Chapter 23 

Under Observation

Ravina’s Travel Journal — Day 25

Ranger Station update:
Toni is healthy. Very healthy and Medically boring.
This is apparently excellent.

Her Pokédex file now has actual measurements and medical notes instead of: falls over often
Which was still accurate.
Possible psychic/empathic communication still unconfirmed, but April got very interested when Toni repeatedly told me the scanner was cold.

Also, April is here, Because of course she is.
I also met Berry Hunsie, technically for the first time.
She hugged me before checking me in and informed me that I am her sister.
I objected. This accomplished nothing.

Apparently Briget talked about me during the angry years.
Apparently she talks about me now too.
I have decided not to ask how much.

Berry has already:
Assigned me a room and arranged Pokémon accommodations.
Sent Toni to medical.
Told me to eat, Told me to shower,
And won every argument.

Definitely a Hunsie.

Also learned that Hunsie professional ethics are somehow both complicated and stricter than expected.
April: patients are patients.
Berry: guests are guests unless they very clearly stop being just guests.
Bridget apparently solved this entire moral problem years ago by building a farm around willing volunteers.
Of course she did.

Most importantly:
Toni is healthy, She’s asleep in Nikola again, the expensive little basket remains empty.

Berry says Ito is here.
Berry also described Ito as “moderate” on the Hunsie scale.
This is concerning.
I’m going to the outdoor lounge.
I already regret this.

- - - - -

Chapter 23.1

The first thing Ravina learned about the Union Pass Ranger Station was that it had been designed by people who expected mud. There were boot scrapers outside every entrance, grates beneath the covered walkways, hooks for wet coats, a stack of battered towels beside the doors marked POKÉMON WASH. Even the stone floor inside the main building sloped faintly toward drains.

Ravina approved, but Cinder approved more. He had found something beneath one of the benches worth investigating and was currently pretending not to hear her.

“Cinder.”

His ears moved.

“Inside.”

He looked back as Ravina pointed through the doors.

“You can investigate mysterious bench smells later.”

Victor floated past him.

“The death of scholarship.”

Cinder finally followed while Nikola stayed close to Ravina’s other side, while Toni peered out of the sling at absolutely everything.

The station interior was busier than the outside had suggested. A Ranger stood at a wall map explaining something to two hikers. Someone in muddy climbing gear filled out a report at a side desk. A tired-looking traveler slept in a chair with a Growlithe curled beneath their feet.

Signs pointed toward: RANGER SERVICES, MEDICAL, LODGING, SUPPLIES, DINING / COMMON ROOM

Ravina turned slowly, her magenta eyes tracking the carved wooden arrows that pointed down separate hallways with clear, practical purpose.

“Okay.”

Victor drifted alongside her, his gaseous form swirling with theatrical appreciation for the sudden abundance of options.

“You seem overwhelmed by signage.”

“I was still expecting a hut, this almost seems like overkill”

“A failure of imagination.”

“I already admitted that.”

Toni pointed toward a brightly colored noticeboard covered in route maps and weather warnings, her tiny finger emerging from the sling with surprising determination.

COLOUR.

The impression bloomed in Ravina's mind, clear and absolute as the hatchling's eyes widened at the vibrant array of posters and notices.

“Yes.”

Then toward an orange Ranger vest hanging on a nearby hook, the fabric bright against the weathered wood.

ORANGE.

“Yes.”

Then toward the polished brass bell sitting on the lodging counter, its surface gleaming in the station's artificial light.

Toni leaned dangerously far from the sling, her small body stretching as she reached toward the gleaming object with single-minded focus.

Ravina caught her around the middle, her movements swift but gentle as she pulled the curious hatchling back against her chest.

“No.”

Toni reached again, her tiny fingers stretching toward the bell with stubborn determination.

“Still no.”

The woman behind the counter looked up, and Ravina stopped. Pink hair, small horns, long pointed ears, and a pale tail ending in a tuft tied neatly with a purple bow. She wore a black-and-cream uniform that was neat enough that Ravina immediately assumed the woman took the whole hospitality thing more seriously than she took most things.

The woman stopped too, her professional smile vanishing beneath something much warmer.

“Ravina?”

Ravina blinked.

“Oh, you are Ravina.”

“…Have we met?”

“Not properly.”

The woman came around the counter. Ravina had just enough time to identify the unmistakable Hunsie resemblance before she was wrapped in a warm hug.

“Mother’s wayward little familiar.”

Ravina sighed into her shoulder.

“I was afraid you were going to say sister.”

“Oh, no. You’re absolutely our sister.”

“There it is.”

The woman released her.

“Berry Hunsie.”

“Of course you are.”

Berry's smile widened, her pink hair catching the light as she leaned against the counter.

Ravina's magenta eyes narrowed, her fingers instinctively tightening around the strap of Toni's sling.

"How much do you know?"

"Enough."

"That is not comforting."

"Mother talks about you."

The words landed with unexpected weight. Ravina felt the shift before she understood it, a subtle tension that traveled through the fabric of the sling where Toni pressed close to her chest.

"Kindly?"

Berry tilted her head, her pointed ears catching the light as she considered the question with deliberate care.

"These days."

Ravina paused, her hand coming up to rest against the sling covering Toni's shell points. The joke left her face for just a moment, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

"...You know about that."

"We all know about that."

Berry's voice stayed gentle, her tail swaying slightly with the movement.

"Mother was angry for a long time."

Ravina looked away, her gaze fixing on a water stain on the wooden floor that looked vaguely like a sad Jigglypuff.

"Yeah."

Berry gave her shoulder a brief squeeze, her touch warm and reassuring.

"She isn't anymore."

Then she smiled again, her professional demeanor returning as if the moment of intimacy had never occurred.

"Now she worries."

"That might be worse."

"It is significantly more annoying."

Ravina smiled despite herself, the expression small but genuine in the station's artificial light.

Berry added, “April mentioned she ran into you.”

Ravina’s eyes narrowed, her fingers instinctively tightening around the strap that held Toni against her chest.

“What did she tell you?”

“That you were alive.”

“That’s all?”

Berry glanced upward, her gaze following the line of the wooden beam that spanned the ceiling.

Owlbert had already claimed it, his talons gripping the wood with practiced precision as he stared down at them with unblinking red eyes.

“And that you somehow acquired an owl.”

Owlbert hooted, the sound clear and decisive in the station's artificial light.

Ravina pointed at him, her finger slicing through the air with theatrical accusation.

“Family gossip. Betrayal.”

Berry’s gaze moved across the rest of the group, her expression shifting with each new discovery.

First Cinder, whose orange-red eyes fixed on her with cautious alertness.

Then Nikola, whose fleece bristled slightly with static as she assessed the new arrival.

Then Victor, whose gaseous form swirled with theatrical interest as he drifted closer to examine Berry.

Then finally the tiny yellow face peering from Ravina’s sling, dark eyes wide with curiosity.

Her eyebrows rose, the pink hair above them catching the light as she processed the unexpected addition to Ravina’s family.

“…You’ve been busy.”

Ravina followed her gaze, her hand coming up to rest against the fabric covering Toni’s shell points.

“That is an extremely long story.”

Toni stared back at Berry, her head cocked at an odd angle as she processed the new face before her.

PINK.

The impression bloomed in Ravina’s mind, clear and absolute as the newborn focused on Berry’s distinctive hair color.

Ravina glanced down, a small smile playing at her lips.

“She likes that one.”

Berry leaned forward slightly, her hands resting on the counter as she examined the hatchling more closely.

“How old?”

“Yesterday.”

Berry straightened, her professional smile remaining even as her posture shifted with new purpose.

Her tone became absolute, the gentle warmth replaced by something firm and unquestionable.

“Medical wing first.”

Ravina blinked, the motion slow in the station's artificial light.

“I was going to check in.”

“After.”

“I was also going to get food.”

“After.”

“Bath?”

“After.”

Ravina stared, her magenta eyes narrowing as she processed the woman's absolute certainty.

“Berry, I’m fine.”

“I wasn’t talking about you.”

Berry looked at Toni, her gaze softening as it settled on the tiny face peeking from the sling.

Then back at Ravina.

“Although, while I have you, when did you last eat?”

Ravina hesitated, the silence stretching between them as she tried to remember when she had last eaten something more substantial than the few berries she had shared with Toni during their walk.

Berry’s smile sharpened, the pink hair above her eyes catching the light as she tilted her head.

“Thought so.”

Ravina sighed, the sound soft in the busy station.

“You really are one of Briget’s.”

Berry smiled sweetly, her pointed ears twitching slightly with amusement.

“So are you.”

“Contractually.”

“That is not the defense you think it is.”

Victor made a soft approving hum, his gaseous form swirling with theatrical appreciation for Berry's unwavering authority.

Ravina pointed at him, her finger slicing through his misty form with practiced impatience.

“Not helping.”

“I am appreciating structure.”

Berry returned to the counter, her movements fluid as she picked up a registration card that had seen better days. The edges were soft from handling, the surface bearing faint imprints of countless previous entries.

“One human?”

Ravina glanced over her shoulder, as if expecting to find someone trailing behind her. The station behind her remained the same—busy, organized, filled with the murmur of conversation and the occasional cry of a Pokémon.

Berry followed her gaze, her pink hair catching the light as she tilted her head with an expression that suggested she had seen this particular brand of chaos before.

“…One human.”

“Technically.”

Berry ignored that, her pen already moving across the form with practiced efficiency.

“How many Pokémon?”

“Five.”

“Names?”

Ravina listed them without hesitation, the names familiar on her tongue.

“Cinder. Owlbert. Victor. Nikola. Toni.”

Berry wrote them down, her pen scratching against the paper with steady rhythm.

“Species?”

“Quilava. Hoothoot. Gastly. Mareep…”

Ravina stopped.

Berry waited, her pen hovering above the paper, the tip poised to continue.

Ravina looked down at Toni, whose tiny head was still visible above the fabric edge of the sling, dark eyes fixed on Berry with unwavering curiosity.

“…No idea.”

Berry’s pen stopped.

Slowly, she looked up, her professional expression giving way to something more serious.

“No idea?”

“That is why medical is probably a good idea.”

Berry put the pen down, the sound sharp in the busy station.

“Medical first.”

“I knew you were going to say that.”

Berry's gaze shifted past Ravina's shoulder, her pink hair catching the artificial light as her eyes landed on the Quilava standing behind his trainer. Cinder shifted his weight, his long body moving with a fluid grace as his orange-red eyes fixed on Berry with cautious alertness.

“Cinder?”

“Yeah.”

Ravina's fingers instinctively tightened around the strap of Toni's sling, her attention divided between the curious hatchling and the unexpected family reunion unfolding in the busy station.

“April mentioned him.”

Ravina frowned, her expression caught between annoyance and resignation as she processed this newest piece of family intelligence.

“Why is my Pokémon part of family gossip?”

Berry's smile widened, her pointed ears twitching slightly with amusement as she leaned against the counter, her tail swaying gently behind her.

“You’re part of family gossip.”

“…Fair.”

Then Berry's attention moved to the Mareep standing quietly at Ravina's side, her fleece bristling slightly with static as she assessed the new arrival with quiet suspicion. Nikola stared back, her black eyes unblinking as she met Berry's gaze with stubborn independence.

“You’re new.”

Nikola's response came in the form of a soft bleat, the sound carrying a note of profound indignation as her tail bulb pulsed with deliberate rhythm.

Berry's smile remained, her professional demeanor returning as she picked up the registration form again, her pen poised to continue.

“I’ll take that as confirmation.”

- - - - -

Chapter 23.2

Berry came around the counter, her movements fluid as she approached Nikola. The Mareep stood her ground, her fleece bristling slightly with static as she assessed the new arrival with quiet suspicion.

“May I?”

Ravina watched as Berry extended her hand, palm up, her movements deliberate and nonthreatening. Nikola stared, her black eyes narrowed with stubborn independence as she considered the offering.

After a moment that stretched longer than necessary, Nikola stepped forward, her hooves making soft sounds against the stone floor. The Mareep sniffed the back of Berry’s hand, her nose twitching slightly as she processed the unfamiliar scent.

Berry didn’t move, her posture relaxed, her expression patient.

Nikola relaxed first, her fleece settling as the static discharge faded. Her tail bulb resumed its gentle pulse, casting rhythmic orange light across the floor between them.

Berry smiled.

“Thank you.”

Ravina watched the exchange, her magenta eyes narrowing slightly as she considered the woman’s effortless handling of her most stubborn Pokémon.

“You’re good with Pokémon.”

“I work in hospitality.”

“That covers Pokémon?”

Berry’s gaze swept across the bustling station, taking in the travelers and their Pokémon with practiced ease.

“In Johto?”

“Fair.”

Toni leaned toward her, her tiny head emerging further from the sling as her curiosity overcame her earlier caution. The hatchling’s eyes widened as they fixed on Berry’s distinctive features.

HORN.

The impression bloomed in Ravina’s mind, clear and absolute as the newborn focused on the small horns rising from Berry’s pink hair.

Ravina snorted, the sound soft in the busy station as Berry tilted her head slightly, allowing the hatchling a better view.

“Yes.”

Toni reached toward Berry, her tiny fingers stretching with determined curiosity. Ravina caught her around the middle, her movements swift but gentle as she pulled the curious hatchling back against her chest.

“Gentle.”

Berry leaned closer, her expression softening as she examined the hatchling with renewed interest.

“It’s all right.”

Toni reached again, this time with more caution as she extended two tiny fingers toward Berry’s horn. The contact was light, almost hesitant, as the hatchling explored the strange protrusion with focused concentration.

Then her fingers moved upward, tangling briefly in Berry’s pink hair.

PINK.

The impression bloomed in Ravina’s mind, clear and absolute as the newborn connected the new sensation with the vibrant color before her.

Berry smiled.

“Correct.”

Nikola’s tail bulb flickered, the rhythmic pulse interrupted by a sudden burst of light as the Mareep’s attention shifted to the interaction between Toni and Berry.

Berry looked down, her expression understanding as she met Nikola’s gaze.

“Oh, don’t worry.”

Nikola stared, her black eyes fixed on Berry with unnerving intensity as the Mareep processed the exchange between the stranger and the hatchling she had instinctively adopted.

Berry nodded, her movements deliberate as she responded to the unspoken question.

“Of course.”

Ravina raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued by the silent communication passing between the two.

“What did she say?”

“She didn’t.”

“Then how...”

“Guests communicate in many ways.”

Victor drifted nearer, his gaseous form swirling with theatrical appreciation for this unexpected exchange.

“An elegant philosophy.”

Berry pointed toward a hallway, her movements decisive as she redirected their attention to the matter at hand.

“Medical.”