One thing illeana reyes had tasked Shalin with was studying the effects of the the rifts on different species of Pokémon. That was one bid reason she didn't have her giant bugs with her this time. The other? Her lower body was still recovering from when she trained with Andrea Vaneau in adapting to her Kommo-o. Though she was a talented rider, having befriended multiple Pokémon by riding them while they were still wild, Treble's vibration mid-Clanging Scales was simply too fast for her to not be thrown from the dragon-type after mere seconds.

Without a SYGNA SUIT, that would be impossible.

The only Pokémon familiar to the group was her Pyroar, Kiara. Instead, she brought some of her newer Pokémon. She was astride Serena, her Kantonian Persian that was enormous for her species. While not quite the size of what one would see in a Space-Time Distortion, she was close. Her saddle looked especially comfortable for the cream-colored feline, and it couldn't have been cheap. "Hey, everyone!" Shalin greeted from the base camp they had set up last time they came to explore the Quaestor Lucis. "Looks like it's still here, and we found this key to get to a hidden part of the ship last time. How about we take a look around?" Her two Ninetales stood next to one another, Letheia and Caprice ready to weld their way through any metallic wall with a combination of ice and fire. Though Shalin seemed to beckon her exploration partners to get on the Ninetales if they didn't have ride Pokémon of their own, those that take the offer might find the ride more than a bit bumpy...!

There indeed was a newcomer to the group. "Great to meet you, Lorelei!" Shalin waved from her Persian's back. "As you can see, I'm the wildest Pokémon rider in Hoenn! Serena, Letheia, and Caprice here are reliable. They'll see us through our continued survey of the Quaestor Lucis. I thought we reached the very bottom level before, but apparently not!" Caprice and Letheia both harumphed; couldn't that girl stay focused for serious work like this? They had been with Shalin long enough that they would reluctantly let others on their backs when it was needed, but not just for fun yet! Even the fire-type was not afraid to fling Shalin off when in a foul mood. A saddle on a Pokémon was not a guarantee the Pokémon was fully tame, after all!

As Serena ran toward the derelict vessel, taking the lead, she saw one of the toxic bubbles loudly burst in the distance. The sound of the explosion made even Shalin flinch. Sticky, toxic goop went flying everywhere, some of it landing fairly close to the explorers and their Pokémon. The substance moved like gelatin. "Holy... those are loud. You're right, Andrea Vaneau . If one of those detonate nearby, we're goners. What in the world is making those, though...?"

After one more close call, Shalin had made it to the base camp they had set up just outside. She has left the key in her Persian's small saddlebag. "Alright, let's go in there and see if we can find this locked door." She withdrew her two Ninetales, for they would take up far too much space in the hallways. One disadvantage of raising only ride Pokémon was they weren't great in tight spaces!

Kiara was on edge the entire time the four explorers descended, Shalin able to feel the added tension in the Pyroar's strong muscles. With careful use of his Rotom Phone, Danny had been able to warn the rider and lioness of patrolling Nihilego. Though she was unaware of exactly how dangerous they were, her studies of recent Hoennian history, and some casual talk with Mauville's Gym Leader about current events, told her they were nothing to mess with. Their powers seemed psychic, but they weren't. The species utilized a method of mental domination that was in its own class to use its foes against them.

"Absolutely, @danny ," Shalin nodded after the Nihilego had passed. "The rifts are growing steadily larger, after all. It's only a matter of time before they come to Hoenn. The fewer of them there are, the less of a mess we'll have when the time comes. When, not if." She was unusually serious as she advanced toward the engine room. This time, though, Shalin would turn the SHIP KEY into a locked door that led to the ship's true lowest level. While most of the ship was under low light conditions, this level was completely pitch black, the only light coming from Danny's phone, Kiara's mane, and any bioluminescent Pokémon the others had out. LORELEI DU'MOT 's Houndoom had fire attacks that could serve as a light source in a pinch, though fire attacks needed to be used sparingly due to the lack of air flow underground.

As they descended to the bottom level, Andrea Vaneau appeared to be having a psychotic episode. She seemed to care a little too much about the Pokémon species they were running into in the ship's basement... if they could even be called Pokémon. At the bottom of the stairwell, Shalin turned her Pyroar sideways, blocking the door. If she touched the snarling Kiara, she would feel the strong rattle of loud, threatening purring, much like she had felt sitting astride Treble the Kommo-o the day they trained their dragons together.

"You got it!" Shalin did her best to smile, assuring @danny that despite Andrea Vaneau 's screaming, she would push ahead to the ship's very lowest level. As Shalin advanced, leaving her Pyroar to help block the doorway from the rampaging dragon loved, she sent out her Alolan Ninetales, Letheia, who loosed a low-power DAZZLING GLEAM to light the entire floor. This was by far the largest level, and appeared to be a breeding ground for Ultra Beasts. There were Poipole eggshells and mysteriously preserved hunks of purple flesh everywhere. The entire floor was covered in Poipole adhesive. Shalin able to feel the added muscle power the wintry fox needed just to walk in the room. The sound that echoed with every one of the ice-type's footsteps was unlike anything she had ever heard before exploring anywhere in Hoenn or Johto.

They truly were in an alien world.

"What in Ho-oh's name...?" an utterly bewildered Shalin gasped as she took in the horrific sight. Was this a massive Megalopolan experiment? She returned back to the top of the stairs, leaving Letheia at the bottom to return to Kiara at the top. Once the violence had been quelled and Andrea was back to normal, Shalin warned them of the horrors below, including giving them a very specific warning:

"You'll want a way to avoid touching the floor down there. It's really sticky, Whether you have a way to have your Pokémon levitate you, a Pokémon you can ride, or you have another way, you'll want to use it."

Shalin would withdraw the lioness and rely on Letheia's DAZZLING GLEAM to keep the basement illuminated. "And keep your tails up, okay Letheia?" she asked, tempted to sit backwards in the ice-type's saddle to hold the tails up herself. At times, they got dangerously close to getting stuck in the ichor that had the texture of tar. The windows were jet black, and the sound of bubbling could be heard from outside them at times.

One important thing Illeana asked Shalin to do, if it was safe to do so, was to leave the rifts with as many varieties of Ultra Beast eggs as possible for study. She looked among the myriad of eggshells for a clutch she could procure a Poipole egg from. While she did find an isolated one, it did not take long before a Naganadel was on her tail, spraying in Letheia's direction the most corrosive venom she had ever seen! One touch of that and Letheia wasn't standing again until she made it to a Pokémon Center!