(ACE) The PALLET Team

Akamu laughed a little before assuring Isolde, "I'm fine. This is sort of our routine anyway so it felt natural to simply let everyone sleep while I watched over the night. I'll get my rest as well don't worry." He walked towards her, likely to help with waking the others.

Huh, she hadn't pegged the puppy as a more nocturnally inclined Pokemon. She would have to keep that in mind. "Oh, then that's fine. As long as you get sleep at some point. Whenever you get tired, feel free to get some rest, alright?" For now, she would trust that he knew himself enough to know his limits. With that smoothed over, she entered the hallway proper and saw the opened door. Figuring that they were in there, she floated in to see Phobos standing guard. "Good morning, Phobos," She greeted him warmly also in hopes that she didn't startle him on accident.

While Phobos and Kaleo were immediately visible, she couldn't see Oliver. Though the other two were pretty close to another door leading into a much smaller looking room... As she got closer, she saw a bit of orange curled up amongst the blankets and relaxed. Until she realized she had no idea how to wake up the sleeping children. Kelvin had handled his kids when it came to that. Clearing her voice, she then announced with a cheer that felt fake even to her, "Time to get up! It's morning."

"Time to get up! It's morning."

A voice bright with fake cheeriness shattered the peaceful nothingness of sleep wrapped around him, Oliver jolted into the waking world with a suddenness that was jarring but, at least, only frightening for a moment or two.

He propped himself up on his elbow and glanced over his shoulder to spot Isolde fluttering around by the door, rubbing his fist into an eye. The anxiety wasn't long in coming after the initial fear of being woken, reminding him in a nervous little voice that her voice had been painfully fake, but Isolde herself looked calm enough.

Nothing's... probably wrong? He rolled over and sat up to face the others properly with a yawn. Oh, I hope nothing's wrong yet. It would be nice to start the day with some peace.

And breakfast. Maybe breakfast. Not that he knew where they'd be getting it. They'd have to scavange a bit until their little bush actually started producing more berries. You make more bushes by planting berries, right? Maybe that should be our next job. Making a little farm. He'd have to moniter Isolde to see if she'd be open to any suggestions.

Phobos is a little surprised to see Isolde first-he really thought it’d be one of the two in the room who got up first-but he’s glad to have someone else around again. He’s more than ready to get the day going.

"Good morning, Phobos," she greets him. He beams; it might be normal to anyone else but to him, being acknowledged like that is still so new. For once, he doesn’t hate his name. It actually is-and this is weird to say-kind of nice-sounding. A little. When he answers back, his voice is bright, with no hint of timidity.

”Good morning!”  

Despite their talking, though, Phobos notices that the others aren’t up yet. Yesterday, he thinks, everyone started moving around pretty much on their own. Is that how it works every time? Phobos can’t stand having to admit this so often, but he has no idea. He glances at Isolde, a sort of um, help? look. Other than human stuff (which Phobos doesn’t get either, so oh well) she always seems to know what she’s doing.

"Time to get up! It's morning."

Isolde’s voice is louder than it was when talking to him but oh, wow-even to Phobos, the cheer in her tone sounds forced. Sure, it’s enough to start waking them up, but is she okay? He should probably ask that when they’re not around everyone, though...

”Good morning,” Phobos says to the others, though admittedly repeating the phrase sounds a little weird.

Akamu smiled softly to himself as Isolde not only accepted his explanation but reminded him to rest whenever he finally got tired. He spent so long forgoing his own needs to take care of Kaleo that he had almost forgotten how nice it felt to have someone else thinking of him for a change. If they didn't have to leave so soon he'd almost consider staying with the little group for a while but if they didn't leave by today at the latest there was every chance they would lose Jesse's trail for good. It was already so faint...

"Good morning, Phobos."
”Good morning!”

Akamu blinked back into reality and looked up sheepishly to the ghost as he grinned and returned Isolde's greeting with cheer. It was the most open he'd seen the spirit since they met and it made him feel bad for not greeting Phobos as well. "Mornin'," he murmured apologetically, ears dipping a bit towards his skull. He trotted behind the pair into the room and let out a pleased hum when he saw Kaleo knelt in the open room fast asleep. It had been ages since he saw his brother comfortable enough to not sleep with his back to a firm surface.

Isolde's cheerful greeting and Phobos's helpful attempts to wake the pair managed to rouse the Chimchar (in a closet, for some reason but he would ask about that later) but not Kaleo. The donkey hadn't slept this deeply since Jesse was still around and it both touched Akamu's heart and broke it to have to wake him from it. But they had things to do today and not a lot of time to do them before they had to be going.

With an apologetic smile to Isolde he made his way over Kaleo and began to nuzzle against his brother's neck roughly, the sharp points of his stone collar scratching down Kaleo's thick hide and making him twitch. Kaleo began to shift in his sleep with a grumble and Akamu took the opportunity to slip under the Mudbray's head and continue scratching against his neck until Kaleo's eyes finally cracked open. "Aki...? Wha-?" Blinking he looked around and saw the room was full causing his sleepy expression to snap into one of complete alertness, jumping to his feet before remembering who they were and where he was. "Oh... I'm sorry... Is it morning already?"

Phobos seemed happy to see Isolde and helped a little with waking the others. Even if it wasn't much, she appreciated anything she could get, and since he couldn't physically interact with things, his voice was all he could offer. Oliver slowly shifted to a position where he could see them as he woke up, and sleepily rubbed his eyes before looking towards her and yawning. As she waited for him to join them in the waking world, Akamu went over to Kaleo, who hadn't even budged, and started to rub against him. It took a bit before Kaleo finally opened his eyes, and then he jumped to alertness as he took them in.

"Oh... I'm sorry... Is it morning already?"

"Yes, it's fine, we're all just getting up," she said as she attempted to soothe. It wasn't like they were on a time limit. Once she was sure everyone was concious enough to respond, she asked, "If everyone's hungry, we can try scavanging that place we found yesterday again? I don't think we picked it clean yet." After that, though, they would need to do some more digging around to find more sources of food. Eventually that place would run out completely until they let things grow back.

Yawns and echoed 'good mornings' followed Isolde's wakeup call, Kaleo woken not by Isolde, but by his brother's gentle nuzzles.

The sight made his chest constrict for some reason. He could examine it, and probably hit on an answer pretty fast, but he could also... not torture himself like that, which sounded good to him, especially this early in the morning.

And, mercifully, Isolde provided exactly the redirection he needed to steer away from that.

"Yes, it's fine, we're all just getting up. If everyone's hungry, we can try scavenging that place we found yesterday again? I don't think we picked it clean yet."

Unfortunately, he didn't think for two seconds before opening his mouth.

"We should start a farm!" he blurted out, and immediately wanted to bury himself back in his cocoon and start the day over again. Or die. That would work too.

What happened to 'wait and see if she'd be okay with suggestions!' You moron! Idiot of the year, for sure.

Even with both himself and Isolde talking, Kaleo doesn’t get up at the same time Oliver does. He still looks to be completely in another world. At first Phobos feels worried; should they do something else? He doesn’t know what.. but his concern is cut short by Akamu helping out, rousing his brother from wherever the land of sleep is. Okay, maybe being worried was a little silly. Phobos is glad to see Kaleo up and talking again, at least, though he does seem kind of nervous.

"Oh... I'm sorry... Is it morning already?"

”Yes, it's fine, we're all just getting up," Isolde tells him, sounding calm; Phobos bobs along in some vague attempt at both agreement and reassurance. Not using his voice isn’t really helpful, is it? "If everyone's hungry, we can try scavenging that place we found yesterday again? I don't think we picked it clean yet."

Phobos thinks something like, oh, more exploring! at the same time Oliver exclaims, "We should start a farm!"

The unfamiliar word immediately piques his interest, no surprise there. ”What’s that mean? Because it sounds really cool.”

"Yes, it's fine, we're all just getting up. If everyone's hungry, we can try scavenging that place we found yesterday again? I don't think we picked it clean yet." Kaleo would have flushed with emberassment if his dusty fur allowed it when Isolde confirmed it was indeed morning. Nodding at her gratefully his stomach rumbled softly at the mention of food earning a soft chuckle from Akamu at his feet. Finding breakfast sounded like a wonderful idea-

"We should start a farm!"

Akamu bust out laughing at Oliver's sudden bravado, and at his rather grandiose idea. No one could say that the kid didn't have gumption that was for sure. "Little ambitious for first thing in the morning," he replied through his laughter, the sound slowly dying down to a gentle chuckle. "Farms aren't built in a day, believe me. You'll need a lot more than that cute little bush you found to start one but if the soil around here is right...it's not impossible. It would be a lot of work though. You up for that?" He nodded towards Phobos and Isolde. "Are they?"

"We should start a farm!" Oliver immediately responded. Isolde wasn't sure what that meant, but she had to assume it had something to do with food.

Phobos echoed her curiosity and asked, ”What’s that mean? Because it sounds really cool.”

However, Akamu burst out laughing at the suggestion. Even more confused, Isolde turned to him. "Little ambitious for first thing in the morning," he finally said when his laughter calmed down. "Farms aren't built in a day, believe me. You'll need a lot more than that cute little bush you found to start one but if the soil around here is right...it's not impossible. It would be a lot of work though. You up for that? Are they?"

So this wasn't something that they could do easily, whatever this was. What Akamu had said confirmed it had something to do with food, but that still didn't really explain what a farm was. She finally asked, "I guess that depends on what it is. What is a farm? Is it another human thing?"

”What’s that mean? Because it sounds really cool.” Curious eyes blinked at him from the gaseous ball of ghost.

It was a lot more preferable to Akamu's reaction. Momentarily soothed by Phobos's innocent question and the fact that Isolde was regarding him with more concern than irritation, the creeping hope was smashed flat by the pup's loud laughter. Oliver's face went aflame- thankfully, metaphorically, and he ducked his head and looked away, shoulders hunching, body scrunching smaller.

Idiot. You're stupid. Why don't you learn to just stop. Talking.

"Little ambitious for first thing in the morning," Akamu managed when his giggles subsided some. Oliver couldn't look up. "Farms aren't built in a day, believe me. You'll need a lot more than that cute little bush you found to start one but if the soil around here is right...it's not impossible. It would be a lot of work though. You up for that? Are they?"

"I guess that depends on what it is. What is a farm? Is it another human thing?"

"Yes," he mumbled, voice smothered with shame. He kept his eyes on one spot on the carpet, head down. No need to look at the others and their scoffing faces as they realized how dumb he was for throwing out such a giant task immediately with no plan. "It- it's how humans make- uh- r-reliable food sources. I thought it'd be good to get one- get one up and running? S-sorry. It was a... a dumb idea."

Phobos didn’t quite get why Akamu started laughing; whatever the joke was, it’d gone right over him.

"Farms aren't built in a day, believe me,” Akamu began to say, ”You'll need a lot more than that cute little bush you found to start one but if the soil around here is right...it's not impossible. It would be a lot of work though. You up for that? Are they?"

He gestures towards him and Isolde. Phobos wishes his first and only thought would be a confident, of course I am! But he still didn’t know the first thing about a farm-or even what soil is, either. How helpful can someone who’s totally clueless be? It hurt to think about, but his being a ghost... might be an issue, too. It’s not like Phobos forgot all the floating around he did yesterday while the others did their corporeal Pokemon stuff. For all he knew, it would happen again, and unless there was another scary building around he’d be useless.

That’s an annoying thought. He hopes it fades away.

"I guess that depends on what it is. What is a farm? Is it another human thing?"

”Yes,” Oliver responds, and his voice is really quiet. He’d been enthusiastic there, for a moment, but it’s gone now. Did they say something wrong? Even though Oliver isn’t meeting any of their eyes, Phobos still looks at him with concern. "It- it's how humans make- uh- r-reliable food sources. I thought it'd be good to get one- get one up and running? S-sorry. It was a... a dumb idea."

”Hey, it’s not dumb,” he says, not really thinking, but there’s no way Phobos would ever attach the word ‘dumb’ to Oliver. He’s smart, anyone could see that. It hurt to see him be so down on himself, even more so because Phobos understood the feeling. Never mind his own usefulness or lack thereof-right now, he should be encouraging. ”You guys really need this food stuff, right? I think we should at least try.”

Oh.

Oh no.

Akamu's ears fell flat against his skull when he saw the expression on Oliver's face making him regret ever opening his big mouth. The kid obviously didn't hear the light teasing under Akamu's words and immediately jumped to the worst conclusion which made the Rockruff feel like a complete and utter ass. He was usually more careful of his words when talking to Kaleo for the same reason and now he realized just why his brother seemed so fond of the chimp; they were practically the same person. "S-sorry. It was a... a dumb idea."

"I didn't mean-"

”Hey, it’s not dumb,” Phobos defended quickly, Akamu's shame causing his own voice to fall silent as a the ghost continued. Even Kaleo was glaring softly down at him for upsetting his friend. Yeah... He fucked up. Big oops. ”You guys really need this food stuff, right? I think we should at least try.” Kaleo nodded and trotted the few steps closer to his new little friend and lay back down, side pressed gently to Oliver's back in support as he stared Akamu down. The pup knew what those eyes meant. Apologize.

Clearing his throat Akamu pawed at the ground a bit trying to find the right words to begin, scratching at the weird fluff that made up the carpet weave. "I didn't... I'm sorry. I wasn't saying it was a bad idea, honest. If you guys want to put down roots here that's great. It was just funny to hear a city pokemon talk about farming at the crack of dawn, that's all. I wasn't laughing at your idea, it's a good idea, but it is gonna be a lot a work. Wanted to make sure you were up for that is all. I'm...I'm sorry if that didn't come out right..."

"Yes," Oliver mumbled. His quiet voice made Isolde look at him properly, and he was pointedly looking at the floor. "It- it's how humans make- uh- r-reliable food sources. I thought it'd be good to get one- get one up and running? S-sorry. It was a... a dumb idea." Wait. It didn't sound like a bad plan to work on for the future. Even if she was used to having to hunt down food sources and letting them grow where they will, it would be much easier if they could have a set location for growing things.

It took her a moment to realize that he took Akamu's laughter as mocking the notion. The realization also hit Akamu as he stuttered out, "I didn't mean-"

"Hey, it’s not dumb,” Phobos was quick to defend Oliver's suggestion with an encouraging tone. "You guys really need this food stuff, right? I think we should at least try.”

Kaleo was giving Akamu a glare as he took his place behind Oliver and stared at the pup. She had gotten that look herself enough times to recognize an Apologize Now glare from a distance. Akamu started to paw at the carpet as he chose his words carefully. "I didn't... I'm sorry. I wasn't saying it was a bad idea, honest. If you guys want to put down roots here that's great. It was just funny to hear a city pokemon talk about farming at the crack of dawn, that's all. I wasn't laughing at your idea, it's a good idea, but it is gonna be a lot a work. Wanted to make sure you were up for that is all. I'm...I'm sorry if that didn't come out right..."

It was Oliver's choice to forgive Akamu or not, but she wasn't going to berate Akamu for making a mistake he was already feeling guilty for. She fluttered over closer to Oliver as she tried to come up with something to say. Given that he had refused to look at any of them at first, he probably thought that they all thought he was dumb, and she knew she should say something. "They're right. You're not dumb for suggesting it," she pointedly said to Oliver with as much encouragement as she could muster. To the whole group, she said, "I'm more used to leaving things where they are and harvesting from them as needed, but having a set location nearby sounds much easier. I think it's worth trying, at least."

"I didn't mean-"

Oliver blinked and glanced up from the floor in time for Phobos to cut in.

"Hey, it’s not dumb," The chimp's eyes widened at the sheer encouragement in his voice. "You guys really need this food stuff, right? I think we should at least try."

Kaleo came to stand behind him, settling down against his back, Oliver tilting his head back to look up into his face.

He froze. Why does he look mad?

"I didn't... I'm sorry," came the timid, remorseful answer to his question. Another jolt of shock. "I wasn't saying it was a bad idea, honest. If you guys want to put down roots here that's great. It was just funny to hear a city pokemon talk about farming at the crack of dawn, that's all. I wasn't laughing at your idea, it's a good idea, but it is gonna be a lot a work. Wanted to make sure you were up for that is all. I'm...I'm sorry if that didn't come out right..."

Isolde fluttered over to add reassurance. Oliver was starting to wonder if this was all some kind of weird dream. "They're right. You're not dumb for suggesting it,"

He was reeling so much from all of this that he almost missed her group address.

"I'm more used to leaving things where they are and harvesting from them as needed, but having a set location nearby sounds much easier. I think it's worth trying, at least."

"O-oh" he stammered. "Th-thank you- uh-um-"

I- I don't know what to do with this?

"I- my- Anne had a garden," he managed finally. "She liked to farm pecha berries. I thought- we could do the same? But more of them? And other kinds of berries, if we can find them."

Phobos would think Kaleo settling down next to Oliver is sweet, but honestly, the image is a little ruined by the former’s glare towards Akamu. It’s not even that intense, but still surprising considering who it’s coming from. The pup himself has his eyes firmly down and away from the rest of them, a mirror of how Oliver looked only a minute ago.

"I didn't... I'm sorry," Akamu began to apologize, and maybe everyone else thought differently but Phobos could tell how upset he is. He didn’t think it was faked, either. "I wasn't saying it was a bad idea, honest. If you guys want to put down roots here that's great. It was just funny to hear a city pokemon talk about farming at the crack of dawn, that's all. I wasn't laughing at your idea, it's a good idea, but it is gonna be a lot a work. Wanted to make sure you were up for that is all. I'm...I'm sorry if that didn't come out right..."

All Phobos can think is that this feels like one big, unfortunate misunderstanding-and now he understands why Oliver had become so sad so quickly. He hadn’t thought hard about the laughter, only assuming it’d been a joke going over him. Anyone would be upset if they thought they were being made fun of. Akamu sounded sincere, though, guilty over potentially hurting someone... Phobos hopes Oliver sees it the same way.

"They're right. You're not dumb for suggesting it." Isolde is next to Oliver now, too; he’s practically surrounded by support. Phobos would follow her lead but, well. Gaseous form and all. It wouldn’t really be the same for a corporeal Pokemon, would it. "I'm more used to leaving things where they are and harvesting from them as needed, but having a set location nearby sounds much easier. I think it's worth trying, at least."

Phobos is glad to hear they’re all on the same side. He’s never been good at comforting people, last night proved that; having the others there to add their support is a relief he can’t find the right words for.

"I- my- Anne had a garden. She liked to farm pecha berries. I thought- we could do the same? But more of them? And other kinds of berries, if we can find them."

”Are berries the only thing you can ‘farm’? Or is there something else we could be looking for too?”

"They're right. You're not dumb for suggesting it," With a snort and a vigorous nod of agreement Kaleo kept his post behind Oliver while still staring at his brother. Akamu had the decency to look sufficiently cowed even after his apology thanks to the look. It was so unusual for them to be in this kind of role reversal and the Rockruff wasn't quite sure what to do with it.

"I'm more used to leaving things where they are and harvesting from them as needed, but having a set location nearby sounds much easier. I think it's worth trying, at least." Grateful for the return to the original topic the pair stopped staring at each other and went back to focusing on the group, Akamu's drooping tail perking up a bit to be able to actually contribute to a conversation he actually knew about.

"I- my- Anne had a garden," Oliver eventually murmured out. "She liked to farm pecha berries. I thought- we could do the same? But more of them? And other kinds of berries, if we can find them."

”Are berries the only thing you can ‘farm’? Or is there something else we could be looking for too?”

"There's uh, well there's a lot you can farm. Whether or not it would be useful to Pokemon is a different matter but if you manage to reclaim another house or two, or expand into other yards? You could set up more than just a berry plot. Vegetables, other fruit, maybe even a tree or two. Some flowers would also be a good idea to help pollinate the berry trees, thankfully those are easier to grow. For now though your little bush is a good start since it's already a bit older. Other things besides berries depends on the diet of the Pokemon you are trying to feed and the type of soil you have."

"I- my- Anne had a garden," Oliver stammered out. "She liked to farm pecha berries. I thought- we could do the same? But more of them? And other kinds of berries, if we can find them." She tilted her head to the side as she listened.

”Are berries the only thing you can ‘farm’? Or is there something else we could be looking for too?” Phobos was quick to ask the question that Isolde herself had.

Akamu had perked up when the topic moved back to farming, and he lookedhappy to pose ideas. "There's uh, well there's a lot you can farm. Whether or not it would be useful to Pokemon is a different matter but if you manage to reclaim another house or two, or expand into other yards? You could set up more than just a berry plot. Vegetables, other fruit, maybe even a tree or two. Some flowers would also be a good idea to help pollinate the berry trees, thankfully those are easier to grow. For now though your little bush is a good start since it's already a bit older. Other things besides berries depends on the diet of the Pokemon you are trying to feed and the type of soil you have."

"We can work towards clearing out some of the nearby dens," she mused. "I don't know how to answer the question about the soil, unfortunately, but it seems fertile based on all the grass out there. And for now, we're just worried about feeding ourselves." Another question hit her so she asked, "Though what we can grow is also dependent on what we can find, right? We'll have to see if humans kept any seeds or plants around for any other kinds of food."

"Are berries the only thing you can 'farm'? Or is there something else we could be looking for too?" Phobos asked. Oliver took one look at how something in Akamu's eyes lit up a little, remembered his multiple mentions of farming, and decided to keep quiet for now.

Best to let the actual farmer talk. Even if he was more like a farmhand, he'd definitely know more than Oliver did.

"There's uh, well there's a lot you can farm. Whether or not it would be useful to Pokemon is a different matter but if you manage to reclaim another house or two, or expand into other yards? You could set up more than just a berry plot. Vegetables, other fruit, maybe even a tree or two. Some flowers would also be a good idea to help pollinate the berry trees, thankfully those are easier to grow," the pup mused. Oliver hoped he could remember all of that. It sounded like really good, solid advice. He'd worked in the garden tons with Anne, but he'd never have thought of flowers to attract bees or anything. "For now though your little bush is a good start since it's already a bit older. Other things besides berries depends on the diet of the Pokemon you are trying to feed and the type of soil you have."

"We can work towards clearing out some of the nearby dens," Isolde contemplated. Oliver was confused for all of five seconds before he realized she meant the other homes. "I don't know how to answer the question about the soil, unfortunately, but it seems fertile based on all the grass out there. And for now, we're just worried about feeding ourselves... Though what we can grow is also dependent on what we can find, right? We'll have to see if humans kept any seeds or plants around for any other kinds of food."

Oliver felt his shoulders wilt. "I- uh... I'm good at remembering berries but... I couldn't tell you what a seed would grow just by looking at it, he admitted. "If we find berries I'll probably recognize them and we'll know what kind of berries we'll get from burying the fruit- 'cause that's what humans tend to do; they find the fruit in the wild or get it from another human, and then they bury the fruit, and then they get the berry tree from it. So I saw a lot of berries, but... I didn't really help her father as often and he was the one growing their vegetables and stuff..."

And it wasn't exactly rocket science that the wild pokemon who didn't have to eat and the wild pokemon who had probably spent most of her life foraging wouldn't recognize seeds, especially not ones that humans tended to plant on their lands.

(aa I’m sorry but please skip me this round. Phobos has very little to contribute rn so he’s really just listening to the others.)

"We can work towards clearing out some of the nearby dens," Isolde mused aloud, Akamu nodding in response. If they intended to stay here permanently they would need more space in the future. Shelter was well and good but if other pokemon came along they would need to make sure they didn't have just one central resource. "I don't know how to answer the question about the soil, unfortunately, but it seems fertile based on all the grass out there. And for now, we're just worried about feeding ourselves... Though what we can grow is also dependent on what we can find, right? We'll have to see if humans kept any seeds or plants around for any other kinds of food."

"I- uh... I'm good at remembering berries but... I couldn't tell you what a seed would grow just by looking at it. If we find berries I'll probably recognize them and we'll know what kind of berries we'll get from burying the fruit- 'cause that's what humans tend to do; they find the fruit in the wild or get it from another human, and then they bury the fruit, and then they get the berry tree from it. So I saw a lot of berries, but... I didn't really help her father as often and he was the one growing their vegetables and stuff..."

"I can show you," Kaleo offered, smiling down at his little friend. "Or at least what kind of seed you are looking at if not what it is by name. I...used to help till the farm...back home." Kaleo's hoof scuffed the ground softly as he thought back to the ranch and his skin itched to feel the weight of the mud patch pressing upon him. Mud was good for digging, good for tilling, and he missed all that weight clinging to his fur like a second coat. It was safe. Like armor when it hardened. He missed his armor.

Akamu smiled at his brother and cleared his throat nervously before continuing, not wanting to truly interrupt but wanting to drag Kaleo from his sad thoughts. "While you do that I can show Isolde here what kind of dirt is good for what kind of plants. Wouldn't be any good if they planted things that won't grow in a yard they spent all that time clearing. But we only have a day to help them so we better get started if we are going to finish in time."

"I- uh... I'm good at remembering berries but... I couldn't tell you what a seed would grow just by looking at it," Oliver admitted while visibly wilting "If we find berries I'll probably recognize them and we'll know what kind of berries we'll get from burying the fruit- 'cause that's what humans tend to do; they find the fruit in the wild or get it from another human, and then they bury the fruit, and then they get the berry tree from it. So I saw a lot of berries, but... I didn't really help her father as often and he was the one growing their vegetables and stuff..."

"I can show you," Kaleo quickly offered. "Or at least what kind of seed you are looking at if not what it is by name. I...used to help till the farm...back home." His speech slowed down as he was reminded of his own home.

Coughing to get his attention, Akamu then spoke up, "While you do that I can show Isolde here what kind of dirt is good for what kind of plants. Wouldn't be any good if they planted things that won't grow in a yard they spent all that time clearing. But we only have a day to help them so we better get started if we are going to finish in time."

Isolde nodded in agreement; she didn't want to hold the boys up longer than they wanted to stay, but she appreciated their desire to help. "That would be great. Thank you, Akamu," Isolde said with a smile. However, they had veered off from their initial topic, and most of them did require food to survive. "We can start that as soon as we eat."

"I can show you," Kaleo piped up. "Or at least what kind of seed you are looking at if not what it is by name. I...used to help till the farm...back home."

Oliver leaned back against him without thinking at the voice weighted down by pain.

Akamu coughed to ease the tension. "While you do that I can show Isolde here what kind of dirt is good for what kind of plants. Wouldn't be any good if they planted things that won't grow in a yard they spent all that time clearing. But we only have a day to help them so we better get started if we are going to finish in time."

Something in him vibrated with excitement. They could do this? They might actually be able to do this.

"That would be great. Thank you, Akamu," Oliver found himself smiling along with Isolde.

"We can start that as soon as we eat."

Oh right. Food.

"O-okay- I guess we pick a house to scavenge, then?

Maybe they should have scavenged with breakfast in mind the next day, too. Maybe something to remember going forward.

Everyone chimes in an answer to his question; it’s comforting to listen to them talk, even if Phobos only understands a little less than half of what they’re saying. Being the perpetually clueless one still felt bad, but less so when the others took his dumb questions seriously.

"While you do that I can show Isolde here what kind of dirt is good for what kind of plants. Wouldn't be any good if they planted things that won't grow in a yard they spent all that time clearing. But we only have a day to help them so we better get started if we are going to finish in time."

Only a day-Phobos knows the two weren’t planning to stay, but being reminded of their time limit deflates his mood a bit. Nothing he could say would convince them to stick around, but that didn’t mean he had no desire to try.

"That would be great. Thank you, Akamu. We can start that as soon as we eat."

Somehow he’d forgotten all about the original topic in the span of however-many-minutes, but at least it distracts him from the leaving thing. Eating and sleep: both of them easily top the list of things Phobos has yet to fully understand about corporeal Pokemon. He’s eager to start working on farming business instead of waiting, but since everyone else needs to eat, for reasons he doesn’t quite get... Phobos can go along with it.

"O-okay- I guess we pick a house to scavenge, then?” Having no need for ‘food’, Phobos couldn’t begin to guess which house would be the best place to start looking. Maybe it’s better to let everyone else decide?