(ELITE) The DRAGONSPIRAL Team

Drake clapped his hands together and grinned as he stepped up onto the pillar. Finally they were moving on; finally he could see the rest of the tower; finally--

"Why exactly are you going first? It sounds like a terrible idea to--"

THREE STEPS. Drake could've thrown a tantrum right there and then like a gigantic toddler. I'VE GONE THREE DAMN STEPS AND WE'VE STOPPED AGAIN.

"--send one of the largest two people across a perilous, narrow path without knowing if it is even stable first. One would think you'd have caught that Gramps."

Iris slapped a hand over her mouth and ducked behind one of the pillars, looking mortified. Drake frowned at her; why was she acting like that? She did have a point; Drayden was even burlier than he was, and easily the heaviest out of all of them. So why did she look so ... ashamed, for lack of better word?

"Iris, sweetheart, come out," Shauntal coaxed gently. Drake slid his hands into his pockets and watched them all puzzle, feeling just as bemused himself. "There was nothing wrong with your question."

"Aye, made sense to me," Drake said, trying to be a little more than a confused bystander. "We haven't even started yet; we can change the formation in a heartbeat."

"Why is she so scared of sassing you?"

"I-I don't... know..." Even Drayden didn't know. "Iris?" He tried to peer around Lorelei to get to her, but the woman stood like a hugely irritating iceberg right in his way. Drake scowled at her.

"Just come out, lass," he said, trying to sound gentle despite his irritation. "Nobody is angry with you."

"Iris, sweetheart, come out."

She could hear Shauntal calling for her but all she could do was continuously shake her head and keep her hand over her mouth with her eyes squeezed shut. Maybe if she just pretended that it didn't happen it would all go away. "Why is she so scared of sassing you?" Miss Lorelei's voice was angry, but in her panic Iris couldn't seem to understand that the anger wasn't directed at her, causing her to whimper behind her hand.

"I-I don't... know..." Oh how she just wanted this to be over! Why couldn't she turn back time and make it so she never left the League? Why did she have to chase Grandpa all the way out here? "Iris?" The weight crushing her chest doubled at the call of her name. "Just come out, lass," Uncle Drake called out, adding to her fears. "Nobody is angry with you." Lies, lies, they had to be.

"I'm sorry!" she called out desperately, still hiding behind her pillar. "I didn't mean it! Honest! I know better than to talk back, I'm not that girl anymore I swear! Please...I'm sorry...." Gau began to panic at the volume of Iris's voice, worried that it might attract something they hadn't seen. He began to hover above the group to keep lookout as they attempted to calm his trainer's panic attack. "You told me that good girls don't do that...I was sent away because I wasn't good. Please don't send me away...I won't do it again..."

Shauntal watched, her eyes searching the pillar that Iris was hidden behind with a sorrowful expression. "Why is she so scared of sassing you?" Turning to look at Drayden, Shauntal searched the dragon tamer's face for any indication as to what happened to the strong, adamant and independent girl she'd known as her Champion. What had happened to the poor girl?

"I-I don't... know..." Even Drayden it seemed, was at loss as to why Iris was acting this way. She didn't see any reasons why she'd be hiding like this. It was a fair reasoning, and certainly not something that should have brought on this reaction. It'd make a lot more sense for someone such as Iris herself, Shauntal or Lorelei to go first, since the three of them were lighter than Drake or Drayden.

"Iris?" Taking a step back to sit down on a pillar, Shauntal clasped her hands together on her lap, staring down at the gloved hands as she thought hard as to why Iris was acting this way.

Try as hard as she might, she could not figure out why the door girl had reacted so severely.

"Just come out, lass," Shauntal looked up as Drake spoke. "Nobody is angry with you." Well, that was true. Most of them were just confused as to why the poor girl has reacted that severely to a simple statement.

"I'm sorry!" The desperation in Iris's voice twisted Shauntal's heart, the ghost trainer's expression softened into one of saddened concern.

"I didn't mean it! Honest! I know better than to talk back, I'm not that girl anymore I swear! Please...I'm sorry...." Iris's voice was beginning to climb higher in volume, causing Shauntal to dig a hand into her bag pre-emptively, in case something jumped out. With all the noise, another ghost or undead was sure to hear them.

"You told me that good girls don't do that...I was sent away because I wasn't good. Please don't send me away...I won't do it again..."

Sent... Away?

Shauntal leg go of Froslass's Pokeball, standing up and walking up to Drayden, her eyes shining with a slight hardness to them, but they were more questioning than anything. "What does she mean, 'sent away'?" Shauntal made sure to put extra emphasis on the words sent away. If they could get that out of him, maybe that will explain why Iris acted this way.

"Just come out, lass," Drayden felt himself at a complete loss as his student and former Champion had a small mental breakdown in front of him, even as the others tried to calm her. "Nobody is angry with you." Why was she acting like this? He chanced glancing down, and though the others seemed to be looking in Iris' direction, Lorelei's icy glare was levied straight at him.

"I'm sorry!" Iris cried, her panic causing her volume to steadily climb. "I didn't mean it! Honest! I know better than to talk back, I'm not that girl anymore I swear! Please...I'm sorry...." Speechless, Drayden could only helplessly stand there and watch as the young girl continued to crumble. "You told me that good girls don't do that...I was sent away because I wasn't good. Please don't send me away...I won't do it again..."

Drayden's memory clicked and his heart broke for the young woman. Her clan had essentially tossed her away, shoved her onto Drayden for safekeeping because she'd been too wild to control. Still, the others watched him with suspicion. "What does she mean, 'sent away'?"

The older Dragon master didn't really like divulging a sensitive part of Iris' past to them, especially while they were on the verge of being in peril. He shook his head and gently moved them out of his way as he made his way to Iris, going down to one knee and holding out his hand for her to take. "I'm not going to send you away, Iris," he gently spoke, his eyes searching her face. "I'm not like them. Remember? Now come on-- please. We have to keep moving. Remember where you are right now. What we're facing. What we're trying to do. Please. I need you here with me, Iris."

Legends above, let her calm down...

"I'm sorry!" Iris squeaked from behind her pillar. "I didn't mean it! Honest! I know better than to talk back, I'm not that girl anymore I swear! Please...I'm sorry...." Drake heaved a sad sigh; he knew what she was talking about. He could remember reading Drayden's letter about the whole ordeal. "You told me that good girls don't do that...I was sent away because I wasn't good. Please don't send me away...I won't do it again..."

Shauntal asked what she meant by 'sent away', but Drayden ignored her, edging his way through them to reach the panicking young girl. "I'm not going to send you away, Iris. I'm not like them. Remember? Now come on-- please. We have to keep moving. Remember where you are right now. What we're facing. What we're trying to do. Please. I need you here with me, Iris."

Drake nodded, unable to agree more. "You're one of the finest Trainers I know, Iris," he said, every word the truth. Despite her young age, she had deserved the title of Champion in every way. "And you're one of the sweetest, purest people I've ever met. That clan of yours had no idea what it was doing. Bunch of idiots, if you ask me, to cast off someone like you."

Aveline curled around the feet of her newest trainer, paws gently stroking at her leg to try and comfort the panicking girl. Gau kept his vigilant watch over the group as Drayden moved around to try and get to his ward much to the small Eevee's displeasure. She didn't know Drayden well yet and let out a low growl as the older man approached, fur beginning to bristle as she moved to protect Iris from the man who made her cry so terribly, but an approval chirp from Gau made her back off. He knew the pair better than she, but if he made Iris cry any more she was going to go straight for the ankles.

Iris's hand covered her mouth as she tried to fight back her over-loud weeping, eyes searching Drayden's as he came to kneel before her hand outstretched. "I'm not going to send you away, Iris," he began softly, not tearing his gaze from hers. "I'm not like them. Remember? Now come on-- please. We have to keep moving. Remember where you are right now. What we're facing. What we're trying to do. Please. I need you here with me, Iris." She struggled internally to try and make sense of his words but for a few moments it was like hearing them on delay, his mouth moving silently and the words coming much later. But eventually they started to absorb.

Grandpa was right, as usual. She knew he wasn't like the people of her birthplace who so callously sent her away for being uncontrollable. She had found a true home in Drayden's care, someone who believed her ability to speak to dragons, and with that careful guidance she had actually learned to be an accomplished trainer. But now, with the world crumbling around them and her unable to do anything about it, how was she supposed to useful to him? Burden's couldn't be shouldered in these times any longer so what else was there for her to believe? Despite her accomplishments as a trainer she was still just a child to him, a burden, so if she wanted to stay she had to behave like one. ...Right?

"You're one of the finest Trainers I know, Iris," Drake's voice cut through her disbelief and she tore her gaze away from Drayden momentarily to look at the other older male in her life. "And you're one of the sweetest, purest people I've ever met. That clan of yours had no idea what it was doing. Bunch of idiots, if you ask me, to cast off someone like you." Could they both truly hold her in such high regard despite always screwing up? Even as a Champion she had failed, letting the country fall to ruin as they struggled to secure the League. So many people had died and she had done nothing to help beyond hide away in her tower.

"Grandpa..." her muffled voice wavered, hand trembling as it still covered her weeping expression. "Uncle Drake.... I-I don't..." She broke down and dropped into Drayden's arms, sobbing into his shoulder as she sought comfort in the only family she had ever truly known. Maybe he did think her a burden, but so what. She had followed him all the way out here because she didn't want to lose him so she couldn't just give up now. Even if he did send her away eventually she had him now and that was what mattered.

"Grandpa...Uncle Drake.... I-I don't..." Iris fell into Drayden's arms, letting out all of her buried emotions as she wept. Drake hated it, seeing her cry like that. He wanted to scoop her up into his own hug and tell her just what a credit she had been to Drayden's life, and how grateful he was to her for being there when he couldn't be.

The Dragon Master was so absorbed by his own thoughts and memories that he did not notice the pair of eyes leering at him from behind one of the pillars. A badly bloodied Elgyem floated out, and lumbered its way towards him.

Drake saw it a moment too late. His hand lurched towards his scimitar just as the alien-like Pokemon latched onto his arm. He reached out the other towards Drayden's back, inhaling to cry out for help, as the magnificent room around him span into blackness as the Teleport carried him away.

Shauntal was quiet as she watched Drayden talk to Iris, her hands resting on her chest as she watched with a worried gaze. What had happened to the poor girl, to make her act like this? She couldn't fathom it.

"I'm not going to send you away, Iris," She was so confused. What happened to Iris, what happened to her that made the poor girl relapse into this? It pained Shauntal to watch this, and she looked over to the door that they had to move over to to continue on. She wasn't sure what Drayden was doing here, and in hindsight, perhaps she should've asked. She decided to ask later on, once this thing with Iris had smoothed over. "I'm not like them. Remember? Now come on-- please. We have to keep moving. Remember where you are right now. What we're facing. What we're trying to do. Please. I need you here with me, Iris."

There were so many questions swimming in the Elite Trainer's mind as she watched. Like who? Who had cast out this wonderful exuberant mind? Who tossed dear Iris away? Shauntal sighed quietly, looking back at Drayden and Iris, glad to see the young girl was finally looking to be calming down. That was good. "You're one of the finest Trainers I know, Iris," when Drake paused, Shauntal looked up at him with a smile, listening to him speak to Iris. "And you're one of the sweetest, purest people I've ever met. That clan of yours had no idea what it was doing. Bunch of idiots, if you ask me, to cast off someone like you."

A clan..? God this was getting more confusing by the second. So, from what she's heard, Iris was in a clan, that cast her out for some reason that if Shauntal had to guess, had something to do with why she reacted this way to responding back to Drayden in the first place. "Grandpa..." Shauntal breathed a sigh of relief. At least Iris had quietened down now. That was nerve wracking - who knows what could've happened if something had heard them.

In the back of her mind, a niggling voice told Shauntal that it still wasn't over, that they weren't out of the woods yet. Something could of heard them, but wasn't about to attack them just yet. That fact made the Ghost Trainer look around, scrutinizing each and every shadow for anything that looked like movement.

"Uncle Drake.... I-I don't..." Shauntal's heart went out for the poor girl, her expression softening as she watched the poor girl broke down in Drayden's arms. Shauntal looked up at Drayden, adjusting her glasses to look at the Gym Leader.

"Drayden, I understand you want to keep moving, but should we wait here for a little bit, just until Iris can calm down?" She offered the option to stay for a little moment, more for Iris's sake. Shauntal didn't want to move the girl like this. She would need a moment to calm down before they moved.

"You're one of the finest Trainers I know, Iris." Drayden offered a relieved smile to his old friend; despite his sometimes brash nature, Drake truly did care. And at this point, any help was greatly appreciated. "And you're one of the sweetest, purest people I've ever met. That clan of yours had no idea what it was doing. Bunch of idiots, if you ask me, to cast off someone like you."

"Grandpa..." Drayden turned to his pupil, concerned for her well-being. "Uncle Drake.... I-I don't..." At that point, the poor girl broke. With the weight of her past, her former clan, the Championship and the fate of Unova in the face of an apocalypse all on her shoulders, Iris finally broke. She wept into his broad shoulder. Taking pity on the poor girl, he hugged her close and allowed her to cry out her pain, though in the back of his mind, he prayed nothing woke to her sobs.

"Drayden, I understand you want to keep moving, but should we wait here for a little bit, just until Iris can calm down?"

The question was a good one, but the decision to answer felt too large on his own. Drayden looked to his fellow Unovian and couldn't help but feel a bit helpless, giving the woman the slightest of shrugs. "I... I don't know..." He looked to where Drake had just been, but saw nothing. "...Drake? Where...?"

Lorelei had been watching the room around them with a keen eye, and the sudden concern in the Dragon Master's voice caused her to turn her attention to the now smaller group. Had one of those fucking Kadabras taken him? "We need to leave," she said curtly, but Drayden's panic was beginning to rise ahead of his sense.

"But Drake--"

"--Isn't here and if he is, we'll find him. But we need to move. Now. He's a big boy-- he can handle himself."

Suddenly bereft of one of his longest friends and companions, Drayden almost lacked the strength to move. But he glanced helplessly to the entrance by the downed pillars and steeled himself. Maybe... Maybe whatever took him was on the next floor. He squeezed Iris and whispered into her ear, "It's dangerous, Iris, and we need to move."

Grandpa holding her was the best comfort she could ask for as she struggled with the strange sensation that kept forcing her to tears when she least expected it. Four years ago, hell even a year ago, she was so much stronger than this. When had she become so detached from herself? She stayed in Drayden's arms for a bit until a subtle flash of light caught her attention and she peered over his shoulder to where a faint shimmer disappeared behind him. Gau immediately began freaking out and fluttering around in the area and when Drayden turned around to look for Drake.

"...Drake? Where...?" Iris gently pulled away from her grandfather's embrace, no quite out of it but enough to pull her arm free so she could hold it out for Gau. The little bat immediately swooped down to rest on the bottom of her arm and chirped up at her quietly, Iris not really hearing the conversation two adults beside her had as she listened intently to the small Noibat. A small squeeze from Drayden brought her attention back from him as he tried to usher her to follow him. "It's dangerous, Iris, and we need to move."

"It was an Elgyem," she whispered, almost to herself as she let herself be led away. "Uncle Drake...it took him. I don't remember Elgyem in this tower Grandpa." If there were unusual pokemon here that might also mean they should expect anything, not just ghosts prowling these ancient halls.

"I... I don't know..."

Drayden's tone tore at Shauntal's heart, and she gave him a supporting smile. She wanted to help, legends above, she wanted to help, but she didn't know how. Drayden knew what to do in this situation, so she was trusting his judgement. "...Drake? Where...?" His questioning tone made her look around, noticing the severe lack of the other dragon tamer. Where had he gone?

"We need to leave," Shauntal looked over at Lorelei, frowning. Hadn't she just said that resting was probably better for Iris? Although, if that means we're in danger, we need to move now. Drake was already gone, and they couldn't lose another person. She sighed and stood up, brushing off her jacket and looking towards the way up.

"But Drake--"
"--Isn't here and if he is, we'll find him. But we need to move. Now. He's a big boy-- he can handle himself."

Shauntal sighed softly, digging into her bag and grabbing her Froslass's pokeball. The ghost was he best bet here, since her ice would also help against any dragons within the tower, if they attacked, or other ghosts. Shauntal gripped the pokeball, ready to release the ice ghost at a moment's notice. "It's dangerous, Iris, and we need to move."

"It was an Elgyem," a what..? "Uncle Drake...it took him. I don't remember Elgyem in this tower Grandpa." She frowned. Elgyems weren't native to the tower, so why was one here. Shauntal hissed lightly through her teeth. If there were pokemon here that weren't meant to be, what would happen once they reached the top? "Drayden, I can have my Froslass look out for trouble as we cross. If there are non-native pokemon here, that could be a bad sign. Who knows what other pokemon could be here if that's the case." She sighed lightly, tapping on her pokemon's pokeball absentmindedly. Legends above, please let them be safe as they pass over and into the next room. She really didn't want a fight.

"It was an Elgyem," Iris quietly informed, causing the older man to look at her in silent horror. What in God's name was an Elgyem doing here of all places? "Uncle Drake...it took him. I don't remember Elgyem in this tower Grandpa."

"There were never any living here," he grimly confirmed.

Shauntal was eager to volunteer her own help again, and as much as Drayden despised the idea of bringing out more souls for the Undead to sense, he didn't know what the better way would be. The tower was too fragile, too vulnerable to mount any sort of attack or defensive measures should they be discovered again. Nothing lay below them but more stone and murky, abyssal waters. "Drayden, I can have my Froslass look out for trouble as we cross. If there are non-native pokemon here, that could be a bad sign. Who knows what other pokemon could be here if that's the case."

"Sounds like some trainer got caught here," Lorelei theorized. "Maybe trying to do exactly what we're doing now. Whatever that is."

"We are going to try and communicate with Zekrom." Drayden spoke the words as if they were a sort of mantra, a solemn vow to mark his path. "If anyone can help Unova, it's him."

"That just makes it all the more likely. Wouldn't lots of trainers go to their own deities in a time like this?"

Drayden made a frustrated noise; they were wasting time. "We just... need to be vigilant. Shauntal, no thank you. We shouldn't bring out more pokemon for them to discover. We're toeing the line as it is." He took in a deep breath. "Iris... you're the smallest. Do you think you can make it to the door?"

She swallowed nervously as Drayden confirmed her memory of not seeing the strange pokemon in the tower before. They were known to frequent the Celestial tower further south along the mountain range though, maybe they traveled this way in search of safety? Or in an undead's case, fresh kills? Either option gave her shudders visible shudders as the other discussed what to do.

"Drayden, I can have my Froslass look out for trouble as we cross. If there are non-native pokemon here, that could be a bad sign. Who knows what other pokemon could be here if that's the case." That was true. If they had migrated north other things could have as well. Stronger things than just the ghosts.

"Sounds like some trainer got caught here," Lorelei thought aloud, giving Iris another avenue of panic. Trainer pokemon were stronger than a wild migration. That was worse. "Maybe trying to do exactly what we're doing now. Whatever that is." But they had seen no signs of people having been here either on their trek inside or on the way up to the tower. The chance of their being another trainer randomly inside like Lorelei had been were slim to none.

"We are going to try and communicate with Zekrom." Grandpa's confirmation of their task helped steel something inside of Iris. She smiled a bit to herself as the reverence in her caregiver's voice touched her faith in their mission. The tower looking so untouched had given her faith that Zekrom still remained and that he was still pure. "If anyone can help Unova, it's him." She nodded and gently slipped from Drayden's grasp, finally feeling a bit more confidant with their mission on her mind again.

"That just makes it all the more likely. Wouldn't lots of trainers go to their own deities in a time like this?"

"Maybe not," Iris politely argued. "We were so surprised to see you when we did not just because you fell from the ceiling but because this place looked untouched since the troubles that created that big hole in the wall. There weren't even any signs of fighting past a certain point on the path."

Drayden's patience was wearing thin and he made it known as he cut off their discussion to try and hurry them all along. "We just... need to be vigilant. Shauntal, no thank you. We shouldn't bring out more pokemon for them to discover. We're toeing the line as it is. Iris... you're the smallest. Do you think you can make it to the door?" She nodded. "Yes. It shouldn't be too hard. I can tell you if the path is safe for anyone heavier after I get there, I'll send Gau behind me to let you know."

Without any further instruction she leveraged herself up onto the fallen pillar Drake had pointed out before and began to tread across. Other than a few large cracks, and one split, from it hitting the ground there was nothing particularly dangerous about the support and crossing was relatively easy. It was just slow going because she was trying not to attract attention. She made it to the other side safely and hopped down, the soft padding of her flat shoes making little noise on the stony surface, and put herself in the alcove of the next doorway.

With a signal to Gau the Noibat quickly flew back over to the group while Aveline stayed behind to watch her trainer's back. Gau hovered beside Drayden and began to pull at his sleeves to try and get the man to head towards the pillar. "Safe. Safe." He squeaked lightly, having forgotten momentarily the rest of them needed communicators to hear him. He was so used to just talking to Iris he forgot to speak where the human devices could understand. "Come quick, before shadows move again."

"Yes. It shouldn't be too hard. I can tell you if the path is safe for anyone heavier after I get there, I'll send Gau behind me to let you know." Without another word or waiting for Drayden's permission, the girl hoisted herself up and onto the pillar. Lorelei allowed herself a bit of a smile as she skittered across; so there was a strong, capable person in there. She just happened to be constantly fighting with the meek, subservient one, apparently.

It didn't take long for the small bat to return, pulling on Drayden's sleeve as he hovered in the air. "Safe. Safe. Come quick, before shadows move again." Well, that was certainly good enough for Lorelei. Giving a nod to the giant bulk man, she heaved herself up without much struggle and made her way over as quietly and quickly as she could. Once inside the doorway, she looked for Iris' form in the dark.

"Good going, there," she murmured in congratulations. "I like it when you speak your mind."

Drayden gave a short sigh and nodded to Shauntal, gesturing her to go before him. If the pillars were to give way, it'd be under his weight, after all. "Go on."

Iris waited patiently for the others as Aveline planted herself between her trainer's feet. The little Eevee had grown fond of Iris and despite her size and lower level was willing to fight to the death to defend her. She had also grown particularly fond of Gau as the little bat was a constant companion for Iris and herself during travel. Lorelei was the first to make it across the makeshift bridge and Iris smiled at the frosty trainer despite being mostly hidden in the dark alcove of the next door.

"Good going, there. I like it when you speak your mind." Iris blushed and turned away, smiling to herself at the compliment. "Thank you," she managed to finally force out. "I'm sorry that you haven't seen me at my best since we found you. I'm not normally so...weird." Aveline snickered and Iris gave her a false look of being offended, barely able to contain the smile behind it as she joked in a hushed tone. "Hey! I'm not weird! So I talk to dragons without a communicator and I can climb faster than an Chimchar. Doesn't make me weird. Just different. Different is good right?" The fox just continued to snicker.

Shauntal shuffled awkwardly behind the group, waiting until eyes were turned away from her before she ducked back into the previous hallway, traversing back down to the ground floor. She didn't need to butt in on their adventure of grandiose and danger. She just wanted to find everyone, and make sure they were safe. Sticking around could only put the others in danger. The Ghost Trainer quietly made her way back down the steps, treading lightly and looking around constantly in case of any ghosts or other pokemon jumping out at her.

As she got back to the first floor, Shauntal dug through her bag and grabbed out Chandelure's pokeball, releasing the fiery ghost, she quietly grabbed onto the ghost's metal arm and wordlessly pointed to a random direction. Chandelure seemed worried for Shauntal, however the ghost followed her request and left the area, their muted purple glow disappearing into the trees. As they flew off, Shauntal looked back at the tower with a small smile. "Maybe when we next meet, I'll have reason to stick around."

"Thank you," Iris sheepishly replied, turning away from Lorelei in a blushing fit. "I'm sorry that you haven't seen me at my best since we found you. I'm not normally so...weird." The Ice master quirked a brow as Iris' own companions betrayed her by stifled snickering and knowing glances. The Noibat said something too soft for her comm to pick up, but apparently it reached Iris' ears easily enough. "Hey! I'm not weird! So I talk to dragons without a communicator and I can climb faster than an Chimchar. Doesn't make me weird. Just different. Different is good right?"

Lorelei's turn to join in the smothered giggles came and she was glad for it. "Of course. Anything else is boring. Mundane." She turned back to the trail of fallen pillars to see Drayden hurrying along, her expression falling as she spied his own. He gently pushed them further into the hallway if only to help make room for his own hulking mass. God, the guy was huge.

"Shauntal is... gone. I can only assume it's what took Drake. We have to get up higher, now, before the thing gets us too. Hurry, up, up." Lorelei didn't need another moment to deliberate, nodding at the man's instruction and following it. "It'll be treacherous in the dark, but we need to go."

"Of course. Anything else is boring. Mundane." The light air and teasing compliment was just what Iris needed and she felt herself growing more at ease. The stress of their mission she had let weigh too heavily and now that she realized it maybe now she could help keep it from happening. Anything to keep Grandpa proud of her.

Thinking of Drayden seemed to almost summon him as he made his way across the pillar and to their sides. She was all too happy to allow herself to be manipulated out of the way of her much larger caretaker, familiar with having to dodge around his bulk back in their shared home back in Opelucid. His face, however, was not one of welcome reunion. It was one of concern.

"Shauntal is... gone. I can only assume it's what took Drake. We have to get up higher, now, before the thing gets us too. Hurry, up, up." Iris's hand went to her mouth in shock and she peered around Drayden to try and peer into the darkness behind him. There wasn't a trace of another living soul in this tower with them. "It'll be treacherous in the dark, but we need to go."

Iris nodded and motioned for Gau to come to her side as the bat's echolocation abilities would now be crucial to them getting through this tower. "Lead the way Grandpa. Gau will keep a watch for us and warn us of anything blocking our path. It might be slow moving but it should be safer than running around with a beacon of light saying 'here I am come get me'. Right?"

"Lead the way Grandpa. Gau will keep a watch for us and warn us of anything blocking our path. It might be slow moving but it should be safer than running around with a beacon of light saying 'here I am come get me'. Right?"

Drayden gave a firm nod and smiled down at the girl despite himself. He could only press forward and hope Shauntal and Drake were ok; Zekrom was the end goal here. He had to remember that. He took in a deep breath and faced the thick veil of shadow that loomed before them. Forward. They had to go forward. Mentally preparing himself for the worst, they ascended carefully through the murky dark. Eventually, they reached the next heavy oaken door and Drayden paused before opening it.

Lorelei noticed the subtle change and tilted her head. "Something wrong?" she whispered. She could see his form blocking out the small strips of soft light through the gaps in the door's frame, but not much other than that. Whether he gestured or not was unknown to her, but the small gap in their exchange led her to believe he'd done something.

"Don't know yet," he whispered back. "But hopefully we're in the clear. Usually, wild Pokemon kept away from this part of the tower and onwards because of Zekrom's power. Something about the Legendary kept them at bay. I'm just... hoping that it's true for Undead and Infected." If there were enemies on this floor, it may already be over.

Drayden cautiously opened the door, cringing when the hinges complained at the action. However, as he poked his head through and his eyes adjusted, he saw the floor as peaceful as it had ever seemed. Then again, ghosts were tricky, but... the heavy feeling of dread had already began to ebb. Were they truly safe? "It... looks safe, but... I'm not sure how to find other ghosts..."

"Your bat can, right?" Lorelei asked Iris in what was barely a whisper. "I have a Froslass, but I don't want to make much more noise than I have to. Pokeballs opening can be loud..."

It was a bittersweet smile that Grandpa offered her right before they made their way to the next floor. He was worried about their missing companions but that was all the more reason they had to make it to Zekrom, because if something happened to them on the way there no one would be left to wake the hopefully still slumbering beast. They had to keep going if only to hope that by waking the dragon their friends could be saved. Hope was all they had left at this point.

The walk was slow but at least it was relatively quiet. There was the occasional sound in the distance or behind them but nothing actually attacked or came into view. She didn't want to press their luck by saying anything though. Eventually they came to the next door and Drayden stopped causing Lorelei to frown. "Something wrong?"

"Don't know yet," Grandpa whispered back making Iris strain to hear their conversation. "But hopefully we're in the clear. Usually, wild Pokemon kept away from this part of the tower and onwards because of Zekrom's power. Something about the Legendary kept them at bay. I'm just... hoping that it's true for Undead and Infected." Gau landed on her shoulder and began softly chirping indicating that something was nearby and they should move soon.

"It... looks safe, but... I'm not sure how to find other ghosts..."

"Your bat can, right?" Iris looked to Lorelei and then to the Noibat on her shoulder and gave a half shrug. "He kind of can, if the ghost is taking on a more corporeal form. The gas is harder to penetrate than straight shadow so his echos change. But if they are hiding in the shadows or in the walls he can't help us much." Gau's squeaks started getting a little faster.

"I have a Froslass, but I don't want to make much more noise than I have to. Pokeballs opening can be loud..." Iris nodded. "We can worry about that on the next floor. Grandpa we should go, Gau is getting really antsy. If it is quiet there Miss Lorelei can let out her pokemon but we need to go."

"We can worry about that on the next floor. Grandpa we should go, Gau is getting really antsy. If it is quiet there Miss Lorelei can let out her pokemon but we need to go." Drayden worriedly turned to the little squeaking bat, but nodded to Lorelei all the same. This floor was treacherous enough without any Undead chasing them...

Lorelei pulled out her Froslass' ball and took in a steadying breath, releasing the pokemon from the safe confines of the little sphere and promptly flinching at the loud "pop" it provided. The icy ghost materialized and immediately looked around herself in alarm. Lorelei's entire team was in shock over being in a place such as this, but they didn't have time to explain. "Caille," she began quietly, urgently. "I'll explain later--we need to know if there are any ghosts on this floor."

The Froslass was a newer addition to her team, and so didn't immediately relax under her trainer's voice. She swallowed hard and looked around, nodding slowly. "...A... A few..." she fearfully whispered. "Golurk... And... And there's a Beartic..." She pointed to a dark portion of the floor veiled in shadow. "...He's asleep, I think..."

Lorelei and Drayden both looked to the place in which her ghost had pointed, dread filling their stomachs once more. "Then... we won't wake him," Drayden quietly reasoned, leading the way in a quiet and brisk pace. "Quickly. There's a lot of jumping ahead."

He made his way down the long passage, pausing when it ended and before him stood the dozens of platforms seemingly floating on the tangible abyss below. He readied himself, then jumped and landed on the platform easily enough, then turned to reach his arms out for Iris. "Come on," he whispered, hoping his pupil would soon follow.

The tension they all felt was so palpable Iris was sure she could wear it as a cloak. Even as Lorelei let out her Froslass they all sat in silence, waiting to see what was lurking within this floor. Gau had settled down a bit since crossing into the next floor but not enough, resting on Iris's shoulder while Lorelei spoke to her pokemon. "Caille, I'll explain later--we need to know if there are any ghosts on this floor."

"...A... A few..." Her response was not what Iris had been hoping for and she unconsciously leaned into Drayden out of worry. "Golurk... And... And there's a Beartic..." Where she pointed all eyes followed and no one was very pleased that they couldn't see into the darkness that veiled the creature. "...He's asleep, I think..."

"Then... we won't wake him." Drayden spoke softly and began to usher them away from the entrance. "Quickly. There's a lot of jumping ahead." While Iris had good balance and excellent climbing skills she still wasn't fond of this area of the tower. Jumping across stone bridges and platforms that didn't look like they could any longer hold the weight of an adult human was not something she looked forward to but Grandpa was already off and going. He cleared the first platform easily and held out his arms for her to follow. "Come on."

Iris swallowed hard but forced herself to make the jump, grateful for Drayden's strong arms as her footing nearly missed the edge. Sharing these small platforms was going to be no easy task. "Maybe we should take them only one person at a time," she suggested meekly. "We barely fit on this one and some are smaller than this."

"Maybe we should take them only one person at a time," Iris meekly suggested. "We barely fit on this one and some are smaller than this."

As much as Drayden would have liked them to continue together, she was right. He barely knew what was keeping these platforms up in the first place-- they couldn't risk just piling three grown adults onto one. His instincts screamed at him, reminding him that if there was a slip or fall, no one would be able to help the other. But... that was how it had to be. His bulk alone was nearly pushing Iris off as it was. There was no way they could fit Lorelei on it with them.

"You're right. Ok. I'll lead the way-- there's a specific path we have to take." He took in a deep breath and jumped to the next platform and then the next after, his arms wheeling a little on his uncertain landing. He quickly regained his balance, however, and turned to make sure the women would be able to follow.

Lorelei took in a deep breath as she watched the big hulking man make his way across the precarious floor. She'd never been much of a star jumper, but... thank God she was kinda-sorta tall. Long legs would serve well in this. She watched Iris, eager to get this whole ordeal over.

"You're right. Ok. I'll lead the way-- there's a specific path we have to take." She wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea of him going first but Iris didn't argue this time. He was the one who knew the path best and needed to guide them. Iris waited for him to vacate the next platform and be at least one more ahead of her before she began to follow. She thanked any Legend that would hear her that she was a wild, sprightly child in her youth because the acrobatic skill needed to make these jumps was almost second nature.

After making it to the next platform she turned back to watch Lorelei if only to make sure the other woman didn't need help. If anything were to happen Iris's smaller frame would be best suited for sharing the small space with the other woman, though she hoped that wouldn't be necessary. Clinging to the side of what used to be a walkway up a tower as it crumbled beneath you didn't sound like a very good idea.

Confidant that they were relatively sure of their ability to cross Iris watched and followed her Grandfather as they once again began their trek to the top of the tower.