[IC] Pokemon: End Tower

[Bell]

Helicopters flew over the wasteland that surrounded a massive black spire. Thunder struck and the wind blew, but for the moment the rain had stopped. They only had ten minutes at the most to get as many people into the region as they could, before the storms would pick up again and flying in would be impossible without an extremely talented Pokemon.

Bell stared out the window as raindrops started to splatter against the glass. She was part of one of the groups of trainers being brought in. She hadn't really known what to expect. She simple answered the call when the champion himself came to her town with the Elite Four asking all able trainers to help. She knew it was something that the whole world was coming together to work on, and they had been told that their lives would be in danger... And that any trainers who agreed to help would likely be seeing much death, perhaps even causing it.

They didn't want to say it outright... But Bell and many of the others knew what they would meant. Whoever was threatening the world, whiever this End Cult was... They would likely have to be killed to be stopped. Bell wasn't looking forward to killing anybody. Certainly she didn't want to have to have her Pokemon kill anyone, be it another Pokemon or a human being. But now, now she could see the reason.

The tower stood taller than any building she had ever seen. It looked like a rock spire with jagged edges all over. It had some kind of light being sucked into the tip as if it were falling dust. A horrific sight alongside the knowledge that it could apparently destroy the world. But it wasn't nearly as bad as the sight on the ground below them.

A warzone was the only way to describe it. Pokemon fighting Pokemon to the death, and when the Pokemon were taken out, their trainers came next. The ground was nothing but rock and dirt with edges as jagged as the spire. Trenches ran all about the land through this deadly terrain, and inside people were dying by one another's hand. It was terrible, but they were told it had to be done, and to stop that spire from destroying the world, Bell would do her best.

[Todd Howard]

The transport carrying Desmond and the few selected trainers that came with him was full of talk about the bouts ahead. Everyone was obviously worried about what they might end up having to do in order to help the world as a whole. The only quiet one was Desmond, who was starring out at the terrifying battleground. He wasn't looking forward to the task ahead either, and wasn't sure on how to handle it. Death? Was that truly the answer? He had read reports on the behavior of the Pokemon controlled by The End Cult, their vicious power reminded Desmond of Shadow Pokemon. He knew he would have to encounter them in order to further come to a conclusion, but for the moment he had a fairly firm belief that he might be able to save the Pokemon on the opposing force, at least.

But he needed one of them. Alive. To transfer back to Orre, to Michael and Professor Krane. If these were Shadow Pokemon, then they could possibly be purified and returned to normal. It was being overly hopeful, yes. But Desmond was known for being that way, ever since he was a child. Listening to the banter between his comrades, he finally decided to speak up, starting off with a rather disrupting cough. The four trainers sat in attention, having a firm respect for Desmond, as the man stood and looked at them with his tired eyes.

"Alright. The situation we are dealing with here is very severe, and very dangerous for us. I expect for you all to listen to those around you, and to not go off on your own trying to be a hero. I don't want anything happening to you, and neither do your families. If you have any questions, you should ask before we land. I'm sure we'll be moving rather quickly, and we may end up being put into different groups." He waited for a moment, noticing the tallest man on the aircraft, the #5 of Mt. Battle, David Rustler, raise his hand. "Yes, David?"

"So... We haft'a kill? Can't we take 'em in peaceful or somethin'?"

"I wish we could. They already tried bringing them in before, and they continued attempting to harm anyone who came into reach. They aren't willing to stop, and you shouldn't be either, David." Desmond felt bad for the man, David was just a 22 year old farm-boy who enjoyed battling with his combination of Ground, Water, and Grass Types. He had a golden heart, and it hurt Desmond to bring him along. But he insisted, and Desmond knew he would be helpful with his large stature and overall good battling skills.

"Ah get'cha. Don't you worry 'bout me none, Ah'll be fine... Ah think." David muttered, before going quiet.

Desmond nodded slowly, before another hand was raised. This time it was by #3, a peppy young girl by the name of Hibiki, a skilled martial artist, and user of Fighting-Type Pokemon. "So, like, is the world REALLY going to end?! How is that possible?!"

"I... Don't know." Desmond admitted. "I haven't gathered that much information yet. I'm sure we'll be better informed once we are on the ground. Even if the world didn't end, these people have killed innocents, and have taken control and are manipulating Pokemon. They must be stopped."

"Manipulating Pokemon? How?" Asked #4, an Ice-Type trainer by the name of Perdey. He was dressed very well, wearing a purple suit and a top hat that just shouted how he was wealthy, having been a rather important man in Realgam Tower. The richest of the five, most certainly. But he was a good man, if not a show off at times.

"Apparently some kind of Pokeball is used to corrupt them. There isn't much information on them, but they are dangerous. When this ends, we'll be destroying every last one of these Pokeballs." Desmond replied, offering a small smile from his tired face. He had been up for a awhile, having been doing a lot of studying. He had an idea about how to capture the Pokemon, an old device Professor Krane created called the Snag Machine. It turned normal Pokeballs into Snag Balls when thrown, and could be used to capture the Pokemon of other people. It was used to collect Shadow Pokemon during the second epidemic. Of course, giving the overwhelming strength of these corrupted Pokemon, the device used before was too weak. They began constructing a better model only days before Desmond's leave. It wouldn't be ready for awhile, and even when it was, he wouldn't be able to get it for a few more days, to a week... And it still possibly wouldn't work.

"Do you have a question, Noll?" Desmond asked #2 on Mt. Battle, the trainer right below him in the ranking, and user of Psychic Type Pokemon. The boy shook his head, being the youngest trainer here, but one of the most impressive. Desmond nodded at his silence, before going back to his seat.

"We'll be landing shortly. Prepare yourselves, as we don't know what's ahead for us. And please, for my sake, and the families back home... Be careful."

"Yes sir!"

[Krauxis]

It was quite a sight to see, the storm surrounding this island. It whipped back and forth, and made it incredibly clear that once she got in, there was no getting out. Helicopters and transport boats littered the area, bringing as many important people to the scene as they could. It made sense, no bird was going to fly in this thunderstorm. At least, no bird of flesh and bone, or with good sense. Sterling was neither of those things.

She and her stalwart pokemon had seized the opportunity to forgo the public and military transport vessels, and take advantage of the short gap in the intensity of the raging storm to fly in. Because of her Skarmory's sturdy body, she was able to make the trip. Aria herself was soaking wet and cold, and cursing herself for not having any pokemon who could start a fire, but she was tough as iron herself, and her soul was steeled for the coming conflict. She imagined all the people below, rushing toward their possible deaths. All of the pokemon that were here, and all of the pokemon who were coming here... all of them were laying their lives on the line to stop the madness that had invaded their world. It made sense. These people had to be stopped. The hero's soul in Aria demanded it.

Lance and Clair would be here... and she had to wonder if he would be here too. That silver-haired trainer from Hoenn... She had two goals in coming here. She had to stop the end of the world, and she had to fight that trainer, and anybody else who was strong like he was. She held no idealistic goals toward 'saving pokemon.' Aria had been close to death a number of times, and she knew that death was real. The pokeballs attached to her belt each contained pokemon who would face death and come out the other side even stronger, all for her. Her most loyal companions. Those left behind in her PC she had released back into the wild. It was better for them to be free than to spend the rest of their lives trapped in a dead girl's PC box. She had visited her family one last time, and said her prayers at the Dragon Shrine with Clair before they went their separate ways.

Her affairs were settled. Her pokemon were prepared for death. It was a grim time awaiting them, but her path was clear. If every other trainer backed down to the challenge and accepted their fate, she would still be there fighting alone. Loneliness was nothing new, which was why she had chosen to fly alone as well.

And on that thought, she touched down on the edge of the island just in time for the thunder to crack above her head. It was a bad omen, but more realistically, it meant something even worse. She was now unable to leave, and she had slid through the gap just in time. The metaphorical door had locked behind her.

Putting one terrible sight behind her, Aria looked ahead at what awaited her. It was war. She had seen death, suffering, battle. But war was foreign to her. The military was here. She didn't like soldiers. They always demanded you do everything they tell you to do, and usually Aria would do just the opposite instead. Her and the army did not get along. No, she would avoid joining up with the army here.

She needed to find trainers. Strong trainers that could serve her well, and ones that wouldn't die right away. Drenched in rain, she had the thought that perhaps this is why trainers were shipped in groups. But it was fine. Random selection was no way to determine your allies. Strength was the only real way. Aria shifted positions, moving closer to the landing docks where the ships were coming in. She stood there, silently eyeing up every trainer who stepped off of a boat or helicopter, sheltered only slightly from the rain by Sterling's sharp wings.

More will come... Strong ones with them... they have to!

[Crimson Flame]

Thunder struck and the wind blew as several helicopters tried to navigate their way through this storm. t was a rather quiet flight. Selena didn't talk to the pilot, at all. She stared out the window at all the chaos going on outside, she was starting to wonder if taking up this task was a good idea. The League couldn't afford to send out a more comfortable helicopter. The thing was cramped, the seats were uncomfortable, and the flight over here was rickety and unpleasant. If she hadn't already come this far, she would have told the pilot to turn around right there.

Here she was at the top living the life she always wanted, and everything was going perfectly. Yeah, it could get a little lonely at the top, but who cares about that when you're the center of attention? Still, the girl couldn't help but feel a slight bit of regret. A small sigh escaped from her mouth. She had trouble sleeping for the past few nights, for reasons she couldn't fathom. She had to resort to taking sleeping pills at night so bags wouldn't appear under her eyes, and she wouldn't appear tired when in public.

She quickly shook those ridiculous thoughts out of her head. Ugh, this is ridiculous, I did nothing wrong. This was her goal, she was a star. What could possibly be wrong about that? Selena was part of one of the groups of trainers being brought in. She hadn't really known what she was getting involved with, but by her experience so far, she was beginning to regret it. The whole premise sounded absolutely ridiculous when she heard it. Sure, she could understand the danger this End Cult posed. but surely the Pokemon League had the means to send out people who are better trained to deal with these kind of people. Did they really need to resort to sending out civilians? At the same time, this was not the kind of thing one turned down. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To be one of the ones involved in stopping this cult, their names would go down in history! Of course Selena had to be one of those names. Besides, no matter what the media may think, she knew she could do it. She was more than just a pretty face. She had the Contest Ribbons and a Trophy to prove it. Now that she was actually here, she was starting to wonder if this would be worth it.

She didn't get much of a chance to dwell on that any further, the helicopter had finally landed, and the doors opened. It's about time. The young woman thought. The moment she stepped out of the helicopter, it started to rain. Are you kidding me?! This couldn't have waited untill I got to some shelter?! She hated getting caught in the rain. All this moisture was going to ruin her hair. Fortunately, she had come prepared. She pulled out a parasol from her purse, and opened it. It wouldn't really help much with all this wind, but it would have to suffice for the time being. She tried not to look like the rain bothered her. She didn't want to be seen as a fragile flower by everyone else, she was better than that.

Nearby, Selena could see there was another young woman standing there, getting drenched in the rain with her Skarmory in tow. She was starring at all the trainers that were arriving. Her clothes were dark, plain, and in Selena's opinion quite boring. Selena understood the severity of the situation very well, but there was no reason why you couldn't look good as well. Clearly, the Pokemon League had roped in some poor, homeless person to join this cause. How pitiful. She tried not to let her disapproval show on her face though. It wouldn't be very becoming.

She put on the best smile she could muster, and gracefully walked towards the young woman. Twirling the parasol in her hands. "You know dear, it really isn't a good idea to just be standing around in this weather." She said in a condescending manner.

[Bell]

Bell's helicopter landed and the people shuffled out. It was one of the better ones to be sure, probably made for comfortable flights for the rich. Now it was a sort of military transport. They had brought everything they could spare, this helicopter included. Bell came off last, and a few people gasped and started to talk loudly to one another to be heard over the rain and wind. They started pointing up into the air, where Bell turned to look at what was so important. She saw it immediately. A helicopter hadn't landed yet, it must have been late by only a few seconds, but it was caught in the wind as it picked up as well as the rain growing heavier by the second. The pilot was clearly struggling to keep it in the air, slowly lowering down further and further. It seemed like a miracle when it hit the ground, the doors sliding open and the trainers running out. Those helicopters weren't going anywhere for a while... that much was obvious.

Bell stepped up to the crowd that was gathering just beyond the landing pads, pulling her hood up to at least help guard from the rain a little. The man standing ahead of the crowd on a few crates started yelling orders to everyone who could hear him. There were more of course, taking care of the other platforms that had more helicopters landed. This man was yelling and pointing behind him to the station. He must have had practice because he was easily loud enough to be heard over the storm when trainers got closer to him, and of course as the front of the group moved forward the next lines got close enough to hear him and just kept moving.

"Everyone keep going forward to the door. Once inside go down either hall to your left or right. On the corner of the building there are stairs leading down to the lower levels of the building. The conference to get you all placed into groups will take place there and you will be briefed on the situation!" The man repeated this over and over again until everyone was past him. He followed everyone inside and shut the door, getting them out of the rain and wind.

Bell just followed the crowd down the hall and down the steps. The lower room was pretty big... it seemed almost amazing that they were able to construct this place under such severe conditions. It was quieter inside... the many trainers talked, but they were all in hushed tones as if they were anticipating something. Most of them were just shocked by the view of the battlefield they had seen on the way though, and didn't have anything to say knowing they were going in there. The group merged with the others on the corners. It seemed there were four helicopter platforms on which many had landed, one area on each side of the building. As they came down into the lower room, the groups piled into an area before a stage of sorts. It was meant for meetings obviously, not performances but it was still a bit crowded. Couldn't ask for much more in a warzone though.

A man came out to the podium and brought up the microphone after laying down a notebook in front of him. "Alright trainers listen up. We're going to be putting you into groups. This is for everyone's safety. It's best if you all get to know one another and work together out there. Just remember, it's beyond dangerous and the person standing next to you may not be here tomorrow." He flipped through the pages before starting to call off squads and the names of people going into them. The room started to clear out, as each squad that was called on moved on into another part of the base. Finally there weren't many people left, and Bell knew she was coming soon.

"Trainer Squad thirty-two. Desmond Ludwik. Aria Solais. Selena Artemis. Bell Tanos." He closed up the book before finishing. "Proceed into the barracks and find your room." He had said they had plenty of living quarters. It was a main priority to give the trainers good living spaces, since they could die out here... the least they could do was make their stay a comfortable one when they weren't in combat.

Their group was the last, so it lacked a couple members. At first, many people were apparently put into groups to fill slots that had lost trainers. After that though, all of the squads had six people. Bell's group of course, had only four. She walked towards the door, not saying anything to the others just yet with her hood still up. Beyond the door was a hallway with many doors along it leading into living quarters. This place had to be built into the mountain with the size of it, likely the reason they were able to build it in the first place. There weren't storms inside of mountains.

She walked along until she came to a sign reading "32". She looked in and sure enough it was empty beyond the few supplies she was able to bring which had already been delivered. Some clothes wee really all she was able to bring...

The room was quite nice though. It had six separate beds, a sofa and a couple recliners. There was two separate bathrooms with full baths and everything, even a TV in the living room. They had really gone all out with the place. Not a bad room to spend your final nights in. Of course cost was likely no option. The world was in danger, and people were more than willing to hand over their stock of furniture to the people going to try and save it. Bell wondered honestly how long they would be spending in there though. After all, there was a war to fight... and only twenty-eight days to win it.

[Todd Howard]

As their decent began towards the ground, Desmond began preparing to go. He picked up his bag, but almost dropped it as the storm roared above him in the clouds. He cringed, fearing the power this storm had behind it. He hoped it would die down before he had to do any battling, he couldn't use his Magcargo in this weather, and that left him at a disadvantage against certain Pokemon. It was probably best to not think about it, he had more important things to worry about; like staying alive. He glanced back, a small frown on his face. They were all so brave to come with him, he couldn't shake the feeling unfortunate events would follow. He stared out the window once more, surprised the pilot had landed while he wasn't looking. He stood, slinging his bag over his back. He walked towards the doors of the helicopter, and the pilot offered him an umbrella. Nodding in thankfulness, he accepted it and exited the aircraft, opening it over his head as he did. The others soon followed, talking among themselves.

Desmond respected these men, they stayed out here to direct everyone to their destination. He was thankful, considering it was mildly difficult to see things in this heavy storm. His eyes focused on the people he saw. There were so many, he wasn't certain of how they could possibly lose with so many trainers. He never considered himself special, and this gathering of trainers made him feel small. A nervous vibe he hadn't felt in years was coming back as he practically shrunk due to the sheer number of people. 'Just keep walking.' He told himself, trying to get his mind off it. He considered it lucky he brought a coat!

'That isn't enough.' He thought in defeat, sighing.

Desmond was mildly glad they came in a small group, as most of the other trainers were bolting to get inside, and they could take their time. The stairwell was pretty empty once they arrived, which was a victory in Desmond's eyes, as he closed his umbrella as he began going down. They reached the bottom of the stairs rather quickly, looking at the huge room in front of them. "Wow..." Desmond muttered, mildly shocked. This place was so full of people. More than he expected.

"With these numbers, we'll win for sure." Perdey commented, and Noll gave him a simple glance with his brown eyes, before looking back at the crowd. "Doubt it." He replied dully, confusing his teammate rather easily. "What'cha mean by that? We've got this world saving thing in the bag!"

"If we had victory in our grasp..." Noll gestured towards the crowd. "We wouldn't have needed this many people to begin with. Obviously the soldiers cannot handle this... Cult. Which means they must have sturdy numbers, and battling skill. We may just be evening up the odds, but we certainly aren't winning." His words were depressing, but true. Noll offered a small smile. "Yet, anyways. We're here now. Representing our region. We have to be strong, and win this for our homes. I know a pep talk isn't going to probably help us much, but... I'm sure we can pull through in the end."

Noll almost choked as Hibiki swung her arms around him and gave him a rather tight hug. "Aww! That was SO emotional, I think I'm going to cry!" She said dramatically, before Desmond hushed them as a man was coming onto the stage. Hibiki let go of her teammate, allowing him to breathe.

The five listened as squads were named, and as one came up, it filled Desmond with a very large amount of concern, as he heard his team be called off into different squad with two other trainers. They all didn't like this at all, but Desmond understood.

"I can't believe this crap." Perdey grumbled.

"Ah know! All this way and we gotta' part from ya..." David said sadly, tipping his hat in front of his eyes.

"We've gotta be able to do something to get us on one team!" Hibiki offered as an idea, but it was dismissed quickly.

Noll, unlike the others, was silent.

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Desmond finally said, turning to them. They stared at him, each upset in their own way. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't believe you could fend for yourselves without me. It's sad we aren't going to be with each other, yes. But we're still working towards a common goal. I expect you all to do your best, otherwise you'll be forced to help me research Caterpie's again."

All of them, even Noll, seemed terrified of the thought. Anything they had laid at their feet they quickly picked up, ready to go. They all shook a little, and soon enough, bolted off faster than most could keep track of.

"No! Anything but that!!"

Desmond chuckled at the sight. He knew it was more play than anything, but a little light-heartedness in these times was good for the soul. He turned back around, simply wishing them the best of luck. He waited for his name, expecting it'd come soon, considering the fact that the amount of people was dipping quite low now.

"Trainer Squad thirty-two. Desmond Ludwik. Aria Solais. Selena Artemis. Bell Tanos."

"Four?" Desmond said in surprise, quickly dismissing it. That'd be fine. Desmond liked smaller groups, anyways. He figured questioning it now would make him a hypocrite. He'd offer his assistance to these three, and hopefully they could work together. He simply nodded. "Yes sir." He said to the man, before following after his group. He wondered what his room would be like... Probably generic. That was fine, though. He expected it'd be a place he would only see rarely, considering he planned on figuring out multiple things outside. There was a lot of research to do.

Desmond had kept quiet, it was a mildly awkward trip to the room. it was just the fact he knew none of them and they were just put together to help fix this cause that was kind of weird, since he had an almost full group to begin with... Thinking about it wouldn't change it, so he just decided to roll with it and try to work with them the best he could.

Soon enough they reached the room, and he entered without a second thought. He was surprised, the place looked rather decent, he had to admit he liked it. He made his way over to one of the beds, and put his bag beside it, practically claiming it as his, though none of the beds seemed better than the others, so it wasn't like he was claiming the best one or something. He laid his umbrella down beside it, before turning and glancing around the room again. Well... There was one important thing to do tonight, he figured. Get to know the people he'd be working with.

'This is going to be a long month...'

[Krauxis]

She didn't have to wait in the rain long before she was approached by someone. She had been categorizing people silently in her head, and so far almost everyone had leaned towards 'Weak.' It made sense. The truly strong people were probably given special access. He would probably already be here, fighting and doing his best for humanity.

The person in front of her however.... Weak. An admonishment about the weather with pitying eyes. But Aria did not get the chance to respond, as she and the others around here were shepherded inside. It was closer to her objective, but the air was still tense. She almost liked it better in the rain, in the free air. However, as it was announced that they would be put into groups, Aria grimaced. She would not get to choose strong trainers... In the end, it had to be luck of the draw. Her name was called, along with three others, and they left down a hallway towards where they would be living. There was only one person she recognized, the girl from before. The others... Strong...? Not Strong...? The room was big enough for living in, but too small for a pokemon battle. Especially if they ended up being strong.

She knew what she had to do, but it didn't make it any easier. She had to speak with the people she would be living and fighting with. Speaking was not her strong suit, and she wanted to get to battle quickly, but it would be pointless right now, like tossing a pebble into a wave pool. No... speaking with the others was the way to make the most progress toward her goal.

"...I guess we'll be bunkmates. You'd better not leave me alone in this room after a day or two. If you're not strong, go home."

That... Didn't quite come out as planned. She wasn't going to make any friends with a speech like that. But her message got across, and the words were already out of her mouth. It would have to do.

Her clothes were soaked through, so she made her way over to the corner of the room where the beds were, set her pack down on the corner bed, and yanked her wet shirt off of her body. There wasn't much need for modesty in days like these, but she did at least have the decency to turn her back. She didn't have much in the way of changes of cloths, but she had at least thought to bring a towel. She patted herself down quickly with the towel and threw on a different, slightly dryer shirt and a new pair of socks. Her skirt was loose and wasn't going to stick to her body, so she didn't bother changing it. She quickly ran the towel over her hair and tossed the wet towel onto her bed with the rest of her stuff, pulling out just her pokeball belt and overlapping it with her actual belt she was wearing.

After everything had been sorted, Aria returned to the sitting area and, forgoing the couches and chairs, sat instead on the floor with her back against the wall. She was more used to cave living these days, and these modern comforts were nice, but she was not here to play. She needed to take this seriously if she was going to save the world.

[Bell]

A man came in not long after the four had to explain the situation. "Afternoon trainers. I'm just going to quickly brief you on the situation out here. I'm sure you are all wondering why the military had to call in civilian trainers like yourselves. Well it's simple really. This cult has an army of their own and many ancient weapons at their disposal practically made for the defense of that spire. We didn't want it to come to this, but it is what it is. We don't have the manpower on our own, so it has to be done. Now, you are squad thirty-two. You will work together and stick together on and off the battlefield. We are not however going to be using you as a military squad. Organized conflicts just turn into chaos out there, and we figure trainers like you would be better off making your own decisions anyways. It would be best if you pick a squad leader amongst yourselves. You will be heading out in the morning. From there you're free to fight as you wish. We don't have any specific objective yet other than defeat as many cultists as you can, and if possible gather information. How do we get into the spire, how do we stop it. Anything helps."

He looked around for a moment before clearing his throat. There is a battle room down the hall, first left, at the end of that hall. It's open to use at any time and can accommodate up to six battles at once. It's designed for squads to go against one another at the same time, but single trainer-on-trainer battles are encouraged too." He nodded before finishing. "Meals in the mess hall down the hall, end of the all on the first right. If you go back the way you came in there is an office behind the stage. The General is inside and can answer any questions you might have. Through the door directly at the end of this hall, well... only one place left. No-man's-land is beyond those doors, and a constant conflict. Stand strong, stand together, and be safe." He saluted them before turning, heading off to brief the next room of trainers.

Bell had taken a bed as secluded from the others as she could. No that she didn't like the or anything, she just wasn't used to people. She was honestly a little afraid of them. Strong trainers who had come to stop the end of the world, putting their lives on the line to protect everything they loved. Whatever their reason, Bell was there too... but she couldn't possibly compare to them. She was just an average trainer, with average Pokemon. She was afraid she would be dead before the sun went down the next day.

She pulled a Pokeball from her bag and opened it, releasing her Espeon. Her smallest Pokemon seemed suitable for the time being, so she wouldn't get in the way of others. Bell got up onto the bed and curled up, wrapping one arm around her knees while petting her Espeon with her free hand. She didn't seem to notice the others, distracted by her own thoughts.

[Todd Howard]

"...I guess we'll be bunkmates. You'd better not leave me alone in this room after a day or two. If you're not strong, go home."

'I'm sure some people will wish they could go home.' Desmond thought to himself, heeding the girl's message. He stayed silent, observing her for a moment. Her words were rough, but Desmond honestly hadn't taken offense to what she said. He instead figured it was a good thing he was a decent trainer, and that they'd be able to work together without much issue. He couldn't say that the others would get along with her, for that he could only pray.

His eyes widened for a moment, noticing she was starting to undress. Not a pervert by any means, Desmond turned his back to her, starring at the wall. His pupils shrunk, as the thought of what he just witnessed what enough to send a chill down his spine. 'This is... Awkward...' Awkward. Yes. Nothing more, nothing less. He waited patiently, though there was no indication she had finished. Hesitant, he took the smallest possible peek back and noticed her walking away, thankfully with a shirt on. He sighed in relief, deciding now would be a good time to perhaps say something.

Until a man came in.

Desmond listened to the man intently, and was fascinated. Ancient weapons? Such technology might be interested to take a look at... Finding some of those weapons could be helpful. He wondered if there were any undiscovered weapons that The End Cult hadn't found. If they were to get their hands on those weapons... They might prove to give them a chance at the spire. Those thoughts were for later though, for now he thought about something else. A squad leader. He knew this would somehow cause trouble, but an idea came to mind that made him smirk. That girl that had came off as rather rude had already proven herself to be very helpful, just with her words. He knew the perfect solution if an argument about the squad leader came up, but he'd get to that later if it was needed..

He watched as the man left, and the room became silent once more. He looked around at the team for a moment, before deciding it was time to try and at least try to make an introduction. "Well... Some introductions are surely in order, yes?" He removed his coat, placing it down onto his bed. He tugged slightly at the neck of his sweater, before continuing. "Suppose I'll start... My name is Desmond, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Simple, but good enough. He turned to Ms. Attempt to Be Rude, who was sitting against a wall, and kept a blank face. "I don't intend on going anywhere, so hopefully that's reassuring for you somewhat." He commented, pondering on what to say next for a moment.

Was it right to just spout out that he was a Champion? Desmond didn't think that was the way of going about it. Words probably didn't mean much to her, anyways. She'd want him to prove it, he figured. "Though on the topic of strength... My words mean nothing. I know that I'll have to prove myself in that regard, and I plan to do just that when I get the chance." He sat down on his bed, putting his elbows onto his legs, before resting his head onto his clenched fists. "But for tonight, maybe it'd be best for us to try and make a sort of plan for tomorrow. We don't have much to go on, I know, but I believe I have a decent suggestion. That man, he just mentioned our enemies having ancient weapons. Since our current mission is mainly to try and gather information, as well as defeat these cultists... I suggest we look for some of this ancient weaponry. It could help out in the war effort a lot if we brought back something usable, don't you all agree?"

He glanced down at the floor. "Of course, it won't be easy. The cultists may be holding some of this ancient weaponry, and I'm certain they'll fight until their dying breathes to keep it from us... But recovering it is a smart move. We may want to keep a look out around where we travel as well, because they could possibly have... Hidden caches of sorts. Would be good if we found something without much conflict, but if we have to fight, we will."

Finally done, he sat there silently, not having much else to say for the moment. He simply hoped they could all work together, otherwise they'd have problems. Especially since they were down two people as it was.

'I wish you were here to lend us your social skills, father...'

[Sloth]

'Why on Earth did we take a boat?'

This was the thought that floated in and out of one Rian Ivers' mind as he sat uneasily on one of the couches below deck of the S.S. Tidal. Hoenn had spared no expense it seemed, using a normal transport ferry as a military vessel, though the logic behind it was sound enough, Rian couldn't help but feel nervous as another wave crashed into the side of the ship, causing some crewmen and volunteers to either shout out incoherently or shrink into the fetal position and whimper to themselves. It was bad enough the engine had failed to start when they first left Slateport, which in itself was an ill omen, now they had seemingly run into the eye of a hurricane. They'd left almost half a week ago and were apparently nearly an hour behind schedule.

"What's wrong Ivers? Feeling a little seasick?" a sailor gave the trainer a smug grin and Rian returned the favor by letting his head fall back into the back of the couch with a groan. "We're coming to port right now, don't be fussy." the seaman went back to his duties after a less than polite gesture from the teenager he was ridiculing. Rian let the world move around him for a few seconds, volunteers were hastily receiving their bags and pokeballs and other such things. Rian would've been doing the same, if he wasn't already certain they were packed and prepared. Speaking of which, they should've already arrived by now.

"I took the liberty of getting your things. We can't have you stuck on an island with only one pair of clothes." as if on cue, a large pink behemoth with a shell for a crown sluggishly took his place in front of the youngest passenger of the Tidal, meticulously snapping the handle on his trainer's suitcase back down. Rian didn't even need to open his eyes to feel the gazes of his peers shift to his glorified butler. "I'm beginning to think you do this on purpose." Solomon's voice rung deeply throughout the cabin, and the Slowking began to poke Rian's leg with his foot to make sure he was awake.

"It's your fault for doing it in the first place." they might've only been together for about three and a half years, but Rian and Solomon could pass for a Trainer-Pokemon duo that'd been together for decades.

Before his companion could make a response, the captain's voice took over the loudspeaker and informed them of their arrival. Even amplified, Rian almost couldn't hear the announcement over the crashing of clouds and tumbling of waves. As much as he tried to "blend in" with the crowd as they all too quickly made their way off of the ship, having a Slowking for an escort drew a little too much attention for Rian's liking, even if he did have his hood up and his head down in the torrent of rain. Always better not to be a famous face, especially in times like this. Apparently the Tidal had arrived some forty-five minutes late, and its passengers were directed, one could even say stampeded, to the main building on the landing site. No single group from Hoenn was lucky enough to get their own quarters, everyone was told to essentially go door to door looking for a spare spot to call home.

Luckily, Rian maneuvered his way through the crowd and found his way to the furthermost point down the hall the Hoenn trainers had been navigating. "Room 32..." It took Solomon nearly a minute to find him, and any attempt at subtlety was lost when he came rumbling down the complex. No words needed to be spoken as Rian turned the knob into the unknown, conceding a silent prayer for there not to be too many people within. Much to his chagrin, he walked in on a few odd fellows still unpacking and making their arrangements. What happened next was probably considered rude, but Rian really didn't want to have to search for a new room, so he simply kicked off his slowpoke pink shoes, un-zipped similarly colored hoodie, gave the group a courtesy wave and dropped himself onto the couch.

"Are you sure this is where we're suppose-" Solomon silenced himself when he finally fit his head under the doorway, dreadfully looking back and forth in-between who was going to be Rian's bunk-mates for the next........however long this thing was supposed to take.

"Of course I'm sure!" Rian saw an opportunity to break the ice, so to speak. "Please forgive the Slowking, he's got the manners of a brigand and only a slightly larger intellect."

[Bell]

Bell sat silently for a while before reaching into her bag and pulling out a piece of paper. "I... have something. I took this from my families library, my father had notes on the spire for some reason. It says here that the weapons aren't intended as weapons at all, but to defend the tower from intruders. I guess, whatever the weapons are the cult is using them as weapons when they weren't meant to be used as such. My father believed that the weapons were magical devices such as a storm machine or an invisible barrier." She went quiet again, staring at the paper.

"If that's true, and I'm not saying it is because I don't have anything to support it, then the storm on this island is being caused by a machine that the cult controls. And they have other things like invisible barriers that, well... I don't know what that does. Maybe it stops us from getting in, or maybe it's supposed to make things invisible. I guess it isn't working if it is"

Thunder struck and what little could be seen outside soon disappeared in a mix of fog, heavy rain, and darkness. The clouds rain and fog were literally blocking out the sun. "How do you think fire and rock Pokemon are supposed to fight in a storm like this? I mean.. the rain would stop them wouldn't it?" She seemed to completely change the subject from the weapons, now more concerned about her Delphox. "I guess water and grass Pokemon love it though."

It was a good question. How were rock and fire Pokemon expected to fight? Some trainers had teams exclusively made up of those two types. Those trainers may not be able to fight. Unless there was something they hadn't been told. "Maybe we won' be fighting out int he open. Like in tunnels underground or something." She figured that was the most likely. That they had come up with a way to fight out of the storm, or that there was already a way. "Oh! I know, the land around the spire... it's covered in deep trenches and really high cliffs. I bet the rain doesn't fall all the way down into them. "With the wind blowing so hard, the rain falls almost to the side. So it wouldn't be able to get down inside the trenches." She went silent again, figuring she was ranting about things the others might not care about. One way or another they would find out when they got there.

[Krauxis]

Weird. It was weird that the other girl knew anything about these supposedly ancient weapons. Very weird. Super weird.

It didn't bother Aria so much, but it did send alarm bells off in her head. Aside from the quiet girl's musings, she seemed to not be particularly interested in the introductions that Desmond had started, which had now been interrupted twice if you counted the newcomer barging into the room. Aria herself had shrugged off the latter occurrence. It wasn't like it was her room. People could do what they wanted with it.

"I guess it would be best if we had something to call each other. My name is Aria. If nobody's in a hurry to die or run away, then I hope we'll all get along. However, I'm here to fight, so if you're not strong, you should leave the fighting to the people that are."

That was the second time that she had failed at trying to give a polite warning. Of course she just sounded condescending this time. She didn't mean to imply that people who weren't good at fighting were useless. Everyone had strengths and weaknesses, and Aria wasn't so naive to think otherwise. "Please don't die! is what she screamed in her head, but her words failed her.

...Whatever, it would have to do. Friends were made with time, and first impressions only meant so much. There was much struggling to do still, and they would be allies whether they wanted to or not.

Thinking about strategy, Aria would definitely be more useful if they were fighting indoors or underground. Her pokemon's solid defenses gave her the advantage in tight quarters over smaller and more mobile birds or the like.

"I'll reserve judgment until we fight for real. I'd like to know everyone else's names, until that point. Especially this one," she finally turned to eye up the newcomer. He had a slowking with him, and quite honestly the two seemed like a matched pair. "You weren't sent in with the group. Are you military?"

[Todd Howard]

"Oh?" Desmond curiously stared at Bell, or at least the paper she was holding. So the weapons were meant to protect the tower? That was positive, and negative. They wouldn't probably see anything used in direct combat, but these defensive weapons could possibly halt their assault if something was left undiscovered. He was amazed by the thought of a machine causing the storms... Such power and technological genius! But now wasn't the time to be excited about it, he'd have to save that for another day. Something else concerned him, and that was where this information came from.

'How did that man know about this place? If it was news to so many trainers, and even the stronger forces of the world... How did he have that information? Knowledge of The Tower's defenses? I shouldn't make any hasty assumptions, and I absolutely cannot speak in front of her about the negative possibilities. I really can't speak to anyone... They might reveal my thoughts and inflict a wound in this already fragile group. Keeping my feelings to myself... Guess some things never truly change, do they?'

"Well... This information is most certainly helpful, if it's true. We have nothing else to go on as of now, but being cautious out in the field will still be necessary, most certainly." He said, not expressing his inner thoughts in the slightest. Doing so could have a truly devastating outcome as far as keeping together as a team went.

Desmond's attention went away from the ancient weapons, and to Aria. Her words were certainly strait-forward, and that was acceptable... Somewhat. Though it probably wouldn't sit too well with everyone, he continued trying to stay neutral with the group and avoid hostility.

Of course, then another man came through the door. Desmond knew that he was going to strongly dislike this lack of privacy, but decided to suck it up and complain about it after he knew he'd have a life where privacy was important again. This one was certainly... Different. He appeared young, younger than the others, even. He looked barely older than Noll. He had a Pokemon already released to travel alongside him, it seemed. A Slowking. Desmond had swore he heard another voice before the duo entered, but maybe that was just somebody in the hall? Well... Whatever.

Desmond shared Aria's curiosity about the newcomer, though dispelled the thought of him being military. The way he was dressed just didn't seem fitting. It wasn't really anything Desmond was concerned with, though. The comment on his Slowking was obviously wrong, they were Pokemon known for their tremendous intelligence and intuition, he highly doubted that he himself was smarter than it was.

"Military or not," Desmond chipped in, as he began digging in his bag. "It's good to have another person on board, considering our lower numbers compared to other groups." Pulling out a framed picture, Desmond stared at it for a moment. It was a photo of him back when he was only a child, at the age of twelve. It was taken on the same day his father had given him little Fluff. In it was Desmond and Fluff, of course, along with his father, mother, and aunt. They had a small family, but that was always fine as far as Desmond was concerned. His father had many friends that considered him family, and that made him feel welcomed whenever he was in his region. He put the picture on a small nightstand that was beside his bed, before speaking once more to introduce himself to the young newcomer, considering he was a tad late to the introductions. Plus it was usually polite to give your own name before asking for somebody else's.

"The name's Desmond. You came just in time, as we were just all partaking in introducing ourselves."

[Bell]

Bell sat silently for a while before carefully folding the note paper and putting it away. "My name is Bell. Tanos..." The name Tanos was known to most people. At least, it was in the Kalos region. She was the equivalent of nobility there, and highly respected by pretty much everyone. It was just the name though... most people didn't know a 'Bell' Tanos. They just knew the Tanos name. When people thought of the Tanos family, they pictured a man, a woman, and their daughter. Nobody ever really attached a name to the daughter. She was alright with that though.

She looked at Aria, considering her statement. "What do you consider strong and weak? I'm sure we all have something we can do to help the group. If you go out there looking down on everyone else as weak or a burden to you, well... that won't help you very much."

She looked around for a moment before clearing her throat. "Maybe we should also share what our Pokemon are? So we know what to expect from each other in battle. I have Espeon here, Absol, Delphox, Gardevoir, and two Lucarios." She looked at the others, hoping that her suggestion was alright. After all, knowing each other was one thing, knowing what Pokemon they would have fighting for them was another. It would better help them decide which Pokemon would battle beside the other trainer's. "I don't know how Delphox will fight in the rain though. All the others should be fine, but Delphox is fire so she'll get hurt in the rain."

[Sloth]

Rian couldn't help but feel awkward when his new group shifted their gazes onto him, causing him to slightly tilt his head to the side when the only person of similar height to himself confused him for military personnel. He could feel Solomon fidgeting behind him. With a slight nod in the direction of one of the mattresses, Solomon awkwardly maneuvered around the group while simultaneously giving each of them a curt bow and an "Excuse me" or "Pardon me". Rian couldn't help but feel he'd walked in on some kind of conversation. Before he had an opportunity to respond to Aria, the one Rian interpreted to be the oldest amongst them approached him. Despite the introduction, Rian couldn't help but think he knew the man from somewhere. Maybe it was the clothes or the white hair, he'd seen them somewhere else. The answer hit him like a boulder when Desmond revealed his name.

"Ludwik." Rian allowed himself a smirk. "You, I've heard of." he would've continued, but he leaned to the side to look towards the females of the squad. "You....not so much." the lazy sound of his voice would probably offend Aria and the newly introduced Bell. The name Tanos didn't mean much in Hoenn, maybe they had business in Lilycove City? That didn't matter at present. He did give thought to her Pokemon team however, it sounded odd, to say the least, if not entirely girly outside of the two Lucario. "My name's Rian Ivers. Not a name I expect any of you to recognize." after all, he hadn't climbed Mount Battle or conquered a region outside of Hoenn, and his home region's being essentially a collection of large islands off the coast of Johto and virtually isolated from the rest of the world probably didn't help. Moving himself next to his Slowking by a mattress on the Eastern side of the room, Rian slung his messenger bag off of his shoulder, taking a couple of seconds to scour its contents for the most recent picture he could find, tossing it onto the table before collapsing onto the couch.

"There you see me, that dunderhead." He pointed a thumb back at the Slowking that nobody other than him knew the name of yet, who reciprocated with a huff through his nose before continuing to unpack Rian's things as was customary for the pair. "His brother, Max, Slaking, and X-Ray." he moved his finger from Pokemon to Pokemon as he said their names. He didn't give the picture too much thought, it was him, his Luxray sitting in his lap with Rian leaning his head to the side as to actually be visible, Solomon and Sam standing at either side of his shoulders, with his Slaking and Snorlax towering above them all behind him. The logistics of the photograph were a nightmare, he remembered. "Hopefully my team meets the minimum requirements for everyone's approval."

[Todd Howard]

"Really?" Desmond was actually somewhat surprised by what Rian had said, and couldn't help but crack a smile. "Huh... Seems I'm known a little more than I thought." He said, both as a note to himself, and a response to Rian. Though his comment towards the others was perhaps a sign he could be more blunt than Aria, proving to Desmond that he certainly ended up in a colorful group. Though this situation they were currently in was serious, he felt they would bring him some relief in the coming days, if they were still around. More thoughts about the future... As if he didn't have enough of those already.

Noting the teams of those around him, one name caught him off guard; Delphox. He hadn't ever heard of it before, whatever it was. He wasn't too surprised by this, he hadn't exactly traveled all the regions, there were still plenty of Pokemon he'd never seen before. Though out of those mentioned, that had been the only one currently close-by. Overall, both Bell and Rian seemed to have powerful teams. He kept the thought in his mind about challenging them to a battle or two in the future. He figured it'd be good for keeping him sharp.

"Impressive." Was all he could really say in response to the teams. He figured it was his turn, and wasn't going to pass on telling them about the Pokemon he considered to be his best friends. "It's not a bad idea to familiarize ourselves with each-other's Pokemon."

After taking a moment to think about how to explain his colorful little family, he continued. "So, my team, huh... Hmm. I suppose I could say a little about them. There's Hectic, my Heracross. She's pretty strait-forward, I guess. Her temper can sometimes get the better of her, but usually she can keep herself under control. I am a tad worried about her trying to fly in this weather, and sadly she isn't very fast when moving on the ground, so I suppose she's a bit limited in the way of speed."

"Next is Raph, my Crobat. Again, I'm worried about the flying conditions around here. Especially giving he is such a light-weighted Pokemon. Though he's taught me about doubting him before, I'd rather not take chances until the weather is more calm. After Raph, there's Psyches. He's a Wigglytuff, and quite, eh... A funny one, you could say. I honestly can't tell you what to expect from him, because he tends to always find something creative to do in battle. Sometimes even I don't have a clue what he's doing." Desmond glanced downwards in concern, wondering how Psyches would deal with the storm. He figured the big guy would just shrug it off, but Desmond was ever-so cautious about that Wigglytuff's condition.

"Tress, my Nidoqueen, is rather strong physically. I can't count the number of times she has impressed me, or the amount of times she's aided me in tending to any of the others when they got hurt while we were travelling. I believe soon enough she'll be trying to be a motherly figure for everyone, heh." He chuckled, loving Tress' caring nature. Their interests were one in the same, they both liked seeing Pokemon properly cared for, and that had allowed them to build a strong bond over the years.

"Of course, Smog, my own Fire-Type, is a Magcargo. I am certain he will not be battling outdoors, but his body may be helpful if we were to encounter any caves, as he could serve as both a light and heat source. Honestly he'd probably be content with that, instead of battling..."

That was five. Leaving one. He felt happy to have left her for last. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Pokeball, glancing at it. "Last, but not least..." He pointed the Pokeball towards the center of the room, allowing the Pokemon inside to come out in that nostalgic white beam of light. It formed into a rather tall figure, before completely revealing his Ampharos. She flexed her arms, revealing the pink bow on her rather long neck more openly as electricity crackled inside the red orb in it's forehead, and it let out a cry that just expressed that it was ready for anything.

"She doesn't have any wool on her body like when she was a Flaffy, but her name stayed the same. Meet Fluff, my Ampharos." Desmond said, watching as Fluff calmed down somewhat, looking around. She scanned over the group, and observed the Pokemon that could possibly be opponents later. Noting that the Slowking and Espeon could perhaps be some decent competition, she lowered her arms and nodded in a respectful manner, though she kept a confident look on her face. The electricity faded from the red orb on her forehead, further expressing she was calming down. That being said, she'd be willing to ruin the entire room in a battle at any moment if given a good enough chance.

[Krauxis]

Aria humbly nodded her head towards Bell. Of course, the other girl echoes what was going on in Aria's own head. But she wasn't about to double back and explain herself. It would just be a waste of time. For a moment, she allowed herself to not think very fondly of the girl, but dismissed that feeling for now.

However, when pokemon were brought up, it was a different story. Aria's eyes shone brightly as Bell mentioned her two Lucarios, and she felt a little jealous. Suddenly it seemed okay to want to be the other girl's best friend, and all was forgiven.

She listened patiently when everyone else talked about their teams. People could go on at great length about their trusted partners, she knew all too well, and it was best to be respectful when they were talking. Internally, she ran simulations of battling with each of them, who would be the best to send out with whom, who could cover her weaknesses and add to her strengths. She was fairly satisfied by the results she was coming up with, but on an actual battlefield, simulations could be shattered quickly and easily. Here, now, was not the time or place to bring them up.

"Which... leaves me I suppose? Hm... well, perhaps it's not as special and unique as some, but you can count on my team to watch your back. We're a sturdy bunch." Since it seemed appropriate to let a pokemon or two out of their balls, she casually tossed an ultra ball onto the floor, and out came her familiar partner, in all her knee-high glory.

"This is Titania, my Mawile. She is my most trusted friend. She shouldn't bite you unless you threaten her, but I'd be careful. I'll tell you that if you already dislike me, you'll have the same problem with her. And unlike Titania, I don't hit like a truck loaded full of bricks." Noticing she was being talked about, the little creature puffed out her rather unimpressive chest and snapped her jaws a few times for show.

"...Idiot. You're not impressing anybody. Anyway, as for the rest, I have Steven the Metagross and Sterling the Skarmory who flew me in. They're tougher than any other pokemon I've ever seen. They won't die, no matter what. You can count on them.

"Next is Neige, my Froslass, and Krieg the Scolipede, and rounding out this group is Gardevoir. I don't think I'll talk about them right now, but they'll come out if I need them to... but watch your back around Gardevoir... don't trust her, whatever you do."

As far as team synergy, it was fairly obvious that she meshed well with Bell. They both had a Gardevoir, and her pokemon were geared towards offense rather than defense. They would balance out well together. Rian's pokemon were more balanced, but it was hard for Aria to say how well they might fight together. Desmond's pokemon were a well-balanced team on their own, and again, it was hard to say what sort of chemistry he might have with the others, but he seemed to be making a concerted effort to introduce some team spirit to the group, which is more than Aria could say for herself.

They were a motley crew, and since they each had at least one pokemon out, it was hard to resist the temptation of a battle, but Aria herself stayed quiet. She and Titania were the stoic type, and it was far easier to leave the talking up to everyone else. Just introducing her team was more socializing than she had done in over a month, and it had worn her down.

[Bell]

Bell seemed to sense the tension in the room, both for the coming battle and the desire for a more official trainer battle. At the very least a few of the Pokemon seemed ready to show off. "Why don't we go to the training room and have a couple battles? Then we can see first hand what each other can do. I doubt anyone else has gone there yes." By the sounds they could hear in the hall, nobody had left their rooms since entering. The training area was likely open if it didn't have people from elsewhere in the building.

"The Pokemon seem a bit restless. It might be good for them to battle and use up some of their energy. Since the others had larger Pokemon out, Bell returned Espeon to her ball before opening two others. In the usual flash of light, two Lucarios appeared. They looked around the room slowly, inspecting the other trainers and the Pokemon that were out.

One crossed his arms, and very clearly made a "hmm." Sound. An odd sound for any Pokemon to make. They stood by Bell's bed like guards for a Queen. Of course she was far from it, and they were mostly just standing where they had been released to. They looked at each other, and then at the Slowking. Their intentions weren't really clear, but they seemed interested in Solomon nonetheless.

"So, shall we go or... Maybe do something else? I think we should try and prepare in some way. Just sitting here doing nothing feels so awkward..." She rubbed the back of her neck slowly, unsure of what they could reLly do beyond a battle... Or dinner.

[Todd Howard]

'Another interesting team.' Desmond thought, most interested in Aria's Skarmory. It'd been awhile since he last saw one, and he wondered how this one was being cared for. He was sure it was being treated fairly, Aria didn't seem like a bad person, so he assumed that it'd be looking powerful and quite healthy. He observed the Mawile as it was released, finding how she was acting to be quite amusing. It reminded him of Fluff, in a way.

Speaking of Fluff, the Ampharos was staring at the newly released Pokemon and began craving battle more with her attempts to look threatening. Though size didn't truly matter to the Ampharos, she learned not to judge Pokemon on size after the Smoochum incident from quite a few years ago that left her frozen solid for two days. Shaking her head to try and dispel those embarrassing thoughts. She perked up when she heard Bell's suggestion, instantly turning to Desmond and starring down at him with a determined look, her shadow overtaking him as he stared up with smaller than average pupils.

"Uh..." Desmond covered his mouth with a fist and coughed awkwardly. "That sounds like a brilliant idea, Bell. A sparring match or two wouldn't hurt-"

With a loud cry of joy, his Ampharos grabbed him tightly and picked him up easily, spinning around and jumping with joy at his agreement, until she realized that this was perhaps not the best time to embarrass Desmond with so much affection. Though that didn't mean she wasn't going to do it at all. She stopped about half a minute or so, and dropped him down onto the bed, leaving him dizzy, and ready to puke if the room didn't stop spinning soon.

"As... I was trying to say..." He slowly sat up, the room around him still spinning. It slowly began to stop as he continued. "Th-That's a brilliant idea. Though I have to say being indoors is quite restricting, as Tress could possibly cause the area above us to fall if she ends up getting too rowdy... Perhaps sticking to just a few Pokemon during these battles would be a good idea for the time being, as I'm sure none of you would want to have her hold back, and going outside at the moment would only get us sick, I bet."

Fluff plopped down on her backside in front of the bed, waiting to see what happened. She wondered who her opponent would be. There were certainly a lot of possibilities, and she began thinking about each one. They all made her more anxious to fight, as she poked Desmond's leg and gave him a begging expression. Desmond simply rolled his eyes, before digging into his bag and pulling out a Petaya Berry, handing it over to Fluff. She accepted it happily, and began taking mild bites out of it. She thought about things better while eating... Or maybe that was just an excuse to eat? Nobody could know for sure.

[Krauxis]

Aria couldn't help but get a little excited, her vague emotion translating to a cocky grin on the face of Titania. Finally, she'd get to see how strong her comrades were. It was an important detail for somebody about to go off to war. Trainers didn't use their own bodies to battle, but it wasn't out of the question in this scenario. Most of the battling, however, would be done by her pokemon. She couldn't break boulders or fly in the sky, after all, but her pokemon could.

"Indoors or outdoors is fine with me. My pokemon don't mind the weather." Steel pokemon could weather even a sandstorm or hail, and rain meant that fire pokemon wouldn't do as well, so they had an advantage in the rain, too. In truth, a bright and sunny day was the worst outcome for a steel type.

"As long as we're careful, we can probably work something out." Steven and Sterling were both out of commission if they had to worry about bringing a small room down on their heads, but the rest of her pokemon were feasible.

As the tiny Mawile looked up at her expectantly, they shared a look, and as though through telepathy, the both of them started to move. "This isn't really my strong suit, talking to people, so I'm going to head to the training room. If you guys need to prepare, I'll meet you there. You should decide," Aria continued with a dark look, "whether or not we'll stick to League rules for this."

It didn't matter to her either way, but it was just up to whether they wanted to enjoy one last vestige of the reglated lives they lived before, or whether they wanted to prepare for the coming chaos. As she exited the room quietly, slipping down the hall to where she had been directed toward the battle room, her mood darkened a little more. It was far too possible for any of their beloved teams to be lost in this battle. She hoped that her allies were as prepared for that as she was... or thought she was.