Interlude 10.5

Ito Has Been Very Busy

 

>> Ito Belongs to @adragonsdreaming

 

Violet City was closer than it looked.

That was what Ravina told herself as the road descended from the hill, but it was also a lie.

The city had appeared tantalizingly near from above, but the old road wound back and forth across the slope rather than heading directly toward it. By the time the first proper buildings appeared between the trees, Ravina's feet had begun protesting again.

Cinder had regained enough energy to walk beside her, but Owlbert had not. The Hoothoot was perched on top of Ravina's pack, contributing his full weight while making absolutely no effort to conceal the fact that he possessed wings.

“You could fly, you know?.”

Hoot.

“I know you can hear me.”

Hoot.

Ravina sighed. Ahead, the road widened as it approached Violet's outer district. Stone lanterns appeared beside the path. Wooden signs pointed toward inns, the Pokémon Center, the market district and the city's southern gate.

Travellers moved in both directions,Ravina watched a pair of hikers pass them, then a merchant pushing a handcart.and later a young trainer with a Pidgey perched on one shoulder.

Everything looked normal.

Which was why Ravina should have known something was wrong when Cinder abruptly stopped and she nearly walked into him.

“What?”

Cinder stared ahead, so Ravina followed his gaze. A small figure sat atop the low stone wall bordering the road. Pink hair, several purple eyes, tiny enough that her feet didn't quite reach the ground and Chikorita sat beside her.

Ravina stopped and the figure looked up, then she smiled.

“Hi!.”

Ravina stared. Ito stared back, Cinder joined the staring. And the Chikorita immediately brightened. “Chiko!”

She jumped from the wall and hurried toward them. Cinder perked up in recognition while Ravina remained completely still.

“…No.”

Ito tilted her head. “No what?”

“Whatever this is.”

Ito looked around. “What is?”

“You.”

“Oh.” Ito considered this for a moment, then smiled again. “Hi.”

Ravina closed her eyes. She had not seen her familiar since Ito had climbed out of her bedroom window with Professor Elm's missing Chikorita and declared herself on vacation.

That had been over a week ago.

A week during which Ravina had completed League paperwork, trained Cinder, learned Pokémon care, packed for a regional journey, travelled through Cherrygrove, camped twice, caught her first wild Pokémon, battled another trainer and crossed two routes on foot.

Ito appeared to have spent that same period sitting on walls.

Ravina opened her eyes to see that Chikorita had reached Cinder. The two starters sniffed one another enthusiastically before Chikorita rubbed her head against his cheek.

Cinder chirped. And Ravina's irritation softened slightly. The Chikorita looked healthy. Very healthy, actually. Her leaf was bright, her coat was clean, and she looked entirely delighted to see Cinder again.

Ravina crouched. “Hey.”

Chikorita turned toward her. “Chiko!”

She immediately approached and Ravina scratched carefully beneath her chin. “You alright?”

The Grass-type leaned enthusiastically into her fingers. And Ravina glanced toward Ito, to see that her familiar was watching. There was none of the possessiveness Ravina had half expected, Chikorita was free to wander wherever she wanted, and apparently she wanted to remain very close to Ito.

Ravina sighed. “Fine.”

Ito blinked. “Fine what?”

“She clearly likes you.”

Ito smiled. “I told you.”

“That doesn't make stealing her retroactively legal.”

Ito's smile remained unchanged.

Ravina pointed at the Chikorita. “Does she have a name yet?”

Ito nodded. “Hibiscus.”

Ravina paused, That was considerably more normal than expected. “Hibiscus?”

“Hibi.”

The Chikorita chirped happily at the shortened version.

Ravina smiled. “Hibi.”

Another happy chirp. “Okay. That's actually cute.”

Ito looked pleased as Ravina stood. Then something blue moved behind Ito and she stopped again.

A round blue Pokémon with round rabbit-like ears climbed onto the wall beside her and looked curiously toward Ravina.

Ravina's eyes narrowed. “…Ito.”

“Mm?”

“Whose Marill is that?”

Ito and the Marill looked at each other and them back to Ravina

“Mine.” Ito replied as she scratched beneath one of the marril’s ears.

Ravina stared. “That did not answer my question.”

“It answered the important bit.”

Ravina inhaled. Slowly. “Where did you get her?”

Ito thought. “Ranger.”

Ravina's expression changed. “…What?”

- - - - -

Several days earlier, a newly uniformed Ranger named Ethan had been having an excellent morning. He had completed his first solo patrol without getting lost. Mostly. His new Capture Styler was clipped securely to his belt. His Marill, Droplet, trotted cheerfully beside him.

His supervisor had specifically told him that Route 30 was an ideal first independent patrol because nothing particularly strange ever happened there.

Then he met Ito.

She was hanging upside down from a tree branch, which caused Ethan and Droplet to stop.

Ito looked down at them. Or, from her perspective, up.

“Hello.”

Ethan stared. “Uh… hello.”

Ito's several eyes focused on the Ranger uniform. Then the Styler. Then Marill. Then back to Ethan. “You're a Ranger?”

He straightened slightly. The uniform was new enough that this still made him proud. “Yeah. Just started.”

Ito dropped from the branch and landed lightly. Hibi descended much more sensibly by walking down the sloping trunk.

Ethan watched the tiny woman approach. Something about her was difficult to place, She looked human. Mostly. The eyes complicated that conclusion.

“Can i help you?,” he offered.

Ito's head tilted. “Can I have your name?”

Ethan blinked. “My name?”

“Mhm.”

He laughed awkwardly. “Sure. Ma name is Ethan.”

Ito smiled. “Okay.” There was a pause, just for a moment. “Mine now.”

Ethan laughed. But Ito did not. Then his smile slowly faded. “…What?”

“Your name.”

Ito reached into the air. Her fingers curled around absolutely nothing, then she pulled.

A faint shimmer passed across Ethan's vision. It was probably sunlight. Probably.

Ito closed her hand. “I have it.”

Ethan stared at her fist. “That isn't how names work.”

Ito opened several eyes slightly wider. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“What's your name?”

“It's…”

Ethan stopped. He knew his name, obviously. It was…

His thoughts slipped sideways, the answer was right there, he could feel it, he had known it his entire life. But suddenly the word refused to arrive. His face went pale and Ito smiled.

Droplet looked up at him. “Marill?”

Ethan touched his chest. “I…”

Ito waited patiently.

“What did you do?” he demanded.

“I asked.”

“Give it back.”

Ito considered it for another moment. “What do I get?”

Ethan stared in disbelief. “You can't negotiate with someone's name!”

“Why not?”

“Because it's mine!”

Ito held up her closed fist. “Is it?”

Ethan went even paler.

Hibi sat beside Ito. The Chikorita looking between her trainer and Ethan. Her expression somehow managed to communicate disappointment despite possessing the face of a small plant dinosaur.

Ito noticed. “What?”

“Chiko.”

“He said I could have it.”

“Chiko.”

“He did.”

Droplet approached Ito curiously. The Marill sniffed at her hand and Ito crouched. “Oh.”

Droplet's round tail bounced gently behind her. “You're cute.”

Ethan's alarm briefly gave way to suspicion. “No.”

Ito scratched Droplet beneath the chin. “Marill.”

“No.”

Droplet leaned into it as Ito looked toward Ethan. 

Then held up her closed fist. “I'll trade.”

Ethan stared. “No.”

“For your name.”

“No!”

Ito shrugged and started walking away. 

Ethan lasted four steps. “WAIT!”

Ito stopped and turned. As Ethan looked at Droplet, Droplet was looking between the ranger and trainer. And then his expression collapsed.

“This is insane.”

Ito waited.

“My supervisor is going to kill me.”

Ito still waited as Droplet cheerfully bounced in place and Ethan covered his face.

“…Can I at least say goodbye?”

Ito nodded immediately. “Okay.”

That surprised him, He crouched and Droplet hurried over.

Ethan hugged the little Water-type. “You be good, alright?”

Droplet squeaked. “And if she does anything weird…”

He looked at Ito.who continued to smile. And Ethan reconsidered. “…When she does something weird, don't copy her.”

Ito looked offended.

Droplet licked Ethan's cheek, he laughed despite himself.

Then stood. “Fine.”

Ito opened her hand, she blew across her palm. Nothing visible happened, but as Ethan blinked, his thoughts snapped back into place.

“Ethan.”

He grabbed his own head. “My name is Ethan!”

Ito nodded. “Yep.”

“You!?...”

But she was already walking away. Droplet hesitated for only a moment before bounding after her and Hibi followed.

Ethan stood alone on the trail, breathing hard, trying to work out what he was going to write in his patrol report.

Then he looked down, the empty clip on his belt stared back at him. His Capture Styler was gone and Ethan's eyes widened.

“…Wait.”

Farther down the road, Ito inspected the unfamiliar device she had somehow acquired Droplet walked beside her and Hibi looked up.

“Chiko?”

Ito glanced toward her. “What?”

Hibi stared at the Styler, Ito looked at it, Then at Hibi.

“…Found it.”

“Ranger.”

Ravina stared at Ito. “That is the entire explanation you're giving me?”

“Mhm.”

The Marill hopped down from the wall and approached Ravina. And the trainer crouched automatically. “Hello.”

“Marill!”

She was friendly. Very friendly.

A small tag around her neck read:

DROPLET

Ravina touched it. “Droplet?”

Ito nodded. “She already had that.”

Ravina looked up. “You didn't rename her?”

“No.”

That answer surprised her. “Why?”

Ito seemed confused. “It's her name.”

Ravina stared for a moment. Then decided not to unpack the strange ethical system where stealing someone's Pokémon was negotiable but changing said Pokémon's existing name was apparently unacceptable.

“Right.”

Something metallic caught the afternoon light at Ito's hip. Ravina looked, then slowly straightened.

“…Ito.”

“Mm?”

“Why do you have Ranger equipment?”

Ito glanced down. A Capture Styler hung casually from her belt

She looked back. “Found it.”

“Where?”

“Outside.”

“Ito.”

“Route.”

“What route?”

Ito shrugged. “One of them.”

Ravina pinched the bridge of her nose. Cinder and Hibi sat down, and Droplet joined them. Owlbert remained atop Ravina's backpack, watching the entire conversation with enormous interest.

Ravina lowered her hand. “We are going to return that.”

Ito frowned. “No.”

“It belongs to a Ranger.”

“Maybe.”

“You just told me you got Droplet from a Ranger!”

“Different thing.”

“It is hanging next to her!”

Ito looked down. Then back up. “…Coincidence.”

Ravina stared at her.

“I'm going to develop a headache.”

Hoot.

“Don't.”

Owlbert blinked. Then Ravina noticed something moving through Ito's hair. Thin legs, Blue and Pink. Her eyes narrowed.

A small Spinarak emerged from behind Ito's head and perched on top of her pink hair.

Ravina remained very still. “Ito.”

“Hm?”

“Is that another Pokémon?”

“Yes.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Tree.”

Ravina waited. But Ito did not elaborate. “…Tree?”

“Yep.”