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"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Oct 14, 2022 17:15:49 GMT

Mauville Gym Leader Josh Devlin enjoyed his two half days. While that made him work an extra day every week, it almost felt like he had three-day weekends. Almost. Today was even more special than a usual half-day; he didn't have a single challenger scheduled! He would be giving a different kind of lesson, and that was racing lessons. Or simple riding lessons, for challengers and civilians that weren't interested in the thrills, chills, and spills of high speed competition.

His first student would be Ned Clark , a young man around his own age, that saved his life from some nasty Alpha Pokémon and made his battling skills look positively cringe. That was part of his game he had to step up if he wanted to continue being a Gym Leader! But now wasn't the time to think about that.

Josh's Gym Staff had assembled ample signage toward the "Twist Road" course, the simplest land course on the entire facility. While it wasn't an oval, there were easy introductions to most types of Obstacles his Gym Challenge could throw at challengers. He was adjusting the gear for his entire squad of Pokémon, the Manectric, Pyroar, Sylveon, Umbreon, Absol, and Boltund crowding around him a little too closely for his tastes.

"A little space, please!" he quipped, all of them but Kamuy backing away. All six of them were between five and seven feet tall, despite what their average species' sizes seemed to indicate, and wore full riding gear much like an equine's. Some were more complex than others, particularly the Pyroar's; after all, Aslan's flexing back meant the saddle's design had to try to stabilize the rider as much as possible.

Once he was finished making minor adjustments to Kamuy's saddle, Josh looked at the time. It was just about time for his first appointment. Now where was Ned?

Ned Clark

{WC: 310}
{PC: 1}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar Good
Pinky Sylveon Good
Kamuy Umbreon Good
Twilight Absol Good
Crash Boltund Good

MISSION: ZERO TO ONE HUNDRED

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Manfrommercury

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twenty two

December 30

Viridian City

heterosexual

unemployed

civilian

20 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @ned

POSTED ON Oct 15, 2022 11:26:36 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","blboxfl"]

Ned chewed his lip as he approached the Mauville City Gym, and memories painfully flooded his mind. Since he was a boy, he had dreamed of conquering Pokemon Leagues across the world and ascending to the ranks of the masters, but now these ambitions were obscured by hate and uncertainty. Even here in Hoenn, he would have loved nothing more than to take the challenge, but circumstances demanded his attention elsewhere. In this region, resistance thrived, and Ned was determined to aid the fight against Team Rocket however he could.
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"Sorry I'm late," said Ned as Devlin's staff brought him to the course. "Thank you for inviting me. I rode a ponyta once when I was little. You know, the fire-type kind, but we went slow... And thanks again for everything back in the woods. I've been reading about those spacetime things. Apparently one of them opened up in the Unova subway system. A conductor ran in to try to save the passengers and was never seen again. Not a trace of him remained. I'd hate to think what might have happened to me if you hadn't been there."
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He looked over each of the gym leader's pokemon. At first sight, he assumed that they had been selectively bred for their size. But now, having seen the spacetime distortions for himself, he wondered about their origins. The absol in particular stood out to him, with its shiny white coat and solemn, stoic face. He hoped Josh would let him choose that one.
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"But enough negativity. I'm ready to learn."
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Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]Ned Clark

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Oct 16, 2022 7:18:28 GMT

Josh waved to Ned, greeting him once the two were in earshot. "That's okay! I know it's big here, and it can be a real pain to navigate. Ponyta are a great choice for learning; they're easy to control and don't spook too easily, yet can give you a taste of high speed." The mention of Ponyta reminded Josh of Ixion. "I have a Rapidash of my own that's stuck on the other side of the barrier. She can't cross until it's gone. If it ever goes away."

Once the two were close enough to one another where they could speak quietly in the light breeze, and Josh's Pokémon team had a second person to crowd around, he listened to the young man's story about a distortion in Unova. "Alpha Pokémon, as they're called, are no joke. I've never seen one outside of a distortion before, but you are right. A lot of Pokémon that are just as big have been showing up, and in not insignificant numbers. Once those populations get to Johto, there are going to be a lot of very unhappy rich people. Pokémon just like Kamuy here," he pointed to his saddled Umbreon, "are status symbols in Johto. Seven figures a pop, easily. You gotta be makin' some serious lettuce to have one. And once these big Pokémon start showing up there..." He felt he didn't need to explain the bottom coming out of that market.

"Right. So you said you've ridden a Ponyta before," Josh asked Ned, trying to gauge how much riding experience he had. "Then I'd be comfortable with letting you try it with any of my Pokémon. Some are faster than others, but I would trust you to learn with any of them." All of them except Twilight looked like they wanted to be picked; the indifferent-looking, stoic Absol didn't let out one shred of emotion in any direction.

Ned Clark

{WC: 323}
{PC: 2}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar Good
Pinky Sylveon Good
Kamuy Umbreon Good
Twilight Absol Good
Crash Boltund Good

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Manfrommercury

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twenty two

December 30

Viridian City

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20 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @ned

POSTED ON Oct 21, 2022 9:45:21 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","blboxfl"]

Ned studied Josh's pokemon, and noticed that the absol seemed by far to be the least friendly of the group. While the others were clearly eager to go, the dark-type showed no emotion whatsoever. Stoic and solemn like the marble bust of an ancient king, the creature reminded him of himself, or rather, what he aimed to be.
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"Hey there," Ned said softly as he approached slowly, and the absol turned to face him.
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He was no rider, but he was a better trainer than most. Indeed, no matter the mission, he was confident in his ability to connect and bond with any willing pokemon. He reached out a hand for the beast to sniff.
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"Look at you, nice shiny coat. How would you like to practice with me for a little while?"
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A shiver ran over Ned's body. It had been a very long time since he felt nervous approaching a pokemon. Even so, he did not hesitate.
[break]
[break]

Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]Ned Clark

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Oct 21, 2022 10:41:04 GMT

Twilight did not immediately respond to Ned's greeting, returning the student only a blank stare. If he was paying attention, he may have noticed a subtle smile on the Absol's face after being complimented about her pristine, white fur. Her riding gear was solid jet: the absence of color. It had to get quite warm on her in the dog days of summer, but was nice in the cooler months. There were places, particularly in Hoenn's north, where weather got more like Fall in most places in the world.

When Ned asked for a practice run, Twilight lowered her back and beckoned the student to hop on. While she at first wasn't happy about someone other than Josh riding her solo, she seemed to get over those feelings as it became evident Ned was genuinely interested in learning. That or she just kept those emptions bottled up, like most of her others, and simply awaited his commands.

"Some of this might be recap from your experience on a Ponyta, but I want to see exactly where you're at first." With that, Josh withdrew the rest of his squad except his Pyroar, and of course, the Absol Ned was astride. Aslan let out a deep purr as Josh scurried atop the big lion. Even among Pyroar, the Leader's Pokémon looked both quite large and incredibly swift. Whatever hypothetical prey that fire-type had in his sights wasn't getting away. From the perspective of a less experienced trainer, riding a Pyroar had to be dangerous.

"No matter what, both the fundamentals still apply," Josh explained as both Leader and student guided their Pokémon toward the starting line of the Twist Road course intended for beginners. "Use direction, whether it be through Twilight's reins or shifting your weight, to make your Pokémon turn, and use leg pressure to control speed. No matter what Pokémon you're on, those two tenets will always be the same."

The track just past the starting line was so wide that the Absol would even have room to turn around and retry its first three turns easily if need be. "Give these three turns a try. And if you're comfortable, don't be afraid to have her put on a little speed. She's used to it." Though all three were right-angle, 90-degree right turns, the course was wide enough that Ned would be able to take the curves much wider if need be. With that, Aslan bounded toward the top of the hill beyond the three curves.

Ned Clark

{WC: 420}
{PC: 3}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar Good
Pinky Sylveon Good
Kamuy Umbreon Good
Twilight Absol Good
Crash Boltund Good

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Manfrommercury

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twenty two

December 30

Viridian City

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @ned

POSTED ON Oct 24, 2022 6:58:59 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","blboxfl"]

Ned seized up as the absol began to move beneath him. His hands and arms clenched, instintively tightening his grip. He pulled the reins at the first turn and as the pokemon gained speed, Ned for the first moment in a very long time felt that he was way in over his head.
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"Come now," he thought to himself. "You can do this."
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For all that he had accomplished so far, he would be hard-pressed to let himself struggle with such an activity as this. He made himself loosen up.
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"That's it now," he said to the absol as the course became more narrow. "Steady!"
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He was far less than comfortable. His groin ached in places he had never before imagined. Devlin made riding look very simple, but Ned found it anything but easy. In that, he knew that he needed to learn this. Strong men were not built during a lifetime of comfort. He did his best not to clench up as the absol rounded the second turn.
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A smile broke on his face. It was always refreshing to see for himself that he could truly accomplish anything he worked towards. One's only real difficulty in life is conquering weakness. Truly, this was the way of the world - whether it was pokemon battling or pokemon riding. He gave the absol a bit more speed, and did his best to ignore the throbbing sensation below.
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"You can do it! I know you can!" He exclaimed, more to himself than to the pokemon.
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They rounded the final turn, and decelerated to a walk as approached towards Josh.
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Ned smirked. "Not bad for a first timer, huh?"
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Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]Ned Clark

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin

POSTED ON Oct 25, 2022 1:50:04 GMT

Ned's nerves were not without fault; among the Pokémon the Leader had with him, the Absol was among the more difficult to control. Not only did the Absol's back flex much like a feline Pokémon, but her razor-sharp claws bestowed her with amazing turning capability. If Ned were to tug to one side with full force, she could slide in circles, much like a vehicle performing donuts on a slick road. Josh watched his student round the corners; while his student's form was a little off, which may have explained the apparent pain he was in, Ned's fundamentals were well-honed.

Aslan had to have looked a lot less imposing from the Absol's back, though the great lion would never stop being at least somewhat intimidating to one not used to be around the species. "You have a great understanding of the basics. Now, I want to show you something a little more advanced!" Josh gestured toward the gap in front of them, over the area where they started the course. "The bridge is out, but our Pokémon can make it!" Josh began to turn Aslan around, headed near the final turn to get room to build up speed. "If you flick the reins on both sides at the same time, your Pokémon will jump. Try it!"

With that, Josh demonstrated the maneuver. building up what had to be a crazy amount of speed to a fairly inexperienced rider like Ned. Once they had reached the end of the road, Josh flicked Aslan's reins. He let out a loud cry as his Pokémon mount bounded skyward, the Pyroar making a bit of a rough landing that earned a grunt from Josh. He waved for Ned to cross the gap with Twilight, as well.

Ned Clark

{WC: 297}
{PC: 4}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar Good
Pinky Sylveon Good
Kamuy Umbreon Good
Twilight Absol Good
Crash Boltund Good

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Manfrommercury

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twenty two

December 30

Viridian City

heterosexual

unemployed

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20 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @ned

POSTED ON Oct 29, 2022 6:35:45 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","blboxfl"]

Ned's heart sank in his chest as he realized that Josh would have him leap across the gap. He had managed to quell his apprehensions by remembering his time alone in the wilderness, but something like this was a far cry from his own experiences. Josh made the jump on his pyroar, and Ned's eyes flared wide in disbelief. It was not often these days that he found himself impressed with another trainer's abilities.
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"Come on now," he thought to himself. "If anyone can do it, I can do it."
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He braced his body and took a deep breath. Tension was far too high. Doing his best to return to a state of restful breathing, he forced himself to relax. Pokemon could smell fear, he knew. The stoic, solemn beast he had mounted did not seem to respond to his heightened nerves. It had been trained well, but beyond a doubt it knew what its rider was thinking. But Ned was no ordinary trainer - he was a survivor. And damn his soul if he let a training exercise get the better of him.
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Finally it clicked, and Ned's mind was concluded.
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"Let's go, you," he said to the Absol.
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With the reigns in hand, he flicked his wrists and gave the command, and they were sailing through the air. His guts went into freefall as they descended to the course's starting point. Ned tensed up for a hard landing, but the well-trained absol moved with such grace that he barely felt a thing.
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I must admit, Devlin," said Ned. "When I came here I was hoping I'd impress you, but I must say you've managed to impress me with these riding pokemon of yours. They're really something magnificent."
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[break]

Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]Ned Clark

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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POSTED ON Oct 29, 2022 20:35:45 GMT

Katherine Fairburne likes this

Ned at first looked tense. Yes, what the Leader asked of him was a tall order. He was confident that his student would be okay even if they missed the jump; it was not a long way down at all. After Josh and Aslan cleared the gap, he waved Ned and Twilight on, giving his asurance that they would be safe. It seemed that sparked the survivor's confidence. He watched the two build up speed, and with a flick of the Absol's reins, they were skyward-bound.

When the Absol and student touched down gracefully and gently despite her speed, Aslan let out a proud purr for his companion, Josh applauding Ned's technique. "I've put a lot into making Mauville Gym the best it cam be, and that includes the many Pokémon here. Even beyond the six you saw here." He had several dozen Pokémon that were just as well-trained. "Mauville's Gym has a history of being hosted by some of the most renowned Gym Leaders in the region's history. John Sullivan , Katherine Fairburne , now in the Elite Four, and cait alfric . It has a reputation for being one of the toughest Badges to win. I hope to see you here one day, with a ride Pokémon of your own."

A sly smile started to grow on Joh's face. "I do have one more thing I can show you. If you're not comfortable with it yet, that's okay!" What Josh wanted to show Ned was one of the most important parts of racing a Pokémon: the battle of the Boost. "I can show you how to have Twilight, or any of my other Pokémon, take you on a Quick Attack run. Even Aslan here, if you would be more comfortable together!" The fire-type was huge, one of Josh's few Pokémon able to seat two people for an extended period of time if need be.

Ned Clark

{PC: 5}

NAME SPECIES STATUS
Saber Manectric Good
Aslan Pyroar Good
Pinky Sylveon Good
Kamuy Umbreon Good
Twilight Absol Good
Crash Boltund Good

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played by

Manfrommercury

he/him

twenty two

December 30

Viridian City

heterosexual

unemployed

civilian

20 height

i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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TAG WITH @ned

POSTED ON Nov 2, 2022 5:43:14 GMT

[nospaces]

[attr="class","blboxfl"]

Ned's heart was racing. It had been a long time since he experienced such a rush. The gym leader was ecstatic. Ned only half smiled, and chuckled a bit. He had not ridden a pokemon since the invasion, and to make such a feat felt somehow purifying.
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"Even I had my doubts, honestly," he said as he dismounted the large absol.
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Devlin was an interesting character. No doubt serious and disciplined, and yet lighthearted, outgoing, and friendly. Ned was known to be cold in the time following Rocket's takeover, but having returned to civilization after living alone in the mountains, he was quickly realizing that no man survived long without allies. Truly, he wished he could be more like Josh.
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"Thank you for everything, once again." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of thick black fabric that unrolled into a strip pinned with each of the eight badges of the Kanto region. "I had hoped to challenge the Pokemon League at the Indigo Plateau at one time. I was there, actually, at the invasion. Barely made it out alive, lost my entire team." His eyes grew misty. "I don't think I could do it again, not while Rocket still has yet to go down. Thanks for the special lesson offer, but I can't bring myself to spend too much time on this while my own pokemon are sitting sedentary in their own pokeballs."
[break]
[break]

Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]Ned Clark

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raikourider

Master of Faster

He/Him

December 12

Goldenrod, Johto

Straight

Mauville Gym Leader

Champion

6'1" height

"With great speed comes great responsibility."

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TAG WITH @joshdevlin