The Pokémon Center was busy in the afternoon. Cinder spotted her first, ears perked, then trotted across with improved control. Ravina crouched as her pink skirt pooled around her knees.

"There he is."

Cinder accelerated. Ravina held up one hand. "Easy, my Fireball."

He slowed barely, then pressed his head hard into her chest. Ravina wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hi. Did you behave?"

The attendant smiled. "Very well."

Ravina scratched under Cinder's jaw. "See? You can be civilized."

Cinder leaned his full weight against her. "Still heavy."

Owlbert arrived quietly, landing on a chair beside her.

Hoot.

Ravina's fox ears twitched. "Hi, Owly."

His eyes narrowed. Ravina smiled. "Don't pretend you don't like it."

"Hoot."

She scratched beneath his chin. Owlbert allowed exactly three seconds, then stepped away with precision.

"Three seconds?"

Hoot.

The attendant stared at Ravina's outfit.

Ravina smoothed her skirt. "He has standards."

"I can tell."

"You had your big day yesterday, my Fireball." Cinder looked up, flames flickering. "Tonight's Owlbert's turn."

His expression changed slightly. Ravina crouched again. "You're still coming, just not doing most of the fighting. You spent half of yesterday learning where your back end is."

Deep offense. Ravina kissed his head. "Love you."

Offense weakened.

Owlbert hooted sharply. Ravina looked up. "And you. Tonight, we're doing things your way."

- - - - -

Sprout Tower looked different at night.

Not frightening. Not exactly. But older.

The daytime visitors had dispersed, leaving behind a quiet that felt heavier than silence. Lantern light pooled in small islands across the floor, leaving the spaces between beams darker than Ravina remembered.

The tower moved. Always. A slow sway through the old timber.

During the day, she'd noticed it because she'd been fighting against it. At night, she noticed because there was less else to hear.

Wood. Wind. A distant bell. Owlbert's claws against the floor. Cinder's paws. Her own steps.

The attendant at the entrance looked up from a small ledger. Then looked at Ravina's clothes. There was a pause.

Ravina looked down at herself. "Work."

The attendant nodded. "I did not ask."

"You were going to."

"I was not."

"You absolutely were."

A faint smile. "Training?"

"Owlbert."

The Hoothoot stood a little taller on the back of the chair.

The attendant looked toward him. "Good hours for it."

"That's what I thought."

The man gestured toward the upper floors. "Most formal lessons are finished. Two sages are still above. You may use the marked spaces."

"Anything I should know?"

"The Rattata have been getting into the grain stores again."

Ravina blinked. "That sounded like a request."

"If you don’t mind."

"So I'm getting free battle practice and you're getting pest control."

"Mutually beneficial."

Ravina smiled. "I respect that."

"Do not chase them into the wall spaces."

"Because?"

"Because then they become tomorrow's problem."

"Fair enough."

The attendant's eyes shifted toward Cinder. "And be cautious with open flame."

Ravina rested a hand against Cinder's shoulder. "He's mostly supervising."

Cinder made a noise.

"He is unhappy with this arrangement."

"I see."

- - - - -

The first exercise was straightforward.

Patience.

That was all.

Ravina positioned Owlbert on one of the broad wooden rails that overlooked a lower training area.

She stepped back. Twenty paces.

Cinder settled beside her, tail twitching.

Ravina raised her hand. "Thirty seconds."

Owlbert's gaze remained fixed on her.

"Then come to me."

Nothing.

Ravina lowered her hand.

Waited.

The tower groaned around them, an ancient wood complaining about the wind.

Cinder's claws scritched against the floor.

Ravina glanced down.

"Still."

Cinder looked up with an expression of complete innocence that fooled no one.

"Almost convincing."

Twenty seconds passed.

Twenty-five.

Ravina drew a breath.

At precisely thirty…

Owlbert launched.

No second command. Just movement.

Silent wings carried him across the space, landing precisely on her raised forearm.

Ravina's eyebrows rose.

"Oh."

Hoot.

"Right."

She smiled.

"Perfect."

Owlbert settled, feathers smoothing against her arm.

Cinder leaned in, nose twitching.

Owlbert stared back, unblinking.

Ravina looked from one to the other.

"Again."

- - - - -

They repeated it. Different distances. Different heights.

Ten seconds. Twenty. Forty-five. Wait for the lantern swing. Move when she tapped twice against the railing. Ignore Cinder moving. Ignore Ravina moving. Watch her hands. Watch the target.

Then Ravina changed it. "I'm going to point somewhere."

Owlbert stared.

"You don't move."

His head tilted.

"Not until I say."

Hoot.

"Good."

Ravina pointed toward a support beam.

Owlbert stayed.

She pointed somewhere else.

Stayed.

Cinder's head followed each gesture.

Ravina smiled.

Then whispered: "Go."

Owlbert moved instantly.

He crossed the room, banked around the central pillar and landed exactly where she'd first pointed.

Ravina laughed. "Yes!"

Owlbert turned his head toward her.

"Good boy!"

Hoot.

Cinder gave a low trill and Ravina looked down.

"No jealousy."

He wasn't jealous, probably, maybe.

She scratched his shoulder anyway. "My Fireball."

That fixed whatever it was.

- - - - -

Ten minutes later, the grain sack moved.

Owlbert saw it before she did. His posture shifted, subtle as a breath between heartbeats. A slight straightening of feathers, a fraction of stillness where there had been none.

Ravina noticed. "Where?"

Owlbert's gaze slid left.

A purple blur burst from behind the sack and Ravina pointed. "Go!"

Owlbert launched.

The Rattata was quick. Faster than the Bellsprout from yesterday, more erratic. It darted between low shelves, doubled back, vanished beneath a bench.

Owlbert followed, too directly.

Ravina saw the problem immediately. "Stop!"

Owlbert flared his wings, halted on the bench as the Rattata shot out beneath him.

Hoot.

"I know." Ravina approached. "You would've lost it in the wall."

Owlbert stared at the hole where the Rattata had nearly disappeared into as Ravina pointed to a second opening farther along.

"Don't chase."

His head turned.

"Watch."

They waited. Five seconds, ten, then the Rattata's nose appeared at the second opening.

Owlbert moved. Not after it. Across it. He landed directly in the escape path that the Rattata had to stop so hard its paws slid.

Ravina grinned. "There."

Cinder stood up. The Rattata turned, Saw him, turned back and saw Owlbert.

Ravina almost felt sorry for it. "Easy."

Owlbert struck once. Controlled. Enough to send the Rattata scrambling away from the grain stores and down the stairs.

He did not pursue and Ravina's smile widened. "Perfect."

Owlbert landed beside her and hhe held out her forearm for him to step onto it. "You saw where he was going."

Hoot.

"Yeah."

Ravina lightly stroked the feathers beneath his beak. "Good catch, Owly."

Cinder watched and Ravina looked at him. "You can be proud of him too."

Cinder leaned over and sniffed Owlbert.

Owlbert tolerated it, for three seconds. then moved.

Ravina laughed. "Consistent."

- - - - -

The next Rattata was smarter, or meaner, possibly both. It appeared on the upper walkway, raced along the edge and leapt cleanly over a gap Ravina hadn't realized was there.

Owlbert followed as Ravina ran after them.

Cinder started forward. “Stay right here, Fireball.”

He stopped immediately and Ravina glanced back.

That was good. Very good. 

“Thank you.”

Cinder's ears lifted, Then she ran. By the time she reached the next landing, Owlbert was circling above the Rattata.

Not attacking. Waiting. Ravina watched.

The Rattata changed direction. Owlbert didn't.

It changed again. Still nothing and then it committed.

Owlbert dropped. One clean Peck and the Rattata squeaked and fled down another corridor.

Owlbert landed on the railing.

Hoot.

Ravina put her hands on her knees. “Yeah.”

She Breathed. “Yeah, that was good.” She continued as she straightened. “That was really good.”

Owlbert's eyes softened by perhaps half a degree and Ravina smiled. And suddenly understood something she probably should have understood earlier.

Cinder wanted reassurance. He wanted touch, praise, her beside him, he wanted to know she was proud of him.

Owlbert wanted something else. He wanted the rules to stay where Ravina put them, he wanted her signals to mean the same thing every time, he wanted to know that when she said thirty seconds, she meant thirty seconds. That when she said stop, she would not punish him for stopping. That when she gave him a task, she would not suddenly change what success looked like halfway through it.

Cinder needed affection. Owlbert needed consistency. Ravina thought about that as she looked at him.

“I think I'm getting you.”

Owlbert stared.

Hoot.

“I know. Took me long enough.”

A pause.

Ravina smiled. “No, that one was fair.”

- - - - -

Later, a monk found them near one of the storage rooms. He looked at the Rattata disappearing down the stairs.

Then at Owlbert and Ravina.

“Effective.”

Ravina bowed. The fox tail bounced behind her and the monk's eyes followed it.

Ravina straightened. “Work uniform.” she mumbled as an excuse. 

“I assumed.”

“Everyone’s been saying that.”

The monk looked at the fake ears and gave a slight smile as he continued down the hall.

Ravina looked at Owlbert. “Don't.”

Hoot.

She pointed at him… then stopped and lowered her hand. “Actually, you know what? That was also fair.”

Owlbert blinked.

Ravina smiled. “Growth.”