[attr="class","merkI"]

“Hey th-” Derek started before finding himself on the receiving end of a fist, which rocked his world six ways to sunday and back, evident by the way he spun and fell face first into the gravel. Accidentally inhaling some of it, the trainer started having a coughing fit as he struggled to get back up, spitting out a few pebbles before he was able to speak..

“Guess I deserve that...” Derek mumbled as he turned to try and greet them again, only this time having the time to realize who they were. “Broken flowerpot girl!” He exclaimed rather energetically, recognizing her from his time during the summer festival. She'd been having the worst luck trying to get some special plant of her's to grow...

Unfortunately, and as rude it may come off, Derek couldn't remember her name, or if she even gave it. Hopefully the way he just referred to her would be enough to warrant further introduction. “Huh... Seems like you really do have a knack for breaking things.” As one of his hands rubbed away at the jaw, the sensation of a tooth coming loose could be felt. Spitting it out into his hand, Derek became a bit dramatic knowing that he no longer had any baby teeth. “That was a perfectly good premolar!” Likewise, there were no signs of cavities or the like. Just a bit of blood from Noelle knocking it loose with a fist.

[attr="class","merkI"]

“Right, Noelle, right...” Derek dislikes the invasion of his personal space, but waits patiently for Noelle to step back and pretty much end up blaming him, of all things. At least the way she stomped on the ground like a child was cute, explaining some as to why she didn't want to hold onto the guilt. The important thing was that Noelle was concerned about his well-being.

“I'm fine... Thanks...” Derek wasn't quite as confident in Noelle's case, considering the way she freaked out without even finding the monster. “So what kind of monster is it, exactly?” Trying to find out more about this supposed danger lurking about, Derek's hand reflexively reached for his waistline where fingers danced along the pokeballs holstered there. “I'd like to find it, if the thing even exists.” Most of the time these rumors didn't amount to much, just some local gossip that sprouted from amateur trainers biting off more than their pokemon could chew. But that wasn't the case now, and with the importance this place had for mining precious minerals, it was worth seeing things through.

[attr="class","merkI"]

“I know you just knocked out one of my teeth and all, but please don't treat me like I need my hand held.” Sure, Noelle managed to knock him to the ground... But that was a cheap shot he never saw coming! This whole monster business was a separate matter entirely. Something that he couldn't just ignore and walk the other way from. By the sound of it, this monster needed dealt with before it could make matters any worse.

“I'm better off than the last time we met. Maybe better off than you.” A simple shrug is all he could muster at the suggestion, not truly trying to enforce the claim, but simply acknowledging recent developments. He'd become Petalburg's gym leader, acknowledged by the dragon king of Hoenn's elite four...

“With dragons, it's usually one of those 'fight fire with fire' things, isn't it?” At least, that's what most of the lore concerning dragon pokemon suggested. “I've got two dragons fit for the brawl, so don't concern yourself with me.” Waving her on as he began to pace further into the depths, Derek began to contemplate how best to find the thing. Only one method in particular came to mind. “Anyway, you think it might show itself if we make alotta noise down here?”

[attr="class","merkI"]

“Well, here goes...” Facing down a dark path that seemed to go further down, Derek cupped his hands around his mouth and took in a deep breath before letting it all out.

“AAAAAAAAAGHHH!!!~”

The half-scream, half-yell was horrendous and strained, which would hopefully give their monster the impression that they were in distress. The sound echoed it's way along, growing more quiet each time as it covered great distances. After a few moments of silence, the ground beneath their feet began to shake and thud. Eventually it could be heard, like angry footsteps in pursuit of a troublesome child.

Or, more accurately, a monster in search of it's next victim?

Stepping back from the opening, Derek summoned his Haxorus and stood there waiting for the thing to appear. Noelle and her pokemon were already priming their first move, allowing them to sit back and wait until after the first strike to decide on their own course of action.

[attr="class","merkI"]

“T-that's not a...” The sound this thing made was infinitely more menacing than the metallic groans of his Metagross, and the complete lack of emotion on it's "face" told him it had no need for such qualities. A ruthless pokemon through and through, but it was no dragon. It was worse than a dragon, a true monster. Registeel.

Derek scurried back with haste, the pokemon launching itself their way feet-first as if trying to impale them all in one go. Drawing out another pokeball, Derek released his Garchomp while searching for the Haxorus. They'd managed to narrowly avoid the attack the same as him, the trainer quickly collecting them back into a pokeball. Steel types were resistant to dragons, so it would be foolish to think Seraph could lay even a scratch on it. The pokemon's body was smooth and unscathed, further adding to the notion that this was no foe they could beat.

Even so, Derek wanted to try...but he couldn't. Not with Noelle there. He'd have to proritize getting out of here safely. Raising the mega stone out in front of him in the Garchomp's direction, the chain reaction of the stones caused the pokemon to be sheathed in light while it...transcended? It was the first time Derek got to try out mega-evolution...

“Kseniya!” He calls out, the Mega-Garchomp letting out a throat-ripping roar in response. Her body changed quickly; violently. Her two arms became two large scythes, with edges that sheened just like Registeel's body. They too were unscathed. Brandishing them towards the Registeel, she began to grate them against one other, the sound unlike anything he'd ever heard. It was like nail on chalkboard times a million.

Kseniya, unlike the trainers, looked like she wanted to battle. To test out her new form that bring her to new heights. She must've thought Registeel looked ominous enough to be a worthy test subject. That, or she was observing herself and this newly evolved form in the reflection Registeel's smooth surface provided...