Mauville Racing Grounds' facility was enormous indeed; while the office space had little signage due to its size being on the smaller side, the property where the action took place, just outside the city proper, was enormous. Luckily, Josh had experienced staff who knew the facility well, and signage that could guide challengers to the correct location. The voice of KEVIN STROUSER, Josh's scheduler, echoed over the Gym's loudspeakers:

"Challenger Lutgarde Dijkstra , please report to Sector 3. Challenger Dijkstra, to Sector 3. Thank you!" Sadly, the new scheduler had butchered their last name.

Provided the challenger found ample signage, he would see the brash and tall ACE SHEEKE, already seated on Meteos, an Aerodactyl whose jaws simultaneously dripped scalding hot embers, a chilling mist, and sparks of electricity; the timid and short ERON IUNIS, on King Zing the Beedrill; and the reserved ARAVAN ESCHER, perched between the wings of Reverb the Noivern. Lastly, he would see the Gym Leader Josh Devlin , making adjustments to the saddle strapped to Mastema, a stern-looking Togekiss that mirrored his competitive look.

All his Gym Trainers and their Pokémon were ready and raring to go. "Lutgarde! Great to see you," he greeted his challenger. "Been looking forward to you dropping by for a while. Most of these Pokémon are new to the race course. This should be fun!" The three Gym Trainers introduced themselves and Josh's Pokémon they were borrowing, one by one. Eron's hair stood on end as his mount loudly buzzed in an effort to intimidate Lutgarde and their Togekiss.

The gallery surrounding Sector 3's AERO DIVE course was full. Its titular obstacle was an enormous drop after a series of uphill turns, Pokémon able to achieve incredible speeds on the way down. It had a long enough runway on the end that Pokémon could take a variety of angles depending on how confident they felt in their speed control. There were a couple of hairpin turns on the north and south ends of the course, but it seemed largely engineered as a course to purely go fast.

Josh went over the rules of the challenge, required by Hoenn League statute. "See that arch near the starting line, with the long and skinny monitor on it? We line up behind that, and the countdown will be on that display. It will sound four horns and display '3, 2, 1, GO'. On 'GO', our Pokémon will start flying. Pokémon are not allowed to use moves like Quick Attack or Extreme Speed on the first lap. After the first lap, though, use them as much as your Pokémon can handle! Beat me to the finish line after three laps, or otherwise prove to me you can handle the pressure of split second decision making, and the Hoenn League Quick Badge is yours."

Once he had finished explaining the rules, Josh climbed atop the fairy-type, zipping himself inside his cocoon saddle - a very important safety measure when flying on any Pokémon at great speed. "Good luck to you, and remember: with great speed comes great responsibility." Josh reminded his challenger as he slammed his helmet's visor down. If Lutgarde were to glance toward him, the challenger would see a laser focused expression, almost like he was in a zen state as he held Mastema's reins in anticipation of the green light.

You will have 8 ranks to distribute among three skills. No more than 5 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 often a Pokémon can use its Boost during a race. Your Pokémon can use its Boost a number of times equal to its number of ranks in Endurance (min. 1). 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.

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 at least one of the following conditions are met:

1) The challenger finishes the race in 1st or 2nd place.
2) The challenger finishes the race ahead of the Gym Leader.
3) The challenger otherwise demonstrates their mastery of the tenets of Mauville Gym, at the Leader's discretion.

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

The ranger smiles good-naturedly as their lastname is not pronounced as it should be, and simply follows the siren call of their first name. Lutgarde waves and greets at every of the gym trainers that would also take part in the race. Their friendliness is a stark contrast to the grim determination that Sylph displays, looking at the other competitors and not batting an eye at the various intimidation tactics - for now. Who knows how the race itself might end up as ... Indeed, the two Togekisses competing might be similiar as that they both lack the happy-go-lucky attitude that most of their species have.

"Josh!" they grin and nod, "Could finally make some time. Excited to race you and the others today!" They nod at Josh's explanation, wondering about the last part - how does one ever evaluate such things? But well, that's a reason why they're definitely not gym leader material at all.

"Got it! Good speed all around," they grin, and let Sylph line up at the starting line. They pat their pokémon, leaning down while everyone's getting ready. "Remember to have fun, alright? And let's give it our all." Sylph doesn't respond, but she doesn't need to.

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

Mastema's trill was anything but friendly; he clearly appreciated Sylph's competitiveness and that he wasn't the only Togekiss with a serious demeanor. The course would be flying by them once the green flag waved, especially after the first lap, when they would be able to disappear into white swirls and trails. "Of course! That's part of why I became a Gym Leader - to turn this sporty passion of mine into a way to help people understand their Pokémon!" Though he had a peppered past with the League, upper management had kept him on all this time; clearly the good had outweighed the bad.

Once all the competitors indicated they were ready, three still images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou, sprinting at full speed, faded into view along with a "GET READY" prompt. Said stills disappeared rhythmically, one at a time. Alongside each, a loud, low-pitched squawk blared as an aural indicator of the countdown and allowing the racers to more easily time their accelerating leaps off the line. The fourth such sound was higher-pitched as the final image vanished, the text "GET READY" shifting to "GO". The moment the starting buzzer sounded, Josh and his Gym Trainers jabbed at their mounts' sides with their knees, battling for early position.

Prompt: The course starts out with a long, slightly uphill straightaway for the racers to get their Pokémon up to speed, though there are five short drops no more than a couple feet each to balance out the elevation gain. The upper course bounds, marked by red flags, drop in tandem, making it impossible for the Pokémon to make a smooth dive through the "steps" of the overland course beneath. Past the straightaway is a myriad of progressively tighter curves, some left and some right, forming the illusion of a roundabout-like structure from above. Course bounds form a linear path through it, making racers go the long way around. The last uphill curve in particular is deceptive, racers unable to see over the hill until just before making the turn. It is very easy to misjudge and start turning late.

Target Number: 125 (Reaction)

Special: None

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

Lutgarde grins, nods, "And I think you're making quite a good job of it." At least it's true for them, and they can't imagine it being much different for others. The starting signal would be given by illustrated Raikous which also seem very on theme. They grin as they make themself ready when Sylph's already ready from the start.

It's not often that she met another Togekiss who doesn't go immediately all lovey-dovey which she clearly appreciates - even if, with all her tsundereness, she doesn't mind the friendliness of her species either.

"Alright, focus up, buddy," Lutgarde grins, to which Sylph only huffs. "Right, right," they laugh, patting her as the countdown starts.

3, 2 ... 1, ... GET READY ... GO!!

All racers seem to give the starting signals to their pokémon in tandem, and Lutgarde is no different. Sylph's shifted to treat the other racers as obstacles in her mind, trying to weave around them to gain the upper hand. The first stretch of the course is indeed quite filled with actual obstacles that require quick reaction and thinking - something that Sylph technically is quite proficient in, since she's used in quick, dangerous rescue maneuvers. Still, that race course is unknown to her, so Lutgarde does their best to match their pokémon's reaction speed and guide where they can as they race along.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 125
REACTION MODIFIED 65
SNaHwCii++30 speed mod
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

The wind pushed Josh backward as Mastema soared across the line, keeping one eye on Lutgarde and their Togekiss as he battled for early position. The upper bounds of the course were narrow, making the ride as bumpy as a wave-like roller coaster. The Gym Leader's gut rose and fall with each dip in elevation, each sensation of his innards being thrown around growing in intensity as the Togekiss picked up speed.

Once they were above flat ground, the ride was as comfortable as an airplane in clear skies until they reached the first curve. Loosening his hold on the Togekiss slightly, the Pokémon tilted his body upward at a low angle to act as an air brake, slowing enough to meander about the opening stretch's long but gentle turns. He had to conserve Mastema's energy for when they got to the dive; knowing the kind of speed the fairy-type was capable of, he would have to slam on the brakes to avoid flying off course later!

The menacing drone of BEEDRILL wings clashed with the cheering gallery as the five Pokémon took to the air, ERON IUNIS zipping ahead of the competition to a quick and decisive early lead. Reaching his meager top speed in seconds, the dragons and TOGEKISS closed the gap, ARAVAN ESCHER's NOIVERN catching a strong gust and passing the killer insect as they dove down the opening stretch.

Josh Devlin and Lutgarde Dijkstra flew alongside one another, their TOGEKISS neck and neck as they acrobatically glided down the steps. Hearing the screech of an AERODACTYL behind him, the Gym Leader swerved upward and toward the outside to avoid a nasty collision. The challenger looked ready to pass the poison-type until the curves came, the BEEDRILL in front of them hugging the inside of each curve with almost inhuman precision. Insects truly had almost unlimited agility, didn't they?

Prompt:After a steep uphill slope following the back-and-forth curves, there is plenty of room to build up speed before the course's titular Aero Dive. Several blue and yellow poles from the aerial course were extended, serving as guides to show where the course continued far below. While there was a minimum distance needed to be able to land on the downslope below, it would be trivial for most Pokémon to glide all the way down. The challenging part would be maintaining control after touching down on the lower part of the course; all five of them would be coming out of the dive at well above their normal top speeds.

Target Number: 100 (Speed)

Special: Any TP gained from this Obstacle is multiplied by 1.5, rounded up.

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

The first obstacle of the course already proves to be somewhat of a roller coaster, but Lutgarde thinks that Sylph's managing fairly well - she's hugging the curves as much as she can, her eyes kept straight ahead of her while also trying to figure out where her actual rival of the day, the other Togekiss, is currently at. However, it's eyes ahead on that curvy ride, and then all focus up as the course goes in for a dive.

"Time to giddy up!" Lutgarde grins, moving their head slightly to see where the other racer's at - damn that Beedrill's fast and agile, too. But, they quickly focus on Sylph again, as she goes in for the dive, using this part to accelerate. "And dive we go!"

Josh Devlin
TARGET 100
SPEED MODIFIED ---
tA_Uq_m_++60 speed mod
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

As the severe uphill slope came, Josh yanked upward on Mastema's reins, the focused-looking Togekiss soaring as high as the course's bounds would allow. He kept one eye on the edge of the course and another on the Beedrill in the first place, trying to avoid being directly behind it. The wake currents produced by the wings of a wasp big enough to mount were tremendously disorienting, and one of the top reasons why passing one was so difficult. If their vibrations didn't bother Josh so much, then maybe he would be more apt to race with the insectile predator.

"Alright, Mastema, you ready to zoom?" Josh asked. With a nod from the graceful-looking fairy-type, he squeezed his mount's sides and took most of the pressure off his reins. The speedy Pokémon dove down the straight part of the course, the wind sounding like a freight train passing even with his helmet on.

He had warned Lutgarde that when there were Togekiss involved, there might be some sonic booms. Perhaps on boost laps, they would get to taste that experience themselves.

All five Pokémon picked up speed and altitude in anticipation of the huge drop before them. Much of the pressure would not be on the Pokémon that were built for speed, but for the trainers on their backs. Many of them would struggle to maintain control as their mounts' bodies shook from going far faster than their wings could normally carry them.

An explosion of loud vibrations echoed from the frontrunner BEEDRILL's wings, the unstable air in their wake making it difficult for ARAVAN ESCHER's NOIVERN and Lutgarde Dijkstra 's TOGEKISS to maintain control. While the challenger quickly corrected by angling their dive more sharply, they were forced to pull out of it sooner by virtue of running out of altitude, letting Josh Devlin and his TOGEKISS pass them easily.

ACE SHEEKE went for a much more daring move: he let all the racers pass him, gaining as much altitude as course bounds would allow. His AERODACTYL folded its wings in and shot toward the ground like a meteor, pulling out of the dive at the last moment. The crushing g-forces rocked him, earning a scream from him as he made up all the ground he gave back and then some. The rock-type whizzed past ARAVAN ESCHER and Lutgarde Dijkstra , narrowly taking second place from the Gym Leader. It was still a close race among the back four, ERON IUNIS having a firm handle on first place coming into the first lap's home stretch.

Prompt: After the sharpest turn on the course and a few more short drops much like the ones at the start of the course, a steep slope upward leading back to the starting arch was ahead. The grade of this slope was quite high, testing the stamina of the Pokémon that flew up it as well as the riders' balance due to its sharp angle leading to the home stretch.

Target Number: 130 (Endurance)

Special: Any TP lost as a result of a racer's total roll being 20 or more points beneath the Obstacle's Target Number is doubled.

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

Lutgarde's unfamiliarity with the race track and lack of experience with racing in general quickly shows now that the objective is simply go fast. It's difficult navigating the surges left and right, but they and Sylph do their best to keep up, even as they fall further behind the rest of them - but not by far. They would never back down either way and simply grin as they lean closer to Sylph's head, patting it during the immense speed they're having right now.

"It's gonna be one hell up, but we've got this," they shout, before it was already go-time, too - the slope's curving upwards, a real test of endurance! Something the Togekiss isn't entirely unfamiliar with, but definitely not her favourite part of flying. Still, she allows herself a little shake before going at a steady pace so she wouldn't run out of stamina too early.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 130
SPEED MODIFIED 90
seUfEG|L++30 speed mod
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

As sharp of a lateral curve the last one that flung Josh to the side was, this next one was even sharper, and it was a vertical turn. These were at least equally challenging, if not more so, due to one's blood rushing to the head and the muscle power required to maintain proper posture. Battling the rushing wind would make leaning forward to correct after the turn arguably required more strength from the rider than from the Pokémon. Taking this vertical turn at full speed would almost certainly tear Josh from the saddle.

"Pump the brakes, Mastema!" the Leader ordered, letting his legs relax and hang from his fairy-type mount's sides. Though he couldn't tell, Mastema appreciated the break himself, effortlessly gliding toward the steep slope until he felt a strong upward pull from his reins. Raising his nose in response, the Togekiss caught an updraft and soared above the steep grade within bounds. The more adept Noivern could pass him for all he cared.

For once they crossed that starting line, the real race would begin... and Lutgarde's tolerance for Extreme Speed would be tested in quite the harsh manner if they wanted to win the Badge.

The biggest challenge of an aerial race was its three dimensional nature. Those used to racing only land Pokémon would almost certainly struggle with vertical turns, and this was a harsh one. Pokémon with great stamina had an advantage as they worked against gravity, as did ones with powerful wings that could lift them quickly. ERON IUNIS' BEEDRILL lacked that kind of power. Much of the gallery winced as a loud clicking noise echoed from the giant bee's wings smacking the pavement beneath them repeatedly. Josh Devlin 's TOGEKISS did, as well; though the Leader's mighty upward tug saved them from wiping out completely, the fairy-type's soft underside barely scraped the peak of the curve. The mistake cost them enough speed for ARAVAN ESCHER's NOIVERN to zip past.

With a primal screech, ACE SHEEKE's AERODACTYL zoomed upward with a heroic stroke of its wings, creating an updraft that Lutgarde Dijkstra and their TOGEKISS rode up the steep grade. As taxing ad the white-haired racer's mistake was, his BEEDRILL was quick to get up to speed, the three crossing the starting line at almost the exact same time. If the buzzing noise wasn't deafening before, it almost certainly would be now.

If Josh Devlin had anything to say about it, this lap would be a battle of Extreme Speed.

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 one plus their Endurance ranks for the rest of the race. Speed-increasing moves will grant you ADVANTAGE on Speed-based Obstacles 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 on Endurance-based and Reaction-based Obstacles, meaning the highest two of the four 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: Leading up to and past the starting arch was a long straightaway. The racers would still have to deal with some turbulence from the repeated small dips in the course's bounds, but there was little in the way of turns. They would need to eventually slow down to get through the mess of turns afterward, but for now, the Pokémon could really let loose.

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: None

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

Such extreme speeds are difficult to keep up with, but Lutgarde does a fairly good job, generally. Gladly, they also choose their clothing with minimal accessory that would probably only be torn away and apart. As they cross the finish line, they believe to see the faintest imagery of their Sylveon cheering for them and Sylph before it already goes into the next lap.

Now that they're a bit adjusted and have done one lap, this shouldn't be too hard, right? Well, speed would only get worse now with the possibility of speed-boosting moves, and of course they would charge for that! "Ready?" Lutgarde shouts, daring for a moment to also look for Josh to see how he's faring - but their head quickly also focuses back onto the race track below.

A clear path.

"Here we GOOOOOOO!!" More O's are swallowed by the wind as Sylph uses Extreme Speed, eyeing the pokémon around her with a mean eye as she propels forward by the attack.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 0
SPEED MODIFIED 0
BOOST 1/3 - EXTREME SPEED
3qzTEUyY
72+53+60 speed mod == 183
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

Josh would catch a glimpse of Lutgarde craning around to see where he was. Normally a risky move, there would be no issues with doing so with the course's opening stretch so straight. With him being in last place, Josh didn't have any reason to look back -- only forward. And he was ready to have Mastema floor it.

"Mastema, EXTREME SPEED!" the Champion shouted over the wind. With a scowl on his face, the Togekiss caught an enormous gust, accelerating to borderline dangerous speeds that made it difficult to see anything except what was directly in front of him. The only precaution he took was keeping the fairy-type away from King Zing as much as he could. Spearing himself on the Beedrill's stingers would be a painful and embarrassing way to take an early exit from the race.

As the racers crossed the starting line, the crowd's cheering was drowned out by AERODACTYL and NOIVERN shrieks, BEEDRILL droning, and the sonic explosions from Josh Devlin 's and Lutgarde Dijkstra 's TOGEKISS both demonstrating their EXTREME SPEED. The Gym Leader's coworkers held back, focusing on steady flight as the pilots of the fairy-types surges ahead of the field, dueling for first and second place.

Their lead wouldn't last long, though; both were exiting their speed burst going way too fast, having to slam on the metaphorical brakes to avoid flying out of bounds! In the time it took the two TOGEKISS to correct their course, ACE SHEEKE and his AERODACTYL swooped in, the wake of the prehistoric Pokémon's strong wingbeats making it difficult for Lutgarde Dijkstra to execute the pass and pull ahead. ERON IUNIS and ARAVAN ESCHER were likewise close; every time the NOIVERN made a move to pass the BEEDRILL, the limber insect was quick to cut them off.

Other than Josh Devlin trailing significantly, the race was intense, all four competitors within a split second of each other. If anything were to go awry up front, the field might not have time to react and avoid a nasty crash!

Prompt: After the huge dive that begun the backstretch were more step-like drops: eleven of them in rapid succession. These steps would quickly reduce Pokémon back to their normal top speed after their extended dive. For the Pokémon, the repeated dips would be their biggest test of stamina, as smoothly diving down them was not possible due to a low ceiling.

Target Number: 135 (Endurance)

Special: None

[attr="class","emapkmn"]

The burst of speed gives them a lead - but it also doesn't last long enough for the incredibly fast Aerodactyl to pull ahead. And as they head towards the next obstacle, the situation up front is getting quite crowded. "Sylph," Lutgarde shouts over the wind, the only word the Togekiss would need to know.

She'll need to be very careful, or crash - and in this scenario, she'd rather take the loss than the danger.

Their endurance is tested once more, as they're forced to go at a lower speed than before to give time to react to the obstacles, as well as not entirely deplete their stamina here.

Josh Devlin
TARGET 135
ENDURANCE MODIFIED 95
BOOST 1/3
qCFkx|kV +30 speed mod
sylph stats
speed: B (3)
endurance: C (2)
reaction: B (3)

Remembering when he had raced THEO BECKETT on this course very early in his career as a full-fledged Gym Leader, the steps after the giant leap wound up being one of his favorite parts of it when he was running it with a land Pokémon. Not so much when on a flying Pokémon. To navigate it without slowing down required rhythmic yet jarring adjustments from the Pokémon, the rider largely responsible for managing the height with subtle, repeated dips. Pulling on the reins to gain height with good timing felt a lot easier than releasing them precisely to descend.

Catching his breath after the high-speed dive, Josh tried to find the timing needed, nearly scraping Mastema's sensitive underside against one of the first steps from starting his rhythm too early. The way he was tensing the reins and letting them go repeatedly looked like he was pumping a small dumbbell in his arm; to anyone not familiar with the course, it might have looked quite odd!

Lutgarde Dijkstra 's TOGEKISS steadily raised their angle of attack to serve as an air brake, cautiously reducing their speed to give them more time to reach to each small downward turn. That caution would allow ACE SHEEKE and his AERODACTYL to continue building their lead, although at significant risk. Risk that would rear its ugly presence as the redhead overcorrected from nearly flying too high against the low ceiling.

Just as ERON IUNIS' BEEDRILL passed the challenger, a screech left the rock-type's mouth as its talons scraped the ground course below, sparks flying all over beneath the duo. Even insectile reaction time could not get the buzzing insect out of the way, the duo's wings violently beating against one another dozens of times per second. By the time the two were able to recover, both TOGEKISS and ARAVAN ESCHER's NOIVERN whooshed past the former frontrunners.

In the aftermath of the collision, the challenger had a comfortable lead, but one Josh Devlin and his TOGEKISS were rapidly eating into. Were they able to round the tightest corner on the course cleanly, Lutgarde Dijkstra would be in wonderful shape going into the final lap!

Prompt: The course's single sharpest curve was upon them: it was a full U-turn on a fairly narrow section of the track only five wide. After the high speed descent of the huge downhill, braking of some kind would almost certainly be required for most Pokémon to navigate it without trouble. It was better than the alternative of pinching or scraping one's leg against the outer wall! A right-angle left turn very shortly followed, testing the racers' abilities to rapidly change direction as the home stretch loomed.

Target Number: 140 (Reaction)

Special: None