It was natural for the stranger to fear Shalin's Pokémon, despite the gear they wore implying how well-behaved they were. Lathiel met the side-eye with a noise that sounded halfway between a mew and a bark, the synthesized biological weapon not excited to be around Cyrus. The others seemed to be, Lady wagging her tail incessantly and innocently.

"It's okay!" Shalin assured him. Their journey wouldn't exactly be a short one, having to cross Petalburg Woods to get to Petalburg City at all. "Shalin Nariya. I'm Captain here," she introduced herself. "These three are Lathiel," she gently pat the Type: Null's head, "Lady, and Leo," she named the Boltund and Luxray. "Got a Pokémon that can help out with the deliveries? If you don't, I've got you covered!" For a Ranger higher-up, she was a bit too cheerful.

What an unusual fellow; Pokémon were so intertwined with daily life that it was unthinkable to not have at least one to help out! As hard as it was to resist the urge to make a comment about it, what with the symbiotic relationship she had with her entire team, Shalin kept her thoughts to herself. "Leo can give you a hand -- er, a paw -- if you need one with the deliveries! It'll be a bit of a long trip across Petalburg Woods and to the city proper. You're more than welcome to hop on him!" The Luxray crouched next to Cyrus, offering him a lift once the egg cartons had been loaded onto the small wagon Lady would be towing.

Regardless of travel arrangements, Shalin and her three Pokémon would get started with their delivery route. "So, what do you do to make ends meet?" she asked Cyrus. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to - just trying to pass the time while we head south!" Even by Pokémon, the trip through Petalburg Woods wouldn't exactly be short...

Shalin was a little surprised to hear Cyrus decline her offer. Did he realize just how long a trip it was? "Okay then! If your feet ever get tired or sore, offer's still there until we get to Petalburg City!" Shalin reiterated, helping get the rest of their cargo loaded. "Don't get too far ahead, Lathiel," she said to her Type: Null, giving the chimeric Pokémon a gentle pat before lightly tapping at her sides. She responded by walking alongside her guest.

"Freelance artist, huh?" Shalin asked. "That's a tough line of work. Probably tougher here, given how many other kinds of jobs the war's creating."

Before they knew it, the two were outside Rustboro City's limits and into the dense Petalburg Woods, bug-type Pokémon flitting and fluttering about. All of the ones she saw were harmless, but she couldn't be too careful, remembering that her nice Beedrill was the exception, not the rule.

Even with the war, ordinary citizens' lives had to go on. There was always a need for people who worked restaurants, people who worked retail, people who made deliveries, and the like. These were jobs that were needed, war or peace.

Shalin kept the chimeric normal-type at Cyrus' pace as the forest dweller guided him through the woods that no one else in Hoenn may have been more familiar with. The question turned to Shalin's world outside the job.

"Before I became Rustboro's Captain, I was an avid explorer. I would take clients to the ends of Hoenn, to natural wonders that were deemed to dangerous to go to with Rangers. A lot of these places you can't get to on foot or in a vehicle - you gotta take a Pokémon there." She began to describe the stronghold of Alexei Ivanov 's ancestors, the Braviary's nest, to Cyrus as they made their way south with the eggs in tow.

As they passed Petalburg Plateau on their left, they may have been able to hear the distant but loud noise of Beedrill wings churning. "You'll also occasionally find me at Round Ones in Hoenn. I love music games."

"In a way, I do," Shalin replied, reminiscing on her adventures with Alexei Ivanov , THEO BECKETT , Finn (Cillian Quinn ), and many others. While the treasure she was received may not have been worth the price of Kiara's life, she made friends with three Ultra Beasts whose skillsets were invaluable when exploring Ultra Space. "But the League sends me on exploratory missions to Ultra Space somewhat often. Those skills come in handy there."

The loud buzzing, growing more clear and closer by the moment, seemed to make Cyrus worried. "It's okay! I'd recognize that buzz from anywhere. She's my Beedrill, Queen Zing. She wouldn't harm a single person without my orders unless you threatened her life." If Cyrus looked closely enough toward the plateau, he would be able to see a Shiny Beedrill bobbing and weaving among the trees a moderate distance away. Was that a saddle strapped to it? Just how big was this bug anyway?

As the two continued onward, the dangers of Ultra Space came up. "With a Sygna Suit and how well-documented the wildlife there is now, it's not too bad at all," the Captain assured Cyrus. "I've been there both without and with one. It really does make a world of difference." It certainly made the toxic atmosphere a lot more breathable.

"You'll be fine!" Shalin reassured Cyrus. It was true; unlike most of the aggressive insect species, Queen Zing loved giving hugs and ferrying her friends around Hoenn. As accurate as the stereotype about Beedrill was, given how dangerous they were in the wild, the Shiny one was just built different. "She really is a sweet one."

The buzzing would eventually subside with distance from Petalburg Woods, the skyline of the large city creeping past the dense woods. "Just about there," the woman exhaled. "They're on the north side of town, so it should only be one or two turns once we're in the city proper."