Chapter Thirteen: The Pokémon Race

The next day…

"Oh, come on! Please? I'm sure you'll win it!" Julie pleaded as she showed Gloria a poster advertising the annual Pokémon race

"Uh-uh. I can't reveal my…" Gloria said sharply.

"Oh, please? You can pretend to belong to me. Of course, you'll get the prize, but can we, huh, huh, huh?"

Sigh. Okay, you win. But you better keep your word, okay?" Gloria said in defeat. Arguing with Julie was like arguing with a brick.

"Yay! Let's go! Registration times are almost up!" Julie said excitedly.

"Well, looks like someone's excited about the Race." Joshua commented.

"You bet 'cha! The grand prize is 5,000$!!!" Julie exclaimed.

"Yowza! That's a lot of money!!!" Michael said. "Now I see why you're so perky."

"So let's move! No time to waste!" With that, Julie raced out the door. Gloria sighed and with a shrug, followed her friends.

Somewhere else…

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! She just walked right into it!" Daniel yelled.

"Hahahahahahaha! Am I a genius or am I a genius? Get into position!" Janett crowed proudly.

At the Race track…

"I still can't believe what I'm up against…" Gloria thought as she sat self-assured, poised in Illicuno form, looking about at her competitors. They were: a male Rapidash, a Nidoqueen, a Nidoking, a male Hoothoot, a male Murkrow, a male Umbreon, a female Xatu, a female Dunsparce and a female Pidgeot. She was mostly unimpressed by the opponents.

"And remember:" a voice blared on the intercom, "any and all fighting moves except Flying are banned. Any Pokémon caught using any fighting moves except Fly will be disqualified. No trainer interference is allowed, but, of course, cheer all you wish. We hope you enjoy your stay at the twenty-third annual Pokémon Race!"

"It starts…" Gloria thought as she stretched out her long wings.

"We're rooting for ya', Illicuno!" Michael yelled from the stands.

"Awk!" she chirped back.

"On your mark…" Gloria pulled her wings back.

"Get set…" she bent forward, preparing to fly. She scratched at the ground with one talon, ready to take off at the signal…

"GO!" Gloria took off, leaving all the others behind, even the Rapidash.

"Now! Release the net!!!" Janett hissed from the back of her Golbat.

"Commin' at 'cha!" Daniel released the net.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWK!!!" Gloria squawked as she crashed beak-first into the net. She tried to scuttle backwards, but the net had closed around her.

"Hahahahahahaha! Now we've got her!" Daniel cackled.

"Oh no! I shouldn't have been Flying so fast…" Gloria thought as she tried to squirm free of the net. Suddenly, all the other Pokémon came racing down the track, knocking the net out of the Golbat's claws. Gloria then struggled her way free. Flapping furiously, she flew faster and faster, trying to beat the fastest known Pokémon, Rapidash.

"Huh?! I should've known! Team Rocket!" Joshua growled in anger.

"It's okay! She worked it out nicely anyway. What matters is that Gloria's fine and she didn't get caught. Who knows, she still might win…" Michael said as he watched Gloria race.

"Ohhhhhh! I can't look! Too suspenseful…" Julie yelled, burying her face in her hands. Joshua rolled his eyes at Julie.

"And…Illicuno wins by a feather! What a race, what A race!" the announcer declared as Gloria passed the finish line a scant second before Rapidash.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Way to go, Illicuno!!!!!!" Julie blared as she heard the announcer.

Later…

"Whoa! Some race!" Gloria declared as she walked out of the stadium.

"See! I told ya' it would be fun!" Julie said gleefully.

"Well, it was kinda fun." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "We might as well go to the Gym. No, I am not using my you-know-what!!!" Gloria said quickly with a hiss. "Let's go."