"Yes, me," Noelle offered a small smile and giggle, although, its slightly forced. She easily recognizes Fernando Silph - who wouldn't? she remembered her encounter with him a few times prior, as well as their most recent in slateport. 'i'm glad he's okay.'

"Noelle." She introduces herself again, if only because she had a small inkling of a feeling that he doesn't remember her. She couldn't help but feel the slightest bit curious though...Why would such an esteemed man be out here?

After pausing for a moment to take in his appearance and ponder over it, her mind went to Mateo and Kyle. They worked alongside him, right? Almost immediately though, she felt a pain in her chest. "If you're looking for him, well...Mateo's...not here," she told him a quiet voice that briefly faltered, "but, I guess you already know that, huh?" She tried to sound a bit more chipper, but, it's near impossible to.

"Are you lost?" She prompted again.

Surfacing from the stilled ponds that surround the area, a gyarados snarled at the two trainers with a guttural cry. dropping from the trees, a dragonite appears. she brandishes her electrified fist, the thunder punch delivering immense damage to the water serpent.

it drapes over, not defeated, but, wounded before its lengthy body is sucked into the red and white capsule device produced from the dragonite. it seemed she picked up the talent from mateo's dragonite, of aiding her trainer in capturing pokemon whilst her mistress was busy.

"It's okay." Noelle offers yet another smile, although there's a tremble to her lips and a falseness in her eyes. "It'll...be okay." She repeated, her stare falling from his face and to her fiddling fingers. Even in her state though, she could acknowledge his 'good deed'.

"Oh, that's sweet of you!" Even if it wasn't for her specifically, she couldn't help but feel grateful. "You're far kinder than you look." Her blunt words were intended to be sweet, but, even she realizes this wasn't the case the moment they left her lips. She offers a weak, apologetic look in response. But, she's too emotionally exhausted to truly care.

Staring up at him for a second, there's almost something mystical about the soul-searching stare the priestess gives, despite her tired looks. "Do you think he's okay?" She's not sure what sort of validation Fernando could give her. Maybe because he was who he was, she felt as though him speaking it into existence could make it happen.

It was childish thinking, but, she was cracking. The calm facade she'd tried to put on was dissolving. She was terrified. Worried. On the brink of losing it. It was a scary thought and place to be for someone like her, for a priestess was supposed to be at inner peace within themselves. Yet, all she could feel was turmoil.

It was both childish and hopeless to try and rely on the affirmations of others to make herself feel better. She wasn't a child that needed to be lied to about an otherwise grim situation. Despite this, Noelle visibly flinched at the truth the young silph uttered.

"I know," the words failed to come out how she wanted to. They were cracked and weak, as her smile fell completely and her fist clenched. To her annoyance, she felt tears beginning to well in her eyes once more, both out of sheer frustration and desperation over the otherwise hopeless situation. There were so many things that could go wrong - that would go wrong. It made her mind swirl and chest feel heavy, and she found herself rubbing her eyes, trying to hide the influx of waterworks. "S-sorry," she apologized, head bowed.

"How do you...how do you stay so calm?" She felt embarrassed, amongst her anguish. As a priestess - no, the priestess of the Dragon Den, remaining in a state of calmness was detrimental to her role. 'Inner peace', was what they'd called it. But, here she was, dealing with her first, real loss and barely able to keep herself together. 

The priestess listens to his words rather keenly, paying attention to them like a student might a teacher. They were simple, but, true. There was no 'trick' to suddenly make the world stop spinning or her fears insignificant. All she could do was push forward and make things right. "I see..." She spoke in a softer tone, giving the slightest of nods. "Aren't you afraid of making the wrong decision though? There's...something that I feel I should do, that I need to do, but, I'm..." She was at a loss for words, "afraid."

She knew Kyle was planning on leading a search party of his own. If she hurried, perhaps she could catch them. But, what if it'd be better to wait until they had more backup? What if she proved to only be a burden to the more experienced trainer? 'I can't just...sit here and do nothing! But, I'm...'