On the last day of preparation, contestants and spectators alike scramble to finalize their arrangements. The weather starts to heat up as high noon swiftly approaches.

The intrepid duo always in search of a scoop dashes through the city. One is a woman with short hair, high heels, and a light-colored blouse and pants.

She's the voice.

The other is a tall, muscular man with a baseball cap, blue jeans, papers hanging out of his pockets, and a video camera over his right shoulder.

He's the eyes and ears.

Put them together and you make a combination scouring the world for the story of the day. As she fumbles in her heels and he races behind her, the pair make their way to a plaza in the west side of Celadon. An open space south of the Department Store, they both know that this year's competitors have one thing to show off before the big race.

"C'mon, Ty! We're running late!" Gabby shouts. Her Poké Ball-inspired earrings bounce as she swiftly maneuvers through crowds of people.

Her partner is not as lucky.

"Well, it's hard to keep up with a camera over my shoulder!" he huffs in reply. The twosome pass the Celadon Game Corner via the north path and manage to make it to the spectacle before the race: the Cycling Cup Engineer Exhibition. Here, competitors and engineers alike meet and showcase the newest and latest advancements in cycling technology.

"How is my hair? Is it frizzy?" Gabby asks. She slows down to catch her breath. Ty shows up behind her in a trot. He pulls the camera onto his shoulder as he hands his partner her trusty microphone.

"Your hair is fine. What's important is the story. We're chasing the greatest stories all across the world to share with everyone!" Ty exclaims, raising his free fist in the air. Gabby gives him a thumbs-up. Turning to the exhibition itself, she points in the direction of some competitors.

"Let's start the scoop with those two! The famous Rydel and Rad Rickshaw!" she gleefully says. She hurries Ty along as the two approach the famous cyclists. Gabby then turns to face Ty. With a nod, her face turns serious.

"And we're rolling in six, five, four..." Ty starts, counting down. With his free hand, he uses his fingers to count down to zero. Gabby clears her throat and holds her microphone near her mouth. When Ty's fist clenches, the camera starts rolling.

"Hello, I'm Gabby from the Hoenn News Network's TV Mauville. Today, we're broadcasting from the annual Cycling Cup, this year taking place in sunny Celadon City in the Kanto region. I'm currently reporting in during the last day before the big race. It's almost noon, and the weather is turning up the heat," she states. She then takes a step back, where Ty zooms out on the scene. Bustling visitors explore the shaded stalls that will be used the next day for the competitors.

Ty shifts the camera's focus back to Gabby. Off camera, he gives an action! pose to resume the broadcast.

"I'm here with a prestigious competitor that's known for his bicycle escapades worldwide. Based in Hoenn, we have Rydel, owner of Rydel's Cycles in Mauville City," Gabby continues. To Gabby's left is Rydel, sitting on a towel beneath the shade of a tent. His eyes fixate on the many metal parts in front of him. A metal fixture firmly suspends a road bicycle's frame off the ground. The front and rear wheels, as well as the pedals, are disconnected.

Upon hearing his name, Rydel looks up from his maintenance. He waves with a greasy hand and toothy smile. Gabby crouches down to Rydel's height.

"Rydel, mind explaining a little to the viewers about what you're doing at the moment?" Gabby asks with a serious look. She holds her microphone closer to Rydel. In response, he gives a chuckle.

"Haha, me? Just some basic bike service. Today is the day where the cyclists get to show off their skill—not as athletes, but mechanics, engineers, one could even call us pioneers. Enthusiasts from all over the world flock just to see what's new in the stage," Rydel explains. He then holds up a large gear attached to a pedal.

"Like this? This is the gear affixed to the pedals. It's called the crank. New minerals found in the Oreburgh Mines of Sinnoh have been applied to make a new strong yet lightweight material." Rydel tosses the crank in the air. He catches it with his free hand as he places it down next to him.

"Very interesting, Rydel. Mind explaining more about bicycles?" Gabby presses on. Rydel gives her a thumbs-up as he wipes his hands on a rag he has with him. The two stand up as he takes a step back.

"This," Rydel starts, motioning towards the large metal body on his stand, "is the frame of a road bike. Using triangles, it is both strong and lightweight."

He then walks over to the back end of the bicycle. He crouches, pointing at a cluster of gears and a chain.

"This," he says, pointing to the gears, "is the sprocket. It's a gear connected to a chain that eventually connects to the crank. When I spin the crank forward in front with my legs, the chain moves along and spins a sprocket from the bunch, called a cogset, in the back. The cogset is attached to what is called a freewheel, which allows the gears and back wheel to spin with momentum on a ratchet without relying on the chain to move. Other bicycles, such as utility or cruising bikes, have a special braking system where you pedal backwards, called skidding, since the bike has a fixed gear and no freewheel."

Gabby nods as she stands up. She points to the seat attached to the frame.

"This is the seat, right?" she asks.

Rydel laughs. "Technical term is saddle, but yes. Saddle position is very important for maximum efficiency—as much as 60% of energy can be lost due to incorrect alignment. The ideal height and position is so that you bend your knees slightly when your pedal is at the bottom of its revolution."

"I had no idea," Gabby nods in awe.

"Rydel! Hogging all the media to yourself, I see!" a voice bellows from behind the tent. Around the corner appears the man just as famous as Rydel in his own region. This time, he's in a light blue work suit.

"Well, if it isn't Rickshaw. Here to spoil my lesson?" Rydel muses as he turns to the other master. Gabby points her microphone in the new person's direction.

"Rad Rickshaw, right? I'm Gabby from Hoenn News Network's TV Mauville," Gabby states, introducing herself. Rad chuckles to himself as he points to Rydel.

"You want a story? See this guy? I'm gonna beat him tomorrow. And I'm gonna show you a thing or two about bicycles today too!" Rad roars. He then disappears momentarily around the corner. Within seconds, a bright Darumaka red road racing bike appears. He heaves it up and holds it on his right shoulder with ease. He points to his crank on his bicycle.

"You can't see it on that guy's bike since he's such a Slowpoke at assembling. But here is what you call a front derailleur. When you want to shift gears, front or back, you need this right here. With a simple click, the whole dynamic of pedalling changes," Rad explains, pointing at the metal frame around his crank. "This thing literally pushes the chain onto the correct gear on the crank or sprocket. It's an essential on a road racer where you want to have efficiency in your pedalling!"

Gabby waves Ty closer. His focus zooms in on the metal around the crank.

"This red beauty is my pride and joy. I got the color from the crazy hair this guy named Flint has!" Rad laughs to himself. He then places the bicycle back down onto the ground. He then points to the front end.

"Even the simplest of things, like these handlebars, make a difference." he says, running a finger along the forward curve of the handlebar. "See, these are called drop handles. The way these are shaped, the cyclist can adjust their position on the bicycle for whatever situation they're in. The lower bars are especially important because lowering the position of the handlebars allows the rider to assume a stance that decreases wind resistance!"

"Now you know what makes a road bike a road bike. It is something designed for competitions, not for cruising," Rydel says from below as he continues to assemble his bicycle. With a clean rag, he wipes down the triangular frame to give his Manaphy blue bicycle a shining finish. He reaches for a wrench behind him. With a wink, he fits his crank into place. Within a matter of seconds, the crank is firmly affixed in the proper place.

"This has been the basics to competitive bike design by the masters themselves: Rydel and Rad Rickshaw," Gabby speaks into her microphone. Ty moves his camera's main focus back to Gabby.

"Yes! That's me! Buy from Rydel's Cycles in Hoenn!" Rydel shouts from off-camera.

"You should buy from Rad Rickshaw in Sinnoh! We were the first developer of the third and fourth gear bicycle!" adds Rad. Gabby clears her throat, keeping a professional persona.

"One question for the both of you," Gabby says, keeping some sort of direction in her report.

The two reply in unison. "What is it?"

"What makes competitive cycling so popular to even hold the Cycling Cup? After all, it's basically just a race," Gabby says. Ty moves the camera back to focus on Rad and Rydel. They both cross their arms and shake their head. Gabby didn't notice it until now, but they both had muscular yet lean biceps. Her initial thought was cyclists only had strong legs. Are arms included as well?

"There's a fundamental difference between most sports and cycling: you don't have to support your body all by yourself," Rad starts.

"If you take soccer, basketball, or baseball, you consume energy just to move around. Cycling though, your weight is supported by your bicycle. You don't need to kick a ball or be a fast runner or have quick reflexes," Rydel continues.

"You just need that stamina to keep pedalling. And that's what makes it great," Rad says.

"Anyone can do it," Rydel finishes. They both nod to each other, proud of their response. Gabby nods as Ty swerves back to her. In the midday heat, the crowd passes by around them. Ty zooms out on the spectacle once more. It goes to show the passion people have for cycling is just as much as some have for Pokémon in a world those creatures dominate.

Ty moves back to focus on Gabby. "Well, that is the end of today's exclusive at the Engineer Exposition. Look forward to tomorrow's broadcast before, during, and after the big race!"

Ty then begins to count down with his hands. He goes five, then four, then three, then two.

"Wait!" Gabby interjects. She dashes away towards one more competitor. A short man with a Grovyle green road bicycle silently walks by. His hair is dark and messy, as if he just woke up. Anyone could tell though, with the sweat and deep breathing, he just finished a practice lap.

"Hello! I'm Gabby from Hoenn News Network's TV Mauville! You're Griffin Bellamy, right?" Gabby asks, holding her microphone towards the walking athlete. Griffin stops momentarily and nods quietly.

"I'm at the end of my transmission, so just one quick question: you won last year's Cycling Cup. Tell me, what's the best part of winning it all?" Gabby asks. Griffin blinks twice with a blank stare on his face. He wipes the sweat from his forehead with his jersey's sleeve. He pulls out a water bottle and squirts a refreshing, cool blast onto his face. He then leans towards Gabby, dripping wet, and says one simple sentence.

"It's only quiet in the front."

With that statement, he walks away in the direction of the Celadon Hotel. Gabby nods as she looks back to Ty.

"This has been a TV Mauville broadcast. I'm Gabby, and we'll see you next time!" she nods. With that, Ty presses a button and stops the recording. Gabby exhales a tired breath. She looks back in the direction Griffin headed in.

"It's so hot out, it's as if I'm sharing a room with a Magmortar. I don't know how that kid or any of these competitors do it," she wheezes, fanning herself with a small index card. Ty pulls off his hat with his free hand and places it over the camera. He runs a hand over his head.

"Gabby, we'll see how they do it tomorrow," Ty says simply. Tomorrow is the big race. It is anyone's chance of winning. Rydel, Rad, and Griffin are all undoubtedly strong competitors. The only question still remaining is who will take first place.