>> Ito Belongs to @adragonsdreaming

 

The notice had been pinned to a board in Violet City.

Ito stood there and read it twice.

LOCAL TRAINER SEEKING BELLSPROUT
WILL TRADE ONIX
ASK FOR RUDY — WEST MARKET DISTRICT

Ito stared at the paper with Hibi beside her. Droplet bounced gently on her tail and Webby occupied Ito's shoulder. “That's a really good deal.”

Hibi looked at her. “Chiko?”

“Big rock snake.”

Hibi looked at the illustration of Onix. Then at Ito. Then back.

“Yes.”

Hibi's expression suggested that had not been her question.

Ito tore one of the contact tabs from the bottom of the notice and then turned around.

“Need Bellsprout.” she stated as they left Violet City again.

The first Bellsprout Ito found escaped because Ito was distracted by a berry tree.

The second escaped because Webby attempted to help without being asked and became tangled in his own web.

The third was not actually a Bellsprout. It was a plant. Ito stared at it for nearly a minute before Hibi nudged her ankle. “Oh.”

The fourth was a Bellsprout.

Hibi battled it as Droplet cheered as Webby hung upside down from a branch.

Ito threw the Ball and Click.

Two hours later, Ito returned to Violet. The trainer named Rudy stared at the captured Bellsprout. “You caught this today?”

Ito nodded. 

“Just for the trade?”

Another nod.

Rudy seemed impressed. “Well, alright.”

He released his Onix into the designated trade yard. The enormous Rock-type emerged in a burst of light.

Ito looked up. And up. And farther up. Her eyes widening with every moment. “Big.”

Rudy laughed. “He's called Rocky.”

Rocky lowered his head toward Ito. She reached up, her tiny palm rested against his stone snout. Rocky rumbled as Ito smiled. “Mine?”

Rudy laughed again. “Once the transfer's registered.”

Ito immediately produced her Trainer Card.

Rudy blinked. “You came prepared.”

Ito shrugged. “Wanted rock snake.”

The transfer terminal chimed.

BELLSPROUT — TRANSFER COMPLETE
ONIX “ROCKY” — REGISTERED TO ITO SHALES

The new pair now looked at each other before Ito called. “Come on.”

She turned toward the gate. Rudy watched the four-foot-something trainer walk away with an Onix roughly the size of a small building.

He remained silent for several seconds. Then: “…Good luck, Rocky.”

- - - - -

“Trade.”

Ravina stared at Rocky. Then at Ito. Then back at Rocky.

“That is the first completely normal explanation you've given me.”

“Okay.”

“I'm not praising you.”

“Okay.”

Rocky lowered his head toward Cinder. The Fire-mouse stared upward as his flames flickered.

Rocky rumbled gently and Cinder soon relaxed. Owlbert however flew off Ravina's pack and landed on one of Rocky's stone ridges. Rocky did not appear bothered.

Ravina now had to look around for any more surprises.  “How many Pokémon do you have?”

Ito counted silently.

“Hibi.” Chikorita chirped.

“Droplet.” Marill squeaked.

“Webby.” Spinarak raised his front legs from her hair.

“Rocky.” The Onix rumbled.

“Four.”

Ravina stared. “I have two.”

Ito nodded. “I know.”

“I have been taking this seriously.”

“Okay.”

“You jumped out my bedroom window.”

“Yep.”

“You've somehow doubled my team.”

Ito considered. “You should catch faster.”

Ravina's eye twitched.

Cinder made a small noise that sounded suspiciously amused. 

“Not. One. Word.”

Then the light caught something blue in Ito's hair and Ravina's expression slowly changed.

It was small. Metallic. Wing-shaped. Pinned against the pink strands like a decorative clip.

Ravina stepped closer as Ito watched her. Ravina squinted and then her stomach sank.

“Ito.”

“Mm?”

“Take that out of your hair.”

Ito touched the object. “This?”

“Yes.”

Ito unclipped it and held it out. Ravina took it to examine, Blue enamel, Stylized wings, League seal.

She had seen pictures, she had looked at the badge diagrams during registration. She knew exactly what she was holding.

Ravina looked up very slowly. “…Where did you get this?”

“Gym.”

Ravina's face went blank.

- - - - -

Violet Gym had not known what to make of Ito either. The receptionist had asked for her Trainer Card.

Ito provided it. The receptionist scanned it and everything was valid. somehow.

Then she asked for Ito's Sprout Tower clearance. 

Ito stared.

The receptionist pointed toward the enormous tower visible through the window. “You need to complete the novice assessment before challenging Leader Falkner.”

Ito looked toward the tower. then at Hibi. then back.

“Okay.”

Several hours later, she returned.

The receptionist stared. “You're back.”

Ito handed her a signed clearance token, the receptionist took a moment as she inspected it. It was genuine.

“…You finished already?”

Ito nodded.

“What did the sages say?”

Ito thought about it. “Need patience.”

That sounded plausible enough. the receptionist registered the challenge and Falkner entered the arena several minutes later.

She wore layered blue and white robes that moved softly with every step. Her blue hair swept across one eye, while the other regarded the very small challenger standing opposite her with calm curiosity.

Falkner had spent years meeting novice trainers. Excited ones. Terrified ones. Overconfident ones. Children of famous trainers. Adults who had postponed their first challenge for years.

She had rarely met one with several eyes and a Chikorita sitting on her foot.

Falkner folded one hand over the other. “Welcome to Violet Gym.”

Ito waved. “Hi.”

Falkner paused. “Your name is Ito Shales?”

“Yep.”

“First League challenge?”

“Yep.”

“And you understand the purpose of this Gym?”

Ito thought. “Win?”

A tiny twitch appeared at the corner of Falkner's mouth. “Partially.”

The battle began.

Ito led with Hibi. as Falkner's first Flying-type took to the air immediately.

Hibi watched it circle. Ito watched too, for several seconds, she said nothing.

Falkner waited for the right moment, then the bird descended.

Ito pointed. “Now.”

Hibi moved, a sharp Tackle caught the Flying-type just as it committed to its attack.

Falkner's eyebrow lifted and the battle continued.

Ito was not polished, she didn't use formal terminology consistently. Sometimes her instructions consisted of a direction and a noise.

Once she told Hibi: “Do the thing from yesterday.”

Falkner had no idea what that meant but Hibi apparently did.

Ito also became distracted when one of Falkner's Pokémon shed a feather. She picked it up during a pause. “Pretty.”

“Ito.”

She looked up.

“The battle?”

“Oh.”

But she was not incompetent, that became increasingly clear. She watched, waited. She let her Pokémon solve problems, and most strangely, they seemed entirely comfortable with her.

Hibi knew her nonsense, Droplet compensated for it, Webby was unpredictable enough to make several of Falkner's practiced aerial patterns considerably less useful.

By the end, Falkner found herself smiling.

The final exchange ended with Hibi standing exhausted but upright while Falkner's last Pokémon landed heavily and yielded.

Silence filled the arena.

The referee looked toward Falkner as the Gym Leader exhaled, then nodded. “Victory to the challenger.”

Ito smiled and Hibi immediately ran toward her. Ito crouched and hugged the Chikorita. “You did good.”

“Chiko!”

Falkner approached with a small presentation case and Ito straightened.

For the first time since the battle began, she appeared to pay complete attention as Falkner opened the case. Inside rested a blue badge shaped like a pair of stylized wings.

“The Zephyr Badge represents more than victory.”

Ito looked at it.

“It marks a trainer who has demonstrated enough control, judgment and trust with their Pokémon to continue their League challenge.”

Ito accepted it carefully and Falkner smiled.

“May it remind you that strength does not come only from holding your ground. Sometimes growth means knowing when to move with the wind.”

Ito stared at the badge. Then at Falkner. 

Falkner waited for whatever solemn response the strange trainer might offer. Then Ito lifted the badge to her hair. “Do you think this works?”

Falkner blinked as Ito held it against the pink strands. “Blue with pink?”

There was a long silence. Falkner's composure survived through years of practice. Barely. “…Yes.”

Ito smiled. “Good.”

She clipped the Zephyr Badge into her hair. Then Ito waved. “Thanks.” And  walked away with Hibi.

Falkner remained standing in the middle of her Gym as one of her attendants approached.

“Leader?”

Falkner stared toward the exit. “…I believe that was a Gym challenge.”

- - - - -

“Gym.”

Ravina's mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again.

“You beat the Gym Leader?.”

“Yeah.”

“Already?”

“Yeah.”

“You have been a trainer for approximately five minutes.”

Ito frowned. “Longer than that.”

“THAT IS NOT THE IMPORTANT PART.”

Several nearby travellers looked over and Ravina lowered her voice.

“I haven't even entered the city!”

Ito looked toward the buildings. “You're close.”

“I KNOW I'M CLOSE!”

Cinder sat beside Hibi as she chirped to him.

Cinder looked toward Ravina, then back at Hibi. Ravina pointed at both starters.

“Do not discuss me.”

They immediately looked innocent.

Ravina handed the Zephyr Badge back and Ito clipped it into her hair again.

“You are wearing your badge as an accessory.”

“Yep.”

“That's supposed to be an important League achievement.”

“It is.”

“It's in your hair.”

“Important hair.”

Ravina stared, She could feel Owlbert watching from Rocky's back.

She refused to look at him as she rubbed her temples.

She was beginning to wonder how her familiar had survived so long without anyone successfully strangling her. 

Then the Styler at Ito's hip emitted a faint electronic chirp.

Ravina looked down as Ito covered it with one hand.

Ravina's eyes narrowed. “What have you been doing with that?”

“Nothing.”

That answer came too quickly.

“Ito.”

“Nothing bad.”

“That is a completely different answer.”

Ito looked away and Ravina folded her arms. “What did you do?”

- - - - -

A trainer on Route 31 had been trying to convince his Machop to practice strength drills.

“Again.”

Machop lifted the weighted training bar and set it down.

The trainer checked his timer. “Good. Twenty seconds rest, then another.”

High above them, Ito lay along a thick tree branch. The Capture Styler rested in her hand as Webby hung beside her.

Hibi sat farther back on the branch with considerably less enthusiasm about what was happening.

Ito watched the trainer and the Machop. 

Machop looked exhausted.

Ito frowned. “They've been doing that forever.”

Hibi chirped. “I know.”

Another chirp. “I am helping.”

Hibi stared as Ito activated the Styler.

The device hummed, a glowing loop swept silently through the clearing below before the Machop blinked.

The trainer looked up. “Ready?” he asked as Machop walked toward him.

“Good. Back to…”

Machop wrapped both arms around his waist and the trainer froze. “…What?”

Machop leaned against him. “Machop?”

The Fighting-type closed his eyes and the trainer slowly lowered one hand and before long He scratched the Pokémon's head.

Machop relaxed further and the trainer's expression softened. “…You tired, buddy?”

Machop nodded. “Oh.”

He sat down and Machop immediately sat beside him. “Okay.”

The trainer put the weights away. “Maybe we're done for today.”

Above them, Ito smiled, but Hibi stared. “What?”

“Chiko.”

“They're happier.”

Hibi continued staring and Ito lowered the Styler.

“You sound like Ravina.”

Another time, a wild Sentret spent twenty minutes following a backpacker before climbing onto her shoulder.

Another trainer attempted to begin a roadside battle only for his normally competitive Rattata to turn around and demand cheek scratches.

A pair of arguing trainers found both of their Pokémon completely uninterested in fighting and instead sitting together beneath a tree.

Ito watched every incident from somewhere elevated.

Usually a branch. Once a roof.

She took notes.

The notes consisted mostly of: funny and very funny

- - - - -

“Nothing bad,” Ito repeated.

Ravina stared. She had absolutely no evidence, but that somehow made her more suspicious.

“You're going to give that Styler back.”

Ito shook her head.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“It belongs to a Ranger.”

“Mine.”

“You cannot just declare everything yours!”

Ito looked at Droplet.

Then Webby.

Then Rocky.

Then Hibi.

Then tapped the Zephyr Badge in her hair.

Then looked back to Ravina who had to stop.

“…That was an unfortunately strong visual argument.”

Ito smiled.

“But you're still giving it back.”

“No.”

“We'll revisit this.”

“Okay.”

That was the closest thing Ravina expected to get to victory today.

Ito suddenly perked up.

“Oh.”

Ravina tensed. “What?”

“I got you something.”

That was worse.

“No.”

Ito frowned. “You don't know what it is.”

“Historically that has not protected me.”

Ito reached into her bag as Ravina watched suspiciously.

She pulled out a compact electronic device. Rectangular. Dark casing with a small display screen. a camera lens occupied one side, with several control buttons beneath it.

Ito held it toward her but Ravina did not take it.

“What is it?”

“Recorder.”

“What kind?”

“Battle.”

Ravina's suspicion faltered and she accepted it carefully.

The screen illuminated.

VS RECORDER

She had heard of them. Competitive trainers used them constantly. Some Gyms encouraged challengers to review their footage. The little devices captured battles from a trainer's side of the field and could tag commands, timestamps and Pokémon data through a linked Trainer Card.

Ravina turned it over. “This is a VS Recorder.”

Ito nodded.

“These aren't cheap.”

“Okay.”

Ravina looked up. “Why are you giving it to me?”

Ito shrugged. “You keep fighting people.”

Ravina paused. That was… actually thoughtful. Annoyingly thoughtful.

She looked down at the device again. “I could use this.”

“I know.”

Ravina smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

Ito smiled back.

For approximately three seconds, the entire interaction became suspiciously wholesome. Then Ravina remembered who she was speaking to.

“Where did you get it?”

Ito's smile vanished. There was a pause.

- - - - -

A hand reached toward a VS Recorder. Another hand reached toward the same VS Recorder.

Someone shouted: “Hey!”

Ito ran.

- - - - -

“Somewhere.”

Ravina closed her eyes. “Of course.”

Ito looked pleased with herself as Ravina examined the recorder again. Whatever its origin, the device itself appeared undamaged and She clipped it carefully inside her pack.

Cinder immediately sniffed toward the new addition.

“This one is also not a toy.”

He chirped.

“I'm establishing precedent.”

Owlbert flew down from Rocky and landed on Ravina's shoulder. His weight made her lean slightly.

“Hello.”

Hoot.

“Yes, we're still going into Violet.”

Ito perked up. “Oh.”

Ravina looked at her. “What?”

“You need somewhere to sleep?”

“Yes.”

“I know a place.”

Ravina stared. “No.”

Ito frowned. “You don't even know where.”

“Exactly.”

“Cheap.”

“No.”

“Near market.”

“No.”

“Bed.”

“Ito.”

“Breakfast.”

Ravina hesitated, and Ito noticed, then Ravina pointed at her.

“Do not exploit my finances.”

Ito smiled. “I learned that from you.”

“You absolutely did not.”

Ito hopped down from the wall.

Hibi and Droplet immediately moved beside her as Webby settled more deeply into her hair. Rocky began turning around with the geological patience required of an Onix on a narrow road.

Ravina watched. “You're coming into the city?”

Ito shrugged. “For now.”

“For now?”

“I might go south tomorrow.”

“Why?”

Ito thought. “Stuff.”

“That isn't a destination.”

“It can be.”

Ravina sighed.

Then looked at Hibi. “Keep her out of trouble.”

Hibi chirped.

Ito looked offended. “She causes trouble too.”

Ravina looked at the Chikorita.

Hibi suddenly became fascinated by a patch of grass.

“…Excellent.”

Cinder chirped and Ravina looked down to her partner. “You don't get to judge them either.” Cinder's eyes widened innocently.

Ravina stared at the Zephyr Badge clipped into Ito's hair. “One Gym,” she muttered.

Ito looked over. “What?”

“Nothing.” she muttered as they began walking toward Violet together in their strange convoy.

Ahead, the gates of Violet City stood open beneath the evening lanterns. Ravina had expected her arrival to mark the beginning of her first Gym Challenge. Apparently Ito had already finished hers.

And somehow, despite Ravina doing everything carefully, legally and deliberately, her tiny fae familiar had managed to accomplish more of the League challenge by accident than Ravina had managed on purpose.

Ravina adjusted her pack and walked through the gates, tomorrow she would start properly, tonight she was going to find a hotel, and preferably one where Ito had not already stolen anything.