MAUVILLE CITY | Multi Jump | Difficulty: ★★★☆☆☆
COURSE RECORD: 02'11"832
RECORD HOLDER: Julia Davis
[player]https://fi.zophar.net/soundfiles/nintendo-gamecube-gcn/f-zero-gx/220%20-%20Long%20Pre-View%20%28Course%20View%202%29.mp3[/player]

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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 SHELLY SPIEL, Josh's scheduler, echoed over the Gym's loudspeakers:

"Challenger Asher Baran , please report to Sector 3. Challenger Baran, to Sector 3. Thank you!"

Provided the challenger found ample signage, he would see the brash and tall ACE SHEEKE, already seated on Raiden the Zebstrika; the timid and short ERON IUNIS, on Toralf the Raichu, his size making him the most unusual of the Pokémon present; and the reserved ARAVAN ESCHER, who looked relaxed as his legs hung from the sides of the lithe Galarian Rapidash, Dashie. Lastly, he would see the Gym Leader Josh Devlin , making adjustments to the saddle strapped to Ixion, a Shiny Kantonian Rapidash whose blue mane blazed almost blindingly bright. "Asher? Great to see you again! Welcome to Mauville Racing Grounds," Josh greeted his challenger. "When I saw your name on the schedule, I had to figure a way to make this an experience you won't forget." The three Gym Trainers introduced themselves and Josh's Pokémon they were borrowing, one by one.

Though the Gym's policy stated the Leader had the right to reserve service to known Rockets, it was clear that he had granted an exception to the redhead, most likely due to how well their past dealings went. His hospitality toward the Rocket would perhaps garner rapport between them, evidence that Josh had indeed learned to separate Rocket the people from Rocket the organization.

The gallery surrounding Sector 3's MULTI JUMP course was full, small as the stands were. Simple in concept yet still exciting, the perfectly rectangular course got its name from the eight jumps the Pokémon would be performing per lap. While the jumps may have been intimidating to Pokémon not used to it, equines were typically great at making dramatic leaps -- perhaps good enough to attempt to cut a corner or two.

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 start running. Pokémon are not allowed to use moves like Quick Attack or Extreme Speed 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 reined his blue fire-type forward, joining his three loyal Gym Trainers for the contest of speed. "As I'm sure you know, Rapidash are some of the fastest Pokémon on land. You asked for it - better hold on tight!" Josh bragged as he slammed his helmet's visor down. If Asher were to glance toward him, the challenger would see a laser focused expression, almost like he was in a zen state as he held Ixion's reins in anticipation of the green light.

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Asher Baran

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INSTRUCTIONS

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.

When it was his turn, Ash walked towards where he was directed. Thankfully, the place wasn't hard to find. He saw three other people and their Pokemon. Including the largest Raichu he'd ever seen. What. The. Hell? Then again, the guy was smol enough to ride it, but the red head certainly didn't expect it. Everyone introduced themselves and their Pokemon. Ash figured it was his turn. Releasing the pure monster that was Frou-Frou the Kantonian Rapidash, she was the tallest and biggest out of all that was there. Just barely over eleven feet all, she was an alpha. And the boy had to earn the right to even train her. But he did it after a challenge, and they'd been training and preparing for this challenge. She already had riding gear on, but with a mighty neigh and a Stomp on the ground, damaging the floor, she let herself be known.

"Uh...yeah, this is Frou-Frou. She's amazing. And can be utterly terrifying. Sorry about the floor..." He scratched the back of his head. He hoped he wouldn't need to repair that. In other news, seemed like Josh didn't care about him being a Rocket. Probably because he was a kid. Perhaps a good thing he was a kid. The course itself seemed simple enough. Eight jumps throughout the course wasn't bad...though he half expected a more difficult course. But it was the competition that was going to make this challenging. In the stands, he could see Isaac Merlo. Amazing! Now he just needed to not lose. Or come in last. Josh explained the rules and showed off his own shiny Rapidash. With a goofy grin, he looked at Frou-Frou. She stared in defiant challenge. After putting on his riding gear, Frou-Frou plopped down for the five foot five boy to hop on. Once he was on, she rose up and headed towards the starting line...

~

Frou-Frou (Rapidash)

Speed: 3
Endurance: 2
Reaction: 3

Josh Devlin

[player]https://fi.zophar.net/soundfiles/nintendo-gamecube-gcn/f-zero-gx/231%20-%20Cover%20Of%20Red%20Canyon%27s%20Theme%20%28Story%20%232%29.mp3[/player]

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Josh flinched at Frou-Frou's display of power, the Rapidash positively enormous. It looked almost uncomfortable to sit on, with how spread Asher's legs had to be. The larger size meant the blazing equine could cover more ground than Ixion with every stride, but would it possess the stamina needed to keep up with the rest of Josh's Pokémon? He was also interested to see how the Rapidash handled. Ixion and Dashie didn't have the greatest turning capability, though that wouldn't be too much of an issue on this course. The four right-angle left turns would test them some, but the chosen course definitely favored Pokémon with great speed.

"It happens! I don't pay my maintenance team for nothing," the Gym Leader sheepishly answered. If Asher paid attention to the details of the challenge, the course's difficulty was determined by badge count. Challengers with more badges got more difficult courses. If he wanted to, Asher was of course welcome to try a more difficult course at a later date, just for fun! His schedule wasn't so jam-packed that he couldn't accommodate a for-fun race or two, especially with someone who helped him understand that there truly were two equally-guilty sides to the senseless Hoennian war.

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 Ixion's sides hard a split second later, the Rapidash's blue mane flaring high and far. As she accelerated with enough force to arch her rider's spine backwards, the Shiny equine's flames extended beyond the length of her body.

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INSTRUCTIONS

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.

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LAP 1 | OBSTACLE 1

Prompt: A natural consequence of the course being centered around a large number of jumps was that there would be a lot of uphill running. While stamina would be a big role player in the race, that didn't mean cornering wouldn't be tested! Mere tens of meters from the starting line was a brutal 90-degree left turn. Furthermore, the uphill component meant the turn was completely blind; until they crested that hill, there was no telling what was on its other side! After passing the curve, the racers would have but a split second to prepare for the course's first of many jumps. Holding as much speed as possible would be very important!

Target Number: 110 (Reaction)

Special: None

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Asher Baran

Thankfully, Ash was somewhat flexible, so it wouldn't be as bad as what Josh might imagine riding her would be. Josh had sheepishly menitoned that he had a maintainance team that maybe could use the work. They all then lined up at the starting line, with three images of Raikou in a dash flashing. As the timer started to go down, and he noticed everyone else's legs go tense, so did his. Frou-Frou was excited. She might not be the fastest, but she had a huge stride, and those turns were going to be easy! As was jumping those hurdles! On the announcement of Go, they all dashed forward, with Josh's steed clearly having the most acceleration.



Both Ash and Frou-Frou had the stamina. Heck, he had ridden a Z-move Buffaloman across a meadow! And Frou-Frou...she had a hard life, and had to work on that to survive. Going uphill wouldn't be a problem. It would be the turn. Though Frou-Frou did manage to get enough air to get Ash off during their challenge, and had the reaction speed to move so that he would land on overgrown to high heaven grass. Ash himself had the reaction to use an upcoming tree to jump over his Rapidash and bring her down. The sudden corner should be easy, and both rider and Pokemon's eyes glinted at the surprise, but determined dash. They didn't slow up at all! Either it or the first of many jumps!



 hRIl9Sla  + 60



Josh Devlin



·

With a swift kick from the Gym Leader's strong legs, Ixion blazed forward, her intense acceleration fling Josh all the way to the back of his Rapidash's saddle. The species was well-known for getting to top speed in just a handful of running strokes, though smart racers would know of their middling braking ability. Josh was well aware of the Shiny equine's limits, holding back enough speed to round the first corner at the perfect angle.

As he rounded the first corner, putting pressure on his fire-type steed's sides once more, his eyes shifted toward the first big gap. Confident in the speed Ixion was capable of, he flicked the blue Rapidash's reins, prompting the Pokémon to make a dramatic leap to the next in-bounds section marked by a thick line of red paint against the rocky trail below.

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The three RAPIDASH were early front-runners, jumping off the line with powerful gallops that flung Josh Devlin , Asher Baran , and ARAVAN ESCHER above their saddles for a split second. The competitive ZEBSTRIKA, with ACE SHEEKE at the reins, was not far behind, the electric equine known for choosing the fire-type species as racing rivals. Raw speed wasn't everything to this simple yet tricky course. The first of four blind, right angle turns would difficult to judge even for those who saw them coming. It may have been more difficult for the challenger.

The equines found the turn a struggle, the Gym Trainers and Leader sweeping around the outside line after timing their tugs of the reins a little late. Asher Baran 's training approach of focusing more on control than raw speed worked well for the turn, conserving his reduced speed well and leaving him on the inside line coming into the first leap. He soared through the air alongside ERON IUNIS' RAICHU, the tip of the electric-type's tail flicking near his RAPIDASH's face all the way past the red bounds line and to the lower half of the course.

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LAP 1 | OBSTACLE 2

Prompt: At each of the curve's four corners was a nasty, uphill and blind 90-degree turn, testing the riders' ability to react to what was beyond on very short notice. There was ample space for Pokémon to build up speed again, which was necessary due to a series of jumps coming up! The first two were short enough that fast Pokémon could simply run off the track and make it to the next section below, but the third was so long that every Pokémon, no matter how fast they were, would have to really flex their legs and spring skyward as far as they could!

Target Number: 120 (Speed)

Special: Missing the Target Number by 25 or more will instead incur a flat -150 TP penalty due to coming up short on the jump and landing OFF COURSE. NPC Gym Trainers who do so will be ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE instead.

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Asher Baran





·

The three Rapidash got an early lead, though the Zebstrika and Raichu soon caught up with the pack. With his heart pounding, they took the first turn, Frou-Frou's reaction time allowing them to swerve on the inside and gaining a lead, however small. The Raichu was right there with them, jumping up and over the first hurdle, tail flicking perhaps a little too close to Frou-Frou's nose. He could tell that she was very tempted to try to bite it, and patted her neck to make sure that she wouldn't do such a thing. That was just plain mean, and against the rules. A victory here meant nothing if they had to cheat and scheme to win. A competition's rules should be honored, and make the victory that much sweeter. Though it would also mean the loss would be that much harder.

This next leg was just a straight shot with hurdles. Ash could only hope that beginner's luck would hold out for him. Frou-Frou may have been on the slower end for Rapidash, but she also had reaction time. That may translate well with battles, but in a race with few turns, probably not so much. And they couldn't use High Horsepower yet...though admittedly, he didn't know that the others had better moves for the sprints...



1w0e2aN1  + 40

Josh Devlin


·

Josh knew the angles of all four blind corners well, but that didn't make them any easier to take. He also wasn't horseback in any of his other challenges, instead typically opting to race this course with his zippy Jolteon. Not being used to less maneuverable Pokémon brought out caution in the Gym Leader, which is why he was at the back of the pack. Why did he agree to let Eron ride Toralf again? He did so because it was his job as Gym Leader to prove he could outrace the challenger using the same species of Pokémon they used.

The wide turn around not only the first curve, but the second, was what left him trailing early. As long as he didn't completely misjudge a turn, the blazing blue horse had the acceleration to recover quickly. It was Josh's own strength that would be put to the test, the wild fluctuations in speed putting a lot of pressure on his lower body. It was speed he needed, though; if he didn't let the Rapidash's acceleration fling him about in the saddle, they wouldn't have the speed needed to clear the three jumps that rapidly approached!

"Hyah!" Josh cried, squeezing Ixion's sides. The shiny equine galloped alongside her Galarian counterpart, leaping over the edge alongside one another.

---

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Despite being an ovaloid course, turning still mattered; the four corners were all blind and sharp, requiring a slightly different approach angle depending on just how fast the Pokémon ran. Even a small nudge against the cliff face would rob contenders of a lot of speed, and with how short the course was, every second mattered. The five racers spurred their Pokémon faster without the use of speed-boosting moves. With a flick of the reins, or another move coordinated by racer and Pokémon, they gracefully leaped into the air.

The equines showed why they were built for this course, ERON IUNIS' RAICHU having a hard time holding onto the lead. His whip-like tail flapped behind him like a flag in a hurricane, creating enough drag to cause them to nearly miss the ground below. ARAVAN ESCHER's GALARIAN RAPIDASH suffered a similar fate, in his case commanding a jump from the psychic-type much too early.

The other horse Pokémon touched down smoothly, Asher Baran 's RAPIDASH sticking the landings so well that he may have barely felt the impact each time. His lead held for the time being, but Josh Devlin, ACE SHEEKE, and their SHINY RAPIDASH and ZEBSTRIKA looked fiercely competitive, gaining on them fast as the next 90-degree left turn rapidly approached!

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LAP 1 | OBSTACLE 3

Prompt: The backstretch consisted of three short jumps not unlike the ones at the start of the track. While making them would be trivial for the four remaining Pokémon, the sloped terrain at the bottom of each leap would make landing difficult, particularly the last one. One final right-angle left turn preceded the home stretch, the starting arch in sight afterward. The most challenging part would be nailing each landing, minimizing the chance of a sudden lurch from a Pokémon landing awkwardly. This was all the proof challengers needed that while ovaloid courses were simple, that didn't make them easy!

Target Number: 105 (Endurance)

Special: None

---

Asher Baran





·

Ash slipped into the lead as he passed the Raichu, but that still didn't mean that the others behind him wouldn't catch up. But more than likely, at least Josh would have the acceleration to catch up. But this was also a competition. And both the kid and his Rapidash were both very competitive. Without even prompting her, Frou-Frou tried to keep to the front. Jumping the hurdles and making the turn, they kept going. Ash didn't even feel the jump and landing. While they did practice that, it wasn't near as smooth as that. Perhaps they were just in the zone? Both rider and Pokemon just meshed too well right now.

The blind turns didn't bother them much. Frou-Frou's reaction time allowed her to stay competitive there, not losing any speed. The challenge was the next set of hurdles. The first one made him lurch and struggle to not smash his nose in Frou-Frou's neck. Ash didn't know if he lost any speed or not, just that they kept moving. This leg was going to be insane. He did barely see the finish line. Lap one was almost done. Then the real challenge was going to start.


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Josh Devlin·

The starting arch was already in sight. Multi Jump was a short course with fairly simple turns, but was it ever hard on the buns! When he had raced Julia Davis on this course so long ago, the Pokémon he used had much softer fur. Even with the saddle, the Leader could feel the sharpness of Ixion's bony back with every landing.

Rounding the corner while trailing Asher, Josh wheeled his own equine around the final turn, making one last-second micro-adjustment to help them go sailing across the last three gaps on the straightest course possible. Landing at an angle would sap the Rapidash of precious speed and perhaps even cause them to come up short on the last jump. That wouldn't do at all. He had to fight Ace's Zebstrika behind him, too; even a slightly wobbly angle would risk the Leader losing position!

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---

The challenge before the stampeding equines was less hurdles and more leaps from a higher cliff to a lower one. Mauville's outskirts were truly blessed to have such a wide variety of natural terrain the Leader could implement into a course. It was far more interesting than when he was located in his hole-in-the-wall on Route 111 when in the Minor League. Funding from such a wealthy city made all the difference.

Asher Baran 's RAPIDASH was the front-runner going into the final turn and series of leaps, the fire-type's reaction time giving them enough of a window to line up for three straight leaps. Josh Devlin didn't let that fly, though; while his SHINY RAPIDASH's alignment wasn't quite as clean as the challenger's, the swift horse was more than fast enough to start closing the gap, distancing themselves from the rest of the field.

ARAVAN ESCHER reined his GALARIAN RAPIDASH around the fourth turn with immaculate precision, surging toward ERON IUNIS and his RAICHU. The two were neck-and-neck going into the final hundred meters of the first lap, gradually catching up to the third-place ACE SHEEKE and his ZEBSTRIKA that lagged behind the pair of RAPIDASH that occupied the attention of almost the entire gallery.

As the five racers crossed the line, a sound bite blared from the Gym's loudspeakers:

"YOU GOT BOOST POWER!"

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

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INSTRUCTIONS

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 (min. 1) 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 lowest two 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 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.

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LAP 2 | OBSTACLE 1

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

Prompt: The ability to use moves like AGILITY to go faster completely changed the course's dynamic. With how close some of the jump landings were to the course's sharp left turns, using the final jump of a series, combined with the added speed from a Pokémon move, made cutting the first corner possible. It would be a long jump -- even longer than the mandatory jump on the backstretch! Success would mean surging ahead in course position, but failure would result in a costly OFF COURSE time penalty!

Target Number 1: 115 (Reaction)

Special 1: None

Target Number 2: 150 (Speed)

Special 2: Pokémon that match or exceed the Target Number gain 75 TP in addition to any TP they would normally gain. Missing the Target Number by 25 or more will instead incur a flat -150 TP penalty due to landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE instead.

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Asher Baran





·

Ash still maintained his lead. That perhaps surprised him most, but he needed to keep focused! But, even after the three leaps, Josh was sure to be right there with him, threatening his position. At the crossing of the finish line for lap one, he heard the sound bite. Now was the worst part of this challenge. There was this lap and the next one. The red head wanted to wait on using High Horsepower for the third lap, to do two long burns. Something that he had noticed while practicing and timing was that the move did allow for a small speed boost, but also seemed to last much longer than the others. But also, unlike the others, there wasn't a general boost to speed afterwards. So timing on its usage was going to be critical.



So for now, he held off, especially since they were going into the next turn. The two long stretches were going to be the more ideal places to use it. They just had to keep up the good run until the last lap...



Target: Reaction - 115



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Josh Devlin



·

Boost laps were a huge game changer. The ability to use moves to go faster, even if it was temporary, was like night and day. Many challengers were able to get in the lead by the end of the first lap. Few could withstand the grueling pace of a Quick Attack. Fewer still could withstand a chain of them, their mounts galloping down the course at terrifying speeds. It was that tiny piece of the challenger pie that Josh looked for. That wedge including those who trusted the Pokémon to push themselves past their physical limits.

The moment Josh and Ixion crossed the line, the Gym Leader dug his heels into the blue-maned Rapidash's flanks. With a wicked neigh, the Pokémon initiated a FLAME CHARGE that made the two appear like a blue comet across the course. The gallery gasped when he yanked on his mount's reins hard to the left. With a vigorous flick, a powerful pulse reached the horse's halters, a second neigh a prelude to a leap across the corner.

---

FLAME CHARGE is used.

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---

The Gym Leader's equines crossed the starting line preparing bursts of speed to fire the moment it was legal to do so. Neighs reverberated from the starting arch as Josh Devlin , ACE SHEEKE, and ARAVAN ESCHER spurred their equine mounts into a FLAME CHARGE and bursts of AGILITY that rendered them mere streaks of color to those in the stands. All three leaped to their left, sailing over the course's left bounds, though they did not cut the corner as much as they would have liked to. With loud clacks, the three sets of hooves touched down, stampeding toward the next set of jumps voluminously.

Others took the safer route. Asher Baran , trying to conserve his own RAPIDASH's stamina, took the right-angle curve in a conventional fashion. The fire-type's great speed let it keep up with the other two Gym Trainers on horseback, even widening the gap as their mounts did not do the greatest work sticking the landing. If he were to glance back, the challenger would see the ZEBSTRIKA and RAICHU quite a distance behind. While his lead over them wasn't insurmountable, Asher Baran could focus on closing the widening gap from the hair-raising burst of speed Josh Devlin 's SHINY RAPIDASH put on to pass him.

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LAP 2 | OBSTACLE 2

Prompt: The backstretch's three straight jumps were coming up, though falling short on them would be nowhere near as much of a risk as during the first lap due to the higher speeds offered by moves such as AGILITY. The risk on this lap would be pushing their Pokémon to such high speeds while running up the steep slopes preceding each jump. Leaving them without enough stamina to complete the race was a real possibility if the racers weren't careful!

Target Number: 125 (Endurance)

Special: Using BOOST on this Obstacle will not impose disadvantage. Missing the Target Number by 25 or more will instead incur a flat -150 TP penalty due to coming up short on the jump and landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are instead ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

---

Asher Baran

···

Josh showed him just how much of a difference using those boosts can make. The Zebstrika and Raichu were somewhat far behind, but not so much that he shouldn't worry. Both Ash's and Frou-Frou's focus were on Josh, who zipped on ahead. The next obstacles were jumps, and they could handle those. The issue was Josh, and if he could handle those jumps. Problem was...Josh could. He was more experienced and knew these courses like the back of his hand. The chances that he could catch up wasn't zero, but it wasn't very good. But they really needed to save those High Horsepowers!

Discipline wasn't Asher's strong suit, and the temptation was strong. But he shook his head. They needed to bide their time. They'll get back in the lead again...but if Josh uses another speed boost, they may not have much choice! Without using High Horsepower, they trudged on, making the jumps...and hope that luck was on their side!

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Josh Devlin·

Inside his racing gear, even Josh was sweating. Cooking, even, from the intensity of the FLAME CHARGE. The Ponyta line was known for being able to suppress the heat of their flames to allow their trainers to comfortably ride them. Ixion's body wasn't searing hot, but sitting on her was definitely uncomfortable for Josh. It was a necessary part of racing, her, though; the speed-boosting fire-type move was her most important technique, both in combat and on the track.

Even she needed to cool down, both for her own sake and for Josh's. If the rider engaged the metaphorical thrusters too long, overheating was a real danger. And a Rapidash with smoldering flames was one slow horse. Briefly tugging back on Ixion's reins to keep her to a comfortable pace. They couldn't slow down too much, though; those jumps were coming, and she had to be fast enough to clear them!

---

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---

With how wide the gaps were, the riders' temptation to slam their heels into their Pokémon's sides was real. Humps and jumps were intimidating; running uphill sapped the equines, as well as ERON IUNIS' RAICHU, of so much speed that challengers less confident in their Pokémon may have pulled the metaphorical trigger. Josh Devlin , ACE SHEEKE, and ARAVAN ESCHER knew better, though; after pushing their Pokémon to high enough speeds to attempt cutting the first corner, whether successful or not, they knew to pace their Pokémon through the straightforward but stamina-intensive part of the track.

Asher Baran had a golden opportunity to make a pass and reclaim his spot in the lead. With a properly timed use of High Horsepower, the RAPIDASH could build enough speed to land farther up each landing zone's slope, losing less speed to running uphill. He, too, seemed concerned about pacing. That restraint led to him merely keeping pace with the Gym Leader.

The three Gym Trainers all had challenges maintaining the proper pace needed to keep their Pokémon in the running; ACE SHEEKE was going far too fast into the turn. Yanking back on his ZEBSTRIKA's reins hard, the equine slid off the ledge, just barely landing on the very bottom of the next part of the course and losing a lot of speed. ARAVAN ESCHER and his GALARIAN RAPIDASH had a similar issue, though more for misjudging a turn rather than misjudging their speed. The two were competitive with the RAICHU in the field, but were also very far behind Josh Devlin and Asher Baran . Racing was unpredictable, though, and there was still a lot of ground to cover. Anything could happen!

---

LAP 2 | OBSTACLE 3

Prompt: Two rapid-fire 90-degree turns and a big jump separated the racers from the starting arch, and the second curve was uphill. The only indication of where the curve started and ended was the course's outer guardrail, barely visible over the left turn's horizon. While keeping up enough speed to ensure they could clear the long chasm was important, position and angle coming out of the turn were arguably more important. Without enough time to react, it would be almost impossible to line up the correct angle for the quick leap!

Target Number: 110 (Reaction)

Special: Pokémon do not apply their Speed ranks to this Obstacle. Missing the Target Number by 25 or more will instead incur a flat -150 TP penalty due to coming up short on the jump and landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are instead ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

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Asher Baran





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