This guy was seriously impressive. His true ability was surely beyond the middle-of-the-pack results he posted in every Qualifying Race. He always climbed past the others one rank at a time during the race, crossing the qualification threshold without any fanfare.
After that, it no longer mattered...
Just like the first round, whether they qualified in first place or scraped through in the last qualifying position, the points awarded were the same: 10 for the first round, 20 for the second.
However, Cacturne's overtaking this time had not been as unremarkable as in the previous round. Espeon and Lilligant's unexpected performances had made him feel the pressure of competition, so he had pulled out his trump-card move, "Spiky Shield."
If he still held back his trump card, he would probably be eliminated in the second round.
The cars at the front had already crossed the finish line.
Chloe's Blastoise had taken first place without question.
Starting from Cerise Castle No. 1 Position, he had been overtaken by Rose Champagne and had even dropped to 3rd Place, but his steady, outstanding performance had ultimately brought him across the line first.
Rose Champagne, driven by Espeon, had taken second...
At the edge of the track, Flower Crown slowly came to a stop. Lilligant stared at her leaf-blade hands in disbelief.
I... I...
"We came 5th Place! Twenty points, and we qualified!"
Oh my goodness-
After qualifying in the first round of the Preliminaries, Lilligant's disbelief had given way to intense oppression and distress. Qualifying in the second round... had not exactly cleared everything up, but at least sixty or seventy percent of the clouds in her heart had dispersed.
Her result in the Main Race really did not matter anymore...
In the first round of the Preliminaries at White Cape, she had