Some time had passed since his and Elisabeth Fiorelli 's defense of the ROCKET-controlled slum. Enough that Barnaby felt compelled to check in on the budding new grunt.

Something about the way she carried herself - the dichotomy between meek widow and ruthless criminal - had intrigued him enough to hold a passing interest. Plus, her expertise outside of ROCKET affairs was laudable.

As Barnaby approached the shop entrance he noticed the CLOSED sign, but paid it no mind; in fact, it guaranteed Elisa's singular attention, which he preferred.

The chiming of bells announced his arrival and yet - much to his surprise - Elisabeth didn't even bother turning to greet him. Hmm.

Light of foot, casual and quiet, he strode over and leaned his elbows onto the counter where she worked. Behind him a beautiful FLORGES sashayed through the doorway.

"I have an urgent request that requires your full attention, Lady Fiorelli." He whispered, teasingly, half-lidded eyes trained on her face to see what sort of reaction he'd elicited.

"You really should look up when someone approaches you, Elisa. Who knows what kind of bad men might storm the castle."

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

Her reaction was just as he'd expected. It brought great satisfaction to the schoolyard bully in him.

"Plenty of bad men storm this castle, Bee."

"Oh? So you have many gentlemanly callers coming your way? I can't say I'm surprised." He chose to ignore her comment about him being one of the bad men. By now, despite their limited encounters, they both knew it was the truth.

"Oh, no, I was just teasing, Elisa." With a dismissive wave he stopped her from proceeding to the basement. "The only special arrangement I need..." A date? A tryst? Something more intimate? He purposefully extended the silence leading up to his reveal. "... is your help."

It may not have sounded odd to Elisabeth Fiorelli, but Barnaby wasn't usually one to ask for help from others.

"I've recently started a garden and it's not going to plan. Naturally, I thought of our renowned florist. Do you mind sharing your knowledge with a lowly beginner?" Barnaby's tone was playful yet sincere. He really needed guidance and quick. There were some expensive berries on the line.

At her recognition of his FLORGES and subsequent question, Barnaby's smirk calmed into a warm smile. "N'est-ce pas? Sylvie is her name. Fitting for such a floral beauty. I thought you would like her."

Dignified and reposed, the FLORGES viewed Elisabeth with downcast eyes. Approaching the pair of humans, she offered a delicate hand to the woman beside the counter.

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

Sylvie graced Elisa with the faintest of begrudging smiles, placated by the reverence the human showed. Hmf. At least she knew her place.

Turning her nose to the air, the FLORGES pivoted and regally strutted back to where Barnaby stood nearby. Her trainer watched all this with a bemused smirk on his face, still leaning against the counter.

"Come now, Elisa, surely you can spare a few minutes for me." He began, practically purring. "It'll be fun—"

Before he could continue to implore the poor florist, her VIVILLON fluttered inside and disturbed their conversation. Cobalt eyes slid from butterfly to owner, taking stock of the situation. Something was obviously amiss.

With less grace than he had expected of Elisabeth Fiorelli, the befuddled woman whisked herself away to the back door of the shop. Barnaby had, of course, seen her apologetic expression - but chose to ignore it.

He abhorred wasting his time. He'd get what he came for, no matter the interruption.

With the confidence and assured air of someone seeming much closer to Elisabeth than he actually was, Barnaby calmly followed after her. It soon became apparent what the trouble was, even before her startled reaction.

"It seems you have a few unwanted visitors? A simple enough fix, then we can get to my gardening edification." An easy, unbothered suggestion. "My Ninetales will have no trouble subduing these Combee."

Barnaby's hand disappeared into a pocket of his coat, ready to retrieve the desired Pokémon.

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

Eyebows rose in pleasant surprise at Elisa's icy tone; my, didn't she have bite. Barnaby extracted his hand from his pocket, palm empty, and listened with a bemused smile as she threatened him with a good time.

"Frankly, I couldn't give two fucks about FERNANDO SILPH." He explained, deadpan. "But I do care about your business. Let me help."

It was less of a request and more of a demand.

At her query his own blue eyes flicked from one end of the garden to the other. No signs of a VESPIQUEEN.

"It is odd." Barnaby had a layman's knowledge of Bug-type Pokémon, but even he knew that a hive needed it's queen. He glanced to Elisa, and then back to the scene before him. These COMBEE seemed agitated and fearful.

"You're right. Something major to displace such a large number of bees." It was then that Elisabeth Fiorelli attempted to commune with one of the frightened insects, which immediately tried to lead her away. Barnaby stepped forward, intent on following despite her denial.

"Not a problem, chérie. I can help get you back on schedule."

It didn't matter how politely or impolitely she refused him. His confidence was slick; any admonishments simply slid off without a second thought.

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

"Yes, yes, I understand, you're bothered by my interest." He responded in a bored tone, brushing off her comment with a wave of his hand. "Are you always so quick to temper, Elisa?"

More of a rhetorical question, as he felt he already knew the answer. Memories of their speed date came to mind, as well as the poor sap who'd been tortured at her hand.

She certainly wasn't one to toy with. And yet he just couldn't help himself.

"Me? Distracting? Never. I wouldn't dream of it, Miss Fiorelli." He retorted, obviously teasing. Barnaby matched her low laugh with a bright one of his own. They walked, it seemed, in relative companionable silence for a time. That was, until, Elisabeth broke it.

"Oh, it's just a small garden." He'd had it constructed at his boarding stable, where his horse Pokémon were kept, but he didn't want to relay that information to her. That was apart of his public image, not his private ROCKET life.

"No troubles per se. I planted a few berry trees and lately the leaves seem a little droopy. Still alive, just not as vivacious as I'd like." He smirked at his comment, glancing her way.

Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

"Hmm. Good question! I suppose it depends on the inconvenience." Puckish and deflective as ever, it seemed. He didn't bother giving a straight answer, and it didn't appear Elisa was looking for one. She graciously began her gardening instructions instead.

Him pruning weeds on a regular basis? Heavens, no. He paid a worker at the boarding facility to tend to the garden. Pruning, watering, applying insecticides, the works. As far as Barnaby could tell from his weekly visits, all these tasks were being completed.

Perhaps he should speak with the worker, though, just to be sure.

"Yes, pruning is being done, but adding mulch is a good idea. I'll be sure to do that."

At her next statement, one laced in acidic double-meanings, he couldn't help but smirk and counter with, "Pests are accounted for. I've found some fairly adorable ones, though, like a little Cutiefly. It was pretty endearing and loveable despite my initial annoyance."

Two could play the connect-the-dots game.

Admittedly, Barnaby was enjoying their banter. Walking through the forest with Elisabeth Fiorelli, dappled in afternoon sunlight and accompanied by the lilting songs of woodland creatures, was surprisingly contenting for him.

A fleeting urge to take her hand came and went, perhaps scared away by Petunia's concern. Or by the appearance of the VESPIQUEEN they had been searching for; she wasn't alone, however.

Many things happened at once within moments of each other. The queen bee attacked a mystery foe, who soon appeared from the shadows of the trees. The EMBOAR emerged, tusks raised and snorting aggressively. Sylvie immediately came to her trainer's side, while Barnaby released another of his Pokémon - Evangeline.

Elisa, usually so independent and self-assured, wordlessly fell to her knees.

Seeing this, Barnaby's instincts took over; their situation was perilous and he needed to gain control. Hurriedly, he gave instructions for his FLORGES to release her Misty Terrain, safeguarding those around them from the EMBOAR's burns, while his STARMIE was told to Protect them while Barnaby executed his next action.

"Elisa, we have to move - now." Gone was his typical teasing tone, replaced with a hard, serious edge. He didn't wait for her response, didn't even bother waiting for her to move. Looping an arm around her waist, Barnaby lifted her off her knees as if she were feather-light, backstepping quickly until he found cover for them behind a nearby oak.

florges used misty terrain [1/5]
starmie used protect
Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉

Elisabeth's terrified raking of nails across his skin did as one would expect. The shallow slicing of flesh was immediate, as was the blood that welled up in red, haphazard lines all along both his forearms. To keep from yelling out, Barnaby had to bite down hard on his bottom lip, enough to where blood blossomed there, too.

"Ferme ta gueule! Calm down, Elisa!" He whispered fiercely, his tone hard and unsympathetic. Whatever had caused this episode was currently not at the forefront of Barnaby's mind - survival was paramount, his only goal at the moment.

He knew from observing Summer Atreides's Surtur that EMBOAR were not Pokémon to take lightly. They were deadly, given the proper motivation. Motivation like being attacked by an enraged VESPIQUEEN and then accosted by humans at their flank. It was a recipe for disaster.

Barnaby held Elisabeth even tighter as she wailed, petrified, pinning her between the breadth of the tree and himself. An attempt at preventing her from escaping and putting herself in further danger.

Worried that her cries would egg on the attention of the EMBOAR, however, he also brought a hand up to her mouth to muffle her screams. The action was firm and unyielding, leaving no room for her to potentially bite down.

"You need to be quiet." He whispered more gently, soothingly into her ear, even as blood ran down his arms and trickled to the grass below. Slowly, he felt the tension in her body begin to release. Stifled wails turned into shaking breaths.

He loosened his grip in response, removed his hand from her lips, but did not release his hold on her. Elisabeth Fiorelli leaned into him, in need of support not only in the physical sense, it seemed, but it was all Barnaby could offer right now.

"Okay. We will." He agreed without question - because why argue at a moment like this? It did not matter to him either way if the feral hog was killed or captured.

"I can do this alone if you're not up for it, Elisabeth. It's okay to stay here." He made a point to look down at her, both his expression and tone gravely serious.

florges used misty terrain [2/5]
Elisabeth Fiorelli
mission: FOR THE SWARM
outfit check

☉