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Post by Josh Devlin on Apr 7, 2021 20:16:12 GMT -6
This was it. Today was opening day for the Ageos Pokémon Racing Federation's 2021 season. The small amphitheater surrounding the north end of the course was mostly empty, though that was to be expected for several reasons. First, it was only a Bronze League race. Josh had made it up to Gold League back in his Johto career, but a new region meant he needed to start from the bottom and work his way up. Second, unlike most races which took place within city limits, this one was at a Ranger outpost between Routes 2 and 3, chosen for its unique terrain. While qualifying runs were not necessary due to the entire field of racers not being filled, Josh had run a few practice laps with Blinky. She proved hard to control on the bottom of the course, what with uneven ground and even small rock formations to dodge. He felt the downside was worth it, though; after climbing back to the clifftop section of the course, there were very few turns, most of them being shallow, with a long, purely straight section before the finish line. He could push Blinky to a dangerously fast dead-sprint in that section, and planned on it. At full speed, not even an Arcanine could catch those two. From his Gold League races, Josh was used to signing memorabilia, conversing with fans, and the like before the race. There would be no such pre-race rituals and ceremonies here; he would be treated like a novice, just like anyone else in Bronze. Perhaps with an extraordinary performance, he would qualify out of this novice league and be moved to Silver League immediately, rather than having to defeat what he perceived to be badly outclassed opponents. His left hand rest near the side of Blinky's saddle as he scouted the competition, his eyes occasionally drifting toward the stands for familiar faces... -- Armand Leclair {WC: 316} {PC: 1}
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Post by Armand Leclair on Apr 9, 2021 2:33:54 GMT -6
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Post by Josh Devlin on Apr 12, 2021 18:52:07 GMT -6
The crowds weren't too large; it was only a Bronze League race, after all. Most of the people in the crowd were friends or relatives of the racers. The field wasn't too large, either; there were just fifteen Pokémon and rider teams. Sparks flew from Blinky's paws as Josh had Blinky trot around the area near the starting grounds, scouting out the competition. Many of them looked nervous to see Blinky; a couple of smiles turned into frowns. Others sighed; the electric-type specialist overheard many teams discuss how the race would be a battle for second. After all, Jolteon were very hard for a racer to control, and a racer confident enough to control one probably had the skill to win a race of this caliber with just about any Pokémon. "It has," Josh waved back, Blinky letting out a cry of greeting toward Armand and Voyant. "I'm so close to living my dream. Can't wait to see how fast she can go on this course." The Jolteon seemed eager to blow Josh's mind with the speed her species was famous for. "Just gonna ignore the competition; it's us against the course." Blinky raised a paw to show that her claws were healthy and ready to take some turns. While she didn't have quite as much raw speed as she did before her surgery earlier in the year, she would be a much better racing Pokémon this way. --- Armand Leclair{WC: 241} {PC: 2}
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Post by Armand Leclair on Apr 13, 2021 21:51:15 GMT -6
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Post by Josh Devlin on Apr 21, 2021 10:01:41 GMT -6
When Armand brought up Voyant's interest in races, Josh squinted for a second or two. "Ever thought about entering him in a race yourself?" Josh asked him. "Absol are great for it; I've used one myself before. They'll do you well, especially in the lower leagues. Great at making sharp turns, and they're good runners. You won't speed past a Rapidash with one, but on the right course, they're tough to get ahead of." While there was no announcer to speak of, the excitement was there in the small crowd that had come to watch the race. It was just a Bronze League race, after all; no one could expect the same quality as a professional event. Once Josh heard the race official calling names for the line-up, he knew he had to leave. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but it's that time. See you on the other side." With that, he took his position on the inside of the third row when his name was called. What bad luck to have drawn such a position, toward the back of the pack. He felt bad for the racers around him, having to deal with a quill-furred Pokémon near the start. There would inevitably be contact. Yes, all of them were wearing protective gear, but if someone got hurt because the quills punctured through and stabbed another competitor...well, he wouldn't hear the end of it. Josh put the thought out of his mind and simply stared at the lights on the arch above the starting line. As the green light on the far right illuminated, he dug his heels into Blinky's sides, the Jolteon lunging forward through traffic... --- 2NmRc5jIArmand Leclair{WC: 280} {PC: 3}
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Post by Armand Leclair on Apr 25, 2021 2:02:52 GMT -6
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Post by Josh Devlin on Apr 26, 2021 14:56:00 GMT -6
As was expected for a Bronze League race, there were many Pokémon that lacked sheer speed but controlled well. Almost all of them were canine or equine; Blinky seemed unique in being a high-performance Pokémon with much lower endurance; one or two big hits and she would be out of the race. Josh skillfully whipped the reins back and forth, sliding around the Pokémon that were slower to get going. The only two he couldn't catch within seconds were a pair of Boltund being controlled by, unbeknownst to him, a brother and sister in their late teens. The three Electric-types quickly separated themselves from the rest of the pack, building a one-second lead no more than thirty seconds into the race. The two were highly coordinated in their moves, each covering one another when Josh tried to make a move to pass them. Josh could tell from Blinky's pounding footfalls that the Jolteon was already starting to grow frustrated. He briefly took one hand off the reins to gently pat his partner, intentionally taking a curve wide to get a little more distance between them. "Alright, Blinky - the plan is to keep fairly close while it's narrow. When we make the last turn before the big jump, I want you to start a Quick Attack."The racer in yellow had to quickly grab back on to start directing Blinky around some shallow, but rapid-fire, turns as the course narrowed. It took a while for Blinky to respond with a hesitant nod. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright."Armand LeclairP1Scq4FW{WC: 261} {PC: 4}
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Post by Armand Leclair on May 8, 2021 13:47:18 GMT -6
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Post by Josh Devlin on Jun 7, 2021 23:09:00 GMT -6
After Josh guided Blinky through the last right curve on the upper half of the course, he saw the two Boltund in front of him had already started their long and graceful leap to the lower half built into the side of the canyon. Her regrown set of claws provided more stable traction, giving Josh much more time than he would otherwise have to line up. Once he had angled Blinky to face the landing area far below, Josh slammed his heels into the quilled Electric-type's sides with a shout. A loud crackle boomed from directly behind the yellow-dressed team of rider and Pokémon, sparks flying from Blinky's rear and all four of her paws as she charged off the upper half of the course with a low leap. Just grunted from the sudden acceleration, shaking from having to resist far more force than he espected. Once the two were on the way down, though, he couldn't help but smile from beneath his visor, hearing two whooshes of air from passing both Boltund. Josh let out another grunt upon landing, Blinky also letting a cry from the force of the landing. She let her momentum carry her down the remainder of the landing zone, even letting up from her normal running speed so she and her trainer could catch her breath before the canyon course's most grueling turns. While he didn't know exactly how far ahead he was after landing, he was now the race leader by quite the margin. The Boltund teams were great competition, but they were simply no match for the electric fox's raw speed. All they needed to do was avoid catastrophe on the back half, and his first win in Ageos would be a reality... Armand Leclair5|jdzj6I{WC: 291} {PC: 5}
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Post by Armand Leclair on Jun 17, 2021 8:45:05 GMT -6
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Post by Josh Devlin on Jun 23, 2021 9:37:02 GMT -6
While the landing from the big jump was rough, it wasn't so much that Josh and Blinky couldn't handle it. The ground beneath slowly leveled off, the electric-type's trainer coming down from the speed high induced by the momentum of Quick Attack. He couldn't relax, though; the canyon floor was wide but uneven, making balance important. One sudden or overly strong shift of his weight was all it could take for Blinky to get off balance herself and crash. The course reminded Josh of a similar Kantonian course with a big jump and a canyon floor. Unlike that one, this one thankfully didn't have rocky pillars to weave around; the only real challenge was the uneven ground. He was sure obstacles were added to the course for the higher Leagues. Counting his blessings while he could, Josh kept his eyes forward, guiding Blinky to where he saw the ground was most even. With how fast the Jolteon whizzed past the electric canines behind him, he felt confident he could take fewer risks and still come out on top. The two Boltund, coming out of the jumps well behind, took a much riskier path toward the inside canyon wall, where the ground was much less even. It worked to their advantage; as the yellow blur leading the race rounded the corner leading to the grueling, uphill home stretch, Josh could hear two sets of footfalls behind him. While he still had the iead, it was rapidly shrinking. Redoubling his focus, he squinted, trying to anticipate the next curve... -- Armand Leclair{WC: 257} {PC: 6}
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Post by Armand Leclair on Jun 26, 2021 15:18:05 GMT -6
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