Chapter 1
A Vacation That Wasn't
>> Nostus Belongs to @forgottenjade over at: https://bsky.app/profile/softsheepewe.bsky.social
The train eased into New Bark Town Station beneath a bright spring sky.
Ravina Shales leaned against the window, watching the little town drift past. White fences. Well-kept gardens. Quiet streets. Beyond them, rolling green hills faded into dense forests that stretched toward the heart of Johto.
It certainly wasn't home.
Across from the pale girl, her mother, Nostus, chuckled while folding away another stack of paperwork she'd somehow managed to organize during the journey.
Ravina crossed her arms with exaggerated disappointment.
The train gave one final hiss as it came to a stop and Nostus stood in a single smooth motion, slinging her satchel over one shoulder. The white lab coat draped over her athletic frame caught the breeze as the doors opened.
New Bark Town was peaceful.
Children chased each other through quiet streets while elderly couples tended flowerbeds. A fisherman repaired nets beside the shoreline. Somewhere nearby, the smell of fresh bread drifted through the air.
Compared to the bustle of the larger cities Ravina was used to, New Bark felt like somewhere people actually knew each other's names.
