The occasion for the party was a grand one. With Rangers being too busy during the day, Shalin chose to hold hers on the night of a full moon. DAZZLING GLEAM from a Shiny Espeon almost her height, as well as from an Alolan Ninetales the size of an equine, illuminated the Romping Grounds on a secluded plateau near Petalburg Woods' eastern boundary with the Rusturf Mountain Range. While most of the guests were Rangers, some of the explorer's former clients were present, as well as a few other friends she made in Hoenn. The yellow-and-gold Ranger badge and uniform on one of the tables was a sign of the party's purpose.

It was to commemorate Shalin's induction as Rustboro's Ranger Captain.

The pinkette's grin and compliments caught the new Captain's attention. "They are!" she pointed toward the Shiny Beedrill and Yanmega, both of which wore exotic saddles shaped to their uniquely-shaped bodies. "Indeed, you could if you wanted!" she invited the young coordinator. "I don't call this place Shalin's Romping Grounds for nothing!" Other unusual ride Pokémon were on the move, too, including several Eeveelutions whose Shiny sheen helped illuminate the fair. Several were carrying newer Rangers across the field, many looking like they were having the time of their lives.

It may now have become apparent to Momo why there were so many sets of goggles and miscellaneous riding gear at the hollow tree's exit to the plateau: they were there for the guests to use! With several of her Pokémon keeping the place lit, it was as safe as it was going to get for guests to whoop, scream, and perhaps even vomit from the rollercoaster-like rides the exotic creatures took their temporary companions on. One in particular hurled after finding out the hard way that the vibration from Ozzy the Skeledirge's TORCH SONG was too much for the tall teen to handle.

"Great to meet you, too! I think I missed your name, though!" she replied, acting like Momo had given her name in the first place. Once small talk was over, she pondered the pinkette's question with a hum. She didn't really have many beginner-friendly Pokémon; almost all of hers were so exotic that no one else would dare sit on their backs.

After giving it a lot of thought, she sounded a shrill whistle, a quite-large Kantonian Persian the size of a small horse bounding toward her. The feline's saddle looked exquisite, made out of far more lush and expensive material than her other Pokémon, looking quite comfortable to sit on. "Serena's the closest I have to beginner-friendly, I think? She's obedient, but she's a big cat, so she's got a really bouncy gallop. If you'd want to fly instead, there's Flit over there," she pointed to the Yanmega in the distance, who looked unusually happy. He loved being able to fly again, grounded for months after a wing injury he mysteriously suffered amidst the Galar Memory.

With Momo choosing Serena as a partner to go for an exciting romp across the large field, Shalin knew that flying was off the table. She thought about what Pokémon to bring to her side. It needed to be fast enough to keep up with the needy yet friendly feline, yet not be a flying Pokémon. The perfect one came to mind.

In response to an alien-sounding whistling pattern, a large, white Ultra Beast towering over two feel above her whizzed past Momo and Shalin, lowering her massive wings to the ground. "This is Nymris," the Sygna Suited Ranger introduced the Pheromosa whose eyes glinted in a perhaps unsettling way. It made the young woman look like she was a Flygon.

As Shalin approached Nymris' side, Momo may have wondered how Shalin would use a bipedal creature as a mount. Her questions would be quickly answered in the most extraordinary way possible. She stood above one of the Ultra Beast's giant wings and straddled it. The alien bug-type lifted the wing upward, the girl's suit glowing a faint green as the bond between her and her Flygon reduced her effective weight on the wing, allowing it to maintain its form and not break. She gently grabbed the insect's giant, long antennae like they were reins, being careful not to touch the bulbs at their ends. "Not at all! Just remember your fundamentals - pull on the reins for direction and change your leg pressure on her sides for speed."

Once they were lined up, Shalin would let Momo lead the way into the night. Nymris was more than fast enough to keep up with the swift cat.

Shalin replied with a nonchalant "Thanks." She was used to being showered with compliments about her Pokémon, a lot of them being rather large for her species. It was a combination of visiting many Space-Time Distortions and sheer persistence. Her eyes shifted toward another guest, this one a young adult, holding Grimmie the Houndoom's steering horns and directing the agile dog in circles around the lakefront. Another was giggling while astride Prance the Wyrdeer, who hopped about more like a Lopunny than the psychic-type species she was.

With Momo's command, the impromptu race to the tree on the other side of the lake was on. Shalin was impressed at how much she allowed Serena to let loose, the Persian putting on some impressive speeds. Her special saddle may have enabled that, its material extra comfortable for both rider and Pokémon.

Once Nymris approached full stride, Shalin's smile disappeared, the girl squinting. The Pheromosa ran so fast that the wings ran parallel to the ground, feeling the air passing over them attempting to lift her from her perch. She had developed plenty of lower body strength to resist it, but that was not the concern. The concern was the dizzying speed the Pheromosa caught up to the pinkette, relieving her stress when he slowed to match the big cat's speed. Riding next to her would give Momo a good look at her form atop the Ultra Beast's wing.

To Momo's credit, a Persian was not an easy Pokémon to stay balanced on; their vigorous strides bounced a rider about much more powerfully than an equine or even a canine would. She was already more skilled than the average Ranger that Shalin was going to oversee when she worked her first day with the full duties of a Captain.

Nymris continued to match Serena's pace, Shalin watching Levy gracefully breach the lake's surface. The Milotic's rainbow-colored scales gleamed in the moonlight: a truly breathtaking sight to see. "You're welcome! Next time we meet, I'll have to bring some of my other Pokémon with me. There's just too many to meet in one night."

After a tiring but fun romp with several more of Shalin's Pokémon, the two headed back to the large, hollow tree that served as her residence... just as the sun started to creep over the horizon. Whoops. They really had lost track of time, didn't they?