Post by Josh Devlin on Dec 5, 2020 20:23:47 GMT -6
While this wasn't Josh's first trip to the Shire area Training Grounds, it was his first trip to the aerial course, and was it something else. Every effort, and then some, had been taken to ensure trainers would be safe earning their wings. He took the stairs up to a large platform overlooking a field of foam blocks; sturdy enough to hold up if someone fell, yet soft enough to greatly reduce the impact. Bladestorm's eyes rolled upward when she noticed the fenced ceiling; it seems that there was an altitude limit as part of the safety protocols. "Tell you what...once we get you certified, Bladestorm, I'll harness up and we'll go for a dive together." It wasn't much more reassuring for the steel-type; she wanted to show Josh her stuff right now.
Josh harnessed up and held tightly to the chrome bird, who let out a screech before stretching her wings and leaping off the platform, rapidly picking up speed and coasting just off the ground. Her wings beginning to rattle and shriek from compressing air between them, Bladestorm tilted slightly upward to gain altitude toward the largest ring course suspended above the foam blocks. He shifted his weight about and tugged on the reins from both directions to test the Skarmory's responsiveness; it was just as he remembered from traveling in Johto.
MiXHT_lbp_
{WC: 225}
{Pt: 50/80}
---
The wind was howling, but that didn't bother Josh much with his helmet on. What did bother him, though, was the tinny screeching noise his mount's wings were making. It seemed to die down when the two flew straight, but grew in intensity when turning or changing altitude. As her altitude peaked a few feet beneath the ceiling, it was obvious that even a shallow dive used for her Peck attacks would not be possible here. Letting out a disappointing cry, she fully relinquished control to Josh, who guided her through the ring course. It was mostly smooth sailing, other than bonking into the side of a single ring and struggling to get back to stable flight afterward.
Once he had cleared the first lap of the course, he flew beyond its bounds a bit into more open airspace, making sure to stay out of the way of another young man practicing with a Fearow. He tugged hard with his right hand, coaxing the Skarmory into making a sharp turn. The two went almost completely vertical, the harness the only thing keeping Josh aboard and her momentum the only thing keeping the Pokémon aloft.
p_
{WC: 195; 426 total}
{Pt: 54/80}
"Yeee-haaaaaaa!!" Josh cried as his Pokémon sharply reversed course, easing pressure on his mount as part of instructing her to resume normal flight. His bliss would be short-lived, though; even tugging to the left wasn't stopping that turn. She was spiraling downward, headed for a collision course with the foam blocks beneath! Pulling up on her wasn't helping, either; he had angled Bladestorm too sharply. A crash was unavoidable; all he could do was brace himself for impact. The harness was the only thing keeping Josh aboard his Skarmory as she plummeted into the foam blocks, right wing first. She had so much momentum that her sharp wing pierced the foam; she was stuck!
Josh's only option was to recall the steel-type; once she and her gear were recalled into the Poké Ball, Josh fell through the space where his mount was, hitting his head against the foam blocks! Once he hit them, he immediately realized it was the same technology used in Pokémon races to coat course walls. The impact wasn't pleasant, but it was about as safe as it could get. Slowly sitting up, then eventually standing, he walked back to the flight platform, sent Bladestorm back out, and mounted up again.
p_
{WC: 206; 632 total}
{Pt: 71/80}
The Skarmory did as instructed, taking Josh aloft again. She was irritated, though. She trusted Josh, and in his excitement, he had crashed her. Once she was above the foam blocks, she rapidly picked up speed. When Josh tried to turn her, she obeyed the command, but beat her wings as hard as she could at the turn's apex, briefly lifting her rider from the saddle. "Yeow!" he cried after the Skarmory bucked him...or at least it was the closest a flying-type could come to that. "What's the big idea, girl?"
Forgetting for a moment that Josh was harnessed up, she accelerated from one corner of the course to the other, then pulled a sharp about face, again forcefully beating her wings during the turn. That one hurt, the Skarmory using her momentum and the force of her wingbeat to slam her back into her rider. Not wanting to injure her rider outright, she regained her composure and landed on the platform, letting a dizzy, groaning Josh dismount and recall her.
{WC: 179; 811 total; posting limit reached}
______________
Flight Training
Repeatable; Anyone | Up to 2 characters
1 or more posts
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Instructions
Each Training Grounds facility has an open area designed for trainers to learn how to ride aboard flying Pokémon. There are poles to fly around, large rings to fly through, and even a small maze to practice close-quarters maneuvering. This area is gated off from the rest of the facility and has a fenced-off ceiling that prevents riders from flying too high. The floor is made of artificial turf that is highly shock-absorbent, greatly reducing the impact of falls. Surveillance cameras also monitor tis space throughout the facility's hours in the event of an accident, making this the safest place for a flying Pokémon to learn to carry a passenger.
··
Josh harnessed up and held tightly to the chrome bird, who let out a screech before stretching her wings and leaping off the platform, rapidly picking up speed and coasting just off the ground. Her wings beginning to rattle and shriek from compressing air between them, Bladestorm tilted slightly upward to gain altitude toward the largest ring course suspended above the foam blocks. He shifted his weight about and tugged on the reins from both directions to test the Skarmory's responsiveness; it was just as he remembered from traveling in Johto.
MiXHT_lbp_
{WC: 225}
{Pt: 50/80}
---
The wind was howling, but that didn't bother Josh much with his helmet on. What did bother him, though, was the tinny screeching noise his mount's wings were making. It seemed to die down when the two flew straight, but grew in intensity when turning or changing altitude. As her altitude peaked a few feet beneath the ceiling, it was obvious that even a shallow dive used for her Peck attacks would not be possible here. Letting out a disappointing cry, she fully relinquished control to Josh, who guided her through the ring course. It was mostly smooth sailing, other than bonking into the side of a single ring and struggling to get back to stable flight afterward.
Once he had cleared the first lap of the course, he flew beyond its bounds a bit into more open airspace, making sure to stay out of the way of another young man practicing with a Fearow. He tugged hard with his right hand, coaxing the Skarmory into making a sharp turn. The two went almost completely vertical, the harness the only thing keeping Josh aboard and her momentum the only thing keeping the Pokémon aloft.
p_
{WC: 195; 426 total}
{Pt: 54/80}
"Yeee-haaaaaaa!!" Josh cried as his Pokémon sharply reversed course, easing pressure on his mount as part of instructing her to resume normal flight. His bliss would be short-lived, though; even tugging to the left wasn't stopping that turn. She was spiraling downward, headed for a collision course with the foam blocks beneath! Pulling up on her wasn't helping, either; he had angled Bladestorm too sharply. A crash was unavoidable; all he could do was brace himself for impact. The harness was the only thing keeping Josh aboard his Skarmory as she plummeted into the foam blocks, right wing first. She had so much momentum that her sharp wing pierced the foam; she was stuck!
Josh's only option was to recall the steel-type; once she and her gear were recalled into the Poké Ball, Josh fell through the space where his mount was, hitting his head against the foam blocks! Once he hit them, he immediately realized it was the same technology used in Pokémon races to coat course walls. The impact wasn't pleasant, but it was about as safe as it could get. Slowly sitting up, then eventually standing, he walked back to the flight platform, sent Bladestorm back out, and mounted up again.
p_
{WC: 206; 632 total}
{Pt: 71/80}
The Skarmory did as instructed, taking Josh aloft again. She was irritated, though. She trusted Josh, and in his excitement, he had crashed her. Once she was above the foam blocks, she rapidly picked up speed. When Josh tried to turn her, she obeyed the command, but beat her wings as hard as she could at the turn's apex, briefly lifting her rider from the saddle. "Yeow!" he cried after the Skarmory bucked him...or at least it was the closest a flying-type could come to that. "What's the big idea, girl?"
Forgetting for a moment that Josh was harnessed up, she accelerated from one corner of the course to the other, then pulled a sharp about face, again forcefully beating her wings during the turn. That one hurt, the Skarmory using her momentum and the force of her wingbeat to slam her back into her rider. Not wanting to injure her rider outright, she regained her composure and landed on the platform, letting a dizzy, groaning Josh dismount and recall her.
{WC: 179; 811 total; posting limit reached}
______________
Flight Training
Repeatable; Anyone | Up to 2 characters
1 or more posts
Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Instructions
Each Training Grounds facility has an open area designed for trainers to learn how to ride aboard flying Pokémon. There are poles to fly around, large rings to fly through, and even a small maze to practice close-quarters maneuvering. This area is gated off from the rest of the facility and has a fenced-off ceiling that prevents riders from flying too high. The floor is made of artificial turf that is highly shock-absorbent, greatly reducing the impact of falls. Surveillance cameras also monitor tis space throughout the facility's hours in the event of an accident, making this the safest place for a flying Pokémon to learn to carry a passenger.
··