"uhm..."[break][break]

he thinks for a moment, then makes his choice.[break][break]

"could we do one of yours? i think it'll be a bit easier since it's bonded with you. maybe it'll be calmer than one of the labs'."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]a nod is quick to follow his spoken preference. and in a way, she understands the decision. the lab pokemon can sometimes be unruly little beasts when it comes time for samples while hers are comfortable having watched her immersed in her work.

"you got it."

she pulls two pokeballs out, then, and releases them with a quickness. a regular rockruff and a shiny rockruff join them once the releasing light fades. the two dogs are quick to begin wagging their tails.

"would you like to start with our normal specimen first? or our variant?"

both dogs just look happy to be there, really.

JAMES BAKER

"hello, puppers!"[break][break]

he waves at the two rockruffs, finding them adorable.[break][break]

"let's start with the normal specimen."[break][break]

a smile forms and grows the longer he looks at them.[break][break]

"what are their names?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]the puppers bark happily as james greets them.

and when he requests the normal rockruff, it steps forward with its head held high.

"the normal one is sidus."

she looks fond, proud of her babies.

"and the shiny one is stella."

with a gentle wave of her hand, she motions for james to begin.

"do you remember how to start? i can walk you through it again if you'd prefer?"

JAMES BAKER

"hello there, sidus and stella."[break][break]

snapping a pair of gloves on, he nods his head at her question, eager to put into practice something he's spent hours studying. well, that's not entirely true as he has done sample collection before. just never on her pokemon.[break][break]

approaching sidus, he makes sure to be extra gentle when swabbing at their cheeks and gum. it doesn't take him long to finish that one, and not long before he finishes collecting stella's as well.[break][break]

"okay, all good."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]she watches him work in silence.

and for a moment, she analyzes. a buccal swab instead of a blood sample, gentle and non-invasive. it works just as well for the genetic components themselves.

"good."

really, he did a great job. her rockruffs are smitten with james already, regardless of the swab he stuck in their gums.

"now, place it in the vial for the dna extraction."

the difficulty with buccal swabbing, however, is the vitality of the collection. it has a small window of opportunity to test before the sample no longer provides the dna field they would need.

"it'll need to be placed in the analysis machine in a moment."

JAMES BAKER

"yes, ma'am. on it."[break][break]

he is quick with his work, both meticulous and careful in the way he moves around, navigating the space of the lab as though this is where he belongs.[break][break]

understanding that they have a brief window, he does exactly what's needed, and only when the vial is in the analysis machine does he take a breath.[break][break]

"okay. nice. how'd i do?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]while he begins the analysis process, both of her rockruffs settle on top of each other to cuddle and sleep.

she observes his work as he goes, nodding here and there throughout his movements. it’s practiced, as if he’s grown more comfortable with the procedures.

she’s proud, in a way. he’s learning, growing, succeeding.

”well.”

her smile is bright.

”good job!”

now for the results…

JAMES BAKER

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]while he begins the analysis process, both of her rockruffs settle on top of each other to cuddle and sleep.

she observes his work as he goes, nodding here and there throughout his movements. it’s practiced, as if he’s grown more comfortable with the procedures.

she’s proud, in a way. he’s learning, growing, succeeding.

”well.”

her smile is bright.

”good job!”

now for the results…

JAMES BAKER

now for the results...which will take a while so they're allowed a moment of respite. he decides to use it to share something that's been on his mind.[break][break]

"i hope you don't mind me saying, professor."[break][break]

he starts, already smiling.[break][break]

"but i think hoenn's lucky to have you."

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]it catches her off guard, that comment. she blinks through processing it.

and after a beat of silence, heat presses against her cheeks until they're a rosy pink.

"lucky to have me?"

her smile is uncertain. almost as if there's a copperjah in the room somehow.

"i don't know if i'd say lucky..."

an insecurity. it persists even with the second tenure of this position.

"thank you, though. it means a lot to hear."

more than he knows, perhaps.

JAMES BAKER

"yeah! i just wanted to say it in case i don't get a chance to in the future."[break][break]

his energy does not falter even at her insecurity.[break][break]

"i'm not dying or anything but you never know! hoenn's crazy."[break][break]

still smiling, he idly leans against the counter, gaze never quite moving away from her.[break][break]

"was this what you've always wanted to do?"

[attr="class","ooc"]illeana reyes[break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-manectric"]

[attr="class","illeana"]

[attr="class","illeana b"]

[attr="class","illeana i"]"hoenn is crazy."

there's no arguing that, really. he's entirely correct.

and the question he poses, then, strongarms her into silence.

she blinks once, twice. processing, mulling, humming until the gears churn out some semblance of an answer.

"not always."

when she was young, she wanted to be good. when she was a teenager, she wanted to make a difference. when she became an adult, she wanted to be better than her parents.

and now? what does she want now?

"i got here based on my education and training. wants had no part in it, really."

JAMES BAKER