MARCH UPDATE

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

7,164 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Feb 10, 2023 5:04:06 GMT

In an effort to catch up as much as he could to take advantage of Goroh's added speed, Josh delayed his release of the Cyclizar's wheelie until they had entered the tunnel. His speed was higher than he anticipated, though, forcing him to swerve hard around the uphill and downhill curves! Andrea may have been able to hear the squealing of the dragon's tire-like air sacs from the hard sequence of turns.

While Josh couldn't speak for his Gym trainers, he knew he had to push as hard as he felt Goroh could handle... and he was running up to those limits as it was. That abrupt swerve got the dragon's heart beating to the point where Josh could feel it even through her riding gear. That condition was reflected by seeing his portrait on the scoreboard flashing red, an indication that the officials determined his Pokémon was running on fumes.

YPp|3qGi

Gia's rhythm was perfect, her sync with Andrea immaculate. Her familiarity with the wild, sloped curve from the first lap let her perfectly crest both sides of it with minimal lateral movement, further building upon her lead. With how far ahead she was, she didn't need to take any more unnecessary risks... unless she had her sights on the course record. If Andrea was to tilt her head toward the scoreboard as she passed under the starting arch, she would be able to see that the Houndoom portrait was slowly blinking red, and the Cyclizar portrait corresponding to the Leader was rapidly blinking red.

Josh paid a steep price for his aggression; when he whipped Goroh's handlebars back to the right, he had done so with too much force. The Cyclizar's squealing got louder as he looked like she was going to spin out at any moment, contact with the tunnel's right wall the only thing keeping her from wiping out completely. Even the steady Mightyena had passed him up during the near-wreck.

Josh could now not only feal the dragon's heartbeat, but hear her breathing, too. Another misplaced aggressive move, and the Cyclizar would almost certainly wipe out, which would cause the Leader to take his first DNF of his career as a Gym Leader and mar his flawless record.

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/689309685941272604/1073465797512536164/FZX_-_Yeah_The_final_Lap.mp3[/player]

INSTRUCTIONS

The fans cheered loudly as the white flag waved to the side of the starting arch; it was the last time around the track! For the final lap of the race, the Leader's rolls will be capped at 170, before modifiers are applied.

FINAL LAP | OBSTACLE 1

Prompt: While the racers had become familiar with the course by the time the white flag waved, the higher speeds of boost-legal laps made every peak and trough of the rough opening stretch come at the Pokémon and their riders faster. While the principles of navigating both the vertical and lateral waves of each curve would be the same, the timing would be completely different! If one was not confident in their mount's ability to maintain their footing or keep their lunch in them, some braking may be needed to avoid a premature exit from this contest of speed!

Target Number: 125 (Reaction)

Special: None

close tab

played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl

she/her

August 10

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

Asexual

Minor Gym Leader

Ace (Civilian)

5'11" (180 cm) height

I wanna become a Pokémon!

awards

2,130 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @andreavaneau

POSTED ON Feb 10, 2023 11:16:13 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","gunstest6"]

[attr="class","body"]

This was it: The final lap! The race thus far had been grueling, and it was only going to get tougher. The whiplash-inducing course had taken its toll on both rider and mount, Andrea's whole body feeling sore, while Gia's panting got heavier.
[break][break]
Familiar as they were with the first left curve, they had not accounted for their drastic increase in momentum. Gia had a hard time staying in one lane, swerving to and fro like a car on a snowy highway.
[break][break]
"Steady... Steady... Steadyyyy!" As they got dangerously close to the edge of the track, the trainer of dragons pulled her Cyclizar's handlebars with all her might, trying to steer her in the correct direction.

Josh Devlin[break][break]

NOTES

- Non-Traditional[break]
- No megas/z-moves/etc.[break]
- Gia's Speed: A[break]
- Gia's Endurance: C[break]
- Gia's Reaction: C[break]
QxNXOmBB

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

[googlefont=Poppins]
[newclass=".gunstest6"]--accent:#d4a53c;font:12px Poppins;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 b"]color:var(--accent);font:bold 14px Roboto;letter-spacing:.1px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 i"]color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 u"]text-underline-offset:3px;text-decoration-color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 a"]font:12px Poppins;color:var(--accent);[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 h1"]font:16px Poppins;color:var(--accent);font-weight:bold;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 h2"]font:14px Poppins;color:var(--accent);font-weight:bold;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 .body"]background-image:url("https://image.ibb.co/cpf8Wc/flower_patt.png");background-position:bottom;background-repeat:no-repeat;text-align:justify;letter-spacing:.2px;line-height:18px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 .pkmn img"]margin:-10px -7px 0px -7px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 .credit"]width:100px;background-color:#232323;font-size:10px;margin-top:7px;padding:3px;[/newclass]
[newclass=".gunstest6 .credit a"]font-size:10px;[/newclass]
·

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

7,164 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Feb 12, 2023 6:37:40 GMT

While Andrea's lead wasn't insurmountable by any means, it was massive, and Josh and his trainers were running out of real estate. Realistically, she had proven herself worthy at this point... as long as she finished. There was simply no way a huffing-and-puffing Goroh was going to make up over three seconds without a serious mistake from the challenger.

While he knew how to draw on every bit of speed a Pokémon had, Josh also respected his Pokémon enough to know when it was appropriate to do so. As he reached the one flat spot on the course, by the starting line, Josh took one of his hands off the Cyclizar's handlebars to give her a pat on the head. "Let's just make sure we finish, okay? Don't get hurt over this one." Yes, it hurt him to hold back and seemingly give up, but he also wanted to keep his long-lasting streak of finishing every race going. The Leader put his second hand into position and kept Goroh as centered as possible, giving her the maximum space possible to make adjustments one way or the other.

1oOZFmYs

Despite their efforts to ease up, Josh and Goroh simply came around the opening curve too fast. When the Leader tried to make a hard turn to correct, the Cyclizar's huffing got louder. When she came to the next uneven corner, she could no longer keep her legs raised to coast on her air sacs. Her dragging claws sparked against the road, causing her to make a sharp turn in the opposite direction and slamming into the inside wall, their momentum flinging Josh off his Pokémon and OFF COURSE. Embarrassingly, he would have to watch the rest of the race from the course's green.

Andrea's decision to ease up was wise; though she shed some of her lead to the Mightyena and Houndoom charging behind her, she still had a comfortable gap between her Cyclizar and second place. Furthermore, if she noticed the loud moo of a Cyclizar that wasn't hers, she would have noticed Josh's untimely removal from the race. If she fully understood the challenge's rules, she knew that all she needed to do to obtain the Quick Badge was finish the race.

FINAL LAP | OBSTACLE 2

NOTE: This Obstacle has more than one Target Number. Please indicate in your OOC notes which Target Number your character is challenging.

Prompt: The wavy backstretch left racers with a key decision on the final lap: to cut the corner and risk being disqualified, or to take it safe and preserve their position? The angle would be exactly the same as it was on the second lap, but what made the decision much more difficult this time was this was the last place there was to gain or lose a substantial amount of time! While a leap would save a heaps of time, it came with the familiar risk of an OFF COURSE penalty!

Target Number 1: 125 (Endurance)

Special 1: None

Target Number 2: 135 (Speed)

Special 2: Pokémon who meet or exceed the Target Number gain 75 TP in addition to any TP they would normally gain from this Obstacle. A Gym Leader or Challenger who rolls beneath the Target Number by 25 or more will instead suffer a flat 150 TP penalty from landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are DISQUALIFIED instead.

close tab

played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl

she/her

August 10

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

Asexual

Minor Gym Leader

Ace (Civilian)

5'11" (180 cm) height

I wanna become a Pokémon!

awards

2,130 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @andreavaneau

POSTED ON Feb 13, 2023 9:43:41 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","gunstest6"]

[attr="class","body"]

In a Pokémon race, everything could and everything did happen. It took one wrong move or one momentary lapse in judgment for even an expert like Josh Devlin to be flung off course. Thus, his immaculate streak had been broken.
[break][break]

[break][break]
However, Andrea had yet to notice that the Gym leader was out of the race. She was too preoccupied fighting for her flipping life. The wavy part of the course was coming up once again, and despite her best efforts to moderate Gia's speed, they were approaching it faster than ever before. Might as well use that speed to their advantage...
[break][break]
"OK, Gia, this is it! Quick Attack!" The draconic cosplayer cried out, her Cyclizar accelerating so much, it appeared as if she was warping from one curve to the next. Naturally, she wasn't actually warping, just moving faster than the eye could see, so there was still a chance that this time-saving maneuver could backfire.

Josh Devlin[break][break]

NOTES

- Non-Traditional[break]
- No megas/z-moves/etc.[break]
- Gia's Speed: A[break]
- Gia's Endurance: C[break]
- Gia's Reaction: C[break]
- Target Number 2 selected[break]
- Used Quick Attack (2/2)[break]
B1cerAht |

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

7,164 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2023 0:34:23 GMT

Gia's exhaustion was starting to show, Josh covering his mouth in horror as he saw the Cyclizar leap over the gap between U-turns. She must not have realized that all she needed to do to get her Badge was to finish the course. That, or merely earning the Badge by default wasn't good enough for her. Perhaps she didn't just want to win the race. She and Gia perhaps wanted to embarrass Josh and his Gym Trainers in their element.

Eron wasn't going to let them. The brightly-dressed young man slammed his heels into Voja's flanks, the enormous wolf letting out a cry loud enough that the challenger could have heard it even being so far ahead. Even the Houndoom had no chance of keeping up with the trails forming behind the Mightyena during her physics-defying DOUBLE TEAM that threatened to fling the Gym Trainer off with every turn.

While Andrea had a comfortable lead going into the final, vicious-as-ever turn, Komainu and Ace were about to be passed up by the other dark-type canine. Even the challenger couldn't rest easy; if she took even the slightest glimpse backward, she would be able to see that the Mightyena was catching up, and fast!

FINAL LAP - OBSTACLE 3

Prompt: The home stretch was all that remained, an official standing near the starting arch and waving the checkered flag. There was little risk of an accident on this straight sprint to the finish! Now was the best opportunity for Gia, Komainu, and Voja to give it everything they had!

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: None

close tab

played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl

she/her

August 10

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

Asexual

Minor Gym Leader

Ace (Civilian)

5'11" (180 cm) height

I wanna become a Pokémon!

awards

2,130 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @andreavaneau

POSTED ON Feb 15, 2023 11:10:15 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","gunstest6"]

[attr="class","body"]

Truth be told, Andrea and Gia were just trying to survive at this point. Hunted down by dogs of prey, they ran low on metaphorical gas. Adrenaline was the sole fuel keeping their bodies moving, and even that was running dry. The girl's hands had gone so numb, she'd lost all feeling in them, to say nothing of her dizziness or her aching bum.
[break][break]
The sight of the finish line popping up in the horizon filled their hearts with joyous relief. Only a few seconds were left until this madness was over. "All we have to do is get to the finish line! That's all we have to do!" The young PokéManiac cried out, her Cyclizar using what little energy she had left in order to pull them both through this last stretch.

Josh Devlin[break][break]

NOTES

- Non-Traditional[break]
- No megas/z-moves/etc.[break]
- Gia's Speed: A[break]
- Gia's Endurance: C[break]
- Gia's Reaction: C[break]
CtzzsTN0

[attr="class","pkmn"]

[attr="class","credit"]

MADE BY GUNSMILE

close tab

played by

raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

awards

7,164 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Feb 16, 2023 6:41:17 GMT

Andrea Vaneau likes this

Voja and Komainu let out war cries, straining every muscle in their body for one last burst of speed before the finish line. While the exhausted Houndoom slowed as the he ran over the paint marking the starting grid, the Mightyena further extended her blistering DOUBLE TEAM, twice as many speed trails coming from the black-and-grey dog as before. There simply was not enough real estate to catch Gia and Andrea, though. They had won.

[player]https://fi.zophar.net/soundfiles/nintendo-gamecube-gcn/f-zero-gx/228%20-%20Hurrah%20for%20the%20Champion%20%28Winning%20Run%29.mp3[/player]

🎼 NEW THEME SONG! Hurrah for the Champion - F-ZERO GX OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK

Seeing Andrea conquer Josh's gym, just like Josh had conquered hers, gave the Master of Faster joy. Cyclizar were Pokémon both of them were clearly inexperienced with, but the challenger's experience with dragons weighed more heavily than the Leader's overall racing experience. "I'm gonna have to put in a suggestion for the Federation to rerate Wave Panic to four stars. This course is grotesquely underrated," Josh said to the victor, still a bit winded from the crash. "You truly are a master of dragon Pokémon, and on a course so challenging for Cyclizar, too. You have more than demonstrated your ability to make split-second decisions, put your complete trust in your Pokémon, and most importantly, to keep your cool in tense situations. All of these skills will see you far in the Pokémon League."

With that, Josh reached into his pocket, scooping a small, metallic object into his closed fist. "Take it, Andrea. You've earned it." He opened the closed fist in front of her, revealing his Gym Badge for the taking. "This is the official Hoenn League Quick Badge. You and your Cyclizar shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Riders as champions, and as Multi Jump record holders. While the Badge is eternal, records are meant to be broken."

After the award ceremony was over, Josh and his Gym Trainers led Andrea back to the Gym's lobby to assist her in filling out acceptance paperwork. It would be needed to make the Badge official in League systems. "Just need signatures here and here," he pointed. "Next time we get together, how about we bring our Dragonite? An Extreme Speed duel sounds really fun, doesn't it?"

Andrea Vaneau

close tab

played by

Kost

Dragon-hooded girl

she/her

August 10

Fallarbor Town, Hoenn

Asexual

Minor Gym Leader

Ace (Civilian)

5'11" (180 cm) height

I wanna become a Pokémon!

awards

2,130 posts

DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @andreavaneau