[center][i]'Why on Earth did we take a boat?'[/i][/center]

This was the thought that floated in and out of one Rian Ivers' mind as he sat uneasily on one of the couches below deck of the S.S. Tidal. Hoenn had spared no expense it seemed, using a normal transport ferry as a military vessel, though the logic behind it was sound enough, Rian couldn't help but feel nervous as another wave crashed into the side of the ship, causing some crewmen and volunteers to either shout out incoherently or shrink into the fetal position and whimper to themselves. It was bad enough the engine had failed to start when they first left Slateport, which in itself was an ill omen, now they had seemingly run into the eye of a hurricane. They'd left almost half a week ago and were apparently nearly an hour behind schedule. 

"What's wrong Ivers? Feeling a little seasick?" a sailor gave the trainer a smug grin and Rian returned the favor by letting his head fall back into the back of the couch with a groan. "We're coming to port right now, don't be fussy." the seaman went back to his duties after a less than polite gesture from the teenager he was ridiculing. Rian let the world move around him for a few seconds, volunteers were hastily receiving their bags and pokeballs and other such things. Rian would've been doing the same, if he wasn't already certain they were packed and prepared. Speaking of which, they should've already arrived by now.

"I took the liberty of getting your things. We can't have you stuck on an island with only one pair of clothes." as if on cue, a large pink behemoth with a shell for a crown sluggishly took his place in front of the youngest passenger of the Tidal, meticulously snapping the handle on his trainer's suitcase back down. Rian didn't even need to open his eyes to feel the gazes of his peers shift to his glorified butler. "I'm beginning to think you do this on purpose." Solomon's voice rung deeply throughout the cabin, and the Slowking began to poke Rian's leg with his foot to make sure he was awake.

"It's your fault for doing it in the first place." they might've only been together for about three and a half years, but Rian and Solomon could pass for a Trainer-Pokemon duo that'd been together for decades.

Before his companion could make a response, the captain's voice took over the loudspeaker and informed them of their arrival. Even amplified, Rian almost couldn't hear the announcement over the crashing of clouds and tumbling of waves. As much as he tried to "blend in" with the crowd as they all too quickly made their way off of the ship, having a Slowking for an escort drew a little too much attention for Rian's liking, even if he did have his hood up and his head down in the torrent of rain. Always better not to be a famous face, especially in times like this. Apparently the Tidal had arrived some forty-five minutes late, and its passengers were directed, one could even say stampeded, to the main building on the landing site. No single group from Hoenn was lucky enough to get their own quarters, everyone was told to essentially go door to door looking for a spare spot to call home.

Luckily, Rian maneuvered his way through the crowd and found his way to the furthermost point down the hall the Hoenn trainers had been navigating. "Room 32..." It took Solomon nearly a minute to find him, and any attempt at subtlety was lost when he came rumbling down the complex. No words needed to be spoken as Rian turned the knob into the unknown, conceding a silent prayer for there not to be too many people within. Much to his chagrin, he walked in on a few odd fellows still unpacking and making their arrangements. What happened next was probably considered rude, but Rian [i]really[/i] didn't want to have to search for a new room, so he simply kicked off his slowpoke pink shoes, un-zipped similarly colored hoodie, gave the group a courtesy wave and dropped himself onto the couch.

"Are you sure this is where we're suppose-" Solomon silenced himself when he finally fit his head under the doorway, dreadfully looking back and forth in-between who was going to be Rian's bunk-mates for the next........however long this thing was supposed to take.

"Of course I'm sure!" Rian saw an opportunity to break the ice, so to speak. "Please forgive the Slowking, he's got the manners of a brigand and only a slightly larger intellect."