Set in the original region of Arciel, Legends Rising is a route-inspired, but not strictly route-based, Pokemon roleplay. Pick a faction, pick a class, and strike out into the wild to take on the League, master Contest coordination, research the mysteries of Pokemon and Arciel, and much, much more. Will you be a classic trainer? A criminal? A farmer? Choose your destiny on Legends Rising.
"It's a bit straining though... I wonder if it's because of the lights..." Agate commented. "Or if I'm doing it wrong in some way, but... it's definitely a nifty trick. I'll remember to look for those... wandering Aura Using Pokemons, you say? Hmmm... I wonder where would they be, those Pokemons... and if they... only can be met by someone who have auras? Or perhaps one of their kind?"
Anat did not want to say it but she's basically part of that group before she decided to find a worthy warrior for her to train... well, "warrior", considering human probably as far as it could get at this era from the notion of a warrior. But even so, she found Agate... and that's all that's important for her.
"If there's a criminal that trying to mess with me, I think I got the cure," Agate balled up his fists. "It's called 'This 14 years old is stronger than you think'," he joked. "But I do get it though. I hope I would react faster than they could take any of my Pokemons or items. Or money for that matter. I still need to send money back home... augh..."
Back to the race though... why are they using their technique this early on the race? This felt like peer pressure... Quick Attack, Agility... That's scary in many way, especially when he saw Raye just flung around on her seat like some strapped damage assessment doll things they use for collision check.
Josh seem to be thinking that he should take risk too though... Thankfully, he was able to do his desired maneuver, but even so... "That was risky, I agree," Agate commented. He was cold sweating back then! "...He's still at the 15th...? Man, this race is brutal..."
While Josh's numerical position hadn't improved by cutting the corner, his placement on the track did - he was right behind seven other Pokémon. All it would take was one or two well-rounded turns, and he and Twilight would be right in the thick of that pack. There were no more Rapidash among the Pokémon directly ahead of him. There was no catching any of those six fire-types - not for a Pokémon like Twilight. She was best at navigating brutally twisty courses. To have a hope at catching up to them, Josh would have to try cutting almost every corner for the rest of the race - a very risky proposition. One wrong move and he was out of the race.
The whiplash-inducing S-curve was coming up - one Josh navigated perfectly on the first lap and helped get him into the position he was in now. This time, though, there wasn't nearly as much track to work with. After three more Quick Attack bursts chained one into another, the two were in a battle with a Thievul, Mightyena, and Luxray for 12th position. Mightyena held back, letting the others pass as they went three wide into the sharp turn as Twilight's blurred Quick Attack wore off.
IgTX94z8p_ {92 + 15 = 107}
The three speedy quadrupeds swerved to the right, then sharply back to the left. As the fox and black feline transitioned from a slide into a gallop, their legs got tangled up, tripping each other and sending them both sliding along the outside wall, rapidly running out of room before the reinforced foam gave way completely. The Luxray's rider had the strength and reaction time to alter his rolling trajectory to impact the wall. It wasn't pretty, but the two were still in the race, the electric-type quick to run over and help its partner get up. The other team with the Thievul was not so lucky. Thanks to their higher speed, they couldn't keep themselves from sliding all the way along the outer wall, the last thing the two heard before falling into the safety net below being whooshing sounds of competitors rushing by at high speed.
As Josh was making his way to the treacherous backstretch absent of guard walls, he saw one of the six Rapidash fall victim to the next curve, forced too far outside by the big battle for 2nd position and unable to make the turn. Twilight and Josh weren't about to repeat that mistake. Curves like these were no place to try to pass - these turns were hard enough without reckless Quick Attacking around them. Saber easily could, but he had entered Twilight in this race, and he would need to live with that decision. Once he was through these curves, he planned on having Twilight absolutely floor it on the first half of the last lap.
He didn't even see Raye and Razor running the opposite side of the backstretch - were they that far ahead? If she won today's race, and barring a tragedy she would with that kind of lead, she would easily punch a ticket to Gold League at the mid-season break.
Koa shook his head a bit "I've only met a group once so I can't say for certain what their habits are, but they seem receptive to anyone who's not a threat to them. As long as you approach them with the intent to learn and don't do anything to upset them then I'm sure they'll give you a chance to learn alongside them."
He laughed as Agate gave their own personal solution to criminals that get in his way "You definitely look like you would be able to handle yourself in that situation, yes." He acknowledged with a nod "Just be sure to have your Pokemon back you up if things get too dangerous. If anything happens, just let the Rangers know. They'll do everything they can to help you out, okay? If I'm around, definitely call on me. I'll be there as soon as I can."
As the race continued on, seeming more brutal than ever before, several racers got into a pretty bad spot. While some of them managed to recover, several more racers weren't so lucky and were out of the race. Despite this, Josh managed to expertly weave and cut through the chaos, which landed him several places ahead of the others. He looked up to gauge his position, but the difference between where he was and where Raye was spoke for the other racer's skill and familiarity of the course. Josh seemed to make quick, snappy decisions when it came to how to proceed. He knew when to take risks and when doing so would mean certain defeat. Koa leaned forward, invested. "It's too early to celebrate now, but he's put forth a good effort so far. Let's hope he can keep a level head and get through this in a qualifying position..."
"Well if that's the case then it's easy. It's not like I'll just suddenly approach them and want to catch them all or anything... Not like they probably would be unable to read my intent anyway if it comes to it... But yeah, I'm not that stupid to want to intentionally make a bad impression on my future teachers. Thanks for the tip!"
Oh come to think of it... "Are you one, perhaps, cousin Koa? I would of course keep my Pokemon around me at all times... or more like... lately, it's hard to walk without them walking beside me. They prefer to go out whenever I'm ou--" just at that time, a bright blue tassel suddenly grabbed Agate's hand, shaking it gently.
"...Oh."
His Honedge has hatched, and... wait, is it supposed to be this long? There's also faint sensation of his energy flows from his hand toward the sword. It's soft, though. As much as he wanted to faint or scream, actually his curiosity is winning this time around... And well, the fact that it's trying to get used to him, and seem to be just content sipping his stamina rather than his life force (there's no movement of his aura to the sword at all)...
"...You're hungry huh. Sorry, I don't really know what is it that you should eat, but... I think as long as you're just sipping my stamina away that's fine with me... Your name... will be Durandal."
The sword made a soft metallic scraping, which sounded like a sword sheathed or unsheathed. But for the meantime, Agate decided to look at Josh instead. He's doing well... and the last maneuver was so smooth. Now he's in 11th. So close to the top ten!
"..Hmmm, what rank you should be for qualifying a position in... next level?" he asked. He's not familiar with the system, but even so, boy, he's really at the edge of his seat. Literally.
The most deadly curves on the track were coming up, and Josh didn't have nearly as much freedom to work with on this lap; there was a Mightyena and three other Pokémon in a battle for 7th place just ahead of them. If he didn't react at the same time they did to the upcoming turns, Twilight could easily suffer the same fate as the Thievul that tripped and fell off the course. Josh's arms and legs tensed up, dropping his right hand into his mount's white fur and getting ready to pull as hard as he could, the two sliding across the access road and through the sharp U-turn that had no walls to protect them.
C|fEbHNlp_ {49 + 15 = 64}
Josh's timing and angle was much better this time - good thing he'd decided to hang back! The sparks flew from Twilight's claws as she slid around the access road and down the highway marking the start of the home stretch. After one more right-angle turn leading toward the stands, he took a deep breath and jabbed his knees into the Absol's sides as hard as he comfortably could. Blurred images of the dark-type appeared behind her as she sprinted ahead of the Mightyena and the rest of the immediate pack. Josh didn't stop pushing her there, though - if anything, he had to restrain himself from hurting his Pokémon by pushing her too hard.
Even Josh himself was somewhat of a blur, the two making up a lot of ground on the Rapidash ahead with a long series of Quick Attacks that made her fur wet with perspiration. The leaders had tightened up, Raye and her Sceptile not able to hold such a large distance between herself and the five remaining Rapidash as the white flag dropped, signaling the start of the final lap. Josh's strategy for this lap was simple: push Twilight to her limits to get into the lead and cut the others off at every chance he got. Executing that plan, though, would not be so simple.
He smiled at Agate "No problem! I wish you luck on your search. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about when you eventually do find them. Just give them the chance to show you the ropes and you'll be all set." He said confidently.
Agate had asked him if he was a Ranger. "Am I one? Oh, you mean Ranger? Yeah, I am." He said with a nod "I'm still relatively new to the Arciel Ranger forces, but I'm doing my best to make a positive impression." As they spoke, however, he noticed the strange little tassel that had gently grabbed at Agate's hand. In an instant, Agate was suddenly taking care of a baby Honedge. "Oh wow..." he said softly. He looked at Agate, then to the Honedge "Just be sure to teach it to limit itself. Teach it when it's okay and not okay to do this." He said. Honedge were fascinating Pokemon, but at the same time they could be dangerous if wild or not disciplined. "Durandal...that's a good name for it." He said with a smile.
He continued watching the race. Josh had pushed forward to 7th place and now they were on the final lap. This was it. Needless to say Koa was definitely excited to see how this would play out. Josh's maneuvers were paying off in spades, though it was at the cost of precious stamina. He hoped the two of them would be able to hold out for just a little longer. "I'm not entirely sure. It could be from first to third place, but I don't know how rankings work in the racing scene. It could have its own set of qualifying rules that I'm just not aware of." He said to Agate. Still, he believed in Josh. His efforts today would at the very least get him noticed, he thought.
"Hmmm, so even rangers are assigned from places to places, not necessarily bound to place that you came from?" Agate asked. "I'm not sure how it would feel to just get assigned to another Region that's not home... Especially if it comes to language barrier... Well, thankfully the world got common language, but even so... what if they mostly only use local language I wonder..?"
Koa praised the name he gave to the sword. Agate grinned. "Heh, I thought having a ghost sword by itself is scary... and well, I'm not good with ghosts, not at all... and sentient sword was a thing that I have in mind about having to be trained, but... You know..." he gently strokes the sword's tassel "...I hope by giving it name of a more... blessed sword, it would become a faithful partner that did not rob thing from me... It's my wish that it becomes an ally, an equal... more than a tool, because even if its shape is a tool, its sentient... Anyway, don't you think it got quite the artistic making to it?"
Jokes aside though, Agate squinted at that latest turn Josh did. "...That one, that one was really dangerous," he commented. "A little bit slip and he would be disqualified..."
Seventh out of twenty one... That's quite high, but even so, probably not enough for winning it huh... What concerns him more is the fact that there are so many drop outs though...Scary.
If the adrenaline wasn't pumping in the racers' veins before, it certainly was now - even most of the back of the field had tightened up by now. Though Josh and Twilight lost time against the Rapidash ahead of him on every straight stretch, they gained more on every sharp corner with their superior mobility. The young man in purple and yellow eased up on his Pokémon long enough only to safely navigate the back-to-back right angle turns. He wasn't at all worried about Twilight's claws - with how often wild Absol used their claws, they would grow back quickly. It would certainly dull them for use in battle for a while, but it was racing season, dammit! The League Challenge would have to be put on hold, especially if qualifying for Gold League hung in the balance!
In trying to preserve her position, Raye and Razor swerved around the track's first ramp, along the outside corner. Two of the lead Rapidash of those battling for second place ran up it. One made a graceful, clean leap over the corner of the track, passing the Sceptile. That particular duo's image on the scoreboard started blinking red, as did a couple of racers that had recently surged up in position due to pushing their partners rather hard. The other was not so fortunate, falling woefully short and into the net below.
This was one of the last opportunities Josh had. He took a deep breath and squinted. Younger fans might have been terrified of the look of intense focus on his face, his eyes locked directly at the ramp as well. A couple hundred feet before hitting the ramp, Josh pushed more speed from Twilight, the two rocketing into the air and over the corner...
4paDih8Tp_ {76 + 15 = 91}
Josh's aggression paid off - he had cut the corner, leaving three of the four Rapidash behind through the jump alone. The rapid curves coming up would let Twilight and Razor pass the remaining Rapidash as well. It was just the local rising star, Raye, that was in front of Josh. One more tightly-executed obstacle and he would be in a battle for the lead! He wasn't sure that he could make another move like that, though - the Absol's fur grew even wetter, a sign she might be overheating. This was reflected on the leaderboard, too - their image was also blinking red, though at a slower rate than the now-third place Rapidash. Mistakes would be very unforgiving for the rest of the course - there were large sections of track coming up with no walls to protect them in case of an accident. Could he hold his position?
"Oh I wasn't assigned to Arciel, I came here voluntarily. After the Ultra Beast crisis, I figured Alola already had plenty of protectors and hands on experts. I wanted to set out into the world and make a name for myself. I'm fairly certain the Rangers wouldn't assign someone to a place where they wouldn't even be able to communicate with the citizens. That just...seems like a disaster waiting to happen."
Koa nodded in agreement "Yes, there are definitely Pokemon out there that can be a bit scary, but they're all part of this world like the rest of us. I've always been fascinated by their ecology and the reasons for their behavior." He watched as Agate pet the tassel of the Honedge "It'll take a bit of training to fully teach it to behave, but you're off to a good start. You respect it as a friend and partner even though you just met, and you desire to treat it as an ally. That's pretty special, I have to say." He said with a warm smile. He looked at Durandal again "Honedge is an incredible Pokemon. I've always thought they were pretty cool looking."
As Koa continued to watch the race, he worried about the health and safety of the other racers. Hopefully they would be tended to sooner rather than later. As Josh made yet another gambit and cut the corner with a long jump, Koa bit into his knuckle a bit from the sheer tension "He's jumped all the way to second place...he's almost there and the race is almost finished...if he can just make one more push or maintain his position I'd say he's in a good spot."
The race was wrapping up. This next push would be a huge deciding factor, but he desperately hoped that Josh would qualify for the Gold League like he wanted. He's put forth so much effort so far...he had to have at least been noticed.
Hmm, Ultra Beast... Agate does not looked so happy when that topic came out. It's because of that attack that his sister lost her right leg's motor stability... But even so, he can understand... He also heard that apparently Alola was the epicenter of the attack, which caused so many Rangers sent there... It makes sense for Koa to not be there... though, the authenticity on that, he didn't dare ask. If he's an Alolan, then most likely... he's one of the sorely affected.
Ecology and their behavior huh. "I never really thought super much about it, although I do love documenting about which Pokemons on which routes, and why they're there... So it's more like a headcanon than actual observation? Maybe one day I would do that exactly, just... camp around in the wild, look for what Pokemons are doing and just... observe. Watches why they acts like that."
On the praise, Agate blushed. "Ehehe, is that so? I just think that it's important to have understanding and communication even if there is a language barrier. There are ways Pokemon can communicate with us anyway... and before you knew it, you started to notice their habits and make sense of it. Only then you can fight together well with your Pokemon. Speaking of which, the tassel is quite soft..."
Josh managed to secure the second place huh... "...That's amazing," Agate muttered. But even so, Twilight is too tired... He's not sure if he could once again pull that sort of miracle but...
"If he want to be pro, he have to do this, so... I hope he wins and all that... Yeah, I think at the moment maintaining his own position is much better than getting to the first rank."
Last Edit: Jun 9, 2020 11:41:27 GMT by Agate Valyn
Though he couldn't hear his friends agreeing with him, Josh had the same mentality as Koa and Agate. If he could maintain his position, he would surge ahead in the standings - enough to either put himself to be able to qualify for Gold League next race. Depending on how the standings fell, maybe he would even be promoted on points alone! He wouldn't think about that now - all he could think about now was the rest of the dangerous track ahead of him. Plus, one of the Rapidash he had passed before was coming up on him fast. Twilight swerved to the outside, then the inside, to block any sort of passing attempt from the fire-type. The difficult U-turn across the highway access road was coming up - Josh had to yield third place to make sure he could get on the outside of the track to make the turn safely.
WTZ8XElPp_ {70 + 13 = 83}
Twilight squinted, her claws put under quite a bit of stress from sliding and skidding across the pavement. Even after the turn, she was still skidding to avoid a collision with the out-of-control Rapidash who slid off the highway, the fire-type and rider tumbling into the grass off the side of the road and out of contention. What a brutal way to go - perhaps that team was thinking of the lead and nothing else. As the two rounded the last corner, Josh going for one last Quick Attack chain from his tired Pokémon, he saw Raye practically standing on Razor's sides, trying to push every last bit of speed she could out of the Sceptile in the home stretch. The three Rapidash were coming up on him fast, their flaming manes almost a length and a half in size. He couldn't possibly hold them all off...could he?
"You can't start fully understanding things without a theory, right? Those ideas can develop into full blown fact if you can perform enough tests to verify the claim, so don't sell yourself short there." He said as he gently pat Agate's shoulder. "There's merit in those kinds of study. Understanding our natural world and how the creatures that inhabit it behave without or influence is invaluable in many fields, especially conservation efforts. My dad does similar work."
He sighed a bit "You'd be surprised how many struggle to see the importance of proper communication with Pokemon. Some push their Pokemon too hard without even realizing it, which can lead to some pretty serious problems down the line. That's part of why your work could be pretty invaluable in the future. You can find out what Pokemon best respond to among their own kind so that humans could potentially emulate it to earn their trust."
Still, he smiled at Agate's admiration for the newest member of his team. "You're right. Pokemon have their own ways of communicating their wants and needs. And it seems Durandal already knows how to get what it wants." He said with a slight chuckle.
He looked back to the race and noticed that even though Josh was staying in second place, it was clear that he and Twilight were on their last legs. Exhausted and barely hanging in there, they somehow managed to push ahead of the ever dwindling pack behind them. Just one last push to the finish line. He believed in Josh, though it was going to be a pretty close encounter regardless. "He's pushed himself and his Absol pretty hard, but they were willing to go all in. Now they just have to keep this pace up for a few more seconds..." He said. Would going for first place be worth the risk? Koa didn't really know and he was glad he wasn't the one making that split-second decision.
"Well that's true," Agate answered, chuckling. "It's just I guess I never really took the time to seriously observe... I guess as an explorer I should probably take my time, and broaden my horizon more eh?" Conservation effort eh... He wonder if Koa's father is also a ranger, and if it's something like a family trade or something... He did heard that before being farmer, his father was an adventurer and a Pokemon trainer at the same time... but he sorta waved it off as 'Dad's at it again' and wondered if he's really truthful about it.
"I mean I have been there... pushing my Pokemon to their limit, I mean... but I'm also vocal about asking my Pokemons to not follow my orders blindly, and correct me if they feel I'm pushing them too far. I got a brother to depend on," Agate pointed at Riku "...My fur brother," he joked, to which Riku snorted at. "But yeah, I can understand why on earth it's important. It's important to have someone who could stop you before you gone too far with your mistakes, but also does not make you to be overly dependent on them."
Looks like Josh also know to not push his luck for the first spot. That's good. "Just a few more seconds, yeah... silver is better than copper, and copper is better than disqualified," Agate muttered. "Man, this is intense..."
Josh tilted his neck around, glimpsing behind him to his left, then his right, to see where all the blazing-fast fire-types were behind him. After he was around the last corner, he squeezed Twilight's sides again, pushing her into one last chain of Quick Attacks. As fast as she was, she was no match for the Rapidash, particularly the ones with enough energy left to break out into Agility that would have left novice riders dizzy. The sound of diamond-hard hooves roared behind Josh, getting louder with every passing moment. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Raye throw both her arms into the air as the checkered flag dropped, though his eyesight was firmly on the road ahead of him.
JIjdfiWap_ {97 + 13 = 110}
With some amazing swerving that made use of Twilight's sharp claws, Josh was able to fend off two Rapidash several times, cutting off their paths as if they were rhythmically trying to pass him. He pulled to the inside of the track after crossing the line, letting the faster Pokémon pass him after his speed didn't matter anymore. He dismounted once the Absol had crossed into the park on the inside of the road, Josh collapsing from pressure suddenly being put on jelly legs. Both of them were sitting down or laying on the ground - the sweaty Absol's heart was racing from how hard Josh had pushed her, and Josh's was racing from the heat of the moment, having successfully held off two much faster Pokémon for a spot on the podium.
Once the final racer had finished, the race's local announcer congratulated Raye and Razor on setting a new three-lap, Silver League course record! Several of the other racers, particularly ones toward the back of the pack, also pulled their tired Pokémon into the green near the starting line. After a few minutes, Josh was able to sit up and start petting Twilight's fur. "I'm so proud of you," Josh softly said to her, though she wasn't sure she could hear him, what with how electrifying the atmosphere was. Even such a small crowd was cheering far more loudly than he thought possible - he could only imagine what a Gold League race would be like where the seats were filled.
"That's the spirit." He said to Agate "Take your time. You'll get there and make some pretty awesome discoveries. I'm sure of it. Doesn't have to be today. Doesn't have to be tomorrow. Just focus on doing what you love and you'll make a big difference someday, I'm sure." He said with a smile.
He looked at Riku, then back at Agate "You've got a good friend there. We can't do everything on our own, and in those cases it's great to have someone alongside us to give us that extra push. As long as you realize what you're doing wrong and work to correct that, then you're doing just fine. There's nothing wrong with having a shoulder to lean on when the going gets tough."
He leaned forward as he watched the climax of the race "Come on, Josh...come on...!" And with that one final rush, Josh had crossed the finish line in second place. Koa stood up and pumped an arm into the air with a cheer "Whoo! He made it!" He shouted. He hugged Azura tightly with his other arm as she clapped her flippers together, thrilled for the outcome. He blushed a bit and sat back down "Wow, that was amazing. I hope he and Twilight are okay though...Twilight might have to get her claws checked on after all of that..." He said, worried despite their victory. "They're both going to need to spend the next couple of days resting. Twilight's probably going to be so exhausted she won't be able to move."
"Heh, that I will, thank you for your support, cousin," Agate thanked Koa. "By the way, would you mind to trade numbers? Maybe if you have any Pokemons that you want that I happened to discover my way, I could tell you... or if you want any training and such, we can train together and all that."
The praise to Riku made Agate grin. "Yeah, he's a good one, although he's a bit shy when praised... Kinda like a tsundere."
Riku barked at Agate like telling him to shut it. Agate just laughed hard at that. "He won eh? Best get down to meet him or something then. But yeah, I guess Twilight need to be checked... those claw, ouch... Wouldn't surprise me if it cracks... Yeah, they need some rest. I think I have a promise with him too that I'm heading to route 10 with him later... and when his Skarmory has healed. What about you, cousin? Got any sort of things planned?"
Being in chair that long, no matter how nice the show was doesn't really suit Agate. He stretched a bit before deciding that he should probably greet out the champion... once it's allowed that is.
Once the stage on the track's green near the starting line had been completely set up, the spectators were permitted to come out from the stands and onto the course itself. That was Josh's cue - he and Twilight had plenty of rest to at least make it to their feet and walk over to the stage's stairs. The runner-up approached Raye and her Sceptile, Razor, shaking hands with the young adult female. "Good racing - that was a close one." He got a likewise reply, though it wasn't exactly a photo finish; there was at least one full Pokémon length between the top two finishers.
The top six finishers and their Pokémon assembled on stage, one of the Arciel Silver League commissioners handing the sixth, fifth, and fourth place finishers small plaques for their accomplishments. "And now for your top three!" the adult male cried into his microphone.
"Our third-place team, Roy and Wild!" The excited Rapidash whinnied as he was presented with a bronze trophy. Seconds after he claimed it, a platform rose from underneath stage left to a height of six feet, labeled with a blue number three. "Our second-place team, Josh and Twilight!" Josh's heart racing and his arms shaking as he accepted the silver trophy, stumbling a bit from his prize being a bit heavier than anticipated. A similar platform rose underneath Josh, stage right, to a height of twelve feet; this one was labeled with a green number two. "And our first place team, Raye and Razor!" Razor posed triumphantly as her rider accepted the gold trophy, thunderous applause coming from her hometown crowd. The center-stage platform the two stood on rose to a height of twenty feet, labeled with a red number one.
Two pairs of green fireworks went off in the sky above as the three hoisted their trophies skyward, a bright camera flash startling Josh. Once several photos had been taken, the platforms descended once again. Josh set his prize on the corner of the stage, ready to greet Agate and Koa with open arms had they followed him to the green. Twilight beamed a rare smile.
Koa smiled, glad that his advice was helpful to Agate so far. He never really thought he was good at giving people advice, but maybe he was better at it than he thought given Agate's appreciation. When he offered to trade numbers, Koa gladly accepted "Yeah, of course!" He said as he pulled out his phone. "I'd love to hear about your discoveries. If you need someone to come help out or just need someone to train with, I'll do my best whenever I'm available."
Koa let out an audible sigh as the tension of the race came to a close. Photo finish or not, that didn't detract from the fact that Josh raced very well the entire time. He knew this race was an important one for him and he hoped that him placing second here would give him that chance to participate in the Gold League like he wanted. As the stage for the awards ceremony was set, Koa would look to see if any of the racers and their Pokemon needed help since some of them took some pretty bad falls. However, it seemed the medical crews were already taking care of everybody so he would let them do their job.
Once the ceremony was done, the trophies were given out, and all the pictures were taken, Koa stood up to walk onto the green in order to personally congratulate Josh on such a good race. Others rushed to congratulate the other racers as well. Fans, friends, family. It was quite the sight to see! He offered Josh a hand to shake "Awesome job, Josh! It was a little touch and go there for a little while, but you certainly showed them what you got. Just goes to show that the right amount of calculated risk can yield some pretty impressive results. Though...is Twilight okay? How are her claws?" He asked as he looked over at her. She seemed exhausted, but that smile eased his worries if only a little bit "You two definitely deserve some rest either way. I'm really happy that your efforts paid off, especially with how nervous you were at first. You think this'll get you a step closer to the Gold League?"
Agate called his Honedge to its Pokeball after making sure that he had enough energy to feast on already. "Yeah, I'll take you on that offer. Maybe one day I'll ask your help in wrangling wild Pokemons. There has been reports of Arons around, and I sorta want to get one of them if they want to come with me. Apparently Aggrons despite their huge body and fierce look are actually nature loving. I want a Pokemon like that not gonna lie. One that can protect and work together with the other. Plus I think with me living close in Fuji, they'd love staying in the farm or something."
As for Agate, he was close behind Koa to congratulate Josh. "That was amazing. really. I never thought that the race is kinda like that... but I learned a lot. Maybe one day I'll give it a try, heh... well, if I got the suitable Pokemon that is. But yeah, great job on ranking the second! Hopefully this will get you closer to your dream eh?"
Agate stretched once more. "Whew, anyway, I think I'm going to head to route 10 soon. My Pokemons are trained, and they need a bit of battling experience soon."
Josh was eager to accept Koa's handshake, followed by Agate's. "Thanks, both of you. You two being there meant a lot, and kept me going after I got in some tough spots." Koa did seem a bit concerned about Twilight's claws, and rightfully so - they were rather stubby compared to how they began the race. "They'll grow back - this is typical of Absol trained for battle, too. She's more tired than hurt. This is why it's so important to have a whole racing team, so you can rotate them." Josh's eyes shifted from Koa to Agate to his trophy and back again, almost like clockwork. "This isn't the first time I've seen that Raye girl do well in a race here - she must be a local celebrity or something. I'm surprised she isn't in Gold League already. As far as advancing myself, there's one more race this month, then we'll hit the mid-season break in July and I'll find out then!"
He fully turned his attention to Agate. "There's an old, decommissioned race track out by Route 8 - would be perfect if you wanted to learn the basics of racing," Josh replied. Not a great salesman, but Agate seemed interested enough that his pitch didn't need to be very good. He stretched shortly after the young boy finished. "I guess this is where we head our separate ways - need to drop this off in my cave, then I gotta head over to Ivy Town. That's where the last race is before the mid-season break, and it's a water race. It'll be my first time in one of those - should be fun!" His prize in hand, he waved goodbye to the two. "See you 'round!"
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Mod note: Requesting an appropriate amount of Profession (Racing) for this thread. I would think +3?
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