Aster gave Elisabeth a quick nod. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed his face. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small tourmalinated quartz and offered it to Elizabeth with a bashful smile. "For a little luck."

Without further delay, Aster got into position relying on grassy terrain for camouflage. Silently, he directed Petunia to use sweet scent. A sickly sugar scent permeated outward from her petals and across the area from which the offenders were approaching. Aster hoped to himself that their foes would be to enamored and distracted by the smell to draw out their own pokemon; he wasn't a fan of battles.

Aster turned towards Elisabeth and quietly gestured that he would take on those approaching from the right. Just as he finished, two young men broke through the tree-line near him. They certainly dressed the part of edgy hooligans in all black and chains with cans of spray paint strapped to their side. There was no doubt in his mind of what they were there to do. He let them get within a few paces and then shouted.

"Portobello, now!" His Breloom immediately responded by leaping from cover and spraying the two men with the yellow spores. The two tried to shake it off but it wasn't long until they dropped to their knees, immobile. Aster fought the urge to fist pump and turned to see how Elisabeth was fairing.

"How funny, my partner Gogoat is also named Basil, I guess great minds think alike," Aster lightly chuckled, "But that plan seems just fine and dandy! Dare I say, you have a mind for strategy. I bet you are wonderful in battle Ms. Fiorelli, I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

Aster stretched, popping a couple bones into place, then clapped his hands together. He turned to the trainer's Decidueye and addressed it directly. "Well then, Basil, we'll be counting on you! Thank you for your help." He then gently tossed a pokeball into the air and his Breloom appeared next to him with a pop. "Alright Portobello, you and Petunia are on standby with your spore moves, alright? Stay focused and I promise to treat ya to some puffs later," Aster said with a wink. His pokemon chirped a salute and he smiled widely.

"That settles it then," Aster said shifting his attention to Elisabeth, "All that's left is the assistance from your Vileplume and getting situated undercover. Ready then?"

Aster breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't much for battling if he could help it. With calculating eyes, he took in his savior and nodded his thanks. "They're yours then?" Aster smiled his best placating smile, unsure if his words would be taken well or not. "I am sorry about the honey, but there have been multiple complaints about this area. It'd be best if the honey or hive could be moved somewhere more private."

With his dutiful speech out of the way, Aster extended his non-honeyed hand to the man. "Well, in any case, the name's Aster. Nice to meet ya." His gogoat trotted up and dipped his head in greeting as well.

Through bleary eyes, Aster could make out the figure of the man checking his pulse. The coolness of the touch brought him a brief moment of clarity. He lolled his head back and gave a small smile reflexively. "Howdy," he managed to mutter, the consonances slurring together. " 'm I dead yet? You a angel?"

Dreamily, Aster realized that the blood from his head wound was dripping on the fingers that pressed into his neck. He absentmindedly tried to brush it off the man with his good hand. " 'scuse me for making a mess. Sorry 'bout that." Aster tried to right himself to better get a grasp of the situation, but the moment he put weight on his right arm he winced and sucked in a sharp breath.

"Fucking 'ell."

Aster stumbled into Lilycove City from route 121, blood dripping from his eyebrow and supporting his right arm with his left. He was supposed to have been enjoying his couple of days off, but of course, his horoscope said that today would hold some unexpected turmoil. Why did he ever doubt the stars? Though he couldn't deny that his own impulsiveness and guardian instincts had played a large part in the day's misfortune.

He tried to hobble his way towards the Lilycove hospital, too woozy to think to get his pokemon out to help and there weren't many people out so late, but the blood gushing from the split in his forehead wasn't slowing. Feeling like the world was spinning around him, Aster leaned against a building. He could feel his heart rate accelerating in his throat as his vision came in and out of focus.

"Fuck," he muttered before slumping into a seated position. "Is the unexpected turmoil supposed to be my untimely death?"

The familiarity of Petalburg Woods was always a comfort to Aster. Some might have gotten sick of the place if they spent as much time in the woods as he had, but not Aster. Whether it was for work or for pleasure, the ranger enjoyed being out in fresh air surrounded by nature and pokemon. So, even though he was investigating an increase in wild pokemon traffic along one of the main paths, Aster stretched with relaxed posture and wore an easy smile. His gogoat, Basil, trotted alongside him, a lot more stoic and alert than the trainer himself.

Just as Aster let loose a full yawn, a zigzagoon darted across his path catching on his foot as he was stepping forward. He stumbled forward but didn't lose his footing completely, thankfully able to steady himself on a tree. "Whoops," he muttered. Basil stared at him unimpressed. "Come on buddy, it came out of nowhere! Could've happened to anyone." Aster began to right himself and only then he realized the tree he had braced himself on was coated with honey.

He extricated his hand from the golden goo with a mild look of disgust. "Damn," he shot a glance at Basil, "er- I mean, darn." The pokemon huffed at him. "Well, I guess we know why so many pokemon are hanging around this area. But..." Aster went to scratch his head and immediately stopped himself remembering his sticky fingers, "This much honey must mean there's a-"

A vespiqueen. Buzzing only a couple feet away from him.

"Ah, fuck- I mean, frick," he murmured and placed his honied hand behind his back. He tried to wave non-threateningly to the vespiqueen. "Hey there, friend! Don't want any trouble."

Aster smiled and quirked an eyebrow at the fellow trainer. "Of course Miz' Fiorelli. And please forgive me, I ne'er meant to imply that you couldn't take care of yourself. Just trying to do my duty as a ranger."

Aster watched Elisabeth's face as she thought, there was obviously a lot going on behind those eyes of hers; they looked to be as calculating as some of Aster's own superiors. He was slightly startled to have been asked about the approach he wanted to take. Aster had half expected her to take charge based solely on that look, as illogical as that was. He cleared his throat and took a good look around of his own.

"Hmm, I figured I could hide out in the bushes behind the shrine there," he pointed a bit into the distance, "Or maybe in that tree, and then have my breloom use spore on any approaching offenders. My only concern is if multiple people come from different directions, I don't have any other pokemon that could restrict their movement without hurting them or the surrounding area." He thought deeply for a moment and put a hand over his mouth and said, more to himself, "Maybe sweet scent could work?"

Remembering Elisabeth's presence, he shook himself back to the present. "Well, that's what I got anyway. Any ideas on your end? I'm not so proud that I wouldn't go with a better plan if one is presented to me."

Aster thought Elisabeth carried herself with grace and spoke with refinement, she was a picturesque lady. He couldn't help but feel that she was actually a fairy queen and double checked the ground near his feet to make sure he hadn't stepped through a circle of mushrooms. "A florist," he hummed, "that's lovely. I'd love to visit your shop sometime. And I'm sure whoever planted those gracideas would be happy to know someone has been tending to them in their place."

At the mention of her cottage, Aster lit up. "You live around here? That's incredible! I've lived in Petalburg City practically my whole life, to think we've never met." He smiled at her warmly then answered her question. "Well now," Aster surveyed the area around them, "it's my first day on the job here so I can't say for certain, but... It is a Friday night, an optimal time for young ruffians to get up to something, no?" He turned back to Elisabeth.

"Of course, we'll have our pokemon to protect us, but if push comes to shove, I'd like it if you'd stand behind me. Can't let a civilian get hurt on my watch, and certainly not such a kind and pretty lady such as yourself."

Aster nodded and gave Warren a thumbs up, readily following behind with his bellossom and a hand on another pokeball, just in case. It was a funny sight, such a stoic man leading a lumbering pokemon by waving colorful snacks. Aster had to cover his mouth to stifle a chuckle and refocused himself on the danger at hand.

They had to get the snorlax off the path and somewhere safe, where it wouldn't be disturbed by passerbys. Aster thought for a moment then gestured to Warren a spot behind the fountain. The running water would most likely drown out other noise and the main road would at least be free and clear.

Aster shrugged at Warren's response to his explanation of his star sign. "Fair enough. Not like I'm psychic or anything. Just a good conversation starter, you know?" He was a little bummed that his partner didn't have anything more to say, but he'd learned better than to push the quiet types. Aster would rather die than be considered annoying.

Aster quickly sent out his bellossom and hurriedly told her the plan. "She's all set." He nodded at Warren and gestured for her to begin. A sickly sweet smell permeated the air and settled around the slumbering snorlax. "I'm going to wake it now, standby," He said in a low voice.

Aster crouched and stealthily moved behind the snorlax's head, only a few feet away. He raised his hands and clapped loudly twice.

Aster flushed a bit at the jogger’s compliment. Sure, he was a chronic flirt but he wasn’t used to it being returned. Bring it on, he thought, two can play at this game. He was momentarily distracted by the sudden change in excitement from the chubby Eevee. He let out a delighted chuckle. “Was the magic word coffee or café? I have a feeling that it’s coffee,” he said as he watched Chuchi scamper onward.

They made quick work of throwing out the trash now that he had help. Aster led the way to a small shop and held open the door for his companions. “After you,” he purred while giving a mock bow and another exaggerated wink.
Inside the café was decorated in typical seaside motifs. On one wall was a large mural that depicted several water type pokemon native to the location; it had become a popular spot for Pokegram influencers to take pictures with their expensive themed drinks. He turned to Andres.

“Order whatever you want! My thanks to the handsome stranger that offered me a helping hand. And of course, a treat for the patient and adorable Chuchi.”

"Fake? Well sure, a lot of people feel that way and it's more of a pseudo-science but I think there's some truth behind it. At the very least, it can help people be a bit more introspective or think more about their relationships." Aster paused his rifling for moment and put a hand to his chin. "May 7th," he hummed, "That makes you a Taurus!" He smiled to himself at how fitting that seemed (if he said that out loud, he was sure Warren would call it confirmation bias). "Key characteristics of Taurus include being practical, well-grounded and tenacious. In relationships you may tend to be more reserved and quiet. A Taurus is typically considered stubborn too."

Aster turned his attention back to his bag, "So, does that seem like it describes you?"

"Ah-ha! Here we go!" Aster pulled out two slightly crumpled sweet Poke Puffs. He smiled sheepishly. "Think this will do the trick?"