Sam would appear, his Pokémon following after him. she'd smile thinly, perhaps not as bright as when they first met. he noticed the flowers in her arms, offering condolences. "hello" she repeats, before pausing. uncertain what to say at first "thank you, Sam." he was too kind. but that came with his job, after all. sympathy was a rare trait for others even so.

she lets her arms fall as if the lilies were too heavy, but still cradling them gently at her side. not dropping them or placing them anywhere. "um, my friend and his Pokémon are buried here" Alice goes on after a slightly long silence "I can't remember where his... grave is" she tells Sam glumly "it's been a bit since I visited him."

Alice would proceed to tell the sexton the name of the Ranger, and list his Pokemon. there had to be many people buried here, but she had visited under the old sexton's reign. she didn't even know if her friend was moved. to her knowledge, no, but so many deaths... it had to be difficult for room.

samuel carter

she didn't realize she had been holding her breath. good. he hadn't been moved. she breathed a sigh of relief. she watched as Sam pointed out the location to his Pokémon before turning to her. Alice's eyes went a bit wide, shaking her locks of blue hair. "n-never done it" perhaps she really was a novice in that regard "does it... hurt?"

what a silly question. if it hurt, Sam wouldn't do it surely. he wouldn't even offer it to her. but the rookie she was wanted to know, to be reassured in some small way. glancing from sexton to Gardevoir, she frowns slightly. now that she knew where the man had been buried, she could trek the hike herself... but she wanted to get this over with.

she didn't like being sad.

Sam's hand was offered and she takes it gently, as if afraid if she applied pressure he'd break.

samuel carter

Alice could go on about the teleport. she could go on about the uncomfortable feeling and the dizziness. she could do a lot of things but ultimately it wasn't as important as right here. right now. the grave stood before her, not yet faded but also tended to. Sam's work probably. she was grateful for that. "thank you."

he releases her hand and she stumbles forward a bit awkwardly. uncertainly. but she keeps her center, her ground. even if it's hard to be here. bending over, she'd lay one of the lilies on the main grave before adding two more. for his Pokémon. the rest of the bouquet was given to the Ranger's headstone. she wipes at the surface, revealing the name more prominently.

Alice steps back to view all three of them. one on each side of her human friend. here lay so and so, defender of Lilycove with his trusted partners. he was grouped together with all the 'saviors'. they hadn't been moved either, but she wished she brought more flowers. ah, she knew. releasing her Alolan Vulpix, she'd quietly request the fox's assistance.

"okay, go" she says to her, causing the ice vulpine to dart off and begin to blow and shape cold air on one of the graves. Alice would watch as an ice rose was molded. it would melt in the summer heat quickly but at least it was there. her Vulpix would go on to the rest of the stones, adding one to each. "there." the young lady turns to Sam with a smile.

"now they all have one."

samuel carter

he didn't look convinced, but there was a reason for the ice flowers. she smiles thinly at him, placing both arms behind her back. "this way, when they melt" Alice replies to his curt response "they'll water the ground so you don't have to." and hopefully, the fresh and cold water will grow new life into these often barren tome stone lands.

plus, it looked pretty. the ice roses gleamed in the darkening sky, reflecting the pink and purple hues. maybe even the deceased would look fondly down on the roses from the sky... think of how someone thought of them. even if she wasn't there for them. someone had visited, taken the time to care about their souls. Alice didn't think she really believed anyone who died so tragically - 

would want to look down on the earth they left behind. too many sad memories. so she wanted to believe her mentor and teacher was somewhere happy. not dwelling about the earth. didn't spirits who dwell... turn into ghosts anyway? "thank you for taking me, by the way" she adds to both Sam and his Gardevoir "you could have just let me go up on my own."

samuel carter

Alice smiles a bit more happily, staring at the Gardevoir fondly. "yes, she's a sweetie, I can tell." too bad the type wasn't ice or water, else she'd be pleased to have one on her own team. as it was, she could tell Mt. Pyre didn't have many of those types. mostly fire, ghosts... maybe even dark and psychic. her Ranger friend told her Vulpix were abundant here.

"do you need any assistance?" she asks Sam, turning her attention to the sexton "I don't need to be paid for it, but if you need some extra hands with something - I'd be happy to help out." they weren't exactly friends, but Alice did consider him to be a nice person. seemed to be alone here outside of his Pokémon friends. maybe it wasn't lonely for him but she could stand to help him.

samuel carter

oh. "I'm not going to make you indebted to me" she says with a thin smile "I'm just trying to help... out of the goodness of my heart?" maybe he lacked more social graces than she thought. originally, he was very upfront and polite. still was, but he... seemed suspicious of her wanting to assist him. she didn't really understand why, but that was okay.

brushing a strand of blue hair aside, she adds; "all I'd like is a drink of water." there, if he was so keen on her naming a price for her help... he could surely provide that? Alice was too polite to point out that Sam seemed to be the only one here doing anything of value. maybe he couldn't afford more help. maybe he liked being alone? she didn't know but the thought did cross her mind.

her shoulders slumped. "b-but if you prefer to work alone, I won't get in your way." she'd go on her way if he was tired of interacting with her. shame. she did like him as a person. she even hoped to be somewhat friendly toward him. as friends, y'know.

samuel carter