Shalin, seated on the back of Savanna the quadrupedal Zeraora, expected the simulation to take her to a vast, open wilderness. After practicing at Thomas Benoit 's ranch for so long, she was ready to zoom across the land on the thundercat's back.

Only she had been whisked off to a cramped workshop, knocking a small table over as she dismounted from her feline Pokémon. She let out a yelp as she heard several glass objects shatter. "Yikes! I didn't expect to be thrown into a place like this!" she exclaimed in front of Gwyar Wledig . "...Technology isn't my expertise at all. You have any idea how to repair this?" she asked the Gym Leader with a shrug.

RKS

ft. Shalin Nariya

"No." He replied dryly, finding himself staring at a familiar workshop, and a familiar machine.

He reached over, grasping it and crushing it in his grasp.

"I've seen it repaired before, however." He said, recalling Raziel Beckett's deft work... and the ominous message left by Macarena. "It is not worth the effort."

The area around them shuddered as his Aegislash rose from his shadow, its blade shimmering as it prepared. "Let's destroy this locale."

He had seen what happened when one played along. Was anything programmed for when one fought against the system?

---

TL;DR:
-Destroy it and the workshop.

Shalin gasped, not anticipating the knight and Gym Leader's violence. Looking confused, she reluctantly nodded in agreement. Was this what Eduardo Hisakawa felt when Shalin tore Father Winter to shreds from atop her Venusaur's brutal Power Whip?

"You heard him, Savanna," Shalin pointed to her equally hesitant Zeraora. Claw and blade worked together to open the space around them, only to find themselves surrounded by another enclosure. Being made of glass, this would surely be easy to escape, with how fast and hard the feline's claws were. "Use your POWER-UP PUNCH - get us outta here!" Rearing high, the feline slammed into the wall of bulletproof glass, creating a small crack in it that grew larger and larger with every impact.

RKS

ft. Shalin Nariya

They destroy the workshop entirely, leaving nothing behind. Behind its walls, they find glass.

Beyond it? A faceless audience.

The shadowy masses clapped, their applause growing louder and louder as the world around them began to blank.

What an unnerving thing to program.

It reminded him of Malcadena's message... Was it what he meant? Or was it just symbolism?

---

TL;DR:
-Proceed to stage 2.

The crowd faded to a sight Shalin hadn't seen in some time: Mount Chimney before it had been deformed by a rampaging land titan. It looked almost foreign to her.

No longer constrained by walls, Shalin was seated on Savanna's back, able to feel her Zeraora's increasing heartbeat. The war between the League and Team Rocket had escalated, and she wanted nothing to do with it. She was busy enough with high profile Ranger tickets, and she was not an experienced fighter, either.

The Captain's eyes shifted toward FARHAN, who inquired for the reason of their presence with fiery eyes. "We do not come to disturb the mountain," the girl insistently answered.

RKS

ft. Shalin Nariya

Given the massive explosive they had apparently been scorting, Gwyar wasn't so sure Shalin was correct.

Ah well, they would understand the context soon enough, he suspected.

He nodded a moment after his companion, smiling politely at the simulated man. "My companion is correct, good sir. We're to assist your efforts."

Perhaps the framing of everything was in their hands? If the bomb could be repurposed, they may yet come out of this conflict untouched.

---

TL;DR:
-Proceed to stage 2.

Moltres sided with Rocket? How horrible! If the legendary bird was siding with Rocket, they would have to shore up defenses against it. "I imagine lots of water Pokémon would make a good defense against Moltres," Shalin suggested. She had many, many water Pokémon back at her Romping Grounds in Petalburg Woods. Perhaps she could loan a couple of them out for the defense operation.

"If you need more than Artea," Shalin asked Farhan, "I can fly out to Petalburg Woods and get more real quick. But she's the best water-type I've got for now." Hopefully the attack on the mountain wasn't imminent...

RKS

ft. Shalin Nariya

Moltres sided with Rocket? How peculiar.

Gwyar cupped his chin thoughtfully, gazing over the mountain side before turning it back to the explosive they had apparently been scorting earlier.

Finally, he turned back to both of his companions.

"Wait just a moment, Ms. Nariya." He said, staring at Farhan. "This item should be of assistance to your efforts. Now... which pokemon are at our disposal for defenses?"

People living on a mountainous region were bound to have a wealth of rock, ground and steel type pokemon on hand. All apt at manipulating rocky terrains such as these.

It would do them well to employ such in their defensive preparations.

Not that they would have the time to actually see things through.

The world was beginning to blank as they discussed their next move, the simulation marching on before they could conclude matters properly.

What is the purpose of these simulations...?

Where they just supposed to interact with the prior man, for good or bad? Why...?

---

TL;DR:
-Proceed to stage 2.

RKS

ft. Shalin Nariya

The simulation shifted.

They stood on a cliffside, staring a familiar Xatu. The blonde braced himself for what was coming, wondering what it would be this time.

He only got brief flashes of it— of a familiar city burning. Familiar people, running in a panic. A warzone, spilling over a small island mass.

And then it was over.

"What an ominous future."

A vision of a future— not one that surprised him, but one that made him steel himself.

He knew this future was near.

He refused to let it get as bad as the images his mind had conjured.

He would carry out the defense of Mossdeep... perfectly.

---

TL;DR:
-vision of the future.