Mauville Racing Grounds' facility was enormous indeed; while the office space had little signage due to its size being on the smaller side, the property where the action took place, just outside the city proper, was enormous. Luckily, Josh had experienced staff who knew the facility well, and signage that could guide challengers to the correct location. The voice of ANDREW WEISS, Josh's scheduler, echoed over the Gym's loudspeakers:

"Challenger Vanilla Kingsley , please report to Sector 6. Challenger Kingsley, to Sector 6. Thank you!"

Provided the challenger found ample signage, he would see the brash and tall ACE SHEEKE, already seated on Ao the Roaring Moon; the timid and short ERON IUNIS, on Yosei the Salamence, who greeted Vanilla with a yawn, and the reserved ARAVAN ESCHER, astride Flowen the Crobat. Lastly, he would see the Gym Leader Josh Devlin , making adjustments to the saddle strapped to Squall, an Altaria comparable in size to both the other dragons. "Great to meet you in person, Vanilla! Welcome to Mauville Racing Grounds," Josh greeted his challenger. "I'm excited to see how Ao races," he introduced the Roaring Moon, "as this is his first race for the Gym!" The three Gym Trainers introduced themselves and Josh's Pokémon they were borrowing, one by one.

There was a light breeze out of the north, though it wouldn't affect Pokémon too much. A small crowd filled the bottom several rows of mostly empty stands on both sides of Sector 6's CORKSCREW course. While it had a lot of long straightaways, most of its turns were quite sharp. Pokémon would need to prepare to make sharp banks and even fly upside down briefly during the backstretch's titular feature!

Josh went over the rules of the challenge, required by Hoenn League statute. "See that arch near the starting line, with the long and skinny monitor on it? We line up behind that, and the countdown will be on that display. It will sound four horns and display '3, 2, 1, GO'. On 'GO', our Pokémon will take to the air. Pokémon are not allowed to use moves like Quick Attack or Tailwind on the first lap. After the first lap, though, use them as much as your Pokémon can handle! Beat me to the finish line after three laps, or otherwise prove to me you can handle the pressure of split second decision making, and the Hoenn League Quick Badge is yours."

Once he had finished explaining the rules, Josh hopped aboard his Altaria, the Gym Leader wrapping his legs and waist into the cocoon saddle on the white and blue dragon's back. While it restricted his motion some, the exotic saddle ensured the young man wasn't taking a high speed fall. "Don't underestimate Squall! For an Altaria, he can put on some real speed!" Josh bragged as he slammed his helmet's visor down. If Vanilla were to glance toward him, she would see a laser focused expression, almost like he was in a zen state as he held Squall's reins in anticipation of the green light.

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 to rolls on 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.

Vanilla walked out onto the field. The competitors and such were already around and raring to go. Their Pokémon would each be preparing themselves alongside one which even yawned. Still, the teen would get ready herself before a voice would introduce himself to her. Her eyes went up to see Josh Devlin welcoming her to his gym challenge. "It's an honor to meet you, Josh!" she said, though looking around at the competitors with worried eyes. The pressure of doing well, the anxiety of the gym challenge, even racing at super high speeds! It was almost too much. "Ah-I haven't really gotten used to this though..."

Thankfully, her Rotomphone would pop out of her jacket pocket to lend some much needed support. "What she means by that is that she's ready to leave you guys in the dust! Kekekek!" She flushed, Vanilla letting out an anxious sigh before the rules of their race were given. Everything seemed straightforward enough. It would be a curvy looking course, having expected something a bit more mundane. "Seems simple enough. I'm ready to get going!"

Vanilla climbed onto Cauli, the Altaria puffing her plumage as she'd make herself easier to get a hold of. The air was tense, and she'd get Proxii back inside of her pocket for safekeeping while the race was in progress. No use in having him flying out and having her get too distracted. Her posture adjusted itself while keeping her head low, eyes on the marker as it would signal the beginning of the race.

Josh Devlin

The Rotomphone's remarks were met with an eye roll. Vanilla's, though, were not. He could sense the young trainer's nerves. "It's okay! I know you'll do your best out there. We were all there," Josh reassured her. "You should have seen me at Mauville Bay last year for the season opener. I was a wreck! Just have fun out there, and show me how close you and your Altaria are to one another. Can't promise I won't leave you in the dust, though!"

A loud squawk from the speakers on the sides of the starting arch cut the racers' conversation short, three still images of an artist's depiction of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, the very Pokémon Josh was chasing. Underneath was an orange "GET READY" prompt, Josh and his Gym Trainers tensing their legs in preparation to spur their mounts off the line. One by one, the images disappeared to simulate a countdown, brief but loud squawk sounding alongside them. When the last one faded away, a higher-pitched and longer tone echoed, the prompt changing to "GO".

All three of the Gym Trainers and their Leader dug their heels into their dragons' scales, Squall, Flowen, and Ao taking off. Yosei's reaction time was not on par with the others, getting a late start but still accelerating into the sky. The Roaring Moon let out an unearthly cry that made him seem just as aggressive as his redhead rider.

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: Not far off the starting line was a series of shallow left turns, followed up a sharp U-turn to the right. There were no target rings to fly through, meaning the Pokémon were free to take whatever flight path they would like, provided they stayed within the red and green poles on the inside and outside of the course marking its bounds. Even with a steep bank angle, some amount of braking would be needed to round the corner. For Pokémon that weren't good at banking, harsher braking would be needed to remain in bounds.

Target Number: 120 (Reaction)

Special: None

Every count of the start of the race hit Vanilla's stomach like a a single, bone shattering punch. She gulped hard and clutched her Altaria's plumage harder as the bird chirped along, shaking its fathers in anticipation. When the green flag had been waved, all the racers pulled up on the reigns as they'd shoot up into the air and fly along with one another. Once again, Vanilla was forced to face her fear of heights while looking down at the ground beneath them going further and further away. After a brief stint of panicking, she pulled her eyes away just in time to catch sight of the first obstacle to the race.

The first turn was fairly significant, a good way to gauge what Pokémon were going to be top seeds in this race. Vanilla knew that Altaria wasn't exactly the sharpest turner compared to her competition, but took her time and aimed to play it safe with the turn. She stuck to the midfield and aimed to try and overtake the less agile opponents.

Josh Devlin

The moment the final horn sounded, all four of Josh's Pokémon took to the air, the flapping wings of the five competing dragons whipping up quite the dust cloud. Flowen's four wings would, in theory, give the Crobat great speed and maneuverability at the expense of precision. With how well Josh knew his Pokémon, he expected to be behind early. Squall was a come-from-behind kind of Pokémon. Mistakes would be unforgiving with the cloud-winged bird, but a clean run from them would be difficult to beat.

As the first set of turns approached, Josh let the accelerating Altaria drift outside, giving the challenger and Eron a chance to pass him early if they could take the opportunity. Squall wasn't slow by any stretch, what with faster Pokémon able to pass them with ease early on. Later on, when the other Pokémon that couldn't pace themselves were running out of energy, that was when the Gym Leader would make his move. For now, he would remain on the outside line in an effort to crest the two turns as close as Squall was comfortable flying near them. Josh leaned into the second one, the blue dragon trilling as she rolled sharply to the right.

Navigating the crowded airspace at the beginning was one of the greatest challenges the field of any aerial race had to handle. The Gym Leader's and challenger's ALTARIA at first trailed behind the CROBAT piloted by ARAVAN ESCHER and the ROARING MOON under control of ACE SHEEKE. Both got off to very swift starts, the Paradox Pokémon looking to crowd the rest of the field away from the outside line and toward the center of the course, where Pokémon would need to slam on the brakes if they wanted to swerve around the upcoming U-turn.

ERON IUNIS would find the TRUANT SALAMENCE to be slow to respond to commands from the reins, as though the dragon had nothing at stake. Puzzled, the white-haired man kicked at his mount's sides, a command to pick up the pace. It was a command the riders did not obey. His natural speed, though great, was not high enough to keep up with the front-runners.

The dichotomy of the entire race would change coming out of the U-turn, both the ROARING MOON and the CROBAT refusing to back down. Fighting over tightly-contested airspace, the leathery wings of the bat clashed with the feathery ones of the dragon. The two lost their balance and drifted to the outside, the ROARING MOON having to slam on the brakes just to remain in-bounds, the redhead thankful for the cocoon saddle he was in. Coming out of the curve, the two ALTARIA dueled for the lead. While Vanilla Kingsley held it narrowly for the time being, Josh Devlin was not far behind!

Prompt: long straightaway gave the racers a chance to relax, though halfway down it, the colors of the poles swapped, marked by two large yet narrow target rings for the racers to fly through! They were more horizontally narrow, requiring Pokémon to fly at sharp angles. Furthermore, the reversed colors between the two rings meant that the dragons were expected to perform a slow barrel roll through them or otherwise fly inverted for the stretch of track! A stiff time penalty would be assessed for missed rings or improper flight between them!

Target Number: 120 (Endurance)

Special: None

The turns had been a bit hectic to hang onto, with the trainer clinging onto her Altaria's plumage for dear life. Still, she placed her upmost faith in performing well. She looked back at the obstacle behind her and cheered, pumping her arm up while keeping her arms tucked around Cauli's neck and keeping her head down as they rounded the corner into the next incoming obstacle of the race. The winds pushed against her face, hair flying behind her as she'd looked out at what was awaiting them. It was a straightaway, but halfway through, would become a sharp turning turn left. The two Altaria would have to do some fancy footwork to get through this one!

Josh Devlin

The last time Josh raced this course, it was with Yosei, his Salamance. This time, it was Eron that was saddled with the burden of trying to coax the TRUANT dragon into making the harsh twirl needed for the flight through the large rings to count. Squall wasn't much easier to control, the cloud-winged dragon not designed to barrel roll and fly upside down. None of the Pokémon were, really; Flowen the Crobat appeared to be the one most adept at it, and even that, that was a stretch.

His challenge with lam logan came to mind, recalling the stress the inverted sections of LOOP CROSS put on both their Altaria. This was a lot shorter, straighter, and he didn't have to hold inverted flight. All this required was a hard flick of the reins in one direction while shifting his body weight that same direction. The two entered a counterclockwise spiral, fluid swirling around inside Josh's head and testing his skills in staving off disorientation.

Nerves may have fun high for both Leader and challenger, the ALTARIA they were at the reins of slowly rolling through the titular CORKSCREW. Those nerves were justified, too -- both of them, along with ERON IUNIS' SALAMENCE, were struggling to bank beyond a right angle. Harder and harder the trio pulled, trying to guide their Pokémon through the demanding maneuver that ARAVAN ESCHER's CROBAT and ACE SHEEKE's ROARING MOON effortlessly pulled off.

The Paradox Pokémon and four-winged bat gained ground on Eron, Josh Devlin , and Vanilla Kingsley . While the Gym Leader and his ALTARIA worked together in getting the blue and white dragon to roll through the CORKSCREW, the challenger's lacked the strength to fully invert at low speeds. ERON IUNIS struggled with his SALAMENCE as well, not due to a lack of strength in the dragon, but due to a lack of willpower from his TRUANT nature. The would would suffer time penalties, applied at the end of the race, for failing to perform the mandatory roll.

Prompt: After the dizzying corkscrew came the course's difficult home stretch: a very narrow straightaway only able to accommodate two Pokémon followed by an S-curve at the same width. While there were tall, dense nets preventing the Pokémon from going out of bounds, flying into one would still cost the Pokémon and their riders a lot of time. It would take great stamina and finesse from both mount and rider to fly through such a narrow corridor for so long.

Target Number: 150 (Speed)

Special: Pokémon also apply half their Endurance ranks and half their Reaction ranks (no rounding) to this Obstacle. TP loss as a result of rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number is multiplied by 1.5, rounded up.

So their acrobatics could use some work, it would seem. Cauli would fly around to go into the rings, but missed one entirely. The movement had upset Vanilla's balance as she dangled off of the Altaria for dear life, her arms and legs flailing around while desperately trying to get back on. "C-Cauli! Drop me and swoop back down to pick me up. We gotta make up for time!" The flying type would glance at her with worry, but the girl pouted, showing off a determined look. "Just trust me, alright?" Before it could agree, Vanilla let go as Cauli's balance returned to normal, then swooping down to catch her trainer and rocket back up with the pack to catch up.

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief, shaking from seeing the ground fast approaching. Her heart yearned to get off, but was in this for the long haul. She'd have to prove herself to Josh somehow. Speaking of which, the next obstacle was straightforward. A runaway with gradually thinning lines that made keeping out of reach of other competitors rather difficult for what it could offer. The girl would lean closer to her Altaria, trying to cut down on the air drag and hopefully giving it a much needed boost.

Josh Devlin

Josh was grateful for Squall's lower top speed, giving him more time to react to the narrow and mildly twisty backstretch. Remembering his race with ghost fireheart on this very course months ago, flying into the nets was nearly race-ending for competitors due to the extreme loss of speed that came with it.

With a tug of the reins, Josh coaxed Squall into soaring higher, giving the encroaching Crobat plenty of room to fly below him. Allowing the poison-type to pass him was not ideal, but Flowen wasn't known for his stamina. Once they crossed the line beyond the narrow section, there would be all kinds of time to catch up and regain the lead. If they had to, they could Dragon Dance around the course for an entire lap to make up ground later! For now, though, the Gym Leader tensed his arms, guiding the rather large Altaria around the subtle, narrow curved leading to the starting arch.

The real race was about to begin.

While the loop Vanilla Kingsley commanded her ALTARIA to perform cost them some time, they quickly made most of it up, the momentum from the loop letting them coast into the narrow section of the course faster than the SALAMENCE and ROARING MOON that had threatened to pass her. The two Gym Trainers guided their broad-winged dragons around the narrow backstretch with ease, though ACE SHEEKE and his Paradox Pokémon invaded the challenger's airspace perhaps a bit too closely in an effort to pass her. ERON IUNIS' SALAMENCE, on the other hand, didn't look like he wanted to be there.

The battle for first place was intense, Josh Devlin 's ALTARIA flying above ARAVAN ESCHER's CROBAT in a dead heat. While the poison-type had vastly superior speed, the four-winged creature's limited braking ability forced erratic, swerving flight from him, only maintaining his INNER FOCUS keeping him from being tangled up in the nets on the narrow course's sides.

The race was far from over. If anything, once they crossed that starting arch and the announcer delivered his line, the true race would begin.

"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 two lowest rolls. 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 lowest two of the four rolls will be taken. If the lowest rolls would still pass the Obstacle, Track Position for that Obstacle will be calculated based on the highest two of the four rolls.

Your Pokémon may now MEGA EVOLVE once for the rest of the race. While your Pokémon is MEGA EVOLVED, it will gain 3 temporary ranks in Speed, Endurance, and/or Reaction, distributed as you see fit. This can cause a Pokémon's total Ranks in one category to exceed 5, but not exceed 6. MEGA EVOLUTION will last for three Obstacles. MEGA EVOLUTION will consume one use of Boost.

Prompt: After the first of two hairpin turns, the racers at last had some room to breathe. With a wide track, gentle turns, and no mandatory trick-flying to worry about, it would be a perfect opportunity for the dragon riders to conserve their Pokémon's stamina... or go ham with bursts of speed. The corkscrew was coming, though, and they needed to be prepared for it! Taking that at boosted speed would mean the dragons would need to spin faster than they did on the first lap!

Target Number: 90 (Reaction)

Special: None

With that death defying stunt, Vanilla and Cauli were back in on the race. It had gotten her jittered all the same, but the girl was pumped as hell for the actual race to start now. This was the first lap, and there was no doubt that the rest of this stage was going to be as easy and calm as the last. The racers passed by the start of the race again as the announcer acknowledged that boosts and everything for on the table. The teen looked down at her own mega bracelet and hummed. Should she use it now? Or just hold off until later?

Regardless, they'd approach one of the lax turns again, which they would be able to get some breathing room. She was doing good still though, as third place was a step up. Josh was still in front, and her work was cut out for her. "Let's get to work, Cauli! I'll back you up when we need to!"

Josh Devlin

Squall and Flowen were in a very tight contest for first place, the Altaria flying above the Crobat and not allowing each other any room to cut them off from the inside line. Squinting and keeping a sharp eye on the green boundary flags marking the inside, the Gym Leader shifted his weight sharply to his right, encouraging his white and blue dragon to cut the corner as tightly as possible. Knowing Flowen well, he had to take advantage of Squall's superior aerial maneuverability if he wanted to hold off by far the faster Pokémon.

The moment he was clear of the sharp U-turn and flying level once more, Josh squeezed his dragon's sides hard. "DRAGON DANCE, Squall!" he shouted over the roaring winds surrounding him. White wings turning purple, the Altaria's contrails grew wider and larger during the discharge of the draconic arte. He didn't need to glance at the Crobat to know he was likely to lose his lead once they hit the corkscrew. That complete barrel roll was going to hurt at these higher speeds, but if he didn't push his partner, Aravan was going to pass him for sure!

As the close competitors crossed the starting line, not one of the five spurred their Pokémon into an immediate burst of speed, instead opting to wait for the long and straight backstretch to come. While there was a corkscrew, accompanying it, much of the field was confident in their ability to perform the mandated barrel roll even at boosted speeds. The race was tight at the start of the second lap, Josh Devlin 's ALTARIA and ARAVAN ESCHER's CROBAT trading the lead back and forth by hundredths as they rounded the first sharp curve.

With some gentle, finessed braking, Vanilla Kingsley wheeled her own ALTARIA around the corner as tightly as could be, coming out of the curve faster than Josh did. She threatened to take the lead when the CROBAT kicked things into high gear, flapping all four of his wings with great vigor to shoot past the two and steal the lead from under the Gym Leader's nose. Farther back in the field, ERON IUNIS urged his SALAMENCE to enter a DRAGON DANCE of his own to try to catch up, but the TRUANT dragon refused, soaring as high as course bounds allowed and giving his rider quite the view. The view was not what he wanted, though; he wanted more speed so that the ROARING MOON in front of them wouldn't continue to widen the gap.

Prompt: After the inversion is a long straight stretch ideal for letting loose with a burst of high speed. The racers would need to put on the brakes before the next hairpin curve, though; depending on how low to the ground a Pokémon flew, the curve might be semi-blind! Taking that curve at Extreme Speeds would be next to impossible! It would certainly test the natural air braking of the five Pokémon, a skill not many low-difficulty courses tested.

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: None

Everyone around them would suddenly jump into life as the time for boosts and whatnot came. Vanilla still held onto Cauli while Josh and first place would rush on by. She huffed, having thought she could get the jump on the gym leader by now, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve for now. He rocketed forward as Vanilla wasn't too far behind, rushing behind Josh as the turn ahead would be coming up faster and faster. The teenager would motion for her Altaria to glides low in order to brake properly on time, and to not crash headfirst into some of the barriers of the race.

Josh Devlin

Airspace was getting crowded, Flowen in front of Josh and Vanilla's Altaria right behind him. Glancing back to see where she was, the Leader also saw Ao catching up. He knew the paradox Pokémon was both strong and fast, only Ace's inexperience holding him back. Once their bond bad become truly unbreakable, that Roaring Moon was going to be one of his toughest Pokémon. That would take a long time, though. He couldn't focus on the future; he had to focus on the present.

With his challenger win rate on the high end of what was acceptable by League standards, Josh had to try extra hard to keep the Quick Badge out of Vanilla's hands. Though it would be a risky move, the Gym Leader put his full trust in Squall and his knowledge of the course. While challengers had an edge in that they likely knew their Pokémon better than the Leader did, what with him having so many different Pokémon, Josh knew his courses well. He knew the timing of every turn and every obstacle thrown his way. Brushing the net coming out of the last turn but holding his DRAGON DANCE, he squeezed the Altaria's sides even more tightly. "Squall, keep your DRAGON DANCE up! Faster! Faster!!" With a flick of the reins, Squall soared above the competition, even Josh finding it difficult to keep flying straight as his mount discharged purple dragon energy.

Almost everyone in the race had the courage to fly through the corkscrew with great speed, torque twisting the riders' bodies and testing both their own strength and that of their Pokémon. As ARAVAN ESCHER ordered his CROBAT to summon a TAILWIND, spreading his wings as wide as he could to catch its winds like the sails of a ship, three of the four dragons glowed a royal purple. Josh Devlin , ACE SHEEKE, and ERON IUNIS simultaneously commanded their ALTARIA, ROARING MOON, and SALAMENCE to use DRAGON DANCE. The three became living roller coasters, twisting along an invisible metal rail floating above the course's bounds. Not used to the power with which his ROARING MOON was turning, Ace distinctly felt like vomiting, and nearly did as the racers left the corkscrew right-side up.

The challenger's conservative approach with her own ALTARIA, saving her own speed boosting attacks for later, cost her a spot, the much faster ROARING MOON whipping past her. It wasn't over yet, though; there was a rough corner coming up, and there was still an entire lap left on top of that! With a big push at the end of the race and some skill, there was still plenty of real estate for Vanilla Kingsley to catch up!

Prompt: After the corkscrew came a sharp U-turn that was a mirror image of the one near the start of the course, with its quick lateral before the hairpin instead of after. Furthermore, there was a mandatory target ring in the center of the turn, necessitating added precision in its navigation. Racers needed to be prepared for the course to narrow after the turn, as well.

Target Number: 135 (Reaction)

Special: Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number by 30 or more instead suffer a flat -100 TP penalty from a missed target ring.