Pokémon Nori Carino: Abyssal Despair

[System Error]

Lunchtime at school was ordinarily something that Yumi Takao looked forward to. It was the time when she could forget about the pressures of life and hang out with Nori and the others. But as she gripped the door handle of the clubroom on Monday, it felt like a hand was reaching into her body and crushing her heart. The beige-haired teenager chanced a peek into the room. It was quiet. There was no choice except to twist the knob and pull open the door.

There were only three present, none of whom were Nori. Mitsu was sitting with Reiko and Terrance at one of the tables. Her legs trembled as all of their heads whipped over to look at her. Where were Yasmin and Adelle? It wasn’t like them to miss school for so long. Were they still sick?

“Takao, what’s with your face?”

Yumi blinked and glanced over at Reiko. “What do you mean–” she began to fire back. It was an instinctive response; she was ready for an argument to break out once Nori arrived. However, the realization as to what she was referring to quickly hit. “Oh.”

Her hand went to her cheek. There was a scar where great-grandma Rikina had struck her. Mom and Dad hadn’t reacted to it besides telling her to bandage it up. No good could come of telling the truth to anyone at school, though.

She waved the same hand. “Don’t worry about it,” she dismissed it.

Reiko crossed her arms as she sat down with them. “You know that just makes someone worry even more.”

“It’s just a cut, it’s no big deal.” It was the truth. She didn’t have to say where it came from. Yumi put her backpack on the floor. When she looked up, she found Mitsu had crossed his arms and was staring directly at her.

“What?” she snapped.

“Did you talk to Nori on the weekend?” he interrogated. His scowl was exaggerated, with scrunched lips, a deeply furrowed brow, and lowered head.

The weekend. Just thinking about it sent shivers through her weakened muscles and made her feel like she was being slapped in the face again. She would’ve loved nothing more than to be with Nori! She closed her eyes for a moment to fight back the tears. They would really ask questions if she started crying. Thankfully, as she opened them again and saw Mitsu still glaring, she felt herself start to quake with anger. She wasn’t about to take this.

Before she could retort, the door moved. It opened slowly, revealing a short yet lightly toned boy. He was wearing a simple green shirt and blue jeans.

Reiko and Mitsu’s response was instantaneous. “Nori Carino, what the FUCK were you thinking?” screamed the former.

“What she said! We heard all about what you did, and you didn’t think what any of us would think about it? Kallisto Keravnos was one thing, but this–” Mitsu let out a primal growl.

“Seriously, Carino!” Reiko briefly glanced at Terrance. “We’re not happy you’re doing this.”

“And our club, what are people going to think about it?! Think about that, stupid!”

Nori stood completely still through their ranting; his soft lips were curled into a frown and his cherry-like eyes looked like a Slowpoke’s. Then he took a step back and closed the door in front of him.

Reiko sputtered. “Uh, what?” she eventually squeaked out.

Yumi’S pulse quickened from rage. She put her hands on the table and leaned over it. “What is wrong with you two?!” she screamed.

Mitsu stood and looked her square in the eye. After a second of being expressionless, he tilted his head back. “I was criticizing him. If he can’t take it, that’s too bad.”

Reiko sighed and shrugged. “I have no idea what’s wrong with Carino right now, but clearly, he isn’t thinking right now.”

Had they gone crazy?! Reiko had always been one to speak her mind and butt heads with others, to the point of being rude and inconsiderate, but never like this! And she had never seen Mitsu act this way before! She turned to Terrance.

He groaned and shifted away under her scrutinizing gaze. While he didn’t say anything, that said more than any words could. He was going to let Reiko and Mitsu get away with this! But she wasn’t!

She opened her mouth, but her heart stopped her. No. There were more important things. “Argh!” she let out her frustrations. In a flash, she was up and making for the door.

“Where are you–” Terrance faintly called out to her.

“Takao.” Reiko firmly spoke her family name.

Yumi ignored them both. She had to catch up with Nori. She had to make sure that everything was okay. She had to be there for him!

---

It was fast becoming a ritual for Nori to mentally prepare himself for school the day after something happened that might make people think ill of him. He had a habit of finding if not leaping headfirst into trouble. His reception from the public on Saturday was a good sign, but the news about the Kannagi Shrine muddied the waters more than a bunch of Quagsires taking a bath. His arrival had passed with just a few glances and whispers, and his morning class went by without incident. But the club, his own club, which had nominated them as their leader, had turned on him. That was what he really dreaded. Nori never cared if people he didn’t know hated him for who he was, but the opposite – the reaction from those who accepted him – was another story.

His course of action had been impulsive, maybe instinctive. Why couldn’t Adelle or Yasmin have been there to keep the peace? They were always neutral at worst, no matter what happened. Or…would they have been? Well, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t sure what he could have said that wouldn’t make things worse. That was why he walked out right away.

He would have to think about everything else later. Including what he would do if they actually ousted him and he had to find a new club – Tobari Junior made him go to one, unlike his middle school in Sunyshore. His focus had to be on Qwilfish. The sooner she was rehabilitated, or at least made enough progress that he could coast on the process, the better! He hadn’t forgotten what Arumi had said. Publicity would be a big thing here. He wasn’t going to go out of his way to worry about it, but he was ready to handle any situation if and when the time came.

The young official took a deep breath in and out. “Be positive, Nori!” he said to himself. He raised his head, stood tall, and strutted down the hallway with a smile. For about three seconds.

Nori paused in his tracks as a realization sank in. He wasn’t upset, and by all means, he should have been. The weight of lethargy was bearing down on his shoulders harder than any bit of anger.

It had always been this way. He was the kind of person who could fit in but never belong. That, above all, was the reason he rarely had friends. That was why he was lucky to ever keep them. It was always an individual whenever it worked out, especially Arumi who stuck by him when no one else would. He always ended up falling out of groups, like with the rest of the counterpart club in Sunyshore.

Maybe it was for the better. Nori didn’t really care for the group mentality, and normally he’d go ‘screw that!’ to anyone who challenged him on it. Actually, he was sure he could dig in his heels and drive those who hated him out of the club if he wanted. But the newsletter would suffer for it. So it was better for their readers if one person stepped away rather than three.

“And if they want you back, Nori, they’ll have to ask,” he said to himself with a vindictive chuckle. Talking to himself sometimes improved his mood, if not his focus. He thought about it a little more and added, “The club or everyone else.”

It wasn’t like him to say that, but it felt good to do so. He even felt it in his stride, which became more lively. If he was lucky, they only needed time to cool off. But time would tell. Until then, he’d do what he used to do during lunch at school: sit alone and eat, and maybe do some of his homework early. It’d help him cool off.

“Well, well, well. Look what fell out of the Purugly’s mouth,” came an irritating voice from in front of him, as if on some sort of twisted cue. He walked right by the orange-haired teenager as if she wasn’t there. It was little surprise that she followed right at his side like they were good friends. “So how was your weekend, Nori Carino? Everything go well?”

Okay, people who were supposedly his friends doing this bothered him. But he was not about to put up with this garbage from stupid morons who he didn’t give a Rattata’s rear end about.

He jerked his head towards her and put on his best scowl. “Emi, go away,” he said slowly and deliberately. “I am not in the mood to deal with you right now.”

“Ooo, touchy!” Her hands flew to her cheeks as she gasped in mock horror. The teenager let it drop with a snort and smirked coyly. “Lemme guess, things didn’t go so well at your club just now? That’s why you’re out here instead of there, right?”

“Yes, so you should know why I’m not in the mood.”

Emi held her stomach, exaggerating her gleeful cackle. “That’s rich!” she said, wiggling the fingers of her right hand. “Here’s a thought. If even your so-called friends think badly of you for what you’re doing, what do you think everyone else thinks?”

He chose to respond to that by not responding. He increased the length and speed of his strides, quickly leaving her behind. Arguing with her would be a waste of time.

After around three seconds, Emi matched his pace once more. By that point, they had made their way to the open space near the shoe lockers and the school store. It was a spot where students liked to congregate. “Ignoring your problems isn’t going to make them go away!”

Nori stopped. Publicity. This was a good opportunity. “So you’re a problem of mine?” he asked.

“You could say that,” she went along with it.

Nori checked around. There were dozens of their peers hanging around, their attention drawn by their argument. Heck, a lot had been following in their wake. Publicity. This was a perfect opportunity.

“Then let’s make this perfectly clear to everyone because we’re already making a stupid scene,” he declared, stepping into the middle of the area. It was just like making a presentation in front of class. He could speak in public. He turned to Emi. “You’re mad that Pete Stephens died and the Qwilfish who accidentally did it didn’t get instantly killed in return. You’re ignoring the fact that Pete Stephens probably would’ve wanted this Qwilfish to live on!”

Emi’s eyebrows went down. She gritted her teeth. “You don’t kno–”

He raised his voice and talked over her. “And because you feel so bad, you’ve been hunting me down for a battle, so you can kill her yourself for people around the world!” He stomped a foot and pointed at her. “Is that it?!”

His accusation silenced the crowd. What’s more, it silenced Emi. Her expression went blank. She just stood there with her mouth slightly ajar. People were waiting for her answer. But it was a blond teenager who walked up to her that spoke first.

“Emi, are you?” Chad inquired.

“What?” A hand went to her gaping mouth. As the moment of shock wore off, she jerked back. “O-of course not! He’s just being an assumptive idiot! I wouldn’t do that much!” She gesticulated wildly in his direction.

“Not that much,” he echoed. “So you do want to hurt her.”

Again, silence. This time, Emi didn’t protest or argue. She just clenched her fists, hunched over, and leered at him with her chilling blue eyes.

Nori shook his head. “In good conscience, I can’t accept your request for a battle. I need to keep my Pokemon safe, including from people like you. Especially with the news about random Qwilfish being attacked and even killed lately. I’m not accusing you of anything. But you need to rethink what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”

The crowd murmured, and most of them seemed to agree! Nori held his head high and breathed calmly. It was true that there were a lot of people who didn’t like he was sheltering the Qwilfish that killed Pete Stephens. But they still respected him, and they were still listening to him. He felt a sudden dryness in his mouth, but it was a good feeling.

“Wow,” came an awestruck and familiar female voice. A smiling, sparkly-eyed Yumi shuffled out of the crowd. A splayed hand was against her chest. “Nori, that was…really well said,” she gushed. Her pouty lips curved upward. The bandage on her face scrunched.

“Um, thanks?” He shifted away as he felt his face going red. “It was just that one part, though.” He’d rather be flustered than humiliated, though. At least this was a good thing to get flustered over. He turned to leave, gesturing for her to follow. He was glad she was here. “Anyway–”

“Hold on!”

Emi jumped out in front of him. The teenager trembled and looked up at him with a twitching eye. She straightened her posture and took a deep breath.

“Emi–” Chad called to her as he slowly approached.

“I still want this,” she said with a shaky voice. “My Pokemon are the ones who’ll be fighting, and they won’t take it too far. We’re NOT crazy enough to kill her! Besides, I enjoyed our little one-on-one on the weekend!” She chuckled, but there was something off about it. “I want to see what you’re really made of in a real battle. So face me!”

Yumi scowled and stepped in front. “Leave him alone already!” she yelled. One arm she put in front of him, the other she waved angrily.

“Yeah, not now,” he said. He wasn’t in the right state of mind to battle.

“Of course not now!” the increasingly agitated teenager snapped. “But let’s set this up! I’ll even sign that waiver of yours.” She shut her eyes and cringed. “Please.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

A pompous yet out of place male spoke up. Nori felt the hairs on his neck start to bristle. He recognized that voice. He turned to see two older teenagers approaching, side by side. They wore matching reflective white rain jackets.

Yumi blurted out their names. “Louis? Mariko?”

Both turned to her. The crimson-haired teenager’s lip curled and her face blanched. “Oh. Hey,” she spat, giving her shoulders an aggressive roll.

“Yumi,” Louis acknowledged with a curt nod. Were there still some hard feelings on their end over how she and her twin left their protest group?

Nori leered and put his hands on his hips. “Okay, what are you two even doing here?” He was sure it couldn’t be good news. Were they pissed off Krookodile Tracker fans too?!

“We came over from the high school because we were curious about a few things,” the older, teal-haired teenager explained. “I did not expect to find a situation we felt it necessary to intervene in.”

What about anything they were going to do was necessary? He was about to call them on it, when Emi started talking.

“You are Youths Against Mistaken Society!” she parroted. A burst of laughter escaped Nori. A few others laughed even more openly at her mockery of their introductory catchphrase. “YAMS. What genius thought of that brilliant one?”

The three former members of the group all reacted in different ways. Louis remained stoic, aside from closing his eyes. Mariko gave a sour look, but her gaze went to the floor. Yumi just blinked with surprise. Before any of them could answer, if they were going to in the first place, it was brushed off.

“But never mind that,” Emi wiggled her fingers. “What do you mean I shouldn’t sign the waiver? Do you have a point, or are you guys spouting bullshit like you’re famous for?”

At this, Nori full on smirked. It wasn’t just because he found it funny, but also, his enemies were after each other! He would side with Emi here nonetheless. YAMS was infamous around Veilstone for sometimes being petty with their protests. He got to see one firsthand; they wanted to go after the mayor for kinks he indulged in within the privacy of his own home.

He expected Mariko to fly off the handle. It was to the boy’s shock when she stood there leering. She deferred to Louis. “Let us talk about that,” he stated, with all the coolness of a Glalie. “The waiver of a Pokemon Rehabilitator is supposedly there for any would-be opponents to accept responsibility for whatever happens in a battle against dangerous Pokemon.”

Emi exaggerated a gasp. Her jaw dropped and she hung her tongue out, her blue eyes bulged, and her fingertips went to her chin. “Wow, way to be a master of the obvious. Like, duh.” She rolled her entire head before shaking it and crossing her arms. “Everyone knows that.”

Nori concurred. “That’s what it’s there for.” He held out his arm and stretched his wrist and hand. “It covers me and the Officials from legal ramifications, and it helps me train. Plus, there’s my discretion as well if someone who wants to sign it for a battle isn’t in the right frame of mind.”

“Yeah, well what about the Pokemon?” Mariko snapped.

“What about them?” asked Emi, tapping her foot. Nori gave an inquisitive glance. What were they getting at?

Louis cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Allow us to put it to you this way, Emi Pikaru.” He turned to the captain of the battling team. “Chad Shosha,” he also acknowledged. “When your friend, Anthony Morris, signed that waiver, his Quagsire got badly injured in the subsequent battle. We ask you, did his Pokemon sign an agreement for taking that risk?”

Anthony? He was formerly the third-best member of the battling team, until he had demanded a standard three-on-three battle with Nori to ‘avenge’ his idol. A panic attack brought on by a Surf attack led to Pawniard acting on his own and inflicting the injury in question. Nori felt bad, but most people had taken his side and blamed Anthony for signing the waiver. So for the briefest of moments, Nori thought nothing of it. It was only when he heard the gasps and chatter that it hit him. All eyes were either upon the former members of YAMS or staring at him. The boy tensed up. Were they really listening to this?!

Emi, for her part, just froze. Chad had turned away. “I honestly never thought of it that way,” the blond eventually remarked. He lowered his gaze and stared at Nori. His expression was neutral, but that was still worrying.

“I didn’t either,” Yumi said. She moved closer to him and spoke more firmly. “But the Officials made it, so I’m sure they know–”

“Well they didn’t do a very good job of thinking it up!” Mariko interrupted. “Pokemon have rights too!”

Louis nodded and went into a speech “Pokemon are sapient creatures just like we are. Despite our differences in language, they are able to understand us to a certain extent, which is what makes all we do with them in our lives possible. However, they can have trouble when it comes to understanding our culture. Relevant to this case, they understand battling for fun or sport, but I would like to believe most Pokemon do not expect to nearly die during a casual battle.”

Nori scoffed. “This is stupid,” he dismissed. They were just spouting nonsense. Maybe they had a point from a certain view, but it was still stretching things just to get back at him. “Injuries sometimes happen in normal battles accidentally, and you don’t see people or Pokemon making a fuss over that!”

Mariko turned her nose up. “Then let’s see a show of hands. Who agrees with us?”

Louis nodded. “That is to say, raise your hand if you agree that the legal agreement for a battle with a Pokemon Rehabilitator is fundamentally flawed, for the reasons we explained.”

The boy shook his head. Then the arms began to rise. One after another, their peers showed their agreement. Emi just kept standing there. Chad’s went up without hesitation. Nori felt his heart drop as he saw Yumi’s hand begin to move, only for it to move horizontal and briefly graze his back before dropping quickly. She looked at him, but he did not care to process her longing gaze.

“Really?!” he screamed, dropping his posture. His pulse went from normal to raging in the span of a second. He took a step forward and swung his fists back.

“There you have it,” Mariko taunted. She chuckled and stood tall. “So what do you think about it?” she asked in a low voice, quite literally looking down upon him.

“What do I think? What do I think?!” He leveled a finger in her face. “You just made things a lot harder for me! And I bet you just did this because you’re pissed off about being wrong about the Demon!” After a second, he added with a point towards Chad, “You’re wrong about Qwilfish too!”

This whole thing was insane! How was he supposed to help do his job like this? Some of his Pokemon liked to battle, and he couldn’t just tell them no! He had to get into battling in the first place because of that! But if they didn’t get a chance, they wouldn’t get to change! Some might even hate it! And Nori knew what was next! The next step was going to be stopping them from battling completely even against wild Pokemon! Then what?!

“Do you have nothing to say on the issue itself?” Louis calmly asked. His arms were crossed, his eyes were shut, and he was drumming a finger on his arm.

“Fine! Here’s your answer!” He flipped them both off with both hands, one for each of them. “Screw you petty jerks!”

The Pokemon Rehabilitator turned and shoved his way through the crowd on his way out of the school.

 

[System Error]

It was a chilly and breezy mid-October day. The air was still damp from the rain yesterday and this morning, with little puddles scattered across the ground. Yumi was somewhat astounded that Nori had run out without a jacket, especially given he didn’t seem to be cold at all.

His strides were long and powerful. Yumi was struggling to keep up with him even though she was jogging. Between the strenuous exercise and the way she felt, she was about to run out of breath. Instead, she mustered her courage and called to him.

“Hey, wait up!”

She flinched as Nori whirled around and took a step towards her with a raised fist. His sneer instantly softened into a blank, empty expression when he saw it was her. He dropped his hand. They stared at each other for what felt like minutes until his lips curled into a frown and he shut his eyes tightly. They were at the far end of the school’s field, just the two of them. Though her legs felt like a Ditto, she approached.

They were a little over two meters apart. Nori didn’t say or do anything. He only stood there with a similar to the one he wore when standing in the doorway of the club. Only his eyebrows were lower and his frown was deeper. It was like he was just fed up with it all. She’d never seen him like this before!

Yumi chanced taking a step closer, just a tiny one. She said to him, “I’m sorry.”

Nori’s shoulders slumped and he shook his head. “You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he replied. He looked her square in the eye, but it was with a warm and reassuring glint. That was more like the Nori she knew.

“I know,” she replied, taking another half step near him. They were about a meter apart, probably less. “I’m just sorry that you have to put up with this.”

What Yumi wanted to do was reach out and give him a big hug. He needed one, and…she wanted to hug him anyway. But she wasn’t sure how he would respond. What if he hated it? What if it made him hate her? What if she messed it up? Why did things have to be this way?

It was because of everyone else! Why couldn’t they see Nori even half the way she saw him? She clenched her fists. “I can’t believe everyone!” she complained, clenching her fists. “Especially those two, Louis and Mariko. Why did they think it was right to show up and make things worse for you?” She knew them. This was petty, plain and simple! They never would have gone through with this otherwise!

Nori answered. “I think they’re still pissed off at me about the Demon,” he remarked somewhat hollowly, maybe even resignedly. He came to the same conclusion, then. His feet bounced, his brow wrinkled, and he put his hands in his pockets. “But who cares what they think? I’m more bothered by our club.”

Yumi bit her lips and she felt a heat in her face. He should care what they think. This was a serious issue. If Louis and Mariko had their way, Nori might not be able to be a Pokemon Rehabilitator anymore. Either way, seeing Nori so worried made her stomach twist into more knots than it already was. The teenager cleared her throat before trying to ease his concerns, “I talked to the others about it before I came to find you. I think they just need some time to cool off.” She looked over her shoulder and glowered. “Especially Reiko.”

“I hope they do,” her friend droned.

At that, Yumi could no longer help herself. She involuntarily reached out. When her arm was halfway to him, it locked up in realization. Her eyes darted between it and him. Nori’s eyebrows went up and he twitched. Yumi could only cringe. Stupid! Yet, it remained up, maybe just because she was too stunned to even move. She shut her eyes and started to consciously move her arm. She was shaking, yet she managed to bring it up to pat his shoulder for just a second.

His gaze met hers. Yumi shut her eyes, then she asked the question. “Are you all right? You’ve been acting weird.”

When she looked at him again, he was smiling. Yumi couldn’t help but stare.

“As good as I can be,” he softly assured. “There just wasn’t anything I think I could’ve done in those situations that wouldn’t have made it worse.”

Then he reached out. Yumi felt a prickle as his arm drew near, and completely locked up as he returned the physical contact. He was patting her shoulder! Close to holding her! What should she do?! She wanted this, but what now?!

“It’s fine!” he insisted, giving a hearty nod. “I was ready for a lot of people to hate me over this.”

Yumi pulled back. It was reflexive, not voluntary. “You don’t sound like you’re fine, though!” she cried.

Nori turned away. Busted. She knew him way better than he thought! He wasn’t acting fully like himself! He rubbed the nape of his neck like he usually did. “I just thought…” He chuckled as he trailed off. “Or rather, I hoped it wouldn’t be like this.”

“Maybe that was expecting too much of people.” It pained her to say that. If there was one thing she knew from being in YAMS, or even from her family, it was that there were a lot of people who just wanted to follow the easy train of thought. “People see this Pokemon that killed a celebrity. They don’t care how or why. So of course a lot of them would think you’re a bad person for giving her a chance.”

“She’s not even a bad Pokemon!” Nori threw up his arms. “I’m sure if they got to know her, they’d see her for who she really is.” He abruptly paused and blinked.

“I only have your word to go on, but I believe you.” That was one of the many things she loved about Nori. He was honest and straightforward. Which meant he wouldn’t shy away from speaking his mind. But he’d also know how to put it nicely if appropriate.

Nori rubbed the nape of his neck again. He did that a lot when sheepish, but also when he was about to ask an awkward question. “Well, do you want to meet her?”

Yumi took another reflexive step back. “Wait, what?!” Okay, she was not expecting him to ask THAT. Thoughts of his previous assignment flashed through her mind. Especially what she and what felt like half the school saw him do right in front of them! “But your Qwilfish…no! I really don’t…not here!” She wildly waved it off. “Sorry, I mean. What I meant to say…!” What should she say in this situation?!

“I thought you trusted my judgment?” he asked, tilting his head. “Yumi, I know you’re scared for me. But she’s not like Pawniard.”

His frown, his limp arms, how he slumped. Nori was earnest even in his body language. He was hurt. And he was right. She said that even though she shouldn’t have.

She did believe Nori when he said he thought Qwilfish wasn’t bad. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t dangerous! What if something triggered her and she attacked him? She didn’t want him to end up like Pete Stephens. Yet…his pressed hands. His quivering mouth. His pleading eyes. She couldn’t say no. She couldn’t. And maybe he really was right. Maybe seeing his assignment would be a peace of mind.

Yumi took a deep breath and answered, “Okay.”

---​

Nori was glad that he had a friend like Yumi Takao. To think that at one point she was trying to stop him from taming the Demon with the rest of them. And look at them now! Okay, the part hadn’t changed, but the context had. It was always nice to know she cared about him that much. He supposed it was justified too. Normally, any Pokemon that kills a human unprovoked would be subject to an intensive evaluation. The more he thought about what people were saying about the situation being odd, the more he was inclined to agree.

Then there was what happened with those two jerks. The worst part was he couldn’t think of a way to refute their logic. How did the guy who thought up his position put it? It was a touchy subject. Maybe it was more true than he thought, especially if this ended up gaining traction. At least, maybe, possibly, the Officials would do something about it?

He really would’ve been worried if she refused this, though. He wouldn’t know whether she was just saying things to make him feel better. Actually, this whole idea was spur of the moment, one that had struck him out of the blue while he was talking. If people saw Qwilfish, what would they think? Maybe it really wouldn’t change minds. After all, he heard on the news that some people around the world had been insane enough to go around killing Qwilfish. But what if it did change people’s minds if they actually met the culprit? Yumi would be a good test.

First things first, to find a puddle. He didn’t want to chance what happened with Prema happening again. If a creek worked, any shallow body of water would do just fine too, right?

He ran a couple steps away. As he twisted his body and moved his head, rapidly trying to find a good spot, he caught sight of Yumi. She was staring at her feet, hunched over with her arms dangling listlessly.

“Er, are you all right?” he inquired and hurried back over to her. Was this asking too much? Did it have to do with that bandage? No, wait. A moment to actually think it through, and he knew what was up.

“Oh!” she said as she snapped upright, as if she were a soldier called to attention. “Yes, just a little, you know.” She shifted lightly.

He nodded at her. “I get it,” he said with a grin. “You believe me about Qwilfish, but you also wanna see for yourself to figure out what’s what your own way, right?” Also, she wasn’t going to agree with Louis and Mariko. She just wanted to pat his back in comfort.

For a second, Yumi’s eyes widened as she put up her palms. She forced a smile a second after. “That’s pretty much it,” she admitted.

Okay, so mostly on the mark, she was still afraid. Reasonably so. But that was good enough for him if she was trying! He raised and lowered both fists, resting at chest level. “Well, you will know in a few!”

The beige-haired teenager tried to hold back her smile, but when a soft chuckle broke through her twitching lips, she broke into a wide grin. Her shoulders dropped to a neutral position. “Okay, but are you looking for something?” It was a valid question.

“Just a deep enough puddle for her to sit in,” he informed before checking around some more. There wasn’t much to see but grass, the soccer posts, and a few other students hanging out closer to the school. Any deeper spots were likely to be hidden. “She needs to get used to being out of water, but I found that even a little helps. It’s going to take some time and practice.”

“She was abandoned, wasn’t she?” Yumi did some idle looking around of her own. “I wonder if her old trainer didn’t have the patience to properly train her.”

He shrugged. “Maybe, I’m sure we’ll find out if they ever find who did this.” Their motives might be important for understanding Qwilfish’s behavior. He had some ideas about the kind of person they were. He voiced one of them aloud. “But whoever it was sure didn’t have the…niceness.”

The stupid nonsensical word slipped out of his mouth! Yumi giggled. “Or the smartness!” she added.

While he winced at first, Nori couldn’t help but laugh too. Yumi could make some biting remarks, but only when sticking up for someone or joking around. He liked that about her. Her using a silly non-word too uplifted him; he felt a spring in his shoes as he started to walk around. He swore there was a spot where the water pooled somewhere around this field…

Yumi gestured beyond the chain link fence. “Would that one in the parking lot work?”

He wasn’t thinking of going that far. But she was right, there was a big one right there between some of the parking stalls. “Let’s see.”

The boy scampered over the chain-link fence to get there quicker, and also because he felt a surge of energy and excitement flowing through him. The boy quite literally tested the waters by tapping them with a foot. It wasn’t even toe deep! The puddle was wide, but that was about it. Maybe it was deeper somewhere in it? He placed a finger on the side of his lips. What to do…

He caught Yumi hurrying over from the side, having gone around the proper way. Nori wondered for a moment if she was bothered by that, but she was smiling vaguely.

“So will it work?” she inquired.

The young official glanced back at the puddle. His left hand slipped into his pocket. He idly felt around for the capsules within, pinching the correct one and carefully extracting it.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” he admitted. “If there’s any trouble, I’ll bring her back right away. Don’t worry.”

“Okay.” At least she trusted him there. Yumi knew how good he was at aiming; he’d even demonstrated it before. Heck, he was supposed to get a suppression tool eventually, which is what it was mainly for.

Without further hesitation, Nori gave the ball a toss toward the center of the puddle. He snatched it as it boomeranged back after releasing the occupant. His grip was firm to begin with, but it tightened as she materialized.

The reaction of the pufferfish would have been comical had it not nearly turned dire the last time. She started flailing and wheezing right away. Rolling on her side in the process and seeing what was beneath did little to alleviate her fears, as she was still very immobile. Her eyes rapidly darted around. He knew it, there wasn’t enough water!

Yumi let out a shriek as his assignment began to inflate. “Nori, quick! Get her back!”

No, he couldn’t! Without even thinking, he stepped towards her and shouted, “Qwilfish, relax! It’s just me and my friend here!”

When she turned towards him and showed no signs of stopping, Nori bent his knees and thrust his arm out, Dive Ball in hand. Qwilfish contracted slightly…then stopped. She let out a distressed, maybe annoyed noise at him as she returned to normal size.

He could only stifle a laugh. It sounded funny. “You can breathe,” he assured her. All aquatic Pokemon could breathe oxygen just fine, whether it was on land, in saltwater, or in freshwater. It was mobility that made them uncomfortable.

He ignored her continued fussing and stepped to the side. He gestured with an arm. “This is Yumi. She’s a good friend of mine who wanted to say hi to you.”

The beige-haired teenager vaguely moved her wrist. Qwilfish hummed for several seconds before wagging her tail fin. It meant hello.

“Sorry, this was unplanned,” he addressed her. “I thought you should know that I want to do some training with you in a bit. Is that okay?”

She shook her form and puffed up again. Before she could even start to get into it, Nori cut in.

“It’s to help you! I know you’re a nice Pokemon, and we need to show other people that. And um, maybe fight that jerk if she keeps insisting like she did now.” Knowing her, it was going to be in a pool or at a lake. But that was more reason to get used to battling together. “Do you get that at least?”

With a huff, she slapped her tail fin against the ground, splashing up a bit of water. But that was all she did or said.

Something occurred at that moment. “Don’t worry, I’ll feed you when I get back home!” He hadn’t actually done that at all! Thank goodness for lowered metabolism in Poke Balls. Wait, that’s right. He felt a cramp in his neck that he had to massage. “Um, there’s no water there. But you’ll have to get used to it. I’ll teach you, it’s fine!”

She tilted down and half closed her eyes. No response besides. Nori pressed his palms together and stared. Under this and after about ten seconds, she exhaled twice.

The positive response made him feel like he was standing on air. “Thanks. See you in a bit.” He recalled her and pocketed the capsule once more. Yes! Progress!

He made a small jump for joy in which he whirled to face Yumi. She had been quiet for their whole conversation. He had taken her silence to mean that she was too nervous or uneasy to say or do anything. Or maybe she was worried about messing stuff up? But instead, she had a furrowed brow with lips pouted upward. She met his eyes, her own holding a concerned gleam.

His friend was silent for a second too long before speaking. “Nori, she looked terrified.”

“She was like this when I got her!” he hastily and impulsively clarified. “Actually, she’s improved a little since then, but not too much,” he added.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” She bowed slightly in apology. “What I meant to say, she looked guarded and uneasy. Maybe worse than that.”

Nori tapped his lips. “Paranoia?” She was distrustful to an excessive degree.

“Something like that,” she solemnly spoke. “I visited some Pokemon shelters back when I was with YAMS. She had the same sort of look in her eye as I saw in a few of the Pokemon there who had suffered abuse. It’s like…” She shook her head. “No, never mind.”

Nori rolled his ankle before stretching. “I don’t know if she was abused. But she was abandoned. That and what happened after would affect most normal Pokemon badly.”

“I know that Pokemon usually go to care facilities for mental trauma. Lance the Dragon Master’s Dragonite is the most famous example of a Pokemon that did.”

The words made something click. “That’s it.” He clapped his hands. It made sense now! “That’s what Volkner and Priestess Satomi meant. They said this was odd. She should’ve gotten sent to one of those, not to me!”

Yumi’s lip curled inward a little. “I was thinking that too, but it sounded too silly. So why didn’t they send her to one?” she sharply exclaimed, putting a hand on her hip. “Why did they give her for you to handle?”

That was the part that made no sense. “That’s a very good question. I’ll need to get some answers. For now, I’m just going to do my best for her. Thanks, Yumi!”

“Oh, you’re welcome,” she said, sheepishly rubbing the hair on the back of her head. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I mean, she has to be in…her environment sometimes, and you…” She turned away, fiddling with her jacket. “Your phobia.”

Nori shut his eyes. Anyone who knew him well would have realized. “I don’t know,” he slowly confessed, fully honest with her. “I knew it’d be a problem right away.”

He jumped a little when he looked and saw Yumi had walked right in front of him. “If you need any support…” she sputtered. The beige-haired teenager averted eye contact by keeping her gaze locked on his shoes. “If you need me to be there if you have to go somewhere to train her…well.” Her head snapped up and she leaned in suddenly. “Just tell me, and I’ll be there!”

Her declaration to help bordered on a plea to accept it. Her wide eyes said as such, and her lips remained slightly open.

Nori smoothly nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied. “Thanks, Yumi.”

He closed his eyes. It was really nice knowing someone cared this much about him. He gave it a few seconds before opening them. Yumi was fidgeting again.

“Well,” he said, mentally shrugging to himself. “I should get going if I’m gonna do this.” There was a little pond a few blocks to the south that would work.

Yumi nodded. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Yup!” he assured with a little salute. “Don’t worry, I can handle that much.”

“That’s good. But, I meant, are you cold?” She pulled her right hand slightly into the sleeves of her white and pink jacket.

“Oh!” He pumped his fists low. Sure, it was chilly, but nothing he couldn’t handle. “Yeah, this is fine. Don’t worry about that either!”

“Okay.” She put her hand back through. He knew it, she would’ve offered him her jacket. That was sweet of her. “I’ll talk to the others about what happened.”

“Thanks.” He figured she was going to anyway if she hadn’t already. But there was something else on his mind. “By the way, what happened with your face?” The boy gestured to the bandage.

Yumi completely froze for a second. No, actually, she froze as he was leaning in, not when he asked the question. But it had the effect of pulling her out of her reverie. “Oh, don’t mind that,” she said, taking an unsteady step back while chuckling nervously.

“If you say so?” She was hiding something, and he had a feeling what it might be given the facts and her evasiveness. Did something happen at her family gathering? But this was not the time or place to prod about that. So he shrugged. “See you later, Yumi.”

“Good luck, Nori.”

He spun around and set out, strutting powerfully down the pavement. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw Yumi watching him. She stood on her toes and gave him a wave, which he reciprocated. He was lucky to have someone like her watching his back. He made it a block away when a sudden thought made him slow to a walk.

Training was going to involve working with his other Pokemon. And there was all of one Pokemon that would now work. Between how the conversation with Pachi ended and Pawniard being…well, himself. That left one Pokemon he was certain might not be a problem with her. The keyword being might. The Demon and this Qwilfish. How would they receive each other?

 

[System Error]

Being in a capsule was annoying.

It was artificial. Too comforting. Not what she liked. She did not know how that rodent or even that epafasu functioned. She tolerated it by circumstance. Carino made a point. Too many manhs were uncomfortable around her. Not that she cared. If he got a bigger living place, she would want to be out more. And she would find a way to make him know.

It was always good to get out. The fresh air in her lungs. The feeling of earth – in this case, wet cement – beneath her feet. The chill of late autumn against her skin. It was always disorienting to be somewhere different. Being vaguely aware of the world outside while within changed nothing.

She took stock of her surroundings. Smell: wet pavement, exhaust in the distance, some sort of manh-made bread, Carino. Sound: running water, wind, vehicles, a few birds in the distance. urWmt: nothing unusual. Sight: buildings, stairs, unoccupied chairs and tables, Carino leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. Warming himself. He kept looking between her and some elevated pool of water.

He said nothing. She tapped her front left paw. He spoke after twenty beats. “Hi, Demon,” he greeted.

She liked that name. From what Pachi told her, it described her well. It literally meant a wicked and harmful spirit, yet it could express respect for skill. They didn’t use names in the wild. They had titles. She was o’Fyma to her former colony. Esteemed mother who gives birth. She refused to live up to it.

Carino spoke on. “{Hesitation. Asking for help with something non-specific.}”

That was uninformative. Was this the outside of some fighting place? “Yes,” she answered. He would only hear a bark, of course, so she bobbed her head up and down as well.

“{Proclamation that he will send out ‘Qwilfish’ into the water.} {Asking to help talk to her.}”

Qwilfish? It must have been that murderer. Her ears slanted upright. She had choice feelings about that fish. None of them were positive.

She let Carino know how she felt with a low growl. Did he figure out she knew a small amount of the language of water dwellers? No. There was no way. He assumed. Or he guessed. No, he had hoped. He hoped a lot. Well. He must have asked Pachi first. Now he asked her. His eyes and frown told the story. She would try. Since he asked.

“Fine,” she snorted. She added another head bob. If she was his only way around the language barrier, she’d put up with it. For him. Even though she expected they wouldn’t get anywhere.

Carino slumped yet smiled. The sight of his relief was nice. He took out a light blue ball and opened it into the water.

The Demon approached and propped herself up on the ledge. She could sense the fear of this ‘Qwilfish’ thing as they locked eyes. Primal fear, like prey to a hunter.

The fish blubbered some gibberish that she got only a few words out of. An old friend before she was declared an AkepWwd – a race traitor – had taught her aquatic words. Enough to hold a basic conversation. The inflection was hard for her mouth to make. It was like a specific series of a small set of syllables, in an abnormal order. But she spoke.

“Hello.”

Stop. The Qwilfish floated there. She answered something to the effect of, “You can {???} me?” Demon figured the word she was unfamiliar with was something like ‘understand.’ Or close enough to it.

“I speak little,” was the gist of her reply. As far as she knew, they had no equivalent of “Syl A’ruKo umt?” But that old friend had told her saying that would work.

The reply came. It was chaotic. There were a few familiar words. “Little” was echoed. Then she stayed quiet. Waiting for clarification. Maybe.

“One taught me little,” she sounded out in the abyssal tongue. Hopefully this Qwilfish had the brains to recognize to talk in simple words.

It took some time. But she answered. “Who are you? What is happening?”

She tried to remember the tones. This was going to be degrading. Not that she cared what this murderer thought. “I am Demon,” she said, saying the last part in her own tongue. She gestured to her leader. “He is Nori. He is help. He is good. Who are you?” It was the best she could do.

“I am,” was the beginning of the answer. A calm answer, mercifully. As calm as this neurotic fish could be. “Spike,” she awkwardly sounded out. Then she said something else. From the words she recognized and context, it was what the manh who caught and – evidently discarded her – called her.

She could not help but snort at that. That was the same name as one of Carino’s enemies from that other city. An impotent one. A male’s name too. This was a female.

The fish went crazy for no reason. At least, Demon didn’t sense danger. She swam up and went off about something. Angry about something. Then questions, it sounded like. What? Why? What?

This was hopeless. This idiot needed a native speaker to talk to her. Or one of those diviners. Maybe that old trainer did something to scar her. It wouldn’t surprise her. They were generally scum as far as she saw it. Not that her fellow Akeresa couldn’t be, either. That freak teammate, for example. If there was one good thing that the worthless progenitor did for her, it was let her meet Carino. Or maybe it was their idea of a sick joke.

She turned away from the idiot and shook her head at Carino to convey her dismay. She tuned out the Qwilfish thing. It was mostly nonsense to her anyway.

He moved up. He stayed near the wall like he was trying to avoid predators and shrank away from the water. “What happened?” she heard and understood. She knew a little of his language. Not that it made a difference because of the ability of any Akeresa to understand the gist of what any manh said, and the trouble of actually speaking it. “{Asking what she said.}”

She scraped her paws and stared. How was she supposed to express that she only knew a little and this dumb bitch wouldn’t talk on her level? She glanced back at the still-rambling fish and gave a snort and a toss of the head.

“Wait! Wait, wait,” Carino exclaimed as he stood more upright. “{Stating he knows Akeresa have different languages because Pachi told him.} {Asking hesitantly if she doesn’t speak a lot of water-dweller language.}”

At this, she smirked and confirmed. See, he got it. Without understanding a word she said. She liked that about Carino. He had sense. More than could be said about that idiot in the water. What would he call her, stupid moron? Were those the words? If they were lucky, hearing what he said would give her the message. At least she had verified that fish was just ignorant.

It made his arms go limp. “{Exasperatedly dismissing some sort of idea}” he mumbled, probably talking about having them talk. She eyed the fish, who turned away. It seemed that idiot didn’t want to talk anyway. “Thanks for trying {regardless},” Carino said.

“Yes,” she barked a short reply. He was too polite sometimes. Not that she hated it.

He turned to Spike. The fish swam back. She puffed up a little. It was posturing.

It took a few seconds. Carino spoke to her. “I was thinking,” he started, before shaking his head and hitting himself. He spoke more confidently. “{Stating that aquatic Akeresa can do fine out of water with training.} {Stating that he knows she needs water, but that he wants to train her to be out of it.} {Quick assurance he’ll still let her swim in water.}” He shuffled his feet. “I’ll try. I mean! {Statement that he is willing to compromise.} If you can try. Please? {Asking her to signal yes or no like before.}”

There was no initial reply. Because she had actually shut up for once, Demon had no idea what she was thinking. It was hard to tell. She would normally use body language. But she had never seen one of these and the fish was still and stone-faced anyway. So she watched for the sign. The fish puffed up. She did not move closer, and kept eyeing her. Still wary. But Carino smiled. It must have been a yes.

“Thank you,” he said, bowing lightly. “{Vocalization.} {Admitting he is unsure what to do.} {A rhetorical question that they might start with practicing breathing.}” Demon snorted. It likely made more sense in his language, but her mind interpreted it funny. She knew what he meant. It was a big thing with aquatics. Carino turned. “{A question if she will help.}”

With breathing? How was she supposed to know that? Instead, she decided to surprise him. She flashed her claws and swung them twice.

“With fighting?” Her ears twitched and she grinned. Some manh his age wanted to fight this fish, that one with the Rhydon who they crushed. Demon saw the look in her eyes. She wasn’t giving up. “{Conceding that might be of help.} {Saying to Spike that she will help with fighting.} {Saying that it might be ideal because no one else will train with them.}”

Instead of responding to him, she turned to her. “You {???} help {???} me?” she asked. The tone was frantic and annoyed.

“Can you fight?” she asked simply.

“Yes, a little,” came Spike’s fussing. “But it is hard to move out of water! I got hurt lots. I hate being hurt.” Surprisingly, Demon understood everything there.

Now she had an idea of what happened. Carino was right, she didn’t have the guts to kill someone on purpose. Knowing that was motivation. “Effort. I will help.” She hoped her speech was not too broken. She gestured to Carino. “He will help.”

Spike studied him. She eventually puffed up for yes. Demon’s heart accelerated. Anticipation. They wouldn’t need words to spar. It was a good way to get to know someone. No one had to get hurt bad with sparring. Hopefully, this Qwilfish was good. And could keep under control. Otherwise, Demon would hurt her bad to stop her. Same as that freak.

Carino’s hands went into fists. He raised and lowered them in front of him. “That’s good! {Suggesting they try immediately.} Oh. {An awkward realization that they should not be fighting here.} {Adding that no one being around does not change that.}” He rubbed the back of his neck, before his eyes widened. He let out a yelp. “{Panic that he needs to return to where he learns things.} {Stating they will have to do it later.} {Promises of food before that.} {Frantic apology.} {A promise to meet later.}” After a few seconds, he recalled the fish to her capsule.

She could only snicker. Life was never dull with Carino. It was another reason she did not mind him as a leader. She was sure many manhs could help her get stronger, but there was much more to him. He respected her. Treated her as an equal and not as a tool to succeed at ego-driven sport. He did not want her because of her strength.

“Well. {Asking if she wanted to walk outside until they got back to where he learns.}”

She stood more upright. It was rare she was given that chance over the rodent. She was going to take him up on that. Her answer was a firm yes and to turn and start off. He laughed and went out in front to lead the way.

##########​

Nori smiled as he and the Demon raced back to school. He could tell she was enjoying their run. He knew that little square had a fountain that ran until the cold weather made sure they couldn’t anymore. It was the perfect spot to talk with Qwilfish! As long as he didn’t trip into it. Good thing he remembered about it. But it was further than he thought, and now he had to basically sprint if he wanted to make it in time! Stupid! But he was sure they could make it!

They passed by a pair of elderly ladies. One of them dropped her groceries in shock at the sight of the Demon of Veilstone and her trainer. Or maybe they just startled them!

“Excuse me!” one of them called with an irritated and yet disappointed tone of voice. “Nori Carino–”

“Sorry! No time, sorry!” he shouted without stopping or looking back even though they had called to him by name. He waved it off and kept running. “Didn’t mean to startle you!”

There was a pause of about half a second, probably in shock, before they shouted, “Same to you!” in unison.

What was that all about?! More who hated him? If they were gonna be like that, he felt less bad about not being able to stop and help. The Demon snorted and laughed vindictively. Or maybe it was at him. He huffed before laughing a little under his breath.

Still, that little interaction between his Pokemon was promising! It didn’t seem Qwilfish hated the Demon, at least! And she could talk a little! Progress and info! That’s what he needed! Any tiny bit was going to count! So, first thing after school was over, it was training time!