Pokémon Swirl & Spiral

Chapter 4: Joker

The Mark-Three climbed into the carrier when a door on the opposing wall suddenly opened. A tall woman with dark purple hair wrapped into a ponytail stepped out. She was wearing an equally dark formal business dress and sunglasses.

"This is everyone?" she asked the sHARP, who nodded. "Good. We can get the engine going now."

Everyone watched as the Mark-Three loaded up the ramp, which also served as part of the wall, and closed the plane. The dark haired woman stood in the center of them.

"Welcome challengers. My name is Nixon, and I am the League Admin for Sector Xevl." she started. Her voice commanded attention. "We will now be embarking on our travel to Arim's capital: Luxen. From there, we will then land in Luxen Grand Suites to check you all in to your assigned dormitory rooms that you will stay in during the entirety of your time in competition."

The carrier's engine suddenly roared to life. Kairi could feel the plane as it slowly ascended.

Unfazed, the Admin continued. "I highly recommend you get some sleep during this flight. Depending on our time of arrival, you could have only less than an hour to stay in your rooms before opening ceremony later today."

A boy raised his hand. "Excuse me, when will we receive a Pokémon?". That question had brewed all day in Kairi's head ever since she woke up.

"Preparations are still being made. You'll find out soon after the ceremony." Nixon answered. "All of you rest well. There's a lot to do today."

...

Kairi watched as the carrier finally flew over Luxen, the proud centerpiece of Arim. From her view, she could see several intricate skyscrapers and wealthy neighborhoods.

It was a privilege to live in Luxen, as any resident was not only wealthy, but also had a connection to the Association. Looking down at it now, it was a lot more beautiful than Kairi had previously heard. The obviously richest part of the region was just sitting right below them, and they were all going to compete in it.

After a few minutes, they descended straight down, a feeling that neither Kairi nor Hazel particularly enjoyed. They landed on top of the titanic multistory structure that was Luxen Grand Suites. Even before they began to descend, Kairi was shocked by the absolute size of the place. It was like a giant castle in the middle of the city.

As soon as they landed, the mouth of the carrier's rear opened again, lowering the ramp. Admin Nixon led them all out onto the roof and into a rather spacious elevator. Kairi and Hazel stuck together as it brought them down nearly a hundred stories. Finally, the door opened to the ground floor lobby.

Right away, the expensive nature of the place shone through. The entire floor was composed of hardwood with several expensive looking leather furniture decorated the lobby. The front desk appeared to be made from marble and an abstract, but modern looking chandelier hung from the ceiling. A large statue of Lady Hera made of presumably gold was erected in the center. It was a site unlike Kairi had ever seen before.

Nixon led them to the front desk. "These are the challengers from Sector Xevl." She told the receptionist before turning back to them. "Your rooms are still being furnished. After you check in, wait patiently here. If you'd like, go ahead and make new friends with the challengers from the other Sectors. I'll be back when your rooms are ready." She left them, disappearing into one of the other elevators.

They all checked in number order, the challenger with the lowest league number going first. Kairi was the fifth challenger chosen from Xevl, while Hazel was the ninth and final. It was quite clear to all of them that Xevl had a very mynute draw of Trainers.