Though Zagreus was a bit big to wander the Gym's lobby, the Arcanine would be able to do so without hitting his head on anything, if he so desired. Genevieve Cromwell might notice that the Gym was significantly less busy than it was last time she arrived, likely due to the war effort. "Good morning," the receptionist, SHELLY SPIEL, replied, quickly looking up the high-ranking Ranger in the League trainer database. "The Leader will see you now. Follow the signs to Sector 6; it will be on the southwest corner of the grounds. Good luck!"

The southwest Sector of Mauville Racing Grounds featured the most terrifying courses on the property. Some of them had incredibly narrow lanes, and when it became wide, it wouldn't remain wide for long, with lanes abruptly ending. That would not be the course the Ranger would be racing on. THUNDER ROAD featured many wide turns in the shape of lightning bolts; almost all of its turns were at least at right-angles. Long straightaways were in equal abundance, meaning there were also plenty of places for Pokémon to let loose and be one with the wind.

Provided the Ranger was able to follow the Gym's ample signage, she would see Josh sitting proud atop Braver, his own Arcanine, snugly but not uncomfortably wrapped in a cocoon saddle. Near him were three familiar faces: ACE SHEEKE, atop a Hisuian Arcanine; ARAVAN ESCHER, sitting in the tall seat harnessed to a Linoone of great size; and lastly, ERON IUNIS, aboard a Salazzle that looked like she could crawl across the track just as fast as the others could run. The thinner frame was ideal for the shorter, more lithe, silver-haired young man.

"Glad to see you again! You and your Arcanine are looking great!" Josh greeted the Elite... whom he hoped would be Elite Four. Out of all three of the candidates that Navy mentioned, the Gym Leader felt she was the best for the position. "With your Badge count, I've had to raise the course difficulty a few notches. Do you need a refresher on the challenge rules? If not, we'll cut to the chase and get right to it!"

Regardless of whether the Ranger needed an explanation, Josh and his coworkers would lead her to the starting line, Screech in particular looking fired up to dash on a course that seemed perfectly suited for him. With almost all of the curves being at right angles, perhaps it would be the rider's limitations that would get in the way, rather than gentle, odd-angle curves that typically gave the normal-type trouble. "Just because this is my first truly fast race after my rehab doesn't mean I'm making this easy!" Josh warned as he slammed his helmet's visor down, some darker clouds rolling in on the already overcast day. The laser-focused expression was just as fierce as their last race, his legs ready to slap the Arcanine's sides as soon as the light flashed green.

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, plus one. 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.

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)

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.

Genevieve Cromwell will receive a +10 REMATCH BUFF to all rolls.

Josh spoke big words, but on the inside, he was nervous. He knew Braver's Extreme Speed was comparable to Swift running at full gallop. It was only a couple weeks ago that his doctor had approved him to even be on a Pokémon as fast as an Arcanine. There was a very real chance that he could overstress his body. It was an additional variable the sharp mind had to take into consideration. "Tell you what; if you win the race, I'll take you on Swift's back when I'm feeling a hundred percent. How's that sound?" the Gym Leader offered, knowing it would help make her physically stronger, too.

Once the five were lined up, three images of the legendary Pokémon Raikou at full gallop appeared on the banner monitor above the starting arch. Behind them was a "GET READY" prompt, Josh and his Gym Trainers tensing their legs in anticipation. The first of the three images began to fade away, with it sounding a loud squawk as a simultaneous aural warning that the race was about to begin. A second, then a third followed. When the final image of Raikou disappeared, the prompt changed to a green "GO" alongside a longer and higher-pitched squawk. A stampede of heavy paws accompanied the noisy gallery's cheers as the five Pokémon fought for early position on the wide course, rumbles of thunder audible around them!

Prompt: The opening thirty seconds of the course consisted of long straightaways ideal for getting up to speed, separated by four extremely wide, nearly right-angle turns: a left, followed by three rights. The sheer width of the course made it almost impossible to crash unless a racer deliberately tried, but it made rounding the corner ever more important; getting that far outside could cost entire seconds! The lane wouldn't be so wide forever, though; after the fourth turn, the course would narrow to three-wide! Better be close to the center of the track at the end!

Target Number: 0 (Speed)

Special: Each Pokémon will also apply half its Reaction ranks (no rounding) to this Obstacle as though they were additional ranks in Speed.

That Genevieve didn't back down from a run on the fastest Pokémon on land showed how much the Ranger had changed. Had he heard that Navy was the only one in all of AQUA that endorsed him for Elite Four, he would have recommended the Elite Ranger for the position, too. They were right. His position as Mauville Gym Leader was invaluable. It was arguably the most strategically-located city in Hoenn, and would no doubt come under heavy fire during the war. It was paramount that it was run by a trainer who could deploy Pokémon faster than anyone else in the region.

The acceleration on the initial straightaway pushed Josh back in his cocoon and pinched his skin. While his facial skin didn't stretch against his skull, he could feel it collecting toward the back of his cheeks. Had Entei not prepared him for this race by Extreme Speeding away from Sootopolis and back to Mauville, this race easily would have overwhelmed his body.

Josh loudly grunted as he yanked on Braver's reins with every turn. No matter how he trained the Arcanine, he had to deal with the reality of the species' physical limitations. At the speed they were going, he had to initiate the turn before the course even curved. Not wanting to bang his arm up even more, he made wide turns around the opening half-minute. He wanted to win the race. But he also had to respect that his arm wasn't quite at full capacity.

With heavy footfalls that drowned out even the loud gallery, the five speedy Pokémon were off. The fire-types left burning trails behind them, Genevieve Cromwell 's ARCANINE seemingly giving his all from the moment the green flag dropped. The other two of his kind trailed closely behind, though with every turn, the gap between ACE SHEEKE and Josh Devlin grew as the Leader's arm injury held him back from making the cleanest turns his big, fluffy dog was capable of.

ARAVAN ESCHER did not have to worry about the wide but sharp turns; what his SALAZZLE lacked in raw speed, she made up for with sublime cornering. Her impossibly rapid gait made it hard for the blue-haired Gym trainer to concentrate, his surroundings looking like a mild earthquake was taking place. Without being able to put all his focus on making every turn clean, Aravan and the venomous lizard could not keep up with ERON IUNIS' LINOONE, the normal-type sprinter flicking its rider to one side with every sudden right-angle turn. A gentle, gradual turn leading to a narrow pass cut into the tan Pokémon's lead as the sky continued to grow darker...

NOTE: This Obstacle has more than one Target Number. Please indicate in your OOC NOTES which Target Number you are challenging.

Prompt: One of the course's titular turns loomed ahead, and fast: four rapid-fire, right-angle turns in the rough shape of a striking lightning bolt. Two approaches would work well for this unique challenge found nowhere else on official Federation race courses, and each came with their pros and cons.

The first would be to treat the whiplash-inducing turns separately. While less risky, the speed at which the turns came would flick the riders back and forth harshly without significant braking.

The second was that there was a small space between each pair of corners. If executed properly, it would result in taking much more shallow turns and be faster overall. The downside was the much higher degree of difficulty that came with it, on top of the greater consequences for failure. Tripping on one corner would likely send Pokémon and rider flying to the opposite corner of the next turn, resulting in an abrupt crash that could be race-ending for a team.

Target Number 1: 135 (Reaction)

Special 1: Pokémon apply only half their Speed ranks (no rounding) to this Obstacle.

Target Number 2: 150 (Speed)

Special 2: Pokémon that meet or exceed this Obstacle's Target Number gain 75 TP in addition to any normal TP gain. Any TP loss resulting from a Pokémon rolling beneath this Obstacle's Target Number is multiplied by 1.5.

Josh, being in the back of the pack, had front row seats to evaluate his friend's skills and bond with Zagreus. He smiled when he heard how confident she was that a Pokémon as bulky and difficult to control could make it through the extremely narrow path among the jagged turns. A Pokémon stubbing their foot against one of the corners was a real danger for challengers.

He was so proud of the Ranger... and would be even more proud of her were he to find out she was on Hoenn's most elite defense force.

"After them!" Josh ordered after lining up on the same trajectory Genevieve and Zagreus did. The aggressive FLARE BLITZ kept them from approaching too closely... but he would have plenty of other opportunities to make his move after threading the needle. Even he flinched when he heard the air displacement from the outer corners of each curve whipping past him.

With many of the Pokémon in the field being large and requiring a lot of strength to turn, there would be no getting through these turns "legitimately". Four out of the five Pokémon aligned themselves into the most organized single-file line the Gym Leader had ever seen on any race course. ARAVAN ESCHER had more room to work with than others by virtue of his quick SALAZZLE's body being narrower than the hulking trio of ARCANINE behind him and the low-to-the-ground LINOONE in front.

Hearing the FLARE BLITZ coming from behind him, ERON IUNIS braced himself for what was to come. His mount excelled at right-angle turns, and demonstrated that prowess in a loud and obnoxious manner. True to the LINOONE's name, the normal-type's paws made horrific screeching and squealing noises with every zig and zag, hurling the white-haired Gym Trainer back and forth in the saddle with whiplash-inducing power. How did the two not fall over?

Wind would blast Genevieve Cromwell , Josh Devlin , and ACE SHEEKE as their three big dogs narrowly avoided the first two corners. In an effort to hold off his coworker from passing him with the KANTONIAN ARCANINE's superior speed, the redhead started making his final turn onto more open track early. A bit too early. His mount's toe grazed the sharp corner, the rock-type sounding a low-pitched squeal that could have been a distraction for other racers. The two lost a lot of speed from the collision, Josh whizzing past him. The Gym Leader had a good look at the challenger and ARAVAN ESCHER, their SALAZZLE and ARCANINE locked in a heated battle for SECOND PLACE.

Prompt: Seconds after the brutal, right-angle curves, the course narrowed to be only wide enough for three Pokémon to run. At the end of the narrow stretch was a big jump that it was important to get as much distance as possible, because the track below, while wide, featured mogul-like terrain its entire width. While there wasn't a common Pokémon out there likely able to clear all of it, the farther the leap, the less of the rough ground the Pokémon would need to handle!

Target Number 1: 165 (Endurance)

Special 1: Each rank in Speed adds 15 to your roll on this Obstacle instead of 10.

Genny's cry was just as loud as Zagreus' bark, both audible even over the wind that sounded like a passing train. The speed they reached, even before being able to unleash their full potential on the course, was mind-boggling. Dangerously so. She was clearly willing to put her body through hell on earth to come out on top and take the Badge from her fellow Ranger. He expected the glare from the redhead's face to be much like his own: pure focus, pushing his own body as his own Arcanine's muscles rippled with every stride. With how fast they were running and how much power the fire-type had, he could easily send even a car flying.

"Jump, Braver!" Josh shouted, flicking the Arcanine's reins in sync with Zagreus' leap. He tried to land in the center of the extremely bumpy road below, giving him time to make adjustments in the event an awkward landing whipped him across the course below. He had held off Gwyar Wledig long ago on the high-difficulty track.

This time, he was the one having to come from behind.

Down the narrow stretch the trio of ARCANINE galloped, the SALAZZLE skittered, and the LINOONE bounced, faster and faster. It gave the Pokémon plenty of room to get to their top speeds, which was welcome and necessary. Those moguls at the bottom were tall -- easily enough to trip up even an Arcanine as big as Braver. With dramatic leaps, the three giant dogs soared high above Thunder Road, the SALAZZLE and LINOONE managing much lower leaps with faster forward trajectory.

The two frontrunners gained more distance on Genevieve Cromwell from their jump angles... until they hit the bumpy road beneath them, flicking and flinging their riders back and forth in an effort to remain balanced. To the untrained eye, they may have looked like rodeo Pokémon, trying to buck their riders off!

Josh Devlin closely chased Genevieve Cromwell , their two ARCANINE almost neck and neck as they sprung upward. Where Josh's dog had more raw speed, Genny's height eclipsed his, carrying her all the way to the far end of the bumpy section of the course and beyond, landing on flat ground well over top speed. Her rival's, on the other hand, landed on the side of one of the taller hills, whipping him to the rail on the left side and skidding against it harshly. In a combination of a massive overcorrection and unfortunate positioning, the fire-type turned back toward the course's center, only to smack the opposite rail with almost as much force.

Josh Devlin's ARCANINE loses two uses of BOOST.

The entire field zoomed past him, leaving the challenger with the lead and the Leader in LAST PLACE. By a long shot. The race was barely getting started, though; the physical demands, for both Pokémon and rider, would skyrocket as soon as they crossed the starting line. An announcer-like voice clip made the point hit even harder:

[player]https://file.garden/ZDeuoB-J4RNQd5aY/gyms/master/You_Got_Boost_Power.mp3[/player]

"YOU GOT BOOST POWER!"

If Genny wanted to win this race, she had to be prepared for the physical and mental burden that came with going as fast as a Raikou!

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 higher of the two 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: After the course's opening three curves, the track narrows to three-wide but remains relatively straight for a long time. For those confident in their ability to control their Pokémon in narrow lanes, it is a prime place to let loose with reckless speed, but passing is risky! Racers also need to heed the nasty right-angle curves coming after the long, but thin, straightaway!

Target Number: 130 (Reaction)

Special: Boosting does not impose disadvantage on this Obstacle.

Josh heard the proud Avatar scream from her inner desire to go faster than a legend. She was not only in first, but she was in first by a huge margin. She had taken Josh's strategy pre-Champion Assessment to heart: get in front of the rest of the field as quickly as possible, and treat the rest of the race like she was the only one on the course. Though it was effective, it put a great deal of stress on both mount and rider.

As tempting as it was for the Gym Leader to mimic her by destroying Braver's flanks, he had become more respectful of his Pokémon's limits -- and his own -- through his trials against the Elite Four and Kyle. He was sure if Kyle's spirit had passed on from the Border and to eternal paradise, the late Top Champion would be proud of the Champion he and his Elite Four had cultivated. A fierce competitor, yet not without the respect his opponents were due. Inetead, he deferred challenging the Arcanine's lead to his coworkers. While Braver was far from coasting, the wind still roaring outside Josh's helmet and forcing him to lean low on the giant dog's back, there would be no reckless push from him.

It would be him against the course, running the last two laps strong.

The course narrowed before the five racers in a hurry. Normally three-wide in nature, many of the Pokémon competing were so large that it made the lane effectively two-wide. The moment they crossed the starting line, the entire field spurred their Pokémon, one way or another, into an all-out dash: the purple hue of a DRAGON DANCE enabled ARAVAN ESCHER's SALAZZLE to challenge the dizzying pace of ERON IUNIS' LINOONE. Every turn the normal-type made at speed madly whipped the competitor about, the Gym Trainer largely reliant on his determined partner's autonomy.

The four competitors' legs became one continuous blur, their gaits so rapid that they produced a humming sound not unlike a small motor idling or a large insect Pokémon warming up its wings. The only Pokémon that showed restraint was Josh Devlin 's ARCANINE. In a cruel way, that restraint proved to be his downfall, the Gym Leader turning too early. The fire-type sounded another agonizing howl, both of its front feet thumping from smashing them against different course obstacles. ACE SHEEKE, too, misjudged the turn, his HISUIAN ARCANINE scraping against the outer bounds of the course as they tried to correct. Were Genevieve Cromwell to glance toward the scoreboard depicting the standings, she would notice ARAVAN ESCHER's and Josh Devlin 's portraits rapidly blinking yellow as the venomous lizard battled the sprinting LINOONE for a distant second.

WARNING

Josh Devlin and ARAVAN ESCHER's Pokémon are out of BOOST POWER. If their Pokémon miss another Obstacle's Target Number by 30 or more, they will CRASH OUT and be ELIMINATED FROM THE RACE.

Prompt: After three more generously wide right-angle turns, the course narrows to accommodate only three Pokémon side-by-side. As it steadily drifts to the left, the track's grade subtly increases... until it suddenly drops at a sharp angle, causing unsuspecting Pokémon to slip before making a proper leap!

At the bottom of the jump is a giant sign with arrows pointing to the right, warning competitors of a sharp right turn immediately after the landing. Though the sign is normally prominently visible, an ill-timed, blinding flash from a pop-up thunderstorm complicates matters. Those far behind might be able to see more clearly than the poor leaders, their vision nearly completely obscured by the natural light show's brilliance!

Target Number: 160 (Reaction)

Special: The Target Number of this Obstacle is reduced by 15 per racer that is ahead of your Pokémon.

The Endurance and Reaction statistics for Genevieve Cromwell's Arcanine were erroneously reversed on the back end due to a data entry error. I have spoken with KIWI and they have agreed to correct the error. Zagreus the Arcanine will gain 30 Track Points and will lose all but one use of BOOST.

It was only Braver's cocoon saddle that prevented Josh from getting launched from the Arcanine's back. He felt every stride become more pronounced and more unsteady as the fire-type's heartbeat thumped faster and more intensely. The only Pokémon he could even see in front of him was his own Hisuian Arcanine, Craggro, jockeyed by his red-headed coworker. The impact's recoil jostled his arm enough for it to flare up again, making it even harder for him to steer the giant dog with the strength he needed to navigate the turns at speed.

Suddenly, a blinding flash accompanied a thunderclap, rain beginning to fall and making the course beneath him slick. He was tempted to call the race there out of an abundance for the fire-types' safety, as well as his own... but he knew Genevieve wouldn't have it that way. She had declined Josh's badge once because she hadn't felt she earned it. With the massive lead Zagreus had, all the Arbiter needed to do was keep her focus and ride. It was no longer the young man's goal to be competitive.

It was his goal to finish.

He was so far behind that the flash was long gone before he reached the leap, letting him see the upcoming turn unimpeded. "Just run off the edge. Braver!" the Gym Leader cried over the wind, resisting the temptation to jump when his Pokémon had more than enough speed to clear the gap without putting unneeded stress on his feet.

The pop-up storm's flash was blinding, its rain pounding, and its wind unrelenting. It added a whole new dimension to the race, with no lead safe anymore. With a determined look on his face, ERON IUNIS was about to push his LINOONE to the species' limits, just barely able to hold back his call for Extreme Speed upon the flash momentarily blinding him. The normal-type's rapid and bouncy gait made his skin shake and his helmet rattle, the young man bracing himself for the violent, whip-like, right angle turns to come.

Rather than being flung to one side, the normal-type's paws squealed loudly as he desperately tried to turn. Genevieve Cromwell 's ARCANINE shared in the struggle, the Ranger finding it more difficult to drift through in the inclement weather. She may have felt her left leg barely graze the giant right-turn sign from barely avoiding a crash. Her pursuer was not so lucky; were she to glance back, she would see ERON IUNIS and his LINOONE hitting the giant sign hard. Even if she didn't, she would be able to hear pained yelps from the duo as ARAVAN ESCHER and his more sure-footed SALAZZLE whizzed past.

ERON IUNIS' LINOONE loses one use of BOOST.

Far behind them, even the rash ACE SHEEKE exercised discrepancy, easing his hold on the HISUIAN ARCANINE he rode. Leader Josh Devlin did so with his ARCANINE, as well, though out of necessity. By the time the competitors hit the backstretch, the distance between each was well over a second, making it feel more like five separate time trials were being run. Anything could still happen, though, the wind howling as rain pelted the four fire-types and the low-to-the-ground LINOONE!

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

Prompt: The wavy backstretch after the mogul-like terrain prone to sending teams flying is one of the few places racers can elect to take a pit stop. All across the long and wide straightaway is a narrow, rainbow-colored strip that rejuvenates Pokémon that run across it. It cuts back and forth across the inside and outside, making following it the entire time costly. For Pokémon on their last legs, it may be their salvation! For those confident in their Pokémon's stamina, it is a wonderful place to let loose -- just don't catch air on one of the hills!

Target Number 1: 140 (Endurance)

Special 1: Boosting does NOT impose disadvantage on this Obstacle.

Target Number 2: 140 (Endurance)

Special 2: Pokémon do not apply their ranks in Speed to this Obstacle. Pokémon that roll beneath this Obstacle's Target Number lose only half as much TP as normal. Pokémon that challenge this Target Number gain one additional use of BOOST.