From: bbd127@aol.com (bbd127@aol.com) Subject: [PW!] The Big Race Newsgroups: alt.games.nintendo.pokemon Date: 2000/08/03 It was three o?clock on the day after Taron had challenged Jason to the race. His claim was simple: that Rampage, his Tauros, could defeat Jason?s Rapidash, Firebolt, in a race. Jason had accepted easily, as it was well-known that Rapidashes were the fastest living land animals. But Sophie, confident of her own racing skills, was not about to be left out, and Procyon, trainer of Bulletwing the Dodrio, didn?t feel like cheering from the sidelines either. And so it was decided: a four-way race to determine the fastest of them all. Taron had decided on a course that took them all the way around the ranch house in a huge, circular loop. It covered a wide range of terrain, testing the skills of even the fastest runners with hurdles and steep inclines, among other things. Procyon, Taron and Jason were sitting around talking near a large oak tree with their respective Pokemon when Sophie approached them. She was mounted on a Dragonair, gliding gracefully through the air like an eel through water. Icicle was its name, and indeed it seemed as cool and unemotional as wintertime frost. She smiled at them. ?Ready to lose?? she asked of the group in general. ?Ready when you are,? replied Taron dryly. Procyon smiled but made no response, while Jason looked on. ?Now, then,? Taron went on, ?the starting and finish line is here, by the tree. The trail is clearly marked. One lap determines the winner. Mount your Pokemon and line up here,? he gestured to the starting line, ?and when we?re all ready, the signal will be given and the race will begin.? ?Signal? What signal?? Jason wanted to know. Taron just grinned. Seconds later, a Voltorb rolled up to the side of the trail. All but Taron sweatdropped. ?Uh.. Taron? You sure about this, buddy?? asked Procyon. ?Sure I?m sure. Now, quite whining, and 3, 2, 1 ?? BOOM! An explosion like dynamite lit up the track in a brilliant fireball, making a noise that would be heard for miles. The race was on. All four contestants shot ahead. Within seconds, Jason was in the lead on Firebolt, followed closely by Procyon with Taron and Sophie just inches behind. They raced across level ground for some time, occasionally changing slightly in order but with no profound differences from the beginning. While Firebolt and Bulletwing were great sprinters, their speed slacked somewhat over long distances, and that was where Rampage and Icicle had the advantage. Both were more built for endurance, and it showed. After a time they made their way into the forest. As they passed into denser and denser foliage it got dark quickly, but Jason led the way like a searing flame, cutting into the air as easily as the darkness. Bulletwing, loving racing since the day it was hatched, did not slacken its pace as it matched Firebolt stride for stride, Procyon urging it ever onwards with whispered inspirations as they raced. Taron?s Pokemon, no slower for its greater mass, kept up the lightning pace with practiced ease, and Sophie?s Dragonair moved swiftly through the air behind. Then abruptly the woods ended, to be replaced by a brief rocky stretch that gave way into a large, steep grassy hillside. The land rose and fell like crashing waves, and the length of the race began to take its toll on Firebolt. It began slowing down in spite of all the urging that Jason could give it, taking its place at last just behind Taron This left Procyon in the lead, still streaking through the grass with the swiftness of a creature designed for speed. Though Sophie had been in last place for the entire race up to this point, neither she nor her Pokemon had seemed concerned, so long as they did not fall behind the pack. It continued swimming through the air as easily as if it had been born to fly, and they made good time over the grassy landscape. The earth took an abrupt plunge in the form of a sudden, steep drop ahead, and it was all they could do to keep from rolling down the side. Bulletwing took to the air slightly to avoid stumbling, and Jason and Taron just managed to dodge the boulders that littered the tilted plain. Sophie wore an amused expression as she flew ahead on Icicle, oblivious to the ground below. Soon, while she was far ahead, the other three were still struggling to regain their lost momentum as they continued their trek through Epsilon Ranch. The race dragged on, past streams and waterfalls, by lakes, through canyons and over still more hills. Sophie was now far in the lead, trailed distantly by Taron, Procyon and Jason. Jason had overtaken the other two once more and was holding steady about ten feet in front of Taron, who was still riding steadily on faithful Rampage. Bulletwing, meanwhile, was tiring quickly, not used to such long exertions. Though it tried valiantly to keep up the pace, it was simply not quite fast enough. Rampage, clearly, had undergone quite a bit more training than Procyon had been led to believe. Suddenly, as they went over a quick rise in the land, a stream crossed their path. Firebolt didn?t have time to react and splashed in with a sizzle of steam. It gave a cry of discomfort and jumped out to the other side, but it was too late. The flames on its back were only half their former size, and it slowed to a walk, shaking its great head sadly. Jason patted its neck as they fell behind. ?It?s ok,? he told it. ?Don?t worry. Just do your best.? Rampage sloshed through the water noisily, but wasn?t quick enough to match the swift stride of Bulletwing. It leaped completely over the stream, barely even getting its talons wet, and leaving Taron just a few steps behind. Not much, but by the end of the race, it was enough. Bulletwing seemed to take heart with this turn of events, quickening its step as it raced onward, but Procyon, on its back, was not so optimistic. ?It?s too late, Bulletwing,? he said sadly. ?She?s way too far ahead of us by now. We?re going to lose.? The Dodrio?s middle head shot up. Lose? What did he mean, lose? They weren?t winning? ?Drio do dodrio?? it inquired. ?Yes, I said lose,? replied Procyon. ?Didn?t you see Sophie ahead of us, there? We?re goners now. It?s too late.? Bulletwing pondered that. It had never lost before. Granted, it had never raced before either, but it had naturally assumed it was the single fastest entity in the universe. The idea of losing was foreign and unnatural to it. Why lose, when one can win? It shook its left head. ?Drio do do, dodrio,? it said profoundly. ?Huh?? ?Drio drio, dodrio do do do,? explained Bulletwing. ?What?? ?Do do do, drio do, dodrio dodrio do do drio do drio,? it said. ?Uh?..? said Procyon. ?Ok. If you say so.? The great bird shook its right head in despair at its master?s inability to understand, but threw itself forward nevertheless. Its speed increased in a way Procyon had never seen before; the air whipped past his face at a hundred miles an hour, blowing his hair in a thousand directions at once. He loved it. ?I never knew you could go this fast!? he shouted. ?Dodrio!? it responded. ?Cool!? he said. ?WOO-HOO!! Let?s catch up with her!? And so they set off to reclaim victory of the race together. Trees, rocks, grass, clouds, all screamed by at lightning speeds until they were caught up with Sophie once more. Upon seeing them, she actually smiled and waved. ?I was wondering if any of you would catch up to me,? she said. ?I was hoping for a challenge. Icicle, leave them in the dust!? ?Oh no you don?t! Bulletwing, keep up with her!? It complied as well as it could, leaving them neck and neck for a while. They were both amazed to hear from behind a cry of, ?Don?t forget about me!? It was Taron, laughing, just behind them on Rampage; and Firebolt, which had somehow caught up as well, in spite of its run-in with the stream. All four of them were mere inches apart, vying for the right to cross the finish line first, each pushing their Pokemon to the absolute limit of their abilities. And then- It took a photograph of the crossing to determine the winner, all four were so close. And, in the end, it was Sophie in first on Icicle, followed a thousandth of a second later by Procyon, with Taron in a close third and Jason and Firebolt mere inches behind to take fourth. ?Icicle, we did it!!? Sophie congratulated the Dragonair. ?Congratulations! That was awesome!? ?Yeah, you too, Bulletwing,? said Procyon. ?We really came from behind there. Nice work!? Taron and Jason bestowed similar praise on their own Pokemon, as they all allowed time for some much- needed rest before making preparations for the three travelers to go on to the Fuchsia Gym. TBC