionally given the pole position. "You'll need every bit of it. They call me the Master of Faster for a reason. Cause if I pass you, I ain't never givin' the lead back." The trash talk had already started, even Ace and Aravan joining in on it by making similar remarks from the backs of the Leader's Zebstrika and Liepard. Eron was a bit more reserved, giving all his focus on handling Blinky, one of the fastest Pokémon at the Gym. Janus conveyed nervous emotions toward his rider for the high expectations he had just set. Right, this was the Espeon's first race, wasn't it? And one where she would not have access to her ALLY SWITCH, per Federation rules.

Once all the competitors indicated they were ready, three still images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, sprinting at full speed, faded into view along with a "GET READY" prompt. Said stills disappeared rhythmically, one at a time. Alongside each, a loud, low-pitched squawk blared as an sural indicator of the countdown and allowing the racers to more easily time their accelerating leaps off the line. The fourth such sound was higher-pitched as the final image vanished, the text "GET READY" shifting to "GO". The moment the starting buzzer sounded, Josh and his Gym Trainers jabbed at their mounts' sides with their knees, battling for early position.

After each posting round, a prompt describing the upcoming section of the track will be posted. These prompts may highlight different sections of the course on each lap. You will react to the prompt, then [ roll ] twice. For the first lap, the Leader's rolls will be capped at 120 before modifiers.

The course begins with a series of three right-angle, uphill turns on a wide track, coming at competitors with increasingly rapid succession. The turns are sharp, but racers have plenty of room to find positioning. While there is little danger of a wipeout, wide turns are not advised without a plan due to how much extra ground the Pokémon would need to cover. A long straight stretch follows the third turn.

Target Number: 90 (Reaction)

Special: None

• Aaaaaaand they're off! 
• First rolls made. relevant stats: reaction = 2. target number reduced by 20 |  spd = 4. roll total increased by 40.

Janus let out a loud yip as he felt his rider's heels squeeze against his back thighs. With the power of his mind, he was not only able to effectively harness Josh to his back, but reduce the force Josh would feel from his cat-like running stroke. This being his first race with the psychic Eeveelution, Josh had little experience with just how he handled running without using ALLY SWITCH. All three of Josh's other Pokémon, particularly Raiden and Blinky, regularly raced at his Gym. Eron let out a loud grunt, his arms shaking as Blinky dashed off the line, the Jolteon's electric arcing fueling her explosive acceleration. Even Aravan looked like he was struggling a bit to handle Luna's rough gait to start.

Josh took to the track's center to get a feel for how sharply the Espeon turned, pulling back with his right hand. While it wasn't as sensitive as Twilight, his Absol, he could still turn on a dime if his pull was hard! The four rounded the opening curves, competing for early position on the slightly tilted road intended to gently guide Pokémon toward the inside line. Rounding the last corner, he realized he gave the psychic-type a lot less credit than was due; though distant ALLY SWITCHing was his fastest way to move, Janus could still put on a lot of speed moving the old-fashioned way!

The five swift Pokémon were off, the Challenger, Leader, and Gym trainers battling one another for early position! Klaus, recognizing Olenna's skillset, yielded early to the much faster Jolteon, the quilled electric-type running alongside him in the lane outside his. It was impressive to watch a distressed-looking Eron somehow keeping his cool enough to control the blistering fast Pokémon, able to keep up despite having to cover more ground. Aravan and Luna were also keeping nearly identical pace, the two teams sandwiching Olenna and forcing them to move with them.

It was a rough position for the challenger to be in, letting the lithe Espeon pass the three of them early by way of his superior turning. Ace and Raiden were a distant fifth for now, but there were plenty of places for the black-and-white equine to shine. After all, even in the wild, Rapidash and Zebstrika were racing rivals, herds of them known to push each other to breathtaking speeds. The four at the top were extremely close, any one of them able to make a move as the first long straightaway, featuring a bridge over the starting arch, awaited them!

Prompt: After crossing a retractable bridge over the start, the course slowly narrowed during a long left curve. While it wasn't a particularly tight turn, the length of the turn necessitated quite a bit of stamina from the Pokémon as well as thigh strength from the racer to navigate at full speed. Once the course finished narrowing, it turned at a right angle in the opposite direction and became only wide enough for four Pokémon to run alongside one another, making passing more difficult.

Target Number: 110 (Endurance)

Special: None

• Relevant stats: endurance = 2. target number reduced by 20 | spd = 4. roll total increased by 40.
  

The crashing of hooves not far behind Josh was all the signal he needed to rein the Espeon more tightly along the long, left turn; Klaus and his Rapidash were making a move on him, and fast! While Janus had the finesse to keep tight along the curve, a slip of the psychic-type's telekinetic hold on him was a sign that she was having trouble holding the turn. The pounding of Liepard paws behind him was another reminder that he wasn't just competing against the challenger, either; he had his pride as a Gym Leader to hold up, as well.

Reluctantly, Josh eased off with his left hand, letting the Espeon drift toward the outside of the curve during its second half. While it would cost them time, it would conserve Janus' stamina for boost laps, where it would be most needed to perform some of the fastest Quick Attacks a Psychic-type was capable of!

Josh's decision to play the first lap safe wound up costing him a bit of time, allowing Aravan and his Liepard to take the inside line and threaten the race's first lead change. Klaus and Olenna would still find themselves sandwiched between two other racers: the Liepard on his left, and the Leader's Espeon on his right. The aggressive Jolteon, against Eron's wishes, did not yield one bit, taking advantage of her superior speed to keep up even while in the outside lane!

The track was just wide enough to accommodate the four-wide battle for the lead, but only if they stayed turning in close to perfect sync. There was so little room laterally that there was a risk of the trainers' mounts' legs getting tangled up! Poor Ace and his Zebstrika were helpless; no matter how fast the electric-type ran, the four Pokémon running in front of him covered the course's entire width.

Prompt: At the end of a narrow straight stretch was a tall dirt mound that made the 180-degree turn resemble the end of a half-pipe. It was intended to make the sharp curve easier at the expense of swinging wide and accepting a small time loss, but even with it, the curve was not easy. Furthermore, the blind turn made it difficult to react in time to the hilly terrain preceding the home stretch.

Target Number: 120 (Reaction)

Special: None

• Relevant stats: reaction = 2. target number reduced by 20 | spd = 4. roll total increased by 40.
  
  

Luna was intimidating-looking mid-run, Aravan towering over Josh and pressuring him and Janus to slow down. As he reached the tight turn he would have preferred to drift through by taking advantage of the psychic-type's ability to mentally harness his rider in place, none of the field would let up and yield to anyone despite how narrow the backstretch got. It was exactly what he would ask the Espeon to do.

"Alright, Janus, you got me strapped on?" he asked the Espeon. The lavender Pokémon did before, but the Gym Leader really could feel it now. As the curve came, Josh shifted his body weight hard to the left and pulled on the psychic Pokémon's reins in the same direction. The young man let out a hiss, having to slow down due to the turn he was attempting being too intense for his body to handle. The inside line was, in theory, the fastest way around the track. However, racers had to keep not only the physical limits of their Pokémon in mind, but also their own limits!

Two fierce battles raged through the hairpin turn and mogul-like terrain of the home stretch, testing not only how well the teams could make a sharp turn, but how quickly they could regain their balance after the recoil from leaving that turn. The aggressive Jolteon next to Klaus and Olenna made her move first, pushing herself to her highest sustained speed exiting the turn. Ultimately, she was unable to hold the speed through the home stretch, nearly rolling one of her ankles and swerving right, giving the challenger a great passing opportunity.

Josh and Luna had a similar battle, though in their case, the Gym Leader was the aggressor. The fleet-of-foot Espeon, combined with his surefootedness, let the Leader hold more speed than the Liepard. It was still anyone's race. Even Ace and Raiden, though back a little over two seconds, were not out of it! All eyes were on Josh and Klaus, though, their Espeon and Rapidash neck and neck crossing the line! Now would be the true test of their skills as a prerecorded voice played over the Gym's sound system:

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/763977284038033418/1088229073215574077/You_Got_Boost_Power.mp3[/player]

"You Got Boost Power!"

You Got Boost Power! Speed-increasing moves, such as QUICK ATTACK, AGILITY, and EXTREME SPEED are now allowed. Pokémon will be able to use such speed-increasing moves a number of times up to their Endurance ranks for the rest of the race. Speed-increasing moves will grant you ADVANTAGE for the posting round, meaning you will [ roll ] four times instead of two for that post and ignore the lower set of rolls. Please separate the first two rolls from the second two rolls with a delimiter of some kind. For the second lap of the race, the Leader's rolls will be capped at 140, before modifiers are applied.

Beware! Taking tight turns and stamina-draining Obstacles at high speeds can result in dire consequences, and may impose DISADVANTAGE, meaning the lower of the two rolls will be taken. If the lower of the two rolls would still pass the Obstacle, Track Position for that Obstacle will be calculated based on the higher of the two rolls.

Prompt: The three right turns opening the course were much more rapid fire than before at high speeds, now that the Pokémon had the chance to accelerate. The big difference on the second lap was that the bridge at the end of the following straightaway had retracted. There was now a big gap to cross, and missing it would send them back to just before the course's first curve!

Target Number: 90 (Speed)

Special: A Pokémon that misses the Target Number by more than 10 is subject to an additional -100 TP penalty from needing to leap back up to the main section of the track.