"any berries. bitter herbs. roots. oh, if you spot a crystabloom. let me know. immediately."

elijah bobs on the back of his gogoat's steady trod, which stops to chew at a dandelion by isaac's feet. the stem snaps clean and exposes its milk.

his voice is rough like gravel. deep like the mantle and crust. elijah alights from his mount and slides carefully, the woven basket from its horn.

"how about you go ahead and find me something and i'll let you know how you did." elijah folds his arms over his chest, the basket scratching his skin.

Isaac Merlo

"found something already?"

elijah lurches in behind isaac. his gogoat trods along, breaking apart clods with its hooves.

he squints at the grafted tree, and his lips flatten. without moving his head, he scans the area, tilting his gaze side to side as if searching for something. someone.

"you sure about touching that?"

Isaac Merlo

"if it's a grafted tree, it's someone's personal plant project." elijah declares.

he finishes his careful scan and draws his eyes back. exposed like this, with identity and intention bare to the air of the woods, elijah does not risk thievery.

but elijah operates not on rocket's lines, but the gardner code: not to mettle with another's gardening.

"just think it's disrespectful to take from another green thumb's work." elijah crosses his arms. "'sides, i visit here often. i don't want your butterfingers compromising my good will with this wood."

Isaac Merlo

elijah lets the question settle like mist on moss. in his slow silence, the apothecary offers a stiff lip that eventually erodes into the full swing of a nod.

"looks good to me." elijah says. "careful not to remove the entire patch. leave some behind."

he pulls out a tupperware container from the satchel on his gogoat. peels the plastic blue lid open and extends the empty box. he does not relinquish his grasp should isaac attempt to take it.

"you're chipper. young. why'd you join rocket?"

Isaac Merlo

vagabonds eventually find their way to rocket. it's the natural order of things. wandering feet, tired of dipping their toes into what they hope is a friendly home, eventually discover the flexibility rocket's umbrella provides.

however, one may question whether rocket is a nurturing parent or a hands-off guardian.

but feeling like you're a part of something is enough in the end. after all, clementines grow seedless when alone.

"rocket liked what i did." elijah says. "what i did with plants. growing them. my old medicines. finally felt appreciated."

he leans against his gogoat. breathes in deep.

"why 'fuck the league'?"

Isaac Merlo

the man had an answer. didn't hesitate. that's good enough for elijah, at least for now.

elijah adds his own contribution of moss to the tupperware. closes it tight after a spritzing from a squirt bottle in the shape of a lotad.

"i made old medicine. my family business was being shut out." elijah says, nose wrinkling. "defamed. we're frauds and rip-offs, people said. rocket appreciated what i made and what i make now."

but how much of this was true? a stubborn grumble sprawls from underneath his stiff lower lip.

"where's your combee at?"

Isaac Merlo

bridges have been burned. torn down. brick and plank ripped from rib and spine. however, who threw the first rock? who stoked the first flame?

even elijah has his doubts sometimes.

upon isaac's alert, elijah is quick to follow. the combee's fine thankfully, for the little pokemon is likely a fragile one.

"a crystabloom." elijah almost gasps. "looks like the crystal heart is damaged."

he grumbles. grinds molar against molar.

"we found what we wanted though, isaac. let's harvest." from his pockets, he grabs two pairs of gloves. he hurls the other pair at isaac. lets them slap hard against the other's chest. "might be dangerous. don't want you slicing your little baby hands open."

Isaac Merlo