Nautica's office is empty and yet the desk facing the entranceway is certainly not. Left in a constant state of paperwork towers, no matter how much their poor secretary chips away at the growing pile.

(Getting someone in to man the office had been a business compromise he and skyler dross had been more than willing to take. Neither were keen on paperwork or sitting still - not even if they shared.)

Flicking on the lights, Angelo crosses the small office to the back room where he'd left the tools. Still there from all the work he and Sky had done on the building to get it ready for use.

He doesn't stick around after collecting the heavy, metal box. It's simply good timing that the knocks happen just as he reaches the door, rather than when he's down the docks.

Sliding the warehouse style entrance open, blue eyes catch sight of a familiar face.

“Lars?”

In front of him stands the region's Head Ranger. All decked out in his official threads. He quirks a brow in surprise.

“Nice uniform.” Angelo smiles, tilting his chin at the familiar design with fondness. “Not here to tell me you're ditching us to go back to Alto Mare, are you?”

There's mirth on his tongue as he stands in the office doorway, box of tools in one hand. He knows they're all trapped in Hoenn's bubble, waiting to meet their doom.

“You and me both.”

Angelo agrees, an ache in his chest gently tugging him towards the tiny island city on which he'd been born. Where sunshine makes the mosaic  art on the walls glitter and the canals snake through the buildings like heart veins.

Still, there's little time nor want to focus on Alto Mare, when Lars has approached with the sweet promise of business.

For Nautica, homesickness falls by the wayside. Intrigue and attraction taking over with the arch of a brow. “How can I say no when you dressed up for the occasion?”

Still, the toolbox sits heavy in Angelo's hand. His first task of the morning yet to be completed. He'd rather not have the owner of the bakery stand annoyed with him. He liked their bread.

“I've just got to finish up somethin' at the market first.” Stepping forward, Angelo closes up shop before giving Lars a tilt of his head. Summoning the head ranger to follow. “Give me a hand? We'll be done twice as fast.”

Lips split into a smile, his hand fondly clapping Lars's shoulder as he passes. “That's what I like to hear. Get ready to be put to work, Anderson.”

As they stroll away from the Nautica office, Angelo veers left, filling the short distance from their front door to the bustling Lilycove fish market with chatter.

“Fixing up the neighbourhood, apparently.” Raising the toolbox, he gives it a shake for emphasis, tools inside heavily clattering together. “But besides running the business...”

Angelo sucks on his teeth in thought.

Less from attempting to conjure a satisfactory answer and more considering what he's actually willing to share with Lars.

“Not a lot. You'd be surprised not much time you gotta pour into a new company. Still spending my free time getting out there though, exploring the region. Still a lot out there to see y'know. Been cooking a lot, too.”

In the end, it's only surface level stuff he's willing to share but there's little guilt to be found as he waves at a familiar local as they pass.

“You? I'm guessing you've been kept on your toes lately? Haven't heard from you much.”

Lars isn't the only one who snorts. His, however, leans precariously close to being the incredulous kind.

“Our client base wasn't a problem to build up. Didn't take long to inform our existing contacts and merge them under the new name.” Angelo tosses Lars a carefree wink - confident. “It was all the official paperwork we had to fill out that was the bitch. Sure you can understand, being a big League hotshot.”

His smile is intentionally warm.

There were differences starting up your own company and being under the League's employment, Angelo is sure - Lars probably has to do his own paperwork, for one - but both had their procedures to follow.

He'd take his lot in life over the alternative any day.

“No sign of a successful egg yet but the place is still standing, so there might be hope. Maybe. I think Sammy would rather ban her from the kitchen completely, though.”

There had been a joke somewhere after his incident that he couldn't die until skyler dross could cook for herself, so he's due for a long life...

With a nod, Angelo directs him to look over towards where a stall, not yet stocked for the morning rush, is leaning perilously to the side. Caspian dutifully holding the leg to keep it from crumbling apart.

“This is us. Come on.”

Surprise is met only with the flash of teeth, pride and satisfaction displayed without need of a deceptive smile. “Great, isn't he? Caspian here is one of those illumina pokémon. You know of them, right?”

He sure hopes the Head Ranger of the region knows about the new breed that had swept the region a few months ago...

When they approach the waiting Garchomp, said dragon lets out a soft snort of impatience. It had been longer than he'd expected.

“Won't be long buddy.”

Angelo pats a hand against his neck. Skin like sandpaper against his labour roughened palm. Despite his quiet itch to move, he dutifully stays put for the promise of just a little while longer.

“Both of the front legs got damaged, so if Caspian and Ro could keep 'er steady, we can patch them up just to get it through trading hours.”

Placing the toolbox on the ground, Angelo clatters around for some tools, sea breeze drifting off the waterfront as he holds out a hammer towards Lars.

“So, you wanted to talk business?”

There's some scraps of wood in the toolbox, leftovers carried from fixing up the hangar and the office both. Angelo stands and positions them on one of the cracked stall foundation, a tilt of his head encouraging Lars over.

“Hammer these on the leg, we'll make a splint. Should see it through the day.”

He holds them in place, trusting the head ranger to not drive the head of the hammer into his fingers.

As they work, the owner of this particular stall hovers near their van listening to crackling radio tunes, crates of their bread still waiting to be displayed. Angelo can smell their aroma wafting through the open back doors from here, their tempting scent making him forget he'd already had breakfast.

“Smart move. Good to have all your Duckletts in a line, just in case.” Angelo's grip tightens, ensuring it doesn't jolt out of place when the hammer strikes. “Something like that definitely sounds possible.” 

“If you're lookin' to transport a large body of your people and pokemon in one trip, the best bet would be the Sotally Tober. She's got the capacity and then some. I'll talk to Sky.” Blue eyes keenly watch the tapping of nails, deals sinking deeper into place to keep Nautica standing tall. “Price might vary, depending on the circumstance of what we're sailing into but I'm sure that won't be an issue for the Rangers.”