It was quite a sight to see, the storm surrounding this island. It whipped back and forth, and made it incredibly clear that once she got in, there was no getting out. Helicopters and transport boats littered the area, bringing as many important people to the scene as they could. It made sense, no bird was going to fly in this thunderstorm. At least, no bird of flesh and bone, or with good sense. Sterling was neither of those things.

She and her stalwart pokemon had seized the opportunity to forgo the public and military transport vessels, and take advantage of the short gap in the intensity of the raging storm to fly in. Because of her Skarmory's sturdy body, she was able to make the trip. Aria herself was soaking wet and cold, and cursing herself for not having any pokemon who could start a fire, but she was tough as iron herself, and her soul was steeled for the coming conflict. She imagined all the people below, rushing toward their possible deaths. All of the pokemon that were here, and all of the pokemon who were coming here... all of them were laying their lives on the line to stop the madness that had invaded their world. It made sense. These people had to be stopped. The hero's soul in Aria demanded it.

Lance and Clair would be here... and she had to wonder if [i]he[/i] would be here too. That silver-haired trainer from Hoenn... She had two goals in coming here. She had to stop the end of the world, and she had to fight that trainer, and anybody else who was strong like he was. She held no idealistic goals toward 'saving pokemon.' Aria had been close to death a number of times, and she knew that death was real. The pokeballs attached to her belt each contained pokemon who would face death and come out the other side even stronger, all for her. Her most loyal companions. Those left behind in her PC she had released back into the wild. It was better for them to be free than to spend the rest of their lives trapped in a dead girl's PC box. She had visited her family one last time, and said her prayers at the Dragon Shrine with Clair before they went their separate ways.

Her affairs were settled. Her pokemon were prepared for death. It was a grim time awaiting them, but her path was clear. If every other trainer backed down to the challenge and accepted their fate, she would still be there fighting alone. Loneliness was nothing new, which was why she had chosen to fly alone as well.

And on that thought, she touched down on the edge of the island just in time for the thunder to crack above her head. It was a bad omen, but more realistically, it meant something even worse. She was now unable to leave, and she had slid through the gap just in time. The metaphorical door had locked behind her.

Putting one terrible sight behind her, Aria looked ahead at what awaited her. It was war. She had seen death, suffering, battle. But war was foreign to her. The military was here. She didn't like soldiers. They always demanded you do everything they tell you to do, and usually Aria would do just the opposite instead. Her and the army did not get along. No, she would avoid joining up with the army here.

She needed to find trainers. Strong trainers that could serve her well, and ones that wouldn't die right away. Drenched in rain, she had the thought that perhaps this is why trainers were shipped in groups. But it was fine. Random selection was no way to determine your allies. Strength was the only real way. Aria shifted positions, moving closer to the landing docks where the ships were coming in. She stood there, silently eyeing up every trainer who stepped off of a boat or helicopter, sheltered only slightly from the rain by Sterling's sharp wings.

[i]More will come... Strong ones with them... they have to![/i]