Chapter 30.13
April stood at the reception desk as Ravina approached, eyes lifting from her paperwork in perfect timing.
Then lingering.
Ravina halted mid-step. "What?"
April's gaze drifted upward to the ridiculous Slowpoke ears tipping Ravina's magenta hair, then down to the pink dress with its blue accents, before landing finally on the absurd tail bouncing at her back.
"Cute," April pronounced with clinical detachment.
Ravina aimed a finger. "Don't."
One corner of April's mouth lifted. "That's one word."
"One dangerous word."
Before the exchange could continue, a tiny creature burst through the boarding gate, Toni, scrambling across the polished floor with determined wobbles.
April barely had time to fully open the barrier before the Togepi reached Ravina.
Ravina lowered herself to Toni's level. "Hi, sweetheart."
Toni stopped short, her round eyes widening as they traced the familiar figure of her caregiver, transformed.
Her gaze climbed, slowly, to the Slowpoke ears.
Descended past the dress.
Fixed on the tail.
PINK?
Ravina exhaled. "Yes."
Toni extended a tiny finger toward the tail.
SLOW?
"Absolutely not," Ravina said firmly.
April pressed fingers against her lips, shoulders shaking.
Ravina fixed her with a look. "Do not encourage her."
Undeterred, Toni poked the plush appendage.
SLOW.
"No."
Cinder padded forward, his cream-colored snout working as he sniffed first his trainer, then the unfamiliar fabric, before focusing on the offending tail.
He looked at her, orange-red eyes questioning.
Ravina met his gaze sternly. "Don't."
Another investigative sniff followed.
Nikola ambled closer, nudging the dress with her nose while Owlbert landed silently on a nearby perch, rotating his head to examine every angle.
Victor emerged from Ravina's shadow, purple haze spreading.
April folded her arms. "Long day at the Center?"
Victor executed an elaborate bow. "Exhausting."
Ravina squeezed her eyes shut. "I knew it."
April sighed. "So did I."
- - - - -
Chapter 30.14
The walk back to their hotel unfolded beneath Azalea's evening glow. Ravina settled Toni against her hip, the Togepi's fingers already twitching toward the ridiculous Slowpoke ears bobbing above her caregiver's head. Cinder and Nikola flanked Ravina like loyal guards, their movements synchronized with her pace. Above, Owlbert made silent leaps from rooftop to rooftop, his shadow brief against the pinkening sky. Victor drifted in languid spirals overhead, his purple haze catching the last light.
Toni finally succeeded in snagging an ear, tugging with delighted insistence. When Ravina didn't protest, she held on tightly.
SOFT.
"Yes, sweetheart."
PINK.
"Yes, very pink."
SLOW.
"Not even a little bit," Ravina replied, a smile playing on her lips.
A burst of what sounded like laughter bubbled from Toni as she continued exploring the novelty with tiny, curious fingers.
Back in their room, Ravina shed the uniform with relief, exchanging pink polyester for comfortable familiarity. Food distribution became a nightly ritual: Poke Chow bowls filled with precise measurements, augmented by Ravina's staff meal, a reward Cinder received far more than his fair share of, Nikola accepted exactly as much as she deemed proper, and Toni tasted in carefully portioned bites. Victor declared the shared emotional energy sufficient nourishment while Owlbert methodically consumed a single berry, his red eyes tracking everyone with characteristic quiet judgment.
Then Ravina's Pokégear chimed.
The notification glowed, stark against the dusk-lit room. Her gaze dropped to the screen.
The digits remained unchanged: ₽0.
“Money?” Her voice was hardly a whisper.
Victor's purple haze enveloped her shoulder, his smoky essence curling like a living shadow around her arm.
Ravina's fingers trembled as she opened the notification.
LEAGUE BATTLE DATA CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM
SUBMISSIONS: UNDER REVIEW
She stared, the hope that had buoyed her through a long shift evaporating like morning mist.
Victor leaned closer, his form nearly solid as he peered at the device.
“No money.”
“A truly groundbreaking development in the field of financial stability.”
“Thanks for that.”
“Alas, capitalism proves immune to dramatic pronouncements.” Victor offered a ghostly smile unperturbed by her disappointment.
Ravina tossed the Pokégear onto the bed with a soft thud. It bounced slightly on the quilt before settling. She picked up her notebook instead.
Her pen scratched across the page.
JOB - SUCCESS
Then, a pause, as memory surfaced.
BUGSY - TALKS ABOUT BUGS
She paused again, then added emphasis.
A LOT.
Underneath that:
LAUREN PROTON - OWNER
Finally:
TRAIN TOMORROW
Cinder lifted his head from where he'd been meticulously grooming, orange-red eyes bright with interest.
Ravina smiled at him.
“You.”
His ears lifted straight up, the flame vents on his forehead flickering with sudden heat.
“I want to work on something specific tomorrow.”
Cinder rose instantly, his long body coiling with readiness.
Nikola looked over from her corner, her fleece crackling with soft static as she shifted position. Intrigued.
Victor drifted closer, his purple form expanding slightly. “And what might you require of your humble spectral servant?”
Ravina’s smile widened. “You too.”
Victor’s grin grew dramatically, his entire form puffing up with self-importance.
She closed the notebook, setting it on the bedside table.
Work. Training. Bugsy. Money, eventually.
Azalea was starting to feel manageable after all.