"Fine, fine! At least on this you can't embarrass us mere mortals with your riding excellence. You're worse than Josh. You made me look TERRIBLE during the Tauros-Rodeo! I just can't compete." Howard huffed as he pointedly glared at her. "Don't you dare think about posting it on your dating app thingamajig."

Howard shuddered. What had happened on the Tauros-Rodeo would stay at the Tauros-Rodeo. Howard would take that secret to his grave.

As Shalin snapped her photo, Howard glanced at it with confusion. "What even IS that anyway? The app, I mean. People keep pestering me to get one but social media isn't my forte." The two got into line for the Rayquaza. Howard made sure to put Shalin between himself and Lathiel. The beast was just as unnerving as it was during their first ride together, and Howard wasn't interested in a repeat.

"How's the carnival going for you, Shalin? I figured you'd be all over all the dangerous rides and games and whatnot. After all, the Rayquaza can't be that bad!" Howard chuckled as he straightened his hat.

Oh, no...

He didn't know.

---

STAMP GET: Involve or reference a Taurus-Rodeo Game.
Shalin Nariya

Shalin raised her hands skyward in innocence. "I'm not! Just posting about the Rayquaza rollercoaster!" She pointed her phone's screen at Howard. "See?" Howard was also making way too big a deal of the Tauros Rodeo contest. As talented as she was with her Sygna Suit on, without it, she had trouble handling mounts with great bucking force. She didn't get too many more seconds than needed for a Qualified Ride on the meanest Tauros they had, the angry Pokémon rearing then flinging his hind legs skyward in a wild kick that sent her flying over his horns and into the wooden rails.

"Oh, the AmiGo app?" Shalin confirmed the app's name with Howard. "It's a great way for people in Hoenn to connect. I've met some new friends that way and been able to show them my stuff. I'll be putting on a show with my Pokémon at every stop on the trail as Funtasia travels Hoenn. Nothing you haven't seen before... it's just me getting into my Sygna Suit and my Pokémon trying to flutter, buzz, or otherwise shake me off." Lathiel's eyes were crossed, the Type: Null absentminded.

She laughed at Howard's quickness to assume. "I'm loving it so far. Met a lot of new faces that love what I do." She chuckled at the thought of going on the 'dangerous' rides and how much less dangerous they were than what she routinely did with her Pokémon. "I've been going back to the Tauros game when I can. I'd love to get a perfect score on the highest-level Tauros they have. If anyone in Hoenn can do it, it's me." The topic of the Rayquaza rollercoaster came up. "You're coming with me, right? Supposedly the g-forces aren't super high; it's just really, really fast for a coaster."

"G-forces?" Howard blanched as he looked at the Rayquaza in the same way one might eye an explosive. He wasn't a scientist, nor was he a mechanics expert. That didn't mean he was completely in the dark. This was a ride that would end with him hurling his guts into a trash can.

The only reason Howard didn't refuse was because it'd be rude to ask Shalin to hang out, and then watch from the sidelines. The two were having a moderately fun time besides what had happened at the Tauros-Rodeo. Howard didn't feel like disappointing anyone today, and thus he swallowed his fear and hopped onto the ride alongside Shalin.

Bravery only showed itself if you overcame your fear and trepidation, after all.

"That sounds like a plan." Howard said as a ride operator strapped the two in. "I think I'm gonna try my hands at the hall of mirrors I've heard so much about. I'm gonna try to get myself as lost as possible, and rely on my knowledge of exploration and mazes toget out. It'll be good practice, methinks.

"Plus it'll be better than remembering the Tauros Incident, 2023." Howard's face paled. It only grew paler as the operator walked over to the terminal and activated the ride. He glanced nervously at Shalin. "So, you were joking about the speed, right?"

Famous last words.

The ride began to move...

---

Shalin Nariya

With both of them next to each other, the bar dropped into place as they took a seat in one of the Rayquaza's middle cars. As much as she wanted to take photos while they were moving, she knew she could not. They would be moving far too fast. "Gravity," she answered Howard's question. "How much force gets put on you with every twist and turn. Sometimes, you'll feel lighter than normal; other times, you'll feel heavier than you normally are. It's part of why people like these things so much. There's nothing like a living rollercoaster, though. I want a Dragonair so bad. Then I could soar the skies and do this whenever I wanted!" Lathiel scoffed, overhearing Shalin's conversation.

Once the operator made sure everyone was in place, they gave the warning to stow everything due to the high speeds that the Rayquaza would achieve. "They've got a contest going for that, actually!" Shalin brought up after hearing about it from the Mauville Gym Leader. "Every day, they change the maze to one that's the same length. People who make it from one end of the hall of mirrors to the other in a certain amount of time win prizes!"

As the motor-powered Rayquaza ascended the steep hill, Shalin answered Howard's question. "Nope. Like I said, the twists aren't too bad - it's just really fast for a coaster." The fury of the Rayquaza's speed was apparent when the motor stopped after cresting the hill, letting the facsimile of the Peacemaker's patron coast on its own momentum. The riders screamed as they largely felt their weight leave them, only slamming them into their seats at the trough of the initial dive.

Rayquaza was a unique coaster in that the motor restarted not long after ascending from the trough, the emerald serpent picking up even more speed. Even a light turn felt like Shalin was being yanked in her seat. At most carnivals, the drop tower was the fastest ride the park had to offer. At Funtasia, though, the Rayquaza Rollercoaster was even faster.

"The hall of mirrors is an interesting challenge, actually. For me, at least." Howard tapped his bandaged eye. "It wrecks my depth perception, see. I struggle to see mirrors." It was fairly easy to forget that Howard's eye was bandaged, given it was hidden under his hat.

The Rayquaza ascended the hill, and Howard nodded in response to Shalin's explanation. "I see. That must be hard for you. Once you vibrate on a Flygon's wings, it's hard to go back!" Howard cackled as the rollercoaster stopped at the crest of its hill. Howard swallowed as he glanced at Shalin. Howard instinctively reached for the cord keeping his hat from flying off. Good, it hadn't magically vanished.

Then, the rollercoaster fell into a dive.

The only thing Howard could think of was how the design of the rollercoaster was ingenious. It could probably charge itself off the movement of the dive and restart itself whenever it needed some extra oomph. It likely saved a lot of money in the long run, too. That was vastly preferable, and Howard respected the commitment to financial stability. If he were Rayquaza, he'd give this ride a 10/10 in regards to thematics and upkeep.

However, the two were about to reach the climax of the ride: the infamous DRACO ASCENT. A hill that towered far higher than its fellow slopes for that final burst of speed before the end of the ride. As they climbed it and still built up speed, Howard was muttering to himself.

"We're gonna die. Bon voyage, Shalin. It was nice knowing you."

Then the rollercoaster began to descend.

---

STAMP GET: Ride a carnival ride!
Shalin Nariya

Shalin didn't respond to Howard's remark; instead, she had this serious look on her face. If he remembered their trip to the Braviary's Nest, it was similar to the gaze she had on her face when Sandy's wing beneath her was about to start fluttering. He was right, though; after experiencing that kind of thrill, it was hard to go back. The difference was without her Sygna suit, the g-forces wouldn't be reduced. With her aversion to extreme sustained speeds, this ride was gonna be rough, even for her.

In a split second, the duo went from being squished into their seats to floating above them as the DRAGON ASCENT reached its peak velocity. It was a contender for fastest roller coaster in the world. While the loops and twists afterward were relatively gentle, the sheer speed made Shalin dizzy. Though the turns were light, their super speed made the riders feel like they were being yanked about with each one. Lathiel watched her trainer having fun, wishing she could go with her.

By the time the emerald serpent came to a stop, Shalin was quite woozy. "I don't get how Josh does this every day," she slowly said, trying to avoid slurring her words. "His flying Pokémon are way faster than Rayquaza here was. I wonder what he would think of something like this?" Little did Shalin know that Josh had been aboard the real Rayquaza, the speed of their DRAGON ASCENT best expressed as a factor of Mach...

"Urk..." Those words would be engraved on Howard's tombstone as he became weightless. It was an odd feeling, even if it was one he was familiar with. He had never gone quite so fast before. It was a feeling that he rarely felt, and it made Howard wonder how quickly one could traverse Hoenn with this roller coaster. Several hours?

As they fell, Howard caught himself glimpsing at Lathiel, watching the two ride the Rayquaza. I'd switch with you if I could, buddy. Howard thought towards the walking weapon.

Yet despite how fast they were going, Howard suspected that the real thing was much, much faster. He'd have to ask Josh about it some time. Knowing him, the Gym Leader likely had a compendium of the fastest Pokémon in existence.

As the ride came to a close, Howard began to chuckle. He took a glimpse towards Shalin, before chuckling more. He held up a finger to pause her while he continued laughing. "You two are too much." Howard chuckled. "He probably thinks the same about you riding wings and Arceus knows what else. There's a lot of ways to experience something, especially when it's as broad as riding Pokémon. You two are two sides of the same coin, and you're both utterly insane."

"C'mon, let's go. Masky-2 is getting lonely." Howard grunted as he stood up and extended Shalin a hand. "Besides, I want to grab one of those Venusaur balloons where the string you grab onto is a vine. Oh, and a Carbink one!"

---

Shalin Nariya

Shalin returned Howard's chuckle, which turned into a hysterical laugh as the next group began boarding. "You're... not wrong. His Sygna Suit is something else, too. The two of us go riding together on occasion, but I wouldn't hop on his Pokémon. They're so fast that they make me sick." It was a strange quirk of Shalin's; being violently buzzed on a bug's wing didn't bother her, but speed beyond a threshold Josh's Pokémon were more than capable of achieving did make her toss her cookies. Even she didn't understand why her body could handle one but not the other.

Shalin accepted Howard's hand, Lathiel content to follow the two. "That's not a bad idea! I'd be down to at least check the souvenir stand." Provided Howard agreed, that was where the two would head, the girl browsing to see if anything else caught her interest for afterward. She made some mental notes before seeing what all they had. She didn't want something temporary, like a balloon; she wanted something permanent. Something she could remember long after the carnival was over. "I wonder if the other stands have different merchandise," she mused aloud.

"Maybe if you two combine your powers, you'll become the ultimate rider." The two walked over to the stand. While Shalin poked around the stands for something more permanent, Howard beelined towards the balloon stand. Shalin had a point about chasing after something more permanent, but Howard only dealt with things that were permanent.

He wanted something that would last for a moment. Something innocent and fun that he could use and discard. Wasteful, but enjoyable.

"Yeah, I'll take a Carbink balloon, please." Howard forked over an obscene amount of money for a balloon. "You could grab one of those collectible pins. Oh, or try your luck at one of those prize games. Grab yourself a plush. They're super fluffy and adorable. I've been banned from a few for clearing them too easily."

By a few, he meant every single Whack-A-Dugtrio and Dugtrio Ring Toss in Lilycove. Each time he made contact with a vendor, they simply shook their heads at him.

Cowards.

---

STAMP GET: Buy a Pokemon Balloon!
Shalin Nariya

Shalin chuckled at Howard's joke. "If only it were that simple. You know how much fun it would be to see him get on his Flygon's wing like I do? As tiring as it is, it's so fun. Unfortunately, without my Sygna Suit specifically, that's not possible." It was an experience she wished she could share with others, though her low body weight didn't hurt, either. Even with a suit like Shalin's, Josh's added weight would hinder the wings. While they could still give someone the Gym Leader's size a buzz, it wouldn't be nearly as fast as with Shalin.

"Honestly, that's not a bad idea," Shalin nodded before hearing Howard's full story. "...Oh. Yep that's how they get people. Anyone who's too good can't play. If you don't mind watching, I can give it a try, though!" Provided Howard agreed, Shalin would walk to the nearest Dugtrio Ring Toss booth; with her having her show team, there weren't a lot of Pokémon she could ride without causing a ruckus. "Lathiel?" Shalin asked, putting a hand on the Normal-type's back in an effort to mount up. Flinching, the Type: Null backed away. "Still no, huh?"

"Sounds like a plan." Howard agreed, and followed Shalin and Lathiel to the nearest booth. Howard still felt uneasy around the Type: Null. They had their uses, such as fighting against the aliens from another world, but the vibe it produced... was wrong. He was afraid of technology, and this was a little microcosm of why.

Something like this wasn't created without a ton of blood on its creator's hands. How many Pokemon had suffered to create this Type: Null, and how did Shalin bear the weight?

He simply couldn't understand it. He refused to. Something like this was just wrong. He didn't allow himself to show it, though. He simply told Shalin a joke about someone living next to a Ponyta and calling it their neigh-bor. He didn't even remember what he said, or how it was phrased. All he knew was that he said it.

Just pretend. Wear the mask.

"She'll get used to you." Howard reaffirmed Shalin. "It takes tim- Oh, come on! I'm not playing it this time! Look, no tokens!" The ring toss vendor pointed a finger at Howard and shouted at him about being blacklisted. "I'm just here to watch! Arceus above, I haven't gotten in line, have I?" Howard huffed and cursed under his breath. "See? They have it out for me!" He crossed his arms and grumbled.

---

Shalin Nariya

Howard's thoughts about Lathiel were right on the money. The Type: Null was aggressive, cranky, and had wildly-swinging moods. Much blood had been spilled in her creation. Pharika and Ellie had given their lives, the Dragalge one of Shalin's most valuable aquatic Pokémon. She was an unbearable loss. Other Pokémon, like Grimmie, had their lives permanently upended; she could no longer absorb fire like most Houndoom could. Corona, her Charizard, had been severely crippled in combat to the point where he was mostly a scouting Pokémon. He had even lost the potential to Mega Evolve.

Shrugging at the exchange between the attendant and Howard, Shalin took her place at the ring toss game, lobbing toward the Diglett and Dugtrio as they emerged from underground. The Dugtrio were quick, but they were also worth the most points. She managed to nab a shot on one just as time expired, granting her a pick from the second prize wall. Lathiel's yawn distracted her, the Type: Null having taken a power nap during the entire game.

None of the plush interested her; with her home being in the wild, she wouldn't be able to store it properly, and it would be ruined due to fluctuating humidity over time. Instead, she chose a voucher for a nearby restaurant. "It won't get me much, but it's what I'll get the most use out of."

"I keep telling you! I'm not getting in line, I don't even have any tokens! See? I already spent them all clearing out your easy-ass games!" Howard argued with the vendor as Shalin cleared the Dugtrio Ring Toss like a pro.

Total lie. Howard had enough tokens to fund a small sovereign nation in his pocket, but the vendor didn't need to know that. All he needed to know was that Howard was, in fact, not going to clear out his prize wall. That should've been enough to get Howard an easy pass to enjoy the carnival, but nope.

Poking over the vendor's head, Howard gave Shalin a thumbs-up. "Doing great! You're better at it than me!" Shalin was close, and she probably had as much practice scouring ruins as Howard, alongside her experience in riding. Nonetheless, Howard's high score was almost impossible to beat.

Yet Shalin did exceptionally, anyway. The second prize wall had some zingers. Howard watched what Shalin chose as he argued with the vendor.

"Aw, c'mon Shalin! Seriously? You should've picked the golden Dugtrio!" Howard shoved the vendor aside and walked over to her. "Guh, I your reasoning makes sense. Can't really turn them into toys for your Pokémon, either. Shirley gets the fluff in her teeth and it gets everywhere. Can we scooch away from this game, by the way? They act like I've committed a crime against humanity or something."

---

Shalin Nariya