Wayward Souls

That second part though. Oh boy, if only Azura knew exactly how to use context. And even more of a clue to switch the topic as Amber suggested. Don't worry, the delivery girl would save you from this embarrassment.

Hopefully.

"Ehh, right. Well as I mentioned before, besides Tsuki, I don't really have any floofy pokemon. And some of them are a bit tricky to uhh cuddle and pet. That would be Ariadne. Oh, it's not her personality. She can be very sweet and docile. But also sort of excited. Like a dog pokemon," she added with a grin, then made a thoughtful hum with a slightly faltered expression.

"Thing is, having a rough skin ability is well...it's good in battle. But...you get my point. So you either gotta wear gloves or just be extra careful. Ari, definitely enjoys pets though. Just...as a sharpedo she does have sort of stigma that she is likely a bully."

"Oh, there are no Pokémon impossible to give pets I'm certain of that." Nobody has told Amber about Slugma, it seems. "And anyway, rough skin? I got tough skin. I could and would give your sweet bean Ari all the pets."

"You should still not do it."

"No force in the universe will stop me petting a water pupper! It don't matter what the official records say, Ariadne is a sweet li'l bean!"

"Oh! I've seen plenty of those around the contest halls in Hoenn. And a bunch of wild swablu as well while visiting the region. You aren't wrong that they are incredible fluffy," she remarked.

An eyebrow raised as she patiently waited while the poor gardevoir struggled telepathically to form the endearing adjective they were just talking about.

"Ah, I totally get that. I at least have Tsuki who is adamant about sleeping at the end of whatever bed im on. But then you wake up to a mightyena's floofy face in the morning begging for food," she sighed with a small grin

"Most of my Pokémon don't really do the 'sneak into trainer's bed' thing I hear so many people talk about... But my Luxray is absolute regarding breakfast time. And boooooy does he get huffy when I'm 2.327 seconds too late."

"That is because you commonly share a bed with your mate an-"

"So We've Talked A Lot About My Floofy Pokémon Tell Me More About Yours Please Okay Thanks."

Ah. Well nevermind that~

"Being a water type training I don't have many fluffy pokemon.. Well unless you could Tsuki," she said referring to her mightyena. This canine pokemon was the equivalent of a very floofy husky. Perhaps samoyed levels of floof. Lynn knew Amber's 'pain'.

"Actually, around Alola ..trainers are given refresher kits to help maintain their pokemon. Most of it is just a grooming kit to clean them up after battle. But it does come with some topical medications. If you would like I could see I could pick one up for you?" Lynn asked figuring the friendly suggestion may just help. But likely this seemed to be more of a case then just simple upkeep.

Lynn then turned the gardevoir that was speaking telepathically to her. A small understanding nod was made. "I suppose we have that six pokemon rule in place so it doesn't feel too overwhelming," she added with a shrug. This was coming from the same coordinator who at the moment had two full regional teams and was still possibly acquiring more traveling around Lumiose City.

"Refresher... Grooming... Kit..." Amber slowly typed out on her phone, a reminder for later on.

"Well in terms of floofy boys and girls... Well there's no competition, my Altaria -her name's Melody- is the fluffiest of them all. Altaria down is famous for it's floof, y'know? It's always good quality for its softness and warmth..."

"I do not believe Amber would be overwhelmed... Or at least, I do not believe Amber would not enjoy being overwhelmed."

Phrasing, Azura.

"Many of our cohorts are... Fffffflliiiiff..." She seemed to pull a face at trying to mentally project that word. Made-up words that weren't names could be surprisingly difficult to telepathically communicate, especially across the human/pokemon language barrier.

She wondered if perhaps her little reference brought up some sensitive topic, despite that not being the intention at all. The corsola in her lap would wobbly slightly trying to get herself comfortable, in which the coordinator would pick her up slightly and turn her about so that she could view the ocean that was out in the distance, all the while listening to Amber speak.

She raised an eyebrow hearing 'Elise's' name. "Looking pretty for treats, huh?" Lynn remarked with a softened smirk. "That's something Lamia has taught Tsuki. Or well, she's influence the rest of the team." It was why her gorebyss was a natural performer~

"Well, she's currently in the box right now..." Amber explained, oblivious to the thought of Lynn catching on. "she was also in the box last time I was here, come to think of it. Given how fluffy she is, I guess it works out?"

"There are nine of us on this team. But only six can accompany Amber for... Human reasons." Azura added onto the explanation. "Amber does her best in giving us all equal time."

"Route 209 does sound a little familiar. Especially with all those rivers and bridges. I think I recall some goldeen and seaking fishing spots there. And something else..."

She paused when Azura requested about the berries. "Ehh, well I don't have the exact berries. But I have some leftover pokeblocks made from aspear berries if you wanna try one of those?" she remarked reaching into her bag and retrieving those infamous dispensers seeing around Hoenn contest halls, only for Amber to intercept the offer.

"I... Would never do that." The hesitation may have sounded like guilt, but it was more a matter of 'exact words' on Azura's behalf. No, she wouldn't ask for treats... Buuuuuut she would accept any that were offered.

"I know somebody who is exactly like that." Amber said, before mentally deciding not to give any further details because Arceus dammit any further answers involves other people's secrets.

"Yes. Elise does try to look pretty for treats." Being a Gardevoir means being naturally empathetic and a mind-reader, so sensing Amber's heavily-suppressed panic (as well as being in-the-know about the Summers-Richards background drama) managed to pretty handily come up with an on-the-spot explanation.

With that she turned toward Amber. "Oh, it's no wonder why you ended up rejecting the poffin. I noticed that if you don't get it down just right they end up tasting rather bitter and dried out."

So Azura has a lax nature.

Oh.

The delivery girl blinked realizing now just how closely the gardevoir was studying her. "I ehhh... get your point. You -really- don't like bitter flavors," she said raising up both her hands in a truce like fashion.

Ahem...

"... ... East of the city." Azura repeated, before Amber shuffled in to explain.

"Oh, she means Route 209." Amber clarified, "the road between Hearthome and Solaceon town. I met her on the Western end, where all the rivers and bridges are."

"Correct. East of the City." Azura repeated herself. An unspoken downside of telepathy is that sometimes it can be a little too literal. "I will however, accept these berries you speak of."

Well sort of.

She nodded at the inquiry about poffins. "That's right. I learned about them when I started to perform at contest halls around Sinnoh. I mean I already mastered making pokeblocks. But for some reason. It's not that I burn them..they just seem ... how do I say this...lackluster?" she said scrunching up her face.

In truth she didn't visit Sinnoh all too often. And that meant there wasn't a lot of opportunity to practice making those confectionary treats.

"It was East of Hearthome." Azura clarified, "next to a winding river that made Summers cool and Winters freezing. It was close."

"According to my Pokédex, Azura is considered 'lax' in nature, which means yeah, bitter food aren't exactly her cup of tea. Her cup of bitter, bitter tea."

"... ... ..."

However, it was what Amber mentioned next that made the delivery girl quirk a brown. "Ya mean going back to visit Heartholme? I don't think I remember that part being too cold. Unless it was during the winter," she remarked thoughtfully.

With that the coordinator hummed to herself. The snacks were difficult to obtain? "Oh wait, could she possibly mean those poffins? I have to admit that is one contest hall recipe that I have yet to master. Like it's you have to get the formula just right for the batch."

That's what they were talking about, right?

"My old home would be uncomfortable in winter." Azura confirmed Lynn's question, "And being close to human settlements meant I was very aware of how warm humans could make their homes. It sometimes made the cold worse."

Despite the tone of Azura's explanation, she didn't seem that dejected or emotional about the rough means of survival in the wild, it seemed just matter-of-fact to her.

"Poffins... They are the fluffy buns that trainers would make for Pokémon, yes? Sometimes trainers would discard the poffins that they were not happy with. Wild Pokémon would fight over these, they were very popular."

"The first time I successfully got one, it tasted bitter and I never went back for another."

"To be honest that is how I kind of met Kikuri. There's a little fishing spot right outside of town. Before you head to the cemetery. That's where I first encountered her. So I figured why not revisit this place today.. for nostalgic reasons y'know?"

Lynn couldn't help but chuckle at Zura's confession about wanting to nap and someone else to bring her food. That was certainly a mood she could relate to. Alas she was the delivery girl bringing food to people. Her time for naps was rather...sporadic to say the least.

"Well she is a cutie, and she deserves all the snacks." Amber grinned at Lynn, giving her fellow pink-coded gal Kikuri a grin and a pat on the head. "But now that you mention it, I don't think we've ever revisited your old home, huh Azura?"

"I have no attachment to it." She responded matter-of-factly, "It was cold, and the snacks were difficult to obtain."

"Well, at least it's good you find time with me better than..."

"... Azura, what do you mean by snacks being 'difficult to obtain'."

"... ... Don't I also deserve all the snacks?"

"'Zura what did you mean."

"My luck has been on thin ice," Lynn half muttered under her breath, only for her to change her tone to something more casual and friendly. "Still being in the coordinator spotlight certainly gives you more perspective of your surroundings~"

Since it technically wasn't an aforementioned date, she thought it would be best to keep those secrets tucked away in her brain-vault. Safekeeping for another day. Another time. Then again, she did briefly wonder if Azura could read minds? Nah, that couldn't be the case.

"Ah! It looks like you two are close. I would have guessed you had known each other longer than six months."

"Well, I met Azura when she was a li'l Ralts, East of Hearthome City. She wanted a trainer, I wanted a li'l cutie and that's how things went!"

"I spent most of my Ralts time napping. I wanted a trainer so I could sleep all day and have someone else give me food." There was a twinge of shame in Azura's telepathic 'voice'. But Amber simply tightened the arm around Azura's shoulder for a closer hug.

"Well you gotta get it over with sooner or later. Third date means there's some trust there, but you aren't too deep that a rejection hurts!" Despite making light of the matter, Amber was... absolutely avoiding the Copperajah in the room.

"And hey, despite what everyone and his mother says, Robin and I aren't attached to the hip..."

"... Attached by the heart is another matter." The Gardevoir spoke via telepathy, a mildly mischeavous smile on her lips as Amber snorted a laugh. The Psychic-type gracefully rose from the seat and stepped away, allowing Lynn to take the seat instead.

Oh. Perhaps she herself said a little too much.

Luckily the topic was still keeping light hearted. Somehow. "Really now? I could have sworn you two were practically velcroed together," she added with a soft smirk, but then perked up when she heard the other voice. It was coming from the gardevoir? Ah, that's right they were a psychic type.

Lynn opened her mouth to ask exactly what that other matter was, but it seemed Amber had jumped right into the introductions. The brunette hesitated to take the seat as she did feel it would be an intrusion. But it seemed like they insisted.

"Oh yeah, there's that too. So far I've been pretty lucky, although there's always that one asshole who tries to use your vulnerabilities against you." Really skirting the line of what you're allowed to say here, huh Amber?

Regardless of her secrets -and of Lynn's own thoughts- Amber reached over to Azura and pulled her in close, wrapping an arm around Azura and gave a grin to Lynn.

"'Zura and I have known each other for about half a year at this point, she's also the 5th Pokémon I caught, but like all my Pokémon we've bonded well."