TO: Shalin Nariya (shalin.nariya@hoennrangers.gov)
CC: Yuina Higashi (yuina.higashi@hoennrangers.gov)
MISSION: "Steady as She Goes"
PROTOCOL: Hunt
DANGER: ★★☆☆☆

Apex ocean predators have returned to the waters near Ever Grande City en masse, threatening Corsola migration patterns in Hoenn's eastern sea. Corsola are an important part of the region's marine environment and must be protected at all costs. Team Rocket activity has caused an underwater landslide to cover the entrance to the largest breeding ground for wild Corsola in all of Hoenn. We need you to clear this entrance of debris while protecting the Corsola.

You will be escorting Trainee Yuina Higashi on this mission. She is a brand new recruit, and this is her second official mission. League oceanographers will also be observing how the Corsola react to their new environment. We need you to protect them, as well. If two or more are seriously injured, consider the mission a failure.

Your mission objectives are as follows:

A) Protect Trainee Ranger Yuina Higashi
B) Protect the migrating Corsola from predators
C) Clear subterranian debris field
D) Minimize scientist casualties

Good luck! We're all counting on you.





"I'm so sorry, Yuina," Shalin voiced her concerns aloud as she took a seat on the back of Artea, her Dewgong, who looked ready to kick some serious Sharpedo butt. "This is such a rough second mission; I don't get why they won't assign this to a cadet, or at least a rookie with a little more tenure. This came straight from Laurence Anderson , though, and he's the boss." Bass Boost, her Seismitoad, was next to her as well, the bumps under the corners of her saddle already vibrating in anticipation of seeing action. She truly was a crazy Ranger, wasn't she? Who would willingly ride a Seismitoad, even in water? The way they fought had to be incredibly uncomfortable for a rider!

Turning toward Shalin, Bass Boost let out a croak before turning his back to her and rumbling his back again. "Sorry, girl, but I need to save my strength. I'm not in my Sygna Suit, either. Without it, the vibration is just too much for me." The exchange was in stark contrast to what Yuina had seen, the Ranger dressed in a red Cadet uniform meant for underwater missions. The amphibian leaped into the sea with a big splash, getting Shalin and possibly Yuina wet. She turned toward the trainee. "Need me to go over the briefing again?" she asked.

Shalin nodded, appreciative of Yuina's empathy and willingness to go outside the norms of what was expected for a new Ranger. It was a sign of either a truly talented Ranger entering the workforce, or someone getting in way over their head. Those types of people didn't last long, and not just on the force, either. Those were the types of people that became a grim statistic. "Just be careful," the green-ette on the Dewgong cautioned. "Anything involving Pokémon predators can be dangerous. You have a great work ethic, and that's one of the best things to have in any field, but especially this one. We can't be picky about what tickets we take. Gotta make quota, after all."

She noticed the young Ranger was riding Crowley bareback. "If you're looking for riding gear for your Pokémon, I can make a recommendation for you. Verdanturf Leather and Saddle. They're not cheap but they do quality work. Mauville's Gym Leader recommended them to me. Artea's gear comes from them," she pointed out, though it may have been hard to see details of it.

"Anyway, let's go over the briefing again," Shalin got back on topic. "So we have three major objectives: protect the Corsola, protect the oceanographers observing the migration, and clear a debris field at the end of Ever Grande's continental shelf, where the Corsola normally migrate to." There was a fourth objective, but that was one only Shalin could fulfill: keeping Yuina from being hurt. "Now strong is your Feraligatr? It might be a good candidate for working on the debris field if you're comfortable working at those depths. If not, Bass Boost here can," she gestured toward the Seismitoad, "but his vibration will probably attract a lot of attention. If you have any ideas, pitch them to me. I'm all ears."

Shalin was thoroughly impressed with Yuina's work ethic, but she was also concerned with the reckless abandon portrayed in her words. This mission, though it didn't involve Sharpedo, still involved dangerous aquatic predators. Any time there were Sharpedo involved, the danger rating of the mission rose dramatically. She wanted to say something, but also didn't want to come off as judgmental. "Take more Ranger tickets like these, and you'll certainly get the money to be able to afford it! Saddlery is also subsidized by the Rangers. Show them your badge and you'll get a nice discount!"

Shalin smiled at Yuina's divide-and-conquer logic. "As long as you're comfortable with it. I'll still send one of my other Pokémon to keep an eye out. The oceanographers will probably be closer to where you are at than I am." She gave it some more thought before deciding on a plan. "Tell you what. I'll patrol above you and repel as many of them as I can. Some will inevitably slip through. Be ready for anything. Now, let's make this happen!" She sent her Milotic out of its Poké Ball, who swam in circles around Yuina and Crowley. "I'll try to keep as much of an eye on you as I can. Now, let's move!"

With that, Shalin's three Pokémon submerged, gazing through her goggles for Pokémon on the way. Catching sight of a small school of Seadra, she pulled back on Artea's reins, ready to charge into them and stab them with her powerful horn.

The Seadra were far more agile than Artea, making it difficult for her and her rider to hold them all back. Making sure she was facing away from Yuina, Shalin ordered her mount to use her SIGNAL BEAM. Her horn glowed with a bright light that strobed among yellows and greens. The purpose of the attack was not to harm, but to distract and disorient. Blinded by the beam, several of them swam in circles, making them easy pickings for a spinning DRILL RUN that made Shalin's stomach turn. To almost anyone else, the motion would be sickening. To her, it was a delight.

As she turned to face Yuina to check on her, Shalin noticed one of the wilds had slipped past her, swimming backwards at full speed thanks to a powerful FLIP TURN. It was about to ram one of the oceanographers with its venomous spines if Yuina didn't do anything about it, and there was no way Shalin and her Dewgong could reach it in time. "Seadra at eight o'clock, Yuina!" she warned the Ranger over comms.

Daikenki's CEASELESS EDGE kept the Seadra at bay, the water-type bleeding from the vicious slash. The wild sprayed SMOKESCREEN toward the dark-type, masking its slow retreat. When the murky water cleared, the poisonous predators were nowhere to be found. The progress on the debris field was looking great; Corsola were starting to pour into the new reef the Feraligatr and Dusknoir had unearthed. The scientists took photos of the herd of rock-types. Though one or two had been carried away by Veluza speeding through, the vast majority of the Corsola had made it.

"Great job!" Shalin chirped, seeing many of the predators flee. "Just gotta keep an eye on them for a little longer - make sure none of the stragglers get caught. How you doing uncovering the reef?" she asked, her eyes shifting toward the sea floor. It seemed it was going well; much of the Corsola's new home was now visible.