Look at all the colors! (Open)

We're painted red
to fit right in

When was the last time she'd been at an event like this?

Not for a good while, that was for certain. To be completely honest, Elinda had never particularly cared for pomp and flash - if something did what it was supposed to, it was fine, and celebrations in the past had more often simply involved a night at the bar. Or, if she'd been too young at the time, a lot of junk food. Usually spent with only one or two close friends, and often enough out in the wilderness with just whatever had been packed and a camp fire. It wasn't like she'd exactly been a hermit but there were better things to do. Heights to be climbed, challenges to be met, countless ways to improve both herself and her team. Aside from a select few exceptions that eventually formed the core of her life later on those were the only things she'd really ever cared about back in the day, and after that.... well, it'd been family and other life events best not dwelt on.

When she'd wandered into Vega it hadn't exactly been with any sort of plan, and the Gala had just been a lot of noise and bright lights from a few streets over - and ever the curious one, that had been enough to get her attention. Now that she was actually there, though, Elinda wasn't sure what to actually do with her time and the opportunity. Not that it seemed to matter to Beldum - the no so little Pokemon was busy zipping about overhead, trying to see as much as he could while Elinda merely wandered through the crowd beneath, red coat and black clothing underneath blending into the chaos for a change.

There was one thing, though, that eventually caught the trainer's eye. It was the briefest flash of golden blond, but a moment after and a second glance later once the crowd broke again confirmed it.

"HEY! That's three times now-" Elinda shouted out, hands coming up to wave as she began to approach the younger blond only to pause for a moment on seeing that the girl wasn't alone. There was someone else there who the veteran trainer didn't recognize, although it seemed like Honoka's Dratini didn't seem to know him, either. Dropping her arms and sliding her hands back to their usual place in her coat pockets, Elinda took a moment to quietly watch as she approached the pair, only electing to speak again once clear of the surrounding crowd and within direct line of sight, perhaps only two meters away at most.

"Oh? New friend of yours? Wasn't expecting to run into you a third time." Elinda continued, voice raised just enough to be heard over the crowd as she spoke from behind Honoka.


Beldum - Level 9. Take Down.

Ferroseed - Level 5. Growl, Tackle.

Skarmory - Level 5. Peck, Leer.

Aron - Level 5. Tackle, Harden, Mud Slap

Passimian - Level 6. Tackle, Leer, Vital Throw

@tag

We're painted red
to fit right in

Oh, this was a surprise. Not an entirely unwelcome one, however, and while Elinda initially didn't react to the boy's confirmation of his name a small, sly smile would begin to place itself upon the older trainer's face. Technology had a habit of making the world a smaller and smaller place as the years went by, but fact of the matter was that it really only applied when you wanted to find someone. If you were just wandering around it was still big enough that you could spend your entire life trying to see everything it had to offer an still not even come close, and that left a lot of room for people to get lost in the chaos of it all. A rule that very much seemed to apply to both sides of her and her husband's families. They were relatively isolated from both out in Hoenn, and that habit of spreading out seemed to run in both bloodlines. Elinda couldn't remember the last time she'd really seen or spoken to her brothers since her childhood years, and while the other family seemed to be at least a little closer knit, enough to stay in contact when they needed to be...

"Maybe not, but I've met you. In a manner of speaking, anyways, not really surprised you don't remember me since it was easily ten years ago now." Elinda started, answering both individuals' questions and contradicting Doug's last statement in one fell swoop. It was a strange way to be reminded of how much time had actually passed since her last stint as a traveling trainer, or at least the tail end of those days. Elinda never really thought about it much with her own kids since it had been a gradual change there, but to suddenly see the kid of the in laws when her last memory of him was as an infant... by now he had to be about her own kids' age, or at least relatively close.

"So? How long've you been a trainer for?" Elinda continued, crossing her arms and leaning back on a leg as she quite clearly began giving the boy a much more detailed look of appraisal. Newer trainers were a fascinating study in potential. No way to know how far they would go, no way to know which way they'd go. Plenty quit while they were ahead, unable or unwilling to keep with the commitment that the lifestyle demanded of them, but.... difficult to say with him. On the one hand he may very well find himself preferring his father's more structured lifestyle given how random and chaotic a professional trainer's life could be by comparison, but at the same time there was the other side of the family to consider. Blackthorn's Dragon clans didn't do things halfway, and while his mother might've been a Fighting type specialist the mindset still ran true with her as far as Elinda could remember. Plenty of potential there, to be sure, but how much of it was out on display was impossible to really say without actually seeing him go to work.

"And you, too? What part of Johto, might I ask?" Elinda continued, eyes drifting off of Doug and over to Honoka as she made a comment about her own lineage. Kalos was one of the few regions she'd never been able to directly visit, and while that had her attention to a point... plenty of people she knew from Johto, and that was what had her focus. Most of the trainers from the group Elinda had traveled with as a teen had come from either Kanto or Johto, and most had retired back to their hometowns or some other portion of their respective regions. Highly unlikely given that Honoka had claimed her grandmother as the tie to Johto, but it was always an interesting exercise to see where such ties potentially led.

---

Beldum - Level 9. Take Down.

Ferroseed - Level 5. Growl, Tackle.

Skarmory - Level 5. Peck, Leer.

Aron - Level 5. Tackle, Harden, Mud Slap

Passimian - Level 6. Tackle, Leer, Vital Throw

@tag

We're painted red
to fit right in

Ah. Well, Elinda knew it was unlikely given the relative age that Honoka's grandmother had to be but it'd been worth asking. Not anyone she wouldn't known from the sound of it, though - most of the trainers she'd traveled with had been from Kanto and Sevii, with the two out of Johto hailing from Blackthorn and Cianwood. She'd certainly been to Olivine on three separate occasions while her group had been touring the regional Gym circuit and again years later when they'd needed a quick and easy way to get from Johto to Hoenn and once more when making the same trip in reverse. That wasn't the same as being able to claim that you actually knew anyone from the city, though. Like Slateport it was a large and densely populated area with a thriving international market, and the odds of running into anyone that you weren't actually looking for there were pretty low.

Concerning Doug's line of questioning, though... perhaps a bit complicated given how rarely Elinda saw her own family, in laws aside. Friend? Maybe, but not quite. Certainly a bit more than an acquaintance, though, but the exact words were ones that eluded the blond's grasp as she struggled to think of a proper label for those particular relationships. Words had never really been one of her strong points as Elinda had never really liked to beat around the bush when it came to talking about things.

"Wwwell, uh-" Elinda started, drawing out the first word in an attempt to buy herself a bit more time to respond when the sound of something exploding both denied the blond the chance and simultaneously freed her from needing to respond then and there. More to the point, it was something that completely demanded her own attention as Elinda's blood ran cold as the first dull boom was followed by another and another, accompanied by the sounds of people screaming. Old habits died hard and even before the trainer realized it her left hand was dipping down to grab a Pokeball that wasn't there anymore - Scizor and Aggron hadn't come to Stellara with her. Both were back in Hoenn still, and largely because she'd assumed she wouldn't need them here. Even if it felt like a lifetime ago, though, Elinda was mentally kicking herself for not bringing at least one of them as Beldum certainly seemed to remember as well. The moment the sounds had gone off the Pokemon had suddenly pivoted to face the direction they'd come from, dipping low to hover against his partner's shoulder and single red eye darting over the street for potential threats.

And as the crowd began to flee and split, Elinda saw them. People who definitely didn't belong and who had come prepared for trouble or with the intent to cause it - and those who didn't run were promptly engaged in battles. Much more civil and humane than what Elinda herself was used to, but there was no denying that these people were trained and not to be trifled with. And emerging from the fleeing crowd was one individual who was far too calm, a woman who noticed the three trainers and began to approach them before speaking.

Dressed as thought she'd come from a board meeting Elinda's first thought would have been that this woman was lost had it not been for her stance and demeanor. The blond didn't know who woman was but Elinda could tell the suited woman was definitely of the opinion that she belonged there even before they'd spoken - and then the sight of the Team members not only taking note of the woman but breaking away from all four individuals only sealed it. Whoever she was the suited woman was with these people attacking the Gala.

"Ju- Doug. Are your mother and father here?" Elinda asked, her earlier smile and awkwardness gone. Even as Elinda said that, though, she didn't take her eyes off of the suit for even a moment. Judging from the grunts' perfect willingness to leave her alone with three different individuals - all clearly trainers - they seemed to be very much of the opinion that the woman could hold her own against them. And going off of their performance so far they were probably right. They didn't seem to be taking chances with the other trainers elsewhere now that the street was clearing out as the civilians fled the area, and it seemed like a massive oversight to leave three people to one person when you had the manpower to spare. Going off of previous experience and gut instinct... this woman was probably the equivalent of a Pillar in Obscuras, an admin in any of the more traditional Teams that seemed endemic to each region.

Not something that Elinda was able to fight now, and not something she would assume the other two were prepared for, either. Maybe in her prime and maybe if she had her other two original travel partners with her, both of whom had seen the worst Tokai had to offer... but not now.

"Last I checked he wasn't a trainer, you may want to see to him before anything else. And might I at least ask who and why?" Elinda continued, directing her comment first to Doug and then directing her words to the other adult as she slowly began to extract a pair on nondescript black gloves from her pockets, pulling them over each hand. With her own stance neutral the last thing the blond wanted to do was provoke a fight that she was fairly sure they couldn't win, and if nothing else a few words would hopefully buy enough time for Doug to both consider his priorities and for Honoka to catch onto what was going on. If Mei was here she would likely be fine - given family history Elinda doubted that she would jump headfirst into conflict of any sort, especially if she was still taking on students. As for Honoka... realization seemed to be catching up once she began taking note of the other trainers being engaged by their attackers. Too many for them to be of any help - even if they could beat this woman in a fight they'd likely get swarmed by grunts seeking to help their boss.

---

Beldum - Level 9. Take Down.

Ferroseed - Level 5. Growl, Tackle.

Skarmory - Level 5. Peck, Leer.

Aron - Level 5. Tackle, Harden, Mud Slap

Passimian - Level 6. Tackle, Leer, Vital Throw

@tag