Had it truly been hard for her? Oddly enough, that comment made Vio wonder about precisely that. In a way, it had been difficult, but also not. For the longest time, she had felt it difficult to open up to people in general. But with Elaine it had been easier. She had wanted to, for a while now. At least since the time when they had spent the evening on playground swings after an assassination attempt. No, possibly even before that. Back on those icy plains when she had all but fought against Elaine to keep her away from the worst of it all, she had wanted to tell some more. Yet she had felt like…well, to an extent like right now. Even among their current happiness she wanted to give up even more of her secrets.
[break][break]
She just did not because it would hurt Elaine. Yet, was that truly about it being hard for her? She had yet to fully parse that, if she was being honest. And after a bit of thought, in the face of such contentness, she just dismissed it all for the moment. It simply was enough for now. “I chose you because I knew I wouldn’t,” she serenely replied, though there was also an odd hint of conviction in her voice. It wasn’t too obvious, of course. But part of her mind did briefly think of the strength she would need in the future. While she was swept up in all of this, she, just like Elaine, was someone who could not stop herself from thinking about things in certain ways. The moment she’d confessed to Ela, she had known that eventually, there would be conflict. It was inevitable. There was a small chance that she could still fly under the radar as she had so far, but Elaine would not.[break][break]
No, this beautiful, intelligent woman she was looking at was too ambitious for that. Vio would have to prepare for that. Had to get strong enough, influential enough to put the plan she had in the back of her mind in motion.
[break][break]
That was what the briefly flaring glint in her eyes was up. It gave way to a smile again as, at the end of the dance, she simply pulled in her partner in a simple, yet genuine embrace. “It probably was hard for you, too. But from now on, we have each other for support during hardships, don’t we?”
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Ah, right. This world was inhabited by strange and wondrous creatures called Pokemon. Violet almost forgot, given that she was so busy looking at something much more wonderful already. Still though, given where she was looking, she noticed the incoming Bastiodon at just about the same time as her partner and took a step back as well, giving her room.
[break][break]
It was an impressive display, the way the detective went on to dismantle their would-be assailant, already having a pick of a Pokemon to send out when she took but a glance at them. It was impressive. Maybe she should just say that. “Yes, one step at a time. Though you are plenty impressive already,” she noted with a bit of a smirk as she watched the ball wobble.
[break][break]
However, that was when she perked up. There was something else there. Not a rustling of brushes, but rather a faint, slightly pained voice coming from further down where the Bastiodon had come from. “One step at a time indeed. Though I think we might need to take a few steps down where that came from. It seemed a bit injured already, maybe it fought something before and got agitated because of that.” The former ranger trainee was shining through with her once more. She allowed it to happen, consciously for once. Maybe it was time to stop fighting against that. After all, she had let it slip through often enough with Elaine. If that girl could love that side of hers, maybe it wasn’t bad at all.
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Now,” she started while taking a step towards Elaine. Without hesitation, she would reach out and tap the tip of the other’s nose with a finger. “Now that was cute, very cute. I will have to make you laugh like that more often.” She chuckled at the notion herself. It lightly reminded her of that whole megalomaniacal thing the girl had been on about once, which she still did not really see in her. But from the sounds of it, she had only entered Elaine’s life after that had passed.
[break][break]
They had that in common, too.
[break][break]
“As for myself, I told you that I changed a lot about who I was, right? Well, turns out you can’t really unlearn things you learned all that well. And with you, I don’t think I have to hide those things at all.” She did have to do that sometimes, after all. When she played the sheltered young lady and such. Could not exactly pull out the ranger education when you tried to convince people you were high society.
Saying that, though, she stretched and made her way towards where the assailant had come from. “That being said though, I think the Bastiodon left it injured and in pain, from what I can hear. I don’t think it will come to us, so I will let you guard my back. Just don’t get too distracted by said backside~.”
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Heh. Intriguing. She kept seeing new facets of this one. Generally intriguing ones. “You know, you can always use a proper device to make pictures,” she replied in jest, but continued to walk unabated anyway, definitely not minding the other’s actions. The more time they spent together, the more at ease Elaine seemed to be in those regards. Vio was not quite sure what had bogged the other down before, ultimately, but she did truly enjoy this new way of being.
[break][break]
After all, they did accept one another, past, present and future. At least that was how it felt. She was probably wrong about it, but she simply wanted to believe that it was true, at least for now, as she made her way down the rocky ramp that the Bastiodon had taken. It was not exactly the safest place, but she could manage, especially given that she was wearing outdoors gear already. Plus, she did not have to go far until she saw it. Instead of saying anything, she simply gestured Ela to hold and remain quiet as she approached more carefully. The Primarina that had ostensibly lost a fight with the Bastiodon before was clinging to a rocky outcropping in the water, half submerged. Clearl,y this was going to be a bit more of a delicate situation.
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

In a way, having divulged the ranger training allowed Violet to act out her current training a bit more readily. That gesture was one she had learned in Rocket, after all, but it was universal enough to not be out of place here, either. At the end of the day, Rocket and the League were not too different in their methods in a lot of cases. Even the dodgier ones you could probably find at both sides, to be honest.
[break][break]
Hence, she did not fret it as she proceeded to move more quietly, more deliberate – but made sure to not be stealthy in total. This was meant to approach the injured Primarina without upsetting it, but also not surprising it. That would probably just make it try to escape. The opposite of what Violet wanted to do here. “Shh, it’s fine,” she murmured, speaking as softly as possible to indicate that she was not a threat. Sadly, she did not have any potions on her, not having expected any Pokemon battles. “The one who did that do you has been subdued, so you don’t have to fear,” she continued as she fully approached it.[break][break]
The Pokemon still was apprehensive, of course, and it probably did not truly understand what she was saying. But the words did not matter. Just how she spoke them. It was enough to calm the injured one down a little. Just enough that it would allow her to touch it, comfortingly. “I can’t really help you other than with a Pokeball. You know what this is, right?” She would bring out an empty one of those and showed it to the Primarina, hoping for understanding.
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

There was a level of understanding in the Pokemon’s eyes. It could not exactly communicate with a human yet. That sort of thing could only be established through lengthy contact, allowing one and the other to intuit what the opposite meant when they said anything, properly.
[break][break]
For now though, this was good enough. The Primarina gave what could only be construed as a nod and Violet activated the Pokeball as she touched the injured one with it. That would put it into a kind of medical stasis, as far as she knew, so they would not have to rush to a Pokemon centre after.
[break][break]
Still though, she left it up to the Pokemon to actually stay inside after it was consumed by the ball, or reject the offer after all. Whether it remained or returned to the ocean itself, she would accept the outcome as was. For the moment, Violet would simply get up again and return to the other, who had remained properly quiet so far.
It was awfully nice of her, of course. Her companion was a most mindful one, after all. “thanks for letting me do this my way, even if it took a bit longer,” she chimed playfully, but did not stop. Where others might keep a bit of a distance, she walked straight up to Elaine, not intent on leaving any distance. One hand raised, she would just casually trace the other’s collarbone on her respective right while resting her head on the redhead’s lift shoulder. “Don’t worry, I only do this sort of thing when I know someone dependable is watching me, at least in the wilds.”
[break][break]

+ Elaine Highland , capturing Primarina

[attr="class","pokeclass"]