"That's fair. I think Oyabun tends to get a little ahead of himself whenever he meets new pokemon." There was absolutely no doubt that the massive Kommo-o would give his Pangoro a run for his money, but similar to Shalin, he wasn't one for pokemon battles... Or at least not anymore. "I've never considered the gym challenge before. I'm the same as you if I'm being honest." He never wanted anything more than to run Zinnia and just live out the rest of his days as peacefully as possible... But with a rowdy Fighting type like Oyabun, it was sometimes hard to keep in line with that decision.
[break]
Vic fell silent as he looked down at his waist. Just as it was before he got on Starr, there was nothing around his waist save the belt with his pokeballs on it and yet... He slowly put his hand on his waist and realized there indeed was nothing there and yet he couldn't help but feel secure in Starr's harness. "This is pretty amazing." His voice was low yet full of awe as Starr began her way forward; not once did he feel unsteady on her back. There was a sense of serenity that settled over him when Starr began to communicate with him, mentally asking her to increase her pace to a steady trot before slowing back down to a simple walk. "Sorry. This is the first time on my ride pokemon... as well as communicating with a Psychic type pokemon. She really is a sweetheart though." He flashed Shalin a warm smile as his hand gently stroked Starr's head before returning it back to his side.
[break]
At the mention of the Type: Null, Vic's brows knitted in thought. He had heard vague rumors about such a pokemon created in the region of Alola during his time in Team Rocket but to know that it was actually real... Perhaps it was during his time in prison that their research finally bore fruit. "That's reassuring to know, actually. I'm glad you're in here with me or else I'd probably be toast."

At Vic's mention of Oyabun's tenacity and initiative, Treble instinctively flourished his scales, getting a whoop out of Shalin as they shook fast enough to hum. "Now remember, Treble, I'm not in my suit...!" she panted afterward. Without her Sygna Suit protecting her, she had to absorb the powerful vibration directly. She still looked like she was having fun, but she had to be much more respectful of her own limits while unprotected.

"Fair! The Gym Challenge isn't for everyone," Shalin nodded in agreement as the two went deeper into the cave, closer to the rift in the back. She noticed Vic was adapting to the Espeon well. "She's really beginner friendly, too. Sounds like you have a good grasp on it!"

Lathiel's Poké Ball began to shake the closer she got to the rift. "I think she wants to come out," Shalin noted aloud as the tunnel widened into another vast, open cavern. Taking advantage of the space, she hurled Lathiel's Poké Ball into it, the Type: Null chasing away wild Pokémon in the area, including a pesky Varoom that would have caused serious trouble in the tunnels had it ambushed them.

"I didn't mean to rile Treble up, I'm sorry!" Vic could sense that even from within his pokeball, Oyabun resonated with the excited vibrations emitted by Treble. At the end of it all though, he was just relieved that Shalin wasn't injured or hurt despite what she had said about her lack of Sygna Suit; even from a distance away, the clanging of Treble's scales were something to behold.
[break]
He offered a sheepish smile at her observation of his bond with Starr. "Thanks. I think it helps that you've trained her so well." He could have easily been thrown off of Starr, or had a rougher go of keeping his balance were she trained by some of the other people he had known in his past -- all he could think was that he was just glad that Shalin was a responsible trainer, and that Starr was a gentle and friendly pokemon. As they drew closer to the rift, he could feel the air around them change -- suffocating? Overwhelming? Thank goodness for the psychic harness around him since he felt as though he would have slipped off of Starr from his lightheadedness.
[break]
When Shalin brought Lathiel out, however, Vic couldn't help but feel as though he were hallucinating. Never before had he seen a Type: Null so it was almost a wonder to behold her. "So this is our fearless defender, huh? Good to have her here," Vic said as his hand went to his head. There was no way he would have been alright with here, and he was just glad that Lathiel was here to chase away any nasty pokemon who were starting to poke their heads out as their presence continued to disturb their habitat.

---

Shalin Nariya

Shalin took her right hand off Treble's reins and shakily raised it in front of her. "No, it's okay! He's used to me being in my suit," she reassured Vic. "When I'm in my suit, he can go all out with his scales and I can still hold on." Perhaps that may not have been a thing to say so flamboyantly to Vic. Without understanding just what her suit did, that was a bold, wild, and reckless claim. Vibration that fast and strong could grind solid rock to dust. What horrible things would it to do a normal person's insides?

Shalin blushed at Vic's remarks about Starr, the Espeon sending positive vibes into her rider's mind. "It does, but it helps just as much to have clear thoughts to impart to an Espeon. Of course, how often do you find an Espeon big enough to ride?" While that would have been true not long ago, since the Distortions started appearing in Hoenn, large Pokémon like her were becoming more common.

Shalin shook her head at Vic's enthusiasm over Lathiel. "I'd... try to keep your distance from her if you can," she warned. "She can have wild mood swings. I'm trying to figure out why." The two continued in the direction of the rift. "This is as far as we go in this direction; don't want you getting too close to the portal to Ultra Sea. We can head back the way we came, or take an offshoot of the main tunnel if you still want to hunt for Pokémon."