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[attr="class","illie b"]the woman is surprisingly quiet as he lists off his options. each one brings about a plethora of questions, an urge to find out more if only to help him further. she doesn't ask, however, as her mind supplies her own answers to inquiries left unspoken. restructure devon corp in response to all that has happened with slateport and the looming threat of rocket, become the champion again, or take it slow. each one has a different path, a different future, a different responsibility. perhaps some even go hand in hand but... she's glancing at him as he looks to her for answers and there's an almost impressed look in her eye. really, how could she know that this man is not only the ex-champion but also the head of devon corp? each feat is colossal in its own right but to be both at once? how can someone be that talented? her mind drifts to FERNANDO SILPH, to his accomplishments, and she finds herself wondering how he manages to deal with the weight of the world at his back. perhaps that's why she takes another moment of silence before her lips are parting and she's offering answers that he might not prefer. "well," she starts and her eyes flitter away to find solace in the ocean once more. "taking it slow might be best. while becoming champion again might also be a good idea, you don't want to bite off more than you can chew you know? besides, you can ease back into all of the responsibilities that come with the other options once you're ready." it's not much but... she hopes it helps him in the end.

is it hot out here all of the sudden? her cheeks burn at his offer and she isn't too sure why. is it that something about the notion of spending more time with him has her flustered? or is it simply that he's being awfully kind to her despite only knowing her all of what, ten minutes? she doesn't understand but she smiles nonetheless, bright and surprisingly bubbly. maybe it's the sun finally getting to her head. should she have worn a hat or something? too late now. "if you insist," she giggles. the light teasing tone in her voice fades slightly into mild insecurity and she's glancing toward the top of nugget's head. "are you sure, though? i wouldn't want to take up your time so selfishly." he offered, sure, but she can't shake the concept that it's out of obligation. it isn't, really, but that need for reassurance shows anyway.

upon hearing his love for snow, any signs of insecurity flee from her body. there's something about snow that never fails to make her excited. even just talking about it gives her this unashamed glee and now is no different. "right?" she sighs. the look in her eyes is dreamy when they travel back to his face. "i'd love to be snowed in again! this past winter, hoenn got a bit more snow than usual and it felt so much like home." and then, her voice takes on a softer edge as she adds, "i miss it." there's nothing she can do about it now, though. this is her home now and even if it takes a lifetime, she'll have to accept that eventually. the longing she feels for white-capped trees, for the looming temple, for the crunch of snow beneath her feet doesn't erase what happened in that corner of the world in the end. even if she wishes it would.

her arm brushes against his as he meets nugget's attempts for attention halfway. the contact draws her eyes in and she's flashing him a shy smile before nugget coos and her eyes retreat again. the shieldon is all too pleased to be on the receiving end of pets, so much so that he squirms a little further in her arms until she's lifting him up a bit. an offering, even, and there's a soft chuckle leaving her throat before she can stop it. for as cute as he is, nugget sure can be a handful. what a precious baby.

the embarrassed flush from earlier deepens as it spreads across her skin. does she look like a tomato? she feels like one. "really?" comes flying out of her mouth before she can stop it and she's shifting nugget's weight from both arms to just one to raise one hand and run it through her hair, awkward and unsure of how to handle his excitement for her work. naturally, she's over the moon with this development but the seeds of doubt still manage to take root. will she bore him if she launches into her rambles? is he just saying that to pass the time? meekly, she offers more answers to his questions, idly twirling a lock of dark hair around her finger. "not yet, i'm afraid," she murmurs. "i've been a little preoccupied with figuring out of my golurk's coloring is a mutation in its genes or if it's a recessive trait showing instead of a dominant one. really, i should be working on evolution research but, well, i've been spending too much time with deus lately." a laugh follows and then she's glancing toward the horizon. by now, the wailord's within their sights and she's gasping because, really, how could she get so distracted?

in that moment, illeana feels torn. on one hand, she wants to keep talking, keep enjoying his company, but the wailord needs their help and she can't just leave the poor thing beached for her own selfish reasons. perhaps that's what prompts her to bring the water type to alexander's attention, a soft whisper leaving her lips as if she doesn't want to speak. "there's the wailord," and her arm brushes against his again while nugget lets out an almost sad noise. even the shieldon knows that they can't keep the man by their side forever and while he retreats back into her chest with a sudden snuggle, she's glancing toward alexander with an eyebrow beginning to quirk. "do you have any idea on how to get it back into the water?"

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[attr="class","illie b"]she's quick to return his smile with ease, lips curling as if it's second nature. in a way, it is, but this smile feels more natural, easier than others even. perhaps it's the atmosphere, comfortable and safe. or, maybe she's simply just overstepping some sort of invisible line she can't see. whatever it is, it grows in brightness at the reassurance he brings. "okay," she softly murmurs and then, she's flushing with the next sentence that escapes her mouth. "maybe after this, if you're not busy." there's a hope in her chest that she doesn't want to indulge and yet, she does anyway. she hopes and it's difficult not to.

her eyes dart away, not bothering to linger long enough to see his reaction. instead, they drift up toward the sunny sky, toward the clouds that lazily float overhead. part of her wishes it could be snowing now. the sight of flurries overhead had always been her favorite growing up. the way they pepper your hair, dissolve on your skin. it had been so soothing to watch. "yeah," she muses, voice faraway, distracted. "it was. i hope there's more next winter." and then, her attention is shifting away from the clouds toward him and she's smiling again, softer this time. "so you can see it too. oh, maybe even build a snowman or have a snowball fight!" thoughts of snowball fights and snowmen fill her mind and she's giggling at the thought, preoccupied and unable to stop herself from uttering whatever nonsense rises. "i can't help but wonder if you'd be difficult to beat in a snowball fight." it takes a moment for her to grasp that she's talking too much of snow and winter and while it leaves her with a giddy feeling, she shouldn't be forcing her own desires onto him. silence follows after and she's content with snuggling nugget a little tighter, offering the shieldon a soft coo of her own when he glances up with eyes like saucers.

"oh, really?" she gasps and there's a surprise in her voice that shouldn't necessarily be there. it's only logical to assume that her off colored pokemon aren't the only ones in the world. it does, however, catch her off guard to find someone who shares the same thought process behind the color differences. she leans toward him a little, eyes dancing with curiosity. "maybe your elekid and my golurk might have similar sequences in their dna, then? i was going to compare samples from deus and my golett but comparing with another of unique coloring might provide more answers." it's possible that they could have similar mutations or her recessive gene theory could be proven correct. there's no way to know for sure, though, unless she locks herself in the lab to solely focus on the samples. hm... maybe when she's home, she'll have to prepare for it. so many theories, so many possibilities. excitement rises at the mere thought of finding out more.

despite trying to hold it back, a light laugh escapes upon seeing the pout he directs toward nugget. the shieldon returns it with one of his own, complete with puppy dog eyes to match. it's an adorable sight, really, and while they have a life to save, she finds herself wanting to see more of this exchange. she knows there's no time for that and the thought fades into the corners of her mind as alexander speaks. "it's a first for me too," she's glancing toward him now, lips settling into a mild frown. "i hope this doesn't happen often for wailords." besides this moment in time, she's only heard of one other event like it. brief memories of alec describing a similar situation with another unlucky wailord has her nibbling at the skin of her bottom lip, nervous and already assuming the worst. while she's absorbed in her thoughts, he calls out a gallade and she's snapping back to attention as the psychic type begins to work toward using brute force to drive the wailord back into the ocean. the gallade looks strong, perhaps stronger than any she's seen, and it's hard to not be captivated by the work of a close combat. a little bit of success is earned but it's not enough for the feeling of anxiety to disappear from her insides.

illeana meets his gaze as he turns toward her, a look of contemplation overtaking her features. "i have a psychic type on hand," she murmurs. "although i'm afraid she doesn't know psychic." both of her ninetales as well as her espeon all have psychic type moves and while it's possible lapis' gem might hold some stored energy within it, it wouldn't be enough to lift a wailord off the ground. while she's mulling the options over, nugget takes the opportunity to coo at alexander again. a smile of his own settles onto his mouth and it's all teeth, all happiness. "maybe a combination of psychic and force would help?" she's grasping at straws now but that doesn't stop her from freeing a hand from nugget's belly to grab at the pokeballs on her waist. within moments, they're joined by not one but two pokemon. an espeon and a golurk, each one as happy to see both illeana and her company as nugget was. while lapis curls herself around the woman's legs with a purr, the automaton offers a bubbly wave toward alexander. "my espeon might have enough power stored in her gem to help with lifting," she explains with a sudden shyness, as if overthinking her choices. "if that doesn't work, maybe more strength would help? i'm not sure." there's multiple options at their disposal but will trial and error waste too much time? do they even have enough time to work through every possible solution? the thought makes her uneasy and she's looking to him for answers, teeth returning to nibble at her lip.

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[attr="class","illie b"]a flutter, a flush, a smile. it's easy as breathing and while she knows she might just be overly friendly, it's a line she can't help but cross. there's something simple about it, about the way his smile widens her own and sends her mind into a slight haze. and yet, she blames it on the sun, on the circumstances, anything but him and his presence and that smile. "perfect," she chirps and her eyes return to continue their search of the sky. she doesn't notice him observing her, doesn't even consider it a possibility. she's just a mere satellite in his orbit, drifting too close to the sun. will she fall too? sink into the ocean heavy as a stone, wax dripping from her wings? she doesn't know and yet, there's an alluring draw that almost makes her want to find out.

the prospect of facing him in a snowball fight is both daunting and exciting. perhaps it's the talk of the snow, of winter and the frigid cold that has her feeling suddenly daring, but illeana finds herself quirking an eyebrow, a teasing challenge already quick on her lips. "will i?" she grins, then, and it's surprisingly easy to dip her toes in banter. "can you handle being bested by me?" the giggle gives the joke away but she's too deep, too far into it to not see it through. "i happen to be quite the snowball fighter." as if it's the only thing she's proud of, her chest puffs out a bit and she's laughing a little harder by now as nugget gives his own two cents with an enthusiastic nod. the shieldon doesn't understand it but she seems happy and that's enough for him to support her claims.

thoughts of winter and all the season brings linger in her mind until they're filed away and new ones occupy their place. he's indulging her, almost solidifying her claims, and part of her is smitten with the notion that someone believes in her and the workings of her mind. it's refreshing, a welcome change of pace from both her own doubts and the suffocating pressure of her parents. "maybe someone would be willing to lend them for comparison?" there's a moment of contemplation that overtakes her, then, and she's humming at the thought. the possibilities of understanding held within the structures of a pokemon's genetic code are seemingly endless, filled with new discoveries just waiting to be unearthed. and as she's shuffling through the concepts, deciding which one could be probable, she realizes she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to share that experience with him. "it'd be interesting to see if the genes really do differ between the two." and then, she's flushing because he's offering to set something up for them in rustboro and it feels more intimate than it should be. "are you sure? i wouldn't want to take advantage of your resources." hesitance and doubt always find their way into her mind in the end and she's unable to hold them at bay.

while his puppy dog eyes might not have worked, nugget still manages to get just a little more attention out of alexander. the pout is enough for him to rumble, satisfied and content for the time being. when they're done... that's another story and another dozen attempts for pets but for now, he's watching with unbridled curiosity. it's not every day they see a trainer in battle, after all. perhaps one day, he, too, can be like them: strong and unstoppable. meanwhile, deus is all too excited to have its wave returned with the same kind of energy in the movement. perhaps that's why the automaton rumbles out its own version of a coo, rough and almost guttural. thoughts of friends and fun fill its mind and she doesn't even have to glance at the golurk to understand what its thinking. "playtime can come later," she whispers toward the behemoth, drawing its attention like a moth to a flame.

a hum escapes illeana, then, as she's glancing toward alexander. there's a searching look in her eyes, looking for something she doesn't understand. reassurance, maybe? confidence? the feeling escapes her and she's left nodding her agreement, mind working to push other thoughts away in a feeble attempt to focus on the task at hand. "okay," she breathes and lapis doesn't need anything else to drift away from the scientist's legs and closer to the wailord. "ready?" she's flashing a smile toward her partners before the beginnings of self-doubt slowly creep over her bones. is she going to make an utter fool out of herself? she's not a battler, not in the slightest... is that much obvious? he hasn't mentioned it and perhaps it's all in her head or, better yet, he's kind enough to not mind her lack of experience. either way, she's finding herself suddenly nervous and meek in the face of giving commands.

"lapis," she begins and the espeon mewls in response. "see if you can lift the wailord while they use their attacks." the espeon coos her understanding and gets to work. meanwhile, deus joins the side of galahad and offers a slight wave before readying itself with an attacking stance. and then, the bright gem in the center of lapis' head glows a stunning red as she struggles to maintain the power enough to lift the heavy mass of water type and deus is lunging, discolored body a sudden blur of limbs and grumbles. a heavy slam is what the automaton decides on, putting the entirety of its strength into driving the wailord back into the ocean. of course, it's not successful and perhaps she should have known better than to assume her ideas would have any footing but she's still slightly surprised when the wailord only barely moves another inch.

"um," she murmurs and the grip she has around nugget tightens slightly. "well that didn't work." there's an awkward laugh that follows and she almost wants to cringe at the sound. "do you, um, have any other ideas?"