"Arceus..." The teen was at a loss for words. He knew the situation in Hoenn was far from perfect-- anyone with access to the news could tell you that, but to actually witness the consequences of the region's instability... "I-" His voice crashed into nothingness. What was there to say? What should he say? Gnawing on the inside of his cheeks, the teen stared down at his sibling's shattered leg, a sense of regret heavy on his shoulders.

He opened his mouth again. This time, however, the words came tumbling out. "I'm just glad you're okay." With a sharp breath, Finn took two steps forward and wrapped his arms around the younger Blackadder. Warmth and fear laced his arms like a child too scared to let go. "...Sorry for not coming sooner."

Comically large headphones? Check.
Goofy metal detector? Check.
Googles hanging off his neck? Check.

Saying Finn stood out in a crowd would be an understatement. Today he was the definition of 'That Guy', patrolling the waterside of Petalburg city like a beer belly drunk searching for lost rings in the sand. The only thing missing was the beer belly itself and a pair of aviators.

Still, he walked back and forth without a care in the world, letting only the beeping of the machine dictate where he went. Occasionally he would take a moment to check in on the yipping pup he'd let out of his pokeball, but those findings would typically be the same thing: Zap just sprinting back and forth, back and forth.

"Huh?" Without much notice, the beeping of the machine began to pick up, indicating that his treasure was near! All that was left between them was a few steps and a bucket of dirt now. ...And what appeared to be person. "Heyo, mind scooting over for a sec?"

mission
@emiliana

One by one, the trio of Pokémon went to work on the supposedly empty scrap yard, scavenging for anything that looked important enough to show Finn. As the head behind this operation, the trainer would try to work alongside his Pokémon that became increasingly difficult as the other Pokémon would constantly yip and hoot for his attention, looking for approval on their findings.

Operations, however, were quick to come to a halt as the sudden emergence of an unknown figure made itself known. "Ah, shit." He cursed under his breath. Getting caught scavenging would suck major balls, and losing out on all his stuff would also suck ass-- a complete lose-lose situation.

These worried thoughts were quick to subside as his bright orange eyes met hers. Definitely not a cop. "I dunno," The teen responded, his eyes still shielded behind a large pair of goggles, "what are you doing here?" It was a shitty answer, and he knew that, but thoughts of getting thrown out without his scrap prevented him from saying much else. 

As they spoke, Blaze lifted one of the larger pieces of discarded metal to reveal a trembling shinx curled up into the group. The other two pokemon were quick to come surround the small thing, as they were brimming with curiosity and sheer excitement. Zap was the first to speak, barking out a friendly greeting. Then it was pea, who hooted a hello and offered a small berry he found earlier. No matter what happened, these three were not letting this shinx leave without becoming their friend.

---

capturing shinx thru love and friendship

Lips pursed into a tight circle, the teen let out an impressed whistle. The place looked better than he had thought. All there was left to do was not get caught. His pointed gaze swept the rugged dirt clearing, going from left to right, then back to left. "Perfect. Let's get to work, everyone!"

The solid clasp of his gloved hands was all it took for his three Pokémon to spring to life. Trembling, excitement rattled their bones and glee painted their faces. This scrap yard was about to be demolished.

Finn's aunt had been nothing but kind to the teen since his arrival. At first, suspicion thickly coated her eyes and words, masking her expressions with a look that stated 'I'm just waiting for you to give me a reason to hate you'. But alas, it merely took one conversation and a cup of tea to set those feelings to rest. The elder Blackadder's etiquette was far from his brother's and it showed.

"The tea is delicious." He offered his aunt a grateful smile as he gingerly sat the cup down on the decorative saucer. The woman gave a soft laugh in response, fanning her face with a gloved hand. "Oh my, how kind. Thank you."

"Finn?" All it took was the soft echo of his name. "Andy!" Happiness, relief, bliss -- it all oozed from his voice like nectar, thick and sweet. It'd been, what, a year? More than that, even. Not that it mattered anymore. The wide, stretched out smile dimmed as the boy inquired deeper into his arrival. "Ah, you know how it is. Galar was getting boring, and well, I thought a change of pace would be nice."

As if. But he didn't need to dampen the mood with the truth-- especially considering how...complicated everything was. Having two MIAs parents and a comatose sibling required more than an afternoon tea party to discuss. "Besides, I missed my lil bro," Finn grinned, lifting himself off the antique chair.

"I'll excuse excuse myself so you two can catch up."

The teen offered their aunt one last smile of appreciation before seeing her off. "So what's...." His voice began to trail off, quietly settling into a pause, only to pick back up into a worried howl, "What happened to your leg?! Are you okay???"