"Good," Josh smirked. "It sounds like you have a good understanding." He laughed upon hearing the Rocket's anecdote. In that game, it was best to stay a close second until the very end of the race, due to the number of items that targeted whoever was in first place. In this Pokémon race, there were no such equalizing items. It was all resource management, understanding the Pokémon's capabilities, and most importantly, understanding limits.

Once the five Pokémon had lined up, three still images of a sprinting Raikou faded into view on the scoreboard and starting arch's display, overlaid atop a "GET READY" prompt. As the first of three images began to fade, a low-pitched horn sounded from the display's speakers. A second, then a third. When the last image disappeared, the "GET READY" changed to "GO", followed by a longer, similar yet higher-pitched sound. Josh jabbed at his Urasluna's sides, Moosh lumbering forward down the opening straightaway. While the bear was slow to get up to speed, once he was there, he would be difficult to stop!

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.

Prompt: The opening stretch is long and straight, giving Pokémon ample room to get up to speed. An ominous, orange, dot-matrix sign with a flashing arrow pointing to the left is the only warning sign the racers get that the starting lane ends. Racers will need to shift to the left with split-second timing or risk running off the course!

Target Number: 160 (Speed)

Special: Pokémon also add their Reaction stats to this Obstacle. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number take a -150 TP penalty from landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers' Pokémon that land OFF COURSE are ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

"Here we GOOOOOOOOOOO!" Howard shouted as the race began. Immediately, Josh and his three trainers shot off, with Doug lumbering forward. A traditional Ursaluna would outpace Doug, but you didn't cross an ocean without having a few tricks up the sleeve.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't change the fact that Doug was slow. Howard had learned that on Route 119. The Bloodmoon Beast was great on difficult terrain, and its reactions were solid. Hopefully there weren't any Megalopolans on this course for Doug to get distracted by.

"Go bear, go!" Howard shouted, flattening himself against the Ursaluna. His hat flapped dangerously, but the cord that he had purchased in Fortree with Shalin held it firm. The archaeologist's eye narrowed as the left turn approached.

It was moments like this that made him wish he had both eyes. Howard's depth perception was atrocious. Luckily, Doug's was incredible.

Left! Left!" Howard shouted as his eye flicked to Moosh, then Expresso, then Vitani, then Wiley. Man, Howard wanted to pet that Furret. It looked so fluffy!

---

Josh Devlin
Speed: E
Endurance: S
Reaction: B






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From the word go, it was apparent that the Lateral Shift was a course not particularly optimized for a Pokémon with as lumbering of a gallop as an Ursaluna. With the speeds the Pokémon would be traveling at, split second timing to move among the lanes as they opened and closed would be required just to finish the race, and commands to turn would have to be given before the lane even opened up in order to stay within the course's bounds. The first lap would be slow enough for the racers to get used to the timing, but future laps would be faster and more challenging to navigate.

With no fear in his heart, Josh squeezed Moosh's sides to keep up with Doug and Howard, ready to thrust the bear's steering bars to the left, then to the right, to swerve into the far lane the moment he got. Normally, it was the Pokémon that got the bigger workout, but with the pure muscle mass the Ursaluna threw around as he ran, the race would be equally as strenuous for Josh, having to absorb the sheer strength behind each stride!

The five Pokémon were off as fast as their bodies could carry them and their trainers. ARAVAN ESCHER and his ESPATHRA dueled ERON IUNIS and his FURRET for the early lead, ACE SHEEKE's reaction time forcing him to the right of the slow-to-accelerate URSALUNA jockeyed by Josh Devlin and howard slayte . While there was plenty of room for the Pokémon to get up to speed, the first lane change was coming, as indicated by the big warning sign above the end of the road!

The psychic-type's powers kept the blue-headed oceanographer from losing his balance atop the awkwardly-shaped Pokémon as the shifts in momentum yanked him from side to side, barely holding off the equally agile FURRET right on his tail. Almost an entire second back, the two URSALUNA and PYROAR barreled forward with little sign of turning until the very last minute.

Josh Devlin steered his own bear toward the left as much as he was comfortable, making sure howard slayte would not need to play the Chicken Game against him. He wouldn't need to be so kind, though; the BLOODMOON URSALUNA's sluggish turning would prove to be a liability, just barely clipping the corner and nearly sliding off the course's edge. The two would lose a lot of speed from making a severe correction, but were still in it.

ACE SHEEKE and his PYROAR were not so lucky; they could not slow down enough in time to avoid a fall, sliding onto a dirt path leading to the course's "green": the area in the center of the ovaloid. The redhead loudly cursed at howard slayte as his PYROAR angrily bucked and heaved, not upset at the rider, but upset at being eliminated from the race in ten seconds flat.

Prompt: After rounding the first of the course's six turns, two more lane shifts were coming up: the first to the left, and the second to the right. While they were just as wide as the opening shift, the entire course sloped moderately to the inside, forcing Pokémon and racers to compensate for the constant uneven footing!

Target Number: 140 (Endurance)

Special: Pokémon that roll more than 20 beneath this Obstacle's Target Number take a -150 TP penalty from landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers' Pokémon that land OFF COURSE are ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

"TURNNNNNNNNNNN!" Howard shouted as Doug threatened to fall off the course. Luckily, they just barely stayed on, preventing Howard from making an embarrassing failure on the course's very first turn. Seriously, how did you almost fall off the edge when your top speed wasn't particularly impressive?

Unlike the Espathra, which was leaving Howard in the dust. Not that it shocked him. Espathra were quick, and Howard had seen them used by desert travelers back in his days as a wandering explorer.

As Sheeke and his Pyroar were tossed off the course, Howard pointedly ignored them. That was one less person to compete with. On one hand, it was a boon. On the other, everything but Josh and Howard could be disqualified, and it would change little. It all came down to Josh Devlin.

Then, the lane shifts grew closer. Howard cursed, but remained confident. Doug was remarkably stable. Ursaluna weren't known for mediocre footwork. They weren't as spectacular as Gogoat, but Howard suspected that he and Josh wouldn't struggle too much with this first turn.

Howard's eye gleamed at the Gym Leader from beneath his hat, which fluttered in the wind. Howard leaned in as Doug picked up the pace.

---

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It was a good thing Josh's Pokémon had mostly sharp claws to grip the uneven ground with; on more than one occasion, the big bear had saved his footing by digging his claws into the ground and avoiding a painful slip. Even after the course flattened out again, there would be no time to relax; more lane shifts were coming. They were a constant obstacle on the course, a total of fourteen to contend with per lap. Each was scary to take at speed, too; with Moosh's reaction time being among the lowest of Josh's racing Pokémon, he had to flick the reins to the side before the opening even came past him. Even he was scared of banging into the inside wall early. Hitting a median head-on would not only leave the Ursaluna in great pain, but it would launch Josh from the saddle.

With Wiley pretty far in front of him and Howard nowhere in sight, he simply treated the race like a time trial, taking a slightly safer line to minimize the chance of things spiraling out of control. With two quick flicks of the reins, Moosh seemingly leaped from one lane to the other. Even if he got through one, he had to be ready to repeat it again seconds later, this time in the opposite direction!

The uneven ground and lane shifts gave much of the field fits: without claws, ERON IUNIS and his FURRET would find themselves slipping toward the outside of the turn, giving ARAVAN ESCHER and his ESPATHRA room to distance themselves into the second and third swerving turns. The true test was not moving from lane to lane; it was doing so while maintaining speed and balance. Traffic was a big factor, Josh Devlin strategically slowing down in places to make sure there were no close quarters or even collisions he had to handle.

howard slayte and his BLOODMOON URSALUNA seemed to be getting the rhythm of the lane shifts, leaning into each turn and getting comfortable with accelerating between them. As long as he and his bear made no major mistakes, they would slowly gain time, nearly bottomless endurance proving to be an asset. With every successful turn, he slowly made up time on Josh Devlin and his URSALUNA, the Gym Leader clearly not comfortable with his selection of Pokémon. Patience, and perhaps a bit of good fortune if the Leader were to make a mistake, would see Howard through!

Prompt: After three more sudden and narrow lane shifts, the course begins to slant to the outside while turning to the left, the entire fairly shallow U-turn cut on the slope of a hillside. With this slope's angle being more severe than any other on the course, Pokémon might find it a struggle to stay in bounds, fighting gravity as they shift their weight to maintain their balance on the awkward curve. Pokémon without stellar grip might need to slow quite a bit to stay upright; with a lack of a wall or guardrail on the outside edge, teams that could not maintain their hold would find themselves being penalized for sliding out of bounds!

Target Number: 135 (Reaction)

Special: Pokémon do not apply ranks in Speed for this Obstacle. Pokémon that roll more than 25 beneath this Obstacle's Target Number take a -150 TP penalty from landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers' Pokémon that land OFF COURSE are ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

Josh Devlin , ARAVAN ESCHER, and ERON IUNIS will suffer a 35 TP penalty on this Obstacle due to the density of traffic near them. This penalty will be applied after passing or failing the Obstacle has been determined.

Bears, huh?

An obscene amount of research had gone into analysis of both Ursaluna variants as Howard had wrote his paper on Bloodmoon Ursalunas. Howard was vastly more familiar with his Pokémon than Josh seemed to be, although Josh Devlin was the Master of Faster. That title wasn't for show. Where Howard's knowledge aided him, Josh's skill would fill the gap.

It'd possibly even surpass it.

First, Howard had to catch up. One trainer down, four to go.

As they reached the steepening turn, Howard held onto Doug's fur. The weight of the iron-like mud would cause Doug to buckle no matter what happened. In this case, Moosh might've been the better choice. Yet it looked like Josh had gotten hit with a case of Castelia City's traffic.

"I'm coming for you, Josh!" Howard shouted in the wind. "It might help to install some blinkers on those Pokémon!"

It didn't seem like a good idea to heckle the Gym Leader, but talking trash was part of the fun. Hell, it helped Howard concentrate. The worst thing that could happen here was for Doug to eat dirt and for Moosh to keep charging forward, but Howard had confidence in his Ursaluna.

Hopefully that would be enough.

---

Josh Devlin
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For as much as Josh loved the unusual course due to its long straight stretches where he could floor it with his Pokémon, he dis liked the course's last two curves. Being cut on a slope and having no safety net keeping them on the course. Moosh's size made him difficult to control through such a corner. The bear had a strong grip due to his long claws, but any turns he made were on a delay due to his lumbering mass. Being in dense traffic with two more nimble Pokémon didn't help matters much, either; going three wide would be a disaster.

Sighing, the Gym Leader pulled back on the Ursaluna's steering bars and loosened his leg grip, yielding to the more nimble Furret and Espathra around him. There was also another incredibly hazardous section of the track coming up, one where going three wide would not just be difficult. It would be impossible. As he proceeded with caution, the young man would likely hear Doug's footfalls growing louder...

All three of the competitors up front had the same idea at the exact same time, which spelled disaster for ARAVAN ESCHER and his ESPATHRA. The psychic bird, on the outside of the three bounding alongside one another, slipped on the steep grade. Had they the fortune of being on the inside, they would have had more than enough time to recover. Alas, they slid down the foothills of SECTOR 3, the Paldean Pokémon stable well after sliding out of bounds. If howard slayte were to glance at the scoreboard, it would show the blue-haired oceanographer as RETIRED. The Gym Leader distracted for a split second, ERON IUNIS and his FURRET made a bold move, getting dangerously close to the inside edge of the course as he passed his coworker and URSALUNA.

howard slayte 's trash talk not only helped him concentrate, but got his BLOODMOON URSALUNA pumped. Seeing how Josh Devlin took the corner helped a lot, making up ground on him from not having to deal with heavy traffic. While they still trailed by a significant margin, it was still early. Once they crossed that starting line, the real race would begin.

Who said Ursaluna weren't known for their speed? Josh Devlin and howard slayte were about to prove Hoenn wrong.

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

Prompt: After bombarding racers with sudden lane shifts before and after the first turn, the course gives racers some breathing room. While there are still lane shifts to follow in order to avoid falling off course, these are much wider than ones near the starting line. With good timing, taking them at full speed is much more realistic. For those not confident in their speed, it is a good opportunity for the Pokémon to coast and recover their stamina.

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: None

By now, Howard understood much of the course. A mind used to mapping ruins and figuring out the dimensions of fossils embedded into walls was now used to create a version of the race track in his mind's eye. Once they hit this turn, they'd be coasting for a while.

Assuming Josh hadn't gone insane in designing an obscene level of curves, that was. The Gym Leader loved his tracks. Maybe even a little too much, but that was besides the point. Howard was going to win this. If he could push past Josh now, it'd be far easier to control the situation until the turns got hectic again.

The turns were easier to take. It was now or never.

"Come on, Doug!" Howard shouted as he spurred his bear onward, its swimming physique sauntering forward. "Break through! Headlong Rush!"

Immediately, his bear began to lunge forward with a ferocious lumber, causing the track to shake. The Blood Moon on its head gleamed in the light as he tried to pass the Gym Leader up and gain control of the race.

Josh could eat his dust for a change.

---

Josh Devlin
Using Headlong Rush (Boost Power), S Rank END, Total = 71
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Wiley was one nimble Furret; though he didn't dwell on it for long, he was impressed with how quickly Eron improved his skills to be able to control such an unusual mount. It showed with every sharp curve the normal-type slid around, picking up time on the Gym Leader. Nimble was the only strength the normal-type had for racing, though; he could spur Moosh for an entire lap and the Ursaluna wouldn't tire.

Josh wouldn't put that energy to waste. He slammed his heels into the bear's flanks and shoved forward on his steering bars. "Alright, Moosh, we got 'em on the run!" he cried over the roaring wind. "Floor it!" With the HIGH HORSEPOWER of one of the racer's Rapidash, the large Pokémon sprinted forward, the experienced competitor keeping steady hands on Moosh despite how rough his gait became.

ERON IUNIS and his FURRET crossed the starting line first, glancing back to see they had a significant lead on the two bears behind him. Gym Leader and challenger would cut into that lead the best they could, their URSALUNA kicking it up to eleven with their HIGH HORSEPOWER and HEADLONG RUSH.

The one advantage that kept the white-haired leader in front was the long-bodied Pokémon's swift, almost whip-like turns. On long straight stretches, howard slayte 's BLOODMOON URSALUNA could run, especially with its Blood Moon glowing and providing it with seemingly limitless stamina. The bottleneck was the bear's poor acceleration: every adjustment the challenger made to shift lanes and follow the course sapped speed, and it took longer than he may have liked to regain that speed.

The Ursaluna was no Ferrari; it was closer to an all-terrain vehicle. The backstretch was its place to shine, and it was coming up fast.

Prompt: A gentle right turn would force sprinting Pokémon back to their normal speeds. Beyond was another straight stretch, half as long as the previous one but still a good place for speedy Pokémon to let loose. How long they could afford to do so was up to how much confidence Pokémon and racer had in their ability to navigate uneven ground: the deeper into it they got, the steeper a rightward grade would get! Stiff barricades would prevent slipping Pokémon from falling off the course and out of bounds, but they would sap the speed of Pokémon that brushed up against them!

Target Number: 135 (Endurance)

Special: None

That was a fumble. Now Josh was in first place instead of second, and Howard was stilling cruising in third, alternatively known as last place.

When this had started, the archaeologist would've called that pretty damn good. Now that two of Josh's trainers were out, it was beginning to look like this race was far harsher than he expected. This race was strict, and racers were dropping like flies. Howard wondered if he and Josh would be the two people left.

Doug would get a chance, though. Howard simply had to remain consistent, and make sure he wasn't consistently cruising in third place. When Howard and his Ursaluna got past this gentle curve, they'd have plenty of time to run.

And plenty of time for Josh Devlin to make a mistake.

---

Josh Devlin
H4Ojn2ex

Coming down from the adrenaline high that the burst of HIGH HORSEPOWER induced in both Josh and Moosh made the rightward grade even harder to remain stable upon than it was the first time around. There was even a single lane shift to navigate against the slope itself, making it even more challenging! The Gym Leader's body shook as he thrust the bear's steering bars to the left, his arms shaking unsteadily.

Josh had to be ready to react at any moment; while the Ursaluna's broad and powerful claws offered superior grip, the grade was steep enough by the end that even Twilight could slip and fall into the barricades on the right side. Moosh's grip was strong, but it was unrefined. "You're doing great, Moosh! It'll level out soon - keep it up!" he cheered over the wind, completely ignoring the Furret that he expected to struggle with the slope.

The three normal-types coasted through the shallow, right-angle turn, ERON IUNIS and his FURRET passing the Gym Leader by hugging the inside line more tightly. Once the slope picked up, the stubby-legged Pokémon slowed significantly. All three Pokémon were forced to pump the metaphorical brakes just to remain stable, the lumbering bears leaving claw marks with every bound forward.

Once the slope started to level out, more lane shifts whizzed toward them, all three familiar with the timing to navigate them perfectly. howard slayte and his BLOODMOON URSALUNA managed to keep pace with the competition going into the home stretch. Perhaps he would have an opportunity coming up; if one of the two Gym employees didn't yield to the other, a traffic jam could equalize the race in a hurry!

Prompt: The home stretch was some of the little, precious flat ground on the entire course. Even then, it wouldn't let any of the racers breathe easy. The straightaway suddenly narrowed to a single lane, forcing close competitors to yield to one another! Passing would be impossible between the course barricades only a few feet wide!

Target Number: 130 (Reaction)

Special: Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number will lose one use of BOOST (if any are left).

Flat terrain. Finally.

Doug was fairly good on rough terrain, given the bear's experience in wandering through Route 119's swamps. Even before that, the Ursaluna belonged to a member of Hisui's Medical Corps. Back when the bear's life had been simple, and before it had been pushed through a distortion to feast on the flesh of alien threats.

A simpler life, full of light and warmth.

Yet Doug was partnered with a new trainer, now. The bond was not the same as the first one, but it was different. It felt warm. Excitable. The archaeologist's manic energy surpassed the excitement of Doug's old partner.

Hopefully this bond would last longer.

"Doug, you gotta hurry up! Speed up! Faster! If we don't get through before those lanes close, then we're gonna get boxed in. Headlong Rush!"

The bear roared and lunged forward, attempting to find a way forward in this small and quickly tightening patch.

---

Josh Devlin
USING HEADLONG RUSH (BOOST)
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Josh deeply inhaled beneath his helmet as the terrain at last flattened. His right thigh was still thumping from the pressure of the sloping terrain before, though not as much as it once was. He would have this home stretch and the opening stretch of the final lap to relax before Moosh would have to really watch his footing again, lest he slip and slide off the course.

He had another problem, though: with a loud cry, Wiley and Eron were trying to make a move on him. He couldn't let them pass just before the final lap was to begin. "Moosh, let's go! Cut him off!" Josh ordered as he squeezed the bear's sides tightly, tromping forward in a burst of HIGH HORSEPOWER. The duo were just wide enough to fit through the narrow lane, and it wouldn't end well if both of them tried to enter at the same time!

howard slayte 's BLOODMOON URSALUNA, desperate to catch up to those in front of him, bellowed and charged forward in a HEADLONG RUSH. Unimpeded by traffic, it was just them against the course. The duo were able to use Moosh's tracks as a visual cue of where to line up. He made a last-second adjustment when he realized Josh Devlin and his URSALUNA might be cutting it a bit close. How prudent -- and race-saving -- of him.

Two seconds in front of the challenger, the battle between the Leader's Pokémon and ERON IUNIS' FURRET reached a fever pitch. The white-haired racer yielded to the ground-type's HIGH HORSEPOWER when it was apparent his competition was too far to the left. The URSALUNA roared after scraping his side on the narrow pass, Josh yanked to one side after the left leg of his attire split in two, his piece of ruined clothing violently flapping in the high winds. The loss of speed was significant, too, the FURRET zipping past moments after the course had widened.

A white flag appeared on the starting arch's display as the three Pokémon were to cross it, indicating that it was the last time around the track!

Prompt: By now, the racers had become familiar with the LATERAL SHIFT's main gimmick: abrupt lane changes that, if not heeded, would result in falling off course and suffering quite the time penalty. A right turn that sloped toward the inside was a reminder that they had passed the last piece of flat ground before the home stretch. The two lane changes ahead were the last "easy" part of the course left. Pokémon were inevitably starting to tire, but those who trusted their partner's stamina may have found it tempting to risk trying to weave among the lanes with added speed!

Target Number: 140 (Endurance)

Special: Boosting does NOT impose disadvantage on this obstacle, but doing so will raise the Target Number of this Obstacle by 20 only for purposes of whether the Obstacle is passed or failed.