Shalin applauded Alex's feat of dexterity and precision. "Nice shot!" She, too, got back in line to try again. There were still three other small purple balloons that size, awarding "second prizes" if popped. Carefully lining up before making her throw, the dart sailed toward the distant board... popping the white balloon beneath the purple one. Her consolation prize... was a pin for a backpack. At least it was of an Alolan Ninetales, a Pokémon near and dear to her heart. It was one of the few species she loved that was popular enough among trainers for there to be merch of. Who would want a Beedrill plush, anyway?

Shalin pocketed the pin, keeping it in its plastic until she figured out what she was going to do with it. "I imagine having the vision of a bird helps with this sort of thing, Alex," she mused, debating whether she wanted to spend more Funtasia tokens to try again, though she ultimately decided she had enough. Unlike Gym Leaders, she had a much smaller budget to operate on, and she wanted to hop on every thrill ride at least once. "So, where to next, Alex?" she asked, Lathiel approaching the Birdfather while retaining a neutral facial expression. "We've still got most of the morning until I have to go back to put on my show!"

The Beedrill and Flygon were both adorable, and just the right size that they wouldn't take up too much space in her home in Petalburg Woods. "You didn't have to do that!" Shalin blushed, taking the two from him and holding the Beedrill up, making a humming sound meant to imitate the buzzing of the real Pokémon's wings. She stepped toward Alex, grabbed the base of one of its white forelegs, and "stung" him with it. "I love these two so much!"

Shalin put the two Pokémon dolls into her backpack before nodding in agreement. "Those are really fun, too! Let's do it!" It would be a little bit of a trip, but not too bad! She hoped the line wasn't too long. Lathiel, though, had her own ideas. Not liking the idea of getting wet, she flourished her chimeric claws toward whatever Pokémon Alex had out of his Poké Ball. "...Or maybe not? I don't think Lathiel likes getting wet."

As much as Shalin wanted to use the carnival strictly to enjoy herself, she was also using it to build rapport with the Type: Null she had given so much to create. Too much, perhaps. She would never be able to disassociate Lathiel with Pharika, the loyal Dragalge that gave her life in the Normal-type's creation. As much as she didn't want to, she had to pamper her. "I'd love to hit up the water slide when she's less moody," she nodded before heading to the Ferris wheel in the center of the park. "We'll be able to get a good view of the entire carnival."

The line was a bit long, meaning they would have to wait for the group in front of them to finish before being granted their turn. They were able to pass the time by talking about the other attractions, not to mention catching up on each others' escapades.

Once they were able to board, they would find the cabs quite spacious, Lathiel even able to stretch inside. Once they were closed, the attraction slowly started and stopped as the other passengers took their places. Once they had reached the peak, Shalin pointed to the roller coaster far below. "Have you been on the Rayquaza roller coaster yet? Sounds like it would be right up your alley!"

Shalin nodded. Those words couldn't have been more true. "Yup - some Pokémon take years to be loyal to you. For Lathiel, it's only been... about four months?" Four months ago, creating the accursed Type: Null had taken the lives of two of her Pokémon, including Pharika, whom she still thought about from time to time. That Dragalge was an incredibly valuable member of her team, taken from her in an instant when the seizure-inducing medicine tore the poison-type apart. To Lathiel, it wasn't about time. It was about experience and two-way commitment. Shalin needed to show Lathiel that loyalty wasn't only one way.

It would not be long before she, like the rest of Shalin's Pokémon, would be willing to wear a saddle and bear her into combat.

"It's worth it, though," Shalin at last started to smile after being lost in thought so long. "It doesn't have as much g-force as other coasters do, but it makes up for it in raw speed. It's supposedly one of the fastest coasters in the world, true to Rayquaza's name."

Though there was nothing stopping Shalin from getting on one of her buzzing bugs and getting this same view of the theme park, there was something relaxing about getting such a view from the confines of the Ferris wheel's car. Being able to carry on a conversation with Alex was nice, with not being forced to wear earplugs due to her typical, radical choice of mount. "Of course not," Shalin laughed. There was no way a carnival ride could go as fast as Tornadus safely. It took skill to ride a Pokémon at such crazy speeds. "There's only one other person I know that could handle speed like that, and I'm sure you know him."

To their surprise, the line for the Rayquaza rollercoaster wasn't long at all. Their turn came, the two getting a seat next to each other and near the dragon's head. By the time she strapped herself in, she noticed Lathiel passed out and out of withdrawal range of her Poké Ball! "Maybe I shouldn't have brought her; she seems to get bored easily. And with that species, that wasn't a good thing."