- Partners
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A thunderous crash followed by a scream of panic echoed through the vacant building. Baram Kim broke from his work-induced trance with a start, on his feet so quickly that he nearly knocked over the small table his laptop was set up on. Before the interruption, he had been feverishly typing the weekly dividends into a spreadsheet.
“What happened?!” he shouted to his crew outside.
“A stack of boxes fell over by themselves!” came the reply of one of his newer employees. A meek and dainty young woman by the name of Tina Evans.
“Nothing just falls by itself, Evans,” he replied. “Tell your Gurdurr to stack them up properly next time.” Pokemon laborers were particularly useful for physical work, but they had their limitations. There was the hassle of obedience, as well as their not being able to follow directions as accurately. Ultimately, there was no replacing humans or even machines when it came to certain things.
Baram Kim sat back down in the office he had commandeered. He was not an unintelligent man, he simply didn't do well in school. His parents were hoping he would become a lawyer or a politician, but he had disappointed them by coming to own a renovation company. The fact that he was as rich and successful as any white-collar worker meant nothing. To them, manual labor was something for Pokemon and people who had nowhere else to go and were too good for the service industry. Their attitude towards him was part of the reason he had moved to Sinnoh from his home region.
He and his partner – Kim Fairplay – built Kim and Kim Reno on the simple concept of hard work and efficiency. If anyone were to ask him what he considered their biggest accomplishment, he would answer it was the former Snowpoint Gym – now a spa resort where you could go for a dip before having a battle.
Their team was presently working at the former site of a Magcargo Express warehouse in Veilstone City. There had been attempts to redevelop in the past, but they had fallen through between lesser companies backing out of their contracts and the previous owners getting cold feet at the sunk cost. So long as the new owners continued to pay them, he intended to see the project through.
There came another crash from outside. He made one quick fix to the spreadsheet, a simple caps thing that could not go ignored. Kimberly would lose her mind if he uppercased the word ‘Pokemon’. Then he rose, adjusting his clothing as he did so. He exhaled sharply and cracked his knuckles before stepping out to speak with his workers face to face.
Befitting a former warehouse, one large room took up most of the building. Baram was uncertain why a restauranteur bought the place, though it was not his job to question their logic. He found his staff and the incident quickly enough, near the center of the room. Accidents came with the job, but two in five minutes was unacceptable.
“Evans!” he barked, eyes almost bulging from their sockets as they flicked at the large wooden crate lying on the floor. “That box has fragile pots and plates inside of it. If those turn out to be damaged, I am going to hold you accountable for all the costs.”
The red-haired woman dropped the broom she had been sweeping with, and it fell onto the table they had set up for tools and beverages. She put up her hands and opened her mouth, yet shrank back behind her Gurdurr. She gave no explanation.
“Mr. Kim, sir,” one of his longer-tenured employees stepped forward and cleared his throat. Hiro Nakamura was a tall yet tough man with a business acumen, who Baram would on certain days trust more than his partner. “They were right flat on top of each other.”
Baram crossed his arms. He spoke slowly and deliberately. “Then can you explain how this box fell over?” he inquired. He turned to each of the five workers on duty, but did not receive an answer. He put his hands behind his back. “None of you?”
A muffled yet mocking laugh rang out in response. A male's voice.
“Which one of you is doing that?” Baram demanded. He clenched his fists. He knew better than to actually swing them, but their sudden audacity was making him wish he could do so.
Nakamura bowed profusely. “Sir, we would never–”
He was interrupted by another laugh, this one more hollow. None of them were hiding their mouths, and none of their lips were moving. It was not just them in this building.
“Show yourself!” he demanded, and to the prankster's credit, they answered. They stepped, or rather, floated out from behind some more crates. Baram Kim was by no means an expert on Pokemon. However, he knew one when he saw one. It was a vaguely humanoid mass of dark mist, wearing a cracked yellow construction helmet as if in mockery of their trade.
“I should've known there would be ghosts here,” mused Nakamura. “The place was abandoned for a year and a half.”
“I don't care who or what they are,” said Baram. “If they're messing with this place, they're messing with our work.”
The Pokemon's mouth curved like a hook. “I wonder if you'll be the ones…” it whispered. Baram involuntarily shuddered. Its lips moved, and yet somehow this Pokemon spoke plain English. What was most unsettling to Baram was that he not only heard it with his ears, he heard it in his head.
He forced a sneer. “Enough, get rid of this thing.” He turned to his employees expectantly.
“You don't have to tell me twice!” Evans said, turning to her Pokemon. “Muscles, Knock Off!”
“Back her up, Rotom!” said Wong, their electrician. “Use Shadow Ball!”
Their own ghost flew up and expelled a sphere of pure darkness, as the burly Pokemon picked up its metal beam and rushed in to swing it. However, the Rotom was intercepted by a fox-like creature who came out of nowhere, the attack fizzling out against its pale body. The phantom lazily floated up to avoid the Knock Off.
A shadow dive-bombed down from the ceiling. It struck the burly Pokemon, making it cry out in pain. The Pokemon twirled as a flourish, revealing itself to be a four-winged bat of some kind. Meanwhile, the fox had pounced on Rotom, striking out with its claws in a way that made the ghostly ball of plasma screech in pain.
“Weak…” the phantom whispered, dismissively waving a hand.
“Discharge, Rotom!” cried Wong.
Evans gasped. “Wait! Get down, everyone!”
Baram didn't have to be told twice, but some of his employees and their Gurdurr were caught in the blast of electricity that went everywhere. The burly Pokemon and the men crumpled over in agony – including Wong himself. To make matters worse, their three assailants remained floating.
“I tire of this,” said the phantom, turning to its underlings. “You know what to do.”
The bat began to flap its wings, and a dark haze started spreading all over the room. The fox moved to continue attacking Rotom, and the humanoid phantom rushed toward them.
“You monster!” shouted Baram. He grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on – a blowtorch. Realizing what he held, he gripped the handle and squeezed it right as the ghost drew near. It growled and clutched at its head in pain as the flames seared its face.
In irritation, it lashed out and grabbed him by the throat. All at once, the air left Baram's lungs. The torch clattered at his feet as his muscles stopped answering his mind's orders.
“Not bad,” it said, eyes glowing violet. “But not good enough.”
A fist slammed into him from behind and knocked the wind out of him. As the dark energy flowed into his body, Baram Kim felt an agony unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. All the feeling left his muscles, all the air left his lungs, his ears felt as though they might rupture, and his heart felt like it might burn through his chest.
There was a voice. Distorted. Whose? Baram couldn't place. He shifted involuntarily. All was a blur. Yet a figure stood before him. Kid-sized? The man's mouth opened. He mumbled a word before everything truly went dark. Despite his state, Baram heard well what he spoke, repeated from what he'd heard echoing through the reaches of his mind.
Ghoul.
It was a gorgeous afternoon in late September. Autumn was Nariya Yaznik's favorite season. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold. There was no pollen to make her allergies act up like there would be in spring. The trees were always so colorful. There were fallen leaves to rake up, sure, but the Acolytes and other helpers around the shrine were keeping the ground spotless. Not that she would mind if they asked her to help.
Nariya was sitting patiently on her knees on an outdoor tatami, simply enjoying the gentle breeze. She was a tall girl, 209 cm in height the last time she measured, with black hair and dressed in comfortable sweatpants, a gray jacket, and an orange shirt.
It was perfectly peaceful until a sudden shout pierced the air, startling her. “Read all about it! Renovation Crew Injured in Mysterious Pokemon Attack!”
A short teenager with chestnut colored hair came parading onto the grounds of the Kannagi Shrine, a light blue set of papers in hand. He wore well-worn blue jeans held up by a belt with a gray t-shirt with the logo of Sunyshore Gym on it. His soft red eyes were alight with glee. A squirrel Pokemon was following behind him, his sleek fur a vivid blue and white.
“Oh. Hi, Nori,” she said as he approached. It was not an uncommon sight to see him up at the Kannagi Shrine, despite his apatheism. He was a good friend of Lady Prema Kannagi, her only real friend these days. Nori was more of an acquaintance to Nariya herself, particularly given his personality felt so overwhelming. “Prema had to step inside, if you were wondering.”
He shrugged. “Ah well, I can wait. Oh! And Yumi says hi.”
“Okay?” They had not spoken since Yumi left the activist group they were formerly in. It was a surprise she even remembered her. The little Pachirisu, Pachi, waved to her with his stubby little arms. Nariya waved back before turning to Nori. “Um, sorry if this is impertinent. What was with…the dramatic introduction?”
“Get it from a friend of mine back in Sunyshore. We were in the news club together, and she always did that when handing out newsletters.” He chuckled slightly. “So have you heard about what happened at the old warehouse YAMS used to use last night?”
Nariya shook her head, no. “I don't really…look at the news. I know…um, you and Lady Prema enjoy it, however.”
“You should check this one out. It's right here on the bottom of the front page.” He handed her a sheet which appeared to be his school newsletter. “It has this reporter's firsthand account of happening upon the scene!”
Nariya obliged, simply out of politeness and worrying about what he would think if she said no. Reading it over, it was not difficult to see why he would be interested, besides being the one to discover the incident. It took her two minutes to get through the short article, as she was not a fast reader by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, she was able to glean something from it. “Oh, I see. You're thinking they might be Pokemon you might be rehabilitating?”
“Yup!” he said. "Well, only one of them and now that you mention it, but still!" Nariya didn't quite get what he meant, but it didn't seem her speculation was wrong. That was a relief.
“But you're still…rehabilitating that Pawniard. R-right?”
He paused and turned away. “Yeah, I know. And that's not going so well. I took him to train in the wild yesterday, but…” He shook his head. Nariya may not have been the best at recognizing social cues, but he spelled out his discomfort clear as glass. “Oh, never mind. So how've you been?”
“Oh, I've just been me.” She was uncertain of how to answer that question when it was asked. She didn't feel her life was very interesting. The most that could be said of it was that she was friends with the future head priestess of a major religion. Regardless of that, she still felt an obligation to maintain a degree of professional conduct around someone so revered. It made their friendship somewhat awkward, to say the least.
At that moment, Lady Prema herself exited the shrine. She had an elegant step, her forest green hair billowing as she moved. She was in her formal Kannagi Shrine robe, beautiful violet attire reminiscent of a traditional jōe except with longer sleeves, which had gold trim along various parts of it. Her eyes fell upon the young male at once.
“It is good to see you, Nori,” she spoke, a smile as bright as the sun upon her face. “I was not expecting you to visit today.”
He laughed. “Thought I'd come by. I wanted to talk to you about a few things.”
She lowered her head. “I see,” she said. “What is it that you wished to speak about?”
After a brief pause. Nori clapped his hands. “Well, first,” he said, both hands on the papers he had brought. “Did you hear what happened down near the old Magcargo Express last night?”
Prema looked up. After a momentary pause of her own, she said, “Yes, although I cannot confess to knowing in detail.”
“It's really crazy,” Nori explained, running over to meet her halfway. He practically forced the paper into her hands. “They got attacked by Pokemon. A Crobat, a Sinnohite Zoroark, and one other – might be a Dusclops or Dusknoir from the sounds of it, knowing what's native. I found them by accident! Got some bystanders to help and went right in there to investigate! Some of them were delirious, mumbling about a ghoul.”
“It is not unusual for Pokemon to come to inhabit a place that humanity left behind,” Prema remarked as she read the article. “These miniature colonies gather together for their own benefit and protection, much like groups of similar species in the wild.”
“Still, it's crazy! They attacked unprovoked from the sounds of it, and in the city no less!”
He was correct. Although her parents had yet to permit her to have Pokemon of her own, Nariya had been studying extensively for when that day hopefully came. “They can be territorial, but they…human territory, respect it too…” She cursed her lack of articulation. She knew all these big words, but when it came time to speak, her tongue often got tangled.
Thankfully, both of her friends understood. “Yeah, they don't get this violent in urban areas,” Nori remarked. “Even then, you have to go to the deep wilds to see ones like this!”
“As every person is different, so too is every Pokemon. The ones inhabiting this abandoned warehouse are unlike most urban Pokemon. While I cannot speak as to why they act this way, I am certain they have their reasons.” She moved to give Nori his newsletter back, although he motioned she could keep it. “What else did you wish to see me about?”
“So the second thing is,” he said, “Since you didn't say, what were your initial impressions of Pawniard?”
Nori Carino was a – or more accurately, the – Pokemon Rehibilitator. He thought differently from most people when it came to the eponymous Pocket Monsters. Nori was someone who took troubled Pokemon that no one else was willing to (or able to) touch and gave them a final chance to reform.
Mention of his assignment made Nariya tense up. Prema had voiced her concerns to her in private. She feared the effect it would have on Nori's performance if she was honest with him. She could offer no advice to her friend, and now, he was posing the question at her directly in lieu of her giving an answer earlier. There would be no evading the question this time.
“Nori…” she started, hesitating a second too long.
His expression darkened a little. He took a step closer. “You think he's irredeemable, don't you?” he asked, with unveiled concern and a touch of frustration.
Prema remained still. Nori kept looking, almost pleading with her. Nariya wanted to do something to break the tension, but she didn't know what, if anything, she could do. Thus, she helplessly watched on.
“I suppose it would be for the best to tell you,” Prema soon said. “I sensed an implacable malice within your Pawniard I have felt in but a few Pokemon before. I would not go as far as saying he is irredeemable, however. It will simply be a far more difficult task than with the Demon Nidorina, who was merely misunderstood and seeking a purpose.”
Nori slowly nodded, processing her assessment. He looked up at the skies, putting a hand in his pocket. Prema had explained to her that there were such things as evil Pokemon, despite what some might claim. She did actually not use that word in her description of the Pokemon which once belonged to a serial killer. Yet even Nariya, for all her difficulty with reading others, had a feeling she was simply choosing not to speak it aloud.
Ultimately, Nori grinned and let out a chuckle. Granted, he had experienced situations far more hopeless in the past year, so his positive attitude came as little surprise to Nariya.
“I kind of figured,” he spoke, somewhat subdued but not fettered by her words. “Both from how you clammed up like a Shellder and from what I've been seeing.”
Prema closed her eyes and folded her hands. “Nori. If you at any point feel you are unable to handle this Pokemon, do not hesitate to tell the Officials as such.”
“I know, I know!” he echoed. “I can recall Pokemon really fast if I need to. It won't come to that, though. I'll find a way to rein him in, just you wait!”
Her friend chuckled softly. Nariya had to as well. She had to admit, she wished she had Nori Carino's shining optimism. Even if it bordered on the absurd like it was at that moment. Maybe that stubborn streak was precisely what it took to do what he did.
“We are having a late lunch if you wish to join us,” Prema offered with a bow. She smiled a little. “I take it you also wished to spend time here, given our time the other day got cut short?”
“Yup!” he confirmed, looking at his Pachirisu as he did so. “If you don't mind, that is.”
“Of course.” She beckoned for them to sit down.
Nariya lowered her head. It was not that she did not want Nori to be present, she simply felt overshadowed whenever he was around. She always had trouble socializing, due to being autistic. Plus, he was so good to Prema, bringing out sides of her few others were able to. He was perhaps the only person in the world who was both positive and without predilection for her.
Nariya wished she could do more for Prema, to be a better friend for her…
Prema Kannagi was able to spend an hour with her friends before they had to leave – Nori to get back home in time for dinner, and Nariya because her parents dropped by to pick her up. She was eternally grateful to have both of them in her life.
She had met them in August of last year when attending a youth protest group's meeting. Although her friendship with Nori started at the time, it was not truly cemented until a chance encounter last June, the same month she re-met and befriended Nariya. Until Nori, the only ones she had meaningfully interacted with were family, the shrine's faithful, shrine-goers, or random people who recognized her in public. Even Nariya counted among the second group. Although upon further consideration, there was one more person she supposed could be a friend on their level, whom she wanted to speak with.
She found Priestess Satomi tending to the garden. A woman who was close to eighty years her senior, clad in a robe much like her own save for the trim being silver. She was a mentor figure to Prema, having been with the shrine since her great-grandfather was the head priest. She had served four generations of Kannagis, including herself. Whenever Prema had a question about her duties she did not feel comfortable speaking about with her father, she would turn to Satomi Kurusu.
“Lady Kannagi,” the elderly woman greeted, deeply bowing. As with just about everyone, Satomi regarded her with the highest respect even in informal situations. “Always glad to see you grace me with your presence. To what do I owe this visit?”
Prema bowed in return. “Priestess Satomi, I have an ethical dilemma. I was hoping to have your thoughts on the matter.”
“But of course, Lady Kannagi.” She beckoned for her to come closer to speak privately. In a more hushed tone of voice, she asked, “What's on your mind?”
Prema serenely shut her eyes and lowered her head with shame. The sensation in the back of her throat made it somewhat difficult to speak, but she did so regardless.
“When and how often is dishonesty acceptable?”
Her elderly mentor rolled her head. “That depends on the context, Lady Kannagi. Take it this is about Nori Carino again?”
Prema felt like she might suddenly suffocate. “Yes,” she admitted, not expecting Priestess Satomi to see through her. “Twice now I was forced to speak with him about a subject I wished to avoid.”
“Well, big difference between that and lying. You told him honest when he asked, didn't you?”
“Perhaps so.” She turned away slightly. It still did not feel right.
“There now,” her mentor said, gently massaging her shoulders. “Think of it this way. If you spoke your mind all the time, you're bound to say something you shouldn't. Feelings could get hurt! Secrets could come out! You did not tell him of your position as you were afraid of being judged. You did not tell him what you thought of that Pawniard since you were afraid he would get discouraged.”
The irony therein was that those turned out to be unfounded. He thought nothing of her being a priestess, and was not deterred by her impressions of the Pawniard once belonging to Lochlyn Nuzzo. “I feel it improper to get into the habit of being disingenuous. Yet I also do not wish to say something I should not.” It was applicable whether it was speaking too much about her work or saying something socially unacceptable.
“Lady Kannagi, I believe it's going to take far more than you're capable of to diminish that boy's trust,” she replied at once. “Now if I got him right, he values you far too much to throw your friendship away. Why else would someone who doesn't care for religion as he does – speaking nothing of his mom – hang around with you?” The woman's crooked, wry smirk brought a faint smile to Prema's own lips. “If by chance he does, well. You know what I always say: a Kecleon can't hide their stripes!”
“I suppose you are correct.” She prayed it would never come to that, for she valued Nori just as much in return. If only that was the end of it. “Yet I told him an outright lie today, as well.”
She blinked. “Oh? What did you say?”
She averted her gaze involuntarily for a fleeting moment. “He had brought a news article he had written on the incident at the former Magcargo Express building. Apparently, he was also the one who discovered it.”
“Ah, now that's quite a coincidence, is it not?” She laughed, although Prema failed to find the humor in it. “The very place you will be going to for a little exor-cise in a couple days.” She laughed again, this time at her own pun.
“Yes. He asked if I had heard of it, and I told him I had not.”
“Maybe you could ask him to lend a hand!” She once again chuckled. “You should know he's a bang-up Pokemon Trainer himself!”
“You know I cannot do that, Priestess Satomi.” Nori was not a member of their shrine. He would not be permitted to accompany her on this excursion, and he had made his stance on religion perfectly clear. Moreover, part of the reason why she had lied was that he would surely insist on helping if he knew of her involvement.
Priestess Satomi rolled her shoulders. “Well, in any case, I am certain that if and when he finds out, he will understand,” the elderly woman assured her. “He has his own job to attend to. You can later tell him with honesty that you did not want to worry him.”
“I was not considering it from that perspective. I was thinking of stating it was shrine business.” A groan escaped her, spawned from discomfort. She was discussing excuses for dishonesty. If you were a beggar for three days, you could not stop. Therefore, it was not something Prema wished to make habitual.
“Besides, the mayor said to keep it hush. For all the public knows, a trainer's coming in to deal with rogue Pokemon.”
Having to lie to cover for others' lies. Her father had once spoken to her about that issue. It perhaps was the most absolute reason, yet one that left the most bitter taste in her mouth. “I suppose it cannot be helped.”
She winked. “If it's still that big a worry, just tell him. I'm sure he'll keep quiet and respect your decisions. And don't forget, you got your friend Nariya to lean on too for these things.”
Prema nodded. “Thank you, Priestess Satomi.” Her word was implicit permission, should the need and opportunity arise.
“Anytime, Lady Kannagi.” She gave a salute.
Her mind was as eased as it could get over the matter. A necessity. For in two days' time, she would be performing an exorcism. She could not afford to have any doubt in her heart when it came time to soothe the restless spirits haunting the old warehouse.
“What happened?!” he shouted to his crew outside.
“A stack of boxes fell over by themselves!” came the reply of one of his newer employees. A meek and dainty young woman by the name of Tina Evans.
“Nothing just falls by itself, Evans,” he replied. “Tell your Gurdurr to stack them up properly next time.” Pokemon laborers were particularly useful for physical work, but they had their limitations. There was the hassle of obedience, as well as their not being able to follow directions as accurately. Ultimately, there was no replacing humans or even machines when it came to certain things.
Baram Kim sat back down in the office he had commandeered. He was not an unintelligent man, he simply didn't do well in school. His parents were hoping he would become a lawyer or a politician, but he had disappointed them by coming to own a renovation company. The fact that he was as rich and successful as any white-collar worker meant nothing. To them, manual labor was something for Pokemon and people who had nowhere else to go and were too good for the service industry. Their attitude towards him was part of the reason he had moved to Sinnoh from his home region.
He and his partner – Kim Fairplay – built Kim and Kim Reno on the simple concept of hard work and efficiency. If anyone were to ask him what he considered their biggest accomplishment, he would answer it was the former Snowpoint Gym – now a spa resort where you could go for a dip before having a battle.
Their team was presently working at the former site of a Magcargo Express warehouse in Veilstone City. There had been attempts to redevelop in the past, but they had fallen through between lesser companies backing out of their contracts and the previous owners getting cold feet at the sunk cost. So long as the new owners continued to pay them, he intended to see the project through.
There came another crash from outside. He made one quick fix to the spreadsheet, a simple caps thing that could not go ignored. Kimberly would lose her mind if he uppercased the word ‘Pokemon’. Then he rose, adjusting his clothing as he did so. He exhaled sharply and cracked his knuckles before stepping out to speak with his workers face to face.
Befitting a former warehouse, one large room took up most of the building. Baram was uncertain why a restauranteur bought the place, though it was not his job to question their logic. He found his staff and the incident quickly enough, near the center of the room. Accidents came with the job, but two in five minutes was unacceptable.
“Evans!” he barked, eyes almost bulging from their sockets as they flicked at the large wooden crate lying on the floor. “That box has fragile pots and plates inside of it. If those turn out to be damaged, I am going to hold you accountable for all the costs.”
The red-haired woman dropped the broom she had been sweeping with, and it fell onto the table they had set up for tools and beverages. She put up her hands and opened her mouth, yet shrank back behind her Gurdurr. She gave no explanation.
“Mr. Kim, sir,” one of his longer-tenured employees stepped forward and cleared his throat. Hiro Nakamura was a tall yet tough man with a business acumen, who Baram would on certain days trust more than his partner. “They were right flat on top of each other.”
Baram crossed his arms. He spoke slowly and deliberately. “Then can you explain how this box fell over?” he inquired. He turned to each of the five workers on duty, but did not receive an answer. He put his hands behind his back. “None of you?”
A muffled yet mocking laugh rang out in response. A male's voice.
“Which one of you is doing that?” Baram demanded. He clenched his fists. He knew better than to actually swing them, but their sudden audacity was making him wish he could do so.
Nakamura bowed profusely. “Sir, we would never–”
He was interrupted by another laugh, this one more hollow. None of them were hiding their mouths, and none of their lips were moving. It was not just them in this building.
“Show yourself!” he demanded, and to the prankster's credit, they answered. They stepped, or rather, floated out from behind some more crates. Baram Kim was by no means an expert on Pokemon. However, he knew one when he saw one. It was a vaguely humanoid mass of dark mist, wearing a cracked yellow construction helmet as if in mockery of their trade.
“I should've known there would be ghosts here,” mused Nakamura. “The place was abandoned for a year and a half.”
“I don't care who or what they are,” said Baram. “If they're messing with this place, they're messing with our work.”
The Pokemon's mouth curved like a hook. “I wonder if you'll be the ones…” it whispered. Baram involuntarily shuddered. Its lips moved, and yet somehow this Pokemon spoke plain English. What was most unsettling to Baram was that he not only heard it with his ears, he heard it in his head.
He forced a sneer. “Enough, get rid of this thing.” He turned to his employees expectantly.
“You don't have to tell me twice!” Evans said, turning to her Pokemon. “Muscles, Knock Off!”
“Back her up, Rotom!” said Wong, their electrician. “Use Shadow Ball!”
Their own ghost flew up and expelled a sphere of pure darkness, as the burly Pokemon picked up its metal beam and rushed in to swing it. However, the Rotom was intercepted by a fox-like creature who came out of nowhere, the attack fizzling out against its pale body. The phantom lazily floated up to avoid the Knock Off.
A shadow dive-bombed down from the ceiling. It struck the burly Pokemon, making it cry out in pain. The Pokemon twirled as a flourish, revealing itself to be a four-winged bat of some kind. Meanwhile, the fox had pounced on Rotom, striking out with its claws in a way that made the ghostly ball of plasma screech in pain.
“Weak…” the phantom whispered, dismissively waving a hand.
“Discharge, Rotom!” cried Wong.
Evans gasped. “Wait! Get down, everyone!”
Baram didn't have to be told twice, but some of his employees and their Gurdurr were caught in the blast of electricity that went everywhere. The burly Pokemon and the men crumpled over in agony – including Wong himself. To make matters worse, their three assailants remained floating.
“I tire of this,” said the phantom, turning to its underlings. “You know what to do.”
The bat began to flap its wings, and a dark haze started spreading all over the room. The fox moved to continue attacking Rotom, and the humanoid phantom rushed toward them.
“You monster!” shouted Baram. He grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on – a blowtorch. Realizing what he held, he gripped the handle and squeezed it right as the ghost drew near. It growled and clutched at its head in pain as the flames seared its face.
In irritation, it lashed out and grabbed him by the throat. All at once, the air left Baram's lungs. The torch clattered at his feet as his muscles stopped answering his mind's orders.
“Not bad,” it said, eyes glowing violet. “But not good enough.”
A fist slammed into him from behind and knocked the wind out of him. As the dark energy flowed into his body, Baram Kim felt an agony unlike anything he had ever felt in his life. All the feeling left his muscles, all the air left his lungs, his ears felt as though they might rupture, and his heart felt like it might burn through his chest.
---
There was a voice. Distorted. Whose? Baram couldn't place. He shifted involuntarily. All was a blur. Yet a figure stood before him. Kid-sized? The man's mouth opened. He mumbled a word before everything truly went dark. Despite his state, Baram heard well what he spoke, repeated from what he'd heard echoing through the reaches of his mind.
Ghoul.
##########
Recollection I: Anima of Wrath
It was a gorgeous afternoon in late September. Autumn was Nariya Yaznik's favorite season. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold. There was no pollen to make her allergies act up like there would be in spring. The trees were always so colorful. There were fallen leaves to rake up, sure, but the Acolytes and other helpers around the shrine were keeping the ground spotless. Not that she would mind if they asked her to help.
Nariya was sitting patiently on her knees on an outdoor tatami, simply enjoying the gentle breeze. She was a tall girl, 209 cm in height the last time she measured, with black hair and dressed in comfortable sweatpants, a gray jacket, and an orange shirt.
It was perfectly peaceful until a sudden shout pierced the air, startling her. “Read all about it! Renovation Crew Injured in Mysterious Pokemon Attack!”
A short teenager with chestnut colored hair came parading onto the grounds of the Kannagi Shrine, a light blue set of papers in hand. He wore well-worn blue jeans held up by a belt with a gray t-shirt with the logo of Sunyshore Gym on it. His soft red eyes were alight with glee. A squirrel Pokemon was following behind him, his sleek fur a vivid blue and white.
“Oh. Hi, Nori,” she said as he approached. It was not an uncommon sight to see him up at the Kannagi Shrine, despite his apatheism. He was a good friend of Lady Prema Kannagi, her only real friend these days. Nori was more of an acquaintance to Nariya herself, particularly given his personality felt so overwhelming. “Prema had to step inside, if you were wondering.”
He shrugged. “Ah well, I can wait. Oh! And Yumi says hi.”
“Okay?” They had not spoken since Yumi left the activist group they were formerly in. It was a surprise she even remembered her. The little Pachirisu, Pachi, waved to her with his stubby little arms. Nariya waved back before turning to Nori. “Um, sorry if this is impertinent. What was with…the dramatic introduction?”
“Get it from a friend of mine back in Sunyshore. We were in the news club together, and she always did that when handing out newsletters.” He chuckled slightly. “So have you heard about what happened at the old warehouse YAMS used to use last night?”
Nariya shook her head, no. “I don't really…look at the news. I know…um, you and Lady Prema enjoy it, however.”
“You should check this one out. It's right here on the bottom of the front page.” He handed her a sheet which appeared to be his school newsletter. “It has this reporter's firsthand account of happening upon the scene!”
Nariya obliged, simply out of politeness and worrying about what he would think if she said no. Reading it over, it was not difficult to see why he would be interested, besides being the one to discover the incident. It took her two minutes to get through the short article, as she was not a fast reader by any stretch of the imagination. Nevertheless, she was able to glean something from it. “Oh, I see. You're thinking they might be Pokemon you might be rehabilitating?”
“Yup!” he said. "Well, only one of them and now that you mention it, but still!" Nariya didn't quite get what he meant, but it didn't seem her speculation was wrong. That was a relief.
“But you're still…rehabilitating that Pawniard. R-right?”
He paused and turned away. “Yeah, I know. And that's not going so well. I took him to train in the wild yesterday, but…” He shook his head. Nariya may not have been the best at recognizing social cues, but he spelled out his discomfort clear as glass. “Oh, never mind. So how've you been?”
“Oh, I've just been me.” She was uncertain of how to answer that question when it was asked. She didn't feel her life was very interesting. The most that could be said of it was that she was friends with the future head priestess of a major religion. Regardless of that, she still felt an obligation to maintain a degree of professional conduct around someone so revered. It made their friendship somewhat awkward, to say the least.
At that moment, Lady Prema herself exited the shrine. She had an elegant step, her forest green hair billowing as she moved. She was in her formal Kannagi Shrine robe, beautiful violet attire reminiscent of a traditional jōe except with longer sleeves, which had gold trim along various parts of it. Her eyes fell upon the young male at once.
“It is good to see you, Nori,” she spoke, a smile as bright as the sun upon her face. “I was not expecting you to visit today.”
He laughed. “Thought I'd come by. I wanted to talk to you about a few things.”
She lowered her head. “I see,” she said. “What is it that you wished to speak about?”
After a brief pause. Nori clapped his hands. “Well, first,” he said, both hands on the papers he had brought. “Did you hear what happened down near the old Magcargo Express last night?”
Prema looked up. After a momentary pause of her own, she said, “Yes, although I cannot confess to knowing in detail.”
“It's really crazy,” Nori explained, running over to meet her halfway. He practically forced the paper into her hands. “They got attacked by Pokemon. A Crobat, a Sinnohite Zoroark, and one other – might be a Dusclops or Dusknoir from the sounds of it, knowing what's native. I found them by accident! Got some bystanders to help and went right in there to investigate! Some of them were delirious, mumbling about a ghoul.”
“It is not unusual for Pokemon to come to inhabit a place that humanity left behind,” Prema remarked as she read the article. “These miniature colonies gather together for their own benefit and protection, much like groups of similar species in the wild.”
“Still, it's crazy! They attacked unprovoked from the sounds of it, and in the city no less!”
He was correct. Although her parents had yet to permit her to have Pokemon of her own, Nariya had been studying extensively for when that day hopefully came. “They can be territorial, but they…human territory, respect it too…” She cursed her lack of articulation. She knew all these big words, but when it came time to speak, her tongue often got tangled.
Thankfully, both of her friends understood. “Yeah, they don't get this violent in urban areas,” Nori remarked. “Even then, you have to go to the deep wilds to see ones like this!”
“As every person is different, so too is every Pokemon. The ones inhabiting this abandoned warehouse are unlike most urban Pokemon. While I cannot speak as to why they act this way, I am certain they have their reasons.” She moved to give Nori his newsletter back, although he motioned she could keep it. “What else did you wish to see me about?”
“So the second thing is,” he said, “Since you didn't say, what were your initial impressions of Pawniard?”
Nori Carino was a – or more accurately, the – Pokemon Rehibilitator. He thought differently from most people when it came to the eponymous Pocket Monsters. Nori was someone who took troubled Pokemon that no one else was willing to (or able to) touch and gave them a final chance to reform.
Mention of his assignment made Nariya tense up. Prema had voiced her concerns to her in private. She feared the effect it would have on Nori's performance if she was honest with him. She could offer no advice to her friend, and now, he was posing the question at her directly in lieu of her giving an answer earlier. There would be no evading the question this time.
“Nori…” she started, hesitating a second too long.
His expression darkened a little. He took a step closer. “You think he's irredeemable, don't you?” he asked, with unveiled concern and a touch of frustration.
Prema remained still. Nori kept looking, almost pleading with her. Nariya wanted to do something to break the tension, but she didn't know what, if anything, she could do. Thus, she helplessly watched on.
“I suppose it would be for the best to tell you,” Prema soon said. “I sensed an implacable malice within your Pawniard I have felt in but a few Pokemon before. I would not go as far as saying he is irredeemable, however. It will simply be a far more difficult task than with the Demon Nidorina, who was merely misunderstood and seeking a purpose.”
Nori slowly nodded, processing her assessment. He looked up at the skies, putting a hand in his pocket. Prema had explained to her that there were such things as evil Pokemon, despite what some might claim. She did actually not use that word in her description of the Pokemon which once belonged to a serial killer. Yet even Nariya, for all her difficulty with reading others, had a feeling she was simply choosing not to speak it aloud.
Ultimately, Nori grinned and let out a chuckle. Granted, he had experienced situations far more hopeless in the past year, so his positive attitude came as little surprise to Nariya.
“I kind of figured,” he spoke, somewhat subdued but not fettered by her words. “Both from how you clammed up like a Shellder and from what I've been seeing.”
Prema closed her eyes and folded her hands. “Nori. If you at any point feel you are unable to handle this Pokemon, do not hesitate to tell the Officials as such.”
“I know, I know!” he echoed. “I can recall Pokemon really fast if I need to. It won't come to that, though. I'll find a way to rein him in, just you wait!”
Her friend chuckled softly. Nariya had to as well. She had to admit, she wished she had Nori Carino's shining optimism. Even if it bordered on the absurd like it was at that moment. Maybe that stubborn streak was precisely what it took to do what he did.
“We are having a late lunch if you wish to join us,” Prema offered with a bow. She smiled a little. “I take it you also wished to spend time here, given our time the other day got cut short?”
“Yup!” he confirmed, looking at his Pachirisu as he did so. “If you don't mind, that is.”
“Of course.” She beckoned for them to sit down.
Nariya lowered her head. It was not that she did not want Nori to be present, she simply felt overshadowed whenever he was around. She always had trouble socializing, due to being autistic. Plus, he was so good to Prema, bringing out sides of her few others were able to. He was perhaps the only person in the world who was both positive and without predilection for her.
Nariya wished she could do more for Prema, to be a better friend for her…
---
Prema Kannagi was able to spend an hour with her friends before they had to leave – Nori to get back home in time for dinner, and Nariya because her parents dropped by to pick her up. She was eternally grateful to have both of them in her life.
She had met them in August of last year when attending a youth protest group's meeting. Although her friendship with Nori started at the time, it was not truly cemented until a chance encounter last June, the same month she re-met and befriended Nariya. Until Nori, the only ones she had meaningfully interacted with were family, the shrine's faithful, shrine-goers, or random people who recognized her in public. Even Nariya counted among the second group. Although upon further consideration, there was one more person she supposed could be a friend on their level, whom she wanted to speak with.
She found Priestess Satomi tending to the garden. A woman who was close to eighty years her senior, clad in a robe much like her own save for the trim being silver. She was a mentor figure to Prema, having been with the shrine since her great-grandfather was the head priest. She had served four generations of Kannagis, including herself. Whenever Prema had a question about her duties she did not feel comfortable speaking about with her father, she would turn to Satomi Kurusu.
“Lady Kannagi,” the elderly woman greeted, deeply bowing. As with just about everyone, Satomi regarded her with the highest respect even in informal situations. “Always glad to see you grace me with your presence. To what do I owe this visit?”
Prema bowed in return. “Priestess Satomi, I have an ethical dilemma. I was hoping to have your thoughts on the matter.”
“But of course, Lady Kannagi.” She beckoned for her to come closer to speak privately. In a more hushed tone of voice, she asked, “What's on your mind?”
Prema serenely shut her eyes and lowered her head with shame. The sensation in the back of her throat made it somewhat difficult to speak, but she did so regardless.
“When and how often is dishonesty acceptable?”
Her elderly mentor rolled her head. “That depends on the context, Lady Kannagi. Take it this is about Nori Carino again?”
Prema felt like she might suddenly suffocate. “Yes,” she admitted, not expecting Priestess Satomi to see through her. “Twice now I was forced to speak with him about a subject I wished to avoid.”
“Well, big difference between that and lying. You told him honest when he asked, didn't you?”
“Perhaps so.” She turned away slightly. It still did not feel right.
“There now,” her mentor said, gently massaging her shoulders. “Think of it this way. If you spoke your mind all the time, you're bound to say something you shouldn't. Feelings could get hurt! Secrets could come out! You did not tell him of your position as you were afraid of being judged. You did not tell him what you thought of that Pawniard since you were afraid he would get discouraged.”
The irony therein was that those turned out to be unfounded. He thought nothing of her being a priestess, and was not deterred by her impressions of the Pawniard once belonging to Lochlyn Nuzzo. “I feel it improper to get into the habit of being disingenuous. Yet I also do not wish to say something I should not.” It was applicable whether it was speaking too much about her work or saying something socially unacceptable.
“Lady Kannagi, I believe it's going to take far more than you're capable of to diminish that boy's trust,” she replied at once. “Now if I got him right, he values you far too much to throw your friendship away. Why else would someone who doesn't care for religion as he does – speaking nothing of his mom – hang around with you?” The woman's crooked, wry smirk brought a faint smile to Prema's own lips. “If by chance he does, well. You know what I always say: a Kecleon can't hide their stripes!”
“I suppose you are correct.” She prayed it would never come to that, for she valued Nori just as much in return. If only that was the end of it. “Yet I told him an outright lie today, as well.”
She blinked. “Oh? What did you say?”
She averted her gaze involuntarily for a fleeting moment. “He had brought a news article he had written on the incident at the former Magcargo Express building. Apparently, he was also the one who discovered it.”
“Ah, now that's quite a coincidence, is it not?” She laughed, although Prema failed to find the humor in it. “The very place you will be going to for a little exor-cise in a couple days.” She laughed again, this time at her own pun.
“Yes. He asked if I had heard of it, and I told him I had not.”
“Maybe you could ask him to lend a hand!” She once again chuckled. “You should know he's a bang-up Pokemon Trainer himself!”
“You know I cannot do that, Priestess Satomi.” Nori was not a member of their shrine. He would not be permitted to accompany her on this excursion, and he had made his stance on religion perfectly clear. Moreover, part of the reason why she had lied was that he would surely insist on helping if he knew of her involvement.
Priestess Satomi rolled her shoulders. “Well, in any case, I am certain that if and when he finds out, he will understand,” the elderly woman assured her. “He has his own job to attend to. You can later tell him with honesty that you did not want to worry him.”
“I was not considering it from that perspective. I was thinking of stating it was shrine business.” A groan escaped her, spawned from discomfort. She was discussing excuses for dishonesty. If you were a beggar for three days, you could not stop. Therefore, it was not something Prema wished to make habitual.
“Besides, the mayor said to keep it hush. For all the public knows, a trainer's coming in to deal with rogue Pokemon.”
Having to lie to cover for others' lies. Her father had once spoken to her about that issue. It perhaps was the most absolute reason, yet one that left the most bitter taste in her mouth. “I suppose it cannot be helped.”
She winked. “If it's still that big a worry, just tell him. I'm sure he'll keep quiet and respect your decisions. And don't forget, you got your friend Nariya to lean on too for these things.”
Prema nodded. “Thank you, Priestess Satomi.” Her word was implicit permission, should the need and opportunity arise.
“Anytime, Lady Kannagi.” She gave a salute.
Her mind was as eased as it could get over the matter. A necessity. For in two days' time, she would be performing an exorcism. She could not afford to have any doubt in her heart when it came time to soothe the restless spirits haunting the old warehouse.
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