After what seemed like a good half hour or so, or at least to Tails it did, an announcement was heard on the PA again.
"All the preparations have been made and the race is ready to begin." This time, it was Falkner's voice on the speakers. "If you are participating today, please make your way to the starting line, and the race will begin"
"Okay, it's time to see what I can do here..." Tails said to himself. He found that he was shaking a bit, walking along with the others. This was the first time in this world he was participating in something like this. Hanging with Sonic for four years made him naturally adept at racing. But racing while riding something was a different story for him. Of course, his old biplane, the Tornado could get up and go faster than one could say 'chili dogs', but this was a living thing he was racing on. And there were many other people as well as Winona and Falkner who'd be competing. And above all, for Tails, he wanted to make RC proud after watching that race between him and Aerial.
But all thinking aside, Tails finally found himself, still shaking albeit, nearing the starting point, signified by Winona and Falkner standing beside their pokemon of choice, Skarmory and Pidgeot respectively. There were a couple of attendants waiting on either side of the line also, both waiting with carts filled with what looked liked headsets, probably waiting for everyone to line up.
This is it, Tails thought to himself, it was time for him to show everyone just what he and his pokemon were made of. And to see if he was able to prove himself to none other than himself. His ears perked up when he heard another announcement.
"Everyone, please line up and wait for your handless transmitters, then the race will begin shortly."
The crowd scrambled to line up, prompting Tails to do so himself before someone tripped over him. Soon enough, there was a distinctive line formed and the attendants began to pass out the transmitters to the racers. One made his way to Tails and said, "This is to keep track of a person's position and to speak with the other racers should you have any trouble," before handing him one. Tails started messing around with it, trying to adjust it to his size, then he put it on, positioning the microphone before his mouth.
"Everyone, call out your pokemon!" Tails heard over the headphones.
"Okay, Pidgeot, we're about to start this race! Come on out!" he called out, releasing his Pidgeot from its ball. Looking at the other contestants releasing their pokemon, Tails couldn't help but feel excited to start this race off.
"Everyone mount your pokemon," came another call over the headphones.
Tails climbed onto Pidgeot, catching a glimpse of Winona waving at him after she mounted her Skarmory. Tails always thought Skarmory to be one of the slower flying pokemon, but if Winona was using it, then it had to have some sort of advantage.
"Remember racers, if you should lose your way in a particular region, restart at the first checkpoint in the region. The first checkpoint in this region is above the Sky Pillar; in Orre, above Mt. Battle; in Kanto, above the Pokemon Tower, and in Jhoto, above the Radio Tower," instructed the attendant once more.
C'mon, start already was the only thing racing through Tails' mind. After these announcements, he was finding himself fidgety, ready to start, even if he was more nervous than he has been for a while.
"Racers, on your marks," said the attendant.
"Here we go..." Tails said to himself.
"Get set," the attendant continued.
"Get ready, everyone!" Winona called out.
"And GO!" the attendant yelled.
Almost in unison, calls for Agility were called, and the flying pokemon took off in a jet, leaving nothing but feathers behind to show that just a few seconds ago, there were enough flying pokemon there to overwhelm a windshield of any size.
The pack quickly made an ascent higher than Tails ever made on his Pidgeot and despite its hesitation, Tails urged it to follow them however high they should go. The pokemon ahead leveled out soon enough and Tails knew right then that this was going to be tough on him. The thin air at this level was quite a departure from the air on Mobius, and it worried him a bit, following behind the rest of the racers.
"I didn't know the air would be like this up here," he said to himself, staring ahead.
He wasn't expecting an answer, but over the transmitter he was wearing, someone said, "If you've been flying on a pokemon like that Pidgeot, then you should know about the thin air in the upper altitudes."
"Well, it wasn't like this back on my planet," Tails responded.
"Welcome to Earth, then," came an answer.
Tails decided it would be best if he quit talking so much because it was already getting to him. He just wanted to say one more thing to Pidgeot for now.
"Try and keep up, Pidgeot. Don't worry about me," he told his pokemon.
Pidgeot let out a chirp and started flapping its wings more often, speeding up and slowly creeping up on the rest. Down below, they were passing forests, some rocky areas and he saw quite the sight off in the distance; Sky pillar. From where he was, it really did look like a long, thin stony pillar protruding from the sea. As they neared, he saw something above it that the other racers started to speed toward. He remembered what Winona said, talking on her Pokenav. She asked if the weather balloons and holograms were ready, and that must have been it. Tails squinted and saw an unnatural red arrow below the balloon, pointing eastward. Some of the pokemon rounded a corner around it and continued their flight in the direction the arrow directed.
Tails' Pidgeot rounded the bend like the rest and zoomed away from the first checkpoint in the race.
It had to have been around five forty-five by now, and it showed in the sky. The color itself was something to look at. Off in the horizon near the sun, the clear blue was turning a hint of orange. The other side of the horizon was a darker blue. Evening on Mobius was always so beautiful because the clouds were usually everywhere, but on Earth, they're not so common this high up. He had to have been at least twelve kilometers in the air where it starts to get real thin and some weather balloons start to settle.
And approaching from those colors was another checkpoint, far off from the nearing shore below. Squinting down, Tails could see that they were over Slateport and the checkpoint was still further east. He was near the middle of the pack now, and no one was talking over the headsets. He just guessed that they were enjoying the sights as much as he was. Either that or they also thought talking this high up with the thin air was a bad idea, too.
The checkpoint over Rustboro came and went as quickly as the last and the holographic arrow was pointing northwest this time.
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The first four Checkpoints passed by fast enough. Sky Pillar, Rustboro, Mount Chimney and Sootopolis, and that last checkpoint was pointing north. Falkner guessed they were flying for the Weather Institute next. Only Winona was ahead of him right now, and he could never figure out how a Skarmory could best a Pidgeot in speed. Looking behind him, he could see the rest of the pack not too far behind. He was certain on another one-two win again this year.
"Hey, Winona. You feeling good up there?" Falkner asked over the transmission system.
"Why it feels good, of course," Winona replied. "How does the dust taste back there?" she asked playfully.
Falkner chuckled to himself. "I should feel lucky that steel pokemon don't smell like anything but steel."
He heard another giggle, then he redirected his focus on the Weather Institute tower that was rapidly approaching, that and its perpetual rainfall. A thought crossed his mind. Would the rain there hinder Skarmory and cost Winona a few positions?
For all he knew, due to her proximity to the institute, Winona could have trained her Skarmory to handle the rain like any other flying pokemon without missing a flap. And if she could do that, then certainly she'd find a way to train a Skarmory to attain such high speeds so as to give a Pidgeot a run for its money. And if that was possible, then Mach 2 may just be the beginning of Pidgeot's potential.
Just as always, the area greeted Falkner with a kiss of rain, which he felt was decidedly chilly, considering their hight in the air. This dense chill would probably be the first of many environmental challenges in the race. If the racers behind him weren't careful, they were liable to lose an appendage or two.
Luckily, gym leaders were trained to handle what their pokemon are expected to. Just like it's rumored for Lieutenant Surge to undergo a sixty second shock 'therapy' from his pokemon--drenched with water at that--and not even yell, Falkner and Winona could handle the upper reaches of the sky with relatively no problem.
The checkpoint came and went, the holographic arrow pointing the racers further north. It looked like the Jhoto and Kanto regions were next. Orre would be last, as it would be expected that nighttime above the desert would prove to be about as chilly as the institute skies. Across the ocean they went.
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Vince was anxious to distance himself as far away from the weather institute as fast as possible. He figured a Charizard wouldn't have any problems in a race like this, but it seemed even his judgment was faulty from time to time. Other than that mishap, the skies were treating him well. He'd have his time soon enough. The thought alone of the pain he would inflict on that fox boy stirred him to see through the past storm and onto his own clearer skies.
Maybe when this was over, he'd have himself a martini in Celadon to celebrate his victory over his past. God knew he needed it after all this time. It seemed his Charizard could tap into his joy, as their flight was becoming less turbulent by the mile.
He constantly wished though, that those locales he read of in books were real. Those stories told of Los Angeles, Hollywood, Orange County, Los Vegas... sure sounded much more exciting than the cities he'd been to. Pokemon were nice, maybe, but the world was just too saturated with them and their influence. Everything was decided by a battle. A world where even kids could defeat adults and not be questioned was a world that had something very wrong with it. At least in the worlds in the books, he'd be able to sip his martini in peace without being pestered by some punk kid.
Land came soon enough and he was off to make his rounds in Goldenrod, where the tower lied below the first checkpoint of the region.
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The cold wouldn't have been too much of a problem for Tails, but the droplets that clung to his fur felt like they burning through to his skin, despite them being just drops of cold water. But after having to breathe that in for a stretch, the icy wind circulating though his lungs, the clear air felt so much better. He was worried that Pidgeot would have trouble with it, but just like Tails, Pidgeot seemed to recover from that blast of chill.
By the time they had flown past the Radio Tower in Goldenrod, Tails could breathe at least a little better considering how high he was up in the air. The Hologram above the tower pointed east, so he nudged Pidgeot over in that direction after they passed by. At least he was in an area he knew pretty well. Snagem headquarters was in that direction, but he didn't really think they'd place a checkpoint above the base. He knew Snagem didn't need the advertising.
A few of the racers seemed to be lagging, probably ready to drop out. He passed them by and waved. But those racers didn't look too happy about him passing them up. And one of the contestants stuck his middle finger up for some reason. Tails didn't know what it was supposed to mean, but he decided against trying to return the gesture since the guy didn't look exactly pleased in the first place.
"Umm..." Tails began to say over the mic, "what's it mean when someone sticks their middle finger up in the air?" he asked.
He didn't have to wait too long before he heard laughter from the other end. And up ahead of him, he saw someone fall off his Dragonite, he was laughing so hard. Fortunately for him, his Dragonite retrieved him before he made a mess on the ground.
"It's... an Orange Island good luck sign," Falkner lied.
"Yeah, and... you're only supposed to do it if you're from Orange Islands, or it's bad luck then," Winona added.
"Oh, okay. I guess someone from the Orange islands is racing," Tails replied.
More laughter was heard from the other end. He figured he was missing something, but he didn't want to waste too much energy talking when breathing should be his main focus.
As Pidgeot flew over the forested area, Tails saw Mount Silver rapidly approaching. As with the other checkpoints, the weather balloon was waiting for him and the other racers. Several had already rounded the corner, northwest and when he passed the checkpoint, he turned that way himself. He wasn't too worried that they were ahead of him. There was still three checkpoints in this region, plus Kanto and Orre to pass through before flying back to Fortree to decide the winner. He felt he had enough room to work with.
Speaking of other regions, he noticed that these checkpoints were over notable landmarks in the regions, and he thought it would be useful if he was going to have a clue as to what he would have to overcome next in the race. And after the Institute airspace, he felt a need to be prepared.
More trees, more grass below, more flying over cities and other areas. More suppressingly cold thin air. And after that, two more regions. More than what Tails was used to dealing with. Of course he had his bumps and bruises in the past on this planet. It had been over a year since he left Mobius, and with joining Snagem, it was inevitable. Broken leg, almost crushed, deep fried, nearly drowned...he could go on and on. Back on Mobius, Sonic was the one to protect him from such dangers. But here, he longed to be just as adventurous as his hero.
So he had to deal with it.
Ecruteak city was the next target area and the checkpoint drifted above the Tin Tower. Just as ever, Winona and Falkner were still in the lead, followed by several other people Tails didn't know of, around him were a flock of birds and racers and behind was another flock, and he think he saw Vince on a Charizard in the midst of it.
The checkpoint came, went and pointed them southwest. Tails nudged Pidgeot in that direction and watched as they speedily departed Ecruteak just as quickly as they came.
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Having passed over the Olivine Lighthouse and Mount Mortar, Vince knew he'd have to act in Kanto. He definitely didn't want to wait too long, because he'd stand out too much if he tried to deliver the coup de grace to that flying fox pest. Too many people would have dropped out. Not that it'd matter. He could just as easily ground the two gym leaders if he needed to. He didn't come with just his pokemon after all.
The sun was about claimed by the horizon, the last rays of light struggling to keep from sinking beneath. Perhaps killing him late would have its own merits. It'd be dark and all he'd have to do would be to ditch his headset and become just another missing person. If he played his cards right, he could escape all blame, be seen as a victim and move on with another identity.
In this day and age, new identities could be attained just as freely as a new job, if you had the right connections and enough cash. That was how he got the name Vince in the first place. It had a certain villainous ring to it that he found fitting of a killer. But could it be called killing? The fox boy was just that. A fox. A talking fox, maybe, an aberration unto this world, maybe. A human? Not even close. Nothing borne on his conscience.
The only thing that could go wrong is if that fox somehow survived. And the chances of that happening were unlikely at best.
The first destination in Kanto was the Pokemon Tower in Lavender. It would have been fitting to take him out then and there, above such a melancholy town steeped in mourning and death. They wouldn't have to take him far to bury him, either.
But... all the thinking about revenge was boring him. As soon as he rounded the checkpoint west southwest according to the compass conveniently installed into his watch, he buried his vengeful thoughts and his brain conceived of such joys as wine, freedom and other future planning.
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The race was about halfway done. Hoenn and Jhoto were done with and Falkner had left Lavender well in his dust. At least something good happened in that old town. Winona's Skarmory looked as if it were finally tiring out and Zephyr took snatched that opportunity up faster than a Snorlax would a pile of apples.
"How's it feel back there, Winona?" Falkner finally asked.
"Don't worry," Winona assured, "I'll do my best just to give you trouble."
"Well, you know how much I hate an easy win."
"You'll be happy to hear that I can't guarantee any of those conditions," Winona cheerfully replied.
Another voice, a young one, came on the headset: "Hey, don't count me out yet!"
Knowing who it was, Falkner answered, "Don't worry, Tails, I see you behind us. You're doing good to get this far," he encouraged. "Keep it up."
"Mmm-hmm!" Tails replied.
Falkner was glad he was so enthusiastic at this stage in the race. Maybe he had what it takes to finish the race after all. That would be pretty good for a kid. He could go home and tell all his friends about it. But then the thought occurred to him; if the kid really did make it, then he would probably keep coming until he might actually be a match for Winona and himself. He already had a friendly rival in Winona, and another one would make the future races all the more interesting.
"Yeah, keep it up," Falkner repeated.
Truth be told, he couldn't recall whether or not Palette Town was a checkpoint in previous races. He was sure he'd be able to recall if it had. He concluded that it wasn't worth thinking on since Zephyr rounded the checkpoint back northeast. Interesting setup this year, he thought to himself.