[PRP] Wild Flowers

[radish]

Asphodel moaned in pain, one more step after Magnolia causing her to tumble to the ground. The lavender-haired teen stopped in place and turned to her, her pink eyes falling half-lidded as the Psychic-type struggled to her feet.

"Ma-Magnoliaaaa," she whined. "Can't we rest? Pleaseeee? I can't walk anymoooore!"

She rolled her eyes at the tiny dancer's dramatic display. Why, she could dance for days, but an hour's worth of walking already had her paralall with the ground. "Oh, stop," she huffed, feeling as though she was dealing with another version of Altais -- only worse. "You said you wanted to come along in place of James for finding Mega Stones, so let's go, on your feet and keep marching."

"B-but...!"

"No buts, Asphodel! We have to keep going."

Staggering to her feet, the Ralts stuck out a tongue at Magnolia's turned back; her little sneer turning into one of worry when the distance between them had lengthened to an uncomfortable degree on the Psychic-type's end. Catching up to her side and sighing out a pant, she caught onto her hand, and much to her surprise, Magnolia slowed her steps a bit. "Why are we heading to the Clockwork Wastelands again?" she asked innocently like a child to its mother.

"To find Mega Stones," she repeated. "So if we stop again, it'd take longer to get there. Understand?"

Before Asphodel could comply with the trainer's words, the Ralts suddenly halted in place. Magnolia blinked down to her as the Psychic-type released itself from her hold and levitated a small distance away, her tiny hands balled before her bosom as she whiffed the air. The fourteen year old visibly frowned. The Ralts was simply a series of contradictions, it seemed.

"Asphodel," she warned. "Let's go."

"I can't, not with that lovely scent in the air..." she replied. "Magnolia, the air smells of flowers! Fresh flowers!"

"I..." Magnolia caught the scent as well and, even though it tugged at her heartstrings, she wanted to remain firmly concentrated on their task. "That's wonderful, but we really-"

"I'm going to check them out!" Asphodel proclaimed then and there, rushing off in the direction of the source. Magnolia, without any means to halt the Pokemon because she lacked a Pokeball and ownership to do so, could only speed after her instead.  

[Qixel]

Rydia knelt down as she watered the flowers with her can, smiling softly. The flowers here were lovely, too. She inhaled their fragrance, reveling in their scent. Standing up, she moved to a different patch of plain dirt and started to dig with her small shovel. Once she had dug a few holes, she reached into her pack and retrieved some seeds of varying types. She placed them carefully into the holes before covering them back up and watering them. "Grow up strong, okay?" She said to the would-be flowers with a smile.  

[radish]

"Asphodel, s-slow down! I can't, ah!" The lavender-haired girl stumbled suddenly, cutting off her sudden scolding toward the Psychic-type. When she glanced up at her, she discovered the Ralts had stopped at the crest of a hill. Marching up the incline toward her, Magnolia prepared to deliver a finger-waggling lecture that to keep her safe, she should stay at her side and take her time, but her tongue was stilled again by the sight before her.

There was flowers; an innumerable amount of them flourishing just before the Clockwork Wastelands. The fourteen year old was so taken by the majesty of colors she couldn't utter a word, so Asphodel broke the silence instead.

"Isn't it lovely?" she said with a smile, clasping tiny hands just before her bosom. "And it smells so pleasant!"

"Y-yea..." Magnolia agreed, sliding her eyes across the field before coming upon a figure watering them to the side. "You think she's responsible?"

Asphodel gave a shrug. "Probably? The best way is to simply ask!"

With that, the Ralts zipped away from Magnolia again. The trainer hooted in surprise before a frown encompassed her features again.

"Asphodel!" she cried. "Don't just run off like that!"

Asphodel did not mind her. "Excuse me!" she said. "Excuse me, did you plant all of these?"  

[Qixel]

Rydia looked up at the sound of a voice and looked around. Seeing a small ralts running up to her, she knelt down with a smile before shaking her head softly. "No, I didn't - I only just got here - but they are very pretty, aren't they? Do you like flowers?" She tilted her head just barely to the side, still smiling.  

[radish]

Asphodel's eyes sparkled in glee as she nodded her head vigorously up to the taller woman. "Oh, yes, I do, I do!" she replied, pirouetting on her heel. "I love them ever so much! I'm actually nicknamed after one!"

Before the Psychic-type could on a tirade about herself and her greatest loves, Magnolia was on the scene with a slight pant in her breath. She exchanged glances between the older woman and the Ralts under her care, bowing her head in apology to her when she was near enough to them.

"I'm so sorry for her," she said in apology. "Asphodel is a little flighty, it seems."

"I am not!"

"I'm Magnolia. I hope she didn't bother you from your work."  

[Qixel]

Before the green haired girl could respond, the ralts' trainer appeared. Rydia rocketed to her feet, already apologizing for her perceived slight. "No, no, no! I'm sorry for distracting you two! I just really like flowers and so I came to see if there were flowers here and there were so I decided I'd plant some more because there's no such thing as too many flowers and I was just about to leave I'm sorry!" The girl blushed furiously as she ranted, picking up her tools and stuffing them into her pack. Taking a breath, she turned a worried glance to the two. "Please don't be too mad at each other! I hate it when people or pokemon fight, and especially when it's my fault like now and ohmigosh your names are Asphodel and Magnolia those are magnificent names and magnificent flowers and you're both very pretty so it fits and oh no I'm making myself look like a fool again shut up Rydia." The seventeen year old gave a flustered bow before turning to make an exit.  

[radish]

Magnolia could only blink in clueless surprise at the sudden torrent of words that streamed from the gardener. Any notion of comprehension from the fourteen year old came to no avail as her words slipped in one ear and out the other. Her words didn't escape Asphodel, however. The Psychic-type could only clutch her head and stumble slightly at the rapidness of Rydia's thoughts and words. She managed to register a semblance of her words -- namely that she was profusely sorry for something -- but that was it.

"I- Oh my, um, w-we're not mad?" Magnolia said, offering her a friendly smile. "We just get into small squabbles, that's all."

Asphodel shook her tiny head. "You actually understood what she said?" she said blithely, earning a scowl from the lavender-haired trainer that caused her to shirk back. "What?"

"A-ah, wait! Don't mind, Asphodel," Magnolia sighed with a dip of her chin to her outstretched hand. "Though I do have to ask, what are you doing so far out here? I made out... you were planting flowers... But so far out here by the Clockwork Wastelands?"  

[Qixel]

Rydia turned her head cautiously towards the duo like a purrloin who'd been caught trying to eat a pidgey. They weren't mad? Turning all the way around, she placed a hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, entirely missing Asphodel's comment. She looked up and smiled. "I really really love flowers, and I want to share that love with everyone, so I'm going around planting flowers wherever I can. I thought there wouldn't be very many flowers here, as it's apparently a wasteland, so I decided I'd make it less of one." She paused. "I'm, uh, Rydia, by the way. Sorry for earlier - I babble sometimes. Well, a lot of the time." She averted her eyes to the ground.  

[radish]

"I see..." Magnolia didn't know what to make of such a response. Make it less of a wasteland? Was... that even possible? There would be a lot of ground to cover but, with a quick glance to the field of flowers she stood before, it did brighten up the scenery. That much she could admit.

Unfortunately, assuaging the awkwardness between both her and the older woman took some thought. It was times like this where she wished she had James by her side -- at least he knew how to make conversation easier.

"It's nice to meet you, Rydia," the girl replied, offering another smile to make up for her lack of courtesy before. "And it's all right, I don't mind, though I have to admit my problem is the opposite -- I don't babble enough, aha..." Her shoulders slumped as she was met with silence again. What could she say next?

It was Asphodel who pipped up with an idea. "Since you're planting flowers, would you like some help?" She exchanged glances between Magnolia and Rydia excitedly. "If you want to fill the wasteland up, more hands are better, yep?"

Magnolia narrowed her eyes at the Psychic-type. "But weren't we headed directly into the wastelands?" she mentioned.

"That can wait," the Ralts said with a small wave of her hand. "We've all day to go searching for rocks and pebbles. Rydia needs some help now."

Magnolia didn't protest, though internally, she was quite upset. Asphodel would do anything to weasel her way out of, to her, unpleasant work.  

[Qixel]

Magnolia's words brought up memories of that girl back in Orre who also didn't say much. She had gone to plant flowers there, before coming to Zatao. Wondering how the flowers and that girl were doing, Rydia was brought back to earth by the ralts' offer. She waved her hands in front of her, frantically. "Oh, no! I couldn't ask you to do that! It sounds like you already had plans, and I've taken enough of your time!"  

[radish]

Magnolia almost let out a sigh in gratitude. See? Even Rydia was modest enough to send them on their way. Now all it took was a little more persuading on her end and she and Asphodel could finally return to-

"No, no," Asphodel protested in response to the green-haired woman's words. "You're doing this all by yourself and it just isn't fair that your kindness goes unrecognized! It would be an honor to help you out!"

Magnolia didn't get a chance to protect with the Psychic-type added.

"And Magnolia thinks the same!"

Qixel

 

[Qixel]

Rydia looked tentatively between the lavender haired girl and the ralts before ducking her head in thanks. "I-I-I'm not really doing this for thanks," she stammered. "it's more of a selfish want, but thank you. Both of you. I really... I appreciate it." Looking up shyly for a brief moment, she reached into her pack and retrieved her extra hand shovels and offered them to the duo.  

[radish]

Asphodel floated the small hand shovel over to her using Confusion and clapped her hands together. "Just tell us where to start!" she chimed. "Magnolia and I will get to work, pronto!"

The burgeoning vein of annoyance popped on her temple was strategically hidden behind the brim of her sun hat. Asphodel was grating her nerves. Taking the shovel as well, Magnolia forced a smile and said, "Yes, tell us when and where."

Qixel