HMs + Mounts?

[Amphi]

I too gave an example, a suggestion of how it could be done to encourage riding pokemon in certain areas.

But this part... I don't quite understand

but certain pokemon such as Arcanine or Ponyta would only be able to bring one in volcanic areas

... bring one ... bring what?

I know that fire pokemon would seem to be more at ease in such areas, and that's also why I was thinking about some speed system where the speed varies depending on the terrain.

sorry meant bring the player through, i was kind of zoned out when typing haha

[Frenchfry]

Ponyta and Rapidash seem like the two that would be the most likely to work in an open field, really. They're horses.

[Jerry]

Yeah, that's why I was trying to bring all of them to the same speed on open fields. They only keep their speeds on certain terrains while others get handicaps.

[Sun Fin]

I always hated having to take one of Pikachu's move spaces with flash but I think this was a very good alternitve:

Suggestion: Maybe leave TM's and HM's alone, but your character learns the skill, not your pokemon.

To elaborate, instead of a bird pokemon learning to fly, and a water pokemon learning to swim, you character can learn how to ride  flying pokemon, or a water pokemon.

It an be kept track of in a skills menu, like in the main menu.

Ex.

Flying Mount- This trainer can ride a pokemon which can fly.
Surfing Mount- This traner can ride a pokemon which can swim.
Lumberjack- This trainer can instruct a pokemon with sharp laws to cut down a tree.
...etc

Of course I agree there has to be some thought in to what Pokemon can be ridden, I mean the concept of a human riding a Pidgey is quite absurd but I can't see this being difficult to think through. Might be harder to program though?