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Pokémon Nori Carino: Abyssal Despair (COMPLETE!)

Chapter 40: Abyssal Hope New
  • Partners
    1. suikaibuki
    2. ranyakumo
    “Hey, Nor! Hope you had a good weekend! And way to go! I heard about the battle! Some of it got uploaded online! Bet you wanted people to see Qwilfish more than you, huh? But you did good! *pats*”

    Arumi had already emailed Nori by the time he checked it on Sunday evening. It was quiet over at the manga cafe, but the people he ran into were friendly. It was the final sign he needed to tell that things really were starting to return to normal.

    “I’ve been doing fine the past week! News has been slow, but I have stuff to talk about! Check my blog, you’ll like it! Hm, I wonder if us being friends makes talking about you a conflict of interest? :) Oh well, I did it anyway. ^^”

    At that paragraph, Nori went ahead and opened Arumi’s blog. There was indeed a little bit about his current situation. Mostly about Qwilfish herself, with a bit about the legal agreement conundrum. Her stance was neutral, as any good reporter should write. No doubt she would have written more passionately in his defense if she could. Actually, she pushed the line anyway.

    “So are you doing anything for Halloween? I’m going with mom and dad to cover Sunyshore’s 34th annual costume contest! Not to be confused with a Pokemon Contest. ;) Oh! And while I remember, have you gotten an invite to Gasha’s Lucky Potluck yet? That should be soon.

    Anyways, that’s about it from me. Talk more soon, BFF! Arumi signing off!”


    With a nod, he got to his reply immediately. “Thanks Arumi. Nice article. I heard earlier that Qwilfish is officially rehabilitated. Between us for now, I asked Prema Kannagi to take care of. Yes, it’s allowed, and she was happy to accept. I didn’t know if I could take care of her.”

    He looked at the third paragraph. “I never actually did anything for Halloween ever. I know, I know, it would’ve made sense to get free food. But I could never find a costume, and Claris never went when we were friends. Maybe I will this year?” He was still young enough!

    “And Gasha’s Lucky Potluck, no, I haven’t gotten an invite yet. But I probably will get one, now that you mention it.”[/i] He always heard about that on the local news every November. Entering was not compulsory. But the Demon and Pachi would like it. There would just be the complication with Pawniard. “Not sure what I’ll do. Guess we’ll see!”

    Nori paused and thought before his next paragraph. Arumi was always supportive, but she also wouldn’t lie to him when he had a question about something. She was one of the best people to ask about this, of those he was able to anyway.

    “By the way, about what those YAMS creeps said about the legal agreement. I have a counterargument in mind, and I want your opinion on it.”

    That was all he could think of. “Always nice to hear from my bestie. Write back as soon as you can! Nori, over and out!”

    He hit send and sat back with a smile before tending to the rest of his email.

    ---​

    Ayume Carino lowered her book as Nori stepped through the door. “You’re back early, Nori. I was just about to start making dinner.”

    “Hey ma,” he said. It was good to get as many opinions as possible. Especially if Arumi couldn’t answer before, like, noon tomorrow! “I’ve been thinking about my battle agreements and what those two creeps said. What do you think of this?”

    ##########​

    Prema Kannagi was in a small, mostly empty room in the Kannagi Shrine on Sunday evening. Even four months after settling into Veilstone City, they had yet to decide on a purpose. Thus, it was something of a de facto storage room, though at the moment there were only a few boxes with seasonal decorations. A thin layer of dust covered the floor; they cleaned the room, albeit not as often as the rest of the shrine.

    Priestess Satomi had set everything up: a small pool – around 45 centimeters deep and a meter and a half in diameter – was in the center of the barren room. Monk Jirou was standing guard outside, his first assignment after promotion. He was to be honored in a speech Father had planned for tomorrow, but he had declined attending it. It appeared to be more out of introversion rather than modesty. What she would be doing was no secret; he was only there to help ensure her privacy.

    Prema took a moment to go over how she wished to approach this. Earlier, Maiden Kaede had taken her to officially register Qwilfish as her partner. This was going to be their first meeting as trainer and Pokemon.

    Without further hesitation, she cast the Dive Ball over the pool. The small black Qwilfish initially met her eyes with a bob of her body, then started glancing around in confusion.

    “Hello, Qwilfish,” she greeted. While she had initially thought about having her other friends meet her, Prema had decided to minimize the amount of stress. The pufferfish was anxious enough on her own. There would be ample time to introduce her to the others.

    The Pokemon rotated, examining the whole room. She was not taking in her surroundings; she was searching for someone. When she did not find him, she spun back with many frantic squeaks.

    Prema did not need to use her abilities to understand what was likely troubling her. You could understand much about your Pokemon partners through context and pattern recognition. “Nori is not present. He has relinquished custody–”

    She paused and shook her head at herself. It would not do well to be overly formal here. Doing so was a force of habit from her upbringing.

    Qwilfish began to panic during her brief period of hesitation. Prema cleared her throat and spoke up to reassure her.

    “It is going to be okay, Qwilfish,” she assured her friend. “I will be looking after you from now on. Nori asked me to.”

    The dark and cream-colored fish froze. She quivered for several long seconds. Then she tilted her body. Finally, she said something while looking right at her.

    Qwilfish could only be asking why. Prema had come prepared to explain that to her. “Nori…” she began, only for her throat to suddenly clench. Just because she had prepared in advance did not mean that it was any easier to say. “Nori said that he did not want to force you to adapt to land, but he was also considering his fear of water. He does not believe he can overcome it in a timely enough fashion to properly care for you along with his other Pokemon.” She paused. There was one advantage to him not being present. “As you asked earlier, if I had to speculate, his fear likely stems from a traumatic incident. I suspect it was a near-drowning.” All the signs of it were there, although she was not going to pry.

    Qwilfish frantically yammered with sharp yet erratic tones, her eyes downcast. Prema simply allowed her to let it out, continuing once she paused.

    “There is more to it than that. Nori also felt that you did not like him.” Qwilfish splashed her tail in the water and continued ranting. This time, Prema spoke over her. “Regardless of your true feelings, it was the impression he had. I know I stated he was willing to push his fear aside to help. It surprised me as well in that regard. It felt more of a sacrifice.”

    Qwilfish slowly turned away, her tail slackening as she vaguely deflated. The truth of it was, there was a part of Prema that was relieved, even if the situation was not ideal. Nori was a persistent individual, to the point of where it could negatively impact him. Seeing him admit to having limits allayed those fears. That was part of the reason she agreed to take in Qwilfish.

    She spoke up once more. “But he is not abandoning you. He has promised to visit on occasion, and will take you back and do his best should it turn out that I am unable to for any reason.” She requested that he do so. They had passed the first hurdle: Father’s consent. “Do you understand?”

    It took several moments for Qwilfish to respond. She did so by puffing up. Prema took a hesitant step away as she started to do so, yet it was unfounded: the Pokemon only inflated slightly before deflating again. Her expression was similarly neutral, perhaps even blank. Still in shock. Still processing things. Prema had to think. It was ultimately something that Qwilfish would need to work out on her own. What she could do was make being with a new trainer more comfortable.

    “If I may ask something of you?” Qwilfish turned to her with an inquisitive look in her eyes. “I want to give you a nickname. I realize that you were already given one by your original trainer; we typically respect those names. However, it was not something I should have known, and I understand that it was not a name you were fond of regardless. Would that be all right?”

    Qwilfish vaguely inflated in reply. Just as before. Prema took the lack of explicit refusal as a sign to continue.

    “Fuumi.” She let her new friend absorb the name for a few seconds. “It is a feminine given name in Japanese. The two kanji I have written it with respectively mean blow or puff – the Fuu portion, and sea – the Umi portion.”

    Her new partner stared at her for several idle moments. Prema was uncertain what to make of the blank look. The Pokemon eventually deflated and muttered something.

    “That is a no?”

    Once more, she puffed up. A yes, as in, yes, that means no? Prema chuckled softly. Nori must have taught her to do that to answer simple yes or no questions. He was far more capable of bonding with Pokemon than he believed.

    “I see,” she said, only able to chuckle over it. It was a problem occasionally faced by trainers, although Prema had to confess that she never imagined running into it herself. “It will take me some time to think of another.”

    The girl took a step back as Qwilfish slapped her tail against herself and began wildly. Even as a skilled diviner, Prema found herself at a loss of what to make of it. Qwilfish was upset, but all she had said was that she wanted to think of another nickname. That must have been what offended her. Then the aquatic Pokemon began sternly repeating some pattern of bips and bops.

    “Did you want to keep Spike?” she asked. Perhaps it was a part of Pokemon culture.

    To contrast before, Qwilfish deflated. No? Then she continued to say what she was saying before with more urgency.

    “You want to talk to me directly?” she asked. It was the only conclusion she could draw.

    Qwilfish puffed up for yes, even leaning in a little while mumbling. That was all the confirmation she needed.

    She gave her friend a nod. “Okay. I will need a moment, however.”

    Prema had never used her ability to understand Pokemon this so frequently. Priestess Satomi had said to think of it as exercise. There was a fear in her mind of passing out again, but she pushed it aside. Now was not the time to hesitate. It took her two minutes to activate it, yet she eventually did feel the telltale tingling sensation in her head.

    She opened her eyes. “I am ready. Just know I cannot do this as often as you seem to expect. So, do you have a name in mind?” It was unusual for Pokemon to name themselves. Taiyoko had even mentioned that it was taboo, since humans are the ones expected to give them names. However, if Qwilfish wished to do so, she would be happy to accept that if it made her more comfortable.

    “I’ll be Puku,” came the terse reply.

    “Puku?” she repeated. That was what Nori had idly called her in the garage. Maybe he was thinking of Pukupuku. “Are you certain?”

    The Pokemon puffed up then back down, and twitched her lips. “Yes. And tell him…sorry.”

    ---​

    Nori was not like Elle at all. Just like Prema, he was on her side no matter what anyone else thought. She had been too hard on him.

    ##########​

    “Kannagi faithful. Friends of the shrine. And other esteemed visitors. I want to thank you for coming out here today. There is a lot that I need to say about recent events. I wish to get it all off my chest, and hopefully alleviate some of your doubts.”

    Sunlight bathed Veilstone City on Monday morning. Though it was eight and the date was October 26th, the temperature might make one believe otherwise. At least, Haruto Kannagi did not think so. Maybe it was his mood warming him. That had to be it.

    Whatever the case, a crowd of around five hundred strong had gathered at the base of the shrine to listen to him speak. There were salarymen dressed to head to their jobs afterward, school-aged teenagers set to do much the same, a number of families, and many others. To his left was Priestess Satomi. No one was apparently to his right, though he could sense that Pete was there beside him.

    He drew in a deep breath and began his speech proper. “I will admit, the past two weeks have been difficult. We lost one of the greatest Pokemon conservationists of not just our generation, but of all time. Someone who had a special place in all of our hearts. To you, he was the Krookodile Tracker Pete Stephens. But to me, he was Pete, a close personal friend.”

    He paused for a moment. “When Lisa…” He sniffed and steadied his breath. “When my beloved wife, Lisa Kannagi…after she disappeared during an expedition near Solaceon, Pete was the first to call me. He kept me afloat with his words, and would’ve flown over in a moment had I asked. Though he was never of our faith, he was as committed to deepening the bond between Pokemon and humanity as any of us, if not, moreso. It was hard hearing he was gone. I succumbed to despair for a while. I blamed those I shouldn’t have blamed. I knew it was wrong, yet I did not know what else to do. It’s proof that all of us can feel every one of the emotions the Great Mesprit has bestowed upon us. The good must be taken with the bad.”

    It resonated well with the audience. There were smiles, nods, and chatters of agreement through most of it. There were a few doubters, sure, but even they were captivated by his words. Haruto felt his next point would ensure he got through to all who were receptive.

    “But something that everyone should strive to remember is that every life in this world is precious. It doesn’t matter if it’s human, Pokemon, or animal. Pete knew that well. That was why he strove to stand up for Pokemon and their rights. Before you think ill of this Qwilfish, I want you to remember this: the last thing he would want is for her to be condemned or ostracized. I can say this as a fellow proponent of Pokemon conservationism and as his friend. He would not approve of attacking random ones in revenge. I pray that the person or persons responsible reflect on what they have done and use it to better themselves. I ask the same of any of you who may have had similar thoughts. You can’t take back what’s done, but you can strive to correct it and learn from the experience.

    “I have two people in particular to thank for helping me through this.” Both not present, one for performing his duties and Prema for not wanting to chance stressing Puku further. “The first is Jirou Jinnai, one of our daytime guards, who has been granted the title of Monk as a result of his commitment. He was able to put his dislike for the Demon Tamer Nori Carino aside to help arrange a meeting with the second individual I must thank: my daughter, Prema Kannagi. She was able to assist with both moral support and mediation. And at the request of the Demon Tamer, she will be henceforth looking after Qwilfish, who she has named Puku. Please treat them with respect. That is all.”

    The crowd burst into applause, with scattered cheering from the more enthusiastic among them. Priestess Satomi flashed him a grin. He felt a subtle touch on his right shoulder, from someone unseen. His words had changed several minds here, and many more would follow in the coming days.

    Of course, there was one other person who he owed a debt to. Haruto still had very mixed feelings about the boy, as he had since the beginning. Yet they were inclining further towards the positive. Nonetheless, whatever he thought and his bond with Prema held no bearing on what he was about to say. It was simply something in the news that needed to be addressed, as Monk Jirou had pointed out.

    “If you would allow me, I would also like to discuss a related subject.” Some people were making to leave, yet all but a few stray salarymen stopped at it. “The one who strove to pull Puku through this ordeal, no matter what adversity he faced along the way. I understand there has been some controversy about his position as a Pokemon Rehabilitator as of late. That is to say, that Pokemon don’t agree to endanger themselves against dangerous opponents. Here is the Kannagi Shrine’s opinion on that subject.”

    ##########​

    Though there were still many uncertainties facing Nori Carino, he felt a lot more confident about them. In fact, he felt like tackling some head on! He was never the type to sit around waiting for something to happen. That was why he ended up heading towards Tobari Central High School on Monday during lunch hour. He was by himself, but he was fine with that.

    Publicity. That’s what this was all about. Maybe it was excessive, but the only thing that mattered was if it was effective. It did not take long to find who he was looking for, thanks to some students all too eager to guide the Demon Tamer. Or just get one over on the infamous YAMS.

    “Hello~” he greeted Louis Trussel and Mariko Urusai, who were hanging out in a winding corridor of the school. Less public than Nori would have preferred, but he had some people following him. They’d spread the word anyway, and it wasn’t like this was his only chance.

    The redheaded teenager fired off a dirty look. “You,” was all she said.

    “What brings you to our school, Nori Carino?” Louis asked, crossing his arms.

    “I came to see you two!” he declared with a point to the ceiling. “I have a response to your complaints about me. The whole Pokemon don’t sign things thing, that is.” He cringed a bit at his faulty wording, but there was no negative reaction.

    “Oh, so now you have something to say?” Mariko snapped at him as she got to her feet. “Real convenient you did so after fighting some stupid, crazy trainer.”

    Louis followed suit in standing. “Well, if you do have something that is not ad hominem to say, I have no problem debating you about it,” he said calmly. He looked over at his girlfriend and nodded. “Also, while it is much too late, I do agree that you should not have agreed to a battle with Emi Pikaru. It is your duty to be responsible with your assignments even if others are not.”

    What did ad hominem even mean? Well, it didn’t matter. Nori could not help but smirk, an action that made Louis harrumph while jerking back and Mariko snort defensively. It was as if they could sense what was coming, but didn’t want to believe it.

    “What makes you think I was being irresponsible? And I wouldn’t call Emi crazy or stupid,” he said. “In fact, I’d say she was pretty brilliant.”

    “Explain,” Louis demanded, narrowing his eyes.

    The Pokemon Rehabilitator had realized it a bit ago. He knew there was something wrong with their logic! He had Emi to thank for making it click. Did she realize it? The full implications beyond her personal reasons, that is? His mom said it could work. Arumi told him it made total sense.

    “It’s simple, really.” He nodded and looked at the steadily growing group of students. “Pokemon are sapient creatures, just like us. They can understand what we say.”

    “But they have trouble with cultural things,” Louis interjected, recognizing that he was parroting his words. “That is the crux of the matter, and why there is a fundamental flaw with the waiver.”

    “Yes. If you’ll let me finish?” he asked, tapping a foot on the floor. Louis nodded and motioned for him to continue. “It may seem as though that’s an issue, but it’s really as simple as explaining the situation to your Pokemon ahead of the battle and seeing if they’re okay with it. That’s what Emi did.”

    Louis blanched. “Explaining…”

    “…the situation?” Mariko growled, her fists clenching.

    “Yup!” he nodded. “If you want to have a battle with me, or any hypothetical future Pokemon Rehabilitator, it will be necessary to discuss what you are about to do with your Pokemon and see if they are okay with it. That is part of what being a responsible trainer is about. You can tell them, this might be a dangerous situation, are you comfortable with this? They’ll know, they can understand us. And hers were.”

    “But what if someone lies about it?!” Mariko countered while she seethed. “What if a Pokemon gets hurt unwillingly?”

    “Then they’re being irresponsible and subject to trainer law,” Nori said plainly, ready with an answer for once. He put his hands behind his back. “Besides, I can read people and Pokemon. I can tell if something’s up. Also, it’s also my discretion as to whether or not I want to accept a battle. I initially refused Emi because it was clear she was not thinking clearly. And I accepted once it was evident that she put the necessary thought into the matter.”

    With this, he could not help but laugh triumphantly. He could tell from the looks on people’s faces that this was pretty much behind him. “Is that responsible enough?”

    “It’s NOT!” Mariko countered. “Your assignments need to be kept as far away from society as possible while you’re rehabilitating them!”

    Louis slowly shook his head. “While I would not go that far, Mari, I agree in principle. You cannot go having battles using dangerous Pokemon simply because you or someone else wants to.”

    He had already demolished their main argument, but he had come prepared for anything else they might say. “I know that, some really are that problematic. I can refuse if I think one’s too dangerous. But why don’t we see a show of hands?” he offered. As soon as he said it, his two oppressors glared at him. He was waiting to throw that one back in their faces! “If you think what I said makes sense, raise yours!”

    Sure enough, the hands of the high school students and teachers started to go up. Some went up even before he asked, and none of them lowered when he did. There were a few who didn’t here or there, but from their uneasy expressions, even they seemed more unsure what to make of it rather than explicitly disagreeing with him.

    “That’s a bunch of bullshit!” Mariko yelled, the old her bubbling to the surface. She clenched her fists and stamped a foot. “Of course most of them aren’t going to say no to their trainer when asked! That’s what most do: listen to their trainer! It doesn’t mean they want to! You can’t tell!”

    Louis crossed his arms and nodded. Before Nori could give the obvious answer, that he could tell, someone stepped forward and spoke up.

    “Uh, actually.” His hair was dyed and spiked purple, and he wore a simple shirt and jeans. All eyes went to him. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I went to the Kannagi Shrine this morning before school, since there was a speech going on. The Master talked about Qwilfish and this. He basically said a Pokemon Rehabiliator helps Pokemon no one else will, and they all deserve the chance to reform, since they’re intelligent. Basically, they know we like to battle, and know there’s risks, and that battles can help them reform. Uh, I think you can look it up.” His eyes were darting back and forth from all the people looking at him.

    Nori had to take a step back. His jaw almost went slack. Prema’s dad said all that?! It didn’t totally surprise him, since Mr. Jinnai said it too, but still! “Uh, that’s right!” he said. “I didn’t see that sermon, but someone at the shrine, not Prema by the way, told me something like that.”

    “That’s just religion talking!” the red-haired teenager cut in, going red in the face. In spite of that, the argument was enough to silence the rest of the doubters except her. Even Louis was scratching his chin, as much as his girlfriend was oblivious.

    “Huh, Master Haruto Kannagi said that?” a female teacher in a suit much like the ones at his school mused. She was not the only one pondering that. “I’ll have to look that up.”

    “I’m Ceutholic, and that makes sense,” a dark-haired male said, putting his hands on his hips.

    A fashionable blonde, probably a twelfth year, flipped her flowing locks. “You two are always being stupid!”

    A bespectacled younger student in a white vest and black dress pants rolled his eyes. “You’re just after Carino because you hate him!”

    “Give me a break,” Mariko dismissed, leveling a finger in turn at each of the three students who had expressed their thoughts. “You always get taken in by things, you were agreeing with us earlier today, and you’re just defending him because you think he’s hot!” The last of them squealed, covered his face, and shuffled behind the crowd. Nori blinked at it. Admirers everywhere.

    “Mari.” Louis raised a hand, quieting her. He gave a curt nod to Nori. “You seem to be right, Nori.” Mariko curled her lip, but reluctantly nodded as well. “I suppose our argument was mistaken. We apologize. However, I have one more question.”

    “Really?” Nori threw up his arms. “What?”

    Louis chuckled. “Despite your immaturity, I do think you’re responsible enough to manage your battles well. However, will the same be able to be said about future Pokemon Rehabilitators?”

    The boy quivered, but could only shrug. “I’d like to think the Officials would make sure of that. Especially after this. But I’d also like to think I have some pull, so maybe I can make sure of that?”

    “I suppose so.” Louis turned and started to walk away. “Let’s go, Mari. There’s no point in pursuing this any further.”

    She snorted and gave Nori one last leer. “Fine. But we’re going to get you someday.”

    “It’s gonna end the same way, you know!” he shot back at her. It came from irritation, but a lot of the crowd agreed with him nonetheless. Ugh, the last thing he needed was for them to come back at another inopportune time. Knowing his own luck, that was absolutely going to happen.

    With that, the students began to disperse. But there were still quite a few who stuck around. Waiting for him to address them. So he did.

    “I know what they said actually makes some sense. I think it helped me overall having to think of that, so there’s that. But I knew something was off, it just didn’t hit me as to what it was for a bit. A lot of people just took it at face value instead of making their own conclusion.” He realized he was starting to complain a bit, but just rolled with it. “Yeah, sorry, venting a little. Part of me doubted this argument made sense, but guess it did.”

    “You did well, Mr. Carino,” a balding old teacher praised.

    “I sort of had that feeling too,” said a student with the distinctive pink hair of a Joy as she turned slightly away and rubbed the nape of her neck. Probably couldn’t say it. Maybe there were a lot more like her than he thought.

    The girl who called YAMS stupid threw her chin up. “Well, I was saying they were wrong from the beginning.” From how people looked at her, and actually just from her tone, she was absolutely lying. Or telling the truth but being horribly obnoxious about it.

    “Well, anyway,” Nori said with a smile. “That’s about it. I should get back to my school. Thanks for listening, and er, see you later.”

    They gave him a warm send-off. Not the smoothest exit, but that took care of that. In more ways than one! All Nori wanted was for things to get back to normal. It looked like that was finally going to happen! He crossed his fingers nonetheless as he trotted back to his school.
     
    Epilogue: Sparkling Future New
  • Partners
    1. suikaibuki
    2. ranyakumo
    One day after meeting her new trainer, Puku found herself in that little pool once again. They were outside, and it was sunny and chilly. That floating fairy from before was present, along with a moth whose warmth radiated off her and a bipedal green bird with harsh, wide-open eyes. Despite that, it was the bug who was scrutinizing her the most.

    Prema was here too, of course. She bowed. “{Apology.} {Statement that the shrine is deciding how to handle this.} {Statement of the possibility of a larger pool being built.} {Making clear that it is not a guarantee.} {Proclaiming she will ensure she gets exercise regardless.}”

    Puku inflated then deflated, expressing her acknowledgment.

    “{Stating she has already met Shu.} {Introduction to Yahata and Taiyoko.}” She gestured to the fairy, the owl, and the moth in turn. “{Understanding they do not speak the same language.} {Asking if they want to introduce themselves regardless.}”

    The trio all gave their wordless hellos. Shu and Yahata both made a wing wave, the former more cheerful compared to the silence of the latter. Both welcoming. Taiyoko twitched her antennae. She clacked something. At least she didn’t seem threatening.

    “Hello,” Puku greeted in turn with a puckering of her lips, trying not to shrink back. There was an intensity within Yahata she couldn’t describe. And there was an underlying hostility within Taiyoko. Would this be any better than with Nori?

    She closed her eyes. This was her new home, her new life. Her future was as murky as a dirty pond at night. But all she could do was keep swimming forward.

    ##########​

    “Nori Carino.”

    As Nori returned to his school, he was welcomed by Emi. Chad and Aki were with her. Nori looked at them warily until she nodded.

    “Good job on Friday. You got me good.” Chad and Aki gave nonverbal congratulations.

    He nodded. “Thanks.”

    “This isn’t over, though.” She smirked at him. But it was competitive, free of hostility.

    “I guess not,” he conceded. Did she consider him a rival? That was not something he ad expected or intended. At least those were good terms, and she might make a good training partner. Which reminded him. “Won’t get to have your rematch with Qwilfish, though.”

    “Past that.” She shrugged and made to leave. “Anyway, later.”

    “We’ll have to have a match sometime, too,” Chad said before he went. Aki just bowed before following.

    “Bye.” One less thing to worry about. He kept going to the clubroom.

    After all that he had gone through, Nori felt he should have walked into his club on Monday afternoon with a sense of peace. He had successfully rehabilitated Qwilfish and put the incident behind him. There should have been nothing to do but relax. Instead, there would be one less person waiting for him there, and they as a team were going to have to figure out how to move forward.

    Four of the others were already there by the time he entered. All of them were sitting at the same table, lost in silence.

    Nori paused. That wasn’t going to accomplish anything. “So I guess we’re down one member, huh?” he said to the others as he grabbed a chair. “But we’ll just have to manage. Nothing to do but do it!”

    Adelle looked up at him. The blonde teenager curled her fingers, her shoulders raised. Yasmin tugged at her collar. It was good to see them back. Adelle took a deep breath before speaking quickly. “Sorry for being gone last week.”

    “It’s not your fault,” he assured them. “Being here might’ve helped, but it might’ve not. I honestly don’t think it would’ve helped much. We’ll just have to go on without Mitsu.”

    His encouragement didn’t do a thing to lighten the mood. “It’s just one thing after another,” Yasmin muttered bitterly as she looked away.

    Nori tilted his head. That implied there was more going on. “Something else happened?”

    The four turned to each other, then back to him. Reiko was the one to speak. “Takao’s in trouble.”

    “What?” Nori shoved himself up with his palms and leaned over the table. “What’s going on?!”

    “Her parents…” Terrance tried to explain. He sputtered. “I-I mean, her brother…”

    “Her brother ran off on a journey with his girlfriend last Friday,” Reiko elaborated.

    “He did what?!” He slammed a fist down.

    Reiko raised her arms mockingly. “Her parents took it well, of course. They’re showing their thanks by taking away all her freedom.”

    Touya ran off without thinking? Did Yumi know? Was this during the battle?! Nori slapped his palms against his ears. “Okay, okay.” He huffed and sat down, trying to regain what little bearings remained. “Slow down. Back up. What? That’s what’s been bugging her lately?”

    Reiko did so. She told him how Yumi confided her conundrum, the facts about the situation, how they had used the battle at Mynwest as a chance to slip away, and her suspicion that something happened to trigger this (a theory Nori agreed with).

    “I wonder if there’s some way he can be forced back home?” Yasmin said.

    Terrance pleaded vacantly. “Nori, is there something?”

    All eyes were on him. He wanted to give them hope. He wanted to say something to put their minds at ease. The subject of kids traveling without their parents’ permission. He studied it much like any other part of the law. “Legally speaking, a parent or guardian cannot stop a child from going on a journey, unless proper arrangements haven’t been made with their place of education or there are extenuating circumstances related to physical or mental health. In other words, situations where the child cannot make a clear judgment and/or take care of themselves along the way.” He paused before he added, “And no, teenage angst is not a valid reason to stop someone.”

    “So their only hope is the school thing,” Terrance remarked. That was the only thing they had.

    “Yeah, about that,” Reiko said with a shake of her head. At once, the other three deflated. “Takao told me they had everything planned. Probably means that too.”

    Nori, for his part, felt his own tension lift. “That’s one good thing at least.” He saw what happened when one jumped into a journey unprepared. What happened to Claris. “That said, even if they were able to bring him back, it wouldn’t change her parents’ minds.” And that was the reality they faced. “We’ll have a lot to talk about once she comes in.”

    Again, Reiko shook her head. She even grumbled. “Wouldn’t count on her coming by. Told me she isn’t in the right state of mind today.”

    A silence drew over them. Adelle pressed her head into her hands and lamented. “Poor Yumi…”

    “Ugh!” Nori hated seeing his club like this! This was all stupid Mitsu’s fault! Nori might’ve been able to notice if it weren’t for him! Well, screw being defeatist! He slammed a palm on the table, making everyone snap to. “We have to do something! Not just for our club, but her!”

    “There’s nothing we can do, Carino!” Reiko fired off. She was gritting her teeth and glaring, but had her shoulders and head dropped. “Besides be there for her,” she said with a firm sigh.

    “Like hell there’s nothing! You don’t know if you don’t try!” He wasn’t about to roll over and give up just because someone said it wasn’t possible! Besides, sympathy only went so far! “I’m gonna catch up with her after school and talk to her parents!”

    “Carino!” Reiko screamed at him.

    “What?!” he snapped back.

    After a pause, Reiko told him, “Just don’t do anything to make it worse for her. Okay?”

    He flashed a thumbs up. “I’ll try not to.”

    “Good.” Reiko smiled. “She’ll appreciate it.” The other girls nodded in unison with smiles of their own, as Terrance sighed in relief. Nori shut his eyes. He was sure that any of them could help, but they were likely putting it all on him.

    ##########​

    Nori formed his plan over lunch and spent most of his afternoon class focusing on what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. He kept going in circles, so he decided to just stop second-guessing things and say it like he normally would. Maybe with more respect than normal, on second thought.

    As soon as the bell rang, Nori started moving. The Takao family was nothing if not predictable. Yumi and Touya always waited for one of their elders to pick them up. It wouldn’t take long before someone pulled up. A red kei car was already waiting by the time he got out. It didn’t take much longer for Yumi to emerge. She was hanging her head low and walking slowly, as if headed to her execution. She didn’t even notice him leaning against he wall.

    “Hurry it up, Yumi,” came the voice of a middle-aged woman. That was enough. Nori shoved off and powerwalked forward.

    “Hey, Mrs. Takao,” he called, interposing between Yumi and the vehicle. “I want to talk to you about how you’re treating Yumi.”

    The passenger side window rolled down. Yumi’s mom was wearing a dark blue suit. She had dark hair and the same dirt brown eyes as her kids, but they were far more intense. Especially when she was glaring. “Carino-sama,” she addressed him by name, and respectfully at that. “This is none of your business.”

    “It is my business,” he was ready with a response. “Yumi is my friend.”

    “Nori, it really isn’t,” Yumi interrupted. She quavered as she moved to get in the vehicle. “You don’t have to worry yourself with me. I’ll be fine.”

    He stuck an arm out and blocked her. “Don’t lie. This is bothering you badly. And I think I get what’s going on here.”

    She turned away. Faintly, just under her breath, she whispered, “Please, don’t…” Her lips kept moving, but he couldn’t hear the rest.

    Nori faced Mrs. Takao, putting a hand on his hip. “If I may?” Without waiting, he went on. “I knew something was bothering Yumi lately. She hinted at it once or twice, and I pieced the rest together myself. I don’t think you should be blaming her for what happened.”

    “She knew what Touya was planning and chose not to bring it up,” Mrs. Takao replied with cold fact.

    “And?” She narrowed her eyes at the simple one-word question. He took a deep breath. Do-or-die time. “What was she supposed to do, betray his trust? She was caught in a dilemma. I could tell something was bothering her for the past while, and now it all makes sense. Her twin brother was planning on defying you and going on a journey, and he trusted her enough to tell her that.” He pointed to each of them as he spoke. “He wanted her to know so she didn’t worry. And so that somebody knew, so you wouldn’t worry either. Whatever she did, she was going to make someone unhappy. Touya or the rest of the family. Either she betrays his trust or doesn’t.” He put both hands on his hips and stood tall. “But maybe instead of blaming her for not snitching, you should take a look at things and think about why Touya might’ve wanted to run away. I’m not saying he’s in the right. But don’t take it out on Yumi. She’s done nothing wrong here!”

    He spoke straight from the heart, even if it meant being blunt. Quite a few people were watching. Nori pushed them out of his mind. He couldn’t worry about them now. There were more important things! Maybe the Takao family was traditionalist, sure, but even they couldn’t deny facts.

    Yumi had been slowly turning around. Unexpectedly, she faced her mom and spoke up, albeit while standing behind him. “Mom, I tried to talk Touya out of it! I really did! He wouldn’t listen! I couldn’t…” Her words devolved into sobs.

    “I can think of a few reasons why he might’ve run away,” he picked up where she left off. “But let’s not get into that since I don’t have enough context. What are you trying to accomplish by restricting Yumi so bad? Making yourselves feel better? Well, it’s making her feel worse than she already is. So please. Just don’t.”

    Nori winced at himself. Okay, he got a little emotional there and crossed the line a little. Still, the fact that she was actually listening and not just yelling back at him was a good sign. It had to mean something good. Right?

    Mrs. Takao remained for about ten seconds. The whole time, she simply continued to stare at him with an empty, unamused look. He met it with steely firmness, not even looking back at Yumi. “Carino-sama,” she eventually began, in a tone of voice colder than the autumn air. “My husband and I both respect you. I am astonished at your lack of it. If it were anyone less, or if your words did not hold merit, I would not tolerate this behavior.” She shut her eyes. “But since it is, we will consider it.”

    Nori almost stumbled back a step. She listened?! Well, that wasn’t exactly a yes, but it wasn’t a no either! His eyes went as wide as Yumi’s. He thought he was going to have to play the resentment card! Maybe being the Demon Tamer actually counted for something in places.

    “We must be heading back now, Yumi,” instructed Mrs. Takao. “We will talk about this more at home.”

    Yumi sighed heavily. “Okay, Mom.” She glanced at him with the faintest smile on her lips before getting in.

    His mind was still a little blank, so it took him a second to react. How much further could he go? He wanted to find out.

    “Wait.” He put a hand on the car door before Yumi could close it. He leaned in. “Can I ask you for one thing, Mrs. Takao? I, uh,” He put his fingers together before rubbing the nape of his neck. “I know it’s awkward, given I just kinda insulted you and already asked a lot, but…”

    “What is it?” she asked, tapping a finger on the steering wheel.

    You don’t know if you don’t ask. “Can Yumi stay at school for a while today?” The question made his friend sit up straight. She whipped her head at her mom. “Our editor up and left us because he didn’t like what I was doing, so we could use a bit of extra help today.”

    “Your editor did what?” The woman scowled and raised her shoulders. She slowly looked back. “Is this true, Yumi?”

    Yumi was like a Deerling in the headlights. “It is, mom,” she blurted out after two seconds that felt like ten. “Mitsu-san blew up on Nori in front of everyone. He quit on the weekend.” No honorific for him, Nori wondered?

    “Unbelievable. Your team will be better off without him.” Mrs. Takao threw up her arms and shook her head. She leaned back in her seat, her nose wrinkled. It really took her ten seconds to turn around and respond, but everything was moving so fast it didn’t seem that way. “You may stay and help, Yumi. I will take any responsibility for allowing this. Call if you need a ride home, but be back before dinner.”

    Nori blinked. A grin slowly spread across his face. His shoulders and arms dropped as something rose in his chest. That was triumph. He’d done it! He’d gotten Yumi out of this!

    Yumi’s mouth hung open. At first, she only stuttered. Her gaze went all over the place. From her mom to him, to her mom again, back at the school, held on him for several seconds, up briefly, then finally back to her mom. She bowed gently. “Okay, Mom. Thank you,” she quickly said as she nearly stumbled out of the vehicle.

    He thought he saw Yumi’s mom’s mouth crook upwards for a second. He didn’t get a good look, because she drove away right after.s

    “And thank you too, Nori.”

    Yumi was all of a sudden less than half an arm’s length away, staring into his eyes as he faced her. Her lips were pouted into a big smile. She could’ve leaned forward just a little and kissed him. Nori raised his arms, ready for a hug at least. Was this it? His heart started racing. He’d been teasing her a bit, but he wasn’t ready for her to actually confess! What to do?!

    Her head started to move. It was to look over his shoulder. Her eyes went round as Voltorbs and a puff of air escaped her. She took a quick, big step away from him and rubbed her face.

    Nori checked again. A good two dozen people were watching his argument with her mom, and now their near-intimate moment. Nori gave a playful wave to everyone who was watching before gesturing for Yumi to follow him, something she was all too eager to do.

    “You’re welcome,” he said, pretending it never nearly happened. What would’ve happened if there weren’t so many people watching? Oh well. “I’m surprised she agreed to that.”

    He went for one of the double doors. She went for another, walking at his side, but not close enough to brush hands. “Mom and Dad can be strict, but they’re not unreasonable,” she explained. “It’s their way of caring about us. I wish Touya would’ve seen that.”

    He nodded. “I’m sure he will eventually.” He didn’t know Touya as well as he did Yumi. But well, if he figured out the Demon wasn’t too bad like his sister did, he had to be smart like that, right?

    They walked in silence for a while. There were fewer students around in the halls, and most didn’t pay any attention to them. As they neared their clubroom, Yumi started to slow. Quietly, she said, “I was surprised you asked me to help. I’ve only done this when my ride’s going to be late, and that’s only ever happened twice.”

    “No better time to learn!” he told her with a clap and a little hop. He pumped his arms. “And really, it’s no different from work during school. Besides, I thought you could use the time away and that it was worth asking.” Wait, where was he even going with this? He ruffled his hair. “Uh, you know?”

    She chuckled softly. “Yeah, I get it.”

    It was just them around. The boy reached for the handle and turned. It opened without a problem. He held the door open for her. She slowed as she passed by, eyes on him the whole while. Nori tensed for that moment, that brief moment, but nothing more happened than another longing look. He followed her in.

    Yumi had paused a couple of steps inside. “A-are the others coming?” she asked, scanning the room.

    “I thought the older girls would’ve been by now.” Nori put his hands on his hips. Damn it. They knew. “Give them a bit,” he said. Hoped. Those jerks.

    They sat. Yumi went to one of the tables. Nori, after a bit of hesitation, went to a computer and turned it on. He tried to focus on it. This wasn’t the first time he was alone with a girl, but it was the first time he was alone with a girl who liked him. What was going to happen? Would they even be able to get anything done? Worst case, it would just be him working alone. He was going to yell at the others for this.

    Time passed. Yumi just fidgeted and stared. Nori brought the draft for Wednesday up, but that’s as far as he got. He had to shake his head at himself. This was dumb. Why was he so nervous?

    “What’s wrong?” he decided to try breaking the silence. With a simple, valid question.

    Yumi avoided eye contact. In fact, she was looking at the door and was partway off her seat. “It’s just,” she started, hesitating for several long seconds. When she spoke again, it was preceded by a sigh. “The others aren’t coming, are they?”

    “No. But it’s fine,” he assured her, sharper than he intended. His throat was a little dry. “It’s not that hard work. And it’s not like we’re–I-I mean, we’ll just be working.” Ugh, stupid! “Um, you know?”

    Yumi sank further into her seat. “Yeah. I guess so,” she said quietly, tugging at her beige hair.

    He leaned towards her. “Why do you sound disappointed?” he asked her. What was that sinking feeling in his chest? Was he disappointed? Did he read her wrong?

    She groaned in response. She folded her hands in her lap and struggled – visibly struggled to look up at him. While her head was turned in his direction, her eyes were elsewhere.

    “Are you not…” he started to speak before he caught himself. Nori looked up at the ceiling. He had to take a deep breath to steady himself. He was shaking. It was like his throat was being squeezed. There was no point in pretending he didn’t know. He had to get it out. He inhaled deeply again before saying, “No, it’s because you’re alone with me.”

    Yumi drooped onto the table, burying her head under her arms. Her “yes,” was practically imperceptible, nothing more than a humiliated rasp.

    A tingle rushed through his body. His skin got itchy all of a sudden. He was fairly sure that she liked him, but actually hearing it was another thing. This wasn’t how Nori was expecting her confession to go. It probably wasn’t the way she hoped for either. But there it was.

    “Why me?” he found himself asking, heart beating furiously. Now that this could turn real, he had a thought that made his neck hairs bristle. What if Yumi liked him for the wrong reasons? There was always a chance of that.

    Yumi slowly looked up at him. She put a hand over her chest and giggled softly. She brushed aside some strands of her light brown hair with her other hand. “You really…” she started before trailing off and giggling some more. “Nori,” she gushed in a high pitch. “You’re cute, you’re brave, you’re–” She turned her face, which was turning a deep red. “You’re a lot of things. I thought that since we…”

    Since they met? Her feet were forward and her eyes were on him, until she got nervous and looked down at the floor. She wasn’t making stuff up.

    “But…” Yumi whispered. “But I know, sorry. It’s silly.” She rose from her seat, so slowly that the chair made no noise. “You’re you, and I’m me. There’s others you like.” Slouched. Her arms found their way to her backpack, where they struggled to pick it up. She hung her head. “I’ll just…sorry. I don’t want to…I mean, I’ll just…”

    She began the slow walk out. She was even more lifeless than when she was walking her her mom’s car. If Nori wasn’t paying close attention, he would’ve thought she was trying to make him feel guilty or being melodramatic. But no, it was legit. Nori shut his eyes and pressed a hand to his temple. Yumi was right. She wasn’t his first choice. But…that was unlikely, and just a thought.

    Was a distant hypothetical a reason to say no? He had moments to decide what to do. What he wanted to do. Things were never going to be the same between them after today, no matter what he did. When he thought back on things, Yumi had been there for him whenever he needed her, ever since moving back to Veilstone. Her sweet smile. Her cute attire. How she stuck up for him. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad thing. And…maybe a no would make things even worse.

    And when he thought about how he felt in those moments just before…before he knew for sure…how he reacted to everything. No, he couldn’t lie to himself about this. His mind wandered. With one thought, one hypothetical about her, everything felt right. It was just within reach. That settled it.

    He stood up and called to her, right as she opened the door. “I wouldn’t mind.”

    His soft words stopped her dead in her tracks. “Wha…?”

    He cleared his throat and took a step toward her. “I said it’d be okay,” he declared. “Me and you. I know you well enough, and…you’re cute, nice, and have been there for me.” He gave a long, slow blink. “If you want, that is.”

    His friend’s arms and mouth dropped. She turned around as the door shut. Her pupils dilated. Her face went completely blank. Nori held his breath. How did that come out? As he looked into her brown eyes, she turned her head away. The boy clenched his throat. His legs trembled, but he forced them steady. In that brief moment, he feared that this was the wrong thing to say after all.

    Then, with a snivel, she lunged at him, grabbing him and pulling him into a tight hug. He barely had time to process. Nori’s heart seized for a brief second. His head started to spin. She firmly pressed her entire body against his. Her arms and hands were shaking, and her breathing was erratic.

    “Th-thank you!” Yumi sobbed. “I…I never dreamed you’d…I didn’t think it’d be me…I thought…Nori, I…I…”

    “It’s okay, Yumi,” he soothed. He finally wrapped his arms around her waist. “Let it out.”

    Her words came out garbled. “…for so long…” she whimpered, barely coherent. “…so much!”

    He sighed contentedly, laughing softly under his breath. Working on the article could wait for a little while longer. He wasn’t going to lie, her warmth felt too good to simply let go. He held Yumi closer, gently stroking her back as she sobbed into his shoulder. Nori never imagined this would become real either. He was super popular, but he found someone who might be right after all! There were definitely going to be some obstacles they’d face. Like jealous girls, her fearing about his work, and her parents. It was all stuff they would have to overcome in time. For now, he was going to be happy with the present.

    So another fic is in the books. This was one of my first ideas for fics actually, but the idea of addressing the issue of the legal agreement when it was commented on is what really gave it some backbone and allowed me to further flesh out some characters. Here's some after-story notes and trivia.

    - I may stick with the shorter chapter format in fics moving forward. Mainly makes them easier to edit when shoving bits into online text checkers.
    - This isn't the first time I've worked themes into a story, but it is the first time I've juggled multiple. They were: family and their expectations on you, friends and their loyalty to you, communication with and between Pokemon, and the relationship between Pokemon and humanity.
    - The cold spreading through the club was an artifact so Nori and Yumi could have their romantic scene at the end uninterrupted. I changed that and found a different solution, but I still used it to keep the older girls away until the very end.
    - Aki was an impulsive addition. They were mostly to give a face to someone more supportive in the club and give Chad and Emi someone to exposit to.
    - I did have ideas for Sanae - rogueish and silver-tongued - but there was simply no place I could put her.
    - C12 was supposed to be Yumi actually witnessing Prema's visit to the beach. I heavily changed this to focus on her home life and added rain to minimalize witnesses to the abuse. This resulted in some chapters around it being moved around.
    - I was stuck on C35 for the longest time, until I decided to make it from Qwilfish's perspective. I padded it out with her history. Ironically? Though it was one of the last things finished, Nori addressing the crowd was one of the first things I finished.
    - As I mentioned once, one of the biggest fundamental changes was Nori originally being oblivious to Yumi. Then I realized someone trained in reading others should notice, so I gave him a reason not to act on it. The last scene would've been him realizing instead of coaxing it out of her. I think it ended up cuter this way and solved some of the issues.

    So now to announce the next fics: besides the Halloween fluff I alluded to, I've written remakes of the first two fics to fix some continuity and bring them up to quality standards. Look forward to Prema Kannagi: A Move to Emendate - which is mostly a tweak with minor expansion - and Nori Carino: Demon Origins (name pending), which will add a ton of new content including scenes from the Demon herself.

    After those? Well, here's the premise, I don't have a name yet: Nori is called upon to act as extra security for an eccentric collector in a foggy valley, who fears his shiny Eevee might be the target of an infamous criminal. It'll be a shorter one, closer to Memory of a Ghoul/Blade of the Blackout Killer in length or even A Move to Emendate. And after that? I hinted at it already!
     
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