Shalin was thankful Rufus was so well-trained, responding to her panicked pull by exiting Extreme Speed and slowing to a stop far away from the Terastal Cave. She looked woozy as her ears popped from the pressure difference the speed had put on her. "I... I should be okay," she exhaled. "Rufus is just too fast for me. It's weird. I can handle being on a Flygon's wing beating a million times per second," she exaggerated, "but I can't handle the speed of an Arcanine. I still don't understand my suit like I probably should."

Were she to ponder it, it would make more sense. Flygon was a Pokémon known for vibration: perhaps the fastest vibration any Pokémon on the planet was capable of. "I should be okay as long as we don't go quite so fast."

Shalin hadn't considered what was causing the effect. Perhaps it was Ultra Beast toxin, whether from Nihilego directly or it just being part of the realm's surroundings. "Whatever it is, it seems to be limited to that environment. If your device took atmospheric data, you'll have a good shot at finding the answer there. It seems to be purely visual, though; I didn't feel a difference between there and anywhere else when I slid onto her wing."

That was quite the slip. She wanted to get to that later on, but with her Sygna Suit's power mentioned, she couldn't delay it for too much longer. "Right, my suit. We'll get to that in a bit." The ability to sit on something buzzing so fast, let alone keep her cognizance while doing so, bordered on Avatar powers. Was a special power budding and blossoming within her and the bond with her Flygon?

"I did find quite a bit down there," Shalin reported, describing her tales of an entire clutch of Ultra Beast eggs, reports that only Ultra Beasts inhabited the realm, and toxic bubbles floating about the ship's basement. "The vessel also powered on for a few seconds before powering off again. I wonder if we could salvage it if we figured out what it used for fuel."

Shalin's sensory oddities were just a product of the simulation fading to white and loading them. She was grateful for the large pool of water in the center of the Terastal Cavern slowing her incredible pace, though she was quite winded after rolling up the pool's side and onto the hard floor of the Terastal Cavern. Even with a Sygna Suit, the speed of a Venusaur's whips was no joke!

Shalin, too, was fascinated by the appearance of the Winged King. Though it resembled a Cyclizar, it was larger and much more grandiose-looking.

"Agias!" the paradox Pokémon cooed, approaching Shalin and Remiel.

"It's such a cutie," Shalin hummed, taking her turn to cuddle with the Koraidon. After being on the receiving end of such affection, the dragon crouched. "Does it want us to get on?" she asked. Before she could get an answer, though, a second Koraidon, this one looking much more aggressive and quite a bit different, stared the trio down with a menacing gaze, his top air sac whirling as though it was going to ride all three of them down and shred them with the tire-like organ.

Shalin couldn't imagine it herself; being Rustboro's Captain kept her busy. It would be difficult to keep both those demands and the demands of a potential Patron in balance. She had enough of a time keeping her entire Pokémon sanctuary entertained. There were still what, thirty or so Pokémon holding in her Pokémon Storage account, waiting to be named and brought onto the grassy plateau behind her home? She had lost count. Perhaps once she built vacation time up, she would spend a week or two doing just that. Raising so many Pokémon sure was a lot of work, but was it ever worthwhile!

"I'll need to take the Beartic to Oldale's Pokémon Center after we go our separate ways," Shalin said, Lathiel slowly walking closer to Katsudon to at last greet the Type: Null with a simple "hello" in her own language. "I've collected a lot of data that will help us figure out why the Pokémon here are so aggressive. Thanks. If there's any way I can help you with your errand on the way back to Oldale, I'm willing to help how I can. How much do you work with Sygna Suits?"

Shalin was happy to accept the aquatic serpent's help; with how hard that Sharpedo was bucking and writhing, it had worn her out. Their strength was amazing. She couldn't wait to take the Pokémon back to her Romping Grounds in Petalburg Woods and rodeo with it again in a more controlled environment.

"If he doesn't mind!" A huffing but excited Shalin answered as she slid off the Gyarados and back onto dry land again, her uniform dripping water. "That sounds like a really fun challenge! Big Bert looks strong. Not today, though." As much as she enjoyed it, there was only so much struggling against a Pokémon she could handle in a single day.

"Not a problem, Eddie!" Shalin answered. "I'll take you there!" Once they were a safe distance away, Shalin would call on the help of her two giant insects again, Flit crouching next to Eddie to let him hop aboard if he so wanted.

Once both were seated on the Yanmega and Beedrill, the thrum of wings beating invisibly fast would fill the air around them, their hair perhaps standing on end from the vibrations of takeoff and even the flight itself. The beauty of the Chimney Mountain Range was theirs to witness, the much cooler air above the canyon like stepping into an air conditioned building once they had breached its heights. Thankfully there was no ashfall in the Fallarbor area, or they would have had to take a land Pokémon the rest of the way!

Shalin's nerves briefly shot up from being in the presence of the Alchemist, though they calmed when she remembered that the Palkia above her was not the Spacelord; it was a mere shard, a facsimile, of the almighty Pokémon. Even so, the ability to manipulate the very fabric of space made her not to be trifled with.

Shalin steeled herself for the storm and ORIGIN PULSE to come. Dodging it would not be an issue for her; the Venusaur's vines were so quick that she could get out of the way in a split second. Saria herself, though, would be in danger if she didn't do something.

Remaining BOLD in the face of danger, as well as in the face of the tremendous aerodynamic loads that were about to be put on her, their sync flared to great heights. Both of them glowed green. While their mighty attack wouldn't strike quite as hard as it would normally, her own attacks more than made up for it. "Saria, POWER WHIP!" she commanded, the Venusaur responding by violently shaking her hips. As enormous pulses raced down the vines and toward Shalin, VINE WHIPS of her own sprouted from the backs of the rider's hands.

Shalin was about to go so fast than even her very body would have a leading edge capable of cutting through flesh. Though it did not have the same level of power a true Avatarship did, the parallels were there; without a Sygna Suit, the force of the swinging Power Whip would tear her limb from limb. If Saria could bestow the powers of an Avatar, this was one of them, on display for the scientist to observe.

Perhaps this would even give the Kyogre second thoughts about brawling with the Captain...

Shalin smiled at Eddie's question; she got it quite frequently. It made sense; she had a lot of Pokémon that were very large for their size. "It's less what I feed them and more where they came from. Ever since Space-Time Distortions made their way into Hoenn, really large Pokémon have become a lot more common." They were still biological anomalies, yes, but it made finding extremely large specimens easier. Not to say they weren't common, but they were reasonable to hunt for since then.

The Venusaur extended one of her vines next to Shalin. She gave its enormous tip a gentle rub. With how thick it was... did she really ride her Venusaur by sitting on the vine? It may have been outlandish for Eddie to consider. "If you really want to show him, I'll change into my Sygna Suit soon. For now, though, I owe Beau something." Turning back to the Paldean Tauros, Shalin likewise gave him a gentle rub if he allowed it. "Ready to take my challenge on? Don't think I've forgotten!"

Beau was such a sweetheart, seeming unbothered by the swaths of Pokémon surrounding him. There sure were some unusual ones, especially a giant Raticate that scampered by. Though the seat on Squeals' back covered most of it, it still may have beckoned Eddie to take note. Sadly, many of Shalin's Pokémon, as fun as it would be to ride them, didn't look like they could bear the weight of a larger person. Had he fancied himself an adrenaline rush, though, there were still a few that could!

Technically the land wasn't hers, but it was remote enough from town that no one cared. Who would be crazy enough to live so far away from civilization? There would be only minimal power supplied by electric Pokémon, the lake instead of a proper bathtub to cleanse oneself, and many other things that city-dwellers would take for granted. "It's part of living off-grid, hehehe!" Shalin giggled.

The sight of the Paldean Tauros attracted some of Shalin's other Pokémon, particularly the ones that were stronger and occasionally gave the Ranger trouble to control. Treble, a Kommo-o, looked unassuming until the scales on his back started to vibrate, creating a low-pitched but pleasant humming sound. In the distance was an Iron Leaves, prancing and dancing about as she glowed a faint purple-pink. Perhaps the most unusual of her ride Pokémon was... a Venusaur one and a half stories tall? How would one even sit on that, and what made it so thrilling?

"Hi there, Beau!" Shalin greeted the Paldean Tauros, giving him a gentle pat if he allowed it. "Aren't you in a good mood!"

Firja dramatically reared in front of the Dyna Tree in Ever Grande City, the Glastrier making even Shalin hold on tight. Though she was an equine, the ice-type Pokémon proved to be difficult to control, prone to bucking and thrashing with strength even the expert rider could not overcome. The saddle on her back was especially thick, keeping her rider from being frozen merely from sitting on her ice-covered body.

Sitting astride the royal Galarian horse, Shalin approached the familiar Calyrex, jostling her memories of wielding a bow that fired ICE SHARDS at just below supersonic speed. Memories of her first run on her Flygon's wing mid-Boomburst: the fastest vibration any of her Pokémon had to offer. Repeated rides that violent had taken a toll on her back over the twenty years that alternate reality spanned. Having perfected her Sygna bond, that would not happen in the real world. No matter the whiplash-inducing speeds her Pokémon buzzed, rattled, or even whipped her about with, her Sygna Suit would protect her.

"High King Calyrex, I am Shalin Nariya , one of Hoenn's greatest explorers. I come to you with a story of fire and ice: one based on one of my favorite expeditions of all time. The expedition to the Fiery Path's Mirage Palace." The memories of visiting the place with Julia Davis and Eduardo Hisakawa came flooding back in. The adventure the duo had while Julia was a budding Ranger and before Shalin had as a Ranger was unforgettable. While most of the story about the location itself was true, she would not be beyond making some... embellishments.

Not comfortable with reciting her story from memory, Shalin had brought a clipboard with the tale typed out on it. Though she was reading, she still made it sound like she was telling it from memory.

[player]https://fi.zophar.net/soundfiles/nintendo-snes-spc/seiken-densetsu-3/310%20Electric%20Talk.mp3[/player]

THEME SONG - Electric Talk - Seiken Densetsu 3 ORIGINAL GAME AUDIO

"Long ago, in a world before Poké Balls existed, raising Pokémon was a true rarity and a privilege only the wealthy or fortunate could. Those who raised Pokémon used their power to rule the masses. They formed dynasties, and several descendants of those dynasties live on today." As she and Alexei Ivanov had discovered, the Birdfather was a descendant of the dynasty that made their quarters at the Braviary's Nest near Fortree.

"One such dynasty was the Loyal Vulpines, a large, tight knit family of twelve barons that bonded exclusively with Ninetales, Zoroark, and Delphox. The Mirage Palace was theirs - the mystic palace erected in defiance of reality. A family of mystics themselves, they shared the powers of their fox partners, wielding fire, ice, darkness, light, and even that of the mind. Their fortress, split in two by a dance of illusion and telekinesis, was nigh unassailable. The bottom level was heated and powered by geothermal technology the modern world would kill to have. The top level, a mile in the air, was constructed almost completely out of Never Melt Ice. Yet the two were mere feet apart. With a grand hall hot as a volcanic crater and a throne room as cold as an arctic cave, no army could conceivably come prepared for both." Just reading her story brought back memories of the intense battle she had with the Kantonian and Alolan Ninetales, as well as their two Zoroark riders masquerading as king and queen.

"Masters of illusion thanks to the Zoroark they raised, the very bridge to the Mirage Palace was masked both aurally and visually. Light would travel through it as though it weren't there; nothing could even cast a shadow upon it. Anything stepping upon the bridge would look like it was levitating in midair. Even the palace itself was full of traps designed to deter those not familiar with its intricacies; false walls, false floors, and even invisible walls and floors both. It's little wonder the Rangers tell people not to go there now." To this day, the sign placed in the center of the invisible bridge warned all but the most avid explorers to stay away from the hazardous place.

"The source of their power was Infinity Energy," Shalin continued to read, flipping the page on her clipboard as Firja whinnied, shuffling her icy hooves. "Infinity Energy powering two different kinds of artifacts each of its royals possessed. The first was the Lazuli Lens, a looking glass that would let the person who looked at it see the truth. The second was the Lazuli Mail, armor that gave them unnatural magical toughness, able to blunt even Hyper Beams like they were mere Swift sprays. With Ninetales for steeds, Zoroark for front-line fighters, and Delphox for rear guards, there was little that could stop these ruling trainers." It almost sounded like the same technology that powered Sygna Suits. When honed to their full potential, they, too, allowed their wearers to wield Pokémon attacks as though they were their own.

"Their true treasure, though, was the Mirage Medallion, a relic of the Steamlord Volcanion's divine strength. One of the Medallions of Eight that now rests within the antechamber of the Halls of Origin, its scathing mist permeates even the most arid environments. Used as a conduit for Infinity Energy, it would amplify its wielder's powers to be on par with that of a legendary Pokémon such as yourself. While I am unsure if that last part is actually true, given the technology no longer exists, the Mirage Medallion is very real. I'll even show you." Shuffling her pack in front of her, careful not to skewer it on the Glastrier's spear-sharp mane, she procured the blue-and-red medallion with the bust of a Volcanion engraved into it. "This isn't the real one; it's just a replica."

Stowing the medallion, she went back to reading her tale... not realizing she had already reached the end of it at first. "We can accelerate toward a better future by learning from the past. I am sure there are more stories like these in Hoenn, or even in nearby realms such as the Ultra Wilds, just waiting to be discovered. We can learn from their technology, and from the past as a whole, to improve our own lives... and our chance at turning the war around."

With that, she took a bow, the Calyrex letting out a regal cry of approval.

Shalin's head began to thump. She highly doubted it was from being flung about on Saria's whip. "It's like I feel a Pokémon's PRESSURE. Almost like that of an Absol." Was the darkness a physical manifestation of that pressure? She was uncertain, and she didn't want to find out. Whatever it was, if it could influence her to that degree, it was beyond her caliber to handle.

"That it's piercing even my Sygna Suit is concerning," Shalin replied with a nod. It didn't help that as of yet, she had not perfected the bond with her Venusaur directly, making withstanding the lashing vine's motion far harder. "I think we can go to one more island then turn back." She pointed toward the largest landmass they had seen thus far. "Just look at the size of that stone." While it was quite the honeypot, she wasn't sure how Illeana's suit was holding up...