A Girl of the Future Page 17

  And I really like the Excess Express chapter of Paper Mario TTYD. It's also why I made the prize for this leg a trip to Poshley Heights.

  - Originally, this leg was going to be a copy of my original TAR's Rogueport leg in terms of challenges. The Detour was relatively still the same, except racers played the actual minigames from the Pianta Parlor. It was very lacking in detail back then, and I couldn't really figure out a good way to write it, so I scrapped it for betting on a paper airplane

  race, as more of an Easter Egg to the games in TTYD. The Roadblock was going to be racers moving rocks to clear a path to the underground, but I felt like the challenge just

  didn't make sense, so I replaced it with the Crystal Star Roadblock, especially since it felt more true to Rogueport and TTYD.

  Author's Note (8/12/16): The Keelhaul chop had nothing to do with the delay in legs, or to cut time. I just didn't like the challenges I had written for the leg and couldn't

  come up with better ones, so rather than plan out a whole new leg, I chose to scrap it and just make up for it with a double elim.

  I actually finished this leg a while ago, but I've been trying to power through the next leg quickly so I could write a preview to post at the end of this one. Since I haven't

  finished that leg yet, I've just opted to drop leg previews for the rest of the race.

  That said, the next leg takes racers to a United States/New York inspired region where one might dream to be the very best, like no one ever was.

  "Back to Boston." MetaKnight said.

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

  "Teams found themselves virtually tied upon reaching Rogueport due to a flight delay that held the lead four teams up…"

  "Attention passengers, due to a mechanical issue, we have to delay Flight 618 to Rogueport. We apologize for any inconvenience."

  "So, our flight to Roeguport has been delayed. We're sitting on the runway while they fix… whatever's wrong with the plane. So of course, there goes whatever lead we might

  have had." CJ said (During-Leg).

  The Kongs rushed down the stairs toward the harbor, with the girls shortly after them.

  "We were surprised to see DK and Diddy at the harbor." Stacey said (After-Leg). "We assumed they got on the earlier flight."

  "At the Detour, teams found themselves choosing between doing odd jobs at Rogueport's Trouble Center…"

  The girls approached a bipedal bird like creature standing in front of a house on the easternmost edge of Rogueport. The creature, known as a Craw, had a grey beak, brown

  feathers, wore a green bandana and vest and was carrying a spear.

  "Hi… We're here to help you with your trouble." Stacey said. "At least, I hope you're the one we're helping."

  "Oh thank goodness." The Craw, Garf, said. "You found my key?"

  "Yup yup." Tina said, holding out a small key. Garf took it, opening the locked door near him.

  The Sages ran over to a bipedal brown dog-like creature, known as a Doogan, with a green tuft of hair atop his head and wearing a green jacket. CJ held out a piece of paper.

  "Here you go, Arfur." CJ said. "Prices for a Dried Shroom, a Courage Shell and a Dizzy Dial."

  "Awesome." Arfur the Doogan said. "Thanks." He handed CJ a bag of coins.

  "…Or gambling Pianta Tokens on a paper airplane race…"

  The Kongs and Pandorans approached Lahla and the Nature Sages.

  "Is this the Plane Game?" DK asked.

  "Yes it is. Step right up." Lahla said. "Place your bets on which airplane you think will fly the farthest. You may bet on up to 2 airplanes, and you must bet at least 5 Pianta

  Tokens, but no more than 25."

  "Let's stick with 3 and 5." Alex said, placing 10 tokens on each.

  "2 and 6." DK said, placing down 10 on each.

  "3 and 6." Athena said, placing down 15 and 10.

  "And the winner is number 5!"

  "Phew." Alex sighed. "I'm assuming we would've had to buy more tokens if we ran out."

  "We still might." Aubrey said.

  "25 on…. 3." DK said.

  "25 on 3 as well." Alex said.

  "At the Roadblock, teams had to search for a replica of the legendary Crystal Stars and bring it to the Pit Stop at the Thousand Year Door..."

  "(Now… where to start looking?)" Kirby wondered.

  "Check everywhere, Shay!" CJ said. "Leave no stone unturned!"

  "I know!" Shaylene said.

  "Come on, Janey! Let's hold our lead! I know you can do it!" Athena said.

  "You've got this, son!" Yoshi said.

  "Father-and-son Yoshi and Yoshi Jr once again found themselves breezing through the leg and reaching the Pit Stop in first…"

  "Welcome to Rogueport." Greeted the bean man, Podley.

  "Good to be here."

  Toadsworth smiled a little. "You two are on quite a roll, aren't you? Yoshi and Yoshi Jr… You… Are team number one."

  "Nature Sages Alex and Aubrey stumbled at the Detour, incurring a penalty for running out of Pianta Tokens, and missed a vital gift upon receiving their next clue. Combined

  with a last-minute production change, the Sages, as well as married couple Fox and Krystal, found themselves reaching the Pit Stop last in a double elimination leg…"

  "Well, you did go back and get them, so you won't be penalized. And… You guys are team number seven."

  "Phew…" Alex said. "Just made it."

  "However…"

  "Uh oh…" Aubrey said.

  "Due to a last-minute change, this is a double elimination leg." Toadsworth said. "I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race."

  "Fox and Krystal…" Toadsworth said. "You're the last team to arrive."

  "We had a feeling." Fox said.

  "I'm sorry to tell you that you have been eliminated from the race." Toadsworth said.

  "The Roadblock got us." Krystal said. "I had the hardest time finding the replica star."

  "But it was fun." Fox said. "Short as it was."

  "Six teams remain… Who will be eliminated next?"

  Yoshis in the crystal clear ; Nature Sages and Star Fox take a wager and lose

  (The camera races through Rogueport, down into the underground and to the Thousand-Year Door, where Toadsworth waits.)

  "This is Rogueport… This ancient port city in the Mushroom Kingdom is home to all kinds of ne'er-do-wells, gangs, and misfits. Underneath this city are the 1,000-year-old

  remains of an ancient city, and in those ancient ruins is this place… the Thousand-Year Door. This door, which is the gate into the dark and ancient Shadow Palace, was the

  fifth Pit Stop in a race around the world. Will the Yoshis continue their race as they have, staying in the lead of the pack? Can Stacey and Tina recover from Stacey's

  exhaustion at the end of last leg and get out of last place?

  Yoshi and Yoshi Jr, who were the first to arrive at 8:25 PM, will depart at 8:25 AM."

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son – 1st to Depart / 8:25 AM

  Yoshi ripped open the clue and began reading as soon as they were given the signal.

  "Make your way to Rogueport Airport and get on a flight for Mistralton City in the Unova Region. Once there, travel by taxi to the Charizard Bridge. You have 200 coins for this

  leg of the race." Yoshi read.

  "From the Pit Stop, teams must make their way to Rogueport Airport and get on a flight to Mistralton City in the Unova Region. Once there, they must make their way to

  Driftveil City, where they will find their next clue in front of the Driftveil Drawbridge, referred to in the clue by its nickname, Charizard Bridge. Since flights to Unova are

  limited, teams have been provided with tickets on an 11:00 AM flight out of Rogueport."

  Kirby & MetaKnight: Friends/Star Warriors – 2nd to Depart / 8:43 AM

  "…Travel by taxi to the Charizard Bridge." MetaKnight read. "200 coins."

  "(Let's roll!
)"

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating– 3rd to Depart / 8:51 AM

  "So, where to next?" Shaylene asked, as CJ opened the clue.

  "Cool! We're going to Unova." CJ said. "Charizard Bridge."

  "Isn't that the Driftveil Drawbridge?" Shaylene asked.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr: Father/Son (Rogueport Airport)

  The Yoshis rushed into the airport and over to a nearby Mushroom Airlines counter.

  "Excuse me, do you have any flights to Unova?" Yoshi asked.

  "I'm sorry, no we don't." The clerk said.

  "Can you check other airlines?" Yoshi asked.

  "Let's see… Poke Airlines has a flight leaving at 11:00 AM." The clerk said.

  "Okay, thanks." Yoshi said.

  "We were provided with tickets on an 11:00 AM flight from Poke Airlines, getting into Mistralton City at 7:55 PM." Yoshi said (During-Leg). "According to the clerk at the Mushroom Airlines counter, it seems to be the only flight available."

  DK & Diddy: Best Friends – 4th to Depart / 9:16 AM

  "Neat, we're going to the Unova Region." DK said.

  "I wonder if we'll see any rare Pokemon." Diddy said.

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Rogueport Airport)

  The dating Sages rushed into the airport, quickly scoping out a counter marked "Poke Airlines".

  "Excuse me, do you guys have any other flights to Mistralton City other than the 11:00 AM?" CJ asked.

  "No we don't." The clerk said.

  "Are there any flights from any other airlines that might get in earlier?" CJ asked.

  "No. Sorry." The clerk said.

  "Ok thanks." CJ said. A few minutes later, the Sages were seated at a pair of computers, checking on flights.

  "There's a flight from Mushroom City at 12:45 PM." Shaylene said.

  "What time does it get to Mistralton?" CJ asked.

  "6:30 PM." Shaylene said.

  "That's an hour and a half advantage." CJ said. "Cool. Let's see if we can find a flight to Mushroom City."

  "We were provided tickets on an 11:00 AM flight directly to Mistralton from Rogueport, but Shay and I had the idea of checking other the other major airports in the Mushroom

  Kingdom for a flight that gets in earlier." CJ said (During-Leg). "We found one leaving Mushroom City later than Rogueport, but getting in an hour and a half earlier. But we only

  have about 3 hours to get to Mushroom City and catch that flight."

  Athena & Janey: Engaged – 5th to Depart / 9:26 AM

  "Make your way to Rogueport Airport and get on a flight for Mistralton City in the Unova Region…" Athena read. "…You have 200 coins for this leg of the race."

  "200? That seems like a lot." Janey said.

  CJ & Shaylene: Dating (Mushroom Airlines)

  "Excuse me, when's the next flight to Mushroom City?" Shaylene asked.

  "We have a flight leaving at 10:15 AM, getting into Rogueport at 12:15 PM." The clerk said.

  "Yikes…" CJ said. "That only gives us a half an hour to catch the flight to Mistralton." CJ said.

  "Do you want to risk it?" Shaylene asked.

  "If it works, we'll have over an hour lead on everyone else." CJ said. He turned back to the clerk. "We'll take tickets on that, please."

  "Ok." The clerk said, printing tickets.

  CJ & Shaylene – 1st on FLIGHT 1 to Mushroom City / 1st on FLIGHT 3 to Mistralton

  "It's a big gamble taking this flight to Mushroom City. We've already booked our flight to Mistralton ahead of time, so when we land in Mushroom City, we can book it to the

  gate and check in." CJ said (During-Leg). "The trick is making sure we don't miss our flight to Mushroom City."

  Stacey & Tiny Tina: Friends – Last to Depart / 9:54 AM

  "No way! We're going to Unova!" Stacey said. "We get to see Pokemon!"

  "Boom, girl! Let's do this!" Tina exclaimed.

  FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines) – Departure (Rogueport) / 10:15 AM

  FLIGHT 2 (Poke Airlines) – Departure (Rogueport) / 11:00 AM

  "This is the first flight leaving Rogueport, bound for Mushroom City and carrying only dating Sages CJ & Shaylene." Toadsworth narrated. "All other teams are flying to Mistralton City via Poke Airlines Flight 805."

  FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines) – Arrival (Rogueport) / 11:15 AM

  CJ and Shaylene sat on the plane, visibly upset.

  "Not long after take-off, there was some kind of problem with the plane, so they hard to turn around and land back in Rogueport." CJ said (During-Leg). "We're just now taking

  back off, but we've lost an hour, so we're probably going to miss our flight in Mushroom City."

  FLIGHT 1 (Mushroom Airlines) – Arrival (Mushroom City) / 1:55 PM

  CJ and Shaylene walked into the airport.

  "As we expected, we got in after our flight for Mistralton had already taken off." Shaylene said. "So, now we have to find another flight out of Mushroom City. Luckily, we

  checked a few options while we were in Rogueport. Poke Airlines has a flight to Mistralton, but unfortunately, it doesn't leave until 3:30 PM."

  FLIGHT 4 (Poke Airlines) – Departure (Mushroom City) / 3:30 PM

  "This is the second flight leaving Mushroom City for Mistralton City, carrying dating couple CJ & Shaylene."

  A plane touched down on a single two-lane runway in a small city nestled in the mountains. At the north end of the runway was a large hangar. To the west was a small

  building. Along the east and south edges of the airport were several greenhouses filled with various fruits and vegetables.

  FLIGHT 1 (Poke Airlies) – Arrival (Mistralton City) / 7:55 PM

  The teams piled out of the plane onto the tarmac. The Yoshis, Star Warriors and Kongs rushed into the nearby building, while Stacey and the Pandorans ran into the city.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Kirby & MetaKnight / DK & Diddy (Mistralton Airport)

  "Excuse me, could you call us three cabs please? We're trying to get to the Charizard Bridge." Yoshi asked the lone clerk seated at the desk.

  "Sure." The clerk said.

  Stacey & Tiny Tina / Athena & Janey (Mistralton City – Streets)

  "It shouldn't be this hard to find a cab." Stacey said.

  "I'm surprised we didn't see any at the airport." Athena said. Overhearing them, a nearby resident walked over.

  "Mistralton's a small city. Not like Castelia." He said. "You're better off calling for a cab. If you see one in the streets, chances are it's already got a fare."

  "Damn." Stacey said. "Of course."

  "Do you have a phone we could use?" Janey asked.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Kirby & MetaKnight / DK & Diddy

  Two cabs pulled up to the airport and the Yoshis and Star Warriors quickly jumped in.

  "To Charizard Bridge. And quickly please." Yoshi said.

  "(Charizard Bridge!)" Kirby said.

  "Of course… Guess we gotta wait a bit longer." DK said.

  Stacey & Tiny Tina / Athena & Janey

  The Pandorans and Stacey stood on the side of the road near a red-roofed building as a cab pulled up. The four quickly jumped into the cab.

  "Where we headed, ladies?" The driver asked.

  "Um… Charizard Bridge?" Stacey questioned. "Wherever that it."

  "Ah, the Driftveil Drawbridge." The driver said. "You got it."

  DK & Diddy

  The Kongs stood outside the airport as a cab finally pulled up for them.

  "Party for Driftveil Drawbridge?" The driver asked.

  "Um… no. We're trying to find the Charizard Bridge." DK said.

  "Yeah, that's the other name for Driftveil Drawbridge." The driver said. "Hop in."

  A pair of cabs drove into a large city on the seaside. On the east side of the city was a large red drawbridge. At the south was a tall building, open-air market and an entrance

  to what appeared to be a tunnel. South of the city was a small island, connected to the main city via a covered land bridge. On the island were several open-air stalls and<
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  souvenir stands as well as a fountain and a large stadium-like building. On the northern end of the city was a cavern, a small house, and a large gold building with an almost all

  glass front and an odd symbol above the door. To the east of the city was an isolated island with a lighthouse on it. The cabs raced through the streets and soon pulled into a

  park near the drawbridge. The leading teams jumped out, noticing their clue near the end of the bridge.

  Yoshi & Yoshi Jr / Kirby & MetaKnight – Currently in 1st

  "Detour… Iron Ore or Stones Galore."

  "A Detour is a choice between two tasks. In this Detour, teams must choose between two tasks related to the deep mining culture of Driftveil City… Iron Ore or Stones

  Galore.

  In Iron Ore, teams must head to the Driftveil City Gym, grab the provided equipment, and use the mining elevators to descend into the dimly lit mine. Once inside, they must use their equipment to break apart rock chunks around the gym to find 5 chunks of Iron. Once they have found their 5 chunks, they can hand them to Clay, the

  Driftveil City Gym Leader, and exchange them for the next clue.

  In Stones Galore, teams must head north of Driftveil into the Clay Tunnel and search the vast expansive cave to find five evolution stones: A Fire Stone, a Water Stone, a

  Thunder Stone, a Dusk Stone and a Dawn Stone. Once they find all five stones, they can bring them to the Driftveil Market and turn them into the Stone Vendor to receive

  their next clue." Toadsworth stood in front of six tandem bikes near the end of the bridge. "Regardless of which Detour teams choose, they must take one of these provided

  tandem bikes to travel there."

  "We'll do Iron Ore." MetaKnight said.

  "Stones Galore." Yoshi said.

  (Driftveil Gym)

  The Star Warriors' cab pulled up in front of the gold, glass-lined building in the northern part of town. They jumped out and ran inside, where they noticed hard hats and

  pickaxes on the floor, each labeled with a different racer's name. They grabbed their equipment and stepped onto the nearby elevator, putting their headlamps on over their

  hard hats as they descended. Within a short time, they reached the bottom of the gym, which was a dark, damp cavern. Scattered lanterns lit the area dimly.