Chapter 9.7
They departed Cherrygrove as the afternoon sun began its slow descent, the harbor's clamor fading behind them.
At the familiar intersection, Ravina bypassed the path to Mr. Pokémon's cottage, instead continuing northward. The landscape transformed almost instantly, houses grew sparse, the pavement gave way to packed earth, and dense woodland closed in on both sides.
Trainers still appeared occasionally, but between encounters, long stretches of silence settled over the path, broken only by their footsteps and forest sounds. This was uncharted territory for Ravina, and the novelty thrilled her.
Their afternoon yielded discoveries: another Apricorn tree, from which Ravina carefully harvested two fallen fruits into her satchel; a pond where Cinder valiantly battled his own reflection and lost. Oak's Pokédex registered three new species, one that vanished before identification, another that observed her from a tree branch for five full minutes. Each time, Cinder detected their presence moments before she did.
As dusk painted the sky orange, reality settled in. Her Pokégear map revealed Violet City remained disappointingly distant. She stopped, Cinder looking up at her hesitation.
"...We're not making it."
He chirped questioningly. "I know Mum warned about this, distances look shorter on maps."
Cinder tilted his head, seeming to process. "Never mind."
Fortunately, designated campsites dotted the route. She found one just as sunset approached: a small clearing beneath towering trees, complete with a stone fire ring and a Ranger-maintained water pump. Far enough from the trail for privacy, yet not deep wilderness—perfect.
Ravina dropped her pack with a thud. "Home."
Cinder surveyed their temporary domain. "For tonight," she amended.
His nose twitched, already investigating every blade of grass and tree trunk with thorough interest.
- - - - -
Chapter 9.8
The tent took Ravina twenty-six minutes.
Four of those minutes involved Cinder sitting on part of it. "Move."
Cinder did not. "You're on the tent."
He stared at her for a long moment. "I require that part."
No response.
Annoyingly, when Ravina reached toward him, Cinder darted away.
"Oh, you little..."
The clearing filled with laughter for a few more minutes but eventually the tent stood. Mostly. Ravina decided not to look too critically at the left side.
Dinner was simple. Dried vegetables, rice, a little meat for Ravina, carefully portioned Pokémon food for Cinder. She checked his paws afterward, his rear leg, his water intake, everything Nostus had drilled into her.
Then Ravina sat near the small campfire with her journal resting against one knee, Cinder curled beside her. Above them, the forest darkened, and neither noticed the eyes watching from the trees.
- - - - -
Chapter 9.9
The Hoothoot detected the disturbance before sunset. Humans occasionally used this clearing. Usually they were loud, arrived late, left early, their routines inconsistent.
This one was different.
The small Fire-type methodically walked the perimeter twice. The human erected a fabric shelter. They ate. The human examined the Fire-type's paws. Then they sat quietly by the fire.
Interesting.
The Hoothoot remained on its branch, unblinking. Watching.
An hour passed. Then another. Finally, the human crawled into the fabric shelter. The Fire-type followed, disappearing inside.
The Hoothoot hopped from branch to branch with soundless precision, talons gripping bark without disturbing a single leaf. He descended carefully until he had a view through the shelter's open gap. His large eyes took in everything with meticulous detail: her fingers lingering in his fur, soft murmurs that weren't commands but something else entirely. The Hoothoot grew intrigued as he realized her intentions surpassed friendship, subtle shifts in her posture and the Fire-type's responses speaking of an intimacy he hadn't observed before between trainer and Pokémon. The way she traced patterns on his back, how he pressed closer with soft chirps of contentment—it spoke of a language beyond battle commands and training routines. The Hoothoot tilted his head, noting how the tent's fabric muffled their voices but couldn't conceal the warmth between them, a connection defying the typical boundaries he'd witnessed between trainers and companions.
The human removed her shirt, the fabric whispering against her skin as she discarded it to the side. Her fingers traced deliberate patterns across the Fire-type's growing arousal, the heat radiating from his body intensifying under her touch. A soft chirp escaped him, his back vents flickering with mounting anticipation as she lowered her lips to his member, the warmth of her breath sending shivers through his frame. The Hoothoot observed it all without blinking, cataloguing every detail of their shared desire as her tongue worked along his length with practiced familiarity. The Fire-type's gasps grew urgent as his climax approached, his hips trembling against her mouth until he released with a sharp cry that barely registered beyond the tent walls as his trainer swallowed every drop of seed. oblivious to her secret audience.
His gaze remained fixed as she repositioned herself, removing the last of her clothing with deliberate movements. The human's fingers guided the Fire-type between her legs with surprising tenderness, their positions shifting as she offered herself to him. The Hoothoot's head tilted slightly as he registered the gentleness of their coupling, nothing like the desperate motions he'd witnessed in other forest encounters. This was deliberate, careful, almost reverent.
The human's breathing quickened, her back arching as the Fire-type moved within her, his small body pressing against her with increasing urgency. The Hoothoot blinked once, processing the intimacy of the scene. This was not mating in the way he understood it. Something else entirely.
Then a whisper of sound carried through the fabric, soft enough to be missed by less attentive ears. "I love you."
The Hoothoot remained perfectly still. The Fire-type responded with a single contented chirp, his movement never faltering. The human gasped, her fingers digging into his back as she reached her peak. Together they shuddered, breathing in ragged unison before settling into stillness.
The Hoothoot stayed on his branch for another hour. After their breathing evened, the human pulled the Fire-type against her chest, murmuring affection until both drifted toward sleep.
- - - - -
Chapter 9.10
The Hoothoot waited until its internal rhythm demanded precision.
Hoot.
Ravina's eyes fluttered open. "...What?"
Cinder's head lifted, ears swiveling.
Silence settled again.
Ravina closed her eyes.
Hoot.
One eyelid cracked open. "No."
Cinder stared toward the tent entrance. "Bird."
Another call came from nearby as Ravina burrowed deeper. "Bird can bird quietly," she hissed into the blanket.
Minutes passed. Then:
rustle.
Ravina's eyes shot open. That wasn't bird.
Another rustle.
Outside. Specifically...
Ravina sat bolt upright. "...My bag."
Cinder stood alert as Ravina unzipped the tent. Cold night air bit at her face. Moonlight silvered the clearing. At first, nothing.
Then Cinder chirped sharply. Ravina followed his gaze. Beside their supplies stood a round brown Pokémon perfectly balanced on one foot. A packet of dried berries protruded from its beak.
Trainer and Pokémon stared. The Hoothoot froze mid-motion.
The Hoothoot stared.
Cinder stared.
"...That's my breakfast."
The Hoothoot blinked slowly, deliberately.
Then Cinder's back erupted in flames. The result was immediate. The Hoothoot launched upward.
"Cinder!"
Wings beat frantically against the night. The bird collided with a branch, corrected, and vanished into the canopy.
Cinder's flames died as Ravina sighed. "You scared him."
Cinder looked offended. A chirp.
"He was stealing food," she explained, "not attacking us."
Another chirp. "Yes, I appreciate the security."
Another chirp. Ravina recovered the damaged packet. "...Mostly."
Two red eyes watched from another tree. Ravina didn't notice.
Cinder did. His head tilted upward. The eyes vanished.
- - - - -
Chapter 9.11
Morning light filtered through the canopy, dappled patterns dancing across the clearing as Ravina packed her supplies. Cinder paused mid-roll in the dirt, his entire body tensing as ears swiveled toward a nearby oak.
Ravina followed his gaze. There it was again, The Hoothoot perched on a branch, perfectly still. Watching.
“…You.”
Hoot.
Ravina planted hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the avian thief. “You stole my breakfast.”
Hoot.
“And you watched us all night.”
Silence stretched between them, broken only by a distant woodpecker.
“And unless I'm mistaken, you've been sitting there for at least half an hour, studying our routine.”
Hoot.
Ravina tilted her head, considering. “What do you want?”
The Hoothoot mirrored her movement, head tilting in precise unison. Cinder instinctively stepped closer.
The bird's body tensed instantly, feathers puffing slightly as it prepared for flight. Ravina noticed the subtle shift in posture.
“Easy.”
Cinder halted, flames on his back dimming. The Hoothoot relaxed marginally, though its grip on the branch remained tight.
Interesting pattern.
Ravina slowly crouched, testing her theory. “So sudden movement bothers you.”
One enormous eye remained fixed on her as she reached into her food bag with deliberate slowness.
She produced a single berry, holding it up between thumb and forefinger. The Hoothoot stared intently, its gaze unwavering.
“You can have this one.”
Nothing. No movement, no response.
“Without stealing it.”
Hoot.
“That wasn't an agreement,” Ravina murmured, placing the berry on a weathered stump and backing away.
For nearly a minute, nothing happened. The forest held its breath. Then, with calculated precision, the Hoothoot descended.
One branch. Then another. Then the ground.
He approached the berry cautiously, snatched it in a swift motion, and retreated to a higher branch where he consumed it with methodical bites, never once removing his gaze from Ravina.
Ravina smiled as Cinder watched the Hoothoot finish, his gaze then shifting pointedly to their remaining food supplies.
"No."
Hoot.
"Rather demanding for someone I've known less than twenty-four hours."
The Hoothoot tilted his head in perfect synchronization, and Ravina glanced toward Cinder. Something unspoken passed between them as the Fire-type stepped forward into the clearing, his posture shifting from companion to fighter.
The Hoothoot straightened, and Ravina recognized that stance. Not fear, but challenge. The bird's wings spread slightly, a silent invitation to test each other.
"Oh."
Cinder's flames flickered to life, casting dancing shadows across the clearing. Ravina's fingers moved deliberately toward her belt, closing around one of the empty Poké Balls for the first time since Elm had handed them to her. The plastic suddenly felt heavier in her palm, more significant.
"Alright," she said, meeting Cinder's gaze. "But controlled."
He chirped his understanding, flames steady now.
Ravina's lips curved into a determined smile. "Let's see if he wants to join our little adventure."
- - - - -
Chapter 9.12
The battle unfolded differently from her encounters with Joey or Silver. Hoothoot embodied patience, countering Cinder's lunge by launching into the air with impossible grace.
"Don't chase!"
Cinder skidded to a halt, claws digging into soil. Hoothoot circled overhead, each wingbeat precise. Ravina observed the pattern: sudden movements created distance, commands altered trajectories. She fell silent, adjusting her strategy.
"Cinder."
His ear twitched. She lowered her voice. "Wait."
Two fingers pointed downward, their practiced signal. Cinder crouched, muscles coiled. Hoothoot descended, landing farther away, head cocked at an angle.
"There," Ravina breathed.
She guided Cinder with subtle hand gestures. He circled slowly, avoiding direct advances. Hoothoot recalculated position with each movement. Patiently, Ravina compressed his territory, shrinking his comfort zone without triggering flight.
Finally, Hoothoot launched.
"Smokescreen."
The cloud erupted strategically, not at the bird but across one side of the clearing. Hoothook veered away—exactly where Ravina wanted him.
"Now."
Cinder surged forward as Hoothoot landed. The impact sent the bird tumbling across grass. Ravina's heart raced.
"Stop!"
Cinder froze mid-motion, allowing Hoothoot time to recover. The bird rose unsteadily, still watching as Ravina's fingers found the Poké Ball on her belt. Professor Elm's words returned: Pokémon weren't souvenirs. She didn't need every encounter. This one could still fly away.
Ravina held the Ball but didn't throw it. "Hey."
Hoothoot stared.
"You've followed us since yesterday."
Hoot.
"You've stolen from me."
Hoot.
"And apparently you wanted to test us."
Cinder puffed with pride as Ravina smiled faintly. "So..."
She raised the Ball. "If you don't want this, fly away."
The forest went quiet. Hoothoot looked upward. Nothing stopped him. The trees were right there.
Then he looked toward Cinder. Toward Ravina. Toward the campsite. And he remained where he was.
Ravina breathed out. "Alright." And she threw.
The Poké Ball struck gently and a red light engulfed the Hoothoot, then the Ball landed in the grass.
Ravina and Cinder froze as the ball shook.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Click.
Then silence.
Ravina stared. "...Did that work?"
Cinder chirped enthusiastically. "I know what the sound means."
Another chirp. "I'm having a moment."
She walked toward the Ball and carefully picked it up. Her first capture. Not a Pokémon Elm had introduced her to. Not a partner assigned through paperwork.
A wild Pokémon had noticed her little campsite, watched her for half the night, stolen breakfast and somehow decided to stay.
Ravina smiled at the accomplishment. Then immediately opened the Ball.
Light spilled across the clearing and Hoothoot appeared again.
He stared at her, Ravina stared back, then his eyes moved toward the food bag.
"No."
Hoot.
"You already stole breakfast."
Hoot.
"No."
Hoot.
Ravina sighed and Cinder looked enormously amused.
"You're not helping."
She crouched in front of the Hoothoot. "You need a name."
The bird stared. "Something dignified."
Cinder sat beside her. "Archimedes?"
Nothing. "Professor Feathers?"
Cinder made a noise. "Don't judge me."
The Hoothoot's eyes remained enormous and unreadable.
Ravina thought.
Then smiled. "...Owlbert."
The Hoothoot blinked and Ravina's grin widened. "Oh."
Hoot.
"You hate it."
Hoot.
"Perfect." She scratched gently beneath his chin. "Owlbert."
For several seconds he resisted, then slowly leaned into her fingers. Ravina's smile softened and Cinder approached.
Owlbert watched him as Cinder sniffed. Owlbert allowed it. And there, beside a half-packed campsite somewhere between Cherrygrove and Violet City, Ravina Shales's team became two.
Cinder.
Owlbert.
Ravina looked at them both, then toward the road ahead.
"Okay." She stood. "One Gym."
Cinder chirped.
Owlbert hooted.
Ravina narrowed her eyes. "Neither of you start."
The forest answered with another quiet hoot. And somewhere ahead, Violet City waited.