A Girl of the Future Read online

  eliminated."

  "Eastern Point Yacht Club." CJ said. "Season 17 was the first season to have an Express Pass, and they started at Eastern Point Yacht Club back in May 2010."

  "I've always considered myself a bit of a superfan of the Amazing Race, and I used to live less than an hour from Gloucester." CJ said (After-Leg). "I've kicked myself since

  2010, wishing I had known about the start of Season 17 and could've gone to see teams take off from Gloucester."

  Pikachu

  Pikachu ran into the lot, noticing both Stacey and Ash waiting there.

  "(Getting to the end of the Roadblock and seeing another team was a huge relief.)" Pikachu said (After-Leg). "(And I could tell it gave Ash a kind of second wind.)"

  "Drive yourselves to Stage Fort Park. Let's go!" Ash said.

  Tiny Tina

  "I'm sorry… I'm last. I couldn't run it." Tina said.

  "I wouldn't have done any better." Stacey said, opening the clue. "Drive yourselves to Stage Fort Park and search for your next clue."

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends (Stage Fort Park)

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." Diddy read. "Where is that?"

  "Castle Town?" DK asked. "That doesn't make sense."

  "What about the U.S. version of the race?" Diddy asked. "Where did the first Express Pass get revealed?"

  "No idea."

  ? (Eastern Point Yacht Club)

  Toadsworth stood on the mat outside of a large building on the edge of the water. Next to him was a man in a green monster costume, wearing a white baseball shirt and a

  blue hat with a red "B" on it. The first team rushed toward the mat and jumped on it with excitement.

  "Welcome to Massachusetts." Wally the Green Monster said, his voice slightly muffled by the costume.

  "Thank you. Give us the news, Toadsworth. Team number one?"

  "CJ and Shaylene… Once again, you are team number one."

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating – 1st Place / 2:37 PM

  "Boo ya!" CJ said. "It's fitting. We used to live not far from here. I've always wished I could've seen the American version of the race's start from here back in Season 17. But

  now, here I am, coming in first place here, competing on the race myself."

  "I have more good news." Toadsworth said. "As winners of this leg of the race, you have won 7,500 coins… each, for a total of 15,000 coins."

  "No way!" CJ said.

  "Nice!" Shaylene said.

  "Step to the side and let these other teams in." Toadsworth said. "Yoshi and Yoshi Jr, Alex and Aubrey. You're teams two and three."

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 2nd Place / 2:37 PM

  Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 3rd Place / 2:38 PM

  "You guys aren't getting first next leg." Yoshi said. "Count on it."

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends

  The Kongs walked into a hotel.

  "Excuse me. Can we use a computer? We're in a race and we're trying to figure out this clue." DK said.

  "What's it say? We can look it up for you."

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." DK read.

  "Oh that's from The Amazing Race. You probably want Eastern Point Yacht Club. The race started there a few years back. It's just across the harbor."

  "Thanks!" Diddy said.

  DK & Diddy (Eastern Point Yacht Club)

  Toadsworth stood on the mat with Wally as the Kongs rushed over to them, excitedly jumping onto the mat.

  "Let's hear it. Team number one." DK said.

  "DK and Diddy. You…" Toadsworth paused. "…Are team number four."

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 4th Place / 2:54 PM

  "Four? Really?" DK asked.

  "I'm pretty sure we left the Roadblock in first." Diddy said. "That's an upset."

  Fox & Krystal / Kirby & MetaKnight (Stage Fort Park)

  "Wow. I'm amazed we found this place." Krystal said.

  "(There's the clue!)" Kirby said. The teams rushed over to the clue box.

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." Fox read.

  "Castle Town?" MetaKnight asked. "But that doesn't make sense. Why would we fly all the way back to Hyrule for the Pit Stop?"

  "It must be related to this city." Krystal said.

  "Let's ask the people in here." Fox said. The gang ran into the nearby building labeled "Visitor's Center".

  "Excuse me." MetaKnight said. "We're trying to solve this clue. 'Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop.' We're

  competing on The Amazing Race, if that helps."

  "The Amazing Race? Yeah, they started here a few years back. Eastern Point Yacht Club, just across the harbor."

  "Thank you." Krystal said. "Let's go."

  ? (Eastern Point Yacht Club)

  Toadsworth and Wally watched as two cars pulled into the lot closely after each other. Both teams rushed to the mat and jumped on almost together.

  "Welcome to Massachusetts." Wally said.

  "Kirby and MetaKnight, you're team number five." Toadsworth said. "Fox and Krystal, that would make you team number six."

  Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – 5th Place / 3:48 PM

  Fox & Krystal: Married – 6th Place / 3:48 PM

  "Not bad, considering we were tied for last at the Detour." Fox said. "At least I'm pretty sure we were."

  Athena & Janey: Engaged (Stage Fort Park)

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." Athena read. She and Janey ran into the Visitor's Center.

  "Hi. We're in a race and we're trying to solve a clue." Janey said.

  "Eastern Point Yacht Club. Across the harbor. You're the third group to ask us about it."

  "Thank you." Janey said.

  (Eastern Point Yacht Club)

  "Athena and Janey… You are team number seven."

  Athena & Janey: Engaged – 7th Place / 4:13 PM

  "That's not too good." Janey said.

  "It's the Detour. The basketballs really tripped us up."

  Ash & Pikachu / Stacey & Tiny Tina (Stage Fort Park)

  Both teams pulled into the park together, quickly rushing to find their clue.

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." Stacey read. "Oh. I think I know this… CJ told me about it once…"

  "I have no idea." Ash said. "Let's go inside and ask." Ash and Pikachu ran inside, quickly followed by the girls. "Excuse me, we're trying to solve a clue."

  "Eastern Point Yacht Club. Across the harbor."

  "That was it!" Stacey said.

  "Come on, let's go!" Ash said.

  "(Wait… We didn't even read the clue.)" Pikachu said. "(How did she know?)"

  "Don't worry about it. Let's just go!" Ash said.

  (Eastern Point Yacht Club)

  The two teams rushed to the Pit Stop, Ash and Pikachu just inching out the girls to the mat.

  "Welcome to Massachusetts." Wally said.

  "Thank you." Stacey said.

  "Thanks." Ash said.

  "Ash and Pikachu. You're the eighth team to arrive. Stacey and Tina, you're the last team to arrive." Toadsworth said. "However… Ash and Pikachu, as you know, you're marked for elimination, and since you did not arrive first, you have incurred a 30-minute penalty, which means Stacey and Tina, you are officially team number eight."

  Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – 8th Place / 5:20 PM

  Ash & Pikachu: Trainer/Pokemon – Last Place / 5:20 PM

  "Yay! We made it!" Stacey said.

  "Ash and Pikachu… I'm sorry to tell you that you have both been eliminated from the race."

  "Oh well." Ash said. "We gave it our all, made it through four legs, and I had fun. The basketballs really tripped me up. I just couldn't get them.
And the Yield. We were already marked for elimination. It really wasn't necessary."

  "Are you upset with them?" Toadsworth asked.

  "No. Not really." Ash said. "It's part of the game. And someone has to go home. I'm not gonna hold any grudges over it. It just sucks."

  (The camera flies up over the yacht club, panning out to Gloucester Harbor, as Ash and Pikachu walk toward the parking lot.)

  Leg 4 Trivia:

  - Originally, this leg was going to be entirely focused in Boston, with the Pit Stop at Fenway Park. However, what CJ mentioned at the Pit Stop is true. As a resident of

  Massachusetts, I have wished that I could've watched the racers take off from Gloucester back in Season 17. So I decided to make that season's starting line be the Pit Stop

  for this leg.

  - Also scrapped from this leg was mention of the tragedy of the Boston Marathon Bombing during the Roadblock. Originally, the Roadblock clue was "Who feels Boston Strong?"

  with Toadsworth mentioning the tragedy and stating that teams were to donate all of their money to charity at the end of the Roadblock. However, while writing it, I felt that

  keeping that form of the challenge was in a way disrespectful to those who were affected by the tragedy.

  - The price of the cab ride (633 coins / $25) isn't anything specific. I actually found a website that estimated Boston cab fare, and I used it to determine cab fare from Logan

  Airport to Faneuil Hall to be around $25. The coin value was totally random, based on a less-than-scientific coin-to-dollar conversion rate I came up with by comparing

  average prices of items in certain Mario games with average prices of their rough counterparts in U.S. dollars. I also did the same for Rupees, Banana Coins, Sonic rings, and

  Pokemon dollars. Again, totally not mathematic or scientifically accurate conversions, but they're what I'll be using for both TAR and my other stories.

  - I believe this is the first leg in any of my TAR fics where racers have gone to an airport that has no international departures. Or at least it's the first one where it's been

  explicitly stated.

  "So, where are we going next?" Tina asked.

  "Boston." Stacey said. "Ugh… Can we just skip this leg? Go to Paris or something?"

  "At the Detour, some teams found themselves being given a tour of Boston's most historic sites on one of the city's famous Duck Boats…"

  "With its gas street lamps and brick sidewalks, Beacon Hill is one of Boston's most beautiful neighborhoods. The Massachusetts State House is the oldest state house in the

  nation. John Adams and Paul Revere laid the cornerstone in 1795." Worcester said.

  "Like I said. Rich in history." Alex said.

  "I'm glad we chose this Detour." CJ said.

  "Me too." Yoshi said. "It's really cool getting to learn this stuff."

  "…While others tried to shoot some hoops at Boston's TD Garden."

  "Dang… they got it." Janey said.

  "Janey, don't give up! We can do this!" Athena said.

  "Athena, I can't! I'm not like you." Janey said. "I'm a mechanic, not a Vault Hunter."

  "Banana slama!" DK said as he leaped into the air, shooting the ball. He watched as it swished through the net with ease. Across the court, Athena jumped up and shot, as one

  of the Celtics swatted the ball away, sending it bouncing toward the side of the court.

  Ash and Pikachu ran into the basketball court, quickly grabbing a pair of basketballs and choosing a player. Ash looked up at the hoops.

  "This might be tougher than I thought." Ash said. Across the court, Kirby ran toward the hoop, swiftly zipping under the legs of one of the Celtics due to his small size. He

  dribbled toward the hoop, leaped into the air and tossed the ball. It struck the backboard, rolled around the rim of the net a few times and fell off to the left, bouncing and

  rolling to the side of the court.

  "(Dang.)" Kirby said.

  "At the Roadblock, racers were given the opportunity to run a section of the route of the famous Boston Marathon."

  "I can't believe I'm actually running part of the Boston Marathon!" Shaylene said.

  "I know! This is so cool!" Jr chirped.

  DK ran past a sign marked "Mile 3".

  "A little over halfway there." He said to himself, slowing down. "Phew… I'm getting tired."

  "Ok… Now my badonkadonk is getting tired. I can't keep running." Tina said.

  "I can!" Aubrey said, as she passed Tina and kept jogging at a reasonably fast pace. "Shoulda paced yourself…"

  "Dating Sages and Massachusetts natives CJ and Shaylene gained an important lead at the end of the leg when superfan CJ solved a cryptic Pit Stop clue…"

  "Search for the place where the first Express Pass was revealed to teams to find the next Pit Stop." Yoshi read. "Warning: The last team to check in may be eliminated."

  "Eastern Point Yacht Club." CJ said. "Season 17 was the first season to have an Express Pass, and they started at Eastern Point Yacht Club back in May 2010."

  "…allowing them to secure their second first place finish."

  Toadsworth stood on the mat outside of a large building on the edge of the water. Next to him was a man in a green monster costume, wearing a white baseball shirt and a

  blue hat with a red "B" on it. The first team rushed toward the mat and jumped on it with excitement.

  "Welcome to Massachusetts." Wally the Green Monster said, his voice slightly muffled by the costume.

  "Thank you. Give us the news, Toadsworth. Team number one?"

  "CJ and Shaylene… Once again, you are team number one."

  "Boo ya!" CJ said. "It's fitting. We used to live not far from here. I've always wished I could've seen the American version of the race's start from here back in Season 17. But

  now, here I am, coming in first place here, competing on the race myself."

  "I have more good news." Toadsworth said. "As winners of this leg of the race, you have won 7,500 coins… each, for a total of 15,000 coins."

  "No way!" CJ said.

  "Marked for elimination, trainer and Pokemon team Ash and Pikachu were met with difficulties during the leg, being Yielded…"

  "We choose to Yield Ash & Pikachu." Alex said.

  "Phew… We're safe." CJ said.

  "Aw man!" Ash said, as he and Pikachu stepped onto the mat and flipped the hourglass.

  "Beat by seconds…" Ash said (During-Leg). "This sucks. We could've Yielded someone if we were faster. Instead, we're sitting here waiting, and of course, we're marked for

  elimination, so this could end up taking us out."

  "…struggling at the Detour…"

  Ash threw a ball, watching it roll along the rim of the hoop for a few seconds before rolling off the side and bouncing away. "Aw man!"

  "Argh! Why can't I get this?!" Ash shouted.

  "Argh! Why can't I get this?!" Ash shouted, whipping a ball into the stands.

  "After being the last team left at our side of the Detour, I started getting discouraged." Ash said (After-Leg). "We were marked for elimination, and I was positive we were

  going home. I wasn't ready for that."

  "…and receiving another 30-minute penalty at the Pit Stop, which ultimately led to their elimination."

  "Ash and Pikachu. You're the eighth team to arrive. Stacey and Tina, you're the last team to arrive." Toadsworth said. "However… Ash and Pikachu, as you know, you're marked for elimination, and since you did not arrive first, you have incurred a 30-minute penalty, which means Stacey and Tina, you are officially team number eight."

  "Yay! We made it!" Stacey said.

  "Ash and Pikachu… I'm sorry to tell you that you have both been eliminated from the race."

  "Oh well." Ash said. "We gave it our all, made it through four legs, and I had fun. The basketballs really tripped me up. I just couldn't get them. And the Yield. We were already marked for elimination. It really wasn't necessary."
r />   "Eight teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?"

  Dating Sages race to the top; Team Kanto miss the hoop

  (The camera flies along the New England coast, passing a seaside estate, across a harbor and finally stops above a yacht club, where Toadsworth waits.)

  "This is Gloucester, Massachusetts. One of the oldest settlements in the United States. And in the southeastern part of this historic seaside city is this place… Eastern Point

  Yacht Club. This yacht club, which served as the starting line for the seventeenth season of the U.S. version of The Amazing Race, was the fourth Pit Stop in a race around

  the world. The eight teams waiting here have no idea what's in store for them in the next leg? Can frontrunners CJ and Shaylene hold on to their two-leg lead, or will it be

  ripped from them like they did to other lead team Yoshi and Yoshi Jr?

  CJ and Shaylene, Yoshi and Yoshi Jr, and Alex and Aubrey, who all arrived near simultaneously, will be the first three teams to depart."

  CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr – 1st to Depart / 2:37 AM

  Alex & Aubrey: Friends – 3rd to Depart / 2:38 AM

  "Drive yourselves to Logan Airport and get on a flight to Rogueport…"

  "…and search near the docks for your next clue."

  "Teams must now drive themselves back to Boston and take a flight into the Mushroom Kingdom to the city of Rogueport. Once they arrive in Rogueport, they must make

  their way to Rogueport Harbor and find their clue on the docks."

  "You have 115 coins for this leg of the race."

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 4th to Depart / 2:54 AM

  "Drive yourselves to Logan Airport and get on a flight to Rogueport and search near the docks for your next clue. You have 115 coins for this leg of the race." DK read.

  Kirby & MetaKnight / Fox & Krystal – 5th to Depart / 3:48 AM

  "Back to Boston." MetaKnight said.

  "Looks like we're bound for Rogueport." Fox said.

  CJ & Shaylene / Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Alex & Aubrey (Boston – Logan Airport)

  The three teams rushed into the airport together.

  "Let's see if we can find a Mushroom Airlines counter." CJ said.