Chapter 7

A Choice Made Twice

Travel Journal — Day 2

Yesterday I left New Bark to deliver one parcel.

I came home with a Pokédex, a mysterious Egg, a police statement, a new enemy and several questions about my own personality that I’m choosing not to examine yet.

Cinder is asleep beside me.
That part, at least, I’m certain about.

 

 

By the time the police were finished with Ravina, night had fallen over New Bark Town.

What she had imagined would be a simple explanation somehow became three explanations, two repetitions and an increasingly detailed reconstruction of everything that had happened between Cherrygrove and home.

She described the boy outside Professor Elm’s laboratory.

His red hair, clothes, behavior. The Poké Ball, Totodile, the battle and finally, the Trainer Card that had fallen from his pocket.

“Silver,” the officer repeated as she wrote the name down.

Ravina nodded. “That’s what the card said.”

“You’re certain?”

“I held it.”

The officer glanced toward her.

“Briefly.”

Nostus, seated against the nearby desk, raised an eyebrow as Ravina avoided looking at her.

“…He dropped it.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were going to.”

“I was thinking of several things.” Nostus replies as the officer hid what may have been a smile before continuing.

Professor Elm had become considerably less composed when Ravina explained exactly what had happened with Totodile and her own inability to convince the pokemon to come back.

Elm rubbed both hands over his face, then he slowly nodded.

“You made the right decision.”

Ravina blinked. “I did?”

“Yes.” There was sadness in Elm’s expression now, but no accusation. “If Totodile has already accepted that boy as his trainer, dragging him back by force wouldn’t solve anything.”

“But Silver stole him.”

“He did.” Professor Elm’s voice hardened in a way Ravina hadn’t heard before. “And the police will deal with that.”

Then his expression softened again. “But Totodile isn’t evidence.” Ravina looked at him questioningly. “He’s a Pokémon.”

That answer settled something inside her, not completely, She still hated leaving Totodile with Silver. But at least she no longer felt like she had failed him.

Daphne stepped quietly beside her husband and placed one hand against his shoulder and Professor Elm covered it with his own. 

Ravina watched them for a moment before one of the officers cleared her throat. “There is one additional problem.”

Everyone looked toward her as the officer gestured toward the adjoining room. “The second Pokémon.”

Professor Elm closed his eyes. “…Chikorita.”

Ravina frowned. “What about her?”

Daphne answered this time. “She’s gone too.”

Ravina stared for a moment as she registered what was just said. “What?”

“When we found the damaged window,” Daphne explained, “both remaining Poké Balls were missing.”

Ravina looked toward Elm, then Nostus. “But Silver only had Totodile.”

The officer’s pen stopped. “You’re certain?”

“Yes.”

“How certain?”

“I spent a good amount of time staring at him.” Nostus coughed and Ravina’s ears twitched. “During the battle.”

“Of course.”

“Mum.”

“I said nothing.”

Ravina turned back toward the officer. “He only had one Poké Ball. Totodile.”

Professor Elm frowned. “So someone else took Chikorita?”

Nobody had an answer. The police exchanged glances, but whatever had initially looked like one simple theft had suddenly become much stranger.

 

The Egg was almost forgotten in the confusion, almost.

Once the officers finally finished their immediate questions, Ravina carefully removed it from her satchel and  Professor Elm’s entire demeanor changed. “You have it?”

“Safe and uncracked.”

He accepted the cream-colored Egg with both hands. For the first time since Ravina had arrived, something like genuine excitement pushed through his exhaustion. “This is extraordinary…”

Daphne leaned closer to get a better look. “It’s warm.”

“That’s what Mr. Pokémon said.”

Elm was already studying the markings as Nostus watched him for approximately five seconds. Then:

“Professor.”

No response. “Professor!”

“Hm?”

“The police are still here.”

“Oh.”

Elm looked around. “…Right.”

Daphne laughed softly, and despite everything that had happened, Ravina found herself smiling as some things apparently survived burglary.

 

The officers eventually left with Silver’s name, description and registration details. Stating that a search request would go out. Professor Elm promised to contact them immediately if anything else turned up regarding Chikorita.

Soon after, New Bark slowly returned to something resembling normal, as for the first time in hours, Ravina had nothing urgent to do.

She sat on a stool in the laboratory with Cinder curled against her thighs, he had fought twice, walked for hours and had run back toward New Bark. And still, somehow, the moment she sat down he had climbed onto her lap as though that was where he had always belonged.

Ravina’s fingers moved slowly over the back of his head and Professor Elm noticed.

“So.”

Ravina looked up, finding that he was standing beside the starter room. The empty tray was visible behind him. That sight felt much sadder than Ravina expected.

Elm looked toward Cinder. “Your original errand is finished.”

Ravina’s hand stopped. “…Yeah.”

“You brought the Egg back.”

“Mhm.”

“And Oak apparently recruited you.”

“He ambushed me with employment.”

“That sounds like Professor Oak.” A faint smile crossed Elm’s face, then faded.

“There’s still something we haven’t settled.” Ravina knew immediately, she looked down to see that Cinder had opened one eye.

Elm continued. “When you left yesterday, you were borrowing one of my Pokémon.”

Ravina swallowed. “Right.”

“But I told you then… These Pokémon weren’t raised here to stay laboratory Pokémon forever.” He crouched in front of them. “They were waiting for partners.”

Cinder lifted his head as Elm smiled at him. “And I think Cinder has probably made his opinion fairly obvious.”

Ravina laughed quietly. “He’s subtle.”

Cinder pressed closer against her. “Extremely.”

Ravina scratched gently beneath his chin. The thought of returning him had barely occurred to her since the first time she walked through Cherrygrove, that realization surprised her.

Yesterday she had left the laboratory thinking she was carrying Professor Elm’s Cyndaquil. But somewhere along the road, maybe when he stood between her and the wild Rattata, maybe when he slept against her chest, maybe after their first battle. he had simply become Cinder.

Her Cinder. And apparently she had become his Ravina just as quickly. Still…

She looked at him. “Hey.”

Cinder’s eyes lifted and Ravina suddenly felt ridiculous, she could feel everyone watching. Professor Elm, Daphne, Nostus. 

So naturally, she became even more awkward. “You know you don’t have to stay with me.”

Cinder tilted his head. “I mean it.”

Ravina shifted him slightly so she could look directly at him. “You lived here before me.”

His nose twitched. “And if you wanted to stay with Professor Elm, that would be alright.”

Cinder stared as Ravina continued carefully. “But…” She smiled. “I’d really like you to come with me.”

The Cyndaquil watched her for another heartbeat, then climbed directly up her chest, tucked his nose beneath her chin and settled there.

Ravina froze. Daphne made a small delighted sound. Nostus laughed and Professor Elm smiled.

Ravina wrapped both arms around Cinder. “…I’ll take that as a yes.”

A happy chirrup answered as something warm tightened behind Ravina’s ribs. It was strange, she had been expecting a decision. Instead it felt like acknowledging something that had already happened.

Elm stood. “Then I suppose I should transfer his registration.” 

Nostus immediately straightened. “Properly.”

Professor Elm visibly wilted. “Yes, Nostus.”

“Current forms.”

“Yes.”

“Not whatever you found in that cabinet from eight years ago.”

“I said yes.”

Daphne hid her smile behind one hand.

 

They didn’t leave immediately.

The evening was too late, everyone was exhausted but before they went, Nostus caught Ravina near the laboratory entrance. “So.”

Ravina looked suspiciously at her mother. “So?”

Nostus folded her arms. “You’re keeping him.”

Ravina glanced down at Cinder. “Yes.”

“Good.”

Ravina waited as Nostus continued smiling. “…What?”

“Nothing.”

“Mum.”

“I'm happy for you.”

“That smile means something.”

“It usually does.”

Ravina narrowed her eyes as Nostus leaned against the doorway.

“You seemed to enjoy yourself.”

“I got interrogated by the police.”

“Before that.”

“I got insulted by a red-haired thief.”

“Before that.”

Ravina paused and thought. Joey, the road, Mr. Pokémon, Oak, Cinder exploring the woods, The battle.

She looked away. “…Maybe.”

Nostus’s smile softened. “You know, there’s an entire region outside New Bark.”

“I noticed.”

“Gyms.”

Ravina looked back. “No.”

“I haven’t suggested anything yet.”

“You’re going to.”

“Probably.”

Ravina groaned and Nostus laughed. “You have a Pokémon now.”

“Yes.”

“You've already battled trainers.”

“Two.”

“And won both.”

Cinder chirped agreement, Ravina pointed at him. “You stay out of this.”

Nostus continued. “Professor Oak has asked you to gather field observations.”

Ravina’s expression shifted. “That is true.”

“And you came to Johto because I didn’t want you sitting inside for months while I worked.”

Ravina folded her arms.

“So your solution is to send me across an entire region?”

“My solution is to suggest you look around.”

Nostus nodded toward the western road. “Violet City has the closest League Gym.”

Ravina stared. “You've researched this.”

“I’m thorough.”

“You planned this.”

“I hoped.”

“That’s worse.”

Nostus grinned. Ravina looked down again, Cinder was watching her. Of course he was, he always seemed to watch when something involved her.

The idea was ridiculous, she had been a Pokémon trainer for approximately two days, if that. She didn’t know how half the equipment worked, she knew exactly one battle strategy and it was mostly “fill the battlefield with smoke.” She had never even intended to become a trainer when she arrived.

But, Cherrygrove was beautiful, Route 30 was interesting, the people were strange and Professor Oak had given her a reason to observe Pokémon rather than simply walk past them.

And battling Silver… Ravina’s mouth curled slightly. That had been fun, Annoyingly fun.

Nostus noticed. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“That smile means something.”

Ravina glared. “Don’t use my lines against me.”

Nostus laughed as Ravina gave Cinder a scritch. “I’m not saying I want to become Champion.”

“Of course not.”

“I mean it.”

“Naturally.”

“I don’t even know if I’ll like Gym battles.”

“Perfectly reasonable.” Ravina’s eyes narrowed as Nostus maintained an innocent expression. “…But.”

There it was, Ravina sighed. “I suppose Violet City isn’t that far.”

Nostus’s grin became enormous.

“Mum.”

“I said nothing.”

“You’re doing it with your face.”

“Can’t help that.”

Ravina rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She looked at Cinder. “What do you think?”

Cinder immediately chirped and Ravina stared. “You could at least pretend to consider it.” Another chirp.

Nostus laughed. “Two votes to one.”

“That isn't how this works.”

“It could be.” Ravina looked out toward the road then back down at Cinder.

A Gym Challenge, the words still felt too large. But Violet City? That felt manageable.

One city, one Gym. Then she could decide what came after.

Ravina smiled. “Alright.” Cinder perked up. “We’ll try.”

His flames flickered happily. “One Gym.”

Nostus said nothing as Ravina looked sharply at her. “Do not.”

“I’m being supportive.”

“You’re imagining me collecting all eight badges.”

“Sixteen, technically.”

“MUM.”