Pokémon Nori Carino: Abyssal Despair (COMPLETE!)

[System Error]

Prema knocked on the door to her father’s office. In spite of, or maybe because of the situation, she wore a faint smile. It was finally time.

This would not be the first time they would be observing a battle that involved Nori together. The first was his initial test with the Demon Nidorina. That was back in the infancy of their friendship, when he and his Pokemon were a pair that the gods had guided her to. Here they were a year and two months later. The circumstances had changed, yet it managed to invoke a feeling of nostalgia in the priestess.

That is, if he was not having second thoughts. “Father, are you ready to head out?” she called to him. “Maiden Kaede is waiting for us.”

There was no answer, not at first. The sound of footsteps in the hall shortly followed. Prema nodded at Priestess Satomi. She was there to assist.

“It’s now or never, Haruto,” their elder urged.

Prema took a small step forward. “Father, unless you see this Qwilfish with your own eyes, you will not be able to make a proper judgment,” she said, unsure where the words were coming from. Yet there they were in her heart and mind. “Furthermore, this may be your only chance to see her under the context of battle. In other words, you will be able to judge for yourself if she truly is cruel. It is…” While the words caught in her throat, she swallowed her hesitation away. “One of your responsibilities as Master of the Kannagi Shrine, Father. All people and Pokemon deserve a fair chance.”

Priestess Satomi flashed a radiant grin. “I couldn’t have said it better myself, Lady Kannagi.”

Prema could only turn away slightly. It was out of necessity. She was hardly proud of saying that.

“We won’t blame you if it’s too much, Haruto,” their mentor added. “But if you can’t bring yourself to do this, we only ask that you accept what we see.”

“I will only be a moment longer,” her father begrudged. Prema could hear the fatigue in his tone, and it weighed upon her heart.

“Soon, Father…” she whispered. This would all be over soon. After tonight, their lives would be back to normal.

##########​

The day had come. Granted, Emi didn’t exactly give them a lot of time to react, which she had privately confirmed to him was part of her plan. At this point and after what Chad had said to the team yesterday, the general consensus had shifted to reluctant acceptance.

They had gathered to support their teammate. And on top of that, a good battle was about to happen. They all enjoyed watching those. The coach had been generous enough to arrange transportation to Mynwest Court. They were outside in the parking lot in front of the bus. The driver was taking his time getting ready.

Chad stepped in front of the group to address them: “Is everyone who wants to be here, um, here?”

There were some goodhearted laughs. No one spoke up, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kiara approaching.

“Ah, did you change your mind?” There was plenty of extra space on the bus.

She turned up her nose. “No, I wanted to say some things.”

The captain of the team raised a hand. “Could we not do this in public?”

“No, I want everyone to know!” Kiara stated. She balled her hands into fists and gave a tooth-filled scowl. “I think you’re giving her,” and with this she pointed accusingly at Emi, “WAY too much leeway. Plus you’re playing nice with the Demon Tamer. He’s why we’re in this damn mess!”

He shook his head. “Kiara, I told you my stance before. I am not going to stand in Emi’s way. It’s her decision to make.”

“Then goodbye!” Without a further word, she spun on her heels and stomped away. Chad frowned, only able to harden his heart.

“Stupid petty bitch,” Emi grumbled. It was all anyone initially had to say on the matter. Everyone else really wasn’t sure what to say, or from their expressions, tacitly agreed with Emi.

“We lost another member?” Aki finally asked, their voice and knees both quavering.

“We’ll give her time,” Chad said. He hoped that she simply needed to cool off. If she changed her mind, he was willing to welcome her back with open arms.

There was no further time to discuss it as a group, because the bus door opened. With a nod and gesture from their captain, the team started to board. Chad motioned for Emi to sit with him; she went to the back in response. After a pause, he followed. He wanted to talk. He supposed it didn’t matter where they spoke.

“Emi, two things,” he said as he was sitting down.

She leaned back and replied, “Yeah?”

Chad huffed. He knew she wasn’t going to like him saying this, but it needed to be said. “I still can’t shake the bad feeling I’m getting from this situation.”

Emi only stared back. She averted her eyes for a second. In a way, it was more distressing to him than an explosive or sarcastic reaction would have been. “Chad,” she started with a shake of her head. “It’s way too late to back out now. Especially on a hunch.”

Chad frowned. “I suppose not,” he relented. It would not reflect well to go through all this only to cancel at the last second. Especially with so many people looking forward to this. Chad was still amazed at how quickly the news spread. There were even likely several out-of-towners who had come by, and they wouldn’t take kindly to hearing the trip had been for nothing.

She leaned in a little. “For the record, what do you think this might be about? Like, what do you think’s going to come of this?”

He was forced to look away from her. “I’ve been trying to figure that out.” He wished he had the answer. He wished there was something to it besides his instincts talking. They often weren’t wrong.

“Did you feel that with Anthony?” she threw a suggestion forward with an open-palm gesture.

He leaned back and smiled at her. “What sane person wouldn’t think something bad was going to happen there?”

Emi snorted and rolled her eyes, giving him a smirk right back. At least they both could find their sense of humor at that moment.

“I don’t think it’s that,” he stated. A lot of other people thought that a Pokemon was going to walk away from this badly hurt, if not worse. But this felt different from before to Chad. “Do you ever get a hunch you can’t explain?”

“Yeah, I getcha.” She nodded. “I’m not going to worry about it too much. I’m ready for anything. His fans hating me, an unlikely injury, whatever.”

Chad shut his eyes. “I hope you can.” It was one thing to say that. It was another to follow through. He could only hope that their lives didn’t change too much tonight.

##########​

This was it. There was no escape. In Yumi’s dream world, today would mark the start of something she had wanted for two months, and arguably for even longer than that. Instead, it was the end of everything she had known and cherished for fourteen years.

When the final bell rang out, that marked the death knell. What she wanted to do was meet with Nori, walk with him to Mynwest Court, get checked in, and be right by his side for the entire battle. Maybe that last part could still happen. It would be a ray of light on a dark day. Even that seemed folly; she wasn’t the girl he liked. The weight of reality had crashed down on her. It was like she had been body slammed and paralyzed.

What should she do? What could she even do? These two questions burned in her mind hotter than a Magcargo. There were what felt like a dozen others, and all of them had no answers.

“Ms. Takao?”

She jerked upright, her vision unblurring and revealing that most of her peers had already left.

“Is everything all right?”

“No, it’s nothing.” A part of her thought to tell her homeroom teacher. But this was between family. It should be settled between them. “Thanks for your concern.”

With this, Yumi picked herself up and hurried to the front of the school. The cold air assaulted her as she burst through the doors and craned her head around looking for mom’s car. No, it wasn’t in plain sight. Was dad’s? She ran forward, trying to scour the parking lot for either a blue Rondo Civic or a red Suzaku Alto. No sign of either. Grandpa’s van? It was a boxy white behemoth big enough to fit the entire household into. She would have seen it right away, but Yumi still could not help but check to see if someone had come to escort them after all. Her hopes scattered like a Drifloon on a windy day upon seeing none of those vehicles.

She stood with her head hung low. What now? What could she do now?

“Yumi.”

Her skin crawled as a monotonous yet low voice called to her from behind. She slowly turned around to find her brother standing there. He was scowling intently, his face was redder than a Charmeleon, and quite literally shaking with rage.

“You were talking with mom last night to drive us to the place and back.” Yumi glanced aside at the accusation. Touya started shouting. “I thought I could trust you with this! You know how long we’ve been planning this and how we were waiting for just the right moment! And you tried to screw it up!”

Everyone was noticing their argument. She yanked him into a huddle. “I was trying to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life, Touya,” she rasped, trying to fight off tears. She couldn’t get over that fact. No matter what happened, she couldn’t get past it! She wanted to stop him without telling their parents what he was doing!

“You’re making a mistake, Yumi,” Touya growled. “Our parents want to control everything we do! I can’t stay here. We can’t stay here. We need to draw a line in the sand with them the only way we can.”

“You know that isn’t true, Touya!” she cried, tugging at her hair. An ache rose in her throat as she breathed in and out heavily. “Our parents love us.”

Touya curled his lip and shook his head vehemently. “It will be true soon enough if I know where things are going. I’m not going to take that chance. It’s now or never to do this. And if I’m wrong and they really do love us like you say, they’ll welcome me when I get back. I’ll make it up to you when I do. I don’t know how. I just promise I will.” With that, her brother looked her square in the eyes. “Don’t ruin this for me, Yumi,” he warned. “Do not try to screw this up again. I will never forgive you if you do.”

Yumi nearly crumpled, and would have had Touya not been there to grab onto for support. She wanted to believe that he was right. Maybe he was right about their parents welcoming him back. Yet that voice in her mind was screaming, no!

Still grasping at his jacket, she looked up. Tears streamed down her eyes, feeling like they were about to freeze in the chilly air. “You haven’t even tried asking mom and dad about this! They might say yes! At least give them the chance! Please, Touya! That’s all I’ll ask!”

He firmly brushed her away. His brow was excessively furrowed. “I’m not going to take that risk. There’s a saying.”

She blinked at his expression, then lowered her head. “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” And more than likely, trying to do it anyway.

Yumi wanted to argue. Yet it made some sense. If their parents knew he wanted to plan a journey, they might go far enough to make sure he didn’t try to sneak off. The truth was, she didn’t know how they would take this. Neither of them had ever done anything like this in their lives. But what if she was right and the worst happened?!

She sniveled, unable to hold back her crying any longer. “Touya, what about me? What about…” Her voice shook, and her legs finally gave out. She fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands.

Maybe she was being selfish. Yumi was deathly afraid, not for Touya, but for herself. How was she supposed to move on from this?! Would she even be able to? What if her parents really did take it out on her? What if she was right?

A hand pressed into her shoulder. “I know you’ll be fine on your own, sister,” Touya encouraged, giving her a steely look. “You’ll find a way. You always have for me. For now, I’m asking you to do that one more time. Sorry for being selfish about this.”

Yumi tried to laugh as he held out a hand to help her up, but she couldn’t. He just said he was selfish. They both kind of were. That irony did little to ease her fears, however.

“I should go meet with Sanae. Her parents know, they just don’t know ours don’t.” Touya turned to walk away, and gave some parting words while glancing over his shoulder. “I’ll email you when I can. Bye.”

Goodbye. A pit rose in her stomach as a realization finally set in. As twins, Yumi and Touya grew up together. Until Sanae entered the picture, they were inseparable. They liked the same things, they watched the same things, and wherever one of them went, the other followed. He knew everything about her, and she knew everything about him. That was why Yumi was so surprised at herself for not seeing this sooner. Her brother was as worried about this journey as she was. He was acting too tough.

For now, Yumi could only watch helplessly as her brother left her, maybe for the last time. There was still a chance to turn this around. She could save Touya from this ill-conceived journey if she went and called their parents. If she did that, things between them would never be the same. If she let him go, the rest of her family would never see her the same way. Tonight, one way or another, her life was going to change forever.

 

[System Error]

Nori marched through a beautiful snowy field that had a single tree standing tall in the middle of it. He was dressed for the weather: thick gray jacket, black boots, and his least-ripped pair of blue jeans. The harsh air prickled his exposed hands and face, but it was nothing that anyone native to the region could not handle.

As he walked, a nagging sensation pulled at his mind. It was like something was telling him that there was something wrong. That something wasn’t there that should have been there. Nori looked around to see what it might be. That’s when he realized.

Meandering near the tree was someone just a little shorter than him, with messy purple hair that reached to his neck. His aster-colored jacket and bright red snow pants stuck out, especially in this world of white. His heart racing, Nori hurried over.

“Lux, is everything okay?” he asked. Did he say or do something wrong? He knew Lux’s mom had it out for him. It could be that, too.

“It’s just…” Lux stopped walking and spoke with a shaky voice. His indigo eyes were as dull as the clouds above. He groaned. “…I don’t deserve a friend like you. You do everything for me, and I can’t do anything for you. I know you said you don’t mind being friends, but…”

Nori couldn’t count the number of times Lux had stressed over this. Nori was without a doubt one of the popular kids. Yet he was choosing to hang out with Lux. A lot of people thought of Lux as weird or awkward. They thought he was friends with him out of pity. But it wasn’t true!

“I don’t mind. I’ve never minded,” he firmly replied. He tried his best to be soothing, even though he couldn’t help but express his passion. “I know it doesn’t seem like you’ve done a lot for me, but trust me. You have.”

“But…I’m unpopular, and–”

“Popularity isn’t everything,” he interrupted. “I’d throw away mine in a heartbeat if it was between that and being right. And I know how others treat you isn’t right.”

A silence drew over the two. At first, Nori was again afraid that he’d said something wrong. Eventually, the purple-haired boy looked up at him, his eyes starting to water. His face was soft, his features delicate, his lips full. “I want us to be closer…” Lux suddenly hesitated, his face flushing. “Um, as friends.”

Nori’s heart raced at his words. On the clarification, he droned, “Oh uh, me too.”

With a happy smile, Lux stepped forward and embraced him with a contented sigh. They hugged a lot, but this was different, and more intimate than usual. His friend pressed his whole body against him, holding him with a very light grip. Nori reciprocated with one arm by reflex, but the other quivered out at his side.

“Um, L-Lux?” Nori stammered, as he felt all the blood rushing to his face too. “Sh-shouldn’t we get going?”

His friend looked up at him with a smile, but did not release him. Nori stared into his friend’s half-closed irises. Their faces were practically touching. They were so close to each other.

They didn’t speak words. None were necessary. Nori shut his eyes and moved his head towards Lux’s.

As he met Lux’s soft lips with his own, Nori suddenly couldn’t breathe! But in a good way! It felt right! No, better than that. His entire body tingled as a spark of euphoria shot through his spine. He wrapped his other arm around Lux, squeezing him even closer. Centimeters, if not millimeters away.

How long did it last? Three seconds? Half of one? A minute? Even longer? However long it really did, it felt like one blissful eternity. When it finally did end, they were left staring at each other like before. But when he looked at Lux now, it felt different. They smiled as the fog of their breathless gasps danced together in the winter air.

“I love you,” Lux whispered into his ear. Nori beamed as warmth spread throughout his body. The purple-haired boy’s legs quivered against his own, like either of them might fall over.

They nestled into each other tightly, resting their cheeks against each other. Before this, Nori was afraid of anyone seeing them hugging. Now? He didn’t care if anyone saw anything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Nori awoke with a start, his heartbeat racing from the intimacy in the dream. Why was he dreaming about kissing Lux at a time like this?! Well. Now that he knew Lux’s feelings for sure, Nori could say that he didn’t hate the thought. He liked Lux, maybe even like that. But it was as much of a dream as that just now.

Maybe, he thought, it was this one incident. He was on a class trip back in February, and he’d been goaded into going down a huge waterslide. It was fun! Like he was soaring through the air! Until he remembered what was at the bottom. He hardly remembered what happened next, being told after that he hit his head on the diving board when trying to get up and Lux helped pull him out.

Lux visited him in the hospital. Nori told him why. He was the only person he’d ever told. About how his phobia came to be. He wasn’t sure why. But Lux didn’t judge. He just consoled him. They hugged and held each other like they often did. It might’ve been for seconds. It might’ve been for hours. Only the nurse walking in broke it up.

Or maybe, he thought, it was back then in that field. He dismissed it at the time, he played it cool but was panicking, but he should’ve seen it just with that hug and that look. Maybe if he did, it could’ve ended up like in the dream. That was on the same day when everything changed for the worse. It could’ve changed for the better. If only it wasn’t for Lux’s stupid mom keeping them away. Well. Things might not have necessarily worked out anyway because of her and others. But at least they’d have had something. He didn’t know. He just didn’t know.

Nori looked up. It wasn’t even dawn yet. And he doubted he would get back to sleep after that. He double-checked the clock. 6:03am.

“Nothing to do but do it, Nori,” he whispered to himself as he sat up. May as well start making preparations. He wasn’t sure how much of it would mean anything in the moment, but it was one way to keep his mind off thoughts, good and bad.

##########​

When the final bell rang out on Friday, it was both a relief and a dread for Nori. He was about to step into…a place around a pool. He had been doing everything he could to prepare himself mentally. None of it was working, and he doubted any of it that did would when he actually got there anyway. At least the wait was over. It would soon be time to put this all behind him.

He waited for the rush to clear out, speaking with a few classmates until then. After a few minutes, he went to the clubroom. Locked. No one was there. His heart sank a little. All he could do was head to his locker, grab his skateboard, let Pachi out, and set off. He made one final check, but no one he thought would be there was around.

His destination was several blocks away. He was unsure how long it took him to get there. Nori soon arrived at where the battle was to take place.

The construction was solid and square, almost seeming to leer down at everything with overbearing seriousness. It had a white roof and black walls with yellow stripes, sort of like a pastiche of an Ultra Ball. On the street outside was a tall sign in the shape of a hand grasping a mallet with a Poke Ball embedded in the center of the head. It was as if it was being raised to the sky. The name of the place was both on the structure outside and on a golden plaque embroidered on the front entrance.

Mynwest Court was named as such because it was a place where trainers’ battling skills were judged by their peers. Although there were some training facilities, it had a reputation of being where serious trainers seeking serious opponents went. It was popular as a place to hone one’s skills or keep them sharp, especially with those who weren’t traveling. Of course, travelers regularly stopped in. They had a variety of battlefields. There were plain ones and there were more esoteric ones; basically anything they could get away with from a safety standpoint. It had everything from private rooms to open miniature stadiums that could seat a few hundred. If the environmental conditions for a battle were reasonable, chances are, you could have it in a Mynwest.

While Nori did occasionally visit their competitors, he never went to a Mynwest unless asked. The first time he went – to spar with someone and talk strategy for a mutual future opponent – he had so many people trying to challenge him that he had to put a hard limit on it. And one of the ones he turned down went to Sunyshore Gym to fight him anyway! It was just a difference of culture and opinion, he supposed. Nori always found the idea of being a trainer hopeful at best. It was part of the reason why he didn’t want to join the battling team.

But now here he was, standing before a Mynwest Court, about to have a serious battle in one against a member of the battling team. He was no stranger to performing in front of crowds, or being embarrassed in front of them like he probably was going to be.

With that thought, he repeated to himself aloud what he had been saying for the past few days. “It’s okay, Nori. You’ll win.”

Pachi looked up at him, eyes blank and mouth slightly open. The little white squirrel tilted his head and made a squeak.

Nori wasn’t sure where it was coming from. But he made a guess. “I’ll be fine, Pachi,” he replied. “Nothing to do but do it.”

His Pokemon reluctantly nodded. Nori wasn’t deluding himself into believing the environment wouldn’t be the hardest part of this, so it was no surprise his Pokemon saw through the act. But he just needed to get past today. There really was nothing to do but do it!

“Let’s head inside,” he directed.

Nori had been inside a Mynwest Court on a couple of occasions in the past. As one stupid moron put it, when you went to a Mynwest, it was to battle (or watch battles). The franchise and its customers took themselves very seriously, which was part of why he didn’t like the place. At least from that prior experience, he knew a little of what to expect.

The lobby was simple and streamlined. There were three clerks working at the front desk and a large number of machines lining the side walls. Someone looking to go to Mynwest could either rent rooms for a certain period of time, or buy day passes to use the facilities as wanted or needed with no limit until closing hours. Otherwise, it was just some vending machines and monitors showing some planned battles; his was indeed listed up there. From the looks of it, the place was packed with people looking to buy an observer pass to see him and Emi fight.

“Ugh, too many lines!” he fussed with a stomp of his left foot. He just wanted to get this done and over with, not spend forever dreading it!

His outburst drew the attention of the people at the back. Some of their eyes lit up with recognition. A dark-skinned woman spoke to him. “Oh, competitors don’t have to wait.” She gestured to the halls. “Just go on ahead and show them your trainer ID at the door, and they’ll show you to your spot.”

“Oh. Thanks.” Nori rubbed the nape of his neck. He still had a lot to learn about this place. No one laughed at him over it too, so that helped. No, just the opposite, many of them cheered him on.

“You can do it, Demon Tamer!”

“Good luck!”

“Would you, ah, like me to introduce you to my daughter?”

He still had fans. Nori frowned and lowered his head, very unsure how to feel about that. Were they sticking with him out of blind faith? Or were they seeing through all this in a way others were not? It would’ve been nice to know this sooner!

One thing was certain. He didn’t need any more pressure, but somehow found it. Nori raised his elbows and clenched his fists in front of him. He only hoped that they weren’t going to be too disappointed by his performance. Because he had absolutely no faith in his ability to function here.

“Just…focus on yourself!” Nori mumbled under his breath. “Think about…anything but that.” While he was used to speaking and battling in public, this was the first time he knew there were a lot rooting for him. He just had to push them to the back of his mind until it was time. “Nothing to do but do it,” he said under his breath. He was so close now! Hopefully this worked. This wasn’t about what people thought of him. It was what they thought about Qwilfish. He just needed to hold it together. And after that…

He suddenly wished that Lux was here. That was probably why he dreamt about him. Nori was sure Lux would rush over instantly if he could. He gripped his shoulders. If only. Too bad Lux’s stupid mom made him move without even getting a chance to say goodbye.

He dragged over to the podium-like object near the left hallway. A young adult with flowing purple hair was watching over the hall. A leather gate like the ones you would see at a celebrity event stood in front of the hall. A contrast to the observers’ halls which had an electronic one where people scanned their tickets and passes.

“Demon Tamer,” she greeted with a brisk nod. “You’ll be battling on the central water field today.”

“I know…” he shuddered. A stark reminder of what he was about to go through.

“The battle is scheduled for four in the afternoon. Would you like a room to practice and plan strategy in beforehand?”

“No thanks,” he waved off without really thinking about it. Even when it hit him, he was sure he had made the right decision. The less time he was near water, the better. But he was curious. “Um, is that a privilege?”

A nod. “For trainers using one of the larger arenas.”

“I guess that makes sense. But hey, um.” He rolled an ankle and turned away, rubbing a cheek. “My friend offered to stand by my side. Can she…?” Anyone would do. Not that he knew where Yumi was. He had tried to find her after school, but she wasn’t in the clubroom or anything. Having anyone with him would help. And she definitely liked him and would be there, just like Lux would.

The receptionist shook her head. “Non-participating individuals are only allowed on battlefields for medical reasons or if previously agreed upon by all participants. This is because they could act as coaches.”

Damn it. He knew these people were too serious here. “I thought I’d make sure,” he said. Not that Emi would agree. Even though this really could be argued as a medical purpose! Even though Yumi absolutely would yell at them until they agreed, wherever she was. Where was she? Did this have something to do with what was bothering her? Did her stupid parents change their mind? Or…was she lying…?

“You’ll be in the blue corridor. Are you all right with finding it yourself?”

“Yes.” Maybe going on his own would help distract himself a little.

“Then you can go on ahead.” She unhooked the blockade and held it open. “Good luck.”

He silently nodded as he set out into the lonely corridors. Just had to read the signs. This was all the easy part. “It’s all for Qwilfish,” he reiterated to himself, before repeating his mantra as if it were a plea. “Nothing to do but do it. Nothing to do but do it. Nothing to do but do it…”

 

[System Error]

Being inside of her orb was comforting.

Even though the sea around her was artificial, it still felt like she was damp. No, it’s better to say she could only be calm while being in her orb these days. Almost every moment outside of it was one she lived in fear of what that Nori person or his PoMoPo were going to do next. Even with that Kannagi Priestess’ assurance, she wasn’t so sure!

She recalled her first meeting with Elle. It was late summer and came out of nowhere. One moment, she was off on a solo hunt as a rite of passage. The next, she was in the mouth of a diving bird. At first, she thought it was a predator, come to eat her. She started shooting out spines while squealing as loudly as she could. Then she found herself spit out on the ground.

Wheeze. She had never been out of the water like this before. She could only wiggle and flop. But she caught something in her sight, a HuHuNa teenager there with a blue bird with white on its chest.

“Beaky,” the HuHuNa had said. “{Make and throw mud.}”

She had only ever heard HuHuNa chatter, so understanding the words was new to her. There was no chance to process it, and what could she do there anyway? She found herself blinded and unable to see.

All she could do was puff up and try to hit something. With a wail, she unleashed her best Barb Barrage. She didn’t know if it hit them, but it had to have hit something!

“{Observation of power.} {Urging to hurry and finish this.} {Aqua Cutter!}”

She readied herself. No, she would NOT go down here! If this stupid thing was coming to cut her, she was ready to stab it!

But instead of the bird, a blade of water slammed into her from behind. She cried out as she was sent tumbling away, her vision clearing just enough to see her fate: she was headed straight for a tree.

Pain. Everything became a blur. She couldn’t tell which way was up. But she had to escape. She tried to roll with all her might.

“{Noting that is enough.} {Calling a ball to go.}”

Suddenly, she found herself sucked into a prison. It was like something was restraining her, and claiming it was going to be okay. But it wasn’t okay! Nothing could be okay about this! She struggled with everything she had, yet simply did not have the strength to break free.

She had been captured.

---​

It was as though some sort of ancestral memory awakened in her. Her elders had not taught her much about HuHuNa. Yet she somehow knew much about them and their ways after entering the capsule.

Fate dangled her by her fins, with many questions in her mind. What was this HuHuNa like? What did they want with her? What if they wanted her for food?! At least with a predator, it would have been over quick. But as it stood, she could only wait with dread.

She was not sure how much time passed before she found herself out of the water again. It was some sort of small pond. No chance of escape. The HuHuNa was looking down at her. She had an intensity about her that made her shrink back. But unlike with her current captor, the mood was at least calm.

“{Formal introduction.} {I am Elle.}” It took her a moment to process this. Like before, she did not know what was being said, yet somehow understood. It was awkward, but the more the HuHuNa spoke to her, the more natural it became. “{How are you?}”

“Terrible!” she whined, puffing up with anger. Maybe if she made it clear she wasn’t interested in being with a HuHuNa, they’d respect that! “You took me away from all my friends! Where am I? What do you want with me?!”

“{Casual assurance it’s okay.}” Elle assured, putting her hands out. “{Halfhearted apology.} {Respectful acknowledgment of her having a lot of energy.} {Musing that she didn’t choose wrong.}”

“What do you mean you didn’t choose wrong?! Why me?” she screeched.

It was only when Elle subsequently explained did she come to fully understand. She had gone on a field trip with her class. Some students like her were excited to get the chance to see PoMoPo not native to their land. Some wanted to use the opportunity to capture some, just like that bird. Elle was one such individual, who wanted to be a strong trainer someday.

One thing was obvious: she had been dragged far from home. Even if she could somehow tell this HuHuNa everything, there was no way she was getting back to it.

Elle seemingly took her defeatism as acceptance. “{Wanting to give a nickname.}”

A nickname. Yes, that was one of the things that came into her mind after her capture. It was a HuHuNa tradition, and was why PoMoPo did not give themselves proper names. There were titles like FuRuNa – or Furenad, or friend – but that was the extent of it.

“Spike,” she said. “{It sounds tough, and you’re spiky and tough.}”

---​

Truth was, she hated the name right from the start. The only way it could’ve been worse would be Fish or something. But Elle stuck with it anyway. Not like she could tell her.

Before her capture, her days were as predictable as the tide. She would wake at the sun’s first light with the rest of her school. They would leave their burrow and swim around and talk. A short time after, they would hunt. Sometimes the ReDaRaNa would do it alone. Other times they were brought along. They said she was good at it. After the hunt, they ate. Then they played. Sometimes they sparred. Again, they said she was good at it. They were taught survival things and other life stuff. They talked to other PoMoPo. The most excitement they would get would be predators coming by. While they were much too poisonous for most to even touch,, they shielded the other PoMoPo, and they helped them in turn.

With Elle, all certainty was out the window. She spent most of the day in her ball. While she had a certain degree of awareness of the world outside, she could never anticipate being called out or why. Food came daily, but rarely at the same time. It was like Elle herself never ate right herself. Sometimes she met Elle’s other PoMoPo. Oftentimes it was to practice and get stronger. And she was strong. But that wasn’t the problem.

Even back then, she had trouble being out of water. Who wouldn’t?! She was never out of it in her life! The first time was when Elle expected her to fight someone the same age around a day after their introduction. It was in a field somewhere. She could barely move, let alone properly defend herself. At least she was spared getting hurt. A lot of people and PoMoPo laughed. Elle was mad, she could tell.

The days from then on were harsh. When she was in water, she was fine. But when she was out of it – and Elle had her out of it a lot – nothing was right. Elle wanted her to work out of water; actually, she said she needed her to. Her instructions were crazy. For example, the first thing she said was to just roll around. How was she supposed to do that without getting dizzy?! She knew it could be done, but the ReDaRaNa never taught her before her capture and Elle wasn’t helping! That Beaky and Elle’s other PoMoPo tried to encourage her. At least they were nice.

This went on for who knows how long. The pace thankfully slowed after some time. Then, one day – the only way she knew it had been long enough for the season to change was by the leaves floating around her – she found herself in the water again. But something felt different. The ancestral memory within was saying she was free. Why?

Elle was there before her. She was not sure what to think of her appearance. Elle looked sad, but was otherwise standing tall.

Her former trainer began with an, “{Apology.}” She said that she misjudged things and somehow now only realized how much trouble it would be to train her out of water. It seemed earnest. Elle then said something about having to go with…some words she didn’t really get…after all. Then she said words that momentarily gave her hope. “{Statement she can be with her fellow PoMoPo here.}”

She looked around. This was not home, she could tell just from the temperature of the water. It was some sort of inlet or bay. There were wooden bridges in the water with a bigger one overhead. There were trees, but nowhere near her.

“{Apology and thanking for trying.} {Wishes for a good life.}”

While she was wary of Elle, she also didn’t hate her. She thought it had to be a joke or some sort of HuHuNa way of training. So she waited. The sun fell three times, then it rose three times. It was clear by then that Elle wasn’t coming back.

Why couldn’t she have brought her to her real home instead of here? The locals, though they looked similar to her, were not welcoming. They called her bad and evil and all sorts of things. When a lot swam in from the ocean that fateful day, still none of them wanted anything to do with her. Everything she ate those three days was either given to her out of pity by another PoMoPo or painstakingly hunted herself. She had no friends, no one who wanted to talk or be with her. It was a miracle she was never attacked, really. She had a lot of time to think, and it was only when she was caught for a second time that she came to a conclusion.

Elle couldn’t be bothered to care for her.

##########​

She was captured again by a woman who hated her. That pure look of disgust that HuHuNa gave the one time she was out made her think she was about to die. Then she was passed to Nori, someone almost as unpredictable as Elle except also the type to act without thinking. That Prema person was nice and vouched for him, but she had trouble seeing it. She claimed to be a KaNaGi. Whether she was one of them or not, she was very nice. Way nicer than anyone she met. Why couldn’t it have been Prema who had her? Did the PoMoPoKaNiTu hate her?

Other PoMoPo hated her, including Nori’s others. A lot of HuHuNa hated her. That was why they were here today. Nori wanted her to battle someone who hated her. Someone who wanted to hurt her. Why? Why wasn’t he protecting her from this person? What if he got her badly hurt or killed?

She had a sense for the time, and the time had come. She went from his pocket into the light, and then out of the orb. Into water! Precious water! There were walls all around and what looked like a weird-shaped bridge over top, but that didn’t matter. She had little time to swim around and soak in and enjoy the freedom of movement, however. There was a presence…no. Hatred from all around. She looked over the surface. Hundreds upon hundreds of HuHuNa were surrounding her from above. They were yelling and screaming. Then she turned and saw herself. That was her, on some sort of thing up above. Like a reflection of some kind.

There was a cry from behind her. She turned and saw him, her owner. Every time she looked at Nori, she felt fear rush through her. What was next, she found herself asking every time? Grass, dirt, cement, puddles, fountains, little tight pools. And that was just where he sent her. If he got impatient like Elle, what would he do? He felt like a neighbor who would eat her if needed. Not exactly that, but he gave the same aura. So she found herself at a loss of what to think when she saw him completely filled with fear himself.

Two calls sounded out, both female. One from some older HuHuNa who shouted some instructions, followed by another from a younger one. Then came a splash. She turned and saw her opponent. She swam back, shivering.

A slate-blue fish with two round fins and two sharp dorsal fins. Beneath the empty gray eyes on the long snout was a mouth of sharp teeth. But the most striking feature was the tail. It was made of interlocking links with what looked like a boat anchor tied to the end.

This was a predator. A foe to be avoided except in large groups. The fact that this was not formally to the death was of no comfort. That didn’t mean it wouldn’t be. After all, the HuHuNa who he served hated her. What if they made it like an accident? What if they killed her anyway?!

The older HuHuNa on the field raised some colored objects in her hands. But before she could, Nori shouted a, “{Wait!}”

There was a pause. Their opponent moved her arm. “{Acceptance.} {Stating she wants no excuses.}”

With this, Nori shuffled forward or at least made the motions to. “{Uneasy greeting,}” he said, voice shuddering. “{Admitting he doesn’t know if he can help.} {Saying he will try.} {Saying he can’t say he will for sure.} {Apology.} {Asking her to try on her own.} {Begging.} {Apology, apology.}”

She puffed up. In one way, this was scarier than anything Nori had done up until now.

He said nothing for a while. The older HuHuNa raised and lowered part of her leg. “{Asking if he is finished.}”

“{Yes.}”

There came a hostile growl, almost a laugh. She turned to face the predator. “Miss Emi wants you to HURT!” the shark said in a boisterous yet young voice. She chomped in her direction, making her flinch. “And so do I! I’m the hero today!”

“I…” It was true. She was facing something that wanted to kill her! She squinted and puffed herself up. “I won’t…I can’t die!”

“You should’ve, HuHuPoDoRa!” Human killer. She wanted to explain. But the female HuHuNa shouted, one after another, and the shark charged.

“{Qwilfish, Minimize…}”

A pulse ran through her lateral line. Nori had said something. By all means it should have been gibberish, but she somehow knew what it meant. And it sounded smart right now! She focused her body muscles, contracting herself as much as she could. She panicked and rolled aside as the shark flipped over in the water and swung her tail. But it missed! It went way wide!

She swam deeper down, looking for a way out or at least a better position. Solid vertical walls on all four sides that just had lamps. Nothing at the bottom, either: there were some tunnels behind horizontal columns, but they were much too small to squeeze through, no matter how much she shrank herself. The only possible escape was up! Out of the water!

The HuHuNa opponent spoke. “{Stating they have to make hits count.} {Instructions to screech at the thing.}”

A thing. That HuHuNa didn’t even think her sentient. The shriek from the shark barely reached her. Her trainer’s words hurt more than they ever could.

“{Telling ‘Anchorage’ to shoot her anchor.}”

An anchor shot. Was that shark going to throw that thing at her!? She started swimming. She was sent into a spin and a stop as part of it just clipped her. She was left facing it.

“{Hostile laughter.} {Telling ‘Anchorage’ to swing brutally.}”

The predator was coming for her, laughing madly. No, she had to start fighting back! She did so by inhaling and spitting as many bubbles as she could. The predator ran right into them, growling as she tried to force her way through the beam. More words from above. The shark whirled recklessly as she got close. Squeaking in panic, she backed away. Displaced current flowed into her face; it passed right in front of her eyes.

She had to get away! She had to get some distance at the very least! The ReDaRaNa always taught her to use speed to escape a slow predator. So she swam as fast as she could. For a moment, she even thought of escaping to land. She might not do well there, sure. But that shark wouldn’t, either!

“{Confused statement.}” She had a brief reprieve. The shark left her alone. Until her owner said, “{Brine!}”

A blast of pressurized water hit her from behind. It stood out because it had a salty consistency; the water here was clean though filled with a weird smelly substance.

“You can’t escape!” the so-called Anchorage screamed. “It’s time for PUNISHMENT!”

She slowly turned, shaking all the while. It was mostly her fears, but there was a part of her that was angry. If anything was a thing, it was this shark. She pouted her lips and tilted downward. It was all a facade, but no one had to know that.

“Leave me alone!” she screamed. Her body expanded. She was putting her all into this! She was the best young one at using it in the colony. She focused, letting all of her poison flow into the tips of her barbs. She contracted with a roar and launched the barrage forward.

They were moving too fast. There was no chance that thing with its heavy anchor could dodge it! She knew that, and simply got her tail up in defense until they crashed into her. Each one…barely did anything?! Some harmlessly crashed against the metal anchor. Others hit, but may as well have been bouncing off. None pierced the shark’s skin, and it sure didn’t look like she got poisoned, either.

Some of the HuHuNa and even the shark laughed. But she felt only despair. That was her best attack! And it barely did anything! Now what was she supposed to do?! She didn’t want to die! What could she even do?!

“{Stating that poison won’t work.}” came Nori’s voice at last. It was about time! He was leaving her out here on her own! He was supposed to be her trainer! He was supposed to be the smart one! She waited, everyone waited for her orders. “{Use…}” He paused. “{Some dark move.}”

More laughter, more despair. Some dark move? What did that even mean?! She had no time to think, because the shark came charging at her. Not knowing what else to do, she lowered her spikes, shut her eyes, and threw her entire body at her crazed attacker.

It was a last resort. Surprise with a tackle, then bite back. She didn’t even get that far. A sharp pain shot through her as the anchor bashed into her from above. She couldn’t even catch her breath before she was ensnared by its length and hit again.

Everything became a spinning blur. She was no longer in control of herself. The sensation stopped when she crashed into the side, replaced with more pain. Now the surface was looking good. It couldn’t be worse than being in here. But no matter how much she strained, her body wouldn’t listen!

“{Saying to finish.} {Meteor Mash!}”

The shark was coming again at her owner’s order. No way out. There was just one thing left to try. She forced herself upright. “Stop! I give up!” she pleaded through her gasps. She deflated and looked upward as a sign of surrender. “I can’t do this! I don’t want to fight anymore!”

“Well, I do!” the anchored predator screamed as she mercilessly whirled around, enveloped in gray energy. “This is justice, HuHuPoDoRa!”

The metal tail of the shark slammed into her one final time, with far greater force than before. Sheer agony pulsed through her every pore as her vision began to darken. Her body would not respond to her brain. It was just like before. The world darkened around her. Nori…had sent her out….he left her to be beaten. Her world…she was trapped in darkness…

##########​

“Qwilfish is unable to battle!”

The roar of the crowd assaulted Nori’s ears. Maybe it was the room, but it was the loudest cheer he had ever heard from an audience, and that included all his time in Sunyshore Gym. Small wonder. For all the support he still had, Qwilfish was still public enemy number one. Even Emi seemed to think of her as an object rather than a living thing.

Nori opened his eyes a little, just briefly enough to spot where Qwilfish was floating and aim the ball to recall her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I-I really am,” he whispered, even though she definitely couldn’t hear. It took him five tries; his arm was shaking so much. His entire body was shaking. “Pachi,” he motioned.

His Pokemon likely moved into position. Nori was more lucid than he was before, but his thoughts were still consumed by anything but the battle. This was not something he wanted to go through ever again. He thought he’d be fine and get (relatively) used to it after a bit like he did the one time someone tried to abuse his phobia. That didn’t happen. But it didn’t matter. It would all be over soon. He just hoped Qwilfish could forgive him for this.

When he was little, he went on a cruise his mom won in a contest. He wasn’t sure how it happened. But he ended up in the water. He would’ve died if it hadn’t been for some random wild Pokemon that saved him. He didn’t know what it was or why it did. Back in February, it nearly happened again at a water park. Again, he would have died. This time, it was Lux who saved him. Then, in May…again. The memories kept replaying in his mind, over and over and over.

What if he slipped again? What if he fell, hit his head on the side of the pool, and no one did anything?! What if–

“No! Stop! Can’t take more. I’m sorry, I really am!” he cried out instinctively. “I just, I can’t focus properly after all. Sorry, everyone.” He yelped as his legs crumpled. The breaths came hard and fast as they found solid ground. “I-I can’t do this.”

Nori shut his eyes tight and covered his face with his arms. He was pretty sure Emi yelled a complaint or told him off or something, but the words didn’t register. He nearly jumped as he felt a furry paw on one side of him. The audience seemed more confused than anything.

At least, the presiding judge got it right away. “Demon Tamer, are you saying that you wish to forfeit this battle?”

“Yes. Yes! I’m sorry. I just can’t.” He hated this. But he couldn’t even think, and Qwilfish just got knocked out! That was too much. “Too much…can’t function…”

The judge gave a firm nod. Or a nod of some kind. Her voice was all-business in any case. “Then the winner by forfeit, Emi Pikaru!”

What should’ve been a joyous occasion for her and half the audience was instead reduced to a pitiful celebration, if one could even call it that. There was some clapping, sure, but it was stilted and scattered rather than celebrating a triumph over someone at least half the people here had to have hated.

“You have GOT to be fucking kidding–”

“I know! I’m sorry! It’s more than I thought! I’m sorry, I know!” He pressed his arms against his chest to contain his erratic breathing. To her credit, she let him be without laughing or anything like some of the crowd was. “I just have a question to ask.”

“What?” Emi barked.

He wiped his eyes, then his hands on his jeans. He put a foot on the floor. Then a hand. He pushed. Other foot on the ground. Stand up. He turned. It felt like he was moving through water. He turned and stared directly at Emi. Just at her, no one else, nothing, nothing else. This was it. Moment of truth time. Deep breath in and out. Relax.

“Focus, Nori,” he whispered before speaking loudly, “I have a question. Does Qwilfish look like a murderer to you?” He shut his eyes right after. Stay calm. Don’t even think about it. Don’t even smell.

“Of course not!” Emi threw up her arms and shrugged while shaking her head. “It’s not like it ever killed anyone. Oh, wait.”

He waited for the audience’s laughter to die down, even though he didn’t see the humor in it. “Let me put it another way, then,” he said, brushing strands of hair behind his ears. “Does Qwilfish look like a dangerous Pokemon to you?”

He squinted just enough to see her body language. Emi scowled and appeared ready to make another smarmy remark, only to pause as it hit her. “You know looks can be deceiving…” she managed to get out. “You know that, you bastard!”

Nori shut his eyes fully again and put a hand on his hip. Emi realized why he had accepted her challenge, and why he forfeited as soon as he could. Well, he was hoping he could endure the water longer and beat the rest of her Pokemon, but forfeiting was something he was prepared to do. And had to do.

“Well, let me ask you guys the next logical question,” he addressed the audience, unable to contain the beam enveloping his entire visage. The sight of the water only made him momentarily pause, and didn’t affect his mood. “Having seen her just now without me being a factor, do you think Qwilfish might reoffend?”

The murmurs were quiet and uncomfortable. That was when Nori knew that he had truly won this battle. He had hundreds of witnesses to Qwilfish’s successful ‘rehabilitation.’ It started as a lull: faint applause from a few scattered individuals. Others followed suit, and it spread like a contagion. Soon, just about everyone who was watching was clapping or even lightly cheering in genuine respect. It was more than what Emi got for the announcement that she had won by forfeit, and her twitching lip revealed feelings on the matter.

“Thank you for this,” he said to Emi with utter sincerity, even bowing a little. He wasn’t sure if he could’ve saved Qwilfish without her. There were always going to be people calling for her blood, but that couldn’t be helped. What mattered was that most saw Qwilfish for who she truly was. “And sorry,” he added.

Emi fired off a hellish glare. He knew she’d probably react that way, even if he wasn’t intending to upset her. “You’re welcome. And well played,” she admitted through gritted teeth before spinning on her heels and walking off, muttering to herself.

Nori had no time to bask in the glory. The scent of the pool stung his nostrils; water was sloshing all around him. What if he slipped on the wet ground?! His knees nearly buckled thinking about it. “Okay, gotta go!” he yelped. He almost ran off, before straightening and masking his fear until he was out of sight.

It was done, it was over. He won. Now all he had to do was hope Qwilfish could forgive him. If there was even a hope of that…

Spoiler: Quick note

Anchorage is Ikari, the Spaceworld betamon. Name wrote itself because Ikari is a pun on Anchor + Rage.

 

[System Error]

The battle had concluded in a way that had satisfied very few people. Chad and his teammates were, for the most part, left unsure of what to make of what transpired. The sole exception was the one who had been the most invested in this battle. Emi left without a saying word. It was the first time – and likely the last time – Chad saw the winner of a battle walk out looking like the loser, and vice versa. Still, one might ask: was she really the winner?

Chad hurried out of the crowd the moment he saw that. Some of the club stayed behind, others followed suit. Aki languidly followed him. But he was the first one to reach the slouched Emi in the lobby.

“Emi, I–” he started, only to freeze up. What was he supposed to say here? What could he say to make her feel better?

She glanced over her shoulder but did not stop. “I’m going home,” she droned before pushing open the door and heading outside. Chad did not follow.

His intuition had turned out to be correct and both of them knew it. Chad slapped his forehead as it finally sank in. How did he not see this coming?! A public battle was the perfect place to show a Pokemon to the world. Chad had no qualms about the outcome. To be honest, he doubted Qwilfish was as troublesome as some were making her out to be. It was how they reached that point that weighed on him.

Emi had walked in with intent to punish that Qwilfish, and while she had done that, she had also unwittingly played a role in saving her. Nori had used her! It was as much a painful realization for Chad as it was for Emi.

##########​

Nori went stumbling out of the arena and into the hallway, laughing and sobbing all the while. He collapsed to the ground, embracing his knees and burying his face in them while sniveling powerfully. He never wanted to go through anything like that ever again. But it worked! He didn’t want to think about what would have happened if it hadn’t worked. But he didn’t have to worry. His dumb, rash plan had worked out.

How long was he curled up there for? It couldn’t have been more than five minutes at most. There were several points when Nori thought he heard a voice or two calling for him, but he ignored them. It was only when a familiar “Sir!” rang out that he looked up and took notice.

A scruffy-looking man in a trenchcoat was standing near him. He took a half step closer. Agent Studd repeated, “I said are you all right, sir?”

Nori slowly unfurled his legs and put down his arms into a sitting position. He wasn’t. What he wanted to do was go home, sit in his bed, and try to sleep. “I’ll be okay,” he sighed truthfully, wiping his eyes. He sniveled more. “Got a tissue?”

“No?” Studd glanced away awkwardly, only to look in the direction of the restroom. “Aha! That would work!”

Nori heard him burst in, slap the toilet paper roll, and rip off some sheet. He was in and out in seconds, and before he knew it, he was standing over him with a bunch in hand. Nori snatched it up and blew into it harshly, mucus bursting from his nostrils like a gushing berry. He turned the rag around to do it two more times. That got most of it out.

Agent Studd was still standing there. Nori tried to reach for his hand to be helped up, but the man pulled away and took several steps back. The boy instead used the wall. His legs buckled. He had to lean against it to keep from collapsing altogether. This sucked. His nose was clear and it was still hard to breathe.

It took a minute for him to catch his breath and for the pins to leave his legs. Nori pushed himself upright and stretched. “Okay,” he rasped, idly chucking the toilet paper towards a nearby wastebin. It landed on the side.

“All better?” Agent Studd asked.

“No, but good as I’ll get for now,” he admitted. He was standing straight, but rigidly.

Nori pressed his left hand to his head, draping it over an eye and part of his forehead. His arm slowly dropped as a realization set in. This was not over. There was actually one last thing he needed to do for this to have really been worth it.

“So what did you think?” he asked, before thinking to clarify what he meant. “About her, that is.” He was sure about how Agent Studd thought of his performance there.

It took him a moment to process the question; before then, he stood with a blank stare. “The same as before, now verified,” the agent declared. “She is very not dangerous in the eyes of myself.”

Nori nodded. He even faintly smiled, hope welling in his throat. That was good enough, wasn’t it? “So an Official, that’s you and whoever else attended, saw her and saw I rehabilitated her,” he stated with serenity. “That should be enough to pass Qwilfish, right?” Right?

Agent Studd tilted his head for a moment. He ran a hand over his hair. “Ah, I guess I see your point. I think it might have supposed to be more official than this. Having something arranged, in other terms.”

A pang hit the boy’s heart, slumping him against the wall again. He was hoping that this was going to be the end of it. That he could move on after it got confirmed. If they wanted him to go through it again, that would mean having to put up with…ugh. He wasn’t looking forward to it. And who knows how long a wait that would be?!

Those thoughts all ran through his mind in the span of a second. Agent Studd continued. “But I will report to my superior and make the case. Do not fret, sir. You are speaking to a master of excusing one’s self! I am sure they will understand!” The man stood tall with a much too wide smile, although it was actually genuine. “Um, maybe I will be enough. I saw the Gym Leader here, too.”

“Gasha Qian?” Yeah, that was one more important person. Nori was able to stand properly on hearing that. If the Officials weren’t going to pass him at that, then he would get help from Arumi and raise a stink. “That’s good.”

Before he could think on it further, a young adult in a uniform poked his head in. “Are you two done in here?!” he barked at them.

Nori fired off a glare. It may be their place, but were they that unsympathetic about this?! He didn’t have the energy to argue, however. “Fine, fine,” he grumbled. He wiped his hands on his jeans, scooped up his bag, and stomped away. As he passed by, he muttered something just loud enough to be heard. “Last time I come here if that’s how you’re treating me.”

The man made a gurgling noise. “W-we apologize, Mr. Carino, but there is another battle scheduled in this room soon. Please try to understand.”

He understood, but that didn’t mean he liked the way the guy put it. Agent Studd was right behind him as he marched into the lobby. Most of the people who had come to watch seemed to have already left, or if not, were hanging around to see other battles. There were some who came up to express their sympathies. He politely thanked them while scouring for anyone he knew. When he saw no one, he excused himself to head outside.

The cold air of a late October night was like a soothing massage. Nori inhaled deeply, letting it flow into his lungs. The darkness was equally comforting. Somehow, today had gone well. It was out of his hands for now. That would normally stress him out. When he really thought about it though, he felt fine. Was it internal confidence?

“But I must say, sir,” Agent Studd spoke up. “I was not expecting this plan. Job well done.”

With that, the burst of adrenaline from getting annoyed at the employee crashed. “Thank you,” he wheezed. It felt like he was going to fall over again, or bile was going to start flying out of his mouth, or both.

“We will meet in the usual spot on Sunday. Until then, hasta la bye-bye.” With those impulsive, if not hasty parting words, Studd skipped away while whistling a tune. Nori actually recognized it as some victory song from the virtual Pokemon journey games.

Nori held his arms over the bottom of his rib cage. He rolled his ankles. It was going to be a long walk back home from here. Were his feet going to listen? He should have asked to be driven home.

His attention was drawn to someone approaching him. The golden light under which she walked illuminated her radiantly. She wore a silvery-white coat with a regal floral pattern that would befit any kimono overtop a purple dress shirt with white frills along the collar and sleeves. A ruffled lavender skirt that extended to her ankles covered her lower body. Just as elegant as always, even when informal.

“Prema,” he greeted listlessly, although the sight of her warmed his soul. She had indeed come to watch. Two individuals were following in behind her at separate paces. He recognized Mrs. Kurusu straight away, thankfully dressed more sensibly in slick black pants and a brown leather jacket instead of her biker one. The other lagged out of sight.

“Good evening, Nori.” Prema approached with folded hands. She comforted him with a simple smile. “You did well tonight.”

“Thanks,” he replied. She was the one person he fully trusted not to judge him over any of this.

Satomi chortled. “Never seen a battle quite like that! That was quite reckless of you!” she humorously chided. “But I suppose your trust in that Qwilfish was not misplaced.”

Nori glanced away. “Yeah…” he admitted. “It was kinda stupid.”

“It was not,” Prema spoke up. “The fact that you were willing to endure this for the sake of your Pokemon speaks volumes about you as a person. It was an act of self-sacrifice that few would be willing to make. For that, on behalf of the Kannagi Shrine, I commend you.” She bowed to him, far deeper than he had ever seen her bow.

“I…” He shut his eyes and sniffed. His body lightened and his shoulders eased up. “Thank you.” He wasn’t sure why. She wasn’t the one who would have to approve of this. But hearing it from her lips somehow helped immensely.

“You are welcome, Nori.”

He never thought of it that way. But he had sort of sacrificed himself for Qwilfish. A little trauma and humiliation for her life. It was hardly a conundrum.

Nori looked up at her. There was something he was wondering about. “So you said you might have your dad watch. Did he come by? What did he think?”

“He can answer that,” Satomi chimed in before whirling to the third person. “You can come over here, Master Haruto Kannagi. He doesn’t bite!”

Nori stood to attention and tried to put on at least a neutral expression. It took a moment for the man to approach. When he did so, it was slowly with hunched shoulders, and a dropped and trembling chin. He had short dark hair and the same eye color as his daughter, a marine blue. He wore a purple hanten over a golden t-shirt, as well as sleek black dress pants.

This was their first time meeting. The boy was expecting someone more stiff or imposing. But he was slim, and actually only 170cm or so. The man appeared more forlorn than stern, at least for the moment.

“Hey, Mr. Kannagi,” the boy remarked as he looked up at him.

“So, you’re Nori Carino,” the man mused aloud. He scrutinized him up and down, though his expression did not belie his thoughts. “The Demon Tamer. Prema’s friend.”

Nori stuck out a hand. “Nice to finally meet you, I guess.”

Mr. Kannagi bobbed his head. After just staring for a moment, he gave Nori a very brief and slack handshake. “Likewise,” was his terse reply. “If you’ll excuse me. I’ll be in the car.” With this, he walked away.

Nori’s arm dropped as he watched the Master of the shrine go. While he was usually decent at reading others, he was uncertain what to make of this. Either he was good at hiding his emotions or he wasn’t feeling much of anything. He wasn’t hostile, yet he wasn’t welcoming either.

“Ah, don’t mind him,” Satomi assured, wiggling her right hand. “He’s still processing things.”

“This is not how Father normally is,” Prema added. “I am certain he will recover soon.”

“I figured as such,” he said to both of them. “A lot of people were just given a lot to think about. They probably had this image of Qwilfish as like a crazy killer like Emi did, and well, that’s anything but the case.”

“I am curious, Nori,” his friend asked. She placed one hand over the other, almost in a prayer position. “As far as I can tell, your rehabilitation of Qwilfish is a success.”

“It’s questionable if she even needed it to begin with,” Satomi snorted, crossing her arms and turning up her nose. “This whole thing was a sham.” So she thought so, too.

The green-haired teenager continued. “In any event, am I correct in my assumption that you will need to have it verified?” She leaned in with anticipation.

“You are, and I sort of did. I’ll be finding out on Sunday,” he said. “If they don’t accept today, it’ll just be a formal test.” He glanced away. “I hope it’s over now.”

Prema nodded. “I look forward to hearing of the result.”

“I’ll come by right away.”

“I will prepare tea for you, then.”

The boy couldn’t help but grin and rub his hands. If it was as good as the last cup she made for him, then he couldn’t wait to have more. Though this would be a tea for celebration rather than relaxing.

“Heh, already making plans together, I see,” the elderly priestess remarked with a grin. “But anyway, I believe we should head back to the shrine, Lady Kannagi.”

“Very well.” Prema turned to him. “Thank you again, Nori.”

“Hey, uh.” Nori hustled forward some steps. That’s right, he still had to get home. “Mind giving me a lift back? Um. He said you have a car, right?”

“Lift you?” Prema craned her head.

“He means drive him back home,” Priestess Satomi explained. After that, she turned to him with a wink and a thumbs up. “And no problemo. It’ll be a squeeze, but there’s room for five of us there.”

“Thanks.” It wouldn’t be the first time he had to cram into a car.

The three of them set out, headed for a red vehicle on the edge of the parking lot. Nori wanted to talk more with Prema, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. Judging by the way she glanced and opened her mouth only briefly, she felt the same. But maybe they didn’t have to. He was just glad he’d be able to see her again. Of all the people in his life right now, she most of all was the one he was unsure what he’d do without her.

 

[System Error]

The night after the battle, Nori had the best night’s sleep he had since early July. He thought he might have a nightmare about the pool, but it simply didn’t happen. Saturday was a day for relaxing. For Nori, that meant going out for a walk around town, just like old times. Everywhere he went, people greeted him as warmly as they did before this happened, if not even warmer. His plan had worked! It was like he was dancing on the clouds. There were only two things he had left to do.

The first of these would come on Sunday morning. As usual, it was off to the park near Stony Hills Elementary to meet with Agent Studd. For only the second time, Nori was looking forward to a check-in rather than being worried or unenthusiastic about it. He had actual stuff to report, but it was good. And more importantly, Agent Studd would have a report for him as well.

“And that’s all there is to talk about this week,” he finished with etiquette and enthusiasm, even standing on the tips of his toes for a brief moment. It was a formality that he didn’t mind making. Pawniard was starting to coexist with his other Pokemon which was progress in itself. But more poignantly, his superior was one of the hundreds of witnesses to Qwilfish on Friday.

Agent Studd finished scribbling down the details and came up a salute. “I have it written down here, sir.”

Good. With a glance over to Pachi in the fields and then to his right, he asked the follow-up question. “You got a report for me?” He held his arms in front of him, ready to pump them in triumph.

The scruffy official nodded with a grin. “That is right! And it is pleasurable to inform you of two things. One you will want to know and one you won’t.”

“Let’s hear the thing I might not want to hear first,” he said. May as well get it out of the way.

“Very well. Do not do it again.”

Beat. Nori blinked. “What?”

“Oh. I was preparing for saying the good news first.” The young official rolled his eyes. Though that did sound silly out of context. “I am speaking of your test! They will make an exception this one time for your method. Arrange it more proper in the future.”

“This one time?” The implications of that statement rose through him like warm air. “Does that mean I did it?”

“Yes, you did it, sir! Your Qwilfish is acknowledged as rehabilitated!”

His first officially rehabilitated Pokemon! Yes! Nori wasn’t sure where he was going with her most of the time, but he somehow made it through! He wanted to leap out of his seat in joy. What he ended up doing was swinging to the right and smirking at the people standing there.

“So how’s that?” he said to Louis and Mariko. They had been quietly observing the proceedings. The former wore a blank expression, and the latter had her usual scowl. Her brow furrowed even deeper at his taunt.

“Go to hell,” the redhead fired back at him.

“Mari,” Louis raised a palm and hushed her. “Well, let me be the first to congratulate you, Carino.”

Agent Studd’s face dropped; his eyes fell downward and his jaw hung slack. “H-hey, I wanted to be the first…” he pouted.

“Grow up,” Mariko dismissed, crossing her arms and tapping a foot. When Louis nudged her, she muttered, “Good job,” under her breath.

“Yes, good job! CONGRATULATIONS!” Agent Studd added hearty applause and whooping. As if to say if he couldn’t give the first plaudits, he was going to try to give the best.

Nori smiled at his two oppressors. “Thanks. And what else…?” He stared at Louis expectantly, unable to contain his smirk. This was pushing his luck, sure, but he couldn’t help it!

The cobalt-haired teenager answered with little in the way of hesitation. “We are mature enough to admit when we are wrong about something. I hope you are as well.” He adjusted his collar and gave him a grave look. “In the meantime, we apologize for our presumptions. This time.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Mariko scoffed bitterly. “But we ARE right about some things, and since you’re here,” she pointed a thumb at Agent Studd, “I’m surprised the Officials let this battle happen in the first place! It was unsanctioned, uncontrolled, and anything could’ve happened!”

He had a lot of words for her, but the agent spoke up before he could. “Hey now, missy!” He towered over her, glaring with an exaggerated air of authority. “I heard what you have done to my subordinate, and I will be having you know the Officials have no time for your Oinkolonge puke!” It was up to puke now?

“Ohhh, no.” Mariko was unwavering, stepping right up to him and returning his fierce expression in a far more natural fashion. “This is a moral problem. You’re not going to sweep this under the rug.”

“I am Agent Studd of the Officials–”

“And what kind of name is that?” she cut in. “It makes you look like an egotistical creep!”

Nori twitched his noise. The man took it like a bullet to the heart. Louis crossed his arms. “I have to agree with Mari,” he said.

“Gah. I like this name,” he fussed, pulling at strands of his hair. “No one gives my cousin hard times.”

It ran in the family?! Nori curled his lip and swallowed that comment. “Okay, even if it’s true, that was uncalled for,” he scolded, mostly addressing it at Louis. He expected better there. “Second, from what I understand, they will be addressing your concerns in due course.”

Louis nodded. “Let us hope they do so in a meaningful fashion.”

“Nori.” Another voice called out. Nori almost mistook it for Mariko at first, but when he turned to her, she only shrugged. He saw who it was easily enough, coming up the park from a black car near the curb.

“Mr. Mart–” he began to complain.

“My codename, please!” he begged.

“We need to go somewhere else for these meetings,” he practically ordered.

There was not much more time to follow up, because Mitsu was now standing before them. The teal-haired teenager quietly stared.

“Hey, Mitsu. Nice to see you,” Nori said to his clubmate.

Mitsu averted his eyes. “Wish I could say the same,” he muttered.

Nori felt a prickle on his neck. At least he wasn’t yelling, but Nori felt he owed him an explanation. “I’m sorry you feel that way. But I’m a Pokemon Rehabilitator, and I had an assignment. I couldn’t say no. I told this to Emi and Reiko and them, and I’ll say it to you now that you’ve calmed down about it.” He inhaled briefly. “I couldn’t just leave her to whatever.”

“I know. But I’m still not comfortable with it.” Mitsu sluggishly faced him. “I just thought I’d come by and tell you personally. I’m quitting the club.”

He said that, then he turned and started to leave right away. Agent Studd gasped. Even Louis and Mariko vocalized. Nori pulled himself off the bench and rushed in front of him.

“Mitsu, wait.” Mitsu did not want to wait, but Nori kept blocking him. He eventually halted. “You’re our editor. You’re great at what you do. The newsletter won’t be the same without you. Please don’t be rash about this.”

“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” came the empty reply. “I’ve given this thought, and it’s for the best.”

Nori’s nostrils flared. He jabbed a finger at him. “You aren’t thinking! Mitsu, if you do this–”

He stormed past. “I’m done. That’s final.”

“If you do this, you won’t find another club!” Nori screamed, taking a few steps to follow. “Mitsu!” But his calls went ignored. The teal-haired teenager got into the passenger side, then the car was gone.

What the hell?! Nori’s throat dried out. Adrenaline was still coursing through his limbs. Nori wanted to slap some sense into that stupid moron! What did he just do? Was he that petty about this?!

With a wail, he spun around and stormed back to the benches. He barely took notice of Pachi, who had come over to him at some point. The boy was ready to get mocked and ridiculed by those two. So he paused in his tracks when he noticed their respective frown and scowl.

“He left you out to dry,” Louis quietly remarked, shaking his head.

“What the hell’s the matter with him?” Even Mariko was sympathetic. And that was saying something.

“Can’t get over it, I guess,” he grumbled.

“Bet he’s going to come crawling back at some point.”

“I’m not planning on letting him back.”

The side of her mouth crooked upwards. The redhead snorted. Louis loosened his posture. In sync with each other, they nodded their approval.

Agent Studd was the outlier. “That is quite harsh, sir,” he remarked.

He jerked his head toward the man and made his feelings clear. “If he wants to backstab us, screw him.” Mitsu had all the time in the world to think and cool down. If he regretted the consequences of his actions, it was going to take more than begging to come back.

“All right.” Mariko leveled a little, though her tone was still sharp. “One more thing, Carino. Getting back to the problem, what are you going to do from here?”

“That is to say,” Louis interjected, “Will you be able to properly care for this Pokemon given your phobia?”

Nori’s hands went to his hips. He tapped a foot and turned his nose up. “Why are you worrying about that?” he asked.

“There is no need for hostility.” Louis held a palm up. “We are simply concerned for a Pokemon. One of the things that was made clear from that battle is that you cannot get into the mental state to give her proper exercise. Surely, the Officials are also aware of this fact.”

“Actually, they said not a thing,” Agent Studd chimed in. The YAMS duo gave him a fleeting glance, but then their gazes fell upon him.

Who did these two think they were, some nosy reporter like Akari Schrader? He cocked his head and shook it. “Go find someone else to bother,” he snapped. “I have a plan, that’s all you two need to know. Stop trying to police me.”

Louis tilted his head and smirked. “We’re sorry for wasting your time. Good luck, Carino.”

“We’ll be watching.” Mariko scrutinized him before they turned and left.

Once they were out of earshot, Nori groaned and growled. They still had it out for him from the looks of it. He sat at the picnic table, resting his head on a fist. Pachi leaped up, first onto the seats, then onto the table itself. But Nori didn’t have the energy to pat him.

“Seriously.” His expression pinched. “Can we move these meetings already?”

Agent Studd rubbed the back of his head. “Ah. Fine, we will figure out a thing.”

Nori let his arms fall onto the table. His shoulders dropped and he leaned forward, mostly out of relief. Everyone knew they met at this location weekly. Better late than never to finally start varying it up. That is, if he actually kept the promise.

“By the way, what do the officials have in mind? For their thing? If you know.” That was the last obstacle to surmount here. He had an idea himself, but…

“If I knew, I still wouldn’t have told them, sir!” Agent Studd replied, maligning the saying in a way that still incidentally made sense. “But what from my contact said, there was a meeting in Ramanas Town!”

“Ramanas?” he mused. “The only things really out there are Pal Park and the Mistutri Shrine.” The boy snorted and leaned back. Imagine getting help from Prema’s religious rivals.

“Now one for you! Skid row joe!” the scruffy man declared (and malpropered). “What do you have in mind for Qwilfish, sir? If you don’t mind me asking. It is a concern, now that they mention it.”

Nori looked up at the guy. He only figured it was going to be a problem now?! Well, he didn’t mind telling him. In fact, he sort of had to. It had been in his mind since Friday. No, maybe Thursday. There were just logistics to sort out.

His hand idly went to Pachi. He gave the squirrel some pettings. “Well…” he began.

##########​

Chad tried to call Emi three times on Saturday: in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Each time, there was no response. It only made him worry more. If he had been calling a mobile phone, it would have been understandable. But she didn’t have one, so he was calling her home phone. He thought her parents would have picked up.

When he tried again on Sunday just after 1pm, the gruff voice of Emi’s dad greeted him after three rings “Hello?”

Chad choked a little in relief. He swallowed it and steadied his voice to at least try to sound composed. “Hello, Mr. Pikaru. Is Emi there?”

“Shosha?” the man recognized. “Yeah, hold on.”

He held the phone away from his mouth as he released his joy. He was perfectly aware that he was stressing over this more than he should. On the other hand, it didn’t mean he didn’t want to anyway.

He overheard some back and forth in the receiver, but it was too faint to get any of it. Eventually, he heard a door slam shortly followed by Emi barking, “Yeah, what?”

She was still on-edge. “Hey, Emi,” he blurted.

“Really?” she snapped. “That’s what you’re greeting me with?”

Chad sitting on his bed with his cell phone. With that accusation, he laid down. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say,” he apologized.

“Fine, whatever,” Emi replied. There was a pause at the other end before she punctuated, “God. Fucking. Dammit.” A crashing sound rang out, probably her hitting something.

“Emi, do you want to talk about it?” Chad offered, although he curled up slightly as he did so.

“What’s there to talk about?”

Chad froze for a few seconds. It didn’t once occur to him that Emi might not want to discuss what happened. Had this been a mistake on his behalf?

“I’m asking a question.”

It couldn’t be helped. “I suppose if you don’t want to, that’s all right too.”

He thought he heard her growling lowly, although the phone quality made it difficult to tell for sure. “I can’t believe him,” she remarked. “Yeah, I said I was ready for anything, but not that.”

Chad couldn’t help but crack a smile. She did want to talk about it after all. Typical Emi. He explained things how he saw them. “He put up with it for the sake of his Pokemon. I don’t think he quit maliciously, it was just that he couldn’t take any more.”

“I still hate it,” she cut in.

“Yes, there were others left unsatisfied.” Chad was not one of them, but several of their teammates had been looking forward to this for one reason or another. A general air of disappointment pervaded the arena afterward, even if many understood why Nori gave up. “There will be other chances to battle him.”

They had even been planning a rubber match, hadn’t they? That was what he had heard from others who had witnessed what had led to this. Chad was certain that the Pokemon Rehabilitator would be willing to go through with one under better conditions. For himself and for his opponent.

“Hey. Sorry for being so selfish lately.” Emi suddenly changing the subject made Chad prop himself up with his elbows. “I was hoping it’d be worth it at least. Just been one screw up after another with it, though.”

There it was. Chad had been thinking about what he wanted to say to her about this. He even wrote it down. So he got up and went to his desk to glance at the scrap of paper it was on. “Emi, I would say it was worth it. You gave Nori Carino a chance to redeem his Qwilfish in the public’s eyes. You were the only one willing after those two YAMS idiots did their thing. And well, I’m sure you saw the type of Pokemon she really is in that battle. I know it is not what you intended, but you ended up doing good. And I’m sure Nori appreciates it.”

“I know all that.”

When she interrupted him, he paused and his eyes widened. Comfort didn’t work?! His limbs and throat tightened. “If you’re looking for criticism,” he unsteadily spoke. What to say? “Your emotions clouded your judgment. This could’ve been avoided if…if you left well enough alone. And…” And what else? Oh, that might work. “And you shouldn’t be too surprised. You knew Nori Carino wouldn’t be able to function there.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, winning outright wouldn’t have meant much,” Emi noted. With a forced chuckle that showed her bitterness, she added, “Damn it, he’s good. He found a way to win when he lost!”

Was that a bit of excitement in her tone? Chad exhaled as the tension inside him was cut. He was bad at coming up with speeches on the fly. But he agreed, this was not something he saw coming. He knew Nori didn’t care about others’ opinions of him. Chad could respect that. He even envied it, like with Emi. But even he thought humiliating yourself to save a Pokemon was crazy. Maybe that’s why Nori Carino was a Pokemon Rehabilitator.

Emi snickered a little, “Wonder how it would’ve gone if I listened to that gut feeling you had?”

“It’s not worth thinking about now. Honestly, I thought it’d be worse than it was. All things considered, I think this was the best result for all–” He stopped to correct himself, hanging his head. “Most of the parties involved.”

“Heh. I guess,” Emi conceded. There, she finally accepted the positives. Chad could only smile over it as his friend continued, understanding part of what he was getting at. “Just hope Kiara can get over this.”

“I hope so too,” he agreed.

“Thanks for putting up with my bullshit, man.” Emi was now talking a little more normally. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was with an earnestness he rarely heard from her.

Chad opened his mouth. Should he say this? Screw it, he figured. “Emi, you’re not just a teammate, you’re my friend. What else are friends for?”

“You’re too good to me,” she muttered. While they couldn’t see each other, Chad could envision the bright smile on her lips. “I think I need to go lie down and think about this more. See you Monday.”

“See you tomorrow, Emi.”

Chad leaned back in his chair as she hung up. Things were going to work out. Things were going to be okay. They were a little closer. And Emi had learned and grown a little from this incident. He was really glad to see that, both as her team captain and as her friend. There were still many questions about what was ahead of them, but Chad Shosha was sure he, Emi, and the rest of the team would find the answers in time.

 

[System Error]

A murky darkness had descended upon the land. It swallowed sound as well as sight. A feeling of enormous pressure enveloped him as he looked upon what towered in front. The torii stood more imposing than ever before. In a way, it was that which separated the outside from the world of the gods.

He was no stranger to this sensation. He managed it regularly. So why was he hesitating so much? There was a voice in the back of his mind screaming that this was wrong. The words were incomprehensible, yet fully understandable. There were many doubting that he could handle this, and he was not one to lie to himself. Not after all this.

Maybe it really was a mistake, but his heart was telling him to act on its desires. Was it her influence? Questioning whether she would want this only made the voice shout louder, yet it offered no alternative to his problem. He wallowed. There was only one thing to do. He took a deep breath, locked his eyes forward, and started walking.

There was nothing in the way. Nothing to block him. Yet he moved in slow motion. The more he willed his body to move, the more encumbered he became. He could see something! So close, yet so far away. He swung his arms, trying to push through.

It was no use, as he was met with another obstacle. Something came rushing by, brushing against him and gently prickling him like an acupuncture massage. He cursed under his breath.

And then, she appeared before him, right before the gate.

Her form was nothing more than a dark silhouette against the already blackened depths. In his blood, he knew who it was floating listlessly in the sea. A low warble came from his mouth, the bubbles brushing his nose. As his fists tightened on instinct, he felt them graze a long, narrow handle. A little more and he was gripping it in his right hand.

One well-aimed thrust would be enough to knock her to the other side. The point would pierce her just like she did to her victim. He was alone, not another human soul around. No person would know what happened here. No one but him. Could he do this?

To take a life is to take on sin. Was he ready to bear that burden? No, that was too far. But there were many eyes upon him. They were watching, waiting, expecting. Even if he did not, someone else might. Could he carry this burden?

His hand trembled as he drew his arm back. He held it there. One lunge. Could he? Should he? Would he?

He looked again. The figure had not moved. No, rather on closer inspection, she could not move. She was helpless. Yet no matter how helpless she was, this was still the one who had stolen his friend from him.

There would be no consequences. He could sort out his feelings later. Haruto tightened his grip. He felt no emotion as he moved his arm back just a little more.

“Stop!”

A call from ahead made him freeze. He knew that voice! Haruto swam forward, keeping a firm grasp on his weapon in case it was a trick of a demon. He passed by the figure, ignoring her entirely as he went to the gate.

A man in a beige vest and matching khakis was floating there. He had dirty blond hair, dark brown eyes, and a calm grin.

“Pete?” he called.

“Nice seein’ ya again, Haru.” That was his voice all right. And his nickname too.

“This is a dream. Is it really you?” He was spiritually sensitive, so it could be either. Was this the real Pete or was this a figment of his conscience? Or something else entirely?

The man on the other side tilted his head and smirked at him. “Yeah, I’m here during your dream time, ol’ cobber. Been in a bit of a bind lately, right? Most devo I’ve seen ya since Lisa went away.”

That was enough for Haruto to tentatively accept what he was seeing as the genuine article. His mind wouldn’t even think of using a term referring to pre-Pokemon mythology. Thus, it could not be his imagination.

“Pete,” he nearly sobbed, allowing the weapon to float away. “It is so good to see you.” He reached out to give his old friend a handshake, but found he could not reach. That was right. He was here. Pete was there.

“Ya been doin’ well lately,” the Krookodile Tracker acknowledged. “Nice new place. Just don’t go spoilin’ it, ya hear?”

Haruto briefly glanced back. He saw a quivering black Qwilfish. He had witnessed a bit of it last night, but only now did it sink in that she was scared and lost. Regret filled every pore and spike on her body.

“I know,” he whispered. “I guess I should’ve known sooner. It was unbecoming for me to have seen her in that light.” What had he nearly done here? And what had he wished upon her in reality? Neither would have changed anything. The void left with closure would be filled by regret.

“There ya go.” Pete nodded at him with fervent approval. “Good to know you’re on the up-and-up. I reckoned you just needed a little push.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you’re doing well too, my friend,” he replied to Pete. Some people did not take well to an untimely passing. “There was a part of me that feared you weren’t at peace.”

“Heck, you joshin’?” Pete laughed. He always had an infectious laugh. “People all round the world gave me my rites. You even got in on it yourselves, didn’t ya?”

He chuckled. That made sense. “I was thinking more of your thoughts about her.” He gestured back at the figure.

“Ah, it’ll happen.” He shrugged off his own passing. “Just glad she’s aight and’ll have the best eyes watchin’ over her. Sure you’ll approve.”

“What do you mean I’ll approve?” That didn’t make sense. Was he referring to Nori Carino?

There was a hollow hammering from behind him. He turned around. The Sinnohian specimen was now in full view, watching him blankly. The other Qwilfish had changed somehow. They were now blue like the skies above, white like puffy clouds, and a brilliant yellow. All at once, they began to shine as brightly as any Lanturn. No, it was more like the sun. The lights dancing in the depths all around bathed the world in their radiance. Everything was turning white, yet it was not blinding. No, if anything…

When he turned around, Pete was gone. Then the light took his sight entirely. He was unseeing, yet all-seeing.

Haruto Kannagi opened his eyes.

 

[System Error]

Nori waved to the two people standing in front of the doors into the Kannagi Shrine. Maiden Kaede gave a friendly wave back. Acolyte Jirou crossed his arms and harrumphed.

“Hey, I’m here to see Prema,” he said.

“She’s right in the back waiting,” Kaede told him, pointing over her shoulder with a thumb.

“Thanks,” he said. Then he turned to the man who had really helped make the difference. “And thank you for helping me see her on Friday, Mr. Jinnai.”

“It wasn’t for you. I was only doing my duty,” he sharply stated. From how he crossed his arms and glared, he wasn’t being tsun about it. He hated those types.

“And you did a good job!” Ms. Minmei flashed two thumbs up. “You didn’t let your bias get in the way. The Master knows that.”

He nodded to the acolyte. Who might be promoted to Monk soon, by the sound of it. “Yeah, and I really appreciate it.”

“Go see Lady Kannagi already. She’s waiting.” The man waved him off.

Nori just laughed to himself. It was still a mystery to him why Mr. Jinnai didn’t like him. It felt petty. But from that, Nori knew he could count on the guy to do the right thing.

##########​

True to his word, Nori came by to visit on Sunday afternoon. As she had promised, Prema prepared tea for him. It was a simple herbal blend, yet there were moments where simplicity was the best option. This was one of them.

“So everything’s good with your dad?” he asked after finishing his drink. They had been avoiding the subject prior, only talking about how they had been in the past two days.

“As far as I am aware,” Prema said. Father was still spending much of his time alone, yet was social when anyone spoke. “What of Qwilfish? Have you heard news from the Officials yet?”

He leaned back and held himself up with his hands. “Just before I came here, actually. She’s rehabilitated.” Her friend glanced up. “Not that she needed to be,” he remarked under his breath.

She thought it was inevitable from the reaction the audience had given him. “Well done,” she congratulated him with a smile.

“The gamble worked.” Nori sighed and fell onto his back. He stared blankly into the sky. “And all it took was embarrassing myself in front of hundreds of people.”

Prema was surprised. She thought that would not be a problem for him. She knew what to say to console him regardless. “It speaks to your character that you were willing to do so. I am certain that there are many who will come to understand that.” As for those who did not, he would put it more succinctly than she would: they were not worth his time.

That all told, there was a difference between rehabilitating a Pokemon and truly connecting with one. As much as Friday highlighted why Qwilfish was indeed good at heart, it also served as a reminder of the main problem that she and her trainer faced.

“With that in mind, you have only taken the first step. Do you have any plans on how to move forward?” She had full confidence that he did.

Nori sat up, placed his hands on his knees, and opened his mouth. It took a few seconds for him to begin speaking. “I had one thing in mind. But I don’t know…” He shook his head and looked down.

“If you need advice or a second opinion, then I am listening.”

Aside from squeezing his leg and squinting, Nori had no reaction to her offer. He sat there with a frown, uncertain of speaking his mind. It was a little jarring.

Prema wasn’t sure why. But she reached over and grazed his shoulder with a hand. As he turned to face her, she gave him a bright beam. “If there is anything more I can do to help you, do not hesitate to ask me. I am in your debt, Nori. So long as it is a reasonable request, I will do my best to fulfill it.”

He swallowed. “Okay. I don’t know if this is reasonable, but…” His hand slipped into his pocket. When it came out, he was holding a light blue Dive Ball. Then he held it out. “Here. Take her.”

A tingling sensation ran through her very core. Her heart pounded. “You are asking me to…” Her voice left her as her mouth hung agape. That explained why he was uncertain about saying it!

“I know, I know!” he yelped. He pulled the capsule back and held it tight. “It’s asking a lot. But I honestly don’t think I’m going to be able to give her the care she deserves. You…” After a moment to pause, he squinted and forcefully shook his head. “I know you saw how I do around water. I don’t want to force her or myself to adapt. It doesn’t feel right. Especially since it could take forever. And especially when I get more Pokemon I need to rehabilitate.”

With a heavy sigh, he looked up at her with a quivering lip. There was an emptiness in his soft red eyes. “I’d rather she go with someone she’s met instead of another stranger. I know you’ll take good care of her. And she likes you just from that one meeting. It’s way more than she thinks of me.”

He clutched at himself for a second, yet sat up straighter and started speaking with faux confidence. “I have already filed the necessary paperwork for a transfer of Pokemon ownership. The Officials allowed it now that I’ve rehabilitated her. You will simply need to take her to the nearest…any Pokemon Center or similar facility to get it electronically confirmed.” Nori reflexively made to hand her the capsule, only to drop his arm after a fraction of a second. He squeezed the sphere. “If that’s okay, that is. If it isn’t…” He looked down and sighed. “That’s okay too.”

Prema listened intently, though still in shock. Judging by his movements and tone, it had not been an easy decision for him to make. She knew why. He was not asking her to help, but to take over. The more she heard, the more it confirmed that Nori was not giving up on Qwilfish impulsively. He was all but saying he felt he could not continue. It was a lot to ask, perhaps more than was reasonable. Particularly given Father. There was only one thing to do. It was her duty as a Priestess of the Kannagi clan to help any trainer or Pokemon in need. And it was her duty as a friend as well.

“It takes a lot of courage to admit when you are unable to care for a Pokemon, Nori.” There were many trainers out there who did not understand that, and he came to that conclusion by himself. “I understand what you wish for her and fully support it. I will take care of her.”

Nori gasped. His eyes widened as he processed what she had said. His legs trembled as he hyperventilated. Finally, he gave a huge smile. “Th-thank you, Prema!”

He offered the Dive Ball once more, and Prema graciously accepted. The green-haired teenager gave it a solemn look. She always had a way with Pokemon, so she had no personal experience to draw on when it came to not getting along with one. Only stories from visitors looking for guidance. Prema had always encouraged those individuals to try understanding one another. So this was not one, but two firsts: a case where they could not, and the first Pokemon she was given to care for in their stead. She did not even think about motivating Nori to keep trying. Maybe it was the trust they shared. Nori was almost surely selling his ability to connect with Pokemon short.

In the end, though? If he was not yet ready to look after something aquatic, there was nothing more to it.

“And again, I’m sorry to push this on you,” he said with a vague bow of his head which was closer to hanging it with shame. “I know in one sense, you’re the last person I should be asking.”

“But I am also the only person you could ask,” she finished the thought for him, smiling comfortingly. She was sure of his motivations now. Part of it was being certain that she was well looked after; what better way than to give her to someone he knew? “Do not worry, Nori. I understand your position, as well as the responsibility and risks I am taking on. However, with regard to your primary concern, I believe it is unfounded.”

“Yeah, well.” Nori rubbed the nape of his neck and glanced over in the general direction of the shrine. “Priestess Satomi just ran off with a horrified look.”

Prema blinked. Priestess Satomi was eavesdropping? And she was shocked? Was she aware of something that they were not?

---​

Haruto rolled his head in the direction of the door. The hollow knocking continued. Now that he was fully awake, it was evident what it was. He rose from his futon as Priestess Satomi called to him with a frantic alarm that he had remembered hearing maybe twice before in his whole forty-four-year-old life.

“Master Haruto Kannagi? Are you awake?”

He calmly walked to his bedroom door, unlocked it, and opened it. “I am now,” he said to the elderly woman, whose silvery-green eyes were wide with horror. Her arms and legs were taut. “Is there something troubling you?” he asked, somewhat rhetorically.

“Sorry to disturb you.” She paused, then bowed belatedly. “We have a situation on our hands.”

“Oh?” he vocalized with a smile. He was uncertain why he felt compelled to smile. Perhaps it was the dream. Pete’s visit had put him at peace. And that was causing him to immediately see the logical fallacy of her coming here. “It can’t be too big of an issue if you had time to come get me instead of dealing with it.”

“It was nothing that required my immediate intervention, but this is an issue that will need to be addressed imminently,” she explained. After a moment to compose herself, she said, “The Demon Tamer asked Lady Kannagi to look after that Qwilfish. And she accepted! It is close to legally being her Pokemon!”

Nori Carino was giving the Qwilfish to Prema? Haruto smirked. Then he burst into laughter.

Priestess Satomi took a step back. “Master Haruto?” she asked, tentatively pulling away.

“I see. So that’s what he meant,” he mused. The best eyes watching over her. Haruto had to agree. Prema had been going above and beyond for that Pokemon. Nori Carino had certainly seen that as well. He must have done so out of an honest doubt of being able to continue taking care of her. Haruto was certain his daughter would indeed give her the best care possible.

“What who meant?” Satomi asked. It was a very reasonable question.

Haruto simply waved it off. “Don’t worry about it too much for now.” She would understand the situation if he explained it to her, but it would take too much time. From how tense she remained and the dark look on her face, there was still more on her mind.

“But Master Haruto,” she indeed protested. “You do know that this might lead to negative press for the shrine.”

“I am well aware of that, Satomi.” He had thought about both the good and the bad from the very beginning. He used the latter as an excuse due to his bias. The time had come to rectify that mistake. “It is no matter. If there are those who take issue with Prema taking care of a Pokemon in need, then they are not welcome here. It is not what the Kannagi Shrine stands for. And not what any good person should be saying. We will make the public know that.”

The elderly woman placed a hand over her chest. She turned away and exhaled sharply. “Okay,” she rasped.

Haruto tilted his head at her. “Did you think I would not like this?” he teased.

Again, the mouth of hismentor fell agape. “Master Haruto Kannagi, are you sure you are feeling okay?” she asked once she recovered from the shock.

“I could not be better. An old friend paid me a visit,” he vaguely explained.

She subtly nodded, though it was unclear if she understood completely. “I did not think you would approve of her having the Qwilfish that caused you grief. She’s going to be around here on a regular basis.”

Haruto crossed his arms. He got where Satomi was coming from. “I am in no position to criticize her decision, for multiple reasons. She was the one standing up for that Pokemon while I was closing myself off. With that being said, I will speak to her and make sure she understands the gravity of this, though I suspect she already does.”

Prema would need to know that there would be those who would disapprove. It was something Satomi herself made clear to him when he made the choice to open this branch shrine. Damned if she wasn’t right. That was the other reason why Haruto felt he had no right to criticize his daughter’s decision. But Haruto did not regret it for a moment.

“Gods. Heh.” Satomi chuckled nervously, once more clutching at her chest. “My heart almost stopped when I heard them talking about this.”

Haruto only laughed. Of all the things. He had only seen Priestess Satomi that stunned twice before. Considering that those two incidents were the takeover of the Silph Building by a criminal organization and Prema nearly dying, that was saying something about what she thought of this.

“It is good that you came to see me,” he changed the subject. It would do her good to get off of it. “I have preparations of my own to make. A speech about this Qwilfish. Would you be willing to help me?”

The elderly woman gave a swift nod. “But of course, Master Haruto.”

---​

Well, it did not matter. Prema had already committed to this, and had no regrets. “We will see what comes of it.”

Nori flicked backward with a measure of surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you to take a devil-may-care attitude here,” he remarked with a toothy grin.

“A devil?” she asked, pulling back involuntarily. Prema was aware that she may be seen as flippant, yet was this truly that improper?

“Carefree, in other words,” he clarified. “It’s good to see you like that.”

So it was only a colloquialism. She relaxed. “It is more that I am prepared to accept any consequences. This is something I must do, and I believe that Father will understand that. More than anything…” Prema paused for a moment, suspecting this part was part of what made her appear carefree. “I am prepared for things to return to normal.”

“I know, me too. Me too.” He nodded at her. “And they will.”

They silently smiled at each other. This incident had nearly torn them apart, yet it had ultimately brought them closer together. Nori had done well in getting this lost Qwilfish as far as he had. Now, Prema was prepared to take her the rest of the way and give her a new place to belong.

 

[System Error]

“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.

 

[System Error]

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.

Spoiler: Final Notes

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!