Leahâs 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 âpetâ? ), she couldnât help but find the rainfall exasperating.
âScout! Please, donât do that in here!â 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 girlâs leg; but she herself was too wet to take much notice.
âHaah âŠ. now Iâm going to have to mop up âŠâ A sulky pout was sent in the pupâs direction. âThanks a lot, you silly menace, you.â 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.
âOh,â the blonde blinked in surprise at the message. âMs. Leah would really be willing to travel all the way here, just for some flowers? She must be really brave âŠâ A soft sigh rolled off her lips. âI wish I could learn to be brave too. Itâs all I can do just to go into the city âŠâ
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 donât 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, Iâm 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.
âI say this, but âŠâ Thin shoulders slumped forward under an imaginary weight they alone could feel. âIâm the one who would be too scared to leave the island ⊠How shameful. To think Iâd go so far as to make excuses to a potential client.â
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. âTo have the courage to overcome fears ⊠thatâs something really special, isnât it?â
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 itâs not presumptuous of me to say, but I donât 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.
Elanor Holmes
Administrative Assistant
Holmesâ Family Garden
x â« - 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.Â
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.Â
I see, then I wonât 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.
Thereâs 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 wonât be able to do so as soon as I would have liked to. With the amount of help that youâve been providing me, Iâm 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.Â
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? Iâd 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.