>> Nostus Belongs to @forgottenjade over at: https://bsky.app/profile/softsheepewe.bsky.social
That evening, mother and daughter settled into the small house the League had arranged for visiting researchers.
It wasn't large. but it was comfortable. Two bedrooms, a modest kitchen, a small study that Nostus had already claimed as her temporary office, but even with that half the dining table was covered in binders from Elm's laboratory.
Ravina stared for a long moment, assessing the small mountain before sitting down next to her mother. "...You've been here four hours."
"I'm making progress." Nostus mumbled as she scanned another document.
"You're nesting."
"I'm organizing."
"That's what nesting is." her daughter whined, dramatically waving at the pile.
Nostus simply smiled without looking up as she continued to make sense of the paperwork mess.
Dinner was a simple order of take out from a local fish and chips shop which afterwards, Ravina helped unpack the last of the boxes while Nostus continued reading through Elm's files before her mother decided to catch her attention.
"Ravina."
"Hm?"
"Professor Elm mentioned something today."
"Oh?"
"He needs someone to pick-up something from an old colleague tomorrow."
Ravina looked up from a box. "...Me?"
"He asked if you'd be interested." Nostus replied, with a tone that parents use when their not really asking.
"I've been in Johto for exactly one day." her daughter responded with raised eyebrow.
"Which means you're uniquely qualified."
Ravina laughed. "I don't think that's how qualifications work."
"No?"
"No."
Nostus finally closed the folder she'd been reading. "Professor Elm is looking for some trainer assistants for his pokemon research"
"Yes? and?"
"He'll probably offer you one."
“One what?”
“A pokemon.”
“What, really?”
“probably.”
"...Probably?"
"He seemed to think so."
Ravina blinked.
"...Wait."
Nostus rested her chin in her hand. "You're going to be here for months while I rescue his laboratory from administrative collapse."
"Mhm."
"So… You could spend every day sitting in this house…” She shrugged. "...or you could see Johto."
The room grew quiet as Ravina looked toward the dark window, the lights of New Bark shimmered beyond the glass. She'd only expected a long vacation, maybe a little sightseeing.
Now...She might be leaving town with a Pokémon. She smiled despite herself. "...I suppose one errand couldn't hurt."
Nostus returned the smile. "I had a feeling you'd say that."
That night, while Ravina drifted off to sleep, the sound of waves rolled gently against New Bark's shoreline.
Tomorrow would begin as an ordinary errand.
Neither Ravina nor anyone else in New Bark yet realized that before the sun set again, one young Pokémon would find his partner, another would be stolen into the wilderness, and the quiet little town would become the starting point of two very different journeys.
