Dear Proxy, if you are reading this in 2026 and still hear the phrase Mellow Waveride echoing in your skull like a haunted jingle, pull up a chair. I am here to relive the Exclusive Channel that launched with Zenless Zone Zero and boosted Ellen (Attack - Ice), a limited S-Rank who turned every fight into a sliding, freezing, shark-powered ballet. Why do I care about a banner from 2024? Because nostalgia hits harder than a charged attack, that is why. And because my Polychromes still have trust issues.

Let me be clear: this was not a subtle banner. The headline was simple. Signal Search reception rate has been boosted for Ellen (Attack - Ice). During the event, limited S-Rank Agent Ellen (Attack - Ice) and A-Rank Agents Soukaku (Support - Ice) and Anton (Attack - Electric) had significantly boosted reception rates. That is a lot of ice and electricity for one channel. It was like a winter storm and a power surge decided to share an apartment.

Here is the banner cheat sheet I wish I had taped to my monitor:

Banner detail	What it said
Channel	Exclusive Channel: Mellow Waveride
Headline rate-up	Ellen (Attack - Ice), limited S-Rank
A-Rank buddies	Soukaku (Support - Ice), Anton (Attack - Electric)
Run dates	Post launch through 2024/07/24 11:59:59 server time
Entry fee	Inter-Knot Lv. 8 or above, plus unlock Event in Main Story Prologue - Intermission
Fine print	Limited S-Rank will not become available in the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel

Now, the fine print mattered. The limited S-Rank Agent above would not become available in the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel. Translation: if you missed Ellen on Mellow Waveride, you could not just wait for her to show up in the standard pool like a lost puppy. She was exclusive. She was limited. She was the shark equivalent of a VIP club with a guest list written in ice.

The channel was an Exclusive Channel, which meant the Search count for guaranteed Signals was cumulative across all Exclusive Channels but independent of and unaffected by other types of Channels. If that sentence sounds like legal text written by a robot who loves spreadsheets, you are not alone. But it mattered. It meant your pity carried over between limited banners, but not from standard or other channel types. I learned this the hard way, which is to say I learned it while crying into a bowl of instant noodles.

For more information on Signal Searches, you could press Details at the bottom-left of the Signal Search page. I pressed it. I read it. I understood maybe 60 percent of it. Then I pressed the search button anyway, because that is the Proxy way.

Requirements? Reach Inter-Knot Lv. 8 or above, and unlock the Event feature in the Main Story Prologue - Intermission. That is not a huge hurdle, but it is a hurdle. If you were brand new, you had to actually play the game before you could gamble for a shark. What a concept.

Event duration: post launch through 2024/07/24 11:59:59 server time. In 2026, that date feels ancient. It is the kind of date that makes you say, wow, I have aged. But at the time, it was a ticking clock. Every minute was another chance to farm, another chance to scrounge up one more pull, another chance to tell yourself that this time, surely, the gacha would be kind.

And the event content? Proxies could try out Agents Ellen (Attack - Ice), Soukaku (Support - Ice), and Anton (Attack - Electric) in test stages. Upon clearing the stage for the first time, Proxies could claim rewards on the results screen. That was the responsible part of the banner. You could test the shark before you sold your soul for her. Did I test her? Yes. Did I clear the stage? Eventually. Did I spend the first five minutes just dashing around and giggling at the animations? Also yes.

Let us talk about the trio. Ellen was the headliner, an Attack-Ice agent who made freezing enemies look like a hobby. Soukaku was the Support-Ice buddy, a blue oni with a giant flag and a personality that could power a small city. Anton was the Attack-Electric wildcard, a bro with a drill and a dream. Put them together, and you had a team that could freeze, smash, and electrocute in the same breath. What more could a Proxy want?

In 2026, I look back at Mellow Waveride as a snapshot of a simpler time. The game was new. The meta was chaos. Every pull felt like a big deal. Now there are more agents, more banners, more systems, more everything. But the memory of Ellen's banner remains. It was the moment I learned that limited channels are not just about rates. They are about hope, despair, and the strange joy of watching a shark girl destroy a giant robot.

So, dear Proxy, if you are time-traveling through old announcements in 2026, do not judge me. I was young. I was foolish. I was saving for a shark. And if you ask me whether I would do it all again? Absolutely. Just maybe with fewer noodles.

My Mellow Waveride survival guide (from a 2026 survivor)

• Do not pull while sleepy. I did. I dreamed I got three Ellens. I woke up with a Soukaku and a headache.

• Press Details. Read Details. Then press Details again. The Details button is your friend, even if it speaks in footnotes.

• Test stages are free. Use them. Find out if you actually like the agent before you empty your account.

• Remember the pity rule: Search count for guaranteed Signals is cumulative across all Exclusive Channels but independent of and unaffected by other types of Channels. Do not mix your currencies and your feelings.

• If you miss the limited S-Rank, do not expect her in the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel. She will not be there. She is busy being limited.

Would I follow my own advice? No. But you should. And if you see a shark girl sliding past you in 2026, tell her I said hi.