This was a day that Josh, likewise, was looking forward to. It brought the Mauville Leader back to his very first racing challenge with Top Champion kyle lopez , who also raced him on a Manectric. Saber was pumped, too. The only disappointment was he wouldn't be able to use the Manectric's Z-Move due to Ettie not agreeing to it in her challenge paperwork. Perhaps it would be for the better; after all, the last time he went hypersonic on his favorite electric Pokémon, much of his lower body ached afterward. Badly.

Just because Ettie was a zero-badge challenger didn't mean he was holding back. The two were great friends outside the Gym, and knew each other well, including their competitive spirits. The Leader holding anything back would be a big disrespect to her, and he was certain she felt likewise. Josh's other electric ride Pokémon, Blitz, Blinky, and Crash, were present alongside him, as well as three of his best Gym trainers. Shawn was no doubt a familiar face, but Lyndon and Duncan were there, too, making sure the gear of each extremely speedy Pokémon gear was all secured and comfortable. Now where was Ettie? He texted his secretary, Shelly, to make sure Ettie had followed the signs. The racing fan was quick to honor that request.

"Challenger Ettie , please report to Sector 1. Challenger Ettie, to Sector 1. Thank you!"

Josh turned around after he had finished making adjustments, only to see Ettie already there, astride her Manectric. "How did I miss you, Ettie?" he rhetorically asked, mostly to himself. "Sorry about the redundant page! You and Duchess are looking mighty fine!" Saber let out a greeting howl, which he somehow knew Duchess would inevitably return. "These three might be familiar faces by now," he gestured toward the three Gym Trainers, all of which waved back to him as they, too, mounted up. While he wasn't completely sure Ettie had met all three of them, it was likely they had seen one another during their tour of the Gym. "You'll be racing these three, too."

Surface Slide was a fairly beginner-friendly course located just to the east of the Main Sector, and was plainly visible behind the main battle court's scoreboard. While most of its turns were gentle, it did have a few sections where the difficulty spiked: the very first point of interest was a high jump onto a skinny landing zone that could easily result in OFF COURSE penalties, especially on the first lap where the fight for early position was intense. The backstretch had a pair of sharp turns, as well as the titular obstacle: heavily sloped, long turns that might make the legs of the Pokémon feel like they were on fire if they tried to hold the inside line the entire way.

Once everyone was ready, Josh led the quartet of Challenger and Gym Trainers to the course's starting arch, a digital display embedded within. It showed three images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou at full gallop, which Ettie would be able to deduce would be used for the countdown. "You've seen this stuff when we had our tour, but I'm required to go over it again, per IAPL regulations. See that monitor? It's going to count down 3, 2, 1, GO. On GO, you better be ready for Duchess' explosive acceleration if you don't want to be left behind. No Pokémon move that could be used to go faster, such as Quick Attack, can be used during the first lap. After that, use them as much as you think your Pokémon can handle. Beat me to the finish line after three laps, or otherwise show me your composure in making split-second decisions, and the Hoenn League Quick Badge is yours. I know you can get it, Ettie! Now prove it to me!"

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 and an additional 10 during Speed-based Obstacles.
  
• ENDURANCE: This represents how well a Pokémon can navigate difficult terrain, and affects how often a Pokémon can use its Boost during a race. Your Pokémon can use its Boost a number of times equal to its number of ranks in Endurance (min. 1). Each rank of Endurance reduces the Target Number of Endurance-based Obstacles by 20.
• REACTION: This represents a Pokémon’s cornering ability. Each rank of Reaction reduces the Target Number of Reaction-based Obstacles by 20.

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 140.

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: 105 (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 QUICK BADGE is awarded if at least one of the following conditions are met:

1) The challenger finishes the race in 1st or 2nd place.
2) The challenger finishes the race ahead of the Gym Leader.
3) The challenger otherwise demonstrates their mastery of the tenets of Mauville Gym, at the Leader's discretion.

As Josh came into view and acknowledged her, Ettie was quick to give him quite the greeting - the young wildchild hopping down from Duchess' back, so that she could run up to him and give him a big hug! "Ettie sneaky!" She (half-)jokingly chirped with a giggle, completely missing the rhetoric aspect of Josh's question. "Ettie excited - Duchess excited! Wanna-run lots!" She was looking forward to getting to run with Josh - not necessarily out of any competitiveness, but more out of a desire for just getting to have fun with a friend.

At Saber's greeting, not only Duchess - but the whole pack - was ready to return it, a chorus of howls answering as the canids approached to mingle with the group proper. It was clear to see that spirits were high - they were almost as excited as Ettie and Duchess were, to see the race happen!

And Ettie was no different - waving widely to the other three gym trainers and the pokemon, who'd all be here to race alongside them. "Friends! Hello!" She called, grinning brightly!

Once greetings and the like were out of the way, Josh would escort the racers to the racetrack - and Ettie's wide eyes scanned her surroundings as she admired the sights. A twisty path that, while it looked approachable enough at a glance, had a few tricky turns that had Ettie curious as to how well Duchess could handle them. All the same though, she trusted the manectric - they had been practicing a ton, the second that she had gotten the wolf fitted with a saddle - and they were both prepared!

As Josh explained the rules, Ettie nodded along - listening closely. Indeed, with the prior tours and occasional visits, she was pretty familiar as to how this went - but all the same, it was good to have it put out there for her once more. Mostly since Ettie likely would've forgotten the information in the midst of the excitement, if Josh didn't give her a refresher! Smiling brightly to him though, she'd nod eagerly at the encouragement - responding "Ettie ready!"

Duchess gave a similar bark of confirmation, her tail wagging eagerly.

Speed: A (4) // Endurance: C (2) // Reaction: C (2)
Josh Devlin

The youngest challenger Josh had ever had was one of the most energetic, too! Technically she looked too young to be racing Josh, but to her, Ettie was a special case. If the League came knocking on his door about her doing the Gym's racing challenge, he would take full responsibility. It was apparently she wanted a hug, Josh happy to return by lifting the featherweight child off the ground and forcing Saber to adjust to the weight imbalance. He set her down after a friendly embrace and let her get back on her Pokémon.

Ettie's whole section of the gallery was filled not with humans, but with Pokémon! While it was unprecedented of him to do this at his Gym, they had spent enough time together that he knew she could trust her. Again, he would take full responsibility if anything were to happen. "You better hold on tight!" Josh teased as Saber returned the bark of encouragement with a series of them that could only be interpreted as trash talk.

Once the five were lined up, three images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou at full gallop appeared on the banner monitor above the starting arch. Behind them was a "GET READY" prompt, Josh and his Gym Trainers tensing their legs in anticipation. The first of the three images began to fade away, with it sounding a loud squawk as a simultaneous aural warning that the race was about to begin. A second, then a third followed. When the final image of Raikou disappeared, the prompt changed to a green "GO" alongside a longer and higher-pitched squawk. Josh squeezed Saber's sides hard a split second later, the Manectric's explosive acceleration carrying him to be a front-runner in the first seconds of the race as the first turn loomed ahead.

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 130 before modifiers.

Prompt: The course starts out with a lazy U-turn over a wide angle. It's not sharp, but Pokémon with poor handling capabilities would have difficulty holding the long, uphill turn. The difficult part of the opening is below; about fifty feet down was the next part of the track, and it has a very narrow landing zone. There is only room for about three Pokémon to run alongside each other at the bottom.

Target Number: 115 (Reaction)

Special: A Pokémon that rolls beneath the Target Number by more than 30 will instead result in a loss of 150 TP from the Pokémon landing out of bounds and suffering an OFF COURSE penalty.

Indeed, even if not every pokemon in Ettie's pack was the most well-behaved, the older packmates - Anne, Anat, and Barbara to name a few - would be more than able to help make sure the younger members didn't cause trouble. Trying to settle in a space that was clearly intended for humans rather than pokemon was certainly an interesting endeavor for the quadrupedal beasts - armrests made laying across certain parts tricky. But, the group nonetheless found cozy spots for themselves as they watched the race that was about to begin.

Ettie giggled at Josh's tease - and in response, she'd call "Maybe Ettie learn-fly!" with a big grin. The little wildchild was no stranger to being flung off one's steed. It had happened a few times whilst she and Duchess both were still practicing, and it even has happened in the past with Anne - particularly during hectic hunts or chases! But, the mental image of Ettie suddenly being able to fly like her little flock was certainly an amusing one.

Duchess, meanwhile, seemed a little caught off guard by the 'trash talk' barking - blinking owlishly, before making a confused and somewhat hurt whine. What was that all about? Weren't they just playing, in the end? It was why they were gonna run and race around in the first place, right? To have fun? Ettie wasn't sure what the matter was between the manectrics, but nonetheless, she gave Duchess a reassuring pat as they lined up before the starting line.

Once the group was prepared though, came the countdown - and with each beep from 3, to 2, to 1, the duo would prepare themselves. Muscles tensing, bunching up, preparing - even Ettie seemed to hunker down and ready herself, as if she was prepared to pounce right off of Duchess' back! Eyes were on the path before them...

... And at the final beep, Duchess began moving - powerful muscles launching herself forward as she accelerated down the track, with all the same intensity as Saber! The wind blew past, Ettie's heart beat heavily in her chest with the thrill of the hunt - cause really, with everyone moving as fast as they can in such a group, what else could she compare it to?

But it didn't take long for the first turn to come into view - a U-turn with a 'drop' at the end of it. Duchess, eager to try and be the first into the narrow gap beyond, would push herself onwards. She wasn't going to let herself be stopped that easily!

Ot5S9oX6

Speed: A (4) // Endurance: C (2) // Reaction: C (2)
Josh Devlin

Surface Slide was a course that meant a lot to Josh, as it was the course he raced the Drift King on the night before he moved his Gym from Trainer Hill to Mauville City. A dangerous street racer Josh brought in not long after he came to Hoenn, it was one of the jobs that put him on the map as a Ranger that occasionally fills in to do Officer work. He still hadn't forgotten Swan (ana fell ) for her work. How was she doing, anyway?

Josh's Jolteon would have been a better fit for this track, as Shawn was likely finding out. Saber didn't have quite the agility to take the U-turn, as gentle as it was, at full speed. The Gym Leader slightly eased his leg hold on his mount, a cue for the Manectric to hold back some of his speed. "We'll have plenty of time later, Saber! Let's get through this first lap, and we'll really show her what we're made of!" When the leap came, Josh squeezed the electric wolf's sides for speed, then flicked his reins to provoke a breathtaking leap.

At the sound of the buzzer, the five electric Pokémon were off, the gallery roaring at the display of explosive acceleration that leaves the riders visibly fighting the force of the thrust behind it. Blitz's superior handling lets the Luxray take the inside line and gain an early advantage, but the Jolteon and three canines make the opening turn four-wide! There's not enough room for all four of them to be side-by-side after the leap. Someone has to give way, or they're all going to crash!

The game of chicken continues almost all the way to the end of the upper section of the course, where the congested racing teams would need to jump to a low, narrow landing zone below. As Josh and Shawn have their rides pick up the pace a little, Lyndon breathes a sigh of relief that he didn't have to make that choice. He and Ettie were in the back of the pack, but trailing the Gym Leader very closely going into the next turn! While Blinky and Duncan had an early lead, typical of the Jolteon, racing was an unpredictable sport. Anything could happen, and there was plenty of race to go!

Prompt: After a long but narrow straightaway, the course slowly rises in elevation, testing the riders' ability to hold a long, uphill right turn. This wasn't the most stamina-intensive turn, but it would set the stage for what they would have to do toward the backstretch. The real test of the teams' skill was when the course stopped rising. There was an almost whiplash-inducing curve just after the two emerged from a short tunnel: a semi-blind U-turn to the right, followed by a second one back to the left. Full right-rein followed by full left-rein tugs might alone be enough for slower Pokémon, but for faster Pokémon, some braking may be needed.

Target Number: 130 (Reaction)

Special: None

Sadly, despite the duo's best efforts, they'd find themselves pushed towards the back of the pack. Though Duchess had attempted to squeeze her way into the narrow lead, she wasn't quite aggressive enough with the advance - Josh and Shawn would manage to push past her, bringing the manectric to the back of the pack alongside Lyndon and Crash.

Ettie, however, wasn't discouraged - reaching out to gently scritch Duchess on the neck. They were still close - practically tail-to-nose, with barely even a half-second difference between them and Blitz at the lead. Were this a hunt - which, the instinctual part of her brain almost wanted to treat this like one, though she pushed that part back - she'd consider her prey good as caught. The race had only just started - with plenty of opportunities to potentially change it.

Such as with the uphill turn - and things like this was where the difference between Duchess and Saber would likely shine. Though she wasn't as sturdy-built as the other manectric, time spent in the wilds did well in teaching her to try and adjust to a variety of terrain. Her claws would dig in the slightest bit as she shot for the inner portion of the turn, practically leaping up the incline as she moved. Hopefully, with the track having widened out after that narrow bottleneck, this would be her opportunity to pass the others!

The looping turn had Ettie whoop with excitement all the same though, laughing with delight as she hung on to Duchess. Win or lose, this was fun - and the pump of her heart amidst the chaos of this hectic race was like nothing else!

But, even if Duchess was able to handle the uphill turn, there was still a more challenging test ahead - namely, a pair of sharp u-turns just beyond. Though Duchess had decent maneuverability, would she be able to handle this?

GTD_k0lk

Speed: A (4) // Endurance: C (2) // Reaction: C (2)
Josh Devlin

Josh and Shawn were in a fierce duel for the early lead as the track widened from the narrow landing zone, able to feel the static from the many electric Pokémon running at high speed in close proximity. He wondered if Ettie was acclimated to this level of latent static. It was clear from riding a Manectric that she had to have some tolerance for it. Blitz and Saber were having a great time pushing each other, and their riders, to their competitive limits. The physical limits would come much later in the race.

Rounding the uphill curve, the Gym Leader kept steady pressure on the electric dog's reins with his right hand, leaning into the turn to help his mount turn, as well. At the top of the hill, Josh yanked his right arm back with almost cruel force, his closest partner sliding around the U-turn and kicking up quite the dust cloud. It wasn't over yet, though! Immediately afterward, he relaxed his right arm and pulled almost as hard with his left, grunting as he held on for his life through the long turn he probably should have slowed down for.

As the course widened, the line of competitors remained close but single-file. All five were able to take the inside line, though Blinky tried (and failed) to put on the speed needed to make a pass. Shawn and Blinky were arguably a better racing team than Josh and Blinky; the Jolteon's personality just ticked with the second-in-command's aggressive battle and racing style. Though he didn't know it yet, he would have the chance to become interim Gym Leader in the near future.

The wicked S-curve was next, every racer pulling their Pokémon's reins with their full strength to get them to turn tight enough. Having raced this course many times, including with the Drift King, Josh had the timing for the reversal of force down, his Manectric seemingly gliding around the two turns and timing his leaning motion left to minimize whiplash.

The curve was a struggle for the other racers, though; Duchess and Blinky's fur grazed the outside wall of the first turn, nearly colliding with each other but avoiding the traffic in front of them. Blitz could not hold the second turn and scraped the outside guardrail, tripping and sliding along it before recovering. Duncan hissed as his right foot was caught in the crossfire, smacking and bouncing off the guardrail's supports. Crash and Lyndon had the opposite problem, turning too early and scraping against the left guardrail to a similar result. Despite the miscues, the field other than Josh remained tight going into the titular Surface Slide!

Prompt: The next Obstacle was the course's titular one: the course took the two through a brief underpass followed by a shallow, but long, uphill turn that would take the two in a complete circle. Furthermore, the course was split into two narrow lanes by a steep slope that was easy to slide down if a Pokémon ever drifted too wide. The top lane was by far the fastest one, but with it only being wide enough for three Pokémon, the rider and Pokémon would both need the strength to hold such a long turn and avoid taking the very slow outside line!

Target Number: 130 (Endurance)

Special: TP loss as a result of a Pokémon rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number is multiplied by 1.5, rounded up.

Though things had briefly appeared dicey, Duchess was advancing up through the ranks a bit - having managed to pass Blitz and Crash both! However, there was still the trouble of actually catching up to Josh - Saber having since sprinted into the lead, with a gradually expanding gap between some of the competitors!

Even with this tricky track though, it was plain to see that Duchess was having the time of her life, her tongue lolling as she breathed heavily yet steadily, her angled tail wagging a mile a minute. As she neared and passed Blitz, she'd greet the Luxray and his rider with a happy, playful bark!

But, another obstacle was fast approaching - a large loop, the steep incline that formed it sure to test Duchess' traction and strength. Ettie chuffed gently - encouragingly - as she ran her gloved hand over the manectric's neck. They could do this.

6SxsinG2

Speed: A (4) // Endurance: C (2) // Reaction: C (2)
Josh Devlin

Surface Slide was a course known for some of the longest turns out of any track at Mauville Racing Grounds. Even Josh's expert-level courses didn't have many that were longer than this. For some Pokémon, the ability to hold the long turn would be tested. For others, the rider's ability to do would be put to the test.

In the Gym Leader's case, it was a combination of both.

Halfway through the long turn, the semi-pro racer's left arm started shaking from maintaining the tension needed to keep his mount turning tightly. It was a drawback of instructing his Pokémon to trust him to use full manual control. Many Pokémon were smart enough to split aspects of control between themselves and their trainer, and take over at a moment's notice if need be. Josh just happened to be one of those that preferred to control every aspect of his mount's gait, from speed to direction to turning angle. Even the Manectric was grunting, feeling his partner's pain as the two did their best to stay on the top level of the two-tiered surface. The shaking got more intense toward the end of the turn, his left arm ready to give out on him at any moment! "Come on, Saber, hold it!" he cried, letting go and relaxing his arm when he couldn't take it anymore.

The steady hands of every racer in the field were tested, with exception of Duncan. His Luxray's paws gave the duo fantastic traction, letting him hug the and make up a lot of ground on the other electric-types. All five riders' arms were getting anywhere from a moderate to a vigorous workout from reining their Pokémon around the two long, left turns on the backstretch. Crash's ability to maintain top speed even in long, steady turns let the distance runner gain on the field substantially, now several lengths ahead of the swift Jolteon in third place. Shawn and Blinky had their sights on the lead as soon as they crossed the line, though; once the first lap was over, it would be a whole different race!

The long turn didn't go without claiming a victim, though; Ettie and Duchess simply could not hold the long turn. It was unclear whether it was from the wild child's arm giving out or from Duchess slipping, but the two tumbled down the steep slope separating the two parts of the Surface Slide. Unable to recover from the sudden momentum shift, the two slid into the outer course wall, pinching the rider's right leg between her Manectric and the protective padding she wore. It may not have been without pain for Ettie, who was forced to slow her Manectric even more just to get away from the wall!

As the five Pokémon crossed the starting line, a clip of an announcer's voice played over the Gym's loudspeakers:

[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 150, 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: After the lap's opening jump is a long but narrow straightaway. While passing is possible, it can be dangerous; it is otherwise a great place for the fastest Pokémon on the track to let loose with everything they have.

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: Pokémon that end the Obstacle with 25 TP of each other will lose 50 TP each from colliding with one another.

Things had initially appeared optimistic - although, this was perhaps when a bit of inexperience on the duo's part began to show. The steep slope was an unforgiving one - and when Duchess attempted to adjust for the turn, she'd end up tripping on her own paws! Yelping, the manectric was sent tumbling - and Ettie yelped in surprise as she, too, was taken along for the ride! As her leg roughly bumped into the wall and was pinched, Ettie snarled in pain - teeth gritted in a feral expression - though the discomfort did not last long, before Duchess found her footing again.

When the wolf sent a questioning whine in Ettie's direction, the wildchild's expression softened. "Am okay," She spoke - and it was true. Her leg was still aching a bit from that, and was sure to sport a bruise for afterwards, but it wasn't broken. It wasn't dislocated. She could still move it - which was all that the little wolfgirl cared, in that moment.

This had been a setback, though - being at the back of the pack once more, and perhaps slightly split off from it. But with the second lap in hot pursuit, it brought with the opportunity to shake things up. And Duchess, knowing quite well what was about to happen, was excited.

It was as soon as the manectric crossed the line that she was off - Duchess launching herself forward into a Quick Attack! She let out a sound somewhere between a bark and a howl - as if she were trying to whoop with excitement - as she sped forward with zero worries to be had. And Ettie, enjoying every bit of this, would let out a genuine howl of her own - gripping tight onto the straps of the saddle, as the wind rushed past them both...!

"You Got Boost Power!"

They were words Josh longed to hear all race. The five electric-types were fast even without using moves, but the Gym Leader's blood wasn't truly pumping until boost laps started. There was just something magical about the thrill of riding a Pokémon during Quick Attack that bestowed a sense of unbridled freedom. After crossing the line after the first full lap, he could let loose. "Not yet, Saber!" Josh asked his Manectric to hold back despite hearing the crashing boom-bang of the Boltund behind him enter a QUICK ATTACK at Lyndon's behest.

The Gym Leader took advantage of being in first place: rather than leap off the upper portion of the track to get as far as he could before landing and attempting to gain position, he could simply have Saber run off the ledge and land on the narrow part of the road below. That was what they did, Josh letting out a whoop as he and his most precious Pokémon seemingly glided to the ground below. Not a moment after thet touched down, he sharply squeezed the yellow Pokémon's sides, silently commanding a QUICK ATTACK that turned the duo into a blur.

The five electric Pokémon shot across the starting line. In Josh's eyes, this is where the real test of the challenger's prowess with high speed took place. A fair number of challengers would give up after the first lap of the challenge when they saw just how fast the burst speeds they needed to endure would be. It physically involved the trainer in ways no other Gym Challenge in Hoenn did.

Lyndon and his Boltund made the first move, bolts arcing from the sprinting dog's legs as he entered a QUICK ATTACK of his own. Duchess and Ettie made their move, too, drifting along the gentle opening curve and running off the top section of the track, much like Josh did.

As the four electric-types behind the Gym Leader landed, the track narrowed rapidly. Mid-QUICK ATTACK, the boosting Luxray and Boltund tried to make a move on Blinky and Shawn, who was a distant second. The two swerved to the sides of the course to try to make room for the charging duo, but it was too late. There simply was not enough room for them all.

The Jolteon, Boltund, and Luxray all sounded cries of pain as the sprinting dog rear-ended Blinky and Blitz. Crash's was especially loud, Blinky's quills piercing his fur and skin. They slid along the course's rails until Blitz backed off. While Ettie and her Manectric were still quite far behind the Leader, she had made up a significant amount of time on the rest of the field!

NOTE: This Obstacle has more than one Target Number. Please reference in your OOC notes which Target Number you are challenging.

Prompt: After a sharp right following a gentle ascent, the course featured a nearly as sharp, and much longer, left turn that would require a lot of strength or finesse to hold the entire time. The angle of the turn was at that awkward spot where a normal full-speed turn wouldn't be tight enough to avoid sliding along the outside line, yet a full-speed drifting turn would be too tight.

Target Number 1: 125 (Endurance)

Special: None

Target Number 2: 125 (Reaction)

Special: Boost does not impose disadvantage on this Obstacle. You must use a Boost move on this Obstacle to challenge this Target Number.

There had been a traffic jam up ahead from the looks of things - and though Ettie was still behind, it was nonetheless a chance for her to close the distance. Duchess' excitement was plain to see, all the whilst - the prior boost had been fun, and well... She wanted to do it again! - glancing back to express as much to Ettie.

The wildchild couldn't help but giggle - fingers scritching along the manectric's mane. "Wait," She spoke gently - seeing the obstacle coming up. Doing it straight away may not be the best idea - but she had a feeling if they just waited a second, and gave it just a few seconds longer, they could... There! "Go!"

Seeing the opportunity to go all-out, the electric-type was prepared to use the boost right up - once more darting into a breakneck Quick Attack, in hopes of catching up to the others..!

Using a boost; taking the second target
BVy2LoKd


Speed: A (4) // Endurance: C (2) // Reaction: C (2)
Josh Devlin

Josh was way out in front; he glanced back to see no one behind him as he prepared for the first sharp turn ahead. As glorious as it was to chase course records, that was what time trials were for. He had no idea what his pace was, and he wouldn't find out until the home stretch and scoreboard came into view. "Focus, Saber! We don't need to go all-out!" he coached his electric mount, gently tugging back on the reins with both arms to slow down a little.

When the sharp right came, he slid his left hand down the reins to meet his right, leaning into the curve that squeezed his right thigh and upper leg like a raisin. With a loud grunt that even the others behind him may have been able to hear, he flung his body weight in the opposite direction, internally screaming as the upper left corner of his lower body felt like it was going to burst from the Manectric's shifting momentum. Despite the pain, obstacles like this were why the Gym Leader enjoyed racing so much. It truly allowed Pokémon and trainer to share everything with one another. Their passion, their motivation, their strengths... and even their weaknesses.

Duchess' paws crackled with an explosion of sparks, their surroundings flashing like a strobe light mid-QUICK ATTACK. Unlike the entire rest of the field, who chose to take the turn straight away, Ettie would feel no pressure at all other than that of the speed itself. She took a few steps before coasting and drifting on her own momentum, repetition of the two techiques letting her make up a significant amount of time on the Jolteon, Shawn wincing after his leg slipped back enough to be poked by one of his mount's quills. Ettie may have barely been able to hear the loud, pained cry over the roaring wind.

Duncan and Blitz made up ground, the Luxray's sharp claws letting him turn as close to the inside of the long corner as was possible, gaining ground on the leaders. While Crash and Lyndon were in sight, Josh and his Manectric was not; he was already obscured by the long, left turn ahead. They were going to run away with this race as long as they remained mistake-free! All the other racers were still well within reach of the challenger, but she would have to do it with fundamentals alone. Those two QUICK ATTACKs really took it out of Duchess, the rider able to feel the Manectric's heavier breathing!

Prompt: Following the long, completely-circular left turn was another long, slightly tighter left turn split by the titular Surface Slide. Unlike the last, though, this one didn't have an upper lane or a lower lane. This had a flat central lane with a sloped inside and outside! Taking the inside line was a serious risk and could easily result in a Pokémon sliding down the outside slope and out of bounds if it was unable to recover from a slip!

Target Number: 130 (Reaction)

Special: If the Pokémon's total roll meets or exceeds the Target Number, TP will be calculated as though this is a Speed-based Obstacle. A Pokémon that misses the Target Number by 40 or more will instead be assessed a -150 TP penalty for landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are DISQUALIFIED instead.