song.

[🍂] ~  ✧ ｡o ~ “Children, Children ♪~♪

                                                     Where can you be  ♪~♪

                                                                                 That you no longer Remem-  ♪~♪     Wah!”  ☆- ☆

Wind currents now stronger near the expansive seaside, Bounce had trouble keeping a smooth aerial flight and spiraled down, down, down closer to the docks. His singing cut short as Greg waved his arms in the air, accompanied with the frantic croaks from Jason, and the three strange sight hurled straight towards the cold, shallow waters.

“Weeee! Watch out belowww- whoa- oah aaaah!”

His joyous screams turned to fright, as he saw where his destination would have him land. Hands covered his eyes and Bounce tried desperately to float away, against the currents, its strings tight around Greg’s chest. The pokemon could easily fly away if it unburdened itself from Greg and Jason- thought it to, as the strings started to loosen as natural flight response kicked in…

“H-help! I’m, I need to wait thirty minutes before swimming!”

@musicographus

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; It sounded like singing. Though distant, the faint melody of a song could be heard, earning both her attention and a disapproving look from a certain newly-evolved Umbreon. There was a degree of trust that he had for her now, seeing that it had been what prompted his evolving-- but trust had nothing to do with the fact that she was easily distracted when it came to anything related to music. Well, at least there was improvement in terms of how Leah was often dazed in the past, seeing that she was able to notice the cry for help that was increasing in volume following some poor soul’s descent. 

“ P-psychic! ” Was the immediate response, to which Aries gave her a questioning look, seeing that it sounded much like when she asked him to perform a ‘move’, but he had yet to have heard of this ‘Psychic’. Thankfully, with each time that such questionable things were spoken aloud by herself, she had come to become used to it and learned to readjust what she ought to be doing instead. What was she to do in this situation, though? It was not as though there was anyway they could be caught...

Morgan was pleasantly surprised to hear a non-aggressive bark in return. She gave her best dragon-ey smile as her tail started to wag. Sure, it sounded like the other creature didn’t trust her, but the little dragon wasn’t about to let that stop her from being nice! She trilled back again, this time more friendly and excited. Maybe “something” would want to be her friend if she was nice to them! She could only imagine how pleased Robin would be if she managed to make a friend.

Not waiting for a response, Morgan trilled again–an invitation to play. She wasn’t entirely sure if “something” would be up for it, but she figured she would inquire anyway. Her tail wagging intensified after, a clear indication of her inward excitement at the prospect of play. No, she wasn’t aggressive in the slightest–she only got that way when she or Robin were threatened.

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Was it naivety? Or was it simply willing to take such a risk? Granted, a threat would not have been kind enough to offer a target with such a huge disadvantage any direction as to where they were, but how could this Pokemon come to the decision to trust him so easily? Friendly trills only served to further confuse Aries, a small part of him seeming envious of the childlike nature it still very much retained, even while in the midst of such a world. An invitation ought to be given a response, but first-- it seemed to be polite to give this Pokemon a way to properly identify him. The trust given had yet to be reciprocated entirely, but... there did not seem to be any harm in at the very least, letting it know of his identity in some way.

Morgan kept on going past the little fox-creature, only to trip over her own feet and fall down. How embarrassing. Well, she didn’t seem to mind for too long, as she got back to her feet and swiveled her head around, trying to find something with her hearing. Of course, she didn’t initially remember that she had a nose to sniff with. She was just too excited to find something that it slipped her mind. When she did remember though, she smells something nearby.

Huh, weird. Why didn’t she bump into it then?

The little dragon slowly took a few steps forward, sniffing around. She was determined to find this “something” and see what it was! She stepped forward again, finally finding a trail to find. It seemed to be… alive? Maybe, she wasn’t entirely sure. Not yet, at least. She continued taking steps forward.

As she got closer, she slowed to a stop. She wanted to be sure if “something” was alive that it wouldn’t try and hurt her. She trilled lightly, trying to get the message across that she was friendly. Hopefully, she wasn’t coming off wrong, since she really didn’t want to get into a fight.

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; It appeared that his assumption was right. Predictably enough, the Pokemon proceeded to continue on its way, before stumbling on its own feet and falling. The fall was nothing too serious, but it was enough to make Aries feel somewhat guilty that he had done nothing to prevent it. What was he to do though, remain where he was and allow the collision to occur instead? Well, it no longer mattered as the guilt he had felt gave way to cautiousness as the other picked itself up, looking around as though it was searching for something... Had it noticed his presence after all? Steps that were taken back towards him were very much unappreciated, seeing that there had yet to be anything for Aries to judge if this Pokemon ought to be deemed a threat or not.

Leah’s next reply greeted Elanor the moment the blonde stepped through the door - a dripping Scout trailing right behind her. Sometime between her last response and this newest message, rain had begun pouring down over the island. For a floriculturist, Elanor was quite pleased with the sudden weather change; but as a pet owner ( was a monster even considered a ‘pet’? ), she couldn’t help but find the rainfall exasperating.

“Scout! Please, don’t do that in here!” She watched in dismay as the pup roughly shook himself off in the manner all dogs do, sending water droplets flying in every direction. Of course, some found their mark on the girl’s leg; but she herself was too wet to take much notice.

“Haah …. now I’m going to have to mop up …” A sulky pout was sent in the pup’s direction. “Thanks a lot, you silly menace, you.” His pleased bark was her only reply.

Eventually she found herself sat in front of the computer once more, scanning over the newest message while absently running a towel over her damp hair.

“Oh,” the blonde blinked in surprise at the message. “Ms. Leah would really be willing to travel all the way here, just for some flowers? She must be really brave …” A soft sigh rolled off her lips. “I wish I could learn to be brave too. It’s all I can do just to go into the city …”

Subject: Re: help

Ms. Leah,

Yes, your assumption is correct. They are a flower native to the Sinnoh Region; finding anyone who grows them outside of Sinnoh can be very hard, since the temperamental Gracidea can only flourish in a specific environment.

I don’t find your request forward at all. In fact, should you choose to visit us here on the island, I would be absolutely ecstatic. I must warn you, however; recently there have been troubling news of gangs loitering around, harassing the locals for unknown reasons. Law-enforcement is becoming increasingly strict, so traveling may become a delicate ordeal in the near future.

As for my coming to you, I’m afraid that it would be difficult to accomplish. I have many responsibilities here that would make leaving for an extended trip burdensome on the rest of my family. For this inconvenience, I sincerely apologize; especially since your are making the effort to reach out to me, and are willing to consider ocean travel in these uncertain times.

Pearly teeth worried on pale lips, a flower of guilt beginning to bloom in her chest.

‘I say this, but …’ Thin shoulders slumped forward under an imaginary weight they alone could feel. ‘I’m the one who would be too scared to leave the island … How shameful. To think I’d go so far as to make excuses to a potential client.’

For a moment, she allowed herself to entertain the idea of leaving. Perhaps once she had been interested in traveling, but back then the world had been a different place entirely. ‘To have the courage to overcome fears … that’s something really special, isn’t it?’

If you do decide to make the trip here, please let me know so that I can expect you. The least I can do is help arrange lodgings. I hope it’s not presumptuous of me to say, but I don’t believe you would be disappointed in our gardens. We have a wide variety of flowers that we currently grow: from the elegant lilies to the tropical hibiscus. Of course, we have plenty of flowers that are known to have medicinal properties as well.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely,

Elanor Holmes Administrative Assistant Holmes’ Family Garden

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; A brief pause. It could not be denied that a small part of her had hoped that Elanor was willing to meet her halfway, quite literally so-- perhaps arranging a meeting midway between the two regions rather than having to traverse such a distance. The reasons stated by the other were anything but unreasonable, but it did mean that Leah ought to put more careful consideration into this travelling idea. There was the fact that she had to search for someone willing to ferry her across the seas, and of course, earn the money in order to provide compensation for the bother. Along with the recent thunderstorm that had been issued, it appeared that there was much to be done before she could make the trip to the family garden in Alola. 

They had been getting by with picking fruits and sleeping in makeshift beds comprising leaves so far, but if anything, a temporary solution. Finding a way to at least maintain their basic needs appeared to be what she ought to do next, rather than making a potentially hazardous journey to a faraway region. It did not mean that a visit made in the near future was out of the question, it simply seemed wiser to postpone it to a further date, when she was better acclimated with the world around her. As though her thoughts were sensed by it, Eevee made a satisfied noise, no longer warily eyeing her as it had been since she verbalized her intention of visiting Alola. A smile was given in response, fingers gently smoothing out its fur as she continued to think.

What was she to do now, then? Her current whereabouts being of Mauville City would soon turn into Slateport City, seeing that was her next destination-- a decision that Leah had made having had quite the experience getting here, along with a nagging feeling that she ought to do so. The usual as always, but it seemed that it would prove beneficial to her, seeing that what she had sought after was a means of transportation across the waters. She was not expecting anyone to be open to the idea of bringing her all the way to Alola, but there was no harm in having hopes that there very well may be someone. Firstly however, she would have to find a way to acquire some money. 

Subject: Re: help

I see, then I won’t be as likely to be able to see a Gracidea anytime soon, then. Perhaps when the time comes and I am comfortable with travelling to Sinnoh, I will make use of the contact information that you have so kindly provided me. My interest lies more in acquiring some Lavenders at the moment, and having the chance to learn about more flowers from someone more knowledgeable about them.

The gangs do sound quite concerning, thank you for letting me know I do hope that you have not had the displeasure of having been harassed by them. I would like to think that it would not be too much of an ordeal, as I hardly look the part of being a member of a gang! Jokes aside, I will keep what you said in mind.

There’s no need to apologize, the nature of your circumstances are completely understandable! As for myself making a trip there, I will have to deal with some complications before I am able to make said trip, so I won’t be able to do so as soon as I would have liked to. With the amount of help that you’ve been providing me, I’m sure that the garden you work at will be anything but disappointing. Your offer to arrange lodging for me would be greatly appreciated however, and I will let you know when I plan to visit via email when the time comes. 

For now, I suppose our emailing back and forth shall suffice. Perhaps I could start of with asking you to list some common flowers and their general uses? I’d like to understand more about the properties they have, and if any of the flowers around me would be of more use than I thought.

Robin should have realized that approaching one of those wild monsters wouldn’t be a good idea, but he had assumed that Morgan could protect him. Of course, the little dragon tried her best, but couldn’t completely protect him from everything. He could only assume that the creature was much stronger than she was. Robin ended up with a nasty bite and a cut across his hand. Obviously, he had enough of exploring after that encounter, and started to head back to a city called Slateport, searching for help.

He found it fairly quickly in a temporary relief center.

Naturally, he wasn’t the most extreme case, so he wasn’t taken in first. It didn’t really surprise him, but he couldn’t help but be concerned for the state of his wounds. He hoped they wouldn’t get infected. So he waited for his turn, Morgan at his side and whimpering. She certainly wasn’t happy with their current lot in life, but there wasn’t much he could do to help curb her worries. He also couldn’t help that she was quickly becoming very bored.

Morgan was able to behave so nicely at the library because she had plenty of things to gently bump her head against–which was her only way of “seeing” things at the time. This relief center, however, was scarce of such sensory details, making her anxious to bump into other things. And, of course, she was becoming bored of sitting around. Robin soon took notice, luckily, and told her to go off and explore.

She somehow understood, and took off into the great beyond, searching for something to bump into.

She didn’t find anything of note for a while, having to rely on her hearing to guide her away from other people–and creatures. She, however, couldn’t have noticed the eevee she was fast approaching. She just came closer and closer, until she was a few feet away from the fox-like being.

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Remaining vigilant of his surroundings, Aries had been assessing the several routes that a potential threat may take, most of which having to do with the element of surprise-- either lunging out from hiding to attack, or perhaps a distraction preceding an ambush... What the Eevee did not expect, was to hear rustlings of grass that rendered the following options unusable, instead indicating a quick approach. Sensory cues to the source of said rustling did allow him to ascertain its general direction, but it still did not prepare him for the sudden appearance of another Pokemon charging towards him seemingly out of no where. That was, until he noticed that said charge appeared to be ever so slightly off target.

Not only that, it appeared that the culprit was not aware of his presence, judging by its lack of reaction upon changing upon him. Perhaps...? There was a chance that the conclusion he had come to was wrong, which may potentially provide an advantage to the enemy. But he would rather do so in lieu of harming another Pokemon that had yet to show any sort of direct malicious intent, aside of the quick approach that appeared to not be slowing down any time soon, that was. Even then, said approach could be without ill intent. A quick glance over to Leah revealed that there appeared to be no similar sort of situation occurring on her part, only alluding more to the fact that it was anything but some sort of organised attack that he was paranoid about.

”Oh, I guess I was wrong. It seems like Ms. Leah probably lives in Hoenn.” Elanor smiled to herself, somewhat relieved. “If that’s the case, at least she isn’t near the Sinnoh Mines. Ah, but isn’t Hoenn experiencing strange weather? I heard that the thunderstorms there have been terribly intense … what do you think, Scout?”

At the sound of his name, the pup blinked opened his eyes and looked up at her - tail thumping a steady rhythm against the floor. He cocked his head to the side curiously, as if seriously thinking about her question. After a moment, he gave a single bark; his tongue lolling out the side of his muzzle as he gave his human a doggy smile.

“Is that so?” Elanor giggled, reaching down to give Scout an affection scratch. “Well, if you’re not worried, then I shouldn’t be either, hm?”

“Now then, Lavender, huh? Let’s see …”

Subject: Re: help

Ms. Leah,

I’m pleased to hear I was able to answer all your questions about the Gracidea in one response. I was concerned that I may not have covered something, but your reply has reassured me - so thank you very much!

Unfortunately, we do not cultivate the Gracidea Flower in our gardens; simply because the climate in Alola is not favorable for raising them. However, if you are interested in purchasing them, or simply wish to view them in person, if traveling is agreeable to you then I can recommend a place where they are grown.

In Floaroma Town, Sinnoh, there is a large floriculture farm that is known to raise them. They typically begin planting them at the end of summer, so that the flowers can bloom mid-autumn. The name of the farm is Barrymore Estate; I will forward you their contact information at the end of this message, in case you find yourself interested.

Lavender in general is a very easy flower to raise, so I don’t foresee you having any trouble finding them in Hoenn. The fact that they are in-season right now will only make locating them easier. Lavender prefer dry-soil with plenty of sunlight, so if you’re looking for it wild-grown then somewhere inland in an open area would be my recommendation for searching.

Alternatively, Madame Puddifoot’s Flower Shop in Lilycove City sells Lavender year-round. We occasionally purchase seeds from them, so I can personally attest to their quality.

As a matter of fact, we do cultivate Lavender in our gardens. It is a very popular flower here, since it is so versatile in its uses. It’s not only pretty: you can use it in cooking, perfume making, flower arranging, and it also has medicinal properties. I’ve heard that people like to dry them to use in various artistic crafts too.

Lavender is a very talented flower, isn’t it? It’s also one of my personal favorites; so I hope you pardon my strong initiative to promote it.

I do not want to make you go out of your way, but if you decide to do business with us we would greatly appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Elanor Holmes Administrative Assistant Holmes’ Family Garden

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Alola, the location of the recipient garden had been yet another familiar name to Leah, much like the various other regions that she had heard of-- Kanto, Johto, and where she was, Hoenn. She felt an affinity of sorts with Hoenn, being aware of certain places and recognizing city names, while the knowledge she appeared to have of the other regions were quite simply, their names. A glance at the pamphlet revealed its location as on Melemele Island, what she assumed to be one of the few islands in the Alola region, and a name that she did not find familiar to any extent. Which was truthfully, quite relieving, seeing that it was the fact that certain things were familiar to her that induced more confusion.

Floaroma Town, which was apparently in Sinnoh was a touch more familiar, making it seem as though she was familiar with places that had an association to flowers... ‘His favorite’ indicated as though it was someone dear to her that liked flowers, and had a particular liking towards Lavenders specifically. Who it was exactly was a memory that constantly evaded her, only resulting into numerous headaches when she attempted to dig deeper. That particular individual had always came to mind when she was in the vicinity in any sort of flower, the thought that he would appreciate them crossing her mind-- needless to say, she was fairly willing enough to put in the effort if it meant she could uncover his identity.

“ I wouldn’t mind going to Alola... ” Mumbled words were immediately responded to with a dubious stare from a certain Eevee, who then huffed indignantly before jumping onto her lap, now staring at the laptop as though it could read the email on screen. If she were to make a visit to some unknown region, Alola appeared to be the better choice between the two, with someone she had spoken to ( or rather, emailed ) being there to hopefully, provide support. There was the notion that Lavenders ought to be easily found in the wild, but she certainly would not mind visiting a flower garden. Meeting the person she had been emailing to would be beneficial in many ways as well, may it be to ask of flowers or of the world she was in... hopefully Eevee would be agreeable to it.

Subject: Re: help

I ought to be the one thanking you for taking the time to answer all of my questions! I understand that my questions have been rather random, so thank you for taking the effort to reply my emails with such informative answers.

As for the Gracidea Flower, am I right to assume that they are native to the Sinnoh region then? If that’s the case, I suppose I wouldn’t be able to find one anywhere around Hoenn, and travelling would be a must. 

If I must travel, I would prefer making a visit to Alola, where you are located. Not only would I like to provide you some well deserved business, I would very much like to see what other sorts of flowers you have. I would also like to talk to you more extensively about other species of flowers and their respective uses, particularly their medicinal properties.  

Would it be too forward of me to ask if I may visit the garden in the near future? Or request that we meet somewhere, if possible? Alola is quite a ways from Hoenn after all, so I will understand if you find my request unreasonable. 

“The Gracidea Flower, huh?”

Elanor hummed to herself in thought. It was a pretty flower, the Gracidea; but it was rather unpopular outside of Sinnoh for floriculturists. It was rather temperamental in its growth, needing a specific environment, and didn’t really have much of a use aside from looking pretty. From what she could recall, they were mostly grown as ‘gifting’ flowers.

“I wonder if she lives in Sinnoh?” She asked aloud, even though the only one around was Scout - who currently laid curled at her feet. “The news said that they found dead body’s around some mine there. I hope Ms. Leah isn’t close to that area; that’d be really troubling.”

She shook her head, clearing it of those dark thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to be imagining such things! There was a client waiting on her response.

Subject: Re: help

Ms. Leah,

Thank you very much for your patience. The Gracidea Flower that you inquired about is a flower native to the Sinnoh region. It typically grows around the base of mountains and thrives in cooler temperatures, so Gracidea’s can be difficult to cultivate in warmer climates.

They have a rather thick stem that can grow up to 29 inches (73.66 cm), and two to three buds typically bloom per stem. In Sinnoh, it is considered a lucky omen if you find a Gracidea with four blooms.

In the language of flowers, they symbolize ‘gratitude’; and so are generally used as gifts of thanks. They don’t have any medicinal properties, nor any other redeeming quality aside from their peachy color - which makes them a good accent flower in bouquets.

I apologize for this generalized response; I was unsure about the type of help you wanted to received, and so just outlined the major points. Was there anything more specific you wished to know about?

Sincerely,

Elanor Holmes Administrative Assistant Holmes’ Family Garden

She did a quick spellcheck before sending her response, hoping that the person on the other side of the computer was pleased with the feedback.

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Softly, though not her intention, the sole thought occupying her mind as Leah read through the response slipped passed her lips. “ ... It exists... ” An unexpected outcome, she had hardly thought that such a flower that had been a simple passing thought in her mind, like many others, really did exist here. Eyes scanned pass the text regarding the Gracidea that the assistant had provided, picking up on pieces of information not only intrigued her, but those that seemed oddly familiar. Symbols of gratitude that were given as thanks in Sinnoh... structuring it into a sentence made it all the more familiar, as though it were something she had been told before. Or perhaps, something that she had read?

A meek smile pulled at her lips upon reading the final paragraph-- the so-called ‘generalized response’ had given her all that she had asked, seeing that it had been simply a request for information regarding the flower. She was curious how it looked like... ah, a search on the internet be able to provide that! Once she had navigated back to the search engine ( that was very much a blessing, seeing that this would all not be possible were it not for it! ), she entered in the name of the flower in the image search bar and clicked on one of the images that popped up. It was... much like the world around her; familiar, but... unfamiliar. 

It had unfortunately not provided her any help in jogging her memory, but knowing that it did exist more than sufficed. Seeing one in person was something she would not mind doing, but from what she saw in the image results, it appeared to be a rarity. Those results had variations of the same picture before it became of different flowers entirely, but one of the images had caught her eye. Lavenders, hidden amidst the varied images of assorted flowers... they were most definitely something that would help in terms of her memory, along with something she would like to find in the near future. She just had.. a feeling. ‘ His favorite. ’

Subject: Re: help

Hello,

Your response was very helpful, thank you! It was all I wanted to know about the Gracidea, although I’d be curious if you happen to have any on hand? It seems to be quite a rare flower, so I do hope it’s not to presumptuous of me to ask that!

Would you also know of where someone could find lavenders in Hoenn? Although, I would love to give you some business by purchasing some from you if you have them, seeing that you’ve been so kind to answer all of my questions.

Dahlia was relieved to see that the girl and the other creature both managed to escape the flock as well. She was even more relieved when she noticed that they had spotted shelter. “Sigurd!” she called out getting his attention. He nodded before changing course and the unlucky group managed to run in.

The girl and her creature barricaded the door with their bodies while Dahlia stumbled to a stop. Hearing the birds trying to ram the door down was enough for her to finally drop her bag and get into a battle stance. A shield would have been preferable in these conditions since that would at least cover her from the rain of poop that might occur if the birds came in. Birds typically didn’t do well with confined spaces and although this shack provided them shelter it would be their doom if the monsters managed to break in.

Sigurd stared at the door ready to fight the first thing that came. His eyes narrowed at the other creature as it motioned for him to push the bookcase. Even if they were the same species, how dare it order him around! It was a good idea though and Sigurd tried to play it off as if he thought of it himself. Trotting to the bookcase he pushed it with all his strength, ears twitching at the horrible screeching noise. Once it was in front of the door he moved away, giving the other creature a disapproving stare before trotting back to Dahlia.

Now that they weren’t in immediate danger Dahlia glanced around the little shack they ended up in and sighed heavily. “Kind of a dump but conveniently located,” she murmured to herself studying it. “Sorry for dragging you into our mess, this guy just loves to pick fights for no reason,” Dahlia apologized to the other girl feeling like it was the right thing to do. Even though she and her creature tried to fight off the flock, they probably just wanted a leisurely stroll as well.

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; How unreasonable was a humble request for help in doing something that would put them in less danger? It could not comprehend the look the other Eevee had given it in response, all it was asking was to– Well, it made sense now, seeing that it had been interpreted as an order to push the bookcase, rather than doing it together. Which was the conclusion that it had come to upon seeing the other trot over to said bookcase and push at it on his own, before shooting yet another look towards it. Disapproval that would very much not be present if there had been no misunderstandings, so rather than feeling offended by such a minuscule thing, settling with the fact that now Leah was relieved of her role as a glorified door-stopper would suffice.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips upon the bookshelf successfully managing to keep their angry pursuers at bay, providing the flimsy door some much needed support. The angry pecking had yet to come to a stop... how long were these creatures going to hold a grudge, or rather-- how much energy did they have?! Eyes flickered over to the other upon hearing her speak, silently agreeing with her sentiment and she surveyed their current whereabouts. Safe for the bookcase propped against the door, the interior of the shacked appeared rather barren, having only a wooden desk and chair that appeared to be in just as bad of a shape as the door was in. Apologizing to her seemed anything but necessary, so she quickly responded: “ I should be the one to say sorry, fighting did make it worse... ”

   Boats were bullshit. Boats were made from the devil….and he was stuck in the cargo hold of a ship going…somewhere? Seiten wasn’t too happy about being stuck in a tight area as well…guess him and Ryuji had a lot more in common that he thought.

   Leaving the boat, Ryuji stretched out his body, various pops could be heard from Ryuji’s various joints being able to move again. His muscles were also thankful for the increase in movement; Ryuji borderline moaned when he was able to stretch.

   “Maaaaan, I freakin’ hate boat rides; what about you Seiten?”

   Seiten didn’t hear Ryuji since he was too bust running around, squeaking? in joy from being able to move again. Ryuji chuckled at the little monkey and scooped him up to start moving from the dock. While Ryuji was leaving said docking area, when he was busy trying to make Seiten not try and play with every other creature within 5 feet, he collided with…something. That something was a girl and she was now in the water. Oh god. Helping the woman back up, she started to apologize and Ryuji started to feel guilty.

   “H-Hey! It’s alright! It’s partly my fault too since I was paying attention…oh god please don’t catch a cold. Hey Seiten, since you’re all…in fire and stuff, could you help her?”

   Seiten received the message, and enlarged the flame on his rear and moved closer to the girl, trying to warm her up.

   “Again, sorry about that, I’m Ryuji, and this little monster’s Seiten…and you are?”

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Scrutinizing the stranger as he helped Leah out of the water, Eevee’s stance relaxed to a certain degree-- if they were willing to right their wrong so quickly, the benefit of the doubt would be extended. Not to say that it trusted them to any extent, but it could afford to feel a little less on edge. It was still wary of the Pokemon by his side, with what appeared to be a flame burning bright where a tail ought to be... though much like his human, he appeared to be at the very least, not of the aggressive sort. With Leah now back standing where she had been, Eevee trotted over to her side and gently rubbed its cheek against her calf. While it was mildly exasperated that her usually dazed state had been a reason she had ended up drenched, it would give her a moment of respite... for now.

Hues of red tinged her cheeks out of embarrassment, having to be helped up by a stranger while she was completely and utterly drenched. Fingers curled around her braid as she attempted to squeeze as much water as she could from it, water trickling down from her hands as a result. The action was repeated several times with different areas of her clothing, though it came to a brief pause upon hearing what the other had said. “ I-I should be fine! I wasn’t paying attention too, so...! ” Cue yet another sneeze, as the Pokemon that seemed to be called ‘Seiten’ approached her and offered her the flame, to which she readily accepted, putting her hands out in hopes to regain some warmth.

Blue eyes stared at the computer screen intently, carefully studying the glowing words before them. For the past hour, that was all Elanor had done. She had lost count of how many articles she had read over in her studies, her mind overflowing with information to the point where she wasn’t sure if she was retaining anything at all. Eventually she was forced to lean black and rub at her eyes, the intense light from the computer making them burn uncomfortably.

“I think it’s time for a break …” Pushing herself up, she made to go towards the kitchen when a loud ‘beep!’ stopped her in her tracks. She turned her gaze back to the screen, curiosity piqued when noticing she had received a new e-mail alert.

“Oh, I wonder who that could be?” Falling back into her seat, Elanor was quick to navigate to the inbox - instantly clicking open the new message after scanning the subject.

‘Is this … spam?’ Although most of the message was legible, the random arrangement of letters and special characters at the end made her feel a bit doubtful of the message’s legitimacy. Briefly she debated waiting for her father to return in order for him to respond to it himself; but after a moment’s thought, decided it couldn’t hurt to get the ball rolling.

Subject: Re: help

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We will do our best to provide you with any assistance you may need in regards to flower care. Would you mind explaining the nature of the help you wish to receive?

We look forward to hearing back from you!

Sincerely,

Elanor Holmes Administrative Assistant Holmes’ Family Garden

She quickly read over the response, checking for any misspelled words or other obvious grammatical errors. Once she was certain she hadn’t made an embarrassing mistake, she clicked the ‘send’ button - watching the loading bar spin quickly, before a notification popped up stating that her message had been successfully sent.

“Well, that takes care of that for now.” Once again she rose from her chair, turning in the direction of the kitchen. “Time for a snack. Ah … My shoulders are all cramped.”

x ♫ - AL NIENTE; Staring. She had been staring at the pamphlet in her hand for the longest time, her laptop on her lap ( that was starting to burn, this was a bad idea..! ) -- it was almost as though she was specifically awaiting a response. Or, it could be the overwhelming sense of anxiety and want to undo the fact that such a nonsensical email had been sent that kept her from doing anything substantial, instead thinking of many, many scenarios in attempt to soothe her nerves. Maybe the shop that had given out the pamphlet was out of business and no one would respond, or it would simply give an automated response saying that it was not their business hours and to email them at a later time? Simply put, Leah was in denial. A fair bit of denial.

Denial that was promptly shoved aside as what could only be the sound of an answer to her pathetic excuse of an email rang, causing her to almost yelp in surprise and terror. Mostly, sheer terror. Only now did she notice the burning sensation on her thighs, and she promptly lifted up the culprit, placing it by her side as she gave her legs some relief. She could not possibly put said laptop back on her lap when her legs were protesting about the ridiculous temperatures they were subjected to! No, she was not doing this to delay seeing the response email at all. ...Okay, yes she was, but who would judge her?

A certain Eevee staring back at her incredulously, that was who. It was very much judging her, aware to some degree that she appeared to be doing something that was worthy of disapproval. Relenting to them staying put at this spot ( they had to keep moving, staying here was unwise! ) did not mean that she ought to use this time doing something else than what she had intended. She had told it that she was doing something with the computer, and the fact that she had placed said computer to the side was enough to alert it of her lack of doing so. Which was why she laughed meekly, opened the laptop in defeat and read through the email. 

Subject: Re: help

Hello,

Thank you so much for getting back to me! I’m so sorry about my previous email, it’d been accidentally sent before I was done with it. 

I’d like some help with some information about a flower called the Gracidea Flower. I’d like to know more about it, and was hoping that you’d be able to help. 

Sincerely, Leah.