[attr="class","emapkmn"]

"Oho." Lutgarde only realises one moment later that muscle memory is deceptive here, and they need to fully adjust their thinking to whatever's going on now. Sylph reacts faster to it than her trainer, letting out a determined cry as they still are in the lead in this moment, with Lutgarde not daring to look behind. Still, the wind and sounds might tell them ... something might have changed behind them?

But there's little time to actually consider, as they need to adjust to the new routing, or simply: consider it like it's the first time. "New terrain, here we go!" they laugh as they learn forward tightly, seeing that now, Reaction is once again more asked than anything else. Guiding Sylph with subtle taps, the Togekiss mostly does work herself as she focuses up on the course ahead.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 130
REACTION MODIFIED 70
BOOST 1/3
Gx05l3QL +30 speed mod
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

Even being used to the course, the inversion of every turn was a headache for Josh and Mastema. There weren't too many turns that were terribly sharp, but each one crept up on him as he fought muscle memory and instinct to turn the opposite way he did during the first two laps. Racing fundamentals and lines were important, especially with the Aerodactyl narrowly trailing him. He could feel the wake of the prehistoric predator's wingbeats with every move the redhead made. With the huge dive coming up and Aerodactyl seemingly built for them, he didn't expect to keep any time he made up... which made fundamentals all the more important.

Within his heart, Josh was proud of Lutgarde. The Ranger had proven not only to be a good friend, but one with a diverse skillset. As long as their lead held for one final lap, they would be soaring to the top of the podium. He wasn't going to make it easy on them, though; hugging the inside as much as he could, he took advantage of Mastema's excellent cornering, looking to shave tenths of a second off every curve before their guts would race up their bodies shortly...

Humans were creatures of habit. Short-term habit and long-term habit. This final circuit around the course forced Josh Devlin , Lutgarde Dijkstra , and the three other racers to combat everything they knew from the first two laps, cast aside their habits, and trust their fundamentals.

The challenger led the way, controlling their TOGEKISS with light taps near their crest. Though distant, ARAVAN ESCHER and Josh Devlin were in hot pursuit, their NOIVERN and TOGEKISS banking around each corner. That distance would grow over time, the dragon's rider turning late each time and allowing the two TOGEKISS to make up ground.

Were Lutgarde Dijkstra to glance back, they would see they had quite the lead going into the big dive. A glance at the distant scoreboard may also enlighten them to their immaculate pace; they were narrowly ahead of not only the aerial course record, but THEO BECKETT 's land course record set with his LUXRAY. They couldn't count anyone out, though; a loud buzz from ERON IUNIS' BEEDRILL and screech from ACE SHEEKE's AERODACTYL was a sign that they were ready to give it their all in the last half-lap. No one could sleep on anyone else in the field!

Prompt: After a brief but fairly steep uphill straightaway was the titular Aero Dive. Part of the beginning of the ramp had been retracted, meaning the racers would have to jump their Pokémon a bit farther this time! With the power of Quick Attack at their avail this time around, that wouldn't be a problem, as long as the teams had the foresight to conserve their Pokémon's stamina...and their own, with how much faster the bumpy ride at the bottom would be coming!

Target Number: 120 (Speed)

Special: Any TP gained from this Obstacle is multiplied by 1.5, rounded up. Pokémon that miss the Target Number by 30 or more will instead receive a flat -150 TP penalty for landing OFF COURSE. Gym Trainers that land OFF COURSE are DISQUALIFIED instead.

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

Lutgarde isn't sure if there's time for some impromptu meditation, but they would surely try and go for it! They'd need to clear their memory from the previous course, but even in reverse, it just looks too damn familiar ...

"Okay, that's really new!" they shout then over the wind, seeing as the ramp has somehow been made smaller. Hasn't it been only a few seconds? The gym's really advanced! Or maybe they misremember, after all. But hey, it's their first time here, too, definitely, with no past to speak of! It seems like they'd need a little more bump in their numbers to take the full dive at full speed, and Lutgarde pats Sylph momentarily. "How about we make them Follow Us even more?" they laugh, as Sylph puffs herself up (and immediately gets flattened again by the wind), nodding.

Her Follow Me move manifests as a little maneuver to the left and the right - risky at this speed, but she hopes general practice will enough. If the move takes, it might even lead others to pursue her even more ... but also gives her an edge to her speed to stay ahead, as the others shall follow as she leads.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 120
REACTION MODIFIED 60
BOOST 2/3 - FOLLOW ME
3R5csVaF +60 speed mod
80+65+60 = 205
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

While the ramp had retracted some, just like on the overland course, it was less impactful than it was for those Pokémon, by virtue of being able to fly. This made getting the angle of attack even more important than before... and also made remaining aerodynamic paramount. The Champion leaned as low as his cocoon would allow before digging his heels into the fairy-type's sides -- an order for the Togekiss to go all out. "We'll catch them yet! EXTREME SPEED!"

Though Mastema wasn't too happy about Josh's means of it, the haughty yet loyal flying-type complied. A cone of wind enveloped the two, their peripheral vision blurring heavily as they looked like a white comet on a collision course with the lower surface. Even at tornadic speeds, the Leader kept his cool. As big of a lead as his challenger had, they could not relax. "This... isn't over yet!" he cried loudly through the tremendous pressure squeezing his midsection.

Indeed, the Gym was quite advanced; some courses, such as the AERO DIVE, had elements that could be dynamically modified lap to lap. It kept challengers' awareness, and even that of the Leader and Gym Trainers, quite sharp. While likely intended to be more of a hindrance to the competition than a true increase in speed, Lutgarde Dijkstra 's TOGEKISS goading ARAVAN ESCHER's NOIVERN to FOLLOW ME backfired. The bat-dragon was too smart.

Showing them what a real speed boost looked like, the dragon-type caught lift at the exact angle needed to slowly make up time on the challenger in the wake of a tornadic TAILWIND. With every passing second, that lead grew less comfortable. The wind was so intense that Lutgarde Dijkstra may not have even been able to hear the sound of an AERODACTYL's screech and a BEEDRILL's noisy buzz, the Pokémon piloted by ACE SHEEKE and ERON IUNIS desperately mustering final bursts of AGILITY in an effort to keep up with Josh Devlin 's EXTREME SPEEDING TOGEKISS.

After one last hairpin turn, expertly handled by the entire field, the home stretch was upon the racers. Though Lutgarde Dijkstra held onto the lead, that NOIVERN was proving to be the faster of the two! Would they have enough of a lead for it to hold?

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: None

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

The winds become deafening as it's just a little bit more and one of them would be champion of the race track for this race. Despite their plan with Follow Me having backfired in a way, only seeming to assist their competition, Lutgarde couldn't help a smirk and a gleeful laugh as they, for the moment, still race ahead. The speed is dizzying as they continue onwards at their absolute maximum speed, now leaning into one last Extreme Speed as Sylph pulls forward as fast as she could possibly can, following her namesake of air fairies.

The moment stills almost, as the end truly comes in sight in form of a waving flag.

"We almost got it!" Lutgarde shouts and couldn't keep the laughter out of their voice, but isn't even sure if they hear their own voice on the wind. They then simply lean forward, adjusting their position slightly so that Sylph could race ahead without them hindering her in any way. They make sure to keep an eye out if any adjustments should be needed last minute - but for now, truly, speed is all that's needed.

Sylph is focused, but for a moment, also lets herself loose in the feeling of the wind against her wings, carrying her and pushing her onward as she flies further and further, not letting her goal out of sight. Just some more ...

Josh Devlin
TARGET 0
REACTION MODIFIED 0
BOOST 3/3 - EXTREME SPEED
g0s0VVqq +60 speed mod
98+75+60 = 233
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

The home stretch was upon Josh, his coworkers, and the challenger. It felt like two races instead of one; the Togekiss and Noivern in front of him felt uncatchable. What he battled for was the final podium spot, his body shaking from being thrown vertically during the last upward turn. His lower body was throbbing from how long Mastema had sustained elevated speed that left them a white comet on the course.

Fighting through it, the Champion flexed outward before slamming his heels into the fairy-type's sides. With a war cry from the rider and a loud screech from the mount, Mastema followed the high of one blast of EXTREME SPEED with another. A cone of dust formed around the two as a sonic shockwave ravaged every unprotected ear present. As reckless and focused on a single attribute as Josh was, his Pokémon were unmatched in that dimension.

If there was one in all of Hoenn that could turn this around, it was him.

All five Pokémon pushed their bodies to their limits in the long, final stretch. The gallery's whistling was drowned out by the screech of an AERODACTYL and a NOIVERN, the roaring wings of a BEEDRILL, and the sonic booms of two TOGEKISS soaring toward the finish line. All competed to bask in the glory of the checkered flag.

The racers fell off, one by one, their sore Pokémon slowing to coasting speeds. No longer able to maintain its tailwind, the BEEDRILL's hum turned from the terror the species was known for to that of a low brass note. ACE SHEEKE's AERODACTYL spread its weary wings just barely before catching up to Josh Devlin , the TOGEKISS just barely able to hold the Rock-type off and snagging THIRD PLACE from the redhead.

Far in front of them, the NOIVERN kept pace with Lutgarde Dijkstra 's TOGEKISS until they went supersonic, the sudden dust corona disrupting ARAVAN ESCHER's flight. The dragon's TAILWIND, strong as it was, simply could not keep up with the fairy-type rock mid-EXTREME SPEED. As they crossed the finish line, they would bask in the glory of not only a win, but that of large, gold text across the scoreboard:

IMPRESSIVE! NEW RECORD!

Lutgarde Dijkstra , ARAVAN ESCHER, and Josh Devlin were assembled on the podium shortly after the race was over, their Pokémon standing or floating near them. All three were presented with medals for their finish, the challenger's photo taken to be attached to the report of their successful Gym Challenge.

"You and your Togekiss are some of the fiercest competition we've had here in Mauville Gym's history," Josh complimented Lutgarde Dijkstra once the ceremony had ended, grimacing from how sore his thighs still were. "You pushed all of us to our limits. Have you thought about turning pro? You could make a lot of money doing so. To not only win by a wide margin, but set a new course record... what more is there to say? Those kinds of skills will see you far in the Pokémon League."

Reaching into his pocket, the Leader presented Lutgarde Dijkstra with a closed fist. Opening it, the Hoenn League QUICK BADGE was in the palm of his hand. "Your prize for winning. You and your Togekiss shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Riders as champions, and as AERO DIVE record holders. While the Badge is eternal, do not forget that records are meant to be broken."

Once the crowd had cleared, Josh guided the challenger back to the Gym lobby. "Any idea what Gym you're headed to next?" he asked them.

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

Lutgarde's heartbeat goes way too fast after they've crossed the finish line - it takes a moment for them to realise that there's no one in front of them. Only them in the lead, as Sylph, a bit more aware than her trainer, starts slowing down steadily, perhaps doing something like a small victory lap as she smirks with visible pride. She chirps up at Lutgarde, who finally breaks out in a laugh, hugging Sylph as the realisation hits them, and the golden words start to make sense.

"Man, you were fantastic today. That was ... wild." Sylph makes approving noises, as well as doing a little bump of appreciation that puts Lutgarde upright again for their fly towards the podium. They still feel a bit dazed as they stand there, when their photo gets taken, up until when Josh approaches them.

"Thanks so much!" they grin, slowly coming into themself again. "I haven't really considered it before - but maybe that's on the table for sometime," they laugh. "That was mad fun, woah. Sylph definitely went above and beyond herself - you'll get some cake later!" The normally introverted and people-averse Togekiss seems to actually enjoy bathing in the spotlight for the moment, wearing a very satisfied expression on her face - it still seems a bit off and mean, unlike what her peers (except Mastema) might wear.

"No idea just yet, but we'll def continue ... see where this all might lead us." They take the badge with a slight bow to show Josh respect, before holding the badge up, seeing how it looks. Their very first badge ... "Glad to have started here," they grin.

Josh Devlin
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)