These kinds of turns were ones that Twilight ate up, particularly when Mega Evolved. If anything, the Gym Leader had to worry about turning too tightly and falling off the inside rather than the outside. Even with Infinity Energy flowing through her and giving her a supernatural second wind, Josh could feel his Absol's heartbeat growing heavier. When the Mega Evolution wore off, she was going to be running on fumes. He had timed its use the way he did for this exact reason: to finish strong and try to catch Elise. Both Absol were well-trained for the race track. They had to be; she participated in racing challenges when Josh was away from the Gym, after all!

"Alright, Twilight, we gotta pump the brakes a little!" he commanded, both verbally and through relaxing his legs slightly. Sparks flew from the dark-type's feet for a brief moment before the uneven ground came, sapping them of enough speed for the false-winged Pokémon to raise her already strong grip on the course even further.

Josh's Gym Trainers, Elise Calcifet included, were all smart. They had a lot of racing experience and knew the courses well. Braking and caution were the way to go on the wobbly ground, even for those confident in their Pokémon's turning capabilities, such as ERON IUNIS and his RAICHU. His stomach churned from the constant ups and downs, sparks flying from a brief tail strike at the top of every mogul the two as ARAVAN ESCHER and his LUXRAY challenged their rival for second place. They were coming up on Elise Calcifet and her ABSOL quickly, the Galarian challenger able to hold them off just long enough with her partner's enhanced grip from MEGA EVOLUTION.

Farther back, Josh Devlin and his own MEGA EVOLVED ABSOL made the right call, his slower speed letting him follow the inside of each of the dangerous curves more closely than he could at full speed. The blade-horned Pokémon kept pace with the faster PYROAR, ACE SHEEKE's Shiny partner needing to cover more distance by virtue of running a longer route. He wasn't far behind the Gym Leader, and had his eyes open for a passing opportunity!

Prompt: After passing through the Glastrier-frozen loop one last time, the course's final curves came up fast, and were they ever a doozy: an entire circle-and-a-half's worth of them. First, an uphill, 270-degree left whose ending was difficult to judge due to a large hedge masking the inside of the corner. Second, a perfect right U-turn immediately followed by a blind left that whipped racers back toward the finish line. Though the field knew what was coming by virtue of it being the final lap, Pokémon's reaction times were growing more sluggish due to the length of the race! The home stretch was just beyond, making this the last good passing opportunity they would get!

Target Number: 160 (Reaction)

Special: Any Track Points lost as a result of rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number are multiplied by 1.5 (rounded up).

Josh squinted, bouncing alongside the redhead not far behind him as his tired Absol was giving it everything she had. She was used to long races, but the SPIRAL was truly a colossal course, covering most of the ground that Sector 6 was composed of. She was going to really be feeling it after crossing the finish line, her paws and legs aching like they never had before once Infinity Energy stopped supporting her.

Josh, too, was growing progressively more tired, his thighs starting to burn from how long he was pushing his Absol to such high speeds. He let out a loud cry as he tugged hard on Twilight's reins, sparks flying from her sharp claws as she slid around the contorting loops preceding the home stretch. He lost feeling in his left leg, its muscles longing for oxygen while the conduit supplying them with blood flow was pinched shut. As much as he wanted to simply give Elise the win, he couldn't. It would be unlike him, one of Hoenn's most competitive spirits.

After the first sharp turn, he thrust the dark-type into an equally sharp turn the other way, flinging him into an uncomfortable position astride Twilight. Had his saddle not been so secured, even Josh would have been launched off right before the home stretch.

This course truly was racing hell, wasn't it?

Despite Elise Calcifet and her ABSOL Being in the lead, she was still ordering the false-winged dark-type to floor it. And floor it she did, her claws making squealing noises against the surface mid-QUICK ATTACK. She might need a manicure when this race was over, but if her sole goal was to win, she was doing her job! With wondrous precision, she slid around each of the three long and sharp curves before the home stretch, though Elise herself may have suffered effects of mild to moderate whiplash from the sudden reversals of direction. She owed her training with Josh to her retained cognizance with how much stress the curves put on her body.

ERON IUNIS, ARAVAN ESCHER, and their electric mounts eased off the metaphorical gas pedal, giving the challenger more breathing room. The hot-headed ACE SHEEKE, though, wasn't having any of it. With a loud cry, he took his left hand off the reins of his PYROAR, his Z-GLOVE and the NORMALIUM-Z hidden within the lion's red fur glowing a bright white. With a burst of Z-ENERGY, the golden cat zipped through the sharp curves as though he was a slot car, rocketing past Josh Devlin 's ABSOL and toward the electric-types in front of him in a Z-MOVE: BREAKNECK BLITZ. Even the experienced redhead wailed, his lower body on fire from being yanked back and forth so hard. There were more gasps than cheers in the crowd; even for an athlete used to such types of punishment, that looked like it hurt.

As the finish line loomed ahead, both the PYROAR's and Josh Devlin 's ABSOL's energy highs wore off, Z-POWER and MEGA EVOLUTION expiring just before the home stretch. Their Pokémon were both sweating all over, looking like they would stumble across the finish line from their exertion.

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 Pokémon to give it everything they had!

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: Any Track Points gained during this Obstacle are doubled.

What a marathon. And not a straightforward one, either. Josh felt how hard Twilight was working through her heartbeat and her damp fur. She was sweating all over, doing her best to maintain her MEGA EVOLUTION around the final turn and all the way to the finish line. Just as he swerved around the last turn, his MEGA GLOVE ceased glowing, his weary mount reverting to her base form. With her false wings no longer protecting Josh, he felt the full force of the wind tunnel surrounding him, his already sore thighs thumping as hard as the white Pokémon's heart.

Josh squeezed the Absol's sides as tightly as his meager strength would allow, pushing her to her limits as she dueled ACE SHEEKE's Pyroar for fourth place. Despite bearing a heavier that normal rider and having survived multiple critical injuries, the old, golden lion could still run! With synchronized strides, the duo raced to the finish in a contest that seemed too close to call.

It was the final stretch, and most of the rest of field was running on empty. Despite Elise Calcifet 's command to pick up the pace for a QUICK ATTACK, her ABSOL did not comply. She could not; she was too exhausted to do so, only able to coast on her current speed. Having come down from the high of MEGA EVOLUTION, Josh Devlin 's ABSOL took advantage of her momentum to pass ACE SHEEKE's equally-tired, but naturally faster, PYROAR. That gap would close rapidly, the golden lion catching up the two watched ERON IUNIS' RAICHU give chase to the two in front of him.

All except ARAVAN ESCHER. He and his LUXRAY had one last trick ready to deploy. Raising his Z-GLOVE, he turned its crystal outward, its radiation absorbed by the QUICKINIUM-Z hidden within the black cat's fur. Even the experienced racer let out a loud cry as he held on for dear life, a dust corona forming around both of them in the Z-MOVE: HYPERSONIC PLASMA CHARGE. A massive sonic explosion may have badly startled Elise Calcifet and broken her concentration, but her ABSOL still gave what little she had. The electric lion zoomed past both of them, but not before the dark-type had crossed the line with just little enough real estate to hold off the Z-Move's dangerous epeed.

Cameras flashed from the stands as the top three finishers stood upon the podium. Stage right, ERON IUNIS and his RAICHU; stage left, ARAVAN ESCHER and his LUXRAY; and center stage, Gym Leader Elise Calcifet and his ABSOL. 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.

"You're an amazing trainer for you and Sayori to even complete three laps on the most challenging course at Mauville Racing Grounds," Josh complimented his co-worker. "To win the race on top of that, holding off a hypersonic Z-Move... you're talented. You could be a pro if you wanted." He let Elise bask in the glory of her victory before continuing with the ceremony. "To endure everything this hellish course had to throw at you, a course reserved for challengers looking for their last Badge... that courage and persistence will serve you well in the Pokémon League challenge."

He reached into his pocket, and presented Elise Calcifet with a closed fist. Opening it up, the Hoenn League QUICK BADGE was in the palm of his hand. "Take it. For your win today, an earned copy of the Gym Badge I'm sure you've given to many other trainers in my absence. You and your Absol shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Riders as champions." While the victory on the replay was clear, had the oceanographer timed his Z-Move better, he could have overtaken Elise in an even more dramatic finish.

Once the crowd had cleared, Josh guided Elise back to the Gym's rear entrance. "How about we plan on going out to dinner tonight to celebrate your win? Unovan, Alto Maren, Kantonian... anything but Paldean. I can't stand Paldean food. Too spicy."