The other had lost a Pokemon to this already? Well, not lost, it seemed. But she could hear from the other’s voice that this was not just a case of someone’s eight most favourite pokemon feeling a bit under the weather. No, this was probably a bona-fide set-back that the other would have to struggle with.
[break][break]
Eve found it best to not prod in that regard and instead focus on the matter at hand. This ranger did have a plan, after all. “That sounds solid so far. But I am a bit worried that it might not survive contact with the enemy, so to speak. Once they do notice us, it will be a lot harder for the Sleep effect to take hold, so we probably should wait coming in with the fliers for as long possible, if that is fine with your Pokemon. This kind of place is exposed. Sound and changes in wind currents will probably carry far, especially if your targets are already kind of on edge.”
[break][break]
Of course she was mostly just assuming some of that with respect to the Pokemon. She had not actually encountered a blighted one yet, so all she could do was make educated guesses. And hers tended to focus on what might go wrong, first.


[break][break]

+ Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

That was quick. In fact, Eve was not quite sure how to handle that kind of speed. She was mostly accustomed to people who beat around the brush for a long time. Coming from wealth and mostly meeting people at parties of equal standings did do that to a woman, after all. For someone to call her an affectionate nickname after but moments of talking, that was something else. Not necessarily bad, though. At least she reckoned so.
[break][break]
It was a bit confounding, leading to her looking confused momentarily instead of blushing or anything like that. It dissipated swiftly though. That was not really bad, after all. Just unusual. But that was why she was in Hoenn. For the unusual. “Oh, these? A small boutique in Luminose, actually. I brought those with me from home. Not exactly something to wear for the road, though, so I only wear it when I am staying in a city for a bit.” Eve did not mind sharing details like these much. Not like those were dangerous secrets to present to a stranger.
[break][break]
Especially not when they were pretty and showed interest in her. Those two factors always made her want to impress the other with world- weariness and the like. “And you are right, on the surface it might be gloomy, but nothing beats the smell of nature after a good rain, right? The world does come to life after a gloomy period, sparkling more than usual, if you ask me.”


[break][break]

+ Juliet Yearwood

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

So, wrangling had been her idea initially? That was quite unconventional. It was a difficult thing both to do and to actually sell. Singing? Anyone who could hear it could experience it almost the same way. The front row seats also got to watch it well, but that was more of a secondary thing for most singers. If it was being filmed, even more could see it at the same time. That was to say – the experience of a performance like hers was easy to replicate and therefore sell. Wrangling was something experienced more visually. And it was meant to be wild, which meant no truly controlled environment to film and watch well. Similar problem to racing, but that could usually be alleviated by placing the predictably most exciting part – the start and finish line – right where you sold the most seats.
[break][break]
Still, it was an awkward thing to perform, to her. But she was also getting absolutely off-topic with her thoughts. She frowned briefly as she realized that, but swiftly got back on track. “That certainly is a rather unique point of entry to these matters, I reckon,” she replied, though knowing that those words were kind of vapid. Could not be helped. She did not have much more to say regarding that, so fishing for something would help no one.[break][break]
Best to focus on the task at hand. “Anyway. It is probably best to stay away from the poison itelf as much as possible. Directly engaging the Pokemon themselves at close proximity also increases the risk of needlessly causing damage to them. My Noivern could help with the dispersal and I think it might be worth a try to use sing and see how many will just fall asleep.”


[break][break]

+ Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

That was one of those new-fangled Sygna Suits, wasn’t it? Eve briefly eyed it curiously, but then dismissed the thought. It was just some gadget. At least as long as she did not have one of her own. It would just be a tool others used until the time if and when she might get her own. No point bothering too much with it until then. Compartmentalization was important, for battle and for the stage.
[break][break]
Instead, she focused on the name given. “Shalin, Shalin, Shalin Nariya, famous Hoenn explorer….” She mused to herself, trying to recall where she had heard that name and seen this person before. The TV maybe? Either way, she dismissed the thought too. Compartmentalization, once again. Instead, she focused on her apparent reputation. “Uh, I help out here and there, really. Just when I come across a situation where I can apply myself without getting burnt.” Burnt? Odd choice of word. She clearly half-remembered something.
[break][break]
She shook her head. “And no, I don’t plan on becoming a ranger. Kind of set on becoming a singer. Well, more of one. I kind of already am. This is just a kind of vacation, really. A very long one.”


[break][break]

+ Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Maybe she had bitten off a little more than she could chew with this one. Eve was no ranger. She wasn’t even a professional trainer or anything like that. She was a tourist with some decent Pokemon and a bit of adventuring experience. But she also had a strong sense of…well, calling it a sense of justice would probably be overstating things a tad bit. A sense of decency, that would probably fit better. If there was a problem and she at least thought that she could help with it, had the opportunity to do so and it looked like she could make a difference?
[break][break]
Then she would at least try. That much was a given. She could always run away if it got too much, no shame in that to her. Yet, turning tail without even trying was just not her thing. Eve was going to give it her best shot. Even if that meant mostly carrying around a crate of Pokeballs for the time being. Someone had to, and she was to help a more experienced person, so that just made all kinds of sense.
[break][break]
Plus, she did not have to carry all of that on her own. Instead, she just had her Noivern carry it as she caught up with the one that she was supposed to meet here. A name that seemed familiar at first glance, actually, but she could not quite remember right away. That was just kind of what happened to famous people, of course. Not that she or others looked down on people of course. But when one met a lot of people it became difficult to discern them, especially without a face to put next to the name.
[break][break]
Though, as got closer and actually did lay eyes on the other, there was an odd sense of familiarity. “Hello there,” she started, briefly thinking. “I am Evette, here with the Pokeballs. Have we met before?” No reason to not just ask, really.


[break][break]

+ Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Well. She did not need much of a reason to pet an Absol, so when she was outright urged to, she obviously did. One day, she probably would get one of her own. But that was further into the future for now. This one already had an owner and was apparently quite happy with that one. Hence, Eve would never ever interfere with anything like that.
[break][break]
At the end of the day, she was only ever strict out of a desire to help others, after all. Being a jerk otherwise just wasn’t her. “You do assume right indeed,” she noted absent-mindedly while leaning down to pet the Absol. “Just travelling about the region, trying to see what I can.” And to find true love. Then again, she had not made any progress on that end in forever. It probably was just a naïve idea that she had considered a reason, even though it never truly had been one. [break][break]
That was just her kind of luck. “And I guess that is fine enough in a big city like this. Though there are always Rockets to worry about. They have gotten fairly brazen in recent months. Or so I heard.” She herself did not really get involved in that conflict. It just wasn’t her thing, really. At worst she would end up helping out with dangerous wild Pokemon, but that was it, really.


[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Curious question that was. Did she live nearby? Well, her last real address was back in Kalos, but she had not been steadily back there in more than a year now. It would not quite feel right to consider that where she lived at the moment. On the other hand: if not there, then where? The only real answer was that technically she lived everywhere and nowhere, really. But that did not go anywhere, now did it? Curious a question indeed, indeed.
[break][break]
Just kind of pointless to invest much time into it right then. Instead, she gave a less insightful, but probably more useful answer. “Well, in a manner of speaking. My hotel is not far.” That alone should already give the young man everything he would need to know, at least in her estimation.[break][break]
Though his words were already interesting in a tad more of a confusing way. “You must be used to being accosted if that is something you notice right away. Guess you were not putting on a street show for money, then.” Now it was her turn to simply verbalize what she thought, much as he had. Eve saw no problem in that. He had started it in a fashion, after all.
[break][break]
She put a hand to her side, growing a bit more serious. “If you are not busking you probably should not do it in the open. At least not be this inattentive. I do appreciate the arts, but an artist always has to put their health and well-being first. I would not feel safe enough to get lost like that with just a single Pokemon for protection, really. Hoenn can be quite the dangerous place sometimes, from my experience.”


[break][break]

+ jade rivers

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

…[break][break]
Huh? [break][break]
…
First off, Eve had grown up in high society. An environment where every action and reaction was, to an extent, watched and judged by peers that would just jeer at signs of weakness. Copious amounts of training had drilled the proper way of dealing with things into her mind and body. As such, that raised eyebrow of hers and the brief stop in motion otherwise were pretty much the equivalent of someone with less training just jumping in confused surprise.
[break][break]
Not that she didn’t jump when she was truly startled or as it was called these days, jump-scared. This wasn’t that. She had seen the girl approach after all, from the corner of her eye. Eve had even considered the other taking the open seat to join her in drinking some coffee. But this, she had not expected. And despite her training, she was at first a bit dumb-founded as to how to react to what was happening.
[break][break]
But only briefly. Then, she transitioned into a gentle smile, training and instincts taking over. “My, thank you,” came the memorized response, though now that the surprise was ebbing, she did show the faintest traces of a blush still. But she played that down with some ease still. “I do put some effort into these matters after all.” A brief conspiratory smirk followed. “I do have to say you seem quite pleasant yourself, my dear. A little ray of sunshine does brighten up any day of gloom, after all.” The weather outside was not exactly grand, after all. It was the best compliment she could think of, so she just brought that up without even giving it too much thought. It just seemed like the right thing to say. Plus, that pink hair did remind her of a certain bubbly girl, so she just made the association on the fly.


[break][break]

+ Juliet Yearwood

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Hmm. No bowl. Strange. Eve raised an eyebrow at the sight. The Absol was clearly standing guard of sorts, that was not too uncommon. But usually they guarded a hat, a bowl or something else that people were supposed to put money in for street performers. It was a common practice just about anywhere. Naturally, her mother would probably disown her if she ever did that herself, but no one ever said anything about not encouraging the act. Eve had made a habit of at least tipping those she came across.
[break][break]
Hence, she had almost mechanically reached for some coin, only to realize that there was no venue for her to actually go through with it. She blinked, looking at the Absol, then at the dancer. He was no amateur, she could tell. Maybe he just did it for the exposure? Leaning back, Eve briefly took on a thinker’s stance while quietly watching him, not wanting to interrupt. Her poise did bely her upper-class upbringing, even in such a situation, but she was otherwise completely calm and nonchalant about it all, evidently not wanting to take any attention away from the boy she had come across by accident.
[break][break]
That would have just been rude, after all. Plus, she did not need to be the centre of attention at all times, of course.


[break][break]

+ jade rivers

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Truth be told, she was sometimes kind of irked by Pokemon that seemingly wore clothes in their natural states. Not trainers dressing up Pokemon in little costumes or such. That was often kind of cute. But Pokemon that looked like they had clothes on, but it was just their skin or something? That was often sort of creepy.

[break][break]
But Eve kind of made an exception for the Gardevoir line. It just looked pretty, like they wore a ball gown or something like that, without seeming like it was some kind of skin dress. She had seen actual dresses that looked a lot more like that, much to her dismay. So, Eve liked watching Gardevoirs. And, as she looked about the place, Ralts’. She did want one for herself, after all, but she did not want to force it. These ones were rather peaceful, after all. She did not quite want to interrupt them, if she could help it.


[break][break]

+ xrc3Kewh

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“I seldom truly forget a voice,” she replied. A voice, not a face. That probably was telling already. Honestly, she just tended to focus on what could be heard more a lot of the time. It ironically had less to do with being a musician, but more with being brought up in high-society. It was often necessary to tell who said what without looking at those fancy parties. Though she did not exactly go out of her way to disabuse others of the notion that it was due to being some kind of musical genius. She did fancy herself one, after all.
[break][break]
Just as she didn’t today. “Though nothing too specific brings me here, really. I am still travelling the region to explore, so I just happened to be here today. I am not filming anything right now, so no schedules to worry about for now.” She added a brief chuckle to that last part.


[break][break]

+ ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]