Shalin had a lot to do to prepare for her next dive into a truly dangerous, truly remote location in Hoenn. The end of her journey to reach the interior of the Halls of Origin was in sight. Her eyes drifted toward the two-toned red-and-blue medallion in her hand, her hands off Queen Zing's reins as the giant Beedrill she was astride lazily bobbed and buzzed about. The relief of Volcanion carved into it seemed to stare at her, leaving her uneasy for a moment. Was what she was doing, opening a door barring a centuries-sealed temple, truly right for Hoenn? She couldn't sit idly by; while she didn't have a super powerful team like a Gym Leader did, nor did she have super powers of her own, she had to do what she could to break Hoenn away from the spiraling cycle of calamities she was on.

Shalin stowed the medallion and put both hands back on her bug-type's reins, guiding the Beedrill toward the beach near Petalburg City. She had brought Artea and Levy to go for a swim, though she was mostly planning on flying over the coastline, on the lookout for a new Pokémon to hop onto. To the expeditionary, every new Pokémon was a new adventure!

Shalin caught sight of the Cloyster attacking the young teen. He clearly hadn't been training Pokémon for too long, and looked overwhelmed in the explorer's eyes. "Come on, we have to help him!" she urged, unsure if her Pokémon understood. What the Beedrill did understand, though, were her rider's tactile commands from her reins being manipulated. The two flew toward the battling Pikachu and trainer, being careful not to buzz either one of them too closely.

By the time they arrived, though, the battle was already over, the Dartrix that was observing the battle fleeing at high speed in the presence of the Queen. Her immensely powerful wings kicked up sand all around the two as she landed, the loud droning going silent. "You okay?!" Shalin asked the teenage boy as she removed her earplugs, waving from her Beedrill's back. The docile Queen waved a foreleg sting toward Jarek in greeting.

The size of her Beedrill was one question she was used to being asked about by now. It was highly unusual to see one of this size. "It's 'cause she's a queen Beedrill!" It was a weak explanation, but she didn't really understand why such giant Pokémon were starting to show up more commonly across Hoenn. "Name's Shalin, the wildest Pokémon rider this side of Hoenn!" Her Beedrill started flapping her wings just beneath the threshold of human hearing, though Shalin could hear the whoosh of the moving air around them. "She's Queen Zing, the sweetest Beedrill you'll ever meet!"

She sent out a second bug-type Pokémon, as well: a Yanmega that, like the Beedrill, was larger than the average size, but not as disproportionately much as Queen Zing was. The curious Flit slowly crawled toward Jarek. "This is Flit, and these two are my closest partners." Like the Beedrill she was holding the reins of, this Yanmega also was equipped with full riding gear. She had to be one brave girl to want to hop on a giant insect!

While not scared, Jarek seemed perturbed, if not concerned, about Queen Zing's massive size. "Oh, everyone asks that!" the explorer answered with a smile. "She was the queen of her hive. And now she's my queen." Shalin seemed almost too proud of the stinging insect. Even Jarek's Butterfree seemed extra cautious around his fellow bug-type. "Oh, she won't harm a soul except at my command or in self-defense. She's sweet as a Skitty!" The Beedrill opened her mandibles in an effort to smile, but it was difficult for such an intimidating-looking insect to look happy.

"You have very well-behaved Pokémon!" Shalin complimented, waving at Volt Ray, then Pix Skye. She would have loved to soar on a Butterfree that was Queen Zing's size, but even one that big she would have no way to fit on its back. "Where you headed?" she asked, Flit tilting his head toward Jarek's Pokémon and briefly churning his wings to greet the Pikachu and Butterfree. "Maybe we're headed the same place!"

Holy crud! Is that a...what's it called? A um...Chesnaught?! A wild Chesnaught?! Oh man, this is a rare opportunity! He's gotta get in on this, and---no wait, he sees its trainer; some girl in a bikini. False alarm. And also, don't only water and flying types spawn here?. And there's some queen bee leading a pack of honeycomb bees flying by the beach. He's not much into them, especially when he has his awesome Butterfree: Pix Skye.

"Uh, heading over the next town, which I think is through the forest. I'm just stopping by, trying to catch a water Pokemon," he shrugged with a smirk, trying to sound like he doesn't care.

"Pika pi?" Volt spoke, pointing at the sky, where they sent that Cloyster...a water type that he should've caught.

"Hey, I'm just...trying to pick the best one pal, alright?" he pouted.

Shalin Nariya
Note: Skipping

When Shalin heard that Jarek was trying to catch a water Pokémon, a sly smile grew on her face. She had brought her two Water-types to go for a swim before Hoenn's western waters got a bit too cool for her. "That's perfect! I was planning on taking a couple of my Pokémon out for a swim anyway. Maybe we can find new Pokémon together!" Shalin dismounted her Beedrill and withdrew both of her bug-types, jogging to the shoreline and sending out water Pokémon that were also in full riding gear.

"These two are Levy," Shalin gestured toward the slightly smaller than average Milotic, "and Artea," toward the slightly larger than average Dewgong who clapped her fins together in greeting. Both of them were swimming in the shallows, the Dewgong the more excited of the bunch. "I'd be willing to take you out to sea if you want! Might be a fun way for both of us to get some more water Pokémon!"

Rubbing his neck, witnessing her Dewgong and Milotic, "Well, I don't have any Pokemon to carry me in the waters, so sure." Though he does feel a bit insignificant from her exotic Pokemon. It's like an MMO, where you see more experienced players showing off their fancy large armors and stuff.

Heading toward the water, he noticed a pink sloth slooooowly crawl out of the waves, as if its weight was too heavy for it to move itself. Yeah, it was a Slowpoke, and he...doesn't know if he should catch it...but it might come in handy. "Pix, get em! Use Sleep Powder!!"

"Freeeee~" Fluttering over the sloth, Pix spread a blanket of blue pollen over the Slowpoke.

"Slooooow...?" The pollen rained on it, as it blinked in confusion. "...poke?" It looked around, wondering what this was...and it was like nothing was happening to it.

But then it was like 'oh, it makes me sleep', and its eyes closed before it snoozed.

"...man, Slowpoke is right." and Tyson tossed a Pokeball at it.

Shalin Nariya
Note: Attempting to catch Slowpoke