TO: Shalin Nariya (shalin.nariya@hoennrangers.gov)
MISSION: "Free Willy"
PROTOCOL: Search-and-Rescue
DANGER: ☆☆☆☆☆

Congratulations on your formal acceptance as a Ranger! Having proven your worth, you are now permitted to take on missions on your own. Your knack for handling wild Pokémon led Captain annalise henderson to recommend this simple, beginner-friendly task for you.

A line of severe thunderstorms with a history of damaging, straight-line winds has blown through south Slateport City, displacing people and Pokémon. We have several Rangers handling rescues of people and owned Pokémon in buildings that did not hold up through the tropical storm-like conditions, but wild Pokémon need our help, too! Your mission is an easy one: search the attached range of coordinates for any beached aquatic Pokémon and make sure as many as possible make their safe return to the ocean.

Good luck! We're all counting on you.

This was a simple enough task for a starting Ranger, the beaming Shalin dressed in her green uniform and proudly wearing her like-colored badge and armband. Bumbling above the beach astride Queen Zing, her bumbling Queen Beedrill the size of a large bird Pokémon, her eyes shifted back and forth to see what kind of workload she was going to have to deal with. Considering how much ground she had to cover, it didn't look to be too bad! Some Barboach, Pyukumuku, Finizen... Pokémon that wouldn't harm a soul!

It seemed Shalin wouldn't be without help, either; a middle-aged man appeared to be struggling with freeing a Finizen ensnared in a net. "Come on, Queen Zing, we should help them." With a nod, the bug-type empress listened to Shalin's command, turning toward Nikita Sokolov and the Pokémon he was trying to help. The buzzing of Queen Zing's wings would have been almost impossible to miss. After landing near him, Shalin's mount relaxed her wings, the Rookie Ranger removing her earplugs and calling out, "Shalin Nariya, Rookie Ranger. Need a hand?" With foam spheres covering each of the Beedrill's three stings, the giant queen couldn't hurt anyone even if she wanted to.

With the water in his hands dwindling to droplets, the anxious child reappeared. He stumbled into the surf as he tried to maintain a grip on the ocean in his hands. “Here, Poppa!” The toddler cried as he opened his hands above the laboring Finizen. A mixture of sand and salty water splashed onto Nikita’s knife-hand. A bit of it got in his eyes.



“Nngh.” The former cop paused to rub the muck out of his eyes. His other hand pushed the struggling Finizen down, trying his best to keep it from upsetting the knife. The growl in Nikita’s deadened as he turned to his grandson. Big eyes stared at him, terror and anxiety evident. A sigh shook the man’s frame, resembling a death rattle. “Thank you, Samuel. Would you be a lovely lad and retrieve a bucket?”


Just like some so-called fisherperson and their lures and fishing line. Snnnk! Another layer of netting fell away, revealing an angry wear mark beneath. Though he’d blame it on the sand, he found his eyes shining with tears. When was the last time he’d use this knife—these hands—to help? Even tucking in his grandson was, in some part, a selfish desire. “My apologies for yelling earlier.” Beneath his hands, the Finizen calmed, looking up at him with frightened, pleading eyes.



Another section of net fell to the sand.



The deafening sound of insect wings grew audible behind Nikita. His knife turned sideways as he pulled the weapon away. Bright blue eyes stared suspiciously at the woman—child, practically--and her bug. “I would appreciate help holding it in place.” The man stated calmly. “His thrashing is making this difficult.”



Tiny feet pounded down the sand as the youngest member of Nikita’s party returned. A chipped  bucket was clutched desperately in one hand. “Wow!” Samuel drew short, staring up at the giant bug. “It’s so big! I bet it drank a lot of milk!”



A cough from grandfather drew the child’s gaze. “Sorry! Poppa says it's rude to stare.” With a wave the boy dove back into the water, emerging with a bucket of clear, lukewarm water.

Shalin's short stature and carefree attitude could easily have made her mistaken for a child. Being teased about her height in school was one of the things that had driven her to a life outside the city! Her reasons for living in the wilderness only grew as time went on, having befriended some Pokémon of species known for deadly levels of aggression. She had been to some larger cities where Queen Zing was simply not allowed to fly above the streets due to the threat her species posed. It was not uncommon for young, novice trainers to be told to give Beedrill a wide berth, as even under Trainer control, they had potential to be a handful.

"And who might you two be?" she asked Nikita and Samuel, Queen Zing waving her foam-covered foreleg sting much like a human hand. It was her way to say hello to the two of them. "Queen Zing here wouldn't harm a soul. That's why she's so big! She was the queen of her hive!" If Nikita would approve of it, Shalin would allow Queen Zing to be at play with Samuel.

When asked to help by holding the flailing Finizen in place, Shalin smiled. "I'm not that strong, but Letheia here is!" She clicked the switch on one of the Poké Balls at her side, the Alolan Ninetales appreciative of the cooler breeze. "Hold his tail in place with your EXTRASENSORY for me, okay?" At her trainer's command, the ice-type glowed a deep purple, as did the rear half of the uncooperative water-type. Hopefully the wild wouldn't be able to overpower the Ninetales' mind in the small amount of time it would take to get the strong FInizen back into the sea...

“I am Nikita.” The older man answered in his typically soft tones. For a moment, his eyes hovered almost protectively over his grandson, as if giving his name could be dangerous. Then again, he’d been raised in a land enthralled by the fey and merry men. A few syllables in that world was a powerful thing. Still, this woman and her craft bee did not seem overtly dangerous. “He is Samuel.” Excited by the introduction, the kindergartener waved emphatically.

The insect’s wave was met with a small head bob from Nikita. The child, meanwhile, just grinned big and wide. He wanted a giant bug one day! But not a bee! Maybe an ant, instead. Or, OOOH, a beetle. Then, Shalin told them of the Beedrill’s past. An awed gleam sparked in Samuel’s eyes, his eyes snapping up to the bug type’s head in search of a non-existent crown. “Wow. Does that mean I should bow or something?” Nikita, on the other hand, seemed less affected. Snnk! Another bit of rope fell to the ground. “I was under the impression a hive died without its queen.” His heart had.

The bucket was gently dumped over the dolphin, washing away some of the dirt.

Though tempted to frolic with the giant bug, Samuel couldn’t ignore. the water type’s distress. Instead, he scooped up the bucket again. “Wanna help me get more water, Miss Zing?” The scarred Alolan Vulpix turned to follow him, but the addition of Letheia made him pause. His ears—well, ear--pressed against his skull. With his tails down, the cub crept towards the Ninetales.

Shame filled its normally merry blue eyes.

The ex-cop spared the Vulpix a pitying glance. This ended when he turned to the other ice type. “Thank you, Letheia.” Though the sudden pressure shift seemed unwelcome, the Finizen’s restraints made handling it much easier. The Finizen keened softly. “Hush, little one. I am trying to help you.” A wet hand was wiped on his swim trunks as Nikita resumed his sawing.

“What made you decide to become a ranger.” The old man asked as he grabbed a dorsal fin and laid the blade sideways against the skin. The rope there had rubbed the skin raw.

"Great to meet both of you!" The young one seemed really excited to meet Shalin and Queen Zing, both of them waving and smiling at Samuel... or in the bug-type's case, the best she could smile. Beedrill weren't really able to show when they were happy easily. After all, being forest predators, they didn't need to. Despite being popular among young trainers, they were quite dangerous to raise. Especially royal ones like the one Shalin rode.

When confronted with the idea of a hive dying when separated from its queen, Shalin shrugged. "...Maybe she's not a queen, then? I just assumed so because of how big she is!" Her compound eyes started beading when Samuel approached with the empty bucket. The gentle giant crawled next to him and crouched, as though she was beckoning him to get on.

It seemed like Letheia, Queen Zing, and Samuel had things under control with the Finizen. "It's a bit of a long story, but I've been an explorer for a long time. Someone who goes to remote parts of Hoenn no one else dares. I had been doing a lot of unofficial work for the Rangers in between expeditions, and figured it was time I formally put my name in the hat. And look where we are now."

“I am sure the pleasure is mine,” Nikita murmured to himself. Though, in truth, it was just another gear in the machinations of human niceties. Since the attack, pleasure seemed like something just beyond a fogged window. His fingers could brush it—feel the heat--but could never quite grasp it. Still, the young woman’s arrival was welcome. The simple presence of another human being distracted Samuel from what could be a depressing situation.

Ah, so she had named the insect without any regard to its actual rank. How peculiar. An accidental whale tale, it seems. “I do not believe that has much impact on leadership, at least when it comes to Beedrill.” Humans sometimes deferred to the largest for advice, though that animalistic idea was often eclipsed by things like charisma and cronyism. Nikita was not certain which he preferred. “Regardless, she is a regal creature, deserving of such a moniker.” Even if Zing sounded like some off-brand spice mix.

When the giant bee lowered herself beside him, Samuel was initially filled with excitement. “Wow! Are you—” He wasn’t just a hero! He could be a flying hero. The boy’s eyes shifted to where his scarred Vulpix sat in the sand. Its blue eyes were sad but fixated. Then, his gaze moved to his grandfather. “Poppa, can I get on the bee? I promise I’ll be careful and buckle my seat belt!” The older man sighed in response to the child’s question. “Very well, Samuel.” Blue eyes watched some trepidation as the child clambered on the back of the bee.

The Alolan Vulpix continued to nose its way toward the beautiful Ninetales. Tears shimmered in his bright blue eyes.

Snkkkt! With that cut, its front half was free of barbs and rope. Perhaps finally realizing the strangers were trying to help, the cetacean calmed down somewhat. Its concerned cries turned into silent tightenings each time the blade flashed. As Shalin spoke, Nikita tilted his head slightly towards her. “An explorer?” Here he mused for a moment. “Were you running toward or from something?” He let her finish. His lips pursed slightly at the question. “Look indeed.”

As he stepped over the Finizen to treat its other side, his eyes caught on the patchwork quilt that was the Vulpix. “Stop sniffling.” Perhaps a little cold. They had discussed this matter before, albeit not before another of his kind. “Your scars are nothing to be ashamed of.”

Nikita's words were true; the largest of the hive, while often the queen, was not necessarily the case. "With all the giant Pokémon coming to Hoenn through the distortions, it's hard to tell anymore," Shalin added. "She's not the only one I have; while they're not exactly common yet, they're a lot more common than they were. With a bit of tracking, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to find another Beedrill her size. Maybe I'll name him King Zing!" she laughed. The name only came about because it was the first word she thought of that rhymed with the word "sting".

Shalin smiled at Samuel's remark about a seat belt, as Queen Zing's cocoon saddle meant she indeed had something resembling a seat belt. The cocoon was a bit large for the child, so the fit wouldn't have been as tight as for an adult rider. With a little adjusting, perhaps with Shalin's help, Samuel would be secured atop the giant bee, and with earplugs in thanks to Shalin's insistence. "Now, hold her reins like this, and pull on them to steer her!" she tried to teach the young one, pantomiming the familiar motions of controlling a trainer's Pokémon. A strong tingling sensation would course through the young rider's body as the two bobbed and buzzed into the air, mist spraying from beneath the bug-type's humming wings.

While Letheia still exuded a sense of entitlement around humans that weren't Shalin, due to the violent way they had met, she was a sweetheart around other Pokémon. The ice-type gave the younger fox a gentle pat to try to get its attention, as to ask what was wrong.

With Samuel and Nikita having the rescue under control, Shalin simply observed the young rider in case an accident was to happen. Queen Zing was reliable, though; she didn't foresee any problems. "Toward. It's a pretty wild story that I'll have to share with you when we transport some of these Pokémon back to Ranger HQ in Slateport."

Shalin laughed at Nikita's remark about feeding her Pokémon. "You're not wrong!" she chirped back. "Way too many call me crazy for wanting to ride Pokémon that are apex predators. There is one advantage to raising them, though; they're more than capable of feeding themselves if your raise them right!" Of course, there was a lot more to it than that. Plus, in the hands of less skilled trainers, such Pokémon were disasters waiting to happen.

Shalin's face beamed with a bright smile as she watched Samuel reining Queen Zing above the water's surface, his legs splashed from the water her wings were kicking up. While his legs would be drenched, the violent air disturbances generated by Queen Zing's blindingly-fast wings would keep the rest of the splashed water away from her rider. "He looks like he's having a great time!" Shalin's smiling face tilted toward Nikita.

As Letheia let out a comforting coo to try to reassure the Vulpix that everything would be okay, Nikita urged Shalin to be cautious in her ambition, which put her mind back on her quest to recover the Medallions of Eight. She was snapped out of her trance when Nikita pointed out that the Finizen was in good health. "Wow, you're right! I think we can release it as is. That's one less step I've gotta go through! Thanks for the help! Couldn't have done it without you!" Once Samuel had his fill of fun aboard Queen Zing, she would recall the Pokémon, hop on her Ninetales, wave goodbye to Nikita, and head for Ranger HQ. "May we see each other again!"