as off-putting as the tinkaton is, kirin puts on her bravest face and doesn't even skitter a little bit when it comes near. okay, her back left hoof lifts up a smidge, but that's it! saskia chuckles at her pokemon's visible restraint, but that chuckle dies when greyson probes further. 

"ummm, he's kinda mean. and he doesn't listen. i mean, sometimes he listens, but only when he wants to, i think."

in short, he absolutely does not respect her, but she won't say that out loud. 

Greyson Connors

☉

oh, of course it isn't. he's only a couple of years older than her, but their lives couldn't have been more different. he's grown up since they last saw each other. he was a gym leader, he is one of the most powerful pokemon trainers in the region. and here she is, proud her stantler has finally evolved and still struggling to get control over her traumatized mutt of a lycanroc. 

her shoulders sag just a little bit and when he asks her if kirin is okay, she gets just a teensy bit too defensive. 

"of course she is," she says with a frown and beckons her closer. "she remembers you!" she trots closer and snuffs a little bit at greyson.

he hasn't met maugrim though. she touches the ball at her hip. part of growing is asking for help when you need it.

"maybe you can give me some pointers though? i've been working with my lycanroc for a while, but he's, er, stubborn."

an understatement.

Greyson Connors

☉

an archavist? that sounds so interesting. his inner thoughts are correct: she immediately opens her mouth to ask him a million and one questions about it, but he starts to beat her to the punch. well, not really. 'investigating a grave,' only gives her more questions. 

"can i investigate with you?" she asks, ever happy to invite herself along to something. 

"we'll have these headstones done in no time! oleg can do a whole lot when he sets his mind to it. can't you, buddy?" he beeps enthusiastically in response. 

memphis evren

☉

and so, of course, she does just that. her hand goes out immediately to her mother's and the world feels just a little bit more right. again, she's glad for the buzzer, because she's pretty certain both of them could have stayed in that hug for a good thirty minutes. 

the place is hectic and busy, but saskia doesn't mind. she thrives in places like this. apologies bump out of her as she has to squeeze to pull out and take her chair. 

her green eyes are light and full of joy as she recounts some of her adventures in sinnoh: attaching a sled to kirin, listening to dedushka tell fables while she cradled a mug of homemade hot chocolate. and her studies, of course. she goes on and on about her studies. 

but then she hesitates and she says, "i'm so, so happy to be back, but i'm so worried papa doesn't want me here. like i know he wants me here, but it's dangerous." with a frown, "i saw the icelands."

Camila Volosenkova

☉

oh, joy! mrs. darling is third on her list. she has a trickling suspicion that the way these lists are doled out is to encourage discussion with her fellow volunteers. not that she really ever needs help in that department. but still. 

but first is someone named greg evrart. there's a crudely drawn map of the cemetery for them to follow so she starts leading them away. oleg totters at her heels, arms outstretched so he can mill in circles while he follows. 

"you're not a ranger too, are you? i don't see a badge." her own is neatly clipped to her ranger-issued jacket, shiny and proclaiming her a protector of oldale. 

memphis evren

☉

she brightens at his acceptance of her proposal. she would have given him his space if he asked for it, of course. she's not a monster. but now she has something to look forward to than just dusting old graves by herself. and oleg's easier to manage when he has someone to analyze anyway. 

"aw, she's so cute," saskia drolls as oleg returns the paw with a swing of his little arms. a series of beeps mimics the rhythm of saskia's exclamation. 

"don't worry, memphis. i'll protect you. but i don't think you got anything to worry about. ghosts are just pokemon." she blinks and fiddles with her supplies. "and i'm sasky.

"who's next?"

memphis evren

☉

she decides right then and there, right when he smiles, that she is going to make this one her friend. he'd seemed kind of shy when she first walked over. or maybe mortified is a better word. but now that they're chatting and sasky's looking at him bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, he seems happy to talk. 

so partners in crime they'll become, even if he doesn't know it yet. 

she laughs. "ghosts aren't so scary, you know. no scarier than aliens." oleg beeps in agreeance. 

she holds up her bucket. "can i help you then? i work faster with company."

memphis evren

☉

oh, now he's never going to stop mimicking people. still, she hides her smile behind her hand while she watches the man and her pokemon go tit for tat with their music. oleg is absolutely overjoyed at the response he's getting and she can only imagine the endorphins are going to override previous five minute conversation. 

aw, he's shy. well she is absolutely not shy. she's much like the spunky elgyem in that way. 

"yeah!" she says enthusiastically and drops down into a squat beside them so she can be at eye level with him. she pats oleg's head affectionately and the alien beeps a couple more times. 

"we haven't even started ours. oleg keeps getting distracted. and then i get distracted. and besides, this place is so cool."

memphis evren

☉

he does not, in fact, stay. and sasky isn't fast enough to get the ball unclipped either. so she tumbles to the side right as he connects with an eerily silent bird she hadn't noticed behind her. 

but she doesn't think it was attacking her. 

it sounds more startled than anything when maugrim pins it to the ground and chomps down hard on its shoulder. saskia cries out in frustration and grabs the back of his tail, but he's stuck on the bird hard. 

"maugrim, let it go!" and so he does, but only because the xatu pecks him right in the eye. he stumbles back with a squeal and bowls over sasky. 

before he can do anymore damage, she throws a pokeball. 

WILD - PSYCHIC INCENSE
CATCHING

☉

the alien pokemon doesn't care much for the dead. or for their remains. he sticks his hands into the ground by an unmarked grave in a psuedo-prayer after watching a mother and her child do the same. as tears slipped down their faces, they looked upon her and her pokemon with such contempt that sasky didn't even try to explain. 

she chided him as she dragged him away, swinging her sponge bucket around with her. 

"you have to be more sensitive than that," she says. the colors on his face light up in a pattern of i don't understand and sasky sighs. 

"it's not respectful to mimic people." more confused dancing lights. he flaps his arms uselessly. (but you make fun of your dad, sasky!) he can't say that, of course, so the two stare at each other, annoyed, until he gives in with a shrug.

when she comes upon someone almost...singing? to one of the gravestones, she pokes her head around. oleg totters right up to him and emits a series of harmonic beeps, matching the man's cadence.

"are you here to help tend the grounds too?"

memphis evren

☉

there's probably still flour somewhere on her. they'd spent ages stuffing and folding the pirozhki. saskia has little patience for such tasks (it's why most of her food either ends up undercooked or burnt), but her father's patience kept them on track and most importantly, made for a well-executed dish. 

he'd promised to bring them to the meeting, as she had to run a couple of errands and their timelines were just a little bit off. 

but she arrives in time to watch kolya awkwardly set the dish down and then slink into the background, doing the exact opposite of what she had chattered to him about while making the pirozhki in the first place. she would not stand to have her father become an old curmudgeon. and besides!

she's excited to be able to share this piece of herself with him. and to meet all of her new colleagues. 

so she walks up right as LANCE VOLLANS extends a hand to Nikolaj Volosenkov, waiting politely until after they've exchanged pleasantries to add, "and i'm saskia!"

Nikolaj Volosenkov LANCE VOLLANS  annalise henderson

☉

her sense of awareness is next to nothing. kirin had, of course, sensed the sprite's presence, but saskia really only now just takes it in. the quaking of the oak tree it casually hammers into makes her jaw drop. 

greyson's come a long way since she last saw him. it does kind of make her feel better about her own struggles with maugrim though, seeing something as strong as greyson's tinkaton need training. 

"yeah...my first unofficial mission here i guess...does she listen to you?"

Greyson Connors

☉

her psychic prowess is her edge. in a close quarters fight like this, she needs to end battles against larger adversaries quickly. sasky realizes her mistake only after the fact; letting her get so close to aggron has worn her out and she's not fast enough to scramble away from the pinpoint accuracy of her father's partner. 

the metal helmet rams into kirin's side and knocks her off her feet. she slumps, the breath and what was left of her fight knocked out of her. 

saskia rushes over to her, knowing full well the big metal beast would never harm her, and kneels down to stroke her cheeks. 

"you did well, girl. i should have done better." she draws out kirin's ball and returns her. 

"one day we'll beat you, aggron," she says with a smile and looks past him at nikolaj. "thought i had you there for a second!"

Nikolaj Volosenkov

☉