IGPX Episode 15: Feeling Lost

This season's opening race was between last year's champions, Team Satomi, and the 5th ranked team, Team Edgeraid. Last year's race with these two teams was the first time that the IGPX saw a race where both teams utilized animal navigation, so it was a match where fans focused on that particular aspect. However, for Team Satomi in this year's match, "trouble" is the only word to describe their race with Edgeraid. The trouble starts when they enter the second lap.

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​When Takeshi tried to catch up with Team Edgeraid, who was leading at that point, Takeshi got caught in their wires, which restrained him from moving about freely. Liz tried to rescue Takeshi but was forced onto Course Route 2 by Bjorn's tackle. Liz was able to follow this course well enough to be able to catch up to the rest of the racers in only about one minute's time. She jumped from the top of that track back onto the main track. Meanwhile, Takeshi was simply pulled all the way there by Team Edgeraid. Even after that, all of Team Satomi was hampered by Team Edgeraid's wires, and Team Satomi never gained the lead during the entirety of the second lap.

In lap 3, Liz attacks Team Edgeraid's Bella, who was in front of her, and passes her. But, Bella's aim was for Takeshi from the beginning. From the rear, she unleashes her new Inner Edge attack with rings right at Takeshi, takes hold of a few parts of his mech and, once again, Takeshi's free movements are taken away. It nearly looked like a cowboy lassoing in a calf. When Takeshi still couldn't escape, he forcibly raised his speed. Right when he did that, Bella released him right before the Up-Down part of the course. When Takeshi touched the ground again, his mech suddenly stopped working. After he somehow gained control again and is saved by Amy, he and Amy push aside Bella and Bjorn. Takeshi changes into Speed Mode, followed shortly after by Amy. With Liz catching up from the rear, Team Satomi finishes 1st, 2nd and 3rd at the goal line.

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The result of the race was a sweeping victory by Team Satomi. But considering that the ones who calmly walked off the course were the red-colored mechs and not the yellow-colored mechs (who couldn't even move), it wouldn't have been strange to have thought that Team Edgeraid had won the race. Team Satomi has said that they have perfectly tuned bodies for their mechs and a new operating system for this season, but just looking at the way this race turned out, they seem to be at a handicap this year.