Josh had asked Shalin for help in aiding zachary stellar with getting over his fear of insect Pokémon. They were often scarily aggressive, especially the Pokémon she would be bobbing through the forest on. Queen Zing, the blue-eyed Beedrill sporting riding gear the Captain was perched on, was the source of the loud buzzing noise that echoed around him. It got louder as the wasp's rider approached, landing a good distance from him as to not totally spook him.

Once the Sygna Suited girl had slid off her unusual ride, she waved to the blue-haired trainer in greeting, Queen Zing also waving the flat of one of her foreleg stings toward him. "Captain Shalin Nariya of Rustboro," the lithe female introduced herself. "Can't turn Mauville's Leader down when he asks a favor. Queen Zing here's the friendliest Beedrill you'll ever meet; she loves giving hugs." Case in point: she embraced her trainer, being especially careful not to poke with those sharp-looking stings. Even without the venom of the needles beneath them, they looked like they could pierce something fierce!

A fear of Beedrill was not uncommon; they were one of the most frightening Pokémon an inexperienced trainer could raise. Their foreleg stings were more painful than poisonous, but they were less harmful than the rear sting. The venom inside its rear sac could deliver lethal doses if left inside its prey for too long. When even a fire-type was afraid of her, Shalin realized just how much of a connection the vulpine Pokémon had with Zachary.

The Captain did as requested, the saddled Beedrill crawling away from Zachary but still remaining well within eyesight. "Riding one is actually safe as long as you have ear protection! Even if she wanted to, none of her stings could actually reach you." The obstacle, of course, would be getting Zachary to sit on the Beedrill at all.

Perhaps a Beedrill was a bit much. The Captain clicked open a second Poké Ball, this one containing a Yanmega that also wore riding gear that may have beckoned Zachary to occupy the green insect's seat. "His name's Flit," she introduced the curious bug. If it was the stings he was afraid of, this bug's only apparent natural weapons were mandibles on the sides of his face. Though he faced Zachary, he did not approach him yet.

Josh had warned Shalin that Zachary had quite the intense bug phobia. The Captain, though having her fear of super speed she could relate to, did not expect the man's reaction to be as intense as it was. She and her Beedrill embraced one more time before the Ranger did as Zachary asked and recalled the blue-eyed wasp.

Perhaps showing how friendly bug-types could be was the wrong approach, after all?

Pointing for Flit to keep his distance from Zachary, though not enough distance that he might be able to hear the Yanmega's humming wings from time to time, Shalin approached the psychic-type trainer. "It's okay. The Pinsir's gone. You can come out now," she calmly called out.

Were Zachary to emerge from beneath the jacket, Shalin would ask him a few questions. "Josh told me you've got some bug Pokémon of your own. I'm sure Flit would love to meet them! What it is about them that you don't like?"

While the Pokémon that Zachary brought out weren't ones Shalin would raise, she appreciated the love and care out into them all the same. "Quite the team you have!" she complimented, holding a third Poké Ball in her hands but not quite releasing it yet. She knew to bring all bug-types or bug-adjacent Pokémon, such as her Flygon that may as well have been an insect with how she flew.

Flit's big and loud wings buzzed for a second or two before calming down, whipping up quite the gust of wind away from him. He introduced himself to the Swadloon and Rabsca, though their conversation would not last long before a flying Hoppip distracted both him and his trainer. "Hey Flit, I think Elise Calcifet wanted one of these," Shalin said, tilting her head toward the winged bug-type. "Go get 'em!"

While Flit was off chasing the Hoppip flying largely in the wake produced by his buzzing wings, Shalin noticed that it wasn't all bug Pokémon that Zachary was having issues with. "Hey, Zachary, sorry I got distracted for a bit there. What it is about bug-types that you don't like?" she repeated her question before clicking open the Ball in her hand. From it emerged a Scolipede that, like her other Pokémon, wore a saddle and reins. Was there a Pokémon she owner that wasn't trained to be a mount?

After Zachary gave his side of the story if he chose to, the Yanmega returned with the Hoppip squirming in his mandibles. The little one was quick, but not quick enough to outpace the SPEED BOOSTED dragonfly. She gently tapped the wild with an empty Poké Ball, planning on working out a trade with the Galarian royal next time they met.

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD NYMBLE APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] TINTED LENS
[attr="class","wildtabox"]TACKLE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]LEER
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SCREECH	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]ASTONISH
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]zachary stellar Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[attr="class","wildtemp"]

[attr="class","wildbgsaf"]

[attr="class","wildtitle"]A WILD RIBOMBEE APPEARED!

[attr="class","wildshiny"]

[attr="class","wildpkmnbox"]

[attr="class","wildpkmn"]

[attr="class","wildtab"]

[attr="class","wildtabox"] MALE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] SHIELD DUST
[attr="class","wildtabox"]SWITCHEROO	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]SWEET SCENT
[attr="class","wildtabox"]STUN SPORE	[attr="class","wildtabox2"]QUIVER DANCE
[attr="class","wildtabox"] ---	[attr="class","wildtabox2"] ---

[attr="class","wildtag"]zachary stellar Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","wildnote"] WHAT WILL YOU DO?

BOTH OF YOUR CAPTURE ATTEMPTS ARE SUCCESSFUL!

Was it specifically poisonous bugs that were the problem? A lot of the flying insects she loved riding were poisonous: Yanmega was one of the few exceptions, and Flit was very much carnivorous, what with those nasty mandibles that could deliver a mean Bug Bite.

"Not all bugs are poisonous!" she pointed out, withdrawing the Scolipede to make Zachary more comfortable. She noticed the buzzing, flitting Ribombee nearby, at play with him. It didn't seem to be the buzzing that was the problem, as it was for many psychic-type trainers. Was it being stung, especially with a poison sting? That was valid; it was the number one reason for people to be afraid of insects. If only they were bigger. Even out of a Distortion producing one at the maximum size genetically possible, the fairy-type bug was simply too small.

"If it's poison-types, then what about these two?" she asked to get Zachary's attention, withdrawing her team and clicking open two more Poké Balls. From both of them emerged enormous moth Pokémon, one of them white as snow, with cold flakes raining from its wings. From the other, a yellow and white body that glowed bright as a star before turning the light down. "These two are Michiko and Sol," she introduced the Frosmoth and Shiny Volcarona, both also geared up to soar with riders on their backs.