Route 115 featured one of the most rugged yet diverse ecosystems in all of Hoenn: the intersection of grasslands, foothills, plateaus, and rivers meant there were a large variety of Pokémon. Were it not for the difficult hike, it would have been an extremely popular place for beginning trainers to catch an entire starting squad of Pokémon. The serenity of the environment was second to none, only broken by the occasional territorial contest among wild Pokémon and the sound of a Poké Ball popping from what few travelers could muster the wild road.

That serenity would be broken by the deafening sound of a whipcrack assaulting the ears of those in the vicinity, followed by a feminine cry that was difficult to tell whether it was one of joy or distress. If @astrid were to investigate in the direction of the noise, she would witness a bizarre and perhaps frightening sight: a saddled Flygon glowing a faint green and catching its breath, and a giant Venusaur taller than a one-story building. Seated on the bulb at the end of one of the grass-type's long and thick vines was Shalin Nariya , a lithe, green-haired girl dressed in a SYGNA SUIT that made her look like the very Flygon that was nearby. She, too, appeared to be catching her breath.

Shalin was having far too much fun, completely unaware of @astrid 's presence as she recovered enough strength to call for her Venusaur to wind up again. Pollen flew from the grass-type's central flower as she drew back the vine her suited trainer was sitting on. If the bystander glanced toward the wide-mouthed Pokémon, she would get a full look at something similar to what likely had grabbed her attention before. A strong pulse raced down Saria's vine as she swung it, the brave Ranger bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

CRACK!!

The vine Shalin was sitting on recoiled harshly in a deafening VINE WHIP. The bulb's weight propelled Saria's trainer in a circle so fast that it was over faster than she could blink. For a split second, she experienced a lapse in hearing before the sound of roaring winds assaulted her ears even through her suit. During the moment of the snap, Shalin's suit and her Flygon glowed a brilliant green, the field of energy from the Crystabloom being overworked so dense it was almost tangible. The dragon's Sync Stone was steaming from the energy needed to keep Shalin from being sent flying at near-supersonic speed. Once the vine stopped shaking from the recoil, Shalin threw her arms skyward in bewildered excitement.

For the first time, she had held on through two cracks of her Venusaur's VINE WHIP. And did she ever look tired afterward.