Post by Josh Devlin on Dec 11, 2020 11:16:29 GMT -6
By now, it was cold enough that most of the practice courses in southeastern Ageos had closed; there were only a couple indoor ones remaining, and they were busy. Both were simple ovals, and wouldn't particularly satisfy Josh's need for practice in the off-season. Rules were rules, though; he needed to get the rest of his Eeveelution racing squad certified. Though she had been certified already, he brought Blinky along anyway, mostly for the company. All four of the were outfitted with minimalistic tack - too heavy, and it would weigh them down more than needed. While Clyde and Pinky looked excited, Inky was in a foul mood.
Blinky on the sidelines as both she and her trainer had planned, the other three assembled on the starting line. Having trained with Pinky before, Josh decided it would be best to have his first lap of the morning be aboard the Sylveon. The sloshing noise of weight being applied to the Fairy-type's fur made him nervous at first, though that was something common to almost all Fairy-types. He shifted his weight around a little bit to make sure his mount's gear was properly attached before gently jabbing his knees into Pinky's sides and coaxing him into a run.
zFLfzBi7p_
{WC: 206}
{Pt: 53/80}
Once Pinky had accelerated sufficiently, the sloshing noise picked back up through his footfalls. While it wasn't as loud as when he was shifting around, it was loud enough to notice, even with his helmet on. Unlike with Blinky, Pinky's acceleration was very smooth, even when rounding the first corner. For a Pokémon with gel-like fur, she had amazing cornering! With far from a heavy tug on the reins, Josh was able to guide him precisely on the inside of the course's shallow curves. With how docile and cooperative Pinky was, the Fairy-type could induce some serious whiplash if his trainer wasn't careful! He was behind the other two by quite a bit, Inky running ahead of Clyde. The Glaceon was growing increasingly bored and frustrated; when was it time to kick some butt and take names?
After the second curve, Josh took the opportunity to test Pinky's speed, squeezing the Pokémon's sides harder. While he wasn't yet skilled enough to Quick Attack with a rider, he did pick up the pace, his footfalls sounding like he was running through a slush-filled street despite the ground beneath being bone dry. Though he caught up to Clyde, he couldn't pass the Flareon by the time the two had completed a lap. He gave all three (and himself, too!) a few minutes to rest before switching over to the slightly smaller fire-type.
p_
{WC: 233; 439 total}
{Pt: 100/80}
---
As he expected, Clyde's red fur felt rather warm, but not uncomfortably so. She'd be valuable for travel in the winter; minimum, she'd be a great backup for Ixion in case something untoward happened mid-transit. As Josh leaned lower on his Flareon, bracing himself for a burst of speed off the line, her tail stood straight up, shaped like a roaring, open flame. The moment he jabbed his knees into her sides, she leaped forward and rapidly got up to speed; while it was nothing like Blinky's acceleration, it was still a lot faster than Josh was expecting. Flareon were fire-types known for their strength, not their speed.
Josh was getting to experience their strength for himself, as well; unlike with Blinky and Pinky, Clyde's back flexed with much more power. It was enough to lift her rider from the saddle completely for a split second during the first curve. While her raw speed was nothing to scoff at, her strength made it more difficult for Josh to stay balanced. The fire-type swerved from one side of the course to the other, interpreting her rider's efforts to stay balanced as commands to turn.
p_
{WC: 195; 195 total}
{PC: 98/80}
Once they were on the backstretch, though, Josh had become used to the stronger thrusts, learning the fire-type's rhythm and flowing with it. Like Pinky, Clyde was a bit too inexperienced to Quick Attack with a rider, though Josh was unsure if he wanted to; this would make the already rough strides even harsher, and a fall at that speed would be rather painful. He took the last corner more gently, slowing the Flareon to a canter across the finish line. Mission accomplished - the four Pokémon headed back toward the facility's entrance to claim their certification.
---
Thread end.··
Blinky on the sidelines as both she and her trainer had planned, the other three assembled on the starting line. Having trained with Pinky before, Josh decided it would be best to have his first lap of the morning be aboard the Sylveon. The sloshing noise of weight being applied to the Fairy-type's fur made him nervous at first, though that was something common to almost all Fairy-types. He shifted his weight around a little bit to make sure his mount's gear was properly attached before gently jabbing his knees into Pinky's sides and coaxing him into a run.
zFLfzBi7p_
{WC: 206}
{Pt: 53/80}
Once Pinky had accelerated sufficiently, the sloshing noise picked back up through his footfalls. While it wasn't as loud as when he was shifting around, it was loud enough to notice, even with his helmet on. Unlike with Blinky, Pinky's acceleration was very smooth, even when rounding the first corner. For a Pokémon with gel-like fur, she had amazing cornering! With far from a heavy tug on the reins, Josh was able to guide him precisely on the inside of the course's shallow curves. With how docile and cooperative Pinky was, the Fairy-type could induce some serious whiplash if his trainer wasn't careful! He was behind the other two by quite a bit, Inky running ahead of Clyde. The Glaceon was growing increasingly bored and frustrated; when was it time to kick some butt and take names?
After the second curve, Josh took the opportunity to test Pinky's speed, squeezing the Pokémon's sides harder. While he wasn't yet skilled enough to Quick Attack with a rider, he did pick up the pace, his footfalls sounding like he was running through a slush-filled street despite the ground beneath being bone dry. Though he caught up to Clyde, he couldn't pass the Flareon by the time the two had completed a lap. He gave all three (and himself, too!) a few minutes to rest before switching over to the slightly smaller fire-type.
p_
{WC: 233; 439 total}
{Pt: 100/80}
---
As he expected, Clyde's red fur felt rather warm, but not uncomfortably so. She'd be valuable for travel in the winter; minimum, she'd be a great backup for Ixion in case something untoward happened mid-transit. As Josh leaned lower on his Flareon, bracing himself for a burst of speed off the line, her tail stood straight up, shaped like a roaring, open flame. The moment he jabbed his knees into her sides, she leaped forward and rapidly got up to speed; while it was nothing like Blinky's acceleration, it was still a lot faster than Josh was expecting. Flareon were fire-types known for their strength, not their speed.
Josh was getting to experience their strength for himself, as well; unlike with Blinky and Pinky, Clyde's back flexed with much more power. It was enough to lift her rider from the saddle completely for a split second during the first curve. While her raw speed was nothing to scoff at, her strength made it more difficult for Josh to stay balanced. The fire-type swerved from one side of the course to the other, interpreting her rider's efforts to stay balanced as commands to turn.
p_
{WC: 195; 195 total}
{PC: 98/80}
Once they were on the backstretch, though, Josh had become used to the stronger thrusts, learning the fire-type's rhythm and flowing with it. Like Pinky, Clyde was a bit too inexperienced to Quick Attack with a rider, though Josh was unsure if he wanted to; this would make the already rough strides even harsher, and a fall at that speed would be rather painful. He took the last corner more gently, slowing the Flareon to a canter across the finish line. Mission accomplished - the four Pokémon headed back toward the facility's entrance to claim their certification.
---
Thread end.··