Post by Josh Devlin on Nov 26, 2020 0:19:38 GMT -6
Ride Training
Repeatable; Anyone | Up to 2 characters
1 or more posts
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The Training Grounds are full of courses designed for Pokémon to run. Some are plain ovals or other simple shapes; others are full of curves of various angles; still others have obstacles such as hurdles for Pokémon to clear. They all have one feature in common, though; the artificial turf the courses are built on are made out of sturdy but highly shock-absorbent material, greatly reducing the impact of falls. Surveillance cameras also monitor these courses throughout the facility's hours in the event of an accident, making this the safest place for a land Pokémon to learn to coordinate with a passenger. This Quest is not required to ride a land Pokémon, but it is one of the ways to certify a Land Ride Pokémon.
To become Land Ride certified using this method, you must score at least 100 points on the course or practice for at least a half hour.
Instructions
Your first post should consist of 200 or more words, then a roll with the [ proll ] command. This is your score; the goal is to earn 100 points. If you do not reach 100 points, you will need to write 200 more words. Posts can be slightly over or under; what's important is the average is at least 200 words and each post is at least 150 words. After this next section, make another roll with [ proll ]. This process repeats until you have reached 1,000 words or you have reached 100 points, at which point you succeed in Land Ride training.
If you wish, you may make separate posts for each section. This is recommended if you do this Quest with two characters.
Characters with the "Training Specialist" feature only need 80 points or 800 total words to succeed.
This Quest cannot be combined with normal Training threads. However, if you have multiple Pokémon you wish to Ride Train, you may do so if all of them are undergoing the same type of Ride Training (land, sea, or sky). You may also start a new Training thread that picks up ICly where the Quest left off.
No rewards are earned until the thread is closed.
Participants: Josh, Twilight the Absol, Blinky the Jolteon
________________________________
After checking Blinky and Twilight in, Josh made a trip to the locker room to get changed into his full racing gear - with an overly excited Jolteon who was anything but her relaxed, usual self, she could bolt at any given moment, with or without Josh's command. His Absol was no slouch in speed and agility, either - with claws sharp enough to tear through even hard dirt and even slide sharply along concrete, it was better to treat this like an official race in terms of safety.
The course was the same as the one he trained with Ixion on - an oval with an S-curve on the backstretch. Josh stepped back when Blinky approached him a little too close - that bristled fur still hurt if rubbed the wrong way! "You'll get your turn after Twilight. I promise, I won't forget about you!" With an understanding bark, she backed down, and the majestic Dark-type stepped forward in silence, letting her trainer mount up. "Alright, let's go - 75 percent should be good." With a jab of the rider's knees, the Absol broke into a swift run, but still not racing speeds. It was a good thing he bundled up - otherwise, it would be freezing cold up there!
X3|GLoytp_
{WC: 205 - 205 total}
{Pt: 45/80}
________________________
While he was eager to practice with Twilight's Double Team or Quick Attack for added speed, he would need a larger track to do it on - this one was just too small for the Absol to truly floor it. The white Pokémon was still running faster than it was legal to on city roads, though, Josh's smile growing as he guided his mount toward the outside of the course to prepare for its first turn. Not one spark flew from her claws as she made the turn. While she didn't cross the apex, she was at least on the inner quarter of the road, which only highly skilled opponents would be able to easily pass them on.
Coming up was the more difficult, back-and-forth turn on the backstretch. While he didn't need to slow Twilight down, some of the security staff might throw a fit if they saw him taking this curve at full speed. "Ease up a bit," Josh asked his Pokémon, relaxing his knees a bit. The loyal, obedient Absol did as requested. At this slower speed, Josh wouldn't need to pull nearly as hard at the reins to stay in bounds.
p_
{WC: 196 - 401 total}
{Pt: 119/80 - PASS}
________________________
The rest of the lap around the short course went as expected, Twilight rounding the long, lazy turn to get back to the starting line. "Whew, that was easy enough," Josh let out a sigh, dismounting Twilight and climbing aboard Blinky. He was a little nervous, considering how peppy the electric fox was. She let out an excited bark, trying to tell her trainer to calm down. It had the opposite effect, his muscles tensing up as Blinky flexed backward in anticipation of a command to run. The moment he even lightly squeezed the Jolteon's sides with his knees, she bolted off the line. Her gallop was like that of a sprinting cat for the first few seconds; while Josh was at least somewhat ready for it, he wasn't fully ready for the nearly instant acceleration, letting out a yelp.
While he felt it was implied from how he asked his Absol to ease up, the electric fox was too excited to think about anything but implicit directions; this might be the only run she got to take Josh on until the spring, and dammit was she going to enjoy it. As they were coming up to the first curve, he guided the yellow Pokémon to the outside of the curve before pulling her toward the right, harder than with the Absol due to their much higher speed.
p_
{WC: 229 - 229 total}
{Pt: 41/80}
Once the two successfully rounded the first corner, Josh relaxed a bit. While she was excited, Blinky at least wasn't reckless; also, this was a speed Josh could actually control her at. A Jolteon's full gallop, especially in Quick Attack or Agility, would be fast enough to effectively paralyze all but the strongest riders. That would come in due time, and in warmer weather. In the meantime, the course's switchback was coming up, Josh ready for a quick right, then left, then right motion. He firmly held the reins in both hands, easing up with his knees to get the Jolteon to slow down at least a little. While she was excited, she wasn't going to completely ignore her trainer's wishes; she did as asked, slowing down just enough for Josh to not feel like he was being wrenched from the saddle during what would be whiplash-inducing turns at full speed.
p_
{WC: 151 - 380 total}
{Pt: 61/80}
While the reduced speed kept him from suffering true physical harm, Josh still wasn't fully prepared, grunting as the electric Pokémon swiftly changed directions as part of navigating the switchback. The left turn in between the two rights made his knee sore, though not to the point that it would be throbbing if Blinky took this curve at full speed. There was a reason Jolteon only typically appeared in races at the higher levels of competition: a rider had to be in great physical shape to take advantage of the blistering speed they possessed. He shifted his weight to his good side to try to take pressure off his now bad knee, Blinky drifting to the right and nearly crashing into the inside wall; she had overcompensated for Josh's shift in balance. It didn't help that Josh had turned her too hard to begin with.
Thankfully, the rest of the course was a long, but shallow, right turn that would naturally take a lot of pressure off that left knee. He let the reins slide up his right hand at the end of the turn. "Alright, now don't just sprint across the finish line, okay Blinky?" Josh asked his Pokémon. She nodded, and let her momentum carry her to the finish line. Josh stepped off his Pokémon, making sure to land on his right leg first. While it wasn't so painful that he would need to put ice on it. it was still noticeable if he put more than normal pressure on it. "Good stuff, girls," he smiled toward his Pokémon. Only Blinky returned the happy face as he recalled the two and headed out.
p_
{WC: 279 - 651 total}
{Pt: 131/80 - PASS}
_________________________
Thread end.····
Repeatable; Anyone | Up to 2 characters
1 or more posts
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The Training Grounds are full of courses designed for Pokémon to run. Some are plain ovals or other simple shapes; others are full of curves of various angles; still others have obstacles such as hurdles for Pokémon to clear. They all have one feature in common, though; the artificial turf the courses are built on are made out of sturdy but highly shock-absorbent material, greatly reducing the impact of falls. Surveillance cameras also monitor these courses throughout the facility's hours in the event of an accident, making this the safest place for a land Pokémon to learn to coordinate with a passenger. This Quest is not required to ride a land Pokémon, but it is one of the ways to certify a Land Ride Pokémon.
To become Land Ride certified using this method, you must score at least 100 points on the course or practice for at least a half hour.
Instructions
Your first post should consist of 200 or more words, then a roll with the [ proll ] command. This is your score; the goal is to earn 100 points. If you do not reach 100 points, you will need to write 200 more words. Posts can be slightly over or under; what's important is the average is at least 200 words and each post is at least 150 words. After this next section, make another roll with [ proll ]. This process repeats until you have reached 1,000 words or you have reached 100 points, at which point you succeed in Land Ride training.
If you wish, you may make separate posts for each section. This is recommended if you do this Quest with two characters.
Characters with the "Training Specialist" feature only need 80 points or 800 total words to succeed.
This Quest cannot be combined with normal Training threads. However, if you have multiple Pokémon you wish to Ride Train, you may do so if all of them are undergoing the same type of Ride Training (land, sea, or sky). You may also start a new Training thread that picks up ICly where the Quest left off.
No rewards are earned until the thread is closed.
Participants: Josh, Twilight the Absol, Blinky the Jolteon
________________________________
After checking Blinky and Twilight in, Josh made a trip to the locker room to get changed into his full racing gear - with an overly excited Jolteon who was anything but her relaxed, usual self, she could bolt at any given moment, with or without Josh's command. His Absol was no slouch in speed and agility, either - with claws sharp enough to tear through even hard dirt and even slide sharply along concrete, it was better to treat this like an official race in terms of safety.
The course was the same as the one he trained with Ixion on - an oval with an S-curve on the backstretch. Josh stepped back when Blinky approached him a little too close - that bristled fur still hurt if rubbed the wrong way! "You'll get your turn after Twilight. I promise, I won't forget about you!" With an understanding bark, she backed down, and the majestic Dark-type stepped forward in silence, letting her trainer mount up. "Alright, let's go - 75 percent should be good." With a jab of the rider's knees, the Absol broke into a swift run, but still not racing speeds. It was a good thing he bundled up - otherwise, it would be freezing cold up there!
X3|GLoytp_
{WC: 205 - 205 total}
{Pt: 45/80}
________________________
While he was eager to practice with Twilight's Double Team or Quick Attack for added speed, he would need a larger track to do it on - this one was just too small for the Absol to truly floor it. The white Pokémon was still running faster than it was legal to on city roads, though, Josh's smile growing as he guided his mount toward the outside of the course to prepare for its first turn. Not one spark flew from her claws as she made the turn. While she didn't cross the apex, she was at least on the inner quarter of the road, which only highly skilled opponents would be able to easily pass them on.
Coming up was the more difficult, back-and-forth turn on the backstretch. While he didn't need to slow Twilight down, some of the security staff might throw a fit if they saw him taking this curve at full speed. "Ease up a bit," Josh asked his Pokémon, relaxing his knees a bit. The loyal, obedient Absol did as requested. At this slower speed, Josh wouldn't need to pull nearly as hard at the reins to stay in bounds.
p_
{WC: 196 - 401 total}
{Pt: 119/80 - PASS}
________________________
The rest of the lap around the short course went as expected, Twilight rounding the long, lazy turn to get back to the starting line. "Whew, that was easy enough," Josh let out a sigh, dismounting Twilight and climbing aboard Blinky. He was a little nervous, considering how peppy the electric fox was. She let out an excited bark, trying to tell her trainer to calm down. It had the opposite effect, his muscles tensing up as Blinky flexed backward in anticipation of a command to run. The moment he even lightly squeezed the Jolteon's sides with his knees, she bolted off the line. Her gallop was like that of a sprinting cat for the first few seconds; while Josh was at least somewhat ready for it, he wasn't fully ready for the nearly instant acceleration, letting out a yelp.
While he felt it was implied from how he asked his Absol to ease up, the electric fox was too excited to think about anything but implicit directions; this might be the only run she got to take Josh on until the spring, and dammit was she going to enjoy it. As they were coming up to the first curve, he guided the yellow Pokémon to the outside of the curve before pulling her toward the right, harder than with the Absol due to their much higher speed.
p_
{WC: 229 - 229 total}
{Pt: 41/80}
Once the two successfully rounded the first corner, Josh relaxed a bit. While she was excited, Blinky at least wasn't reckless; also, this was a speed Josh could actually control her at. A Jolteon's full gallop, especially in Quick Attack or Agility, would be fast enough to effectively paralyze all but the strongest riders. That would come in due time, and in warmer weather. In the meantime, the course's switchback was coming up, Josh ready for a quick right, then left, then right motion. He firmly held the reins in both hands, easing up with his knees to get the Jolteon to slow down at least a little. While she was excited, she wasn't going to completely ignore her trainer's wishes; she did as asked, slowing down just enough for Josh to not feel like he was being wrenched from the saddle during what would be whiplash-inducing turns at full speed.
p_
{WC: 151 - 380 total}
{Pt: 61/80}
While the reduced speed kept him from suffering true physical harm, Josh still wasn't fully prepared, grunting as the electric Pokémon swiftly changed directions as part of navigating the switchback. The left turn in between the two rights made his knee sore, though not to the point that it would be throbbing if Blinky took this curve at full speed. There was a reason Jolteon only typically appeared in races at the higher levels of competition: a rider had to be in great physical shape to take advantage of the blistering speed they possessed. He shifted his weight to his good side to try to take pressure off his now bad knee, Blinky drifting to the right and nearly crashing into the inside wall; she had overcompensated for Josh's shift in balance. It didn't help that Josh had turned her too hard to begin with.
Thankfully, the rest of the course was a long, but shallow, right turn that would naturally take a lot of pressure off that left knee. He let the reins slide up his right hand at the end of the turn. "Alright, now don't just sprint across the finish line, okay Blinky?" Josh asked his Pokémon. She nodded, and let her momentum carry her to the finish line. Josh stepped off his Pokémon, making sure to land on his right leg first. While it wasn't so painful that he would need to put ice on it. it was still noticeable if he put more than normal pressure on it. "Good stuff, girls," he smiled toward his Pokémon. Only Blinky returned the happy face as he recalled the two and headed out.
p_
{WC: 279 - 651 total}
{Pt: 131/80 - PASS}
_________________________
Thread end.····