Doug hummed as he balanced himself on the heels of his shoes, arms folded behind his back as he looked around the open air structure, waiting for the Gym Leader to arrive.

It didn't take too long, the man rushing out from wherever he had been in a seeming rush- though recognition seemed to pump the breaks.

"Attempt? It's still standing, and still going to space! Zac Ramsay's stubborn like that. Yer free to join and help again if ya want." He said with a grin, linking his hands behind his head, before turning his gaze up to the sky. "So... Hey there, Mr. Ivanov! What are we doin' today?"

The non-traditional challenge was somewhat open; he had a couple of speedy fliers these days, so he was confident he could rise up to whatever challenge was set before him.

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov

"John's fine, yup." He said, biting his tongue to stop himself from correcting the man.

Given the options, it didn't take much thought for him to make his choice: Jousting sounded extremely dangerous; the gym leader surely had failsafes in place in case of any accidents, but Doug refrained regardless.

The second challenge just sounded more fun, at any rate.

"Two-parter it is!" Doug said, grinning as he looked up to the migrating birds flying by, their shadows sweeping over them as while he grabbed at his pokeballs. "Where do we start?"

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov

Having just finished blindfolding his pokemon of choice, Guirus the Flygon, Doug caught the goggles thrown his way as the sandstorm buffeted at his cheeks, almost immediately fitting the things to his face in response.

"Jeez, rough weather, eh? 'ey, do I get to keep these? They look sweet." He asked the man with some cheek whilst swinging a leg atop his Flygon, patting at the dragon's neck while grinning at him, wiggling his bum atop the saddle he had gotten for him.

Much better than riding without!

"Awright Guirus, don't let no 'Novan bird shows what for! Directly in front of you- After that man!" Doug said cheerfully, Guirus responding with a competitive huff before launching himself up and into the air with a powerful flap of his wings.

A buzzing, siren-like sound filled the air as the blind folded Flygon soared through the sandstorm.

It was something of an awkward arrangement; Doug was not angelo vestri; he did not possess a wealth of pokemon capable of carrying him around, nor any expertise at riding them, unlike his older brother. He usually just walked wherever he needed to go, only flying anywhere when he was in a rush.

He and Guirus had no practice at this kind of thing- but they were used to one another, if nothing else. They eventually managed to get a feel for one another, Guirus slowly gaining better reaction time as he let go of his own instincts and let his trainer guide the way.

When Doug desired him swoop down, he squeeze his sides with his legs. When he wanted him to pull up, he would yank back the reigns. Sideways movement? He would pull the reigns left and right, wherever he wished to go.

It was simple movement, like some sort of video game-not that Doug was well-acquainted with such expensive toys- but it served the job well, allowing the nimble flying type to traverse the terrain while his trainer focused on keeping him safe- and catching up to the Gym Leader.

"Still right ahead, Guirus! Let's put some back into it!"

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov

"To the side, THE SIDE!" The youth shouted as he pulled back onto his Flygon's reigns, the dragon's wings flapping to bring himself to veer around the obstacles that had suddenly shot up into their path.

Doug breathed out a small sigh of relief, glancing back at the walls for a moment before swiping his arm across his forehead. He had thought the jousting match might be too dangerous, but now that he was riding a blindfolded dragon through an obstacle riddled sandstorm, he was beginning to reconsider his assessment!

"Hindsight." Muttered the youth to himself, patting his Flygon gently on the neck as he shook his head. "Yer doin' great, buddy. Just a bit longer, eh?"

'Bit' was perhaps stretching, but he didn't want to make Guirus any more nervous than he already was. Just the way he had his arms so tightly tucked against his chest told Doug of how stressed the blindfold was making him.

Before he could offer any more words however, a whistling noise filled the air, the youth's eyes growing wide before he snapped at the reigns.

"FASTEST!" He cried out; 'step on it', was the essential meaning of the word, and Guirus caught on quickly- perhaps his nerves were actually helping his reaction time now.

With a powerful flap of the wings, the Flygon's body was launched forward at top speed, jetting under the falling rocks at top speed while Doug clung to his body, breathing in and out as he felt the wind being displaced by the large boulders behind them.

This seemed... VERY treacherous now!

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov

Goddamn it, so many bloody rocks!

Doug held his arms around his head and his head low to Guirus' back, feeling the tiny stones pelt at him from all angles. There was no evading this barrage- Doug could barely see in the sandstorm, let alone guide a blindfolded Guirus through a storm of stone.

The stones were the kind you could fit in your hand, too- which was just big enough to cause a measure of pain with each hit, making the youth grit his teeth. Had he signed a waver before this? Maybe he should have been a bit more suspicious if he did.

Teeth grit, the youth tried his hardest to find a way out from this mess- before remembering that hey- they were frigging flying.

"Go High, Guirus!" Said the youth as he let go of his head and yanked his whole body back, the reigns pulling the Flygon upwards, moving higher and higher until the tiny stones were (momentarily) below them, and- he saw Alexei Ivanov and his Braviary in the distance."Full Speed Ahead!"

The Flygon blasted forward at top speed, his rider hugging his back to minimize air resistance as the Flygon jetted through the sandstorm, cutting a sharp beeline towards the Gym Leader-

And then a shadow was cast over them. It felt as though his heart had tried to leap out of his throat when he caught side of the boulder falling atop them-

"DIVE!" The Flygon's body snapped downwards, wings folding against his form as they rapidly approached the ground, wind resistance helping them outspeed the large stone.

Fast approaching cold, hard soil, the youth pulled back on the reigns and the Flygon's wings unfurled, launching it like a jet with a single flap, channeling its previous downward momentum forward.

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov

He had never been in a pitched dogfight, either on pokemon or fighter Jet. Only now the truth of just how dangerous flying could be was starting to register. Assumptions held no candle to the real deal.

It was certainly the most dangerous challenge Doug had partaken in, and he had almost been crushed by a meteor when he fought Zac Ramsay.

His grip on the reigns firm, the youth pulled back gently, directing Guirus to gain altitude, directing him through the smaller stones that pelted their path. The danger had lightened ever so slightly, but the youth was already on high alert; little could get him out of hyper-awareness now.

Their aim was within their sights.

"Forward, top speed." Doug muttered to Guirus as he patted his neck, the dragon launching himself forward with a flap of his wings, chasing after the Gym Leader. Sand and tiny stones batted at them, but the no large rocks derailed their path.

Hugging the dragon's body tightly, Doug grit his teeth and beared.

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TAG: Alexei Ivanov