after alia's gentle reprimand, the two of them fell into a steady routine, dropping fruit left and right as they slowly shifted down the line of trees. pops of pink and blue dotted the woven basket, reminiscent of the impressionist paintings alia liked to study at museums. as she stretches upwards to pluck a particularly juicy pecha berry out of the branch’s grasp, a soft melody escapes her parted lips, filling the otherwise tranquil air with a pleasant sound.[break][break]

the noibat hears the incoming movement first, her big ears perked up at the crinkling sounds. she flutters back down to alia, piercing yellow eyes fixed into the distance as she waits, anticipating the stranger's arrival. perplexed by the bat's unexpected behavior, alia tries to chide lani back into berry-picking before the sound of crunching leaves also floats into her vicinity. she quietly picks out two different sets of noises amidst the cluttered rustling, with one being lighter and crisper and the other one heavier and duller. it was going to be a small party, it seems. [break][break]

“hello!” alia says brightly, waving at the young girl and her luxray when they enter her field of vision. the stranger’s red attire blends seamlessly in the sea of sunset hues, the ranger notices, although the feline’s blue pelt stuck out like a sore thumb. [break][break]

upon another look, the girl didn’t seem older than what, 12, 13? alia couldn’t help but wonder what a child this age was doing out here without older supervision, but that wasn’t exactly first-conversation material. “are you here to pick berries, too? it’s too tempting not to, with the huge discount going on.” she says instead, a particularly big smile plastered across her features. alia didn’t think she was all that scary, but it couldn’t hurt to be extra friendly, right? "we're hoping to make some pie out of it personally...what about you?" [break][break]

+ Eris Halla sorry for the late response!! <3

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alia watches as the young girl cling to her luxray, the feline clearly a source of comfort and safety. slowly, the young woman crouches down, now eye-level with the small child. she hoped it would make her appear a little less intimidating. [break][break]

"that's a handsome luxray you have there," alia says, voice lowered to a mellow timbre. "would you like to see my shinx?" she wasn't sure if it would work, but perhaps the presence of another familiar pokemon could bring the child to ease.[break][break]

"i bet you'll make some awesome cookies!" she continues, the smile from earlier still persisting on her features. they crinkle the edge of her eyes, turning them into crescent moons. "would you like some help picking the berries? lani and i here are pretty good at it." alia gestures to the purple bat, who landed on her shoulder halfway through their conversation. unaware of the pichu's presence, the ranger assumed that berry-picking hasn't been very fruitful for the girl and her partner, with one being a four-legged pokemon and the other one barely half the height of a majority of the trees.

+ Eris Halla

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alia manages to get a nod and a smile in return, and she's left deciphering whether the inaudible affirmation was towards her offer of the shinx or berry-picking. she's usually pretty good at picking up the words left unsaid, she thinks, but the young girl in front of her was proving to be a trickier nut to crack. [break][break]
"okay, just let me know if you'd like to play with my shinx." alia finally says, keeping the pleasant smile on her face. judging by how the child clung to her luxray, alia decided that maybe it was better to not introduce another presence for now. she didn't want to risk intimidating the child more than she probably already was.[break][break]
the young woman slowly rose to her feet, careful to not startle her new company as she resumes the task on hand. a shrill cry quickly distracts her, however, and a pichu reveals itself from the foliage.[break][break]

"oh! i didn't know you had another friend with you." alia's brown gaze sweeps the field in front of her, skimming the grassy canvas for a particular object. "do you guys have a basket you can put those berries in? if not, feel free to leave it in ours for the time being." she offers, taking note of the pichu's ambitious armful of berries. [break][break]

perhaps the girl would feel safer around her if she knew her name? alia's not sure, but it couldn't hurt to try. softly, she adds, "my name is alia, by the way. i'm a ranger here at hoenn." [break][break]

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+ Eris Halla [break]

+ n/a[break]

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alia's smile breaks temporarily as the child finally spoke, the hushed voice a beloved, grandiose sound amidst the silence. genuine joy floods her features as she beams at the child, delighted that she managed to make some progress in their conversation. she had assumed that she was going to spend the rest of the hour talking to herself. "eris! what a lovely name." she says, bopping her head in acknowledgment at the two other pokemon. [break][break]

throughout their minimal interaction, the noibat stared inquisitively at the child and her companions, attempting to decipher their intentions. she finally seemed to decide that they meant no harm, as she flutters down to the pichu dropping his hefty crop into the basket. "i think my noibat is offering your pichu a ride up the trees." alia says after she studies her noibat for a few moments. she was relieved the noibat was also finally letting her guard down - although intimidating at first glance, the small purple creature had the biggest heart. [break][break]

she turns back to eris. "of course! i'm happy to help." alia answers cheerily, turning to pick some more berries. now that eris was the picture, she was feeling even more determined to get a full harvest.[break][break]

the ranger lets the silence take over for a while, the only notable sound amidst nature's soundtrack being her soft humming. eris was clearly overstimulated, and alia hoped that the lack of conversation would alleviate any anxiety that she may had caused with her sudden appearance. she finally attempts to interact with the child again after the basket was half-full, carrying the sweet promises of fragrant pie and cookies.[break][break]

"do you want to eat a berry with me?" alia grins, holding up a round pecha berry. the fruit springs against her touch, and it was apparent that if eris chose to have it, she would be greeted with particularly sweet juices. "i don't know about you, but i think this is one of the best parts of berry-picking. eating a few of the berries mid-pick!" [break][break]

the noibat shifts her head to scowl at her trainer. when she was sneaking a few berries earlier, she was getting scolded. and now her trainer wanted to do the same? what a hypocrite![break][break]

+ Eris Halla [break]

+ n/a[break]

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