Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 30 - Bedlam

"All the rooms are along this hall." Megan said as we turned another hallway in the gigantic complex. The hall was just like the others – pristine and spotless, all the way along. A couple of scientists were walking along in the opposite direction, and nodded towards their boss.

"How exactly are we going to train to beat this thing?" Paolo asked.

"Yeah, that beast is insane – even if it is possible to fight back, just how exactly are we meant to do that?" Hikaru wondered.

"Please, don't worry for now." Megan shook her head. "We'll go over it all tomorrow."

"She's right." Kudou agreed. "There's no point in fretting now. Everyone needs to rest."

"That creature..." Midorima was still hung up on it. "It was so alien..."

"Tch." Caleb frowned. "God, it's getting really annoying." He growled. "Beast, creature, demon, thing – can we just settle on one name for that alien trash?"

"That's what you're mad about?" Gabi asked, a little surprised.

"Don't you think that's a little insensitive?" Hikaru added.

"Geez, don't crucify me." Caleb looked away, hands behind his head.

"Gah, you really-" Hikaru began.

"No," Megan cut her off. "He raises a fair point. There can't be any confusion or miscommunication between us going forward – we simply don't have the time to waste on that."

"What do you suggest?" Kudou asked.

"Internally, ever since Kiria reported back about the beast's existence, we'd been referring to it as 'Phantom'." Megan said. "But ever since we saw it for ourselves and felt its power, we've officially dubbed it 'Bedlam' instead."

"Fitting." Darragh said.

Bedlam – a synonym of chaos. Even the name itself evoked the image of destruction that the invader had brought with it.

"Hm. Happy now?" Hikaru asked.

"Happy? Not at all." Caleb replied. "But sure, Bedlam, whatever."

"Anyway, Victor, here's your room." Megan stopped outside a white door, holding a key card.

Victor nodded and took it, scanning it against the pad and unlocking the door.

"Will you be all right?" Xene grabbed his shoulder before he disappeared.

The younger Blayde brother looked back and said nothing, stepping into his room and shutting the door behind him.

"Oh..."

"He needs to be alone for a while." Kudou said.

"Mm... We'll need to keep an eye on him..." Megan said to herself. "Anyway, Jordan, you're next."

*

Megan led us to our rooms one by one, until only Nelly and I were stood in the hallway with her.

"All right, you two, you're up at the end." She pointed.

"Oh, um... Megan...?" Nelly began to ask.

"Don't worry, you're in the same room." She stopped her. "We're not that cruel."

"Oh, thank you." Nelly smiled.

"Thanks, Megan..." I was grateful.

"Yeah, don't mention it. Though you've actually got a pretty big room because of that. Technically you're in a VIP room, so just try not to make a mess, ok?" She handed over the key card.