A Floragato sets out from the ranch in search of a wild pokemon to bring back.
A Ride by the River - A Pokemon Oneshot
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One last check, just to be safe.
Rope? On the belt.
Berry Pouch? Prepped and filled.
Potions? One or two.
Confidence? In excess.
Skill? He doesn't even need to answer that.
Bandana? Nice and tight around his neck.
Hat? Borrowed from the farmer. He wouldn't miss one stetson, would he?
Floragato nodded to himself as he set out from the gates of the ranch, his Lucario superior looking at him with a raised brow from the Miltank pasture. The cat simply grinned his way and tipped the ill-fitting hat on his head. The jackal rolled his eyes and mouthed out *Don't get beaten* his way.
Like he could lose.
Today was a nice day, too. The sun was high but not too hot, the fields around the ranch were blowing softly in the gentle wind, and the few wildlings that came near the ranch weren't messing about with the property. A perfect day to head out.
His grin grew a little wider at that. If he thought it was a perfect day to head out, so would others. And that would hopefully mean the target of his search would come out of the woods and into the fields. If it didn't, he'd just track it down anyways, but it's a matter of ease! Why waste more energy than he had to?
Strolling along the dirt road for a few minutes, he eventually turned into the grass once it got tall enough to hide his lithe form. From there, he took in a breath and pushed. The grass-type energy inside him welled up and, invigorated by the flora around him, shot down to the soles of his feet. All at once, he exploded forward in a Trailblaze that barely shifted the plants around him.
With that single move, he was blazing through the tall grass and along the fields. And thanks to the inherent boost to his agility that it gave, he didn't need to bother with another use. He was going plenty fast already, and if he went too fast, he'd probably miss his mark!
Bounding along for the time, he occasionally paused to survey the plains for his mark. More than once, he dashed between patches of grass, startling pokemon and even a trainer one time! Funny, this was further off the path than most were willing to go. There was a reason they warded trainers from leaving the routes, after all.
The woods came into sight just as he dashed into the next patch of grass, so he took the moment to slow down and take a breath. As he did, his eyes passed over the plains surrounding the thick forest, before locking onto one spot in particular. There, just by the small stream, only a few patches in front of him! He got down into a low stance and started moving, eyes locked ahead.
There were settled lands between the regions, despite what many people thought. They may officially be claimed as wildlands or "owned" by one region or another, but everyone who lived in them knew it was a much more wild country. And in those wild countries, pokemon from all over could show up- even pokemon that were supposedly "unique" to certain places.
That couldn't be more evident with the Ponyta he was stalking, whose mane was not defined by the flowing flames of so many regions, but by pastel puffs of thick hair. Add in a white coat and a small horn, and you had yourself a Galarian Ponyta. He had spotted the thing sometime back on a run through the wilds, and he'd been trying to keep an eye on it ever since.
After all, if he could catch it and bring it back, the farmer would see just how useful he could be! The man had been doubting ever since his former trainer traded him to the man for one of Lucario's Riolu. He couldn't complain, really. Training life just wasn't for him, and he learned both the man and Lucario had made sure to give her a Riolu that wanted that life. Good for him!
As he dashed up to the last patch of grass between him and the ponyta, he couldn't have been less than fifty meters away from the 'mon. He slowed his breathing and got down to a prowling stance, watching as the pokemon grazed lazily on the grass.
He pushed down on the hat on his head and gave a quick pull of the string keeping it to his head. This was a psychic, and the hat, fancy as it was, was the only thing keeping him from getting mentally felt out before he could even pounce. Funny what you could do with a Zoroark's mane shedding.
He got down right at the edge of the grass and took a moment to think. He was still hidden here, and he blended in well with the grass and flora, despite the hat and bandana and belt. He'd likely be going in with an advantage, since it didn't seem to realize he was here. He had the rope in his hands, and in a few more seconds, he'd have a good loop to throw. And he was fast- he might not be able to catch the ponyta if it took off right now, but so long as it was close, he could keep up.
Granted, he also had his work cut out for him. He wasn't a dark-type yet, so the psychic moves this thing could pull out could still affect him if he wasn't careful. Thankfully, the fairy moves this thing could use wouldn't hurt more than they usually would, since he was still a grass-type. And while it wouldn't have anything it could pull out that was super-effective on him, he had a few things he could pull out. Sucker Punch would work well to close the distance and stop a move, and while it might be a bit unwieldy, a good Bite could always mess up a psychic's day. And if he was lucky, the residual energy would keep it from being able to latch on to him, too!
Pulling the loop of his rope tight, he glanced back up at the ponyta. It was still eating by the stream, having not noticed him yet. A quick look around the area gave him the lowdown on what he was working with: there was a stream directly in front of him and to the right side of the ponyta, whose left was facing him. The ground was relatively flat and easy to run and bounce off of, and there was a single patch of decently sized rocks a bit to his left. No chance to trip on anything, but also no way to stop the ponyta if it got far enough away from him too fast.
He'd just have to be fast, then.
He nodded to himself and began to tense up. With another push into the ground and a surge of energy, he threw himself forward in a Trailblaze at the ponyta. The distance closed rapidly, and the ponyta only had a moment to look at him in surprise before he barreled into its side. The two of them slammed into the ground, his mark letting out a dazed whinny as it tried to get its bearings and get back up.
Quick as he could manage, he threw himself up to his feet and began trying to pull the lasso around the ponyta's head. As soon as the rope hit the ponyta's fur, however, it began to wildly thrash on the ground in an attempt to resist him. Dodging a thrown hoof, it took a little longer than he would've liked to get the rope over its head and secured to its neck, and he had to force his weight onto the wildling just to keep it down long enough to do it.
Just as it was looped on, the pony thrashed and sent him back a few feet, giving it time to rise to its feet. He quickly got back up and pulled back on the rope just as it tried to run, earning a hoarse noise from the pony as the loop tightened for a moment. Not content to simply be held in place, the ponyta launched a wave of psionic energy at him. He skidded to the side, just barely avoiding the Confusion as it flew beside him.
Right, he was going to have to work this thing down a bit on the ground first. Working up some grass-type energy in his paws, he gave the lasso a yank and managed to pull the ponyta off balance for a moment. Pulling a hand off of the rope for just a moment, he flicked it forward, the energy that had been building flying out in leaf-shaped projectiles towards the ponyta.
The leaves slammed into the pokemon and left cuts all over, earning a pained groan from it as it tried again to pull away. He grabbed the rope properly again as it thrashed in his hold, his stable footing the only thing keeping him on his feet and not on the ground.
A slight glow from the pokemon's horn was the only warning he got before a harsh wind suddenly kicked up, nearly knocking him off his feet. And if that wasn't bad, it *stung*- a Fairy Wind, he realized after a moment. Didn't hurt too bad, but if he was stuck just trying to keep it from running like this for much longer, it would start getting bad.
With a snarl, he suddenly lunged forward through the wind and slammed a shrouded fist into the ponyta's face. The Sucker Punch did its job perfectly, as the dark-type energy slammed into the pokemon and sent it staggering back into the ground with a cry of pain.
This time, he wasn't just going to let it get back up and try to kick him or hit him again. Closing the short distance with a point-blank Quick Attack, he slammed into the ponyta again and threw himself atop it. The pony let out a surprised whinny as he straddled its back, cut off as he pulled back on the rope to force it to its feet.
Allowing it to stumble up, he was quick to make the first move. He gripped the rope and part of the ponyta's mane tight in his left paw, and slapped back with a Scratch onto its hindquarters with his right. His claws slid along the exposed fur easily, leaving red marks as the normal-type energy infused into the wounds.
As soon as he did this, however, the consequences followed. The ponyta bucked as soon as it could manage, nearly throwing him if not for his grip in its mane. Throwing his right into the hair as soon as it landed, he found himself thrown back and forth as the ponyta bucked and thrashed under him in an attempt to knock him off. A sudden influx of psionic energy was all the warning he got before he suddenly felt the ponyta begin to buck a lot harder, the two of them moving towards the patch of grass he had been in only moments before.
If there was anything he had learned from his time on the ranch, it was that if you were going to try and ride a bucking pokemon, you couldn't let them control the ride. So, gritting his teeth, Floragato gave a hard yank of the lasso to the side and kicked the ponyta in the flanks. While the kick was more symbolic than anything at this point, the pull sent the ponyta in a sudden turn that unbalanced both it and himself.
Nearly flying off to the side, he managed to right himself just in time for the ponyta to throw itself sideways, the two of them entering a sudden spin that left him feeling nauseous. Haphazardly reaching for his front, he managed to grasp the yoyo that hung off his body and whip it out to the side. The little piece of flora whistled as it went out, spooking the ponyta out of a spin just in time for him to fling the piece right back into the hindquarters of the pony.
This sparked another hard buck forward, but this time, he was prepared. Riding out the throw a lot easier this time, he began to flick the yoyo into the ponyta repeatedly as it fought him. He may not be able to work any of his current moves into the thing, but a little energy and some momentum can do just as much as any scratch.
The two flew across the field in a series of vicious bucks and throws, pulls and yanks from himself just barely managing to keep them in the general area between the stream and the grass. If it got off into the woods with him on his back, he was almost certainly going to lose. Be it to a tree trunk or branch, or one of its friends coming to help it.
Managing to turn it off towards the direction he came from, he got something of an idea. Lunging forward, he snarled as loud as he could into the ponyta's ears before smacking his heels into its flanks and his yoyo into its hindquarters. As he hoped, the trio of actions spurred the ponyta into an almost-weightless sprint across the plains, spooking the few wild pokemon that had been watching from the grass.
He bounced on the pony's back as it desperately ran, gritting his teeth as he smacked the yoyo into its neck before gripping its mane with both paws. The world around them was practically a blur, and the wind cut into him slightly and left him blinded. Unable to cover his eyes, he forced himself down to the back of the ponyta and focused on staying on.
After a moment, the ponyta began to buck once more as it ran, though he noticed that it didn't quite feel as strong as it had been a few moments prior. And if the hoarse huffing it was making was anything to go by, that wasn't for nothing. It had only been a few minutes, but even that could be exhausting for a pokemon that was thrashing and throwing as hard as it could.
He grinned, though he found himself shuddering as one of the bucks ended in a harsh Stomp into the ground that left his bones shaking. The ponyta quickly took advantage of his momentary stutter in concentration as it lashed back with its head, nearly headbutting him and cutting into his arm with its horn. Hissing in pain as a slight burst of red split from his arm, he lunged forward with his other engulfed in another Sucker Punch. The blow struck true, and sent the both of them back to the ground *hard*.
He hissed even louder as he fell down with the ponyta, the weight of the pokemon slamming right into his leg as he found himself pinned. The ponyta had begun to thrash again in an attempt to remove him before it could climb back up to its feet again, but he was having none of that. He lunged forward and hit it with yet another Sucker Punch to the face, before using the moment of daze it inflicted to start battering the pony with as many scratches as he could manage.
Each one struck true along the side or head of the ponyta, and left it eventually whimpering by the time he stopped. It had stopped thrashing at some point during his assault, giving him a moment to breathe. With a groan, he pushed against the ground and started knocking his heels into the ponyta's sides, pulling back on the rope in tandem to try and get it to stand back up.
It took a few moments, but the ponyta eventually stumbled back onto its feet. This time, it did not buck or run or thrash- no, this time it stood still. It heaved with each breath, trying to gather back its energy from the exertion. Scratches and bruises covered it from where he had battered the pokemon, and its legs shook as it tried to get its bearings. And there, still sitting on its back with a rope in one hand and his yoyo in the other, was Floragato.
Breathing a sigh of relief as the wildling finally stopped fighting him, he reached into the berry pouch on his belt, only to be disappointed when all he felt was the mulch of what was once an Oran berry. He reached into the potion pouch right next, and sulked when all he felt was broken glass and soaked leather. He hadn't exactly gotten out of that without some hurting, and it looked like he was going to have to wait until he got back to the ranch to deal with it.
He turned his attention back to the ponyta, who was still trying to get its breath back. Not one to let that happen and earn another fight, he tightened his hold on the rope and mane before giving another solid heel to the pony. "Come on now, walk," he muttered as the pokemon flinched at the move. It took a few more tries before the ponyta began to shakily stumble onward.
Floragato sighed as he looked up at the field. It was going to be a long, long walk home if all this pokemon could manage was a stumbling walk. But he had worked the wildling into his position, so he only had himself to blame. Thus, he simply took a good position its back, held the rope at the ready, and prepared himself for the trip.
A few hours later, he found himself riding back through the gates of the ranch completely and utterly exhausted. As he had learned an hour into the ride, the ponyta had proved itself not to be content with its new rider still, and had tried to throw him again after working up some energy. It had done that a few times up to his point, and it was seriously wearing him down. At this point, the only reason he was still on was because he had locked his knees and wouldn't let go of the rope or its mane anymore.
"You look like hell, kid." Lucario remarked from his position at the fencing, a concerned look on his features as he hopped over to the duo. The ponyta flinched at his approach, but Floragato quickly stopped any resistance with a swift tug on the rope. "This why you went out earlier?"
Floragato nodded. "Yeah... s-saw it the other day when I was comin' back from a stroll..." He patted the neck of the wild pokemon, who flinched at the touch. "Figured the farmer... might appreciate it..."
Lucario hummed, and took the rope from the cat's hands. He took that as his que to dismount, and quickly threw himself off of the pony and against the fencing. His legs screamed at him until he sat down, and his hips felt horrid no matter what he did. "Sorta regret... doing that..." He eventually muttered after a minute.
"Yeah, ridin' out wildlings ain't exactly an easy thing, kid." The jackal began to coax the ponyta forward into the ranch, casting a grin his way as he did. "But ya managed it. Good job."
Floragato flashed the best approximation of a thumbs-up he could as Lucario set off. "I'll get the boss over here in a moment, kid. You's just sit there and try to relax."
"You got it," he managed to call out before completely slumping over against the fence. His legs hurt, his hips hurt, his hands hurt, and his chest hurt. But you know what? He was alright with that, despite everything.
He'd won, after all.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. I don't have anything to promote, so I simply ask that if you enjoyed it, let me know! I've been meaning to write more and post on SV more so I appreciate any comments or criticism.
Rope? On the belt.
Berry Pouch? Prepped and filled.
Potions? One or two.
Confidence? In excess.
Skill? He doesn't even need to answer that.
Bandana? Nice and tight around his neck.
Hat? Borrowed from the farmer. He wouldn't miss one stetson, would he?
Floragato nodded to himself as he set out from the gates of the ranch, his Lucario superior looking at him with a raised brow from the Miltank pasture. The cat simply grinned his way and tipped the ill-fitting hat on his head. The jackal rolled his eyes and mouthed out *Don't get beaten* his way.
Like he could lose.
Today was a nice day, too. The sun was high but not too hot, the fields around the ranch were blowing softly in the gentle wind, and the few wildlings that came near the ranch weren't messing about with the property. A perfect day to head out.
His grin grew a little wider at that. If he thought it was a perfect day to head out, so would others. And that would hopefully mean the target of his search would come out of the woods and into the fields. If it didn't, he'd just track it down anyways, but it's a matter of ease! Why waste more energy than he had to?
Strolling along the dirt road for a few minutes, he eventually turned into the grass once it got tall enough to hide his lithe form. From there, he took in a breath and pushed. The grass-type energy inside him welled up and, invigorated by the flora around him, shot down to the soles of his feet. All at once, he exploded forward in a Trailblaze that barely shifted the plants around him.
With that single move, he was blazing through the tall grass and along the fields. And thanks to the inherent boost to his agility that it gave, he didn't need to bother with another use. He was going plenty fast already, and if he went too fast, he'd probably miss his mark!
Bounding along for the time, he occasionally paused to survey the plains for his mark. More than once, he dashed between patches of grass, startling pokemon and even a trainer one time! Funny, this was further off the path than most were willing to go. There was a reason they warded trainers from leaving the routes, after all.
The woods came into sight just as he dashed into the next patch of grass, so he took the moment to slow down and take a breath. As he did, his eyes passed over the plains surrounding the thick forest, before locking onto one spot in particular. There, just by the small stream, only a few patches in front of him! He got down into a low stance and started moving, eyes locked ahead.
There were settled lands between the regions, despite what many people thought. They may officially be claimed as wildlands or "owned" by one region or another, but everyone who lived in them knew it was a much more wild country. And in those wild countries, pokemon from all over could show up- even pokemon that were supposedly "unique" to certain places.
That couldn't be more evident with the Ponyta he was stalking, whose mane was not defined by the flowing flames of so many regions, but by pastel puffs of thick hair. Add in a white coat and a small horn, and you had yourself a Galarian Ponyta. He had spotted the thing sometime back on a run through the wilds, and he'd been trying to keep an eye on it ever since.
After all, if he could catch it and bring it back, the farmer would see just how useful he could be! The man had been doubting ever since his former trainer traded him to the man for one of Lucario's Riolu. He couldn't complain, really. Training life just wasn't for him, and he learned both the man and Lucario had made sure to give her a Riolu that wanted that life. Good for him!
As he dashed up to the last patch of grass between him and the ponyta, he couldn't have been less than fifty meters away from the 'mon. He slowed his breathing and got down to a prowling stance, watching as the pokemon grazed lazily on the grass.
He pushed down on the hat on his head and gave a quick pull of the string keeping it to his head. This was a psychic, and the hat, fancy as it was, was the only thing keeping him from getting mentally felt out before he could even pounce. Funny what you could do with a Zoroark's mane shedding.
He got down right at the edge of the grass and took a moment to think. He was still hidden here, and he blended in well with the grass and flora, despite the hat and bandana and belt. He'd likely be going in with an advantage, since it didn't seem to realize he was here. He had the rope in his hands, and in a few more seconds, he'd have a good loop to throw. And he was fast- he might not be able to catch the ponyta if it took off right now, but so long as it was close, he could keep up.
Granted, he also had his work cut out for him. He wasn't a dark-type yet, so the psychic moves this thing could pull out could still affect him if he wasn't careful. Thankfully, the fairy moves this thing could use wouldn't hurt more than they usually would, since he was still a grass-type. And while it wouldn't have anything it could pull out that was super-effective on him, he had a few things he could pull out. Sucker Punch would work well to close the distance and stop a move, and while it might be a bit unwieldy, a good Bite could always mess up a psychic's day. And if he was lucky, the residual energy would keep it from being able to latch on to him, too!
Pulling the loop of his rope tight, he glanced back up at the ponyta. It was still eating by the stream, having not noticed him yet. A quick look around the area gave him the lowdown on what he was working with: there was a stream directly in front of him and to the right side of the ponyta, whose left was facing him. The ground was relatively flat and easy to run and bounce off of, and there was a single patch of decently sized rocks a bit to his left. No chance to trip on anything, but also no way to stop the ponyta if it got far enough away from him too fast.
He'd just have to be fast, then.
He nodded to himself and began to tense up. With another push into the ground and a surge of energy, he threw himself forward in a Trailblaze at the ponyta. The distance closed rapidly, and the ponyta only had a moment to look at him in surprise before he barreled into its side. The two of them slammed into the ground, his mark letting out a dazed whinny as it tried to get its bearings and get back up.
Quick as he could manage, he threw himself up to his feet and began trying to pull the lasso around the ponyta's head. As soon as the rope hit the ponyta's fur, however, it began to wildly thrash on the ground in an attempt to resist him. Dodging a thrown hoof, it took a little longer than he would've liked to get the rope over its head and secured to its neck, and he had to force his weight onto the wildling just to keep it down long enough to do it.
Just as it was looped on, the pony thrashed and sent him back a few feet, giving it time to rise to its feet. He quickly got back up and pulled back on the rope just as it tried to run, earning a hoarse noise from the pony as the loop tightened for a moment. Not content to simply be held in place, the ponyta launched a wave of psionic energy at him. He skidded to the side, just barely avoiding the Confusion as it flew beside him.
Right, he was going to have to work this thing down a bit on the ground first. Working up some grass-type energy in his paws, he gave the lasso a yank and managed to pull the ponyta off balance for a moment. Pulling a hand off of the rope for just a moment, he flicked it forward, the energy that had been building flying out in leaf-shaped projectiles towards the ponyta.
The leaves slammed into the pokemon and left cuts all over, earning a pained groan from it as it tried again to pull away. He grabbed the rope properly again as it thrashed in his hold, his stable footing the only thing keeping him on his feet and not on the ground.
A slight glow from the pokemon's horn was the only warning he got before a harsh wind suddenly kicked up, nearly knocking him off his feet. And if that wasn't bad, it *stung*- a Fairy Wind, he realized after a moment. Didn't hurt too bad, but if he was stuck just trying to keep it from running like this for much longer, it would start getting bad.
With a snarl, he suddenly lunged forward through the wind and slammed a shrouded fist into the ponyta's face. The Sucker Punch did its job perfectly, as the dark-type energy slammed into the pokemon and sent it staggering back into the ground with a cry of pain.
This time, he wasn't just going to let it get back up and try to kick him or hit him again. Closing the short distance with a point-blank Quick Attack, he slammed into the ponyta again and threw himself atop it. The pony let out a surprised whinny as he straddled its back, cut off as he pulled back on the rope to force it to its feet.
Allowing it to stumble up, he was quick to make the first move. He gripped the rope and part of the ponyta's mane tight in his left paw, and slapped back with a Scratch onto its hindquarters with his right. His claws slid along the exposed fur easily, leaving red marks as the normal-type energy infused into the wounds.
As soon as he did this, however, the consequences followed. The ponyta bucked as soon as it could manage, nearly throwing him if not for his grip in its mane. Throwing his right into the hair as soon as it landed, he found himself thrown back and forth as the ponyta bucked and thrashed under him in an attempt to knock him off. A sudden influx of psionic energy was all the warning he got before he suddenly felt the ponyta begin to buck a lot harder, the two of them moving towards the patch of grass he had been in only moments before.
If there was anything he had learned from his time on the ranch, it was that if you were going to try and ride a bucking pokemon, you couldn't let them control the ride. So, gritting his teeth, Floragato gave a hard yank of the lasso to the side and kicked the ponyta in the flanks. While the kick was more symbolic than anything at this point, the pull sent the ponyta in a sudden turn that unbalanced both it and himself.
Nearly flying off to the side, he managed to right himself just in time for the ponyta to throw itself sideways, the two of them entering a sudden spin that left him feeling nauseous. Haphazardly reaching for his front, he managed to grasp the yoyo that hung off his body and whip it out to the side. The little piece of flora whistled as it went out, spooking the ponyta out of a spin just in time for him to fling the piece right back into the hindquarters of the pony.
This sparked another hard buck forward, but this time, he was prepared. Riding out the throw a lot easier this time, he began to flick the yoyo into the ponyta repeatedly as it fought him. He may not be able to work any of his current moves into the thing, but a little energy and some momentum can do just as much as any scratch.
The two flew across the field in a series of vicious bucks and throws, pulls and yanks from himself just barely managing to keep them in the general area between the stream and the grass. If it got off into the woods with him on his back, he was almost certainly going to lose. Be it to a tree trunk or branch, or one of its friends coming to help it.
Managing to turn it off towards the direction he came from, he got something of an idea. Lunging forward, he snarled as loud as he could into the ponyta's ears before smacking his heels into its flanks and his yoyo into its hindquarters. As he hoped, the trio of actions spurred the ponyta into an almost-weightless sprint across the plains, spooking the few wild pokemon that had been watching from the grass.
He bounced on the pony's back as it desperately ran, gritting his teeth as he smacked the yoyo into its neck before gripping its mane with both paws. The world around them was practically a blur, and the wind cut into him slightly and left him blinded. Unable to cover his eyes, he forced himself down to the back of the ponyta and focused on staying on.
After a moment, the ponyta began to buck once more as it ran, though he noticed that it didn't quite feel as strong as it had been a few moments prior. And if the hoarse huffing it was making was anything to go by, that wasn't for nothing. It had only been a few minutes, but even that could be exhausting for a pokemon that was thrashing and throwing as hard as it could.
He grinned, though he found himself shuddering as one of the bucks ended in a harsh Stomp into the ground that left his bones shaking. The ponyta quickly took advantage of his momentary stutter in concentration as it lashed back with its head, nearly headbutting him and cutting into his arm with its horn. Hissing in pain as a slight burst of red split from his arm, he lunged forward with his other engulfed in another Sucker Punch. The blow struck true, and sent the both of them back to the ground *hard*.
He hissed even louder as he fell down with the ponyta, the weight of the pokemon slamming right into his leg as he found himself pinned. The ponyta had begun to thrash again in an attempt to remove him before it could climb back up to its feet again, but he was having none of that. He lunged forward and hit it with yet another Sucker Punch to the face, before using the moment of daze it inflicted to start battering the pony with as many scratches as he could manage.
Each one struck true along the side or head of the ponyta, and left it eventually whimpering by the time he stopped. It had stopped thrashing at some point during his assault, giving him a moment to breathe. With a groan, he pushed against the ground and started knocking his heels into the ponyta's sides, pulling back on the rope in tandem to try and get it to stand back up.
It took a few moments, but the ponyta eventually stumbled back onto its feet. This time, it did not buck or run or thrash- no, this time it stood still. It heaved with each breath, trying to gather back its energy from the exertion. Scratches and bruises covered it from where he had battered the pokemon, and its legs shook as it tried to get its bearings. And there, still sitting on its back with a rope in one hand and his yoyo in the other, was Floragato.
Breathing a sigh of relief as the wildling finally stopped fighting him, he reached into the berry pouch on his belt, only to be disappointed when all he felt was the mulch of what was once an Oran berry. He reached into the potion pouch right next, and sulked when all he felt was broken glass and soaked leather. He hadn't exactly gotten out of that without some hurting, and it looked like he was going to have to wait until he got back to the ranch to deal with it.
He turned his attention back to the ponyta, who was still trying to get its breath back. Not one to let that happen and earn another fight, he tightened his hold on the rope and mane before giving another solid heel to the pony. "Come on now, walk," he muttered as the pokemon flinched at the move. It took a few more tries before the ponyta began to shakily stumble onward.
Floragato sighed as he looked up at the field. It was going to be a long, long walk home if all this pokemon could manage was a stumbling walk. But he had worked the wildling into his position, so he only had himself to blame. Thus, he simply took a good position its back, held the rope at the ready, and prepared himself for the trip.
A few hours later, he found himself riding back through the gates of the ranch completely and utterly exhausted. As he had learned an hour into the ride, the ponyta had proved itself not to be content with its new rider still, and had tried to throw him again after working up some energy. It had done that a few times up to his point, and it was seriously wearing him down. At this point, the only reason he was still on was because he had locked his knees and wouldn't let go of the rope or its mane anymore.
"You look like hell, kid." Lucario remarked from his position at the fencing, a concerned look on his features as he hopped over to the duo. The ponyta flinched at his approach, but Floragato quickly stopped any resistance with a swift tug on the rope. "This why you went out earlier?"
Floragato nodded. "Yeah... s-saw it the other day when I was comin' back from a stroll..." He patted the neck of the wild pokemon, who flinched at the touch. "Figured the farmer... might appreciate it..."
Lucario hummed, and took the rope from the cat's hands. He took that as his que to dismount, and quickly threw himself off of the pony and against the fencing. His legs screamed at him until he sat down, and his hips felt horrid no matter what he did. "Sorta regret... doing that..." He eventually muttered after a minute.
"Yeah, ridin' out wildlings ain't exactly an easy thing, kid." The jackal began to coax the ponyta forward into the ranch, casting a grin his way as he did. "But ya managed it. Good job."
Floragato flashed the best approximation of a thumbs-up he could as Lucario set off. "I'll get the boss over here in a moment, kid. You's just sit there and try to relax."
"You got it," he managed to call out before completely slumping over against the fence. His legs hurt, his hips hurt, his hands hurt, and his chest hurt. But you know what? He was alright with that, despite everything.
He'd won, after all.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far. I don't have anything to promote, so I simply ask that if you enjoyed it, let me know! I've been meaning to write more and post on SV more so I appreciate any comments or criticism.
nmWarden
Webcomic Glutton
- Location
- Texas
Floragato, prospective rodeo champion. Or wrangler of stallions and mares. Now that is an idea out of left field. And in a world with trainers too, rather than something like Mystery Dungeon!
If this is continued, whether with a sequel or a multi-chapter story, I guess we could get a peek into Floragato's mindset- learn why the preparations to wrangle a wild pokemon are different than traditional training. Why it might feel more real than a rules-bound gym battle. Or perhaps, even if he is a bad match for training, he still has a chip in his shoulder from some other loss. A loss that got him and his old trainer talking about a trade of some sort.
Ponyta here didn't say anything. This isn't the first time I've seen "wildling" in a fic before, and I think you used it fine here. Maybe a comparison between a wildling's reactions and a trained quadruped's battling? Or the fact that he doesn't have an opposing trainer's commands ringing in his ears, to help with reactions? Regardless, there is a story that comes to mind when reading about Floragato's tenacity here. Balto. Balto, his master, and their fellow sled dogs traveled to multiple towns, and the tenacity that took. Similarly, Floragato didn't get to pass out like some shonen protagonist after the battle was won. The trek back, talking through thirst, exhaustion, and some anxiety about whether this plan will actually yield fruit... That's good stuff. Just getting a few good lines about each pokemon's injuries makes me give this a solid LIKE.
I suppose another possibility in the future would be a reference to chasing off Rattata, as the farm's cat... Or the mouse-like chinchilla Espur of this is near their habitat. Fighting in a multi-level barn? Chasing a mouse inside a farmhouse without destroying things? I wonder how enthusiastic or stressed that would make this clever little Floragato, the limits that would place on his ability to use moves. The way it would require him to pull on half-forgotten bits of training.
Thanks!
If this is continued, whether with a sequel or a multi-chapter story, I guess we could get a peek into Floragato's mindset- learn why the preparations to wrangle a wild pokemon are different than traditional training. Why it might feel more real than a rules-bound gym battle. Or perhaps, even if he is a bad match for training, he still has a chip in his shoulder from some other loss. A loss that got him and his old trainer talking about a trade of some sort.
Ponyta here didn't say anything. This isn't the first time I've seen "wildling" in a fic before, and I think you used it fine here. Maybe a comparison between a wildling's reactions and a trained quadruped's battling? Or the fact that he doesn't have an opposing trainer's commands ringing in his ears, to help with reactions? Regardless, there is a story that comes to mind when reading about Floragato's tenacity here. Balto. Balto, his master, and their fellow sled dogs traveled to multiple towns, and the tenacity that took. Similarly, Floragato didn't get to pass out like some shonen protagonist after the battle was won. The trek back, talking through thirst, exhaustion, and some anxiety about whether this plan will actually yield fruit... That's good stuff. Just getting a few good lines about each pokemon's injuries makes me give this a solid LIKE.
I suppose another possibility in the future would be a reference to chasing off Rattata, as the farm's cat... Or the mouse-like chinchilla Espur of this is near their habitat. Fighting in a multi-level barn? Chasing a mouse inside a farmhouse without destroying things? I wonder how enthusiastic or stressed that would make this clever little Floragato, the limits that would place on his ability to use moves. The way it would require him to pull on half-forgotten bits of training.
Thanks!