MAUVULLE GYM CHALLENGE

Aquatic Course

It was just a shame that their attempt to get ahead did not go as expected. As much as they had tried to get ahead of the pack, the two of them had failed to press further, only finding themselves sliding further back into the pack.

"Keep calm, Elaine."

Her heart beat. Her mind raced.

Their positions were merely placed at the whims of the turbulence of the waters around them. And yet, neither Elaine nor Nephthys stirred.

The two of them focused dead ahead.

"We won't stop. Not yet."

The third lap had begun. The first obstacle that tripped them up time and time again came ever closer by the second. But they would not falter here.

---

Tags: Josh Devlin
tLkC4STA

Nephthys's Rank Distribution:
Speed: 2
Endurance: 3
Reaction: 3

With how well the redhead and Buzz were running the course, Josh put Ace out of his mind. Yes, it was humiliating for him to get completely smoked. He couldn't dwell on it. Not with how dense traffic was as the white flag waved. He harely had room to drift around the opening stretch's wide but long turns, what with how much Resheph and the challenger's Milotic were constricting where his own could swim. The last thing he wanted to do was get Megalo's tail tangled up with that of another Pokémon. It was a very common way for two Pokémon to fall way behind.

Rather than try to make a move, Josh kept his hands steady on the Milotic's reins. With a breathtaking cry from his mount, the aquatic serpent aimed to turn at the same angle the Dragonair and rival Milotic did so. There were still one or two places the scaled Pokémon could make a move, and he had his sights on them. It was all about how clean his exit to the third turn would be...

Tails getting tangled up was indeed a danger of aquatic races where serpentine Pokémon were commonplace. With ERON IUNIS' DRAGONAIR and the MILOTIC piloted by Josh Devlin and Elaine Highland going three-wide down the opening stretch's long curves, anything less than synchronized turns could wind up with two, or even all three of them, hitting the outside wall hard. ARAVAN ESCHER's PRIMARINA was in the mix, too, a sudden speed burst or well-rounded turn potentially adding to the congestion.

Much to their relief, their turns were mostly synchronized with one another, though the Gym Leader's position on the inside of the course let him pass the challenger and make a move on ERON IUNIS. Not having it, the DRAGONAIR screeched loudly, glowing purple from the neck down. The dragon-type's tail became a blur, pulling away with a daring burst of EXTREME SPEED. Though they came close to scraping the outer wall on two occasions, their raw speed kept them in front of the Gym Leader. Unprepared for the wake, ARAVAN ESCHER mistimed the second turn, his PRIMARINA scraping the inner wall and falling out of contention.

With ACE SHEEKE and his FLOATZEL well on pace to break their own course record and ARAVAN ESCHER falling far behind, the four-way battle for second place became three going into the backstretch. With the DRAGONAIR exhausted from the burst of speed, one graze in the backstretch's chicane could sap the last of its stamina and cause them to crash out just before the finish line!

Prompt: The only true obstacle remaining between teams and the finish line was the track's at this point brutally familiar S-curve on the backstretch. Having an idea for how to time commands to turn would not making the tight timing needed to properly execute them any easier. Compounding the difficulty of the turn itself was the mounting pressure that if a Pokémon made a mistake and wiped out on the whiplash-inducing curve, the end of the race was so close that there was not enough real estate remaining to make a recovery! It was the Drift Highway's great equalizer; no lead was safe!

Target Number: 135 (Reaction)

Special: Any TP lost as a result of a total roll that is more than 25 beneath the Target Number is multiplied by 1.5, rounded up.

MAUVULLE GYM CHALLENGE

Aquatic Course

They were falling behind once again. Nephthys was doing her best to keep up, but the difference between her and the racers who had far more experience than she and Elaine did was making itself ever more clear.

But that was fine.

Elaine had only wanted one thing and throughout the whole race, she made that abundantly clear. They simply had to try their best. Not overdo it. Not half-ass it.

Just give an effort that they could be proud of in something they had no experience with.

No matter the outcome it was fine.

Perhaps, that was what allowed their hearts to stay calm as those four chambers beat rapid fire.

There were no words. There was the high risk option of boosting here, but they need not do that. There was nothing wrong with playing it a bit safe.

The two of them knew damn well they could make up the difference if they boosted and made it, but they would not. They simply held steady as they raced forward. The end was in sight, so it would be remiss of them to crash and fumble it at this stage.

---

Tags: Josh Devlin
Z1so|eQW

Nephthys's Rank Distribution:
Speed: 2
Endurance: 3
Reaction: 3

Josh could feel Megalo's muscles tensing; he could feel how tired the Milotic was from the strain of the mid-distance swim. One nasty turn separated them from glory... but he was in tight traffic. Resheph was in front of him, and the challenger's Milotic behind him. As much as he wanted to have the Pokémon swing to the outside and blast through the two corners, he knew better. There was one thing he could do to get by traffic, but it came with a great risk.

"Down, Megalo!" Josh ordered, pushing onto his scales in front of the saddle. The water-type submerged, giving him a good look at Resheph's swishing swimming stroke. The fog of the marine environment made anticipating the curves more challenging, but if he could time the two turns correctly, he could claim second place! With confident tugs back and forth, Josh steered the cream-colored serpent around the course-defining chicane.

The three serpents competing for the final remaining two podium spots reached peak form going into the final hazardous turn. all of them taking different approaches. ERON IUNIS and his DRAGONAIR remained on the inside, the Kantonian dragon winding through the curve effortlessly and with minimal speed loss. Elaine Highland 's approach was much more conservative, keeping a steady pace and giving her MILOTIC the maximum amount of time to swerve around the two corners at a wide angle. Her technique saw her through with almost no speed loss, rapidly gaining on the white-haired man and leaving Josh Devlin behind them both. Though she had a slight lead on him for now, Dragonair were at their strongest in sprints, and the final straightaway was coming.

By the time they had rounded the corner, ACE SHEEKE and his FLOATZEL were already in the air, propeller-tails forming a cone of wind behind them as they whirled loudly enough to make a buzzing noise. With one more push, he might be able to break his own course record. Fatther back, only ARAVAN ESCHER's diehard fans watched the PRIMARINA graze the inner wall of the chicane. Though they would finish the race, the fairy-type did not seem to be competitive with the rest of the field. Perhaps the Gym Leader would need to fix that with a few training sessions...

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

MAUVULLE GYM CHALLENGE

Aquatic Course

The final stretch was just ahead. Elaine and Nephthys had already made it this far. The end of the race was in sight. Whether they ended up winning or falling to dead last in the next few seconds didn't matter.

"Let's finish this."

As she leaned forward, the serpent swayed in a draconic dance and picked up speed.

Their hearts raced. The end was in sight. But Elaine kept her eyes on the very coal before them.

The two of them would give it their all as they pushed for victory at the very end.

And then...

---

Tags: Josh Devlin
uf6Tfdtx

Nephthys's Rank Distribution:
Speed: 2
Endurance: 3
Reaction: 3

By the time Josh and Megalo landed from the leap, Ace and Buzz were already specks in front of them, looking set to zip across the finish line in record pace. He couldn't focus on that now, This was an incredibly competitive finish, the three long serpents' tails creating some rough surges of water around them. With every sudden shift, the Gym Leader made the appropriate correction, keeping his Milotic swimming as straight as possible.

"Home stretch, Megalo! DRAGON DANCE!" Josh ordered, squeezing the bright Pokémon's sides. "This isn't over yet!" His blue tail turned purple with dragon energy, powerfully undulating back and forth in a final sprint. He eyed a gap between Eron and Elaine, making a move that he banked on his challengers would be unable to react to.

Half of the gallery had their eyes on ACE SHEEKE and his FLOATZEL, the water-type's twin tails roaring as the duo zipped across the finish line. Though he had won the race by a gigantic margin, he was unable to match his course record. He arguably never had a chance; as much precision turning capability as the FLOATZEL had, he was never matching his SHARPEDO's raw speed: the Pokémon he had set the course record with when he raced Genevieve Cromwell .

The other half of the crowd intently watched ERON IUNIS, his DRAGONAIR, and the two dueling MILOTIC that Josh Devlin and Elaine Highland jockeyed. All three were clearly giving it their all as they DRAGON DANCED around one another in a chaotic yet elegant choreography, each trying to pass one another without getting their tails tangled in a mess. Digging deep into the bottom of her reserves, the DRAGONAIR pulled away from the two MILOTIC to secure a podium spot. It was Leader and challenger vying for the final spot on stage, ARAVAN ESCHER and his AQUA JETTING PRIMARINA only able to watch the duel from a distant last place.

By a thin margin, Josh Devlin edged out Elaine Highland in what may have been a heartbreaking moment for the challenger.

[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 gallery as ACE SHEEKE triumphantly posed with his FLOATZEL, having made a statement that he was the superior racer in the waves. There was the slightest pang of disappointment at having not broken his own record, but he would take a decisive win any way he could get it. ERON IUNIS and Gym Leader Josh Devlin , likewise, basked in the glory of the short award ceremony, another third place finish added to his long list of accolades.

Once the crowd had cleared out, Josh approached the challenger on foot. "That was a really good duel at the end. I genuinely think that could have gone either way. My favorite aspect of your whole race was when you made that huge mistake in the chicane, you didn't give up. You were even ahead of me going into the home stretch. I've never seen anyone come so close to recovering from a mistake that would have caused just about any other challenger to give up."

Reaching into his pocket, Josh pulled out one of his Gym's badges, hiding it within his closed fist. "Even so, you came up just short. Sometimes, all it takes is one lapse of judgment for just a split second, and a situation can spiral out of control faster than even I could react to." His right hand shook, indecisive upon whether or not he should award Elaine the badge.

His challenge with Hideo Kino came to mind, where the psychic Gym Leader ultimately left things in his own hands. Josh had recognized that he had a long ways to go in self-improvement, which he demonstrated through the Champion Assessment. He could go back to Hideo's Gym and win a Badge, if he wanted. But what would that prove? He was already a Champion.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts. Do you think you have absorbed the tenets of Mauville Gym? Do you think you are deserving of this?" He opened the closed fist and revealed a copy of his Badge, but did not present it to Elaine yet.

MAUVULLE GYM CHALLENGE

Aquatic Course

It was all over. As Elaine walked herself off the track, her legs wobbled until she found herself on her knees. She had not fallen entirely down to the ground, but anyone could tell she had pushed herself to her limits.

She had known from the start that racing was not her speed. She had never come in with expectations that she would be racing to the finish and taking first in her first attempt. Though she couldn't say that her hopes didn't rise in the few moments where she had overtaken some of the others.

Despite losing, she did not feel frustration. It was strange. She often felt frustration when facing defeat, but here?

Sure there was a gym badge at stake, but beyond that, their lives weren't in danger. Only their pride.

As she kept panting, she looked towards her Milotic who still sat in the water. After shooting the serpent a grin, she spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Get over here. You did great." Within that instant, the Milotic came up to her and rested, laying around her as if she was a single loop.

Elaine moved herself over to Nephthys's head and gently stroked it. "And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. You and I did fantastic."

At the end of the day, that was all that mattered. Even if they hadn't won, they made it far further than she had expected and even completed the race. They had even made it close to second place.

They had made an effort that the two of them could be proud of.

As she continued to stroke the serpent, much to her delight, she saw the Gym Leader walk towards her. She took her time as she caught her breath to listen to every word and as she did, she eventually regained her capability to speak candidly, and so once he had shown the badge to her and asked his final question, she spoke up.

"I can't say. It's strange." Elaine gave a wry smile as she looked down at the fist she made with her spare hand. "I usually try to think through everything, but I couldn't do that here. A race is kinda foreign to me, after all. I couldn't let logic paralyze either of us here. So, I let that go."

Eventually that wryness softened. "And it felt liberating. The two of us have been through multiple of Hoenn's crazy crises together. I'd wanted to think that instinct we had honed all that time had some semblance of sharpness.

"And I was right. The feeling of letting go and allowing our souls to guide was freeing. It was all very satisfying."

She had felt Nephthys purring at her words.

"Nephthys thinks so too." She said with a smile as she looked into the gym leader's eyes.

---

Tags: Josh Devlin

Elaine's effort, and Josh's understand that she and Nephthys did the best they could in the moment, tilted the balanced scales. Though she did not answer the Champion's question directly, her stated rationale was enough to convince him that she had learned Mauville Gym's precepts of trusting one's instincts. Even if that meant casting aside conventional logic.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to see, Elaine," Josh replied with a smile, giving the detective a pat on the shoulder if he allowed it. "Especially with the war heating up. It will put you in situations where you don't have time to think. Where you have to make a judgment call. Where you have to persevere. Where you have to look the odds in the face and overcome them. That kind of attitude is exactly what the Pokémon League looks for."

Exhaling, Josh opened his fist and presented Elaine with her earned prize. "This is the official Hoenn League Quick Badge. You and your Milotic shall be enshrined in the Gym's list of Qualified Riders as champions. Wear it with pride." Not many overcame the physical demands of controlling a running, swimming, or flying Pokémon at high speed for minutes at a time; many who took the challenge overprepared their Pokémon at their own expense, lacking the strength, dexterity, and stamina to keep control.

With that, the challenge came to a close. The Gym Leader whistled for Craggro, his hulking Hisuian Arcanine, the rock-type quick to heed his call. "Need a lift back to the office? I'm sure we could both use showers."

MAUVULLE GYM CHALLENGE

Aquatic Course

Wear it with pride.

It was strange for her, but it was nice to hear. With all that had gone on recently, it was all worth it. The embers she had stoked within her. The instinct that she had rekindled.

It was all something she and Nephthys could stand proud over.

So, she took the badge she was offered without hesitation.

"Yeah, a ride over would be greatly appreciated."

After returning Nephthys to her Pokeball, she took Josh's hand and helped herself onto the back of the Arcanine.

The road stretched far. But she could race down it without hesitation.

---

Tags: Josh Devlin