"Oh."
[break][break]
Katherine perks up at the sound of Angelo's words, eyes fluttering momentarily. "You're saying that you don't remember any pokemon being affected? So I take it that the giant Roggenrola of yours was always that size, hrm?" Unlike the married couple, Katherine sees little to no point in hiding such a fact.
[break][break]
That pokemon wasn't ordinary, and while she could have definitely lied with a straight face— neither angelo vestri nor skyler dross earned such a prize from her.
[break][break]
"My pokemon weren't affected, is all I can say. But I do recall seeing two other giant pokemon, excluding the titan."
[break][break]
Laurence Anderson is spared a glance next. Unlike the married couple, he did earn a prize or two from Katherine. She won't out him, but she does expect him to come clean.

[attr="class","ooc"] @registeelintheroom [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

he followed along in the report with a solemn face, avoiding the image of his aerodactyl’s gruesome remains.

”our pokemon weren’t just ripped inside out.” his stare briefly passed to angelo vestri . ”they started getting bigger at first, too. something went wrong.”

after a look around the table, his bright gold eyes settled on Laurence Anderson .

”the light you saw—you said it was pink. the barrier around the temple was purple. so, that’s two variations of the same phenomenon? the purple barrier could've been whatever the pink light was  reacting with something else in that area.” and what a weird area it had been. usually, pokemon ended up places for a reason.

@registeelintheroom

☉

Megalopolans and their giant UBs. The Regirock Temple. Skyler tucks that tidbit of information for later. It makes her wonder if the two are somewhat related - or if it's just a macabre coincidence.

"It might have been the titan's influence. I didn't see anything else in the chamber that might've triggered the barrier." Then again, neither Skyler nor Angelo had stayed till the end, having escaped as soon as the barrier had dissolved. Last she'd seen, the other explorers had been locked in a conflict of sorts. She doesn't mention it - yet. "None of my pokemon were affected, but they didn't touch the barrier either." 

Katherine Fairburne 's barbs and angelo vestri 's response are both met with a dismissive blink before she turns to DEREK HOFFMAN , continuing, "The temple itself did seem to have strange properties. I was teleported into a different chamber at one time, as I'm sure Katherine Fairburne can corroborate."

Granted, she'd seen her for a whole second before the woman had gone and nearly gotten herself killed. 

angelo vestri Laurence Anderson Razz Kingsman DEREK HOFFMAN boruta maher Katherine Fairburne

☉

Ah. Of course. Sensitivity.
[break][break]
Katherine doesn't buy that for a second but smiles nonetheless. The revelation that Angelo was proficient at this dance of tango brings a smile to her lips. Now she sees why he and Skyler were such a perfect match.
[break][break]
"Were you? Oh wait, yes. I do remember that."
[break][break]
It happened moments before the titan nearly evaporated her, but Skyler did appear out of nowhere; however, it wasn't too strange in the grand scheme of things. There were gigantic pokemon inside the tomb, the titan itself, whatever happened between her and Adrian Malcolm before the barrier dissipated...
[break][break]
"Did you guys happen to find anything on the scene?" her question is directed at the other party, seeing how her eyes shift from boruta maher to DEREK HOFFMAN.
[break][break]
"Mysterious plates, strange-looking rocks, etcetera."

[attr="class","ooc"] @registeelintheroom [break]

[attr="class","pkmnparty"]

"Other than what's been discussed, there were no visible variants. But as one of you have brought up, this does appear to be tied to the titans in some way." A nod was made towards Skyler, who made mention of the ancient entities dubbed as such.

"If we would've tried entering the barrier, we quite simply would've been blown away. A colossal hyper beam shot out from the cave after the ultra beasts retreated within. I can only imagine that they weren't able withstand such a blast." Bailey's pokemon, one of the few things from her legacy that remained, disintegrated in an instant. It wasn't his wound to wear, and yet it was felt just the same.

And just as unfortunate, this meant they had almost nothing to offer Katherine. Nothing visible, at least. But there was one morsel that might prove to be the most promising intel of it all. Or the most damning, depending on how one looked at it...

"I think it was a titan inside the temple, and I believe I know which one." Assuming that it was the one, it would make sense that it decided to obliterate any and all who'd trespass. "I encountered something awhile back. Years ago...I don't really remember what happened after it attacked us." Reliving the experience, Derek only feels terrible about it because of what he had to say next.

"Me and Noelle Lane were underground when we were confronted by it. After some kind of caterwaul battle cry, it launched itself at us. Broad shape, seemingly metallic, and with eyes like these..." An illustration based on Derek's memory is presented on the wall via projector. Six eyes surrounding one for a total of seven, all brimming with the same scarlet glow. They shared great resemblance with depictions of Registeel.

"All I know is that I must've blacked out. When I woke up at the hospital I was told my Garchomp brought me. I tried to ask around about Noelle, but..." Either she survived and left for Johto to live in peace, or whatever was left of her was still down there.

"I wasn't too sure back then, but I know now that it wasn't some mutant pokemon with pokerus or my imagination that we encountered down there. Which is why I wanted to ask about how great your struggles were against the rock titan. To know what it took to bring one down, or whatever you did down there. Because the same sound I heard in that cave shot out from the temple right before the blast."

THE REGISTEEL IN THE ROOM

☉

Ah, there it was. The crux of the matter.

Registeel.

Now that context had finally fallen away to reveal the true reason as to why they'd all been gathered here, this would become easier to navigate. The temple comes alive again in Skyler's mind, halfway hidden by foliage and a flimsy-looking barrier. A far difference from the arid stretches where the Regirock ruins had been found, before they'd sunk into the sands.

Greed and ambition course through the captain's veins, a swelling tide mirrored in the dagger-sharp gaze that lands on DEREK HOFFMAN . Skyler leans back, brazenly casual, arms crossing over her chest as she stares at the man from under dark lashes.

"That's why you brought us here today, huh? To know how to fight this thing." It is less a question than a statement. "Two people clearly weren't enough for the job, and the rangers nearly got themselves killed. Not surprising, given what you were up against."

There is loss in Derek's voice, haunting his retelling of happenings years past. While Skyler is not wholly unsympathetic to this fact, she ploughs forward relentlessly, business-like.

"Telling you about our experience in the Regirock Ruins will only do so much." Her eyes flick back to angelo vestri , to Katherine Fairburne , to Laurence Anderson and Razz Kingsman . "I can't talk for the others, but if you're going to try and find this temple again, your best bet is bringing those who've already survived something similar."

angelo vestri Laurence Anderson Razz Kingsman DEREK HOFFMAN boruta maher Katherine Fairburne

☉

"...Yeah, that's right." Peeled eyes bore a hole, not through the eyes of everyone that sought compensation, but Katherine in particular. "So you really had the audacity to speak down to us rangers when your agenda in all this so far is to turn a profit?" He can't help but let out an irritated scoff at the realization. "You're part of the elite four, not some fucking hired gun." She thought more like a member of rocket than a member of the league.

The shaking of his head as he mulled over everything said speaks to how he feels about it all. "The rest of you aren't vested with the league, or the rangers. So my expectations for you can only go so high. But if all that really matters to you is what you stand to gain...then you don't need to concern yourselves with what happens next."

His eyes turn towards Lars, finally, who Katherine seemed fond of for whatever reason. But Derek can't even manage the words to relay how disappointed he was in the apparent friend(s) he'd made as head ranger. If that's what she even was. Only an exasperated sigh could be heard before addressing everyone as a whole.

"I don't care if I have your help or not. That wasn't the reason for this meeting. Just to fill in the blanks." This idea of paying someone off, or ensuring something is there for you all to plunder? He might as well look for help in Sootopolis. "If you'd like, you can leave now."

THE REGISTEEL IN THE ROOM

☉

skyler dross ’s frank summary of the rangers’ attempts earned a brief, softly shaded glance. he had pride in both his comrades and himself. the idea that they’d gotten themselves anything implied a bad call on their end.

not surprising, she said. he shrugged, giving a flat but polite smile. ”no offense taken.”

at Laurence Anderson ' reply, he nodded, gaze shifting. ”sir, it got my aerodactyl, too. i’m just saying, it started expanding,” he gestured with his hands, ”before it happened. maybe it just doesn’t work out like that every time. could even have to do with the species—charizard and aerodactyl are both flying-types.”

Katherine Fairburne took the floor, and bo wasn’t as offended by her request. he’d joined the rangers himself not out of his compassion for pokemon, but to look better. among the bleeding hearts, he was now a representative—but he knew well enough that few people had such selfless motivations as his fellow rangers.

his eyes drifted briefly to Laurence Anderson again over the exchange, wondering what his reaction might be, if any. the amount of alcohol he’d brought with him nearly implied a sort of mental resignation to begin with. exasperation, maybe. bo didn't figure he had an easy job.

he looked back, quickly deciding to step in first.

”i don’t know, hoffman. i wouldn’t be so quick to turn down capable help. we lost last time.” his ego strained. ”i don’t really wanna lose like that again, y’know?”

@registeelintheroom

☉