As far as Gym records were concerned, this was Laurence Anderson 's first time challenging Mauville Racing Grounds with a rare Pokémon. It was the first time his new challenge involving rare Pokémon was to be entered in official records. Unofficially, this was their second meeting, Josh learning how far apart the Composed and his Patron's minds were. It seemed the Captain had remembered much about his coworker's Gym, not even having to be told where to go. "Morning," Josh casually greeted the Avatar, both Raikiri and Hylda behind him, all geared up and ready to go. "It feels good to not have to do this off the books," he whispered, gently patting the Zeraora's head.

"Believe it or not, you are the first person in Hoenn to challenge Mauville Racing Grounds with a legendary Pokémon. The location of the race will not be on the Racing Grounds themselves, but a distant location Braver will take us to," Josh pointed to the Kantonian Arcanine whose hair stood on end after licking Raikiri's yellow fur.

"When you are ready, stand next to him, and he will teleport us to the site of the race." Braver barked, trotting in front of Josh and his two other Pokémon.

Josh somehow was not surprised; with the blessing of a legendary Pokémon, and a Silvally as well, he had to have all kinds of rare and special Pokémon. "You should have brought them here! We could have had a Zeraora speed duel." It was bold of the Gym Leader to assume his Zeraora could run on all fours efficiently like Raikiri could, or that he would willingly ride on a Pokémon so blistering fast. The young man's thundercat could keep up with many legendary Pokémon known for their speed.

Regardless of Josh's choice, once everyone was huddled up, Braver's eyes glowed a bright red, and they all vanished, taking the astral highways normally only accessible by psychic Pokémon to a strange realm familiar to Lars.

Phantom Road, the race track high above Mount Pyre, generated on-the-fly by the ghost Pokémon who haunted it.

When their vision faded from white, the WONDER ROOM may have jostled Lars' memory: the psychedelic landscape beneath them and the geometric yellows, reds, and greens of the sky above had become second nature for Josh by now. As rare as it was for him to get challengers with legendary or mythical Pokémon, it happened just barely often enough to justify having the option at his Gym. Even the track, composed of solid LIGHT SCREEN and NIGHT SHADE, looked geometric in nature.

"I know you've heard the rundown before, but I do need to go over it one more time to refresh your memory. This is Phantom Road, the most dangerous race course in all of Hoenn. Unlike every other course that follows a set path, the ghost Pokémon of Mount Pyre generate the course in real time, mid-race. Not even I know what the course will be like. I can't guarantee that the turns and obstacles on the course will fall within Federation safety standards, so you better be ready for anything."

With half the expectations set, Josh refreshed Lars on the rules of the special challenge. "There will be a countdown of 3, 2, 1, GO. On GO, you and your Silvally better be ready to go fast. There are no restrictions on your use of moves such as Agility to go faster; use them as much as you think your Pokémon can handle. Your condition for earning the Hoenn League Quick Badge is simple: beat Hylda and I to the finish line." As Josh vaulted aboard the Glastrier, Raikiri looked disappointed he wouldn't get a rematch with the Composed. "I'm going to allow Raikiri to run the course alongside us, but he won't be impacting the race at all. You just have to beat me."

Once the two of them were ready, Josh reined Hylda toward the starting line, the Glastrier much slower than Raikiri. Though she wasn't capable of reaching the breakneck speeds the Zeraora was, she had seemingly boundless wells of stamina. There would be no outlasting her. The distance indicators on their RaiCorp Vision interfaces, including Lars' if he was wearing it, would have indicated the length of the course to be greater than the previous one.

This was going to be a marathon of a race.

Please read the following directions carefully, even if you have participated in racing challenges before, as there are significant differences between standard race challenges and legendary race challenges.

You will have 10 ranks to distribute among three skills. No more than 6 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 much stamina using your Pokémon's Boost consumes. Boost in the form of moves such as QUICK ATTACK and AGILITY may be used at any time, but mind your Pokémon's stamina! 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.

Your Pokémon will also have a stamina bar. It is consumed when Obstacles indicate so, or when Boost is used. Boost will be available from the start of the race. Each use of Boost will consume 20% of your stamina bar, minus 2% for every rank in Endurance it has (or all available stamina, if less than that much remains). If your Pokémon's stamina is reduced to less than 0%, it is RETIRED from the race.

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.

Special: Any extra rules specific to this Obstacle are located here.

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)

Special: Track Points lost as a result of non-Water Pokémon rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number are multiplied by 1.5, rounded up.

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 the challenger finishes in first place.

Lars' question would go unanswered for the time being as the trainers and Pokémon were whisked away to Phantom Road. Josh wasn't kidding, either; even from the starting position, the course looked very different from before, Lars able to see a tall, wavy road before him. Without a Pokémon containing seemingly bottomless wells of stamina, running up and down those waves head-on would be a real struggle. The RaiCorp software would show a number of details, including Amir's stamina, speed, and an outline of the part of the track that had already been generated. It wouldn't let him see more than a few seconds ahead.

A trio of floating Rotom appeared on the starting arch, powering the illusion of a digital display not dissimilar to the one on the Gym Leader's official property. Three images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, in a full sprint, appeared on the illusory screen. Behind them was a "GET READY" prompt. As the first of the three images began to fade, a loud squawk produced by one of the Rotom was an aural warning that the race was about to begin. A second, then a third followed, the images of Raikou disappearing in succession. After the final one vanished, the prompt changed to a green "GO" alongside a longer and higher-pitched noise.

This time, there was no scream from Josh; simply the steady but swift gallop of a Glastrier, each of her hoofbeats sounding like shattering glass from shattering the ice she flash-froze with every step. The ghosts of Mount Pyre, just like last time, would be creating the course before them in real time. Neither had seen the exact layout, and no one likely every would again. There would be no studying this course. Only skill and reaction would see the Avatar and Gym Leader through.

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. There are no caps on the Leader's rolls.

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

While frequency of using Boosts is not restricted, each Boost will consume Stamina from a Pokémon. The amount of Stamina consumed per Boost is 20%, minus 2% for every rank in Endurance the Pokémon possesses. Obstacles may also consume Stamina; see the Special section of each Obstacle for how it will change a Pokémon's Stamina based on the Total Roll. If a Pokémon goes below 0% Stamina, it will be eliminated from the race.

If you Mega Evolve or Terastallize your Pokémon to a Tera Type that shares a type with one of its Boost moves, your Pokémon will gain three temporary Ranks in stats distributed as you see fit. This will consume one Boost use worth of Stamina. This can cause a stat to exceed 6 ranks, but not exceed 7 ranks.

If you have a Z-Move that could be reasonably used as an extreme burst of speed, your Pokémon may use it once for the rest of the race. This will consume two Boost uses worth of Stamina. On the Obstacle the Z-Move is used on, you will NOT need to roll; your Pokémon's roll will be treated as an automatic 200.

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

Prompt: The ghosts of Mount Pyre showed no mercy on Leader or Challenger from the word go. The opening stretch's subtle turns were masked by a wavy road. Hills rising above the competitors' heads on alternating sides meant there was not one flat piece of ground to run over. Staying to one side would require the Pokémon to navigate the ups and downs at their highest peaks and troughs. Remaining in the middle would force the Pokémon to deal with laterally uneven ground. There was an option to zig and zag around the hills, as well, but it would be significantly slower than a direct approach.

Target Number: 165 (Endurance)

Special: A Pokémon that rolls beneath the Target Number loses 2% Stamina for every 5 points the Target Number is missed by as they scrape the outer wall from not being able to hold the long turn.

Target Number: 140 (Reaction)

Special: A Pokémon that rolls beneath the Target Number loses 1% Stamina for every 5 points the Target Number is missed by as they scrape the outer wall from not being able to hold the long turn. TP gained or lost on this Checkpoint is halved.

The wavy road was unlike anything Josh had seen on any course he had raced on the surface. When the limitations of Euclidean geometry, as well as the limitations of Federation safety were removed, racers had to be ready to handle anything. Even the abstract. The harsh hills fell more under the latter than the former, but it was nothing Josh felt Hylda couldn't handle!

Squeezing the ice-type's sides, the Glastrier was slow to get up to speed, Amir almost certain to pass them even if the Composed took a more conservative route. The Gym Leader felt his stomach rise and fall with every hump his equine ran over, expecting his steed to be barely affected by the hills. As the horse warmed up (or would it be cooled down?), the blustery wind in Josh's face grew, his cheeks subtly starting to turn red.

Laurence Anderson and his SILVALLY bolted off the line the moment the ghosts of the mountain started drawing more of the course ahead of them, building quite the early lead over Josh Devlin and his GLASTRIER. The ice-type was not known for its acceleration, what with needing to flash-freeze the ground beneath it to help get up to speed. The Galarian horse more than made up for it when it hit the hills, the Gym Leader taking an aggressive line that would be the shortest path if the ice-type didn't wear itself out climbing the steepest part of each hill.

Saving energy by coasting down the back half of each hill by utilizing a slippery ice slide beneath its hooves, the GLASTRIER slowly gained on Laurence Anderson 's Pokémon, who weaved around the hills in an effort to save his companion's stamina. The two were neck and neck as the course leveled out, the ice Pokémon's neck barely stretching past the SILVALLY's. It was still early, though; with the trickery ghost-types were known for, anything could still happen!

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

Prompt: Four rapid-fire, right-angle turns loomed ahead, in the rough shape of a striking lightning bolt. Two approaches would work well for this unique challenge, and each came with their pros and cons.

The first would be to treat the whiplash-inducing turns separately. While less risky, the speed at which the turns came would flick the riders back and forth harshly without significant braking.

The second was that there was a small space between each pair of corners. If executed properly, it would result in taking much more shallow turns and be faster overall. The downside was the much higher degree of difficulty that came with it, on top of the greater consequences for failure. Tripping on one corner would likely send Pokémon and rider flying to the opposite corner of the next turn, resulting in an abrupt crash that could be race-ending for a team.

Target Number 1: 145 (Reaction)

Special 1: Pokémon apply only half their Speed ranks (no rounding) to this Obstacle.

Target Number 2: 160 (Speed)

Special 2: Pokémon that meet or exceed this Obstacle's Target Number gain 75 TP in addition to any normal TP gain. Any TP loss resulting from a Pokémon rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number is multiplied by 1.5.

The lightning bolt shape of the turn was quite familiar to Josh; it was one similar to a curve the THUNDER ROAD course boasted. Were the spirits presenting the racers with an amalgamation of existing courses in Hoenn? He wondered what they had in store for Leader and challenger, but could not dwell on it long. That curve was coming up, and fast.

For a more nimble Pokémon, such as a Jolteon, swerving around the curves would be simple. Blinky's smaller size would have been perfect, too. The quilled electric-type would have been able to squeeze through the narrow gaps easily. Not Hylda, though. She was a big girl. While she could make sharp turns by sliding on her icy hooves, the equine was anything but agile. Tugging back on her reins and easing up on his leg pressure to reduce speed, the duo weaved an S-shaped path around the right-angle turns to minimize their loss of time and speed.

The SILVALLY's claws proved to be key in navigating the series of right-angle turns with precision, neither Pokémon small enough to take advantage of the narrow gaps riddling the straight line through the bolt-shaped curves. Sparks flew from the normal-type's claws, flicking Laurence Anderson back and forth in his seat as the duo made a move on the Gym Leader and his GLASTRIER.

A cold mist flew from the hooves of the ice horse, flash-freezing the ethereal ground beneath her and letting her slide around the curves like an expert figure-skater. While the GLASTRIER outsped the SILVALLY on the brief straight stretches between turns, the superior agility of the normal-type enabled Laurence Anderson to whiz past Josh Devlin coming out of the final curve with a significant, but not comfortable, lead.

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

Prompt: The course widens dramatically after the sharp turns, but that doesn't make for less room to run on! There are many ethereal spires scattered about the uneven ground, making balance a real challenge for both rider and mount as they weave around the minefield at great speed! The spires are not so thick to turn Pokémon and riders into paste; with the speeds they reached, they would likely shatter upon collision. Pokémon with great strength could trailblaze their own paths through the minefield, that is, if they didn't mind putting their bodies and that of their trainers on the line!

Target Number 1: 150 (Reaction)

Special 1: Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number lose 1% Stamina for every 2 points of difference. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number by 25 or more lose an additional 20% Stamina from crashing through one of the spires.

Target Number 2: 170 (Endurance)

Special 2: Boosting does not impose disadvantage on this Obstacle. Pokémon that meet or exceed this Obstacle's Target Number gain 70 TP in addition to any normal TP gain. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number lose 1% Stamina for every 2 points of difference. Pokémon that choose this Obstacle automatically lose 20% Stamina from crashing through the spires in its way.

That answered Josh's question. The course was not only an amalgamation of obstacles from existing courses in Hoenn, or even throughout the world. It also drew from a pool of obstacles rejected by the Pokémon Racing Federation for safety reasons. This obstacle was from an Ageosian course that was decommissioned after one season due to a safety system failure that led to a career-ending injury. Even so, it was in front of the Gym Leader, and he was behind. "Hylda, TRAILBLAZE your own path through!"

Josh ducked behind his guard as much as he could, leaning as low in the legendary ice-type's saddle as his body would allow. With a loud, CHILLING NEIGH that would likely have frightened anyone else who heard it, the Glastrier lunged straight at the large spire in front of her with speed perhaps unparalleled among her kind.

There were two approaches to handling the field of spires before them. The brave and perhaps reckless Josh Devlin went with the more direct approach, relying on his GLASTRIER's immense strength to TRAILBLAZE through those in his way. Each one the ice-type shattered to pieces bucked him forward. The Galarian legendary Pokémon's strength was immense, causing them to lose very little speed with every impact.

Laurence Anderson ' approach with his SILVALLY was to simply weave around them, trusting in the Pokémon's agility. Though it saved their strength, each turn sapped their speed some, letting the GLASTRIER barely retake the lead as the starting arch came into view. The race was still very tight, and anything could happen, especially with the course's unpredictability!

Prompt: After crossing the starting arch, the second "lap" takes racers in a totally different direction than the first; after a right U-turn sharper than anything thus far generated by the giant tomb's ghostly denizens, the course disappears into a swirling vortex that is challenging to see through. On its other side is a winding series of back-and-forth turns, the wavering landscape and field of high GRAVITY perhaps sickness-inducing. While the racers' multiplied weight will slow them down, it will also give them more time to react to each turn, as long as they can compensate for their increased sluggishness!

Target Number: 160 (Reaction or Endurance, whichever is higher)

Special: Pokémon do not apply their SPEED ratings to this Obstacle. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number lose 1% Stamina for every 1.5 points of difference (rounded up).

Lars had clearly brought his A-game, Amir keeping pace with possibly the swiftest Glastrier in Hoenn. Leaning in for added speed, the two reached the vortex, the Gym Leader feeling like he was going to be flattened by the added weight within the distorted space. Recognizing it as a field of high GRAVITY, Josh was familiar with its effects from having battled Pokémon using the move. The heavy ice-type's reaction became slower, as did Josh's. The problem was not knowing to compensate; it was how much he had to compensate.

The first curve was way too close of a call, nearly chipping a piece of ice off her hoof as Josh could feel the air displacement from cutting the corner far too tightly for comfort. Giving him an idea how much he had to adjust, he pulled on the Glastrier's now-heavy reins much earlier than normal. Even with his strength, he found his muscles shaking from having to hold up their increased weight. The forbidden, off-site course truly was for legendary Pokémon, wasn't it?

Both racers bravely entered the vortex, Laurence Anderson making a move on Josh Devlin and passing him just as they felt the wave of intense GRAVITY push them down. Adapting was a real challenge; even grasping the reins and adjusting to their steeds' heavier gaits proved troublesome. Both overcorrected, their GLASTRIER and SILVALLY swerving around the corners like drunk drivers. One could say the course was winning.

On the very last turn, Laurence Anderson 's judgment was off just enough for his SILVALLY to bounce off its inner bounds, sending the two of them to the far outside. That gave Josh Devlin and his GLASTRIER a wide window to retake the lead. Once they had left the field of high gravity, the two legendary Pokémon's speed returned to them. The SILVALLY was quicker to recover ground, now trailing the GLASTRIER by a large but thinning margin.

Prompt: The course forks after the gravity becomes normalized. The inner of the two paths is narrow and curves gradually to the left, with enough variance in its angle to keep racers from being able to hold constant pressure. The outer path features right-angle turns and is longer, but is wider. Furthermore, there is a purple and pink strip, the width of the outer path in size, radiating Infinity Energy. Pokémon that run over it will find themselves rejuvenated.

Target Number 1: 170 (Reaction)

Special 1: Pokémon that roll above this Obstacle's Target Number gain 140 TP in addition to their normal TP gained. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number lose 1% Stamina for every 2 points of difference (rounded up).

Target Number 1: 130 (Reaction)

Special 2: Pokémon that take this Obstacle regain 25% of their Stamina.