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Seeing the gym leader come to greet her outside of his gym made her smile when he greets her. “Hello, Mr. Alexei. I’m very happy to take on this challenge since I know Josh must have taken this one before.” She probably tried to learn how to ride in the air like Josh did with his Pokemon back at the Silph Cup’s aerial race though she had come a little last in that one. There was no time like now to brush up on whatever Josh had taught her back at his gym since his had an aerial course for training flying Pokemon.[break][break]

“And yes, I’ll be bringing Minerva with me for it. She was excited when she landed here near your gym’s entrance.” A small laugh comes from the dark magenta haired woman when the royal feels her Noivern nudge her playfully. Maybe Josh could share his experience with challenging Alexei’s gym when she would be done with this gym challenge.

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The Fortree gym leader chastises her a bit that she shouldn’t tack on Mr. to his name since it made him feel older than he already was and not talking like a royal in front of her friends sounded a bit harder. “I’m sorry, Alex. It’s a force of habit, but I’ll try to talk a little more casually around you. I wasn’t used to it due to how I was taught in Galarian etiquette school.” A reply comes from the royal ambassador in an apologetic tone complete with doing less formal words than what she’d act like.[break][break]

(Her father was always a stickler for being a proper prince around his friends, so his influence rubbed off on his eldest daughter.)[break][break]

“Oh yes, I’d love to see what your Noivern is like.” She smiled when Alexei begins to tell the story of how his challenger, Isaac brought his own Golurk to the non-trad challenge and each obstacle had to accommodate for the golem’s large size. That was also one of the Pokemon her elder cousin brought with him when they ventured into the rift for the Big Battle of Dewford.[break][break]

Alexei offers to show the highlight reel of Josh’s non-traditional challenge as they walk towards the outdoor arena where the obstacle course would be held. “I don’t mind and I wonder what kind of Pokemon Josh brought to his non-traditional challenge.” [break][break]

Her saddled Noivern had followed her from the air in order to see what that arena looked like.

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“They do have etiquette schools around Galar, yes. They are in Hammerlocke though.” She replied with a little laugh towards Alex’s question as Galar’s etiquette schools were brutal to those who didn’t have good manners in both the non and rich households. While they were walking to the arena where her non-traditional challenge would be, Elise gives a watch of Josh’s non-trad with Alex with his Skarmory being the Pokemon he used for it. Skarmory appeared to be much faster than their steel typing and she always loved watching her friend race anywhere.[break][break]

While he talked about Josh’s Skarmory getting a score of zero out of the entire course, the royal nods towards the blond man. “It sounds like Josh really showed his prowess in racing. I only wish I could be as good as he is, but I am still a racer in training at his gym.” Josh himself had been at Pokemon racing longer than she had, but she learned a lot faster with him teaching her at the racing grounds.

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No one would know that etiquette schools existed outside of other regions though the royal does wonder if Hoenn had some kind of school for tea ceremony practice. When they would finally be at the open-air arena normally used for traditional gym battles by the gym leader, Minerva had been flying towards it along with the gym leader’s own non-saddled Noivern until the saddled wyvern landed near her trainer’s side. [break][break]

“It does look very nice and it’s sort of like the racing grounds Josh has in his gym. Your flying Pokemon must like how open it is to freely fly in the air.” The female royal spoke to Alexei while he chastised his other flying Pokemon for showing off towards his challenger which made her laugh a little. “And do they always get…showy like this with the challengers you take to the grounds? I think it’s very adorable that they’re eager to show off.”

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With Alexei getting on his own non-saddled Noivern and going over to the start line, the female royal gets on her ornately saddled Noivern and holds the rose-decorated reins as Minerva takes off to the starting line too. The gym leader’s female staffer describes the objective of the obstacle course to be easy since the goal was to get to the finish line in one piece. As the woman said a ruling that people had been breaking before which was no moves were to be used in the course, it would be good to follow that.[break][break]

The signal to get going would make her Noivern fly up into the air and come up to the first obstacle of the course. Alexei and his Noivern were a little ahead of them with the gym leader and his flying type trying to avoid the wrecking balls. “You can do it, we’ll get through this one too.” Elise gave her Noivern gentle words as the wyvern flew towards the first wrecking ball obstacle and would fly in through. Nonetheless, Minerva wouldn’t want to get in between two of the balls and get hurt by them.[break][break]

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The travel through the wrecking balls would almost end in disaster when the lick of flames came close to making the wings of her dragon set on fire. She avoids the the fire while the burning coming from Minerva’s fur made the female royal alarmed. Not having water to douse it out was a terrible thing, but there was the threat of not being able to focus on the non-traditional obstacle course challenge due to the fires. [break][break]

Using a cloth from her bag while holding onto the reins of her Noivern with one hand, Elise uses it to try putting out the fire and smother it to prevent the spread over her Pokemon’s fur. Luckily, the fire is put out enough that Elise would concentrate on getting through to the clear zone of the obstacle. Minerva flies over to catch up with the gym leader and his own Noivern.[break][break]

What was the next obstacle would the ambassador have to pass through next?[break][break]

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