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A Rapidash, the flames licked away from him; and yet he felt comfortable beyond belief, it was natural to ride on another pokemon; to adjust his weight, to move in tune, to play to the beat, and yet at the same time.
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”Sorry I’m late.” He said as he ran a hand through his hair, the saddle protected him from the worst of the heat; but he felt the droplets of sweat drip down his brow. ”A training plan huh? You got anything in mind? Experience in riding mons?”
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”I ain’t much for formal stuff, so we’ll have these guys run into some wild’uns, and then we’ll use that to make them feel on edge while we race, I’ll cover your back.” Jett’s voice was even, level, not as friendly as his usual, his mind whirred.
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Did he deserve to sit here in this saddle? Even after he had killed again?

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Lucas eyes the other rider's seemingly natural grace on the saddle, consciously comparing it to his all-too-rigid posture and half-remembered practice routine. He makes a mental note to re-review his diligence in riding practices. He's supposed to be the Mauville Gum trainer, after all.
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"Yeah, you can say that." He answered while eyeing the track layout before them. "I'm better at training Pokemon as a ride than riding them myself, though." If saying that makes sense.
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"Works for me. I'm sure this one's capable of self-defense, so we'll watch each other's backs." Mudsdale isn't rare, and he had experience handling them in the Gym. This one shouldn't be too far out of the norm. "Name's Lucas, by the way."
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"We could go on a steady pace to help them build momentum for a few hundred meters before breaking into a full gallop." He recalls one of the few pointers his Gym Leader told him while incorporating a few of his methods into it. "Does that work?"
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The other guy looked distracted, but he figured it should be fine as long as he did his job.

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Jett looked at his Rapidash, and the Mudsdale.
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”Jett Roan.” He said with a nod, before he patted the head of the Rapidash, he could agree with the plan. ”You’ve got experience then, even if it ain’t horses.” He said as he looked around for a moment, watching the landscape, taking in the surroundings.
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”We’ll take the left path then, if we have to take one, then let’s take the harder one. By the time we get their pace and footing up, we’ll be on even ground.” Jett agreed without putting into words.
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”We’re good to go, set the pace. I’ll try to match yours, and then we’ll get to the heavy part.”
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Yet, it seemed that the path he had chosen had a river up ahead.

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"Not enough equestrian experience. I think that's my problem." Mauville Gym accepts all sorts of exotic mounts, and it's daunting. Luckily enough, it seems he managed to hang on and grow, but he doesn't know when his luck will run out.
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"Alright," He pulls the Mudsdale's reins, nudging him to turn left at the intersection. The road ahead seems smooth running, allowing the quadrupeds to build up speed.
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That is before they come across the river.
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Lucas eyes the Rapidash on his side before pulling at the Mudsdale's rein, trying to think of a solution.
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"Mudsdale, use Rototiller!"
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He doesn't know if it will work, but fortunately, the quadruped would recognize the command and neigh mightily, terraforming their surroundings starting at the river's edge. Platforms made of mud would emerge from the river's base, allowing the mud horse to cross without getting swept by the current.
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Lucas looks back at his fellow rider. A Rapidash might have more issues crossing than his ride.
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"Can you cross it!?" He shouted while trying to keep the ravine's sounds from drowning his voice.

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Jett nodded slowly.
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”I’ll be fine, use Quick Attack and Leap.” Rapidash was a fast mount, exceptionally fast even, he felt the sudden acceleration and the leap; the pressure that was attempting to make him dismount from the back of the pokemon.
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But he barely hit on as the space was cleared, the fire flared for a moment before he shook his head and patted the head of the pokemon. ”Well done.” He said to the Rapidash, a soft smile on his face for a moment before he looked back to Lucas.
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That was the soft buzzing in the distance.
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”Let’s start a trot, and we’ll move into a gallop.” He said as Rapidash began to adjust to the movement of the reigns. ”Equestrian is how you move, not just the reigns, how you move, you use the saddle footrests to push yourself up in time with each trot.”

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"Right."
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He briefly recalls his gym leader giving him pointers to deal with and ride equestrian Pokemon, but he confessed the lack of usage and other types' quirks shunted the words into the back of his mind. What Jett said resembled the remnants of the pointers he still recalls. That's enough for Lucas to trust him.
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With them on solid ground once more - and the mud dissolving into the waters - Lucas let the Mudsdale gather momentum before speeding up, kicking his footrest to signal him when to pick up his pace.
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The surroundings become a blur once the Mudsdale picks up speed. However, Lucas could make the noise of rustling grass nearby. A pack of Lycanroc tries to halt their progress, pursuing them with single-mindedness.
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One comes from the front, leaping to bite at the equestrian. However, the quadruped's momentum - and horsepower - proves too much, throwing the wolf to the side.
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The earthly quadruped continues unimpeded, pursued by a few canines. However, a few turn their attention to its firey companion, turning to impede their stride.

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