Checking her phone for the next round's pairings, she didn't have to scroll too far down to find her name. Across from hers was Genevieve Cromwell , a new face. From her picture, she was one attractive-looking redhead, almost a mirror image of herself other than the hair color. She walked to her assigned arena, Queen Zing's Poké Ball in hand. "Hi there! Captain Shalin Nariya of Rustboro," the greenette introduced herself, her eyes noticeably shifting toward the DYNAMAX BAND strapped to her opponent.

Great. Those accursed things.

She looked unhappy to see the device, scared that something horrible would happen to Queen Zing if she were to lose -- or Gordo if she were to win. "G-Good luck to you as well." Those would be the last words they would be able to say to each other; after releasing the Shiny Beedrill of great size from her Poké Ball, the droning noise of her wings flapping too fast to see would drown out all else around them.

"Y-you didn't have to do that..." Shalin stuttered as she saw Genny stow her Dynamax Band. She wouldn't have time to get a reply. Not one she could hear, anyway. With the starting horn blowing to indicate the beginning of the match, the arena was filled with the noise of Beedrill wings buzzing at high speed, the droning noise reflecting off nearby buildings and making it more grating to the ears than usual.

Seeing the rolling Sandshrew zip toward her, Queen Zing wound her left foreleg sting back, ready to counter the projectile-like attack with a perfectly-timed POISON JAB. Emphasis on perfect; if her thrust was not immaculate, the speed and rotation would tear into her sting and render it useless for the rest of the match!

Even in the heat of a tournament where there were very real and very serious prizes on the line, this Genevieve, this Ranger, was considerate of her opponent's fears. Any tournament grinder would have taken full advantage of the discomfort she displayed. Not her, though. "You're too sweet..." Shalin trailed off as the horn sounded. It was the signal for the two Pokémon to begin.

Queen Zing was quick on the draw, her loud, droning wings drowning out all other noise, including what Genevieve said to her afterward. As quick as the POISON JAB was, the GYRO BALL knocked the Beedrill out of the air completely, her wings silent as her blue, compound eyes flickered. Shaking her head, the noisy Pokémon took back to the air, trying to pluck the Sandshrew's sensitive chest with the stab of her FELL STINGER. The reduced visibility from the SANDSTORM might make that a challenge, though!

With Genevieve Cromwell 's Sandshrew outpacing her in the inclement weather, Shalin had to try to save Queen Zing. If she was bowled over again, there would be no way for her to keep flying. Raising her right index and middle fingers to the KEY STONE in her MEGA CIRCLET, both Shalin and the green wasp glowed shades of purple and pink: the light of MEGA EVOLUTION.

Focused purely on defense, the Beedrill's deafening wings whipped up a TAILWIND, desperate to zip out of the way of the match-ending attack. The noise and wind both may have put tremendous pressure on the battlers' ears -- and those of the trainers, too.

Being struck squarely between the wings by the high-speed living projectile was too much for even the Mega Evolved Beedrill to handle. The clicking of her wings against the pavement made Shalin wince, the side judge promptly calling an end to the match and declaring Genevieve Cromwell the victor. "Wow, you're really strong," Shalin huffed as she withdrew her oversized insect. "Are you one of those gym grinders? You sure battle like one."

Shalin chances of making Day Two dwindled with every match loss. At least this one was over fairly quickly, giving her a chance to catch a breather and finish her can of lemonade she was not able to finish during her lunch hour. Maybe she could even catch up with Ettie and see how she was doing. "So what do you do outside the tournament scene?" the Captain asked as she waited for her opponent to sign their match slip.

"Wait, you're also a Ranger?" Shalin asked the redhead. "Sorry if I glossed over it, but I'm Rustboro's Captain. What kind of work do you do for them? If it overlaps, maybe we should take some tickets together in the spring!"

Accepting the handshake and smiling at the offer for lunch, Shalin's look of disappointment turned upside down. "You don't have to do that! I'll at least pay for my own. There's some really good sandwich shops around here." Regarding Gyms, her sly smile grew. "Just Shalin! Used to call myself the Wildest Pokémon Rider in Hoenn, but..." She trailed off.

"I... I don't actually want to challenge the Pokémon League. I just love Gyms that have unique challenges to them. I've been trying to get into Josh Devlin 's Gym for a long time, but his schedule and mine never align." One day, maybe she would get to saddle up and race with her Johtonian friend... if she didn't vomit from the extreme speed she would need to keep up with him.