p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Steel (Poke)Ball Run/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Chapter 10 – VS THE FOREST/span/strong/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;":/span/strong/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" However, for others, it was as though the chaos and excitement of the Steel Ball Run were mere dreams and moments away. That would be, of course, because Trainer Pocoloco had slept through it all and was now about to get a rude awakening despite how refreshed he was feeling now that he had finally stumbled out of his tent and into the mid-morning sun./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" It was a little warmer out than he expected. Not to mention a lot quieter and emptier than it was yesterday. Beads of sweat gathered along the crown of his head as Pocoloco began to investigate. He saw the clerk from the bureaucratic office and wandered in closer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The pudgy man had his nose buried in a newspaper and was sipping from a cheap, white-and-blue mug. Pocoloco approached a tad giggly but in a sort of insincere pretence, and rubbed the back of his head. A little bit of nervousness pinged inside of him but he wasn't truly worried. He had a trump card after all; in an almost literal sense, even./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Hahaha…' he choked out. 'Sorry to bother you but can I get the time?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He thought about the divination he had gotten the other day. The fortune teller was a mystical old woman with hair as white as snow and wrinkled skin as brown as a wizened oak tree. She had a watery smile that was almost a slash upon her face like that of a carved pumpkin. Her eyes had gleamed as she explained her cards; The Lovers on top, and something else beneath which Pocoloco didn't quite recall. But he would forever remember that voice of hers: eerie, crackling, but ever so wise./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Pocoloco… the next two months, I guarantee that whatever you do, you will succeed. One out of a hundred and fifty million people! The greatest peak of your life is coming: you should do whatever your heart desires. There's no need to hesitate; you have no enemies to fear. I see something sparkling in your future no matter what you do.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" There truly was nothing to fear. Despite missing the start of the race, no one seemed to care. After all, the only person to dispute his entry was the clerk and the clerk cared more about his sandwich than the race currently. And that led to something utterly exhilarating./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco's heartbeat excitedly in his chest. He grinned ear to ear. He gripped tenaciously onto his mount's reins. His mount was an impetuous Tauros. The ground underfoot was more than downtrodden. It was soft and bouncy. With all the space they had, their inexperience did not show. For a pair like Pocoloco and his Tauros, the conditions couldn't be better./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'I've never been on ground easier to ride than this!' Pocoloco hollered as his Tauros dashed forward./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" But something didn't make sense so he pondered it aloud. He hoped that hearing his own voice would help him understand what was going on./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Wait, if I'm supposed to be the luckiest man alive right now thanks to that fortune telling stuff… how on Earth did I sleep through the opening of the race?' Pocoloco asked himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He wasn't beating himself up over that. He had a prickly hope there was a good reason for it but nevertheless, it didn't make sense. But, as he mulled it over more and more a sour taste emerged on his tongue./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'This isn't good luck at all… This'll be bad!' he murmured to his Tauros. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" At least until he got distracted once more by how smooth a ride it had been so far. The ground was well beaten and he was free to see all his heart desired. The wind was soft and a nice, mild temperature. The sun was shining softly. It was really quite spectacular. Moreover, with no one around - bar a few surrounding a vehicle - his Taurus was free to buck and canter and gallop and amble as it pleased. Therefore, he was picking up the pace at an unbelievable speed. He sang praises of this pace upon moving on from mulling over whether or not it was lucky or unlucky to have slept through the beginning of the race./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" As such, Pocoloco was free to overtake those men and their run-down vehicle on the side of the path he was careening down. They were grumbling among themselves; kicking at the dirt./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Why didn't anyone tell me about the mileage being four hundred miles per litre? Crossing the continent is impossible!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Yes, an utter pity, sir. Let's retire from the race then and return to our home country Kalos, Baron.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco continued to surge forward. Already, he had caught up to the rest of his fellow Trainers. He was barging his way into the end of the pack now. As he entered the fray, circumstances became a whole lot less lackadaisical already. In front of him, a Zebstrika mount was kicking up dirt and he was being boxed in by a Rapidash mount and the fence sprawling along this part of the countryside./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Upon one of the pickets, a wanted poster was mounted. It depicted a rat-faced man with a distinctive beard. He was wanted for five thousand for being a habitual burglar. It warned that he may have shaved that beard off./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" As Pocoloco endured forward, he battled much. Dirt and manure were kicked up in the chaotic pounding of hooves. It splattered across Pocoloco's face and with his slightly parted lips, he got a nasty taste of it all. He also came across a distinctly metallic twang as he wiped at his mouth. He soon picked apart a gold coin from a mound of mud and manure. His eyes widened and then something caught his eye from its corner./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Agh! Agh! I can't believe this - there's manure down my shirt!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The Trainer boxing him in on the Rapidash screamed shrilly. The Trainer was a woman in somewhat fancy riding clothes. She reared back and tugged at her shirt. She accidentally tore apart her blouse in order to remove the flecks of mud and manure. Pocoloco got a good eyeful of her voluptuous breasts./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" His eyes widened and he then attempted to discreetly hide his lust. He quickly turned his head and kept charging forth. The lady Trainer began to slow down as she clamped one hand over her torn blouse and kept the other on her reins. Pocoloco continued past and he managed to come within inches of the man mounted on the back of a Zebstrika./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Crap, it reeks!' he complained as he scratched off the manure and mud that had smeared across his face./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco overtook that Trainer too in his distraction. He twisted back and watched the distance widened but noticed something. That Trainer mounted on the Zebstrika looked very familiar: eerie eyes and a rodent-like face; the smears of dirt and manure on his face streaked his cheeks like patches of facial hair. Then it struck Pococloco./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He twisted around once more. The picket fence stump with a wanted poster attached was almost out of view but he could still make out the details. That man looked exactly like the man in the wanted poster. They were almost definitely the same person. Pocoloco swung back around and he felt light as a feather. He couldn't help but laugh./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'This means… This means it's all real!' he yelled out, victorious./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He felt as though he could laugh all his way to the finishing line. There was nothing that could stop him and his outrageously good luck./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco began to approach the next cluster of Trainers along the route. He reared up when they stopped suddenly. He noticed that there was a deep ravine before but not a bridge in sight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The other Trainers barked among themselves: 'It's a cliff, goddammit!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'H-Hey, we strayed from the course!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Someone, the leader of this stray pack of Trainers, chucked his head back. His fair skin quickly turned a most fearsome and furious red./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Dammit! It's his fault! Where's he gone? It's that Isshu-man's fault! We were following him!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" For a moment, Pocoloco was confused but soon enough, a peculiar Trainer revealed himself. Out of seemingly thin air, from behind him even, a young man burst through with many acrobatics. He gracefully leaped into the air - above the heads of the Trainers - and somersaulted into the ravine. He had five Pokemon in tow and they all faithfully followed their master into the ravine. Was he supposed to be a Trainer?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Because he seemed literally insane if he was./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Then some miraculous happened. He bounced off of the cliff face then ran down it. He had all the athleticism and grace associated with his Mienshao, and then some. All his non-flying Pokemon accompanied him and performed the same acrobatics. His Pokemon capable of flying, such as his Flygon and Cofagrigus, looped around and merely watched and were likely keeping an eye for if any intervention were to become necessary at the last possible second./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The other Trainers watched. Their bulging eyes and gaping mouths hung slack./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Did he trick us into following him?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'I just sort of went along with him because he was running so fast.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'But look at the map,' said one man, the flutter of paper accompanied his voice, 'if we go this way, it'll cut the trip in two. It's a shortcut!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Yeah, sure, if you wanna injure your mount!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco was awed, to say the least. His eyes popped open and idea welled up inside of him. A very reckless and risky idea but an idea nevertheless. With his circumstances, his extraordinary luck, he should have no problem executing it. But still, if he was wrong, the consequences would be catastrophic; fatal even./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco bravely decided he was one hundred percent willing to give it a red hot go. He dug his heels into his Tauros' ribs. It gave a great snort then got moving. It waddled back a little bit then gave a running start into a grand leap. Together, they soared over the heads of the Trainers clustered along the cliffside./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" His leap caught the attention of the Isshu man, Sandman. His eyes widened as he gripped on tightly to the cliff face. It was going to take a little more than a miracle to keep that Tauros safe in this situation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'I'm the one with one in five hundred million luck; I came to Virbank City believing that. If I'm wrong; that'll all end here!' Pocoloco proclaimed. 'I'm gonna win it and go back home AND LIVE A HAPPIER LIFE!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Beneath him, his Tauros' legs flailed. His belongings flapped around; his rope loosely untethered from the coil it had once been ensnared in. The Tauros railed against the cliff side. Its hooves scraped against the rock; a horrifying sound. It strained its voice as it called out against the cruelty of gravity./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'If you know how to use the rope, use the rope.' Sandman advised from across the ravine./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" His voice brought clarity and security to Pocoloco. His mind emptied a moment and his body acted without thinking. His heart felt as though it had quit its beating and simply stopped working; and yet his breaths came and went unhindered. His hand reached out for his rope. He pulled it back then lassoed it around a rock at the top of the cliff. His Tauros finally found a foothold and ceased its terrified crooning. Together, he and his Tauros were able to scale the cliff./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" It was a slow, terrifying process but soon they made it. Tauros scrambled over the cliff's edge and shook its body. It puffed itself up and its fur seemed to have grown bigger. It certainly looked more intimidating than before. Perhaps it's near death experience was now something embarrassing for it and it was trying to shrug it off. Either way, it felt good for Pocoloco's heart. It seemed to have finally started beating again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" As Pocoloco and his Tauros slowly started moving away from the cliff's edge, he wanted Sandman and his Pokemon bounce around. They were in beautiful form. They practically soared over the rough ground on the other side of the ravine. However, even in that top formation and speed, once his Tauros got going, Pocoloco found that he and Sandman were equally matched./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco watched Sandman glide through. He was practically superhuman. He considered the past few minutes of the race. He had complete proof now that his luck was completely outmatched. It was true he had gotten some assistance from the Isshu-man but that didn't detract from the fact he had survived. That in itself had to be his luck. Still, Pocoloco wasn't sure how the Isshu-man was doing it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He was completely matching speed with his Tauros; not to mention he seemed to have outclassed plenty of other mounts. That man was incredibly confident. He had this look in his serious eyes. They gleamed like gemstones. His whole body language suggested - no, declared - that he was intending to take the win: the championships./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" A few more meters on the route and the two had rejoined the main group. It hadn't taken them long at all but now they were with the top racers in this championships. Here, it was bustling and busy and noisy. Pocoloco blended in due to being a mount but Sandman stood out like a sore thumb; something he took many advantages from. He was free to flit about like a flee through the crowds./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco approached Johnny and his Zebstrika's rear. 'Oi, oi!' he yelled at him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny grunted in acknowledgement./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Heeey, do you know who the leader is? Wait, are you the leader, I dunno. Your riding style looks lazy! Oi! Who's the leader?' Pocoloco pestered Johnny./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny turned around. Dried blood still smeared down the side of his face. He made no facial expression but his eyes burned with hatred nevertheless. He turned back around and continued urging his Zebstrika onwards./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Fortunately for Pocoloco, the commentator lady, Maria, had some attention-grabbing statements for him once she got word from up high; from home base on the train with Mr Stephen Steel and company./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'And noooow, they've just passed the six thousand metre sign! It's finally the last third of these fifteen thousand metres of the First Stage! From here on out, it's a downward climb! The leader is still Gyro Zeppeli! It's roughly seventy lengths between him and the following group! Will he make a clean escape? Could this race end with his getaway?'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco pointed to the speck in the distant landscape that was Gyro Zeppeli./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Wait, could it be? Is he the leader?' Pocoloco asked./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny glared ahead. In his experience and calculations, Zeppeli's Mudsdale should be tiring out any moment now. A little less than two thousand and five hundred metres is the reasonable length for speeding up before the clincher of a race and going for the finishing line. But, Johnny hesitated as his reasoning began to crumble, he couldn't let Zeppeli disappear from his line of sight. If he lost sight of him, he loses the idea of catching up to him altogether./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" To Johnny, this race wasn't about winning or losing. It wasn't about the prize money or bonuses. It wasn't even about becoming Champion. It was all about garnering Zeppeli's attention and proving himself worthy in Zeppeli's eyes. The quickest way to do that was to strike early. The first stage was his best opportunity to assert himself onto Zeppeli and the best way to fully utilise the first stage as an opportunity to do so would be to beat him in this leg of the race./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" First, he would have to keep distance./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" And challenge him after the two thousand metre mark!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'What's this?' Maria shrieked. 'Gyro Zeppeli is going off course!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny flinched upon hearing that. He squinted into the distance. He watched the dust swirled behind Mudsdale and it was definitely veering off course. Zeppeli was leading it into a thicket of tall and green trees./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'What could he possibly be thinking? Is he taking a shortcut or setting himself up for disaster?' the commentator yelled. 'If this shortcut works out for him, he will shave eight hundred to a thousand metres off his riding distance! Gyro Zeppeli is going to take his chances in the forest!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny took a breath. His eyes widened. He glanced around. Other racers were getting antsy as a result of Zeppeli's actions. Zeppeli had set up a honey pot trap out of himself. Were his competitors going to take the gamble?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" There wouldn't be much room to move in the forest. Zeppeli had already encountered that. A tree branch stuck out and he had to manoeuvre himself around it. His faithful Mudsdale continued to gallop onwards without a second thought. Zeppeli disappeared into the forest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco and Johnny decided to take up the bet. Johnny kept his body low onto his Zebstrika's. Pocoloco had a more unusual tactic. He closed his eyes and steadied his breaths. He seemed like a madman equal to only of that of Zeppeli. The race had certainly drawn out the weirdos and put them into the fray./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny glanced at Pocoloco. He was terrified of him: wide eyes and hitched breaths. What was he doing? He seemed so calm and confident. His demeanour was that of anything but fear. Johnny couldn't tell what the fellow was thinking. Pocoloco continued ahead whilst Johnny took safer paths. That's when an idea, a mere thought, tickled Johnny. He realised that it was as though Pocoloco was testing something; himself, perhaps?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny held back. He swallowed. He let Pocoloco pass him. Pocoloco was headed straight for a tree; gnarled and fully in bloom with verdant foliage./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Number 777 is the first to drop in!' Maria announced./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco confidently charged through. His eyes tightly closed. He beamed as he paraded through the forest on the back of his Tauros. Haughty with possibly, rightfully placed confidence. He reasoned that if he were not so fortunate and blessed, he wouldn't have made it this far in the race already so, therefore, he had nothing to fear. He would make it through this forest with his eyes closed - and he would dare to think so that he would not encounter challenge at all!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Nothing would cause him to fall off his mount. He would not even be lightly scratched by passing branches. Or so Pocoloco posed his own challenge to the terrain of this route./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" From on high, Maria swivelled around in the hot air balloon basket. She held a telescope to her eye and watched. With her companion Noibat and Loudred by her side, her voice would reach every ear. From where she was situated, being pulled along gently by the wind, the mounts looked like children's toys./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'The three thousand and six hundred mounts are splitting off into two groups! Despite the one thousand metres, people are choosing to play it safe! Will those who have thrown caution to the wind be rewarded or is it slow and steady to win this race?' Maria commentated./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny kept himself low. He inhaled the musty, stale smell of his Zebstrika's fur as he kept himself so closely pinned to its neck and back of its head. His eyes searched frantically through the sun-dappled and shadowy forest. It seemed futile now. Zeppeli had completely disappeared from Johnny's line of sight but the panic revved him up. Futility turned to determination./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Behind him, came an ungodly scream. Soon enough, a rider with a dual barrel rifle cocked came rollicking through like a madman. He overtook Johnny then ceased his fidgeting with his rifle; it was ready to be shot, apparently. He pulled the trigger and his bullets ripped through the tree branch before him. The branch crunched as the bullet sped through it. It tore away from the main trunk of the tree. Its debris scattered over the head of the shooter./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The man, once cackling with a premature victory, took the branch to his face. It violently battered against his face. He was knocked off his mount; he hugged onto both his rifle and the tree branch. His blood, freely spurting from his nose and various cuts across his face, scattered in the air. His mount kept on galloping onwards; unfazed by having lost its master. No doubt, it may be glad to be free from such a man./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" A second madman overtook Johnny. He had a different strategy to the gunman. This vagrant was armed with a sword of some description. He raised it high. He had a few successful cuts through lesser branches. His arrogance grew with each successful swing of his sword. His hips and legs rode out each bucking leap of his mount beneath him. He attempted to slash through the branch which obscured his path and posed a hazard. His sword ate into the branch but the branch proved stronger. The branch bit back./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Much like his predecessor with the rifle, the swordsman was knocked off his mount. His mount raced onwards. Again, perhaps glad to be free of such a reckless vagrant master but who knows for certain. Either way, it joyously met up with the other loosened mount and the pair were now charging off zealously./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Meanwhile, Pocoloco's eyes remained closed as he charged almost serenely through the forest. The forest did not challenge Pocoloco or his mount. He and his Pokemon were in perfect unison; even their nostrils seemed to flare in time with each other as every breath, every swell of their sides, helped push them through the forest. His eyes remained curiously closed. Not a twig interrupted their path. By near, almost spectacular miss, Pocoloco's head remained unscathed as branches, pointed and unfeeling, attempted to touch him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny followed Pocoloco's path. Of course, he wasn't nearly as having such as tranquil ride as him. Johnny watched, asunder, as Pocoloco accelerated. His eyes still firmly shut. Johnny reeled in disbelief./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He resolved to work out the secret of Pocoloco's serenity. He analysed Pocoloco's demeanour. It was certainly true that Pokemon mimic the psyche of their master and by entrusting total control onto the mount, Pocoloco could possibly ride through as he was now. But it seemed so unlikely to have such an eccentric tactic be met with such success. It was nigh impossible but completely and utterly lucky of him. There had to be a limit./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny's Zebstrika hoofed it. It sped up and Pocoloco's Tauros allowed it to be overtaken. Johnny was shaken by the experience. There was no way that Pocoloco would allow such a feat; even with his eyes closed. Johnny whipped his head back and watched as Pocoloco's luck appeared to run out. And that was not a very pretty sight./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" A twig, a sprightly and sharp thing, reached out and scratched up his eyebrow and the skin above it. Blood was drawn. Pocoloco's eyes fluttered open as he registered the sensation of being scratched. He instinctively touched his forehead. His fingers became damp with blood./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He continued to ride on wherein the second branch from an obstinate tree grabbed him. It took him by the sleeve of his shirt and yanked him back as though possessed. In his distraction, Pocoloco's Tauros veered off of the clear path. It ran beneath a low lying, thick branch. It also took Pocoloco with it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco slammed into the branch. His body wound around it upon impact. His ear to the top side of the branch. His collarbones to the bottom of it. His legs dangled. He was horrible winded. He hoarsely coughed up blood./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" His eyes widened. 'N-No way…'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He reached out futilely. Eventually, he collapsed beneath the tree. To make matters worse, his number one rival in this race finally revealed himself in the thicket once more. He had returned from the shadows and foliage from where he vanished./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Gyro Zeppeli zig-zagged through the trees. He was not unlike a silvery streak but it was no Quick Attack./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco was proven as a boring freak; someone who bends luck rather than practice. Then there was Zeppeli. He had easily swooped back into the line of sight and into the first place position. He and his mount were making good speed but Johnny could see a twinge of paranoia in his body language. He kept furtively checking around./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Zeppeli wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. He was nervy all of a sudden. He kept making monsters out of the shadows in the corner of his eye. Well, not monsters. More like phantom mounts. He remembered that there had been a few people to have lost their mounts during this stretch of forest so it was entirely possible for it to have been one of those mounts. Surely wild Pokemon would not interfere with so many humans in the area./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Further down the forest, Zeppeli confirmed what he thought. There was a riderless mount back there. Zeppeli shook his head and reconstructed his focus. There was nothing to worry about./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" But that wasn't entirely true. That mount, a Tauros, still had its rider. Its rider was merely not on its back but rather, his foot still in the stirrup and was being dragged recklessly through the forest./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" The Tauros overtook Johnny. Johnny reared back and gritted his teeth. It was ridiculous and risky. By falling off his mount, Pocoloco would be able to manoeuvre through areas in the forest that were only big enough for a Pokemon to navigate. His back would be shredded on the forest floor and he was already bloody as anything but still, there was a chance the reward would be worth the risk./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Zeppeli continued to dart through the forest. He easily went in and out between the trees. His Mudsdale perfectly obeyed the choppy, touch-and-go commands. He breezed between the trees but nevertheless, Pocoloco continued to approach./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco yelled and screamed. Possibly from terror but also possibly from the jubilant celebration of his luck in this situation./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Johnny glared as he tried to work out what exactly Pocoloco's deal was. Was that a coincidence or was that calculation? He couldn't tell. Perhaps he shouldn't have written Pocoloco off as a boring freak just yet as his riding style was too unpredictable for such a title./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Zeppeli checked over his shoulder. Any sense of serenity he had prior, having quelled his nerves over riderless mounts earlier, completely shattered. His eyes widened as he watched the Tauros charge towards him with its rider dangled from the stirrup attached to its rugged saddle. Zeppeli swerved himself back around and he detached a PokeBall from the holsters hanging off him. In front of him was a terrain hazard he simply couldn't plough forward upon Mudsdale's back so he quickly devised a way to rid the area of the clustered, spindly trees./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Go, go, Big Jack!' Zeppeli yelled. 'Use Rollout!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" He tossed his PokeBall upwards. It spun on its side and opened vertically also. Out popped a large Snorlax from the minuscule PokeBall./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" It outstretched its arms dumbly before curling up into a ball; thankfully whilst still in midair. It landed with an enormous thud and then tilted upwards wherein it rolled forward. It picked up rammed down the trees and flattened them using the full extent of its accelerated weight. The trees twisted around; as though imbued with the spin./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Snorlax toddled away from the area and was quickly returned to its PokeBall once Zeppeli had charged through the cleared area. Now, he and his Mudsdale were in the clear. They galloped through and left the forest behind. The grass was paler here, a tad yellow and the sky could be seen without the tops of trees. They had made it out of the woods. And first, at that./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Oh! One horse has made it from the forest! They've made it from the forest - one horse! It's Gyro Zeppeli! It's Gyro Zeppeli, as to be expected!' It's a success; Zeppeli has shaved eight hundred metres off of the route by taking the detour!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Enflamed by a competitive spirit, Tauros jealously and wildly surged forward. It kicked and bucked and finally rid itself of the extra weight: Pocoloco. Pocoloco slammed into a tree trunk. His body collided with it and his breath and blood sputtered before his eyes. He curled up; almost fetal. Was this it? Was this his defeat?/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Of course not for Pocoloco has supreme luck./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" As his eyes fluttered open, a PokeBall in his bag had been shaken loose. He was dizzy and bewildered but he was certain. He saw glimpses of sunshine, no not sunshine: starlight. He saw shimmers and sparkles of something that felt distinctly cosmic. His PokeBall wobbled by his side as he gathered himself./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Click!/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Pocoloco's attention was caught. He picked up his PokeBall, a green object crafted from an Apricorn, and inspected it. Did he just catch something? He couldn't work it out. It seemed heavier than normal. He shook his head. A peculiar energy surged through him and that was more than enough to reform his resolve. He would work out the mystery of this PokeBall later./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Wait? What's this?' Maria the commentator shrieked. 'A second mount is gaining on Zeppeli!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" Zeppeli turned his head to confirm the claims of the commentator. His eyes widened as he watched a man on the back of Tauros approach with a forceful charge. He exuded confidence. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Who the heck is this? What's going on? Even though Gyro Zeppeli was so far ahead coming out of the forest, someone has already caught up to him!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'It's true! I really am a lucky guy!' Pocoloco bellowed in jubilation. He pumped his fist in the air as he beamed; split lip and all. 'I got hit by a tree and was knocked back onto the saddle!'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'Who is this guy?' Zeppeli murmured, almost bitterly. 'He must have some kind of Ability to have pulled that off.'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a; background-color: #ededed;" 'There's a sign up ahead; it says four thousand metres remaining! After the downhill and the farm, there's two thousand metres of straight riding from there onwards towards the goal!' Maria yelled./p