I'll crush you all-!
Inside Rose Champagne up ahead, feline hisses rang out.
A Pet Carrier was secured to the driver's seat, with Espeon inside, using Confusion to drive the car.
Shouting slogans like a general charging into battle while actually sitting inside a Pet Carrier looked a little comical.
Damn it...
Espeon pressed against the Pet Carrier's transparent plastic window and looked outside. In the rearview mirror, a race car with vintage styling followed steadily behind.
Cerise Castle had started in pole position. After Rose Champagne overtook it with brute force, it had failed to shake its rival for more than half a lap. That annoyed Espeon, making it seem as though the other car had deliberately yielded the position.
Leading had its advantages, but yielding could also be a tactical choice.
More tussling and blocking would affect both cars' speeds. Especially on the first lap, with the track completely unfamiliar, letting the car ahead blaze the trail made running in second quite comfortable.
Overtaking had instead played into the other side's hands somewhat. That left Espeon thoroughly displeased, and she wanted to widen the gap further, truly dominate, and crush her competitors.
Faint, gauzelike wisps enveloped Rose Champagne as Wobbuffet used Safeguard (Mystic Veil) to prevent adverse conditions such as water or foreign objects entering the car's components.
Then question marks floated up as Wobbuffet used Amnesia, greatly raising Special Defense and correspondingly strengthening the vehicle's protection against vibrations, bumps, and temperature changes.
"Don't get cocky. You could fall apart at any moment, kitty."
"Espiii!!!"
Espeon flew into a rage, insisting there was nothing wrong with her.
Because... this time, the track didn't touch Lavender Town. (Muttered very quietly.)
"Not entering Lavender Town's territory doesn't mean there won't be problems."
One of Wobbuffet's ribbonlike arms stood ready. Though