Desmond nodded at April's reply, seeming satisfied with her answer. Desmond had fallen prey to not getting enough sleep before, and knew how terrible the experience could be. Thankfully he'd gotten a good night's sleep, otherwise his chances against Viola would be a lot worse. He glanced towards Rick as the man questioned his readiness for that very encounter. He was going to reply, but as his mouth opened, April shouted about challenging Viola again. His mouth clamped shut and he simply sat there for a moment, and listened to the two of them.

[i][color=fff200]'Huh. Returning a badge for a rematch? What a strange thing to do..'[/color][/i] He thought to himself, unsure of why she exactly wanted to do such a thing. It was something he'd never heard of, but he had no real issue with it. If she wanted to fight Viola again, she certainly could. He always kept in mind another battle could mean another learning experience, and giving April had already beat Viola once... Desmond felt she could possibly teach him a thing or two.

[color=fff200]"Well... I think I'm as ready as I'm going to get."[/color] He replied, his grip on his small shopping list tightening. [color=fff200]"We'll give it all we've got, for sure!"[/color] He added, attempting to display some confidence. Which he honestly needed more of. Nothing was decided until the battle was over, and until then, giving it 100% was the best way to go. How far would that 100% take him, he wasn't sure. But surely he wouldn't fall flat now, right? It'd be embarrassing, to say the least. His expression was soft as he glanced down at the pokeballs that held his Pokemon. 

[i][color=fff200]'I won't lose, not with you three behind me all the way.'[/color][/i] He thought, knowing the journey so far had been rough, but had to pick up at some point. Why couldn't that point be now? It was about time he started moving forward, instead of being stuck in place with no badges. Winning this battle meant progression, which, to Desmond, meant a lot.

[color=fff200]"I'm interested in seeing this rematch you want to have with Viola. Considering you have defeated her before, you and Hope must be a pretty strong team."[/color] He smiled, feeling a little less tense about the battle ahead. [color=fff200]"Plus that Beartic... He seems to like you a lot. A big Pokemon like that is nothing to take lightly. You'll be taking him too, right?"[/color] Though Desmond thought the big bear was cute, he was a little scared of ever having to battle with it on his opponents' side. That being said, he knew Fluff would enjoy the chance to tackle such a strong Pokemon. He sighed, hoping she wouldn't cause trouble later.