Chapter 8
A House Full of Partners
Travel Journal — Day 5
Mum’s Pokémon are finally coming out of storage.
This means the house is about to get louder, more crowded, and significantly harder to insure.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Cinder has no idea what’s coming.
Cinder has no idea he’s about to meet half the people who helped raise me.
>> Nostus Belongs to @forgottenjade over at: https://bsky.app/profile/softsheepewe.bsky.social
Later that day, Nostus had decided that she had finished unpacking, and Ravina had almost forgotten what that meant.
She returned from training one afternoon to discover something enormous asleep across most of the backyard as she stopped at the gate.
Cinder walked directly into her ankle, he looked up in indignation and then followed Ravina’s stare.
The Slaking snored. The sound rattled one of the garden chairs and Cinder’s flames erupted in panic.
Ravina immediately crouched to comfort him “Easy.”
The Slaking opened one eye and Cinder froze as the enormous Normal-type stared at him.
Then yawned and went back to sleep. Ravina laughed. “Thats Saturn, she looks scarier than she is.” Cinder continued staring. “Dont worry, I grew up using her as furniture.”
Saturn raised one lazy arm and Ravina walked over and dropped against her enormous side. The Pokémon grunted and loosely rested an arm over Ravina.
Cinder looked horrified.
“Come on.” Ravina patted the grass beside her and Cinder approached cautiously.
Very cautiously. Saturn didn’t move, and eventually Cinder sniffed one enormous hand.
Nothing happened, then he climbed carefully onto Ravina’s stomach. Within ten minutes both Pokémon and the small girl were asleep.
And that's where Nostus found them there later, finding the scene adorable, she took a picture. Ravina would only discover this several days afterward.
The others arrived gradually.
Jupiter the Meganium came next. The enormous Grass-type lowered her head immediately when she saw Ravina and nearly knocked her over trying to nuzzle her.
“Hi! Hi, I missed you too!” she cried out trying to hold on to the large pokemons muzzle in order to keep her balance, all the while Cinder circled suspiciously.
Jupiter noticed him and once Ravina had her footing again, she lowered herself until her head rested near the grass and allowed Cinder to approach.
One sniff. Then another. Jupiter’s antennae brushed lightly over him and caused Cinder to sneeze and Ravina in turn to laugh. Within half an hour he was sitting beneath Meganium’s broad petals using her as shade.
Venus the Gardevoir was different, She barely appeared from her Poké Ball before Ravina was wrapped in a graceful embrace.
Ravina laughed into the Pokémon’s shoulder. “Hello to you too.”
“Cynda?”
Venus looked toward him.
Good evening, Cinder.
The voice appeared directly inside his thoughts.
Cinder jumped back nearly clear across the back yard in fright, and Ravina nearly dropped her knees in laughter.
“Oh! Right.” she wheezed as she caught her breath, as Venus tilted her head.
You neglected to warn him.
“I forgot that normal Pokémon don’t usually do that.”
A concerning sentence.
Cinder approached again, a little more cautious and Venus looked down at him. Something quiet passed between them that ravina was not privy to this time
But Cinder’s posture changed, He approached and Venus knelt to let Cinder touch his nose to her hand, then looked toward Ravina.
Gardevoir smiled, as after that, Cinder stopped treating her as a stranger. And Ravina knew she had cheated somehow.
Mars the Lucario was polite and intimidating. She studied Cinder with the quiet seriousness of someone evaluating a recruit. Cinder responded by standing as tall as physically possible.
Mars nodded once after a visual evaluation and Cinder looked as though he had just received a medal.
Mercury the Blastoise was worse. The enormous Water-type emerged into the yard, folded her arms and stared down at Cinder.
Cinder looked up. And up. Then farther up.
Ravina recognized the exact expression he had made upon meeting Nostus. “Don’t worry. She’s not that scary~”
Mercury snorted and Cinder’s flames ignited defensively. Mercury raised an eyebrow and Cinder refused to back down. Until after several seconds, Mercury gave a slow approving nod.
To which Cinder spent the remainder of the afternoon unbearably proud of himself.
But Sol…
Sol the Blaziken was different. Nostus released her near sunset and the tall Fire/Fighting-type stretched beneath the orange sky.
Cinder stopped immediately in Fascination. Sol looked toward him and Cinder’s flames flickered as Sol’s wrists burned briefly in response.
The little Cyndaquil stared while Ravina watched from the porch and Nostus stood beside her.
“He likes her.” Ravina said, with a small tinge of jealousy.
“Most Fire-types notice other Fire-types.” Nostus replied as Sol walked toward the training area and Nostus followed.
No command passed between them. Sol simply knew.
They started with movement drills, fast, precise, almost silent.
Nostus barely spoke. A gesture. A shift of weight. A glance. Sol responded before words were necessary.
Ravina slowly sat forward as Cinder did the same.
Trainer and Pokémon moved as if they had spent years memorizing one another. Because they had.
Afterward, Ravina remained quiet until Nostus noticed. “What?”
“How long did it take?”
Nostus glanced toward Sol. “To do what?”
“That.” Ravina gestured helplessly. “You barely told her anything.”
Nostus smiled. “Years.”
Ravina looked down at Cinder and then back.
“So eventually Cinder and I could-”
“You could.”
Ravina smiled.
And Nostus added. “But we’re not finished.”
Ravina frowned. “What?”
Nostus looked toward Sol. “We’re still learning about each other.”
Sol glanced back as Nostus smiled at her partner. “You never really finish.”
Ravina remembered what Nostus had told her before she met Cinder.
They love you.
That doesn’t mean they respect you as a trainer.
For the first time, Ravina understood as Cinder leaned against her leg and Ravina rested one hand on his head.
They had a long way to go.
For some reason, that made her happy.