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Josh was sweating beneath his helmet. That was one chaotic mess in the tunnel, and it showed to the unpredictable nature of Pokémon racing. One mistake from a single Pokémon could affect the entire field. All of a sudden, it had turned from a challenger runaway into a close race that no one was out of.

Squinting in focus, Josh leaned as low as he could, ready to slam his flanks into the Jolteon's sides at the first good opportunity he had. Every large hump tested Josh's strength, the chin of his helmet hitting the top of his saddle's guard every time the electric Eeveelution climbed a hill. Keeping his balance, with how tired he was from the unrelenting course, was a Herculean task. The waves and right-angle turns whipped the Gym Leader back and forth, his hands shaking and confusing Blinky some about how hard he wanted her to take each turn.

Was panic at last setting in?

---

ZzyftXy_

---

Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's coaching coaxed quite the move out of her SCOLIPEDE, having built all its speed back up after the chaos at the end of the penultimate lap. They weren't the only one making moves, though; a loud shriek from behind preceded a noticeable temperature drop surrounding the field of five racers. The ground beneath the paws of ARAVAN ESCHER's GLACEON flash-froze, the ice-type Eeveelution masterfully skating among each of the humps. Skillfully sliding around the humps, using the backs of them to further accelerate, they were neck and neck with ERON IUNIS and his SYLVEON. It was only the SCOLIPEDE's twitching rear horns that stopped the blue Pokémon in its tracks, forcing it to run once more. After faking the giant bug out, they were in a battle for third place.

ACE SHEEKE's UMBREON was holding strong going into the final lap, as well, exhibiting great lines and even better form. That form would rapidly degrade as the dark-type stumbled going down one of the large humps in the opening turns. While it was only a small loss, every second counted; Gym Leader Josh Devlin 's JOLTEON on the outside took the opportunity to make a move for the lead. They went two wide into the whiplash-inducing, back-and-forth turns -- quite the risky move! They battled one another on a razor's edge, Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki with a front row seat to the action ahead of her.

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FINAL LAP | OBSTACLE 2

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

Prompt: The wavy backstretch left racers with a key decision on the final lap: to cut the corner and risk being disqualified, or to take it safe and preserve their position? The angle would be exactly the same as it was on the second lap, but what made the decision much more difficult this time was this was the last place there was to gain or lose a substantial amount of time! While a leap would save a heaps of time, it came with the familiar risk of an OFF COURSE penalty!

Target Number 1: 125 (Endurance)

Special 1: None

Target Number 2: 135 (Speed)

Special 2: Pokémon who meet or exceed the Target Number gain 75 TP in addition to any TP they would normally gain from this Obstacle. A Gym Leader or Challenger who rolls beneath the Target Number by 25 or more will instead suffer a flat 150 TP penalty from landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are DISQUALIFIED instead.

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Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki





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The Gym Leader had come into the final lap with a plan: to floor it and cut the corner with Blinky's intense speed. If there was a Pokémon on his Gym squad most capable of the feat, it was the Jolteon. Leaping over the gap would push the Eeveelution to her limits, so much that even the slightest sideswipe from another Pokémon would cause her rapidly-tiring body to give out. The electric-type was not built for longer courses; she was a sprinter.

There was also a lot of traffic; with the Umbreon occupying the optimal angle, he would have to push the Jolteon especially hard. Bracing himself for acceleration that would make him feel like he was being shot out of a cannon. Josh slammed his heels into Blinky's flanks, the lightning-fast Pokémon not giving any quarter. Making a sudden move to pass the Umbreon in front of him, the Gym Leader ordered a QUICK ATTACK, Blinky turning into a yellow blur as she leaped over the hill and across an out-of-bounds field.

---

Target Number 2 is selected.
QUICK ATTACK is used.
iayeNolv

---

All the racers' eyes shift toward cutting the corner, with the exception of ARAVAN ESCHER. Less confident in his GLACEON's speed and more confident in its ability to turn, the ice-type broke away from the pack early, skating around the hilly curve as though it was the hillside of a glacial mountain. The others courageously spurred their Pokémon to QUICK ATTACKS, Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki 's SCOLIPEDE keeping up easily with its SPEED BOOST.

ACE SHEEKE's UMBREON fought with Josh Devlin 's JOLTEON for space, the two trying to force each other off the part of the hill that would give them the most optimal jump angle. One incidental touch from the yellow Eeveelution's quills was all it took for the dark-type to back down, yielding to the blistering fast electric-type. After landing from the leap, the Jolteon began what may have been the fastest limp that Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki had ever seen. It was still quite the run, but it was nowhere near the speed it had reached before. Had it twisted something upon landing?

Despite not cutting the corner, the GLACEON was still able to keep pace with the UMBREON and SYLVEON that had done so. The racers went down the backstretch's downhill a dangerous four wide, none of them giving an inch. Even simple turns might be an issue, the four needing to make them in unison or back away and give up position in a critical moment of the race. Though Josh Devlin was far ahead of the others by comparison, his JOLTEON was suffering from fatigue, shedding fractions of a second with every passing moment. Were the challenger to look at the scoreboard, she would see Josh Devlin 's and the JOLTEON's portrait blinking red rapidly: a sign that the Eeveelution was being pushed to its limits.

---

FINAL LAP | OBSTACLE 3

Prompt: The home stretch was all that remained, an official standing near the starting arch and waving the checkered flag. There was little risk of an accident on this straight sprint to the finish! Now was the best opportunity for the five racers and their Pokémon to give it everything they had!

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: None

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Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki





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As Blinky slid and whipped around the final curves, Josh glanced back toward the competition behind him. He had s lead, but not a big one, and it was shrinking quickly as the Jolteon slowed in her exhaustion. His instincts told him to slam and dig his heels into the electric Pokémon's flanks as hard as he could, but his intellect reminded him of the Eeveelution's physical limits. Minding her injuries, Josh went for a happy medium: a firm squeeze to her sides.

He could feel the Jolteon gasping for air, trying to draw in as much oxygen as she could to fuel her overworked muscles for the last few hundred meters of the race. With every stroke of her legs, she shed speed, even wobbling back and forth. This was not normal for her, even respecting the distance of the race. Had the curves been too rough on the yellow and white Pokémon's thin claws? He would have time to examine them after the race. In the moment, though, he pushed Blinky forward as hard as he felt he could while making sure she crossed the finish line. The last thing he wanted to do was work his steed to the point of unconsciousness in the race's final moments.

---

wWmkljGF

This was the challenger's moment. Lowering its head as much as it could, the two clung to the ground as closely as possible to minimize air resistance, resulting in a SPEED BOOST that let them keep up with the Eeveelutions around them putting on QUICK ATTACKS despite their exhaustion. All except Josh Devlin 's JOLTEON. The Gym Leader did well to recognize his mount was on the brink of exhaustion, bleeding more and more time as the bug-type zoomed toward ACE SHEEKE's UMBREON in front with no fear at all. Though its stamina was high, even the dark-type had its limits, swerving back and forth to stem off dizziness from running so hard for so long. This allowed Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki to make a quick move, but ERON IUNIS and his SYLVEON were coming from behind them fast!

As Josh Devlin and his beleaguered JOLTEON crossed the finish line, the electric-type immediately swerving off course and onto nearby grass, it looked close between the SCOLIPEDE and SYLVEON. Every stroke would matter. With a squeal, the fairy-type gave one last push, stretching its QUICK ATTACK to the limit... ultimately coming up barely short. The challenger was the clear runner up, though not by much. They barely had any time to tilt their head to see the others finish, if they so desired; even ARAVAN ESCHER's GLACEON had quite the showing in the ending, keeping the other racers on top of their game the whole time.

---

[player]https://fi.zophar.net/soundfiles/nintendo-gamecube-gcn/f-zero-gx/228%20-%20Hurrah%20for%20the%20Champion%20%28Winning%20Run%29.mp3[/player]

NEW THEME SONG! Hurrah for the Champion - F-ZERO GX ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Cameras flashed from the stands as the top three finishers stood upon the podium. Stage right, ERON IUNIS and his SYLVEON; stage left, Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki and their SCOLIPEDE; and center stage, Gym Leader Josh Devlin and his JOLTEON. All three were presented with medals for their achievements, the challenger's photo taken to be attached to the report of their successful Gym challenge.

"Your tenacity and handling of your Scolipede ranks you among Mauville's best challengers," Josh complimented his... not-quite-friend. They were getting closer, but not quite there yet. Perhaps they would when they became more than friends, but co-workers, in May. "Being able to keep up with Blinky, one of my fastest Pokémon, is incredible. The way you handled those curves was something else, too. To climb up the side of the tunnels take great bravery and trust. Those qualities will see you far in the Pokémon League."

He reached into his pocket, and presented Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki with a closed fist. Opening it up, the Hoenn League QUICK BADGE was in the palm of his hand. "Take it. For your second place finish, Mauville's Gym Badge. You and your Scolipede shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Riders as champions." The race replay showing on the big screen was highlighting the way the giant bug navigated the rough terrain and blind turns. It made the Leader want to get a Scolipede for himself.

Once the crowd had cleared, Josh realized how close to noon it was. "I'm going to lunch at the Checkered Flag, down the road a piece. Want to join me? One of the best Unovan places in town."

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Hyakkaryōran Tsubaki


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