She startles at his presence, his words falling around her. The urge to squeak is too strong to suppress and so, she let's out the mousy noise, dark eyes wide as a hand flies to her chest.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," quick to apologize, Illeana attempts to gather herself. The anxious feeling in her stomach rises with each passing minute, gnawing at her insides and setting her fingers a tremble. Nevertheless, she plasters a smile onto her face, ignoring the loud slurps and the faint notion that he's looking down upon her. "Yes, I'm Illeana. It's a pleasure," she dips at the waist, a hasty bow with an awkward air exuding from her body. She looks every bit as uncomfortable as she feels, uncertain and awkward with introductions or socializing in general. God, her parents would get a kick out of this. Their intelligent daughter fumbling over herself and acting like a moron in front of another human... Oh she could just die of embarrassment now.

He speaks again and she rights herself, fiddling with the unruly ponytail at her neck. Muscle... Ah, yeah definitely a good idea. If the two of them were to sweep the floor by themselves, they'd probably be here for the next week. Her features are grateful as she nods, words escaping her in a soft breath. "Thank you, that's great thinking!" Illeana gestures, then, to the array of cleaning products at her feet. "I wasn't sure what would be useful so... I kind of brought the entire cleaning aisle?" Her tone is awkward and clumsy as she tries to play off her uncertainty with an airy giggle. Overboard is her nature and... Well, she probably didn't need to bring so much but any little bit helps, right?

He slurps at his soda, the noise bouncing against their surroundings, and her hands gently tug at strands of hair once more. The sound is grating on her ears, unfamiliar and odd to the sheltered girl. Loudly slurping at a drink in the presence of another... Is that a normal thing people do? God, she really isn't familiar with this whole people thing after all. What if he notices? Laughs at her? Her hands fall to her sides and despite her reeling mind, she moves to motion toward the door, a slightly shaky smile pulling at her lips. "Shall we?"

Part of her is starting to wonder if taking this mission on was such a good idea...

With so much time on her hands between projects, cleaning is naturally a favorite past time of hers. It's easy, mindless work that helps her keep a bit of order around the house and honestly, if she didn't organize, her research would never see the light of day again. This, however, is different.

Working with a partner is something she's never exactly had to deal with before. Solo work is best. Less interaction, less relying on another to get the job done. Perhaps that is why she's slow to follow him, nervous eyes tracing his movements, wary legs shakily stumbling along. The dark haired woman is quick to stay silent, merely observing him as he calls forth the rest of his Pokemon. If she had thought ahead, perhaps she, too, could have had the proper thought of requiring muscle for getting this job done. She didn't and perhaps she'll have to make up for that miscalculation with her own hard work... It's definitely going to be a long day.

His voice cuts through her thoughts, a hot knife slicing through butter, and she tries to play off her small jump as a chill in the air, drawing into herself with mannerisms as awkward as they come. It's not chilly, of course, and she's an idiot, duh. "Oh, anywhere's fine!" Her voice is meek against the overwhelming size and state of the room. It's not necessarily that she has a preference, it's just... She'd prefer to allow him to dictate everything. Leading is something she could only dream of and while her parents might say she has an active imagination, Illeana knows what she's suited for and that's playing maid. "We can just start where you don't want to if that's what you prefer?" She offers a smile, pleasant and shy. Careful to not overstep any boundaries, to not take command when this isn't exactly her forte. Besides, he brought a whole team, it's not like he isn't going to be directing them either. What's one more addition to the crowd?

Beside her, Lapis stares, bright eyes considerate as she mewls her support for the nervous trainer. Always a team player, eager to provide comfort for the nervous black haired woman. Today... She just might need an extra dose of it and the notion that Lapis truly might have just been the best for this job is something she can fully get behind. "Ready, Lapis?" she murmurs, eager to direct her attention to the task at hand, if only to relieve herself of this uncomfortable feeling that just won't escape the pit of her stomach. Ugh, maybe it's just gas... Oh, but that could be so much worse! Damn it, she probably shouldn't have even left the house today.

His Pokemon begin to move, each one providing a good amount of assistance to the duo. She can't help but stare, momentarily caught off guard by how fluid each of the movements seem, each one working in unison with the next. All assigned a task, all carrying out their duties to the best of their gifted abilities. Huh, perhaps her deductions were correct in believing that this man really had a good way of thinking, coming up with the best course of action and following it through. If she could take a page or two from his book, maybe she'd be better off...

This prompts her to call out the rest of her team, if only to be of more use to her partner. After all, he has a full force behind him and what is she providing? A stutter and shaky hands? Her Espeon can hold her own, using previously stored psychic power to assist with lifting boxes but Illeana? She's practically a newborn, uncertain of how to help and fumbling all over herself. A bit pathetic, her mind reminds her, and she flushes in her chagrin, slightly trembling fingers pressing the buttons on each of her pokeballs. One after another, her Pokemon come, each one as happy to see her as the last. Her precious babies, each one hand raised with the utmost care. Ninetales, Alolan Ninetales, Umbreon. "Let's help as best we can, okay?" she is quiet as she speaks to them, murmuring softly against the sound of hard work around them.

Monty speaks, then, and she startles, perhaps her only response to speaking at this point. His words don't fail to miss their mark, the judgement in his tone back in full force. She tries to ignore it, tries to keep a pleasant smile plastered upon her lips despite the heavy weight of failure settling onto her shoulders. Truthfully, she's used to being the smartest person in a room, regarded as a genius for most of her years on this planet. This man, however, makes her feel small, meek, worthless. Is that a normal thing? She expected it from her parents, felt the shame of facing them with failure, but a stranger? The thought never crossed her mind. "Um," she begins, an idle hand rising to fiddle with stray strands of dark hair as she mulls over her next choice of words. "A bit preoccupied." Her tone is apologetic, genuine guilt rising with each syllable. "I had some last minute research to take care of. I'm sorry, sir, for being a burden today!" Her body is quick to move, quick to bend at the waist in a bow.

"If there's anything you'd like me to do, please feel free to order it!" she mumbles to the floor before righting herself, her inky ponytail swaying back and forth with the movement. Something akin to shame settles in her stomach and she makes note that this is a first for her... The first time feeling shame at the hands of a stranger. It certainly will not be the last but... The feeling makes her a bit queasy.

In an attempt to save face, she turns to her small team of Pokemon, embarrassed facial features turning soft at the mere sight of them. "Flammae, could you help with burning some things?" Her lips curl into a gentle smile at the Ninetales, appreciating the nod of understanding before the tan fox slinks off, heat already radiating from her with each footfall. "Nix, help me and Lapis out with some heavy lifting? Your Extrasensory might come in handy," Illeana muses, mind already churning to come up with a solution for the copious amount of cleaning they have to manage to complete today. It all seems a bit much... Although, as she glances over her shoulder, this man definitely has his part of the job covered. The feeling of failure clings to her frame and she sighs before reaching to pat Alium on his dark head, smiling down at the dark type. "I'll need some help with cleaning surfaces if you'd like to assist with that?" The Umbreon gives a soft coo and a wag of his tail, his agreement giving her the small strength she needs to face the blonde again, the geneticist trying in vain to ignore her embarrassment.

"We'll do what we can!"

Her Pokemon join his own and she smiles, the sight warm and comforting despite her being an obvious bundle of nerves. They seem to work rather well together, each one part of a well oiled machine and effective at getting the job done. Although... She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel a little bad about them doing all the work. Before she can move to correct this, however, he speaks and she pauses, dark eyes flying to his face with a look of surprise.

She tries to mask it, the notion that it's rude to openly gape at another quick to enter her mind. Her slightly open mouth quickly forms to a smile, schooling her surprise into something close to warmth. "Sinnoh, actually," she replies, a little flattered he would even ask. "Snowpoint City, to be exact. It's pretty different from here, to be honest." The tropical weather is something that took a while to adjust to. She's used to snow, and a lot of it. To go from having to constantly be bundled up in layers just to get the mail to sweating in simple jeans is a bit of a culture shock. Plus, the people are pretty different from what she's accustomed to. Well, if she were actually social and not a complete shut in for her life but that's water under the bridge.

"Are you from here?" She asks, polite and kind in her method of delivery. The notion that she could just be assuming off his own question that he's a native of this region is at the forefront of her mind and she fidgets. The last thing she wants to do is offend him... Especially since he seems like a nice man and they have to spend the entire day in the same vicinity. Well, also because she's rather terrified of confrontation but that's another topic for another day.

While she makes small talk with him, her Pokemon begin their tasks. Both of her Ninetales are quick to jump into the fray, each one offering assistance. Flammae works to burn what Monty's Chandelure brings over, flames pouring from her mouth with ease. Nix, on the other hand, shuffles through boxes with Lapis by his side, each one moving things about. Alium rushes between all working parties, offering help with what he can while keeping a watchful eye on Illeana, patient in waiting for her to dive into work herself.

The dark haired woman tries to split her attention evenly between Monty and the tasks at hand, attempting to be aware of how the Pokemon are holding up while not being rude in ignoring her partner. For the most part, it seems as though everything is going according to the man's plan and they can relax for a little while longer... At least, until they run out of things to talk about.

"Can I ask you something?" She is meek as she talks, soft and unsure of if she actually wants to question him on anything. "Why did you sign up for a cleaning job?" It comes out before she can stop it, before she can filter her thoughts properly. He seems smart, strong, capable of whatever job he takes on... So why would he rather clean than do something exciting? Perhaps she's just being too curious, overstepping invisible boundaries to satisfy her mind, but something about him just screams he could do more than simple cleaning.

The dark haired woman nods at the mention of his hometown, although her knowledge of the place is on the smaller side. She's read about it, sure, but other than that, it's really just a place on a map and in an effort to not press him for details, she leaves it at a nod of understanding. Last thing she wants is to upset him with an onslaught of questions about his childhood. Kinda a mood killer, right?

Silence is fleeting as he responds to her question, words coming from his mouth almost immediately. His quickness is a little surprising to the scientist as she has never been one to answer as quickly but it's certainly impressive. He's clearly capable of thinking on his feet, mind moving with a certain quickness she lacks.

Her response isn't as quick, the explanation weighing on her mind. Her curiosity demands she asks about what happened to him, what chain of events led to his near death experience. She stifles it, instead opting for a soft smile. "Ah, I'm sorry. It must be difficult to get back on your feet after that..." She resists the urge to bow again, moving to continue in the effort of speaking instead of giving into impulses. "We'd better make sure you get that grocery money, then." Before, this mission was simply just something to pass her time, to get her out of the house. Now? She wants to make sure he succeeds, that he gets the money he needs to feed himself. Something about him makes her certain that he's kind despite the air of judgement from earlier and with this notion in mind, she attempts to change the subject to something that isn't as uncomfortable for him as facing previous consequences.

"You know," she begins, almost shyly at first before gaining the confidence to fully compliment him. "You're pretty good at being a leader! I'm a little jealous," The giggle that escapes her is light, her cheeks tinted a slight pink. Noises filter toward them from the busy Pokemon, each task being completed as the duo chat. Perhaps at this rate, they'll be out of here before the sun sets.